Policy & Regulation News

FlightGlobal

US transportation inspector probes FAA regulation of helicopter tour industry

Via Satellite

SpaceX weighs Boost Mobile deal as satellite-sector transactions face regulatory and creditor scrutiny

SpaceX has held preliminary talks with EchoStar about buying Boost Mobile or gaining wholesale access to its cellular network, potentially supporting a hybrid terrestrial-satellite service. Separate reports say Globalstar has asked the FCC to assess supplier implications involving Rocket Lab, while creditors challenge transfers of low-Earth-orbit satellite network assets.

Breaking Defense

AEI argues Pentagon maintainers need better data access, not sweeping new IP rights

Elain McCusker of the American Enterprise Institute argues that Congress’s proposed “right to repair” approach for the Pentagon needs revision. Better licensing and management of technical data, she says, would do more to help military maintainers than granting the government broad new rights to defense intellectual property.

SpaceNews.com

NOAA’s commercial weather data ambitions hinge on 2028 funding

ch-aviation

WestJet criticizes Canadian government fuel loans to airlines

WestJet has criticized the Canadian government’s provision of fuel loans to airlines. The available report does not specify the loan terms, recipient carriers or WestJet’s objections, limiting what can be concluded about the program’s scope or effects on competition and airline finances.

ch-aviation

US DOT seeks airline proposals for Hibbing EAS service starting June 2027

The US Department of Transportation is soliciting proposals from carriers to provide Essential Air Service at Hibbing, Minnesota, for a contract term beginning June 1, 2027. The service may be subsidized or unsubsidized; interested airlines must submit proposals by December 2, 2026.

SpaceNews.com

US midterms could test bipartisan support for NASA and civil space policy

A change in party control of Congress after the midterm elections could challenge the longstanding bipartisan consensus behind civil space policy, putting NASA’s legislative and funding environment in focus. The outcome may shape how reliably the agency can pursue priorities across shifting political control.

ch-aviation

Kyrgyzstan lifts ban on new air operator certificate applications

Kyrgyzstan has lifted its ban on applications for new air operator certificates, reopening the process for prospective operators to seek authorization. The development removes a restriction on applying, though the available reporting does not specify how many applications are expected or when any new operators could begin flying.