This Month in Aviation
Here are six aviation stories from the past four weeks, roughly mid-June to mid-July 2026. Each one links to our full article, so you can read more about the stories you like.
UK, Italy and Japan sign a fighter-jet deal The UK, Italy and Japan are building a new fighter jet together. On 3 July, they signed a contract worth £4.6 billion (about $6.1 billion) for the plan, called the Global Combat Air Programme, or GCAP. The money goes to a new company, Edgewing, formed by BAE Systems, Leonardo and JAIEC. Engineers will now finish the design and build a first test model, called a prototype. The jet uses a stealth design, so radar finds it hard to see.
FAA keeps New York flight limits until 2028 The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has extended flight limits at New York’s three busiest airports: JFK, LaGuardia and Newark. The problem is not a lack of runways, but too few trained air traffic controllers to guide the planes safely. One key control centre is staffed at only 57% of its target. Newark’s limit now runs until summer 2027, and JFK and LaGuardia cannot add new flights until late October 2028.
Emergency checks for 16 Airbus A380 jets Europe’s aviation safety agency, EASA, has ordered urgent checks on 16 Airbus A380 aircraft. On 22 June, it acted after cracks were found in the wing mid-spar, a strong beam that carries much of the wing’s weight. Five of the jets were grounded and inspected before their next flight. Of the 16, 15 belong to Emirates and one to Qantas. The A380 is the world’s largest passenger aircraft, carrying up to 853 people, so checks like this matter.
Alaska and Hawaiian add fast Starlink Wi-Fi Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines have fitted about 150 aircraft with Starlink satellite Wi-Fi. The system uses hundreds of small satellites flying close to Earth and can reach speeds of up to 500 megabits per second, far faster than older in-flight Wi-Fi. It is free for members of Alaska’s loyalty programme; other passengers can pay to use it. It already works on all Hawaiian flights and many Alaska planes, with the whole fleet due to have it by 2027.
EU makes airlines include a cabin bag in the price The European Union has agreed its biggest change to air passenger rights since 2004. Under the deal, reached on 13 June, airlines must include a personal item and a standard cabin bag in the basic ticket price for flights to and from the EU. In recent years, many low-cost carriers — airlines with very cheap basic fares — have charged extra for cabin bags, which passengers found confusing. Rules on compensation for long delays are also becoming clearer.
Dassault’s new Falcon 10X makes its first flight On 19 June, the new Dassault Falcon 10X business jet made its first flight from Bordeaux in France. The flight lasted about two and a half hours and reached Mach 0.82 at 40,000 feet, close to its planned cruising speed. The jet is powered by the new Rolls-Royce Pearl 10X engine, the most powerful in its family. Dassault hopes the aircraft will be approved for customers in late 2027.
Which of these stories interests you most?
CEFR Level B1 / ICAO Level 4
