The Air Current

NTSB board member J. Todd Inman abruptly departs safety watchdog J. Todd Inman, one of the five members of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, has left the investigative body, according to multiple people familiar with the situation.

SCOOP: NTSB board member J. Todd Inman abruptly departs safety watchdog theaircurrent.com/feed/dispatc... (via @willguisbond.com & @jonostrower.com) #staycurrent

With Iran strikes, geopolitical chaos again haunts commercial aviation Disruption and uncertainty land at the crossroads of global aviation and again test its resilience

News Analysis: With Iran strikes, geopolitical chaos again haunts commercial aviation theaircurrent.com/analysis/us-... (via @jonostrower.com) #staycurrent

Hyundai eVTOL subsidiary Supernal lays off most of its staff in major retrenchment The struggling eVTOL developer will retain a skeleton crew in California focused on aircraft design.

Hyundai eVTOL subsidiary Supernal lays off most of its staff in major retrenchment theaircurrent.com/feed/dispatc... (via @elanhead.com) #staycurrent

How clashes between Sean Duffy and Bryan Bedford intensified FAA's year of turmoil ATC modernization and internal restructurings occurring amid tension between FAA and DOT chiefs

How clashes between Sean Duffy and Bryan Bedford intensified FAA’s year of turmoil theaircurrent.com/regulation/b... (via @willguisbond.com) #staycurrent

Xcert AI wants to save human experts time, not replace them Startup’s v1 release focuses on requirements generation and document creation for aerospace certification, using LLMs with human involvement.

Xcert AI wants to save human experts time, not replace them theaircurrent.com/feed/dispatc... (via @elanhead.com) #staycurrent

Boeing retires final 787 test aircraft after 16 years Boeing has decommissioned its last 787-8 test aircraft, a workhorse for the plane maker for over a decade and a half and a symbol of the company’s massive investment in development of the advanced jet...

Boeing retires final 787 test aircraft after 16 years theaircurrent.com/aircraft-dev... (via @jonostrower.com) #staycurrent

Newcomer ERC, now flight testing, keeps Germany’s eVTOL dreams alive Munich-based startup continues legacy of the country’s early eVTOL hopefuls with alumni from Lilium, Volocopter and Airbus

Newcomer ERC, now flight testing, keeps Germany’s eVTOL dreams alive theaircurrent.com/aircraft-dev... (via @elanhead.com) #staycurrent

How a Solar Impulse spinoff cleared a major battery certification hurdle A battery testing milestone by Swiss startup H55 advances the broader electric aviation industry.

How a Solar Impulse spinoff cleared a major battery certification hurdle theaircurrent.com/aircraft-dev... (via @elanhead.com) #staycurrent

ATR’s ‘massive investment’ targets a 2029 decision for hybrid Evo ATR's next-generation hybrid turboprop evolution lives at the intersection of European industrial policy.

ATR’s ‘massive investment’ targets a 2029 decision for hybrid Evo theaircurrent.com/aircraft-dev... (via @jonostrower.com) #staycurrent

ATR maps out the rest of its decade ATR prepares the supply chain for ramp up, its number one priority, as the JSX experiment in the U.S. gets underway.

ATR maps out the rest of its decade theaircurrent.com/industry-str... (via @jonostrower.com) #staycurrent

White House claims Trump de-cert threat won’t impact Canadian-made aircraft in service Uncertainty persists over Trump’s decertification threat to Canadian aircraft

UPDATED: White House claims Trump de-cert threat won’t impact Canadian-made aircraft in service theaircurrent.com/feed/dispatc... (via @willguisbond.com & @jonostrower.com) #staycurrent

Contradicting Trump, White House claims de-cert threat won’t impact Canadian-made aircraft in service Uncertainty persists over Trump’s decertification threat to Canadian aircraft

UPDATED STORY on Canada decertification threat:

Contradicting Trump, White House claims de-cert threat won’t impact Canadian-made aircraft in service (via @theaircurrent.com)

theaircurrent.com/feed/dispatc...

Trump threatens ‘decertifying’ all Canadian-made aircraft More than 2,000 active U.S.-registered aircraft could be impacted by stunning social media announcement

Trump threatens ‘decertifying’ all Canadian-made aircraft theaircurrent.com/feed/dispatc... (via @willguisbond.com & @jonostrower.com) #staycurrent

TAC/Intel - The Air Current This post is also available in: 简体中文 (Chinese (Simplified))

In case you're wondering, all our air safety reporting remains free to read without a subscription, that also includes items that appear on TAC/Intel. theaircurrent.com/intel/

Three reflections on today now that the DCA hearing is over:

1) it’s remarkable the NTSB finished this investigation in < a year. It used to regularly take them 2+ years to get a big accident report done, let alone what Homendy called the “most complex” investigation in the last two decades.

What to watch for as NTSB determines D.C. midair crash probable cause Wording of probable cause is key as Board meets to finalize DCA crash investigation

What to watch for as NTSB determines D.C. midair crash probable cause theaircurrent.com/feed/dispatc... (via @willguisbond.com) #staycurrent

FAA moves to codify existing DCA helicopter restrictions into law Helicopters and powered-lift operations now permanently limited in airspace following fatal January 2025 crash

FAA moves to codify existing DCA helicopter restrictions into law theaircurrent.com/feed/dispatc... (via @willguisbond.com) #staycurrent

The accountability problem exposed by the first Garmin Autoland deployment Garmin and the FAA expected Autoland would be used following pilot incapacitation, an assumption that was overturned in December. What happens now?

The accountability problem exposed by the first Garmin Autoland deployment theaircurrent.com/aviation-saf... (via @elanhead.com) #staycurrent

Jeppesen ForeFlight CEO cites automation and AI in justification for layoffs Company completes first strategic restructuring since being spun off from Boeing

New from me: Jeppesen ForeFlight CEO cites automation and AI in justification for layoffs

A tumultuous week for a company many pilots know very well.

Read more on @theaircurrent.com:

theaircurrent.com/feed/dispatc...

Jeppesen ForeFlight CEO cites automation and AI in justification for layoffs Company completes first strategic restructuring since being spun off from Boeing

Jeppesen ForeFlight CEO cites automation and AI in justification for layoffs theaircurrent.com/feed/dispatc... (via @willguisbond.com) #staycurrent

United converts 56 787-9s to -10s as GE and Rolls spar for engine deal and A350 looms The airline’s fleet is facing near-term pinch points getting parts for the engines on its oldest 777s while it maps out a number of possible transformations for its widebody fleet in the second half o...

United converts 56 787-9s to -10s as GE and Rolls spar for engine deal and A350 looms theaircurrent.com/feed/dispatc... (via @jonostrower.com) #staycurrent

In UPS crash, NTSB probing MD-11 engine mount issue first identified by Boeing in 2011 Rare mid-investigation update sheds light on previously disclosed engine attachment cracks

In UPS crash, NTSB probing MD-11 engine mount issue first identified by Boeing in 2011 theaircurrent.com/feed/dispatc... (via @willguisbond.com & @elanhead.com) #staycurrent

What Peraton signed up for as ATC modernization’s ‘prime integrator’ Now largely in charge of FAA modernization, Peraton becomes the center of an ambitious project and inherits immense political, reputational and financial risk

What Peraton signed up for as ATC modernization’s ‘prime integrator’ theaircurrent.com/air-traffic-... (via @willguisbond.com) #staycurrent

FAA formally warns operators of safety risks associated with faulty space launches Warning follows high-profile launch incidents that affected commercial flights over the Caribbean

FAA formally warns operators of safety risks associated with faulty space launches theaircurrent.com/feed/dispatc... (via @willguisbond.com) #staycurrent

FAA formally warns operators of safety risks associated with faulty space launches Warning follows high-profile launch incidents that affected commercial flights over the Caribbean

BREAKING: FAA officially warns operators of risks associated with falling debris from faulty space launches, something it says “could significantly reduce safety.”

via @theaircurrent.com theaircurrent.com/feed/dispatc...

Boeing advances 737 Max 10 into next phase of FAA flight testing Boeing advances 737 Max 10 into the second of two FAA flight testing phases, reflecting growing momentum in certification campaign for 2026 target

Boeing advances 737 Max 10 into next phase of FAA flight testing theaircurrent.com/aircraft-dev... (via @jonostrower.com) #staycurrent

FAA delays release of safety continuum for eVTOL aircraft Final powered-lift safety continuum document now expected in mid-2026

FAA delays release of safety continuum for eVTOL aircraft theaircurrent.com/feed/dispatc... (via @elanhead.com) #staycurrent

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Special Report: The night everything at DCA finally went wrong D.C. midair crash was the result of a complete collapse of the protections designed to keep aviation safe — and the institutions that design and maintain them

Special Report: The night everything at DCA finally went wrong theaircurrent.com/aviation-saf... (via @willguisbond.com) #staycurrent