Opinion

A Covid-scarred aviation industry is bracing for the full impact of the Iran war – and higher fuel bills – to become apparent.

The spoils were very much shared between the ‘big two’ airframers last year, with Boeing securing more sales but Airbus prevailing on deliveries. But 2025 was more notable for a change of leader in their decades-old narrowbody battle.

Militaries eager to introduce unmanned Collaborative Combat Aircraft will fail to gain a combat edge unless they transform their entire operating concept, argues Fahad ibne Masood.

Recent fatal accidents, system outages and government shutdown expose fundamental flaws in the US air traffic control system that privatisation could address, industry expert says.

Having already secured Lockheed Martin F-16s from European allies, Ukraine’s leader now wants to buy up to 150 new Gripen E fighters, along with US-produced attack and utility helicopters.

With investigators attempting to piece together the sequence of events behind the Air India tragedy in Ahmedabad there have been renewed calls for the implementation of cockpit video recording – a proposal that has long faced pilot resistance.

With ‘sixth-generation’ fighter programmes advancing amid a drastically changed combat environment, old assumptions are being challenged, meaning NATO nations in Europe must move fast – and spend a lot more money.

Fatal accidents involving airliners are thankfully rare events, so a trio of high-profile losses within a few weeks – including a collision over Washington, DC – naturally drew attention.

Heightened tensions between Russia and the West risk plunging the world back into a Cold War-style era of instability, with other malign actors also lining up.

Hydrogen propulsion has the potential to help the aviation industry meet ambitious decarbonisation goals, but collective support and investment is needed, argues Dr Josef Kallo.

Sweeping job cuts and programme changes are the most visible parts of Boeing chief executive Kelly Ortberg’s plan to restore the company to its former glory, but dealing with a continued financial headache is the immediate priority.

Although the market for regional aircraft has been subdued in recent years, there are reasons for hope amid passenger pressure for better connectivity and airlines looking to right-size their fleets, argues Raphael Haddad.