AeroTime - Aviation News, Insights, and Analysis

Piaggio Aerospace has secured the first customer order for the P.180 Avanti NX, marking the initial sale of the newest version of the Italian manufacturer’s distinctive twin turboprop.
The company announced the order on April 23, 2026, at AERO Friedrichshafen 2026. A European operator agreed to purchase two Avanti NX aircraft in an executive business configuration. The aircraft will also include stretcher modules, allowing the operator...

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has grounded Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket after an upper-stage problem placed an AST SpaceMobile satellite into the wrong orbit, turning a major booster-reuse milestone into a failed customer mission.
New Glenn launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on April 19, 2026, carrying AST SpaceMobile’s BlueBird 7 satellite. The flight marked New Glenn’s third mission and Blue Origin’s first reuse of a New Glenn booster....

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has withdrawn US drone restrictions that barred flights near federal immigration enforcement vehicles after a Minnesota photojournalist challenged the rule in federal court.
The FAA replaced the restrictions after Rob Levine, a Minneapolis-based photojournalist, sued the agency with help from attorneys at the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press....

Air Canada took delivery of its first Airbus A321XLR on April 24, 2026, during a ceremony at the manufacturer’s Hamburg facility, thereby becoming the first Canadian operator of the extended-range narrowbody.
The aircraft, registered C-GXLR, is the first of 30 A321XLRs that Air Canada is set to receive over the coming years. Of those, 15 will be leased and 15 acquired directly from Airbus. The first unit is on lease from SMBC Aviation Capital, which will...