AeroTime - Aviation News, Insights, and Analysis

United States Secretary of the Air Force Troy E. Meink announced on April 20, 2026, that the US Air Force will keep the A-10C Thunderbolt II in service through 2030, reversing a retirement timeline that had been set to conclude in 2029.
The decision comes after weeks of unexpectedly heavy A-10 activity in Operation Epic Fury against Iran, and days before the Pentagon is expected to release its detailed fiscal 2027 spending plan....

Ethiopian Airlines is adding six more Boeing 787-9s as it moves ahead with long-haul expansion and prepares for an increase in capacity.
Africa’s largest airline has converted its six Dreamliner options to firm orders, bringing its total recent Boeing 787 commitments to 26 aircraft....

A group of low-cost airlines in the US is seeking temporary federal tax relief as higher jet fuel prices, driven by the war with Iran, put fresh pressure on carriers that already face thin operating margins.
Reuters reported on April 20, 2026, that the CEOs of Spirit Airlines, Frontier Airlines, Allegiant Air, Sun Country and Avelo are set to meet on April 21 with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy as they push for relief from federal ticket taxes....

 Vertical Aerospace has closed the remaining pieces of a financing package worth up to $850 million, giving the UK company fresh support as it advances its Valo eVTOL program toward certification.
The announcement came four days after Vertical completed a full-scale piloted two-way transition flight, a major test point for an aircraft designed to take off vertically, accelerate into fixed-wing flight and land vertically....