Bloomberg
• Francine Lacqua, Samuel Stolton
The European Union’s antitrust chief said a proposed satellite venture intended to provide a regional answer to SpaceX will face normal scrutiny from competition authorities. The warning contrasts with strong political support from European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and signals that strategic importance will not override competition rules.
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The European Union’s antitrust chief said a proposed satellite venture intended to provide a regional answer to SpaceX will face normal scrutiny from competition authorities. The warning contrasts with strong political support from European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and signals that strategic importance will not override competition rules.
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A U.S. Air Force F-16 assigned to Spangdahlem Air Base crashed in western Germany on Sept. 22 while returning from a routine local training mission. The pilot ejected before impact and was receiving medical treatment; the aircraft operates in the base’s “Wild Weasel” mission set.
TUI lowered the top end of its full-year profit guidance, citing weaker booked revenue at its airlines business as travelers delay purchasing decisions amid ongoing geopolitical and economic uncertainty. The company’s comments point to continued demand visibility challenges for leisure carriers heading into the remainder of the year.
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Planet Labs plans to launch its first German-built satellite on a German-built rocket in early 2027, while Exolaunch has contracted a dedicated SpaceX Starship mission for 2029. China, meanwhile, completed four orbital launches in 45 hours to accelerate its Qianfan and SatNet broadband constellations.
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SaxaVord has abandoned plans for a shared suborbital launch rail, leaving HyImpulse to bring and operate its own launch system for the second flight of its SR75 rocket. The change adds infrastructure responsibility to HyImpulse’s launch campaign and alters the planned operating model at the spaceport.
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ESA signed an MoU with Axiom Space to expand Europe’s access to low Earth orbit, selected Sateliot for the consolidation phase of its IRIS² low-LEO program, and extended its cooperation agreement with ISRO through January 8, 2032, while setting out priorities for IAC 2026.
Aegean Airlines has denied reports or speculation that it intends to acquire Volotea. The statement addresses potential consolidation involving two European carriers, but the available reporting provides no further details on the source or circumstances behind the claims.
Wizz Air is scaling back its 2030 fleet-growth ambitions after engine issues, the Ukraine and Middle East conflicts, and the Covid-19 shock. The £1 billion carrier is also planning for lower margins than during its peak, even as competitors retrench and fuel costs rise.
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