Aviation Week reports, “While it pursues certification of its battery-powered air taxi and prepares to launch commercial service, Joby Aviation already is flying its electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing aircraft on liquid hydrogen and fuel cells. … In flight testing conducted in June, the remotely piloted aircraft completed a 523-mi. flight over Marina, California, including a vertical takeoff and landing and landing with 10% of its liquid hydrogen (LH2) fuel load remaining. This compares with the 155 mi. flown by the battery-electric S4 in 2021.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)
Tag: Surpasses
US Airline Maintenance Surpasses Pre-Pandemic Levels
Aviation Week reported that a new report by investment bank Jeffries says that American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines collectively “spent $2.1 billion on maintenance in the 2023 second quarter (Q2), 47% above the level seen in pre-pandemic Q2 2019.” This reflects an upward trend for the commercial aftermarket with revenue forecast “to be 106% above 2019 levels and engine overhaul demand providing potential upside.” Further capital expenditure revisions “suggest delays in new aircraft deliveries into 2024.” On a trailing twelve-months basis, the three airlines collectively spent $7.7 billion on maintenance, which represents a 31% increase from $5.9 billion in 2019.
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Airbus A320 Surpasses Boeing 737 as Most Delivered Jet Ever
Aerotime reports, “The Airbus A320 has surpassed the Boeing 737 as the most delivered commercial aircraft in history upon Saudi airline Flynas receiving the European manufacturer’s 12,260th jet. According to a Reuters report on October 7, 2025, data from industry analysts Cirium shows that the A320 in question was delivered overnight, giving Airbus a slight lead over Boeing’s 737.”
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Boeing Beats Allegiant’s Expectations on Max 8 Deliveries with Timely Deliveries
Flight Global reports Drew Wells, Allegiant’s chief commercial officer, “said during Allegiant Travel Company’s earnings call on 4 August that ‘Boeing has exceeded our expectations on aircraft deliveries throughout this year.’”
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Space Force’s Secretive X-37B Space Plane Surpasses 1 Year in Orbit
SPACE reports, “In case you forgot it was still up there. That U.S. Space Force X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV-7) has silently slipped past one-year of flight time. The craft is engaged in performing aerobrake maneuvers, a technique to alter its orbit around Earth, as well as safely dispose of its attached service module.
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Airbus Marks Milestone Upon Surpassing 16,000 Aircraft Deliveries
Aerotime reports, “European aerospace manufacturer Airbus has surpassed 16,000 aircraft deliveries in its latest performance update. Airbus confirmed on March 7, 2025, that since its inception, 16,028 aircraft have now been delivered with the 16,000th plane (an A321neo) seemingly going to British low-cost airline Jet2 through a lease arrangement with ICBS Leasing.”
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