FlightGlobal
• David Kaminski-Morrow
IndiGo will terminate its damp-lease agreement with Norse Atlantic by late October or November 2026, ending Boeing 787 service and suspending London Heathrow flights until Airbus A350-900s arrive. Mumbai–Amsterdam will shift to A321XLRs, while Norse plans to redeploy the recovered aircraft as it considers a sale or merger.
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IndiGo will terminate its damp-lease agreement with Norse Atlantic by late October or November 2026, ending Boeing 787 service and suspending London Heathrow flights until Airbus A350-900s arrive. Mumbai–Amsterdam will shift to A321XLRs, while Norse plans to redeploy the recovered aircraft as it considers a sale or merger.
Washington is seeking a major role in Ethiopia’s planned $12.5 billion Bishoftu International Airport, reportedly tying U.S. participation in the project to Ethiopian Airlines’ purchase of additional Boeing aircraft. The linkage could shape the airport’s financing, industrial partnerships and the carrier’s future fleet strategy.
Leaders of the Boeing engineering and technical employees’ union have endorsed two company-proposed four-year employment contracts, signaling optimism in negotiations. The agreements would replace the union’s current contracts, which are scheduled to expire in October, if approved through the remaining bargaining process.
NASA continues to assess flight opportunities for Starliner-1 as work with Boeing on the CST-100 vehicle advances. A NASA official characterized progress as “good” but declined to provide a target launch date, leaving the timing of the program’s next uncrewed mission unresolved.
Emirates president Tim Clark says Boeing could consider developing a 777-10, signaling potential airline interest in a larger derivative of the 777X family. The comments point to a possible future product discussion, although the article provides no indication that Boeing has committed to the aircraft.
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Air India has begun phased Boeing 787 modifications following an FAA airworthiness directive concerning a door issue, while the FAA proposes seat inspections on select 737 MAX variants. Separately, EASA is seeking broader ultrasonic fan-blade inspections for CFM56-7B engines powering the global 737NG fleet.
A senior U.S. Air Force officer said the Boeing F-47 remains on track for a first flight in 2028, while efforts to deploy Northrop Grumman’s B-21 bomber next year and field collaborative combat aircraft continue advancing. The comments reaffirm timelines for three central elements of the USAF’s next-generation combat-air strategy.
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Boeing has submitted a four-year contract proposal to SPEEA, representing about 13,000 engineers and scientists and 4,000 technical staff. The offer, already approved by the union’s negotiating team, will go to a membership vote after council review, potentially averting a strike when the current agreement expires Oct. 6, 2026.
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