December 17, 2025 - No. 51 In This Issue : Navy investigation finds Osprey safety issues were allowed to grow for years : ADS-B privacy bill highlighted in Congressional hearing : Ukrainian Engineers Presents Pulse Jet Engine Hrim-17 for Drones : Test flights begin for unmanned Cessna 208 : 100th KC-46A Pegasus delivered to USAF : Inside Europe's biggest airplane hospital where planes like Airbus A340s, A380s and Boeing 747s are being resurrected : Vietnam Grounds 28 Aircraft as Global Engine Crisis Disrupts Airline Fleet : Mission Ready: GE Aerospace Leads in Boosting America’s Skilled Workforce and Defense Industrial Base : FAA begins review of Boeing’s redesigned alerting system for 737 MAX 10 : Qantas A380 Grounded After Just One Flight Following Re-Entry Into Service Navy investigation finds Osprey safety issues were allowed to grow for years By KONSTANTIN TOROPIN Updated 1:36 PM CST, December 12, 2025 WASHINGTON (AP) — After a spate of deadly accidents that have claimed the lives of 20 service members in the past four years, a Navy report acknowledges that the military failed to address a growing series of issues with the V-22 Osprey aircraft since it took flight almost 20 years ago. “The cumulative risk posture of the V-22 platform has been growing since initial fielding,” according to the report by Naval Air Systems Command released Friday. It added that the office in charge of the aircraft “has not promptly implemented … fixes to mitigate existing risks.” “As a result, risks continue to accumulate,” the report said. The Associated Press reported last year that the most serious types of accidents for the Osprey, which is the only aircraft to fly like a plane but convert to land like a helicopter, spiked between 2019 and 2023 and that, unlike other aircraft, the problems did not level off as the years passed. “As the first and only military tiltrotor aircraft, it remains the most aero-mechanically complex aircraft in service and continues to face unresolved legacy material, safety, and technical challenges,” the report said. Related Stories Data shows a spike in military aircraft accidents in 2024. This year doesn't look any better Commissioned in 2023 by NAVAIR, the Navy command responsible for the purchase and maintenance of aircraft, the investigation reveals that the Osprey not only has the “second highest number of catastrophic risks across all Naval Aviation platforms” but that those risks have gone unresolved for an average of more than 10 years. By contrast, the average across other aircraft in the Navy’s inventory is six years. The Navy’s response Vice Adm. John Dougherty, commander of NAVAIR, said the service is “committed to improving the V-22’s performance and safeguarding the warfighters who rely on this platform.” He offered no details on any actions taken for years of failing to address the Osprey’s risks. The command did not respond to questions about what, if any, accountability measures were taken in response to the findings. Risks were allowed to build up, the report says The investigation lays much of the responsibility for the problems on the Osprey’s Joint Program Office. Part of the mission for this office, which operates within NAVAIR, is making sure the aircraft can be safely flown by the Marine Corps, the Navy and the Air Force, all of which use different versions of the aircraft for different missions. The report found that this office “did not effectively manage or address identified risks in a timely manner, allowing them to accumulate,” and it faced “challenges” in implementing safety fixes across all three services. Two major issues involve the Osprey’s complicated transmission. The aircraft has a host of gearboxes and clutches that, like a car’s transmission, are crucial to powering each propeller behind the Osprey’s unique tilting capability. The system also helps connect the two sides of the aircraft to keep it flying in the event of engine failure. One problem is an issue in which the transmission system essentially shreds itself from the inside due to a power imbalance in the engines. That brought down a Marine Corps Osprey, killing five Marines in California in 2022. The other issue is a manufacturing defect in the gears within the transmission that renders them more brittle and prone to failure. That was behind the crash of an Air Force Osprey off the coast of Japan in November 2023 that killed eight service members. The report reveals that this manufacturing issue went back to 2006 but the Osprey’s Joint Program Office did not formally assess or accept this risk until March 2024. Besides these mechanical issues, the report found that the program office failed to ensure uniform maintenance standards for the aircraft, while determining that 81% of all the accidents that the Ospreys have had on the ground were due to human error. Recommendations for the issues revealed The report offers a series of recommendations for each of the issues it uncovered. They range from rudimentary suggestions like consolidating best maintenance practices across all the services to more systemic fixes like developing a new, midlife upgrade program for the Osprey. While fixes for both mechanical issues are also in the report, it seems that it will take until 2034 and 2033 for the military to fully deal with both, respectively. Naval Air Systems Command did not reply when asked if it had a message for troops who will fly in the aircraft in the meantime. Watchdog also releases Osprey report The Government Accountability Office, an independent watchdog serving Congress, made similar conclusions and recommendations in a separate report released Friday. The GAO blamed most Osprey accidents on part failures and human error while service members flew or maintained the aircraft. It determined that the military hasn’t fully “identified, analyzed, or responded” to all of the Osprey’s safety risks. The GAO said the Pentagon should improve its process for addressing those risks, while adding more oversight to ensure they are resolved. Another recommendation is for the Navy, Air Force and Marines to routinely share information on hazards and accidents to help prevent mishaps. ___ Associated Press writer Ben Finley contributed to this report. ADS-B privacy bill highlighted in Congressional hearing By General Aviation News Staff December 11, 2025 The Pilot and Aircraft Privacy Act (PAPA), a bill that would prohibit the misuse of ADS-B data, was highlighted during a Dec. 3, 2025, House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hearing on Advanced Air Mobility (AAM). In his testimony, Reliable Robotics CEO Robert Rose urged Congress to encourage broader adoption of ADS-B Out, such as reinstating the ADS-B Out rebate program that was in place prior to the 2020 ADS-B Out mandate. Rose added that PAPA would help improve adoption as well. During an exchange with Rep. Bob Onder (R-Mo.) — an instrument-rated private pilot and the sponsor of H.R. 4146 — both underscored the importance of ensuring ADS-B data is used solely for its intended purpose: Air traffic safety and airspace efficiency. “If ADS-B is being used by, I’ll say bad actors, to monetize airport landing fees, that’s going to discourage folks from employing ADS-B or adopting ADS-B in the first place or turning it off,” said Onder. “I don’t think it should be used for fee collections. It should be used primarily for safety and collision avoidance and situational awareness in the cockpit. I think it’s very unfortunate the conversation has shifted more toward fee collections,” added Rose. Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) President and CEO Darren Pleasance underscored the importance of using ADS-B collision avoidance technology for its intended purpose and not for airport economics. “Representative Onder’s legislation, the Pilot and Aircraft Privacy Act, would enhance safety and privacy by prohibiting the use of ADS-B collision avoidance technology for fee collection. When the legislation becomes law, airports will still be able to collect fees — they just couldn’t use this safety technology to do so,” he said. “States are also considering legislation to prohibit this practice, but Representative Onder’s bill would establish a national policy so as to avoid a patchwork of laws across the country.” Sen. Ted Budd (R-N.C.) has introduced a companion bill, S. 2175, in the Senate. Ukrainian Engineers Presents Pulse Jet Engine Hrim-17 for Drones Vladislav V. December 4, 2025 Note: See photos in the original article. Pulsating air-jet Hrim-17 engine from the Independent Design Bureau. December 3, 2025. Photo credits: Engineers from the Independent Design Bureau have presented a new pulse jet engine, the Hrim-17, designed for use in light unmanned aerial vehicles. The development is currently undergoing ground tests, the developer told Militarnyi at the Brave1 Components event on December 3. The Hrim-17 has compact dimensions: a length of 940 mm, a diameter of 100 mm, and a weight of only 1980 grams. The engine is capable of producing a minimum thrust of 2.5 kg and a maximum thrust of 7 kg. The operating thrust is automatically limited by 90% to 6.3 kg. The fuel used is F100 gasoline. When operating at 90% thrust, the engine consumes 6.3 liters of fuel per hour. The maximum body temperature reaches 800°C and the sound pressure level exceeds 140 decibels. Power consumption is 48 W at full thrust, powered by a 12 V source. The maximum continuous operation time is 15 minutes, and the total resource is up to 3 hours. Pulse air-jet Hrim-17 engine on the drone model. December 3, 2025. Photo credits: Militarnyi The basic kit includes the engine itself, a launch valve, an automatic fuel system, and a ground-based ignition system. To start, you additionally need an air source, two 12V batteries, and a remote start sensor. The developer notes that the Hrim-17 can be adapted for different types of drones. Test flights begin for unmanned Cessna 208 By General Aviation News Staff December 12, 2025 Reliable Robotics has entered into a new contract with NASA’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate (ARMD) to collect data from demonstration flights of its automated Cessna 208B Caravan at and around airports in the National Airspace System (NAS). Data collected from the flights will be provided to the FAA and Standards Development Organizations (SDOs) to support the creation and validation of uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) performance standards, according to company officials. “For large UAS to be operationally viable at scale, they must be safe and reliable throughout a variety of dynamic environments and contingency scenarios,” company officials said. “Airport environments are critical as they include operations with higher traffic density. UAS operations in this airspace require detailed collaboration with air traffic control to enable safe and efficient aircraft movement, and aircraft must operate safely in proximity during critical phases of flight including taxi, takeoff, departure, approach, and landing.” Reliable’s flight tests will demonstrate regional air cargo operations in a terminal area in which maneuvers, procedures, ATC interactions, and implications of visual clearances for remotely piloted operations are assessed. Multiple data collection flights will be conducted, including flights designed to demonstrate contingency scenarios including lost link procedures, detect and avoid with visual observers, and Global Positioning System degraded and denied scenarios, according to company officials. While these contingencies are unlikely, this partnership will advance specific operational mitigations, company officials said. They noted that the final flight demonstration will be operated in accordance with Reliable’s prior FAA authorizations and have no pilot onboard. Upon completion of the contract, Reliable will document the functions and features tested throughout the flight test campaign along with a summary of data collection results for NASA, FAA, and SDOs to support the development and validation of Minimum Operational Performance Standards (MOPS), Minimum Aviation System Performance Standards (MASPS), or other standards for large UAS. “This testing campaign comes at a unique moment in time, when safety-enhancing aircraft autonomy is rapidly nearing FAA certification and entry into service for regional air cargo and military use cases. Efforts like this are how we continue to advance the necessary public policy ecosystem,” said Robert Rose, CEO and co-founder, Reliable Robotics. The company’s Reliable Autonomy System (RAS) automates all phases of flight from taxi, takeoff, en route, and landing. Its Detect and Avoid (DAA) system enables airspace integration, and consists of a radar, Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) In, active surveillance of aircraft transponders, an airborne processor unit running Airborne Collision Avoidance System (ACAS), and a traffic display for the remote pilot. 100th KC-46A Pegasus delivered to USAF By Dario Leone Dec 13 2025 Note: See photos in the original article. In this article: • 100th KC-46A delivered to USAF • Releasing operational capabilities to the joint force • 183 Pegasus tankers on contract or in service globally 100th KC-46A delivered to USAF Air Mobility Command welcomed the 99th and 100th KC-46A Pegasus delivered to the U.S. Air Force, during an arrival ceremony at Travis Air Force Base (AFB) Dec. 2. As told by Staff Sgt. Dalton Williams, Air Mobility Command Public Affairs, in the article 100th KC-46A Pegasus delivered to Travis AFB, Lt. Gen. John P. Healy, chief of the Air Force Reserve and the commander of Air Force Reserve Command, flew the 99th KC-46A in formation alongside Gen. John D. Lamontagne, AMC commander, who flew the 100th aircraft to Travis AFB, increasing the wing’s ability to connect and project the joint force around the world. “Today marks not just the arrival of the 100th KC-46 delivered, but the continued strengthening of our nation’s global reach and readiness. The Pegasus represents a key chapter in air mobility, one built on innovation and unwavering commitment to the mission,” Lamontagne said. “To the Airmen who will fly, fix and support this aircraft, you carry forward a proud legacy of excellence.” The delivery of the 99th and 100th KC-46As is an important milestone marking years of hard work, determination and progress across the mobility enterprise. “The delivery of the 99th and 100th KC-46As underscores the Air Force Reserve’s ‘Ready Now’ commitment to airpower and rapid global mobility. Our combined Total Force ensures we can reach any spot in the world whenever and wherever our nation calls,” Lt. Gen John P. Healy said. Airmen were instrumental in laying this foundation of mission success with arrival of the first two KC-46s to the 22nd Air Refueling Wing at McConnell AFB, Kansas, Jan. 25, 2019. Releasing operational capabilities to the joint force Through AMC’s development and implementation of the Interim Capability Release process, a risk-informed, data-driven, constraint-analyzed approach to releasing KC-46A operational capabilities to the joint force, the aircraft was certified eligible to support 97 percent of daily joint force air refueling taskings by May 31, 2022. Employment Concept Exercises like ECE 22-03 at Morón Air Base, Spain, demonstrated that the KC-46A was also able to successfully refuel aircraft utilized by allies and partners. The KC-46A continues to serve as a proving ground for new operational capabilities. Airmen at the 22nd ARW completed a mission with only a pilot and a boom operator, testing the tanker’s ability to execute its primary mission with a reduced crew Oct. 25, 2022. During the mission, a second instructor pilot onboard the aircraft served as a safety observer. The mission demonstrated how the KC-46A could rapidly launch in response to incoming threats and sustain long-range operations using offset aircrews. Achieving new heights of human endurance, the 22nd ARW also completed a nonstop westbound circumnavigation flight in a KC-46A — a 45-hour Maximum Endurance Operation that showcased Airmen’s ability to extend missions over even greater distances, June 29-July 1, 2024. The Total Force operates the KC-46A at Altus AFB, Oklahoma; McConnell AFB, Kansas; Pease Air National Guard Base, New Hampshire; Seymour Johnson AFB, North Carolina; Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey; and Travis AFB, California, with future announced expansions at March Air Reserve Base, California; MacDill AFB, Florida; and McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base, Tennessee. 183 Pegasus tankers on contract or in service globally The US KC-46A fleet has exceeded 150,000 flight hours, reflecting high utilization across training, operational sorties and global deployment missions. There are 183 KC-46A multi-mission aerial refuelers on contract or in service globally, providing advanced capability advantages for the joint force and allies. This includes 98 delivered to the US Air Force, six to the Japan Air Self-Defense Force and four contracted for the Israel Air Force. Recent contracts, including the July 2024 award for mission readiness and performance upgrades, are enhancing the KC-46A’s communications, data connectivity and situational awareness capabilities, ensuring the KC-46 remains the world’s most advanced multi-mission aerial refueler. The KC-46A is the first phase in recapitalizing the US Air Force’s aging tanker fleet. With greater refueling, cargo and aeromedical evacuation capabilities compared to the KC-135, the KC-46A will provide aerial refueling support to Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and partner-nation receivers. The KC-46A can accommodate a mixed load of passengers, aeromedical evacuation, and cargo capabilities. Depending on fuel storage configuration, the aircraft can carry a palletized load of up to 65,000 pounds of cargo. The KC-46A can carry up to 18 463L cargo pallets. The KC-46A is also equipped with a number of self-protection, defensive, and communication features making it more survivable in a contested environment. Inside Europe's biggest airplane hospital where planes like Airbus A340s, A380s and Boeing 747s are being resurrected Published on Dec 14, 2025 at 7:25 AM (UTC+4) by Jason Fan Last updated on Dec 11, 2025 at 2:28 PM (UTC+4) Edited by Kate Bain Note: See photos and videos in the original article. If you think Europe’s biggest airplane graveyard sounds like a place where jets go to die, Tarmac Aerosave is here to prove you wrong. Aviation YouTuber Sam Chui visited the desert-like facility in Spain, and for someone like him, it proved way more exciting than Disneyland. The boneyard is less a final resting place, and more a secret hospital ward for some of the world’s largest airlines. Here, planes sleep, heal, and sometimes rise again, in true aviation-zombie fashion. Inside Europe’s biggest airplane graveyard The tour kicked off with a look at rows of massive wide-body aircraft: A340s, A380s, even a few Boeing 747s standing proudly under the Spanish sun. YouTube/Sam Chui Paula, Sam’s guide, explained that while 55 aircraft sit in storage today, the site housed around 140 jets during the pandemic, making it one of the busiest aviation preservation hubs on Earth. This isn’t just a parking lot where planes are forgotten, because these planes are meticulously maintained. Every week, technicians inspect covers, seals, and tape to ensure no birds, water, or dust invade the engines or cabin. YouTube/Sam Chui And every 15 days, they remove the covers, rotate wheels, check pressure, and keep these mechanical giants in top shape. Sam also visited one of the most heartwarming areas on site: the reactivation zone, where an Etihad Airbus A380 stored since 2020 was waking up from a years-long slumber. YouTube/Sam Chui Engines were crank-tested, systems rechecked, and over 5,000 hours of work went into preparing the superjumbo for its triumphant return. Inside, the cabin looked almost factory-fresh, from first-class apartments to functioning vanity mirrors. YouTube/Sam Chui Even the crew rest, which is hidden inside what’s basically a cargo-container-turned-nap-pod, felt unexpectedly cozy. Unfortunately, not all the planes get a second chance However, not every aircraft gets a second chapter. Some, like British Airways’ retired 747s and a former German Chancellor’s A340, await dismantling. YouTube/Sam Chui Next, Sam toured the recycling hangar, where ex–South African Airways airplanes were stripped with surgical precision. Seats were stacked, galley units tagged, and components catalogued before being shipped back to owners or parts brokers. YouTube/Sam Chui Technicians can disassemble a whole A330 in just 12 weeks, recycling up to 94 percent of its total weight. This is similar to what happens to old cruise ships, although the scale for ships is on a completely different level. Instead of chainsaws, they use diamond wire to slice through wings and fuselages with clean, sustainable cuts. The visit ends on a hopeful note. Many once-grounded jets at Tarmac Aerosave are now finding new owners, new missions, and new skies to conquer. As Sam Chui put it, these aircraft belong to the sky. And at Europe’s biggest airplane graveyard, plenty of them are given a second lease on life. Vietnam Grounds 28 Aircraft as Global Engine Crisis Disrupts Airline Fleet International air passenger traffic in Vietnam is estimated at 46.9 million passengers this year, marking a 13.3 percent increase compared with 2024. By David Hughes December 14, 2025 HANOI- Vietnam’s aviation sector is managing operational pressure as engine shortages force multiple aircraft out of service. The impact is tied to global recall and repair requirements affecting modern aircraft engines. Despite reduced fleet availability, Vietnamese airlines continue to operate extensive domestic and international route networks, supported by steady growth in passenger and cargo volumes. Vietnam Airlines (VN) and other domestic carriers operate core services linking HàNội (HAN) and Ho Chi Minh City (SGN), the country’s two primary aviation hubs. Hanoi (HAN) and Ho Chi Minh City remain central to nearly 50 domestic routes, connecting passengers to 20 airports nationwide. Photo: VietJet Vietnam 28 Commercial Aircraft Grounded Vietnam currently has 28 commercial aircraft grounded due to engine shortages, according to Tạ Minh Trọng, Head of the Flight Safety Standards Division under the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV). The grounded fleet consists of 24 Airbus A321neo aircraft, 3 Airbus A350 aircraft, and one Airbus A320ceo aircraft. These 28 aircraft account for 13.1 percent of the country’s total commercial fleet, representing 28 out of 213 operational commercial aircraft. The number of grounded aircraft is five fewer compared to the same period in 2024, indicating a gradual improvement in fleet availability. The groundings are the result of global recall and repair requirements issued by engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney (PW). These requirements have led to extended maintenance timelines and reduced engine availability, affecting airlines in Vietnam and worldwide. According to Vietnam News, the issue has disrupted airline operations across multiple regions. As of December 11, 2025, the total number of aircraft registered under Vietnamese nationality stands at 262. This fleet includes 235 fixed-wing aircraft and 27 helicopters. Of this total, 213 aircraft are deployed in commercial aviation operations. The remaining 49 aircraft, comprising 22 airplanes and 27 helicopters, are used for general aviation purposes, including non-commercial and specialized activities. Photo: By Alan Wilson, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=80385907 Domestic and International Route Operations According to Tạ Minh Trọng, Vietnamese airlines currently operate nearly 50 domestic routes connecting Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and 20 airports across the country. These routes form the backbone of the national air transport network. On the international front, Vietnamese carriers operate 113 international routes serving 24 countries and territories. In addition, foreign airlines from 30 countries and territories operate 142 regular international routes to Vietnam, strengthening the country’s global air connectivity. Noi Bai International Airport (HAN), Hanoi, Vietnam | Photo: David McKelvey | Flickr Passenger Traffic Performance and Sector Targets International air passenger traffic in Vietnam is estimated at 46.9 million passengers this year, marking a 13.3 percent increase compared with 2024. Vietnamese airlines carried 19.4 million international passengers, reflecting a year-on-year increase of 5.2 percent and accounting for 41.4 percent of total international passenger traffic. Domestic passenger transport also recorded growth, with airlines carrying 36.6 million domestic passengers, up 7.5 percent from 2024. Trọng stated that in 2025, Vietnamese airlines continued to record growth, with total passenger volume rising 6.7 percent and cargo volume increasing 4.6 percent compared with the previous year. Looking ahead, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam has set targets for the air transport sector to reach 95 million passengers and 1.6 million tonnes of cargo by 2026. Stay tuned with us. Further, follow us on social media for the latest updates. Join us on Telegram Group for the Latest Aviation Updates. Subsequently, follow us on Google News Mission Ready: GE Aerospace Leads in Boosting America’s Skilled Workforce and Defense Industrial Base PRESENTED BY GE AEROSPACE GE Aerospace | DECEMBER 5, 2025 The strength of our national security is our people — dedicated service members and civilians as well as highly skilled men and women in defense-supporting industries across the country. Welders, machinists, and technicians are critical to producing and maintaining the advanced aircraft and equipment our military relies on. Yet the United States faces a growing shortage of technical talent, with an estimated 3.8 million manufacturing jobs that will need to be filled by 2033. The aerospace and defense sector is growing by nearly 5 percent each year, but 56% of companies are struggling to hire skilled manufacturing workers, according to a study by the Aerospace Industry Association. To ensure the industry can keep up with the demand and deliver for our military, industry leaders, including GE Aerospace, are investing in training to close the skills gap. A $30 Million Commitment to Support Jobs Training The GE Aerospace Foundation recently announced a new five-year, $30 million commitment to training 10,000 people for highly skilled manufacturing roles across the aviation industry by 2030. The effort, said Chairman and CEO Larry Culp, is part of a campaign to ensure that aerospace “not only has the capacity but the capabilities to fulfill the missions that we see in front of us.” To revitalize U.S. manufacturing, including the defense industrial base, the flagship initiative will help jobs programs across the country purchase state-of-the-art training equipment, hire new instructors to expand coursework, and mitigate financial barriers for students. It’s an investment in America’s future with a clear goal: preparing graduates for advanced manufacturing careers that offer high growth potential while ensuring the strength of the manufacturing and defense workforce. Paving New Career Paths for Military Veterans The GE Aerospace Foundation also just announced a new $500,000 commitment to the Manufacturing Institute’s Heroes MAKE America Initiative, a program that trains military personnel for civilian roles as aviation technicians. The donation will fund the creation of a new certification program for aircraft and powerplant maintenance technicians near Fort Bragg, North Carolina, helping veterans, National Guard members, and reserve members transition successfully into new careers. “We’ve got a challenge as an industry: a shortage of skilled workers,” Christian Meisner, chief human resources officer at GE Aerospace, said when he announced the Heroes MAKE America partnership in October. “These are skills you don’t learn in a weekend — they take months and years. GE Aerospace has the partnerships to train our people… [and to] support those who [have] served.” Building on a Legacy These new programs expand on the company’s longstanding dedication to working with schools, communities, and industry to strengthen the talent pipeline. Earlier this year, GE Aerospace and the GE Aerospace Foundation announced more than $2.5 million in donations to existing workforce training programs, including a $1 million contribution to expand the Advanced Manufacturing Training Expansion Program (AMTEP) in the Massachusetts North Shore region. The foundation also provided additional funds to train aviation maintenance technicians and mechanics at schools across the country, including Vaughn College in Queens, New York; Cincinnati State in Cincinnati, Ohio; Tarrant County Community College in Fort Worth, Texas; and the University of the District of Columbia in Washington, D.C. “To advance the future of flight, we must invest in the people who will build it,” Meisner said. With its dedication to jobs training programs that benefit individuals and their families, as well as the aerospace and defense industry, GE Aerospace is showing its true colors. FAA begins review of Boeing’s redesigned alerting system for 737 MAX 10 Stephen Pope Boeing The FAA has begun reviewing Boeing’s redesigned crew-alerting and angle-of-attack systems for the 737 MAX 10, marking the start of a formal evaluation process Congress mandated before Boeing can win certification of the long-delayed jet. The review also covers retrofits that must eventually be installed across the entire MAX family under post-crash safety reforms, the agency said. The proposed package adds a synthetic enhanced angle-of-attack system and introduces a new capability for crews to disable stall warning and overspeed alerts in specific scenarios. The FAA will assess whether these design changes satisfy the safety improvements Congress required following two MAX crashes and the overhaul of the aircraft certification process. Lawmakers waived a 2022 deadline that would have forced Boeing to redesign the alerting architecture for the MAX 7 and MAX 10 before certification. In exchange, Congress required Boeing to retrofit the MAX 10 fleet with approved safety upgrades within three years of the aircraft entering service. The FAA said it will also review changes planned for other MAX variants to ensure the entire series receives the mandated improvements. The review, announced on December 12, 2025, comes as Boeing continues to navigate long delays in certifying both the MAX 7 and MAX 10. The program has faced setbacks linked to an engine de-icing issue, quality-control problems, and heightened regulatory scrutiny. The FAA has kept the MAX 10 under close watch as it works through outstanding design requirements tied to flight-deck systems and crew alerting. Southwest Airlines, the largest MAX operator, has said it now expects the MAX 7 to be certified by August 2026, with entry into service early the following year. The MAX 10, which is further behind, remains without a firm timeline. The FAA has reiterated it will not set target dates and will instead advance the aircraft only when all requirements are met. Boeing’s alerting-system proposal reflects lessons learned from the two fatal MAX accidents in Indonesia and Ethiopia in 2018 and 2019. Investigators found that crews received limited or conflicting information as the aircraft’s Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) repeatedly activated, forcing the nose down. Those accidents killed 346 people and led to a 20-month global grounding of the MAX fleet. The FAA and Congress later pushed for more intuitive cockpit alerting across commercial aircraft to help pilots diagnose and respond to abnormal situations. MCAS is an automated flight-control law designed for the 737 MAX to improve handling at high angles of attack by commanding nose-down stabilizer trim when needed. Boeing introduced MCAS because the MAX’s larger, more fuel-efficient engines changed the aircraft’s aerodynamics and made it more prone to pitch up in certain conditions. MCAS was intended to make the MAX’s handling feel similar to earlier 737 models and meet certification requirements without extensive pilot retraining. As part of the MAX 10 review announcement, the FAA said it will monitor Boeing’s efforts to provide airlines with the service bulletins and technical data needed to comply with future retrofit requirements. Regulators will also certify design changes for other MAX models to ensure the safety enhancements apply consistently across the series. The FAA’s action underscores the level of oversight Boeing continues to face as it works to restore confidence in its narrowbody program. The agency recently lifted a production cap that had limited MAX output to 38 aircraft per month after a 2024 accident involving an Alaska Airlines MAX 9 exposed lapses in Boeing’s manufacturing processes. The FAA raised the cap to 42 jets per month only after requiring targeted improvements to Boeing’s quality-control system. Qantas A380 Grounded After Just One Flight Following Re-Entry Into Service By Bradley Wint Dec 11, 2025 Bringing an aircraft out of long-term storage can be a monumental task, and even then, things may not always go as perfectly planned once it gets back into service. For Qantas, that was the case after they were forced to ground an Airbus A380 just one day after re-entering service from long term storage. Following the pandemic, Qantas parked its entire fleet of A380s due to the drastic reduction in international travel. In late 2021, the Australian carrier started reintroducing them, initially planning to have all 10 back in service by the end of 2024. However, due to supply chain issues and the sheer amount of work required to bring back an A380 to airworthy status, the very last few did not return to the skies until 2025. The very last A380 to re-enter service was 17 1/2 years old VH-OQC. This aircraft sat in storage for almost six years, from March 22, 2020 to November 29, 2025. For its first commercial run, VH-OQC performed flight QF11 from Sydney (SYD) to Lon Angeles (LAX). Even though the aircraft made it safely to its destination, it was far from a nominal flight as reported by 2PAXfly. Even after the more than 100,000 combined man hours put into restoring the aircraft, the first major problem popped up when one of the slats on the left wing was damaged, resulting in what was essentially a gaping hole. Now, to be fair, this isn’t the wing itself that was damaged as the slat is a movable aerodynamic surface on the leading edge of a wing. Credit: Lynn Gilmartin/Instagram Slats are used to help maintain lift and improve aircraft control at slower speeds (e.g. during takeoff and landing). Each wing has multiple slats, so just one being damaged will result in a small performance penalty. It’s not clear when the slat broke apart, but it’s certainly not a good look for the maintenance team, and could definitely be worrying for passengers not familiar with the workings on an aircraft. From some of the social media posts, its clear many passengers assumed it was the wing itself that was damaged, leading to a bit of discomfort. On top of that, electrical gremlins plagued the aircraft as the seatback TVs did not work throughout the flight, and some of the reading and cabin lights failed. There were also reports of seats that could not recline (I’m sure that’s a topic bound to spark debate), as well as toilets that overflowed. As a result of these issues, VH-OQC had to be taken offline for emergency repairs, resulting in the returning flight (QF12) being canceled. Passengers were later reaccommodated on other flights back to Sydney. In the grand scheme of things, any of these issues could have happened to aircraft in active service, but all happening at once certainly is a rough start for an aircraft just re-entering service. Usually you don’t hear about scenarios like this, even for aircraft that have sat in long term storage. Obviously Qantas will have some questions for its Abu Dhabi team as they were quite proud to talk about the aircraft’s re-introduction just a week before. Curt Lewis