Boeing 747 News

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IranAir plans to return its sole 747 Combi to service in just over a month

CEO Taher Abdolhai said on Oct. 19, 2026, that IranAir intends to return the aircraft to service in just over a month. The airline’s A321 plans remain on hold, according to the report’s headline.

Aviation Week

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JAL expands Level 4 autonomous cargo towing to Fukuoka, its third Japanese airport

Japan Airlines has begun operating TLD Robotics’ driverless EZTow tractors at Fukuoka Airport, extending airside autonomous towing to a third airport in its network. The vehicles move cargo containers on a 1.7-kilometer restricted-area route, as JAL turns to automation amid ground-handling labor shortages and a shrinking working-age population.

FlightGlobal

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Cargolux inspects 747-8F fleet after parked freighter’s landing gear collapses

A Cargolux Boeing 747-8F, registration LX-VCF, suffered a collapse of its left-wing main landing gear while parked at Luxembourg Airport. No injuries were reported. The freighter was grounded, prompting inspections across the carrier’s 747-8F fleet and an investigation into the incident.

Reuters

Supplier dispute halts Boeing 777F production for nearly two months, disrupts 767 and KC-46 output

A dispute with a small Florida supplier over a critical wing component has stopped 777F production for nearly two months and disrupted 767 output, including freighters and KC-46 tankers, according to reports. The freighter has dozens of orders, and regulators recently approved continued production through 2030.

Reuters

EXCLUSIVE: Boeing supplier dispute has halted 777 freighter production for two months, sources say

AeroTime

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Lufthansa and SWISS phase out A340s as Lufthansa’s final A340-600 flight marks fleet transition

Lufthansa has operated its final A340-600 flight, while Lufthansa and SWISS are retiring their A340 fleets after 23 years of service. Separately, Lufthansa plans to retire its last eight 747-400s; Edelweiss expects to keep one A340-300 in service until January 2027.

ch-aviation

Uzbekistan’s My Freighter plans four widebody freighters by end-2026, targeting a 50-aircraft fleet by decade’s end

My Freighter expects to take delivery of three Boeing 767Fs and one Airbus A330F by the end of 2026. The Tashkent-based cargo airline says it aims to grow its fleet to 50 aircraft by the end of the decade.

New York Times

Trump says additional threats prompted U.S. withdrawal of B-1 bombers from RAF Fairford

President Donald Trump said the United States pulled its remaining B-1B Lancers from RAF Fairford after receiving additional threats. A German-language report characterized the threat as a planned Iranian drone attack targeting personnel at the base; the UK government said the installation remained safe after the aircraft departed.