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The Air Current • Will Guisbond

Boeing confirms China’s initial commitment for 200 aircraft—models and delivery timing unspecified

Boeing says China has committed to buying 200 aircraft following Donald Trump’s Beijing visit, a key step toward reopening a market Boeing has been absent from for nearly a decade. Trump’s announcement exceeds earlier expectations, but Boeing provided no aircraft mix or order timing detail.

2026-05-15T17:22:09.054506-07:00

FlightGlobal

Alaska Airlines plots 787-led shift from regional carrier to global intercontinental operator

2026-05-15T15:38:21.179217-07:00

CBS News

Chicago jury awards $49.5M to family of 2019 Boeing 737 MAX crash victim

2026-05-14T05:28:04.529166-07:00

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IAG raises Boeing 737 MAX allocation to Vueling to 60 aircraft

2026-05-15T04:24:12.997563-07:00

News Timeline

The Air Current

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Boeing confirms China’s initial commitment for 200 aircraft—models and delivery timing unspecified Boeing says China has committed to buying 200 aircraft following Donald Trump’s Beijing visit, a key step toward reopening a market Boeing has been absent from for nearly a decade. Trump’s announcement exceeds earlier expectations, but Boeing provided no aircraft mix or order timing detail.

2026-05-15T17:22:09.054506-07:00

Boeing confirms China’s initial commitment for 200 aircraft—models and delivery timing unspecified

FlightGlobal

Alaska Airlines plots 787-led shift from regional carrier to global intercontinental operator Alaska Airlines CEO says the carrier plans to launch a dozen intercontinental routes using Boeing 787s, signaling a deliberate move beyond its traditional regional footprint. The strategy is designed to reposition Alaska into a West Coast long-haul player, with Europe as a near-term proving ground.

2026-05-15T15:38:21.179217-07:00

Alaska Airlines plots 787-led shift from regional carrier to global intercontinental operator

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IAG raises Boeing 737 MAX allocation to Vueling to 60 aircraft IAG has increased its Boeing 737 MAX allocation for Vueling to 60 aircraft, a move that signals further narrowbody capacity planning under the Vueling brand. The updated allocation adds detail to how IAG is prioritizing MAX deliveries across its European low-cost network.

2026-05-15T04:24:12.997563-07:00

IAG raises Boeing 737 MAX allocation to Vueling to 60 aircraft

FlightGlobal

UK greenlights F-35B StormBreaker/SDB-II interim stand-off strike as corrosion, spare-parts gaps cut mission capability The UK MoD approved StormBreaker for the F-35B and is equipping the fleet with Boeing Small Diameter Bomb II (SDB-II) as an interim stand-off capability while SPEAR 3 integration slips into the early 2030s. Officials also detailed corrosion issues and spare-parts shortfalls that are reducing UK F-35 mission rates and carry deployment-support limitations.

2026-05-15T04:12:16.071143-07:00

UK greenlights F-35B StormBreaker/SDB-II interim stand-off strike as corrosion, spare-parts gaps cut mission capability

Breaking Defense

USAF says B-52 modernization is “stabilized” after cost spikes and schedule delays The Air Force is working to steady B-52 modernization momentum after recent cost growth and schedule slips, according to a service official commenting amid ongoing upgrade execution pressures. The remarks suggest the program’s near-term risk profile has improved even as budgets and timelines remain under scrutiny.

2026-05-14T11:53:51.215990-07:00

USAF says B-52 modernization is “stabilized” after cost spikes and schedule delays

Aviation Today

US Air Force pins VC-25B “bridge” retrofit on Qatar-gifted 747-8i at ~$400M; program spending tops $4.2B The Air Force estimates that modifying the Qatar-gifted 747-8i to serve as a VC-25B interim “bridge” aircraft will cost less than $400 million. The nearly decade-long VC-25B effort to field two Boeing Air Force One replacement planes has already reached more than $4.2 billion.

2026-05-14T09:30:10.040896-07:00

US Air Force pins VC-25B “bridge” retrofit on Qatar-gifted 747-8i at ~$400M; program spending tops $4.2B

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LOT and Boeing face off in Seattle over alleged concealment of 737 MAX MCAS safety issues in 2016 deal LOT Polish Airlines opened a long-running lawsuit in US District Court in Seattle accusing Boeing of hiding 737 MAX MCAS safety concerns during a 2016 transaction for 15 aircraft, seeking damages. Boeing and LOT’s legal fight is among multiple 737 MAX-related civil and criminal proceedings ongoing in the US.

2026-05-14T07:44:40.288027-07:00

LOT and Boeing face off in Seattle over alleged concealment of 737 MAX MCAS safety issues in 2016 deal

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Uganda Airlines wet-leases two Boeing 737-800s from Ethiopian to stabilize operations Uganda Airlines has taken delivery of the first of two Boeing 737-800 aircraft under a short-term wet lease from Ethiopian Airlines, aimed at restoring capacity after the grounding of two of its aircraft. The carrier also points to renewed route momentum, including plans for a 10-year growth push covering 32 routes.

2026-05-14T07:15:37.800132-07:00

Uganda Airlines wet-leases two Boeing 737-800s from Ethiopian to stabilize operations

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Boeing News

Boeing confirms China’s initial commitment for 200 aircraft—models and delivery timing unspecified

Alaska Airlines plots 787-led shift from regional carrier to global intercontinental operator

Chicago jury awards $49.5M to family of 2019 Boeing 737 MAX crash victim

IAG raises Boeing 737 MAX allocation to Vueling to 60 aircraft

News Timeline