Air Data News
• Ricardo Meier
Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg said portions of the 777-9 flight-test campaign could extend into 2027 as additional work on GE Aerospace’s GE9X delays the start of ETOPS certification testing. The latest setback further pushes out the long-delayed widebody program, leaving launch customer Lufthansa awaiting deliveries.
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Aeroflot plans to keep Boeing and Airbus narrowbody aircraft in service through 2030-35, signaling continued reliance on its existing Western-built fleet. The timeline makes fleet replacement, maintenance, parts availability and network planning longer-term considerations for Russia’s flag carrier.
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Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg said portions of the 777-9 flight-test campaign could extend into 2027 as additional work on GE Aerospace’s GE9X delays the start of ETOPS certification testing. The latest setback further pushes out the long-delayed widebody program, leaving launch customer Lufthansa awaiting deliveries.
Yemen’s Houthi movement says its air-defense forces shot down a Royal Saudi Air Force F-15SA over Marib Governorate on Sept. 16, 2026, and has released images purporting to show the aircraft’s wreckage. The claim concerns one of the most advanced variants of Boeing’s F-15 fighter.
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Boeing is curbing spending and assessing the financial and labor dynamics behind a looming contract vote by the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace, as the company seeks to avoid a third major strike in three years.
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The Air Mobility Command says the U.S. Air Force intends to procure Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, making it the type’s first military operator and expanding its C-40 VIP fleet. Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg separately said FAA certification of the 737 MAX 10 is expected “very soon,” with deliveries still targeted for next year.
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CEO Kelly Ortberg said Boeing’s 737 MAX production is taking longer than expected to stabilize at 47 aircraft per month, with wing manufacturing at Renton constraining the line. A potential SPEEA engineers’ strike could further slow 737 production and halt 777-9 certification work, though Boeing maintained its 2027 777X delivery target.
The U.S. Air Force expects its first full squadron of Boeing T-7A Red Hawk advanced trainer jets to be ready by next summer, with Air Education and Training Command forecasting that 14 aircraft will be operational by August 2027.
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Airbus is part of the 250-seat replacement debate, but Boeing’s data-driven mission analysis points toward a single-aisle successor to the 757. The approach reflects Boeing’s assessment of market realities and could shape the configuration and positioning of its next commercial airplane.
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