Aviation24
• Bart Noëth
A Vietnam Airlines Boeing 787-9 operating flight VN34 to Hanoi returned to Munich after experiencing technical problems following takeoff. Reports said the 10-year-old Dreamliner rotated late, overran the runway before becoming airborne and sustained landing-gear and tail-strike damage; the crew returned safely after about two hours in flight.
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A Spanish F-18 operating under NATO command shot down a drone after Romanian surveillance systems detected it entering the country’s airspace from Moldova near the Ukrainian border. The incident marks Romania’s fourth reported drone shootdown of 2026, following years of repeated Russian drone incursions.
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A Hanoi-bound Vietnam Airlines Boeing 787-9 returned to Munich after an unusually late takeoff rotation, reportedly overrunning the runway and kicking up dust. The aircraft entered a two-hour holding pattern before returning, with investigators examining the apparent takeoff anomaly and resulting substantial damage.
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A Vietnam Airlines Boeing 787-9 operating flight VN34 to Hanoi returned to Munich after experiencing technical problems following takeoff. Reports said the 10-year-old Dreamliner rotated late, overran the runway before becoming airborne and sustained landing-gear and tail-strike damage; the crew returned safely after about two hours in flight.
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British Airways owner International Airlines Group questioned the price tag attached to Heathrow Airport’s planned expansion and third runway in evidence submitted to a parliamentary committee, underscoring concern from a major airport user over the project’s financial burden.
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The emerging orbital data-center sector is converging on sun-synchronous orbits, intensifying questions over congestion, coordination and operational rules. The development also raises a strategic policy issue for Europe: whether it will help shape the traffic-management framework governing a potentially important new class of space infrastructure.
NATO fighter jets shot down a drone after it entered Latvia’s eastern airspace, according to the Latvian Ministry of Defense. The action marks the second time in two months that the military alliance has responded by destroying an aerial threat over or near Latvian territory.
Rocket Lab is moving into Europe’s competitive launch market, positioning the company against established and emerging regional providers. The expansion could reshape the competitive landscape for European launch services as the company extends its presence into territory traditionally served by local operators.
STARLUX Airlines has launched its first European route, connecting Taipei Taoyuan and Prague three times weekly with Airbus A350-900 aircraft. The Taiwanese carrier plans to increase the service to four flights per week from October, with GLSHK’s EzyCustoms platform supporting the new operation.
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