AeroTime
• Gabriele Petrauskaite
Lufthansa is set to end nearly 23 years of A340-600 passenger operations with a final flight on Oct. 18, while Lufthansa and SWISS are retiring their A340 fleets. Edelweiss plans to operate its A340-300 through January 2027, illustrating that the type’s exit from the wider group will be gradual.
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Lufthansa is set to end nearly 23 years of A340-600 passenger operations with a final flight on Oct. 18, while Lufthansa and SWISS are retiring their A340 fleets. Edelweiss plans to operate its A340-300 through January 2027, illustrating that the type’s exit from the wider group will be gradual.
The Polish Armed Forces said the Air Force conducted preventive operations on Sunday as Russia launched missile attacks on Ukraine. The activity underscores how the war is prompting neighboring NATO states to monitor and respond to threats near their airspace.
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Chancellor John Healey has backed plans for a third runway at Heathrow, according to the report, putting him at odds with Prime Minister Andy Burnham. The support revives a major airport-capacity proposal as a point of contention within the UK government.
Anduril could produce its newly unveiled Steelfin interceptor missiles in Europe, a company executive said, as governments seek to expand air-defense production. Conflicts have exposed shortages of interceptor missiles, making local manufacturing a potential part of efforts to increase supply.
As Europe considers reserving part of its mobile satellite services spectrum authorization for European operators, the European Space Policy Institute says the approach should go further. It argues that Europe should maximize its control over the space segment as well, making strategic autonomy a central consideration in spectrum policy.
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Transport Canada began a public review on Oct. 16, 2026, of proposed updates to the Air Canada–United Airlines joint venture. The other supplied reports concern separate route launches and market-access developments, so they do not establish further details about the consultation or the proposed changes.
Condor chief executive Peter Gerber says the airline changed its business model after losing its feeder agreement with Lufthansa Group. He also criticized European airline regulations as Condor pursues a strategy built around combining business and leisure travel.
Germany had aimed to become the first European country to field a collaborative combat aircraft by 2029, but a change in its plans to acquire Boeing’s MQ-28 drone wingman has put that timeline in doubt, according to a Boeing official. The shift leaves the country’s path to the milestone uncertain.
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