A pilot reading an FAA airworthiness directive does not just read the words — they read the strength of the obligation each verb carries. Must, should and may sit on a sliding scale from legal requirement to optional suggestion, and confusing them can change a polite recommendation into a regulatory demand or vice versa.
Continue reading Structure: ‘Modals of obligation’
The United States Federal Aviation Administration published a mandatory airworthiness directive on 14 May 2026 requiring operators of all Airbus A350-900 and A350-1000 aircraft to address an undocumented change in a key maintenance specification that could compromise emergency oxygen delivery during a cabin pressurisation failure. The directive takes effect on 18 June 2026, giving airlines fewer than five weeks to achieve compliance.
A manufacturing process deviation affecting the centre fuselage of several Airbus A321neo variants has prompted the US Federal Aviation Administration to issue a formal airworthiness directive compelling operators to carry out repetitive structural inspections. The directive, published in the Federal Register on 15 April 2026, mirrors a corresponding European Union Aviation Safety Agency order issued a year earlier, underscoring the increasingly coordinated nature of transatlantic aviation regulatory oversight. The aircraft models affected — among the most commercially significant narrowbodies currently in service — are operated by major carriers across North America and beyond.
Continue reading FAA Orders Inspections on Airbus A321neo Fuselage
In late 2023 and through 2024, an engine manufacturing fault forced airlines around the world to ground hundreds of Airbus narrowbody jets. The problem affected the Pratt & Whitney PW1100G geared turbofan engine, used on the A320neo and A321neo — two of the most popular aircraft types in service today.
Continue reading Pratt & Whitney Recall Grounds Hundreds of Jets
India’s biggest airline has signed the largest aircraft order in aviation history. On 19 June, at the Paris Air Show, the low-cost carrier IndiGo agreed to buy 500 single-aisle jets from Airbus. The deal is a powerful sign of how quickly air travel is expanding across India.
Continue reading IndiGo Orders 500 Airbus Jets in Record Deal
In October 2022, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) proposed a new rule for the Airbus A220. The rule orders airlines to update software in the aircraft’s engines. The problem it fixes had already caused a serious scare on a flight in Europe.
What actually went wrong with the A220’s engines — and how can a software update stop it from happening again?
Continue reading FAA Orders Software Fix for Airbus A220 Engines