Aviation Week
• David Casey
London Gatwick can proceed with plans to convert its northern taxiway into a fully operational second runway after the Court of Appeal rejected the final legal challenge. The ruling clears the way for construction and eventual dual-runway operations at the UK airport.
Europe
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Tekever expects to begin delivering its AR5 tactical uncrewed aerial system to the British Army before year-end under Project Corvus, a contract the company values at up to £400 million over 10 years. The system is intended to replace the Army’s Watchkeeper capability, though fleet size and runway dependence remain concerns.
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London Gatwick can proceed with plans to convert its northern taxiway into a fully operational second runway after the Court of Appeal rejected the final legal challenge. The ruling clears the way for construction and eventual dual-runway operations at the UK airport.
Swiss semi-private aviation startup PeakJet has completed its first commercial flight, operating between Zurich and Palma de Mallorca. The platform allows travelers to book individual seats on private-jet flights, offering an alternative to full-aircraft charter for the route and potentially other markets.
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Two Bell 412 firefighting helicopters collided midair while battling a wind-driven wildfire west of Athens, killing two crew members and injuring or leaving two others alive. The accident underscores the operational hazards facing aerial firefighting crews as severe fires and extreme winds spread across Greece and Southern Europe.
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ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot has completed a third evaluation of the EuroSuit intravehicular activity spacesuit prototype aboard the International Space Station. The repeated on-orbit testing advances Europe’s assessment of a domestically developed suit for crew operations and helps validate its design in the space-station environment.
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Lufthansa Group’s second-quarter adjusted EBIT fell by more than half as fuel costs rose by more than $750 million year over year and strike-related expenses weighed on results. The group widened its outlook range, while Lufthansa and Swiss pursue differing network strategies and the first 777-9 delivery remains planned for early 2027.
European logistics conglomerate e-Smart Group is advancing plans for ClearSky Airlines, a dedicated electric cargo carrier expected to begin regional operations in the second half of 2027. The airline intends to deploy Beta Technologies’ Alia CX300 freighters, linking emerging electric aircraft with commercial logistics operations.
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