North America News

eVTOL Insights

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Electra wins $4.7 million USAF award to test EL9 hybrid-electric aircraft as GE and Beta demonstrate assisted takeoff

The Air Force Research Laboratory contract will fund ground and flight testing of Electra Defense’s EL9 Ultra-STOL aircraft and assess its potential for military missions. Separately, GE Aerospace and Beta Technologies have demonstrated hybrid-electric assisted takeoff in a modified Saab 340B, advancing work on electrified propulsion for commercial aviation.

Wall Street Journal

High activity

USAF relocates tankers from RAF Mildenhall after reported Iran-linked threat; security heightened at RAF Lakenheath

At least a dozen U.S. refueling and other aircraft departed RAF Mildenhall on Nov. 9, according to reports, after a potential Iran-linked threat; the reason for the move has not been confirmed. Security was also tightened at RAF Lakenheath, weeks after U.S. bombers were withdrawn from RAF Fairford following a separate incident.

Wall Street Journal

US reportedly evacuates aircraft from RAF Mildenhall after Iran threat, weeks after moving bombers from RAF Fairford

The US military evacuated aircraft from RAF Mildenhall on Monday after a threat from Iran, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter. The move follows the withdrawal of US bombers from RAF Fairford weeks earlier over a suspected Iran-linked security incident.

FlightGlobal

Companies weigh attending planned U.S. CAPEWEEK air show after dates are finalized

With dates now finalized, the planned CAPEWEEK air show is prompting aerospace companies to weigh whether to attend. The event adds another major exhibition to the industry calendar, though the available reporting does not specify the dates or participating companies.

ch-aviation

WestJet to anchor Winnipeg airport business park with 73,000-square-foot maintenance hangar

WestJet plans to build a 6,782-square-metre (73,000-square-foot) aircraft maintenance hangar at AirLink Business Park on the western side of Winnipeg International Airport. The project will make the Calgary-based airline the development’s first anchor tenant.

Bloomberg

High activity

SpaceX proposes $24 billion gas-fired power plant and supercomputing facility at Starbase

SpaceX is seeking to build, own and operate a gas-fired power plant and supercomputing facility in Starbase, Texas, according to a public hearing notice. The roughly $24 billion project would combine large-scale power generation with computing infrastructure at the company’s launch-site city, extending its footprint beyond launch vehicles and spacecraft.

AINonline

North American business aircraft activity falls 2.7%, ending 19-month growth streak

Business aircraft operations in North America declined 2.7% year over year in October, the first regional contraction in 19 months, according to Argus International. The downturn contributed to a 2.6% year-over-year decrease in global business aviation activity, signaling a broader monthly slowdown.

Reuters

Federal MOU aims to speed counter-drone deployments while protecting civilian aviation

A new federal agreement could reduce some FAA safety reviews for counter-UAS deployments to 24 hours as agencies coordinate responses to unauthorized drone incursions. The push spans operational readiness—from FEMA urging state and local agencies to use security grants to tentative plans for protective netting at Tyndall Air Force Base.