AeroTime
• Ian Molyneaux
Smartwings has named a new chief executive and chief financial officer following confirmation that Pegasus Airlines completed its acquisition of Czech Airlines and Smartwings Group. The leadership appointments mark an immediate management change at Smartwings under its new ownership.
Europe
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The U.S. Air Force has withdrawn the 12 B-1B Lancers remaining at RAF Fairford, ending a seven-month deployment, after a suspected terrorist threat near the base. The move followed arrests of six men, later released on bail; reports also say Israel had warned the UK of a possible Iranian attack.
Smartwings has named a new chief executive and chief financial officer following confirmation that Pegasus Airlines completed its acquisition of Czech Airlines and Smartwings Group. The leadership appointments mark an immediate management change at Smartwings under its new ownership.
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The joint European Space Agency–Chinese Academy of Sciences Solar Wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer has entered scientific operations following its May launch and a multi-month commissioning period. ESA and CAS released the mission’s first images, marking the transition from spacecraft checkout to planned research.
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The Pentagon confirmed that all U.S. B-1 bombers deployed at RAF Fairford returned to the United States after a suspected terror plot involving vans with explosives near the airfield’s perimeter. The unusually rapid redeployment followed security warnings and concerns about a potential Iranian threat.
Britain’s opposition Conservatives say they will “do whatever it takes” to build a third runway at London Heathrow, putting the project at the center of a political divide after Prime Minister Andy Burnham declined to support the planned expansion.
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The European Space Agency is investigating options for a European-led space station and pursuing crew-transport capabilities as new European launchers come online. The effort follows member states’ endorsement of a “Call to Boost European Space Exploration,” signaling a broader push to strengthen Europe’s independent role in human spaceflight.
The British government plans to prohibit airlines from charging parents extra to reserve seats next to their children, while also promising action on fees for correcting simple name mistakes. The measures are being framed as an “everyday fix” to reduce what ministers call rip-off airline charges.
Moldovan authorities said three missiles and two drones entered the country’s airspace, with debris causing collateral damage. President Maia Sandu condemned Russia over the latest violation, underscoring the conflict’s spillover into neighboring states and the continuing exposure of regional airspace to military activity.
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