Fuel cost rises stemming from the Iran war really started to hit home for airlines in the second quarter.

FlightGlobal's Airlines team, fresh from covering earnings season, takes a look at how carriers in Europe and the USA fared in the April-June period, and how they're feeling as they head into the second half of the year.

Airbus is immersed in a crucial research project to examine in depth the efficiency benefits of broad and slender wings as it prepares to develop a successor to its bestselling A320neo.

While the quest for lower fuel-burn tends to centre on the engines, the UK-led Wing of Tomorrow programme is looking at the equally significant contribution from new wing structures and technologies.

But design is only part of the equation – it also needs to examine whether these future wing concepts can be built at the rates demanded by the single-aisle market.

As the programme reaches a pivotal point, with the ground-based research evolving towards flight-testing, FlightGlobal Focus explores its progress and objectives, as well as the obstacles Airbus needs to confront in this critical engineering effort.

The former head of the US Army says a new generation of hybrid-electric rotorcraft can provide significant tactical advantages over traditional helicopters, including faster flight speeds and increased range.

General James McConville was the chief of staff of the US Army from 2019 to 2023. He’s also a seasoned rotary-wing aviator, having flown the Apache, Black Hawk, Kiowa and Cobra, among others.

After retiring from the uniformed service, McConville joined the board of electric aircraft start-up Beta Technologies and helped shape development of the company’s MV250 – an unmanned, hybrid-electric vertical take-off and landing design that represents Beta’s first dedicated military aircraft. 

McConville argues that hybrid-electric aircraft can offer significant tactical benefits compared to traditional helicopters, including increased range and flight speeds. 

In an interview with FlightGlobal at the 2026 Farnborough air show, McConville laid out why he chose to join Beta and how his military experience shaped the company’s design choices on the MV250.

IATA has appointed its first female director general and its first leader in more than 40 years to come from outside the airline industry.

This week, Graham Dunn and Kerry Reals from FlightGlobal's Airlines team discuss the sustainability challenge facing Saadia Zahidi, and how her background at the World Economic Forum could prove to be a real advantage.

From the sidelines of the 2026 Farnborough air show last week, our editors and reporters break down the stories that dominated this year's exhibition. From commercial aircraft and engine orders to hybrid-electric technology development and defence announcements, we tell you all you might have missed.

This year's Farnborough air show kicks off as airlines grapple with the fallout from the Middle East conflict.

Meanwhile, governments around the world are seeking to dramatically expand the production of defence equipment amid geopolitical volatility.

The entire FlightGlobal team is at Farnborough this week to cover the news as it happens. In this episode, find out what the key themes are this year, in defence, aerospace and airlines.

FlightGlobal's Americas defence reporter Ryan Finnerty joins defence managing editor Greg Waldron, Asia airlines editor Alfred Chua and aerospace managing editor Jon Hemmerdinger this week.

One of two engine choices for the Boeing 787, the Trent 1000 has faced durability challenges as thrust demands have increased across the Dreamliner fleet. However, the manufacturer has been working hard on a series of enhancements that it is now rolling out, leading to dramatic improvements to time on wing.

In an interview with Murdo Morrison, Rachel Walker, senior vice-president for the Trent 1000, explains how the programme is progressing, and why Rolls-Royce is convinced it is already changing perceptions of the product.

This week, we discuss EasyJet and look at the ongoing acquisition attempts of the European low-cost operator. Plus, we examine the key issues and themes as airlines prepare to report their financial results. 

FlightGlobal’s Europe airlines reporter Kerry Reals and contributing airlines editor Graham Dunn join Asia airlines editor Alfred Chua to discuss these developments. 

Horizon Aircraft CEO Brandon Robinson joins FlightGlobal Focus to explain why he views Horizon's somewhat unique hybrid VTOL strategy as a winner. Unlike rivals pursuing short-range, battery-powered air taxi concepts, Horizon is targeting regional missions with its hybrid-electric Cavorite X7, an aircraft designed to carry six passengers on flights up to 400nm. Robinson insists the X7's enclosed lift fans and turbine-electric architecture will provide operational flexibility and lower operating costs than helicopters while sidestepping limitations facing all-electric VTOLs.

Steve Parker has been at the helm of Boeing Defense, Space & Security since 2024, first on an interim basis and later as the permanent chief executive officer.

A Boeing insider of more than 30 years, Parker stepped into the role at a time of tremendous uncertainty for the company. Its fighter manufacturing business was looking shaky, the world was questioning whether helicopters still had a role in modern combat, and poorly structured, fixed-price contracts from the 2010s were generating billions of dollars in losses.

Nearly two years later, the picture couldn’t be more stark.

Demand for precision munitions is booming. There is renewed interest in existing platforms like the AH-64E attack helicopter and F-15EX fighter, and Boeing secured a massive contract to produce the new F-47 sixth-generation fighter.

Boeing has also emerged as a leader in the development of uncrewed jet aircraft like the MQ-28 Ghost Bat fighter and MQ-25 Stingray tanker.

FlightGlobal’s managing editor for defence Greg Waldron sits down with Steve Parker to discuss the company’s turnaround and what to expect from Boeing over the next few years.

Airline executives arrived at this year's AGM with a growing list of problems that transcend borders: higher fuel costs tied to Middle East instability, severe engine shortages, aircraft delivery delays and mounting questions about the viability of sustainable aviation fuel.