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AINonline • Charles Alcock

AutoFlight and Alatau Advance Air Group back 50 eVTOLs for Central Asia after first ton-class flight in Almaty

Alatau Advance Air Group (AAAG) has signed for 50 AutoFlight eVTOL aircraft and is advancing a vertiport network plan in Kazakhstan’s Almaty Region. AutoFlight, working with AAAG, completed the first ton-class eVTOL demonstration flight in Central Asia—an initial electric vertical takeoff and landing milestone for the market.

2026-05-21T08:41:50.870728-07:00

SpaceQ

SpaceX targets May 21 Starship Flight 12 with Starship V3 hardware, Raptor 3 engines and Pad 2 for a first payload deployment te

2026-05-20T04:45:30.703693-07:00

SpaceNews.com

U.S. officials say they’ll be “more prepared” for next WRC on defending spectrum priorities

2026-05-20T12:25:50.005550-07:00

FlightGlobal

Canada to replace Snowbirds’ CT-114 Tutor jets with PC-21-based CT-157 Siskin II, pausing displays after the 2026 season

2026-05-19T12:10:05.021670-07:00

News Timeline

AINonline

AutoFlight and Alatau Advance Air Group back 50 eVTOLs for Central Asia after first ton-class flight in Almaty Alatau Advance Air Group (AAAG) has signed for 50 AutoFlight eVTOL aircraft and is advancing a vertiport network plan in Kazakhstan’s Almaty Region. AutoFlight, working with AAAG, completed the first ton-class eVTOL demonstration flight in Central Asia—an initial electric vertical takeoff and landing milestone for the market.

2026-05-21T08:41:50.870728-07:00

AutoFlight and Alatau Advance Air Group back 50 eVTOLs for Central Asia after first ton-class flight in Almaty

SpaceNews.com

U.S. officials say they’ll be “more prepared” for next WRC on defending spectrum priorities White House officials say the U.S. plans to enter the next World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC) “more prepared than ever” to defend its key spectrum priorities. The announcement signals an intensified U.S. position on how future WRC outcomes could shape international spectrum rules and use.

2026-05-20T12:25:50.005550-07:00

U.S. officials say they’ll be “more prepared” for next WRC on defending spectrum priorities

SpaceQ

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SpaceX targets May 21 Starship Flight 12 with Starship V3 hardware, Raptor 3 engines and Pad 2 for a first payload deployment te SpaceX is stacking Starship V3 with the upgraded Super Heavy booster at Starbase ahead of Starship Flight 12, targeting May 21. The flight debuts redesigned architecture, Raptor 3 engines and “Pad 2,” paired with the first payload deployment test for the new configuration. SpaceX says it has sunk more than $15 billion into Starship development.

2026-05-20T04:45:30.703693-07:00

SpaceX targets May 21 Starship Flight 12 with Starship V3 hardware, Raptor 3 engines and Pad 2 for a first payload deployment te

FlightGlobal

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Canada to replace Snowbirds’ CT-114 Tutor jets with PC-21-based CT-157 Siskin II, pausing displays after the 2026 season Canada has selected the Pilatus PC-21-derived CT-157 Siskin II to replace the Royal Canadian Air Force Snowbirds’ CT-114 Tutor jets. The team will stand down after the 2026 airshow season, with the new turboprops expected to enter service in the early 2030s—meaning a multi-year gap in flying displays.

2026-05-19T12:10:05.021670-07:00

Canada to replace Snowbirds’ CT-114 Tutor jets with PC-21-based CT-157 Siskin II, pausing displays after the 2026 season

AeroTime

ADSTAR Summit 2026: DSTG to convene AI-enabled air battle management training discussions in Adelaide (Aug. 4–6, 2026) Australia’s Defence Science and Technology Group (DSTG) will host the Australian Defence Science, Technology and Research Summit (ADSTAR) in Adelaide from Aug. 4–6, 2026. The event will bring government, academia and industry leaders together to discuss defense innovation, including AI-enabled air battle management training.

2026-05-18T06:53:42.129211-07:00

ADSTAR Summit 2026: DSTG to convene AI-enabled air battle management training discussions in Adelaide (Aug. 4–6, 2026)

Payload

U-Space selects Skynopy to run LEO mission ground stations for SOAP and PANDORE, partnering with ESA to trial X-band dynamic mod U-Space has selected Skynopy to provide ground-station services for its two low-Earth-orbit satellites, SOAP and PANDORE. The companies also worked under an ESA PUSH effort to develop and validate X-band dynamic modulation on U-Space’s platforms, with ESA and Skynopy funding the program at no cost to U-Space.

2026-05-18T05:40:07.250951-07:00

U-Space selects Skynopy to run LEO mission ground stations for SOAP and PANDORE, partnering with ESA to trial X-band dynamic mod

Task & Purpose

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US Navy EA-18G Growlers collide midair at Idaho air show; all four crew eject safely Two US Navy Boeing EA-18G Growlers collided during an air show in Idaho, becoming entangled and plummeting to the ground. Officials said all four crew members ejected safely before the jets crashed, with video showing the aircraft spinning as they fell.

2026-05-17T12:51:13.509349-07:00

US Navy EA-18G Growlers collide midair at Idaho air show; all four crew eject safely

Runway Girl

Generation Global unveils GENCYCLE+ closed-loop upcycling for aircraft seat covers and cushions at Aircraft Interiors Expo Generation Global debuted GENCYCLE+, a closed-loop upcycling program aimed at keeping aircraft seat covers and cushions out of landfill. Shown publicly for the first time at Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg, the initiative focuses on circular sourcing and end-of-life handling for “soft goods” used in aircraft cabins.

2026-05-16T09:41:52.450102-07:00

Generation Global unveils GENCYCLE+ closed-loop upcycling for aircraft seat covers and cushions at Aircraft Interiors Expo

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Event News

AutoFlight and Alatau Advance Air Group back 50 eVTOLs for Central Asia after first ton-class flight in Almaty

SpaceX targets May 21 Starship Flight 12 with Starship V3 hardware, Raptor 3 engines and Pad 2 for a first payload deployment te

U.S. officials say they’ll be “more prepared” for next WRC on defending spectrum priorities

Canada to replace Snowbirds’ CT-114 Tutor jets with PC-21-based CT-157 Siskin II, pausing displays after the 2026 season

News Timeline