Flight Safety Information - June 30, 2026 No. 127 In This Issue : Incident: Lufthansa B748 near Frankfurt on Jun 27th 2026, burning odour on board : Incident: Jet2 A21N near Erfurt on Jun 29th 2026, smoke on board : Accident: TUI Airways B738 at Palma Mallorca on Jun 27th 2026, tail strike on go around : A passenger jet reported hitting a drone approaching NY. A helicopter had a near miss hours later : Pilot shut off fuel supply, leading to October 2025 Skyraider II crash, Air Force finds : Malaysia Extends Search for Missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 : Company-Wide Ground Safety Culture Is Key in Business Aviation : Air China, Singapore Airlines Move Toward Joint Venture Partnership : American Airlines Faces $2.64 Million Annual Bill to Let Pilots and Flight Attendants Skip Regular TSA Security Screening : Honeywell forecasts record decade for business jet deliveries : Scandinavian Airlines bets on recovery with record €8.75 billion Airbus jet order : The C-2 Greyhound Has Made Its Last Landing Aboard A Carrier : Calendar of Events Incident: Lufthansa B748 near Frankfurt on Jun 27th 2026, burning odour on board A Lufthansa Boeing 747-8, registration D-ABYP performing flight LH-402 from Frankfurt/Main (Germany) to New York JFK,NY (USA), was climbing out of Frankfurt's runway 25C when the crew stopped the climb at FL240 and decided to return to Frankfurt due to a burning odour on board. The aircraft landed safely but overweight on runway 25C about 35 minutes after departure. Emergency services sprayed the brakes. A passenger reported a strong smell of burnt rubber developed on board about 20 minutes after departure, the smell subsided on the way back. The rotation was cancelled. The aircraft is still on the ground in Frankfurt about 51.5 hours after landing back. https://avherald.com/h?article=53b34336&opt=0 Incident: Jet2 A21N near Erfurt on Jun 29th 2026, smoke on board A Jet2.com Airbus A321-200N, registration G-HLYO performing flight LS-3892 (dep Jun 28th) from Preveza (Greece) to London Luton,EN (UK) with 225 passengers and 7 crew, was enroute at FL360 about 30nm south of Erfurt (Germany) when the crew decided to divert to Erfurt due to smoke on board. The aircraft landed safely on Erfurt's runway 09 about 20 minutes later. The airport reported the aircraft diverted due to smoke of unclear origin. Emergency services attended to the aircraft but could not find any trace of fire. A replacement Airbus A321-200N registration G-SUNL positioned from Manchester,EN (UK) to Erfurt, resumed the flight the next morning and reached Luton with a delay of about 14.5 hours. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground about 17 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=53b3416e&opt=0 Accident: TUI Airways B738 at Palma Mallorca on Jun 27th 2026, tail strike on go around A TUI Airways Boeing 737-800, registration G-TUKS performing flight BY-1624 from Dublin (Ireland) to Palma Mallorca,SP (Spain), landed on Mallorca's runway 24L at 19:19L (17:19Z) but went around from low height, the tail contacted the runway surface. The aircraft climbed out, positioned for another approach and landed on ruwnay 24R about 15 minutes later. The aircraft is still on the ground in Palma Mallorca about 47 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=53b33e39&opt=0 A passenger jet reported hitting a drone approaching NY. A helicopter had a near miss hours later A passenger jet reported striking a drone while approaching JFK International Airport on Monday, and just hours later, a helicopter pilot alerted a close call with a remote-control airplane near the same airport. The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the first incident that happened as a JetBlue plane passed through 3,000 feet (914 meters) Monday morning whit it was crossing the coastline. The plane landed safely in New York without any additional help, and no damage was found when the plane was inspected afterwards. "We collided with a drone back there in the turn," the pilot told an air traffic controller, according to ATC.com. "It hit us right above the cockpit." The airline said all the passengers deplaned normally, and then the plane was removed from service so it could be inspected. JetBlue said the airline "found no damage or evidence of a collision." The Airbus A321 plane was flying overnight into New York from Las Vegas. "Safety is JetBlue's first priority, and we will assist with any relevant investigations," the airline said in a statement. The FAA reported the close call Monday evening between the helicopter and the remote-control airplane to local authorities, according to the agency. Drones are generally allowed to fly below 400 feet (122 meters), but the FAA does restrict airspace around airports and public events like the World Cup because of safety concerns. Law enforcement officials say that even when a drone pilot is just trying to shoot an overhead video, their presence distracts officers from dealing with other potential threats. But even though drones are supposed to stay under 400 feet (122 meters) unless their pilots get approval, many drones are capable of flying more than 3,000 feet (914 meters) in the air. Scott Shtofman, who is with the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International, said even a drone as small as five pounds or so can fly that high. "Now the rules restrict that, but that doesn't mean that somebody couldn't do it," said Shtofman, who is vice president and counsel for regulatory affairs for the trade group. Incident reports collected by the FAA show that drones are a growing threat around airports. The risk of a collision is most acute near airports because that is where the flight paths of drones and airplanes most overlap. More than 100 drone sightings near airports are reported to the FAA every month, and the agency said it works with law enforcement to investigate them. Drone operators that violate restricted airspace can face substantial fines and even lose their license or have their drones confiscated. But Shtofman said collisions between drones and other aircraft have been rare thus far. Planes are designed to survive a direct hit from a bird strike, but hitting an object in the sky can cause significant damage, particularly if an engine or key control surface is struck. Just last fall, a United Airlines plane had to make an emergency landing after hitting a weather balloon and damaging its windshield. And during the devastating California wildfires in early 2025, an errant drone collided with a firefighting plane and knocked it out of commission for several days while a hole in its left wing was repaired. The death and destruction drones have caused on the battlefields of the Ukraine and Iran wars has officials increasingly concerned about the threat drones pose. Sometimes an initial report from an airline pilot about a close encounter with a drone doesn't always turn out to be an actual collision after officials investigate. In April, the FAA was able to determine that a drone passed roughly 1,000 feet (305 meters) below a United Airlines plane as it came into San Diego and did not strike the plane. https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/jetblue-pilot-reports-hitting-drone-182702374.html Pilot shut off fuel supply, leading to October 2025 Skyraider II crash, Air Force finds A student pilot reached for the wrong fuel control in his Block-1 OA-1K Skyraider II on Oct. 23, 2025, shutting off fuel to the engine and forcing the crew to crash-land the special operations aircraft in an Oklahoma field, an Air Force accident investigation board found. The crash is the first time an OA-1K has been destroyed since the missionized aircraft entered service in April 2025. The board determined the pilot mistakenly engaged the fuel shutoff valve, normally reserved for emergencies, when the instructor told him to open the nearby fuselage fuel tank valve, a routine check crews run on nearly every flight. The mistake "isolated the fuel supply from the aircraft firewall, starving the engine of fuel in flight," the report said. No one was hurt, but the aircraft was destroyed, with damage estimated at $17.9 million. The report points to a key difference between the Block-0 and Block-1 variants as a likely source of the confusion. Pilot shut off fuel supply, leading to October 2025 Skyraider II crash, Air Force finds Photos included in the report show the red fuel shutoff valve handle and the silver fuselage fuel tank valve lever positioned about five inches apart on the front-left side of the cockpit. A photo taken from the pilot's front-seat vantage point in the Block-1 variant shows the silver fuselage fuel tank valve partly hidden by the inboard power lever, while the red emergency shutoff handle is in clear view. Pilot shut off fuel supply, leading to October 2025 Skyraider II crash, Air Force finds Of the student's 37.3 flight hours in the aircraft, 34.1 were in the Block-0 trainer variant, which has a significantly smaller power lever that does not obscure the silver fuselage fuel tank valve he intended to activate. The student pilot had logged just 3.2 hours in the Block-1 he was flying that day. The board found the student "incorrectly identified the fuel shutoff valve handle as the fuselage fuel tank valve lever." The report does not recommend any change to the cockpit layout. Pilot shut off fuel supply, leading to October 2025 Skyraider II crash, Air Force finds The student pilot was an active-duty U-28 evaluator pilot with more than 2,300 flight hours. The civilian contractor instructor was a qualified OA-1K instructor with 551 hours in the OA-1K. The report does not indicate how many hours the instructor had in each variant. The crew was flying an initial qualification training sortie from Will Rogers Air National Guard Base under the call sign ZORRO 75. The aircraft was operated by the 17th Special Operations Squadron, the formal training unit standing up the Skyraider II fleet, and assigned to the 492nd Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field, Florida. The crew had leveled off at 2,300 feet above the ground when the instructor called for the fuel check. After erroneously cutting off fuel, the student realized his mistake and turned it back on a few seconds later, but by then the engine was already winding down, and restoring fuel alone would not restart it. He never told the instructor seated behind him what had occurred. The instructor took the controls, called a mayday and put the Skyraider II down in a field near Southeast 119th Street and South Sooner Road. The aircraft clipped a tree, road signs, two utility poles and a barbed-wire fence before coming to a stop, with a piece of utility pole guy wire twisted around the propeller. The board cited three factors that substantially contributed to the crash, all tied to how the tandem crew handled the moment rather than the aircraft itself: pilot task saturation, ineffective task prioritization, communications challenges and ineffective crew resource management. The report notes that the student was also struggling with his helmet and intercom settings amid engine and wind noise, and turned his attention to the communications problem just as fuel pressure began to drop. The board also faulted the crew for skipping the emergency steps that might have prevented the crash. Rather than running the critical action procedures, the instructor focused on setting up the forced landing. Those procedures are "designed to restart the engine, and if unsuccessful, feather the propeller to increase glide distance and time available for decision making before impact," the report said. At 2,300 feet, the board found the crew had time to try. The OA-1K is a militarized version of the Air Tractor AT-802 crop duster, bought under U.S. Special Operations Command's Armed Overwatch program. It is designed to give isolated special operations teams armed overwatch and reconnaissance from rough dirt strips. The program of record is 75 aircraft, though 53 have been funded to date. https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/pilot-shut-off-fuel-supply-194729541.html Malaysia Extends Search for Missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 The maritime exploration firm Ocean Infinity will have an additional year to locate the wreckage of the Boeing 777 airliner, which vanished without trace in 2014. Malaysia has extended by one year its deal with deep-sea exploration firm Ocean Infinity to conduct an underwater search for the wreckage of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370. The Cabinet on Friday approved the extension of a “no-find, no-fee” agreement with Ocean Infinity until June 30, 2027, Transport Minister Anthony Loke said in a statement, the Associated Press reported. “This decision is a manifestation of the government’s continuous and unwavering commitment to provide a closure for the next of kin of the passengers aboard flight MH370,” Loke said. The Boeing 777 aircraft vanished without trace on March 8, 2014, while en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, with 227 passengers and 12 crew aboard. Its disappearance prompted the largest search in aviation history, but despite extensive multinational search operations, the aircraft has never been located. In a 495-page report into MH370’s disappearance, published in July 2018, Malaysian authorities said that the aircraft was steered off course around 40 minutes after takeoff, likely deliberately. It then most likely crashed somewhere in the southern Indian Ocean. Debris has been discovered along the coast of Africa and on islands in the Indian Ocean, although only a few fragments were confirmed to belong the jetliner. Unsurprisingly, the fact that such a large aircraft could disappear in an age of blanket radar and satellite coverage has prompted a host of wild speculation as to its ultimate fate. One theory holds that the aircraft landed on an island in the Indian Ocean; others claim that it was hijacked by terrorists or even sucked into a black hole. The current search is being led by the U.K.- and U.S.-based marine robotics firm Ocean Infinity. The company carried out a search for the aircraft that ended in 2018, after an underwater search by Malaysia, Australia, and China in the southern Indian Ocean failed to locate the airplane. In March of last year, Ocean Infinity signed a new deal with Malaysia to resume the hunt in an area covering 15,000 square kilometers in the southern Indian Ocean. However, searches were delayed until the end of the year due to poor weather conditions. The latest extension is aimed at enabling Ocean Infinity to complete the search of a remaining area ⁠of 7,428.54 square kilometer area, after it temporarily redeployed its primary search assets to fulfill other commercial contracts, Loke said. Ocean Infinity vessels are expected to be redeployed between November and April, when the weather conditions are most amenable for an underwater search, he added. Under the agreement, Ocean Infinity will be paid $70 million only if it locates the wreckage. Given the passage of time, the chances of success appear slim – but Ocean Infinity is likely clinging to the hope that it can help solve one of the greatest mysteries in aviation history. https://thediplomat.com/2026/06/malaysia-extends-search-for-missing-malaysia-airlines-flight-mh370/ Company-Wide Ground Safety Culture Is Key in Business Aviation Although aviation remains the safest mode of transportation, too many people are injured each year in accidents on airport runways and ramps, underscoring the importance of providing safety training for all those who may find themselves near active aircraft areas. “I think when people are being introduced to the company and its operating environment, it’s really important to immediately establish some kind of standardized and recognized form of ground safety training,” explained Jamie Santiago-Muñoz, general manager of the Galaxy FBO in Addison, TX. “The overall environment can be very confusing to many people. “When a new employee starts here, our number one focus is on stressing safety, whether they are working on the ramp or as a CSR [customer service representative],” she continued. “We want them to understand that everything they do can impact safety, from taking the wrong fuel order or not receiving the correct readback from someone on the ramp – they need to understand these tasks and how they can lead to serious mistakes. “We teach all our [customer service representatives] to be aware of the environment and look for areas where there could be issues. ” Jamie Santiago-Muñoz General Manager, Galaxy FBO, Addison Airport (ADS) “There can be so much going on, so one of our big points is to stress situational awareness,” Santiago-Muñoz said. “Being continually vigilant and aware of what’s going on around you. Not just the aircraft, fuel trucks and tugs, but also passenger who have access to the ramp in their cars. They’re all added layers of complexity to an already busy and distracting environment.” Regarding passenger vehicles being granted ramp access, Santiago-Muñoz emphasized that this convenience must have prior approval, and a member of Galaxy FBO’s staff must always be with them. “The way our ramp is laid out here at Addison Airport [ADS], we can do it safely, but it has to be done correctly,” she added. “We teach all our CSRs to be aware of the environment and look for areas where there could be issues. If they see an aircraft firing up and a car is coming through the access gate, they make sure the pilot and the car’s driver see each other before proceeding. The aircraft always has the right-of-way.” Leverage Safety Certification Programs Galaxy FBO relies on the National Air Transportation Association (NATA) Safety 1st Certification Program as its primary training tool. “Formal safety training is an absolute necessity for anyone who either works or has any reason to be around any active aircraft or ground service equipment,” said NATA Manager, Safety and Training Brandon Popovich. “Working around aircraft is a skilled professional position, and every employee needs to be properly trained in the best safety practices for each situation. “Also, the implementation of an SMS [safety management system] is growing throughout the business aviation industry,” Popovich added. “Even if a company or FBO does not have a formal SMS in place, they still need to provide some type of structured safety training program. “People with any ramp or hangar access need to know what a flashing beacon on an aircraft means and the dangers of propellers, jet blast, FOD (foreign object debris), and all that plays into effective training for anyone who goes on the ramp, even if it’s not their primary job responsibility,” he said. “NATA’s Safety 1st program provides the BASS – Basic Apron Safety and Security Certification. When an NATA customer company puts a new employee in our online Safety 1st Training Center, they are automatically enrolled in the BASS program.” Also, for operations personnel who have safety management responsibilities, NBAA’s Safety Committee – in collaboration with Advanced Aircrew Academy, Convergent Performance and Fireside Partners – developed the Safety Manager Certificate Program, which is designed to provide participants introductory to mid-level training on safety in business aviation operations. The course offers the tools to effectively manage a business aviation organization’s safety management effort, including its SMS. Hold Informal Cross-Training Sessions Also, both Popovich and Santiago-Muñoz encouraged operators to consider bringing together representatives from various teams – CSRs and aircraft fuelers for example – for informal information-sharing sessions with all the other members of their shift. “Cross-training is becoming quite popular among the larger flight departments so they can all understand what others do on a daily basis,” Popovich said. “A scheduler or CSR can learn how long it takes to fuel an airplane or remove it from the hangar. A fueler can hear what types of things a pilot or maintainer will ask of an office person. “It’s a very effective way for everyone to better understand all the different parts that make ground services work,” said Popovich. “And better understanding is a big step towards greater awareness and safety.” “I would say that training is step one in the safety process,” said Santiago-Muñoz. “You really have to create a culture where people are not afraid to speak up when they see a potentially dangerous situation. That’s really the next key step after you have your training program in place.” https://nbaa.org/news/business-aviation-insider/2026-05/company-wide-ground-safety-culture-is-key-in-business-aviation/ Air China, Singapore Airlines Move Toward Joint Venture Partnership SINGAPORE—Air China and Singapore Airlines (SIA) have signed a memorandum of understanding to establish a commercial joint venture, laying the groundwork for one of the most comprehensive airline partnerships between China and Singapore. The proposed agreement would expand the carriers’ existing codeshare cooperation beyond current services linking Singapore with Beijing, Chengdu, Chongqing and Shanghai. The partnership could eventually cover additional routes between Singapore and mainland China, domestic connections within China and onward destinations beyond the two countries. Subject to regulatory approvals, the two Star Alliance members plan to coordinate schedules, develop joint fare products, pursue joint marketing and revenue-sharing arrangements and enhance reciprocal frequent-flyer benefits. “By consistently delivering diversified travel products and premium services, we will continue to offer greater convenience and more travel options to passengers flying on China-Singapore air routes,” Air China president Qu Guangji said in a statement. According to CAPA – Centre for Aviation data, Singapore Airlines currently serves nine destinations in mainland China. Together, the two carriers account for 35.5% of seat capacity between China and Singapore, with SIA holding a 27.3% share and Air China 8.2%. The announcement follows the rollout of the joint business partnership between SIA and Malaysia Airlines earlier this year, highlighting the Singapore carrier’s continued push to deepen strategic cooperation to maintain competitiveness in the region. https://aviationweek.com/air-transport/airlines-lessors/air-china-singapore-airlines-move-toward-joint-venture-partnership American Airlines Faces $2.64 Million Annual Bill to Let Pilots and Flight Attendants Skip Regular TSA Security Screening American Airlines faces a mammoth $2.64 million annual fee to allow its workforce of more than 47,500 pilots and flight attendants to skip past regular TSA airport security screening, as the Department of Homeland Security introduces a new fee as part of the introduction of its ‘Crewmember Access Point’ program. United Airlines faces a similar annual bill of $2.17 million, and Delta Air Lines will be charged around $1.95 million per year for its aircrew to access the program. Meanwhile, Southwest Airlines will end up paying appoximately $1.38 million per year and JetBlue around $456,000. Since 2011, pilots and flight attendants have been allowed to skip the regular passenger screening lane via a program called ‘Known Crewmember,’ which was set up as a joint initiative between the Air Line Pilots Association and industry trade group Airlines For America (A4A). A4A has administered the program, providing the TSA with a database of airline crew members who have been security vetted to use KCM. When a crew member goes up to the KCM podium, a TSA officer scans their KCM badge to verify their name is still on the database, and then checks that the name matches their airline-issued ID badge. Early last year, however, A4A and the TSA came to an agreement to retire the KCM program. But that doesn’t mean that aircrew will now be forced to use the normal passenger security lanes. Instead, the TSA is creating its own program, called Crewmember Access Point (CMAP), which will be administered by DHS. Airlines will hand over their Master Crew Lists (used by airlines that operate to international destinations) or Master Personnel Lists (used by airlines that operate domestic flights only) to the TSA. The TSA will then use these lists to build its own database of crewmembers who are allowed to access the CMAP access point. When the crew member arrives at the access point, the TSA will take a photograph of them, which will be cross referenced agains the CMAP database and a photo of the crew member held on existing federal databases. If there is a biometric match, then the crewmember will be allowed to skip security screening. If the match fails, then the crew member will be required to go through the TSA PreCheck lane. KCM is expected to be permanently sunsetted at the end of 2026, although CMAP is already being tested at Washington National Airport (DCA), Dulles International Airport (IAD), and Las Vegas Harry Reid Airport. CMAP will be voluntary, but if crew members don’t want to take part in the program, they’ll be required to use the regular TSA screening lane. Crew members may also be directed to use the regular lanes under the agency’s ‘unpredictable screening procedures.’ Until now, U.S.-based airlines funded KCM through their membership of A4A, but when CMAP comes into force across the United States, they’ll be required to pay the federal government for this service. On Monday, the Department of Homeland Security revealed exactly how much this service will cost. Airlines will be required to pay $19 per crew member per year for use of CMAP. Much like KCM, crew members will be able to access CMAP whenever they are on duty and when they are traveling domestically for personal reasons. Although the TSA plans to gradually roll out CMAP throughout the remainder of 2026, the fee will not be introduced until January 1, 2027. Explaining the reason for the fee, the DHS said that in 2006, Congress directed TSA to collect a fee to cover the costs of any registered traveler program. With approximately 30,000 flight attendants and 17,500 pilots, American Airlines faces the largest annual fee, although this is likely to be considered money very well spent by the Texas-based carrier. Airlines have increasingly relied upon KCM to ensure that aircrew can get to their gate as quickly as possible, avoiding flight delays because crew members are stuck in lines for the security checkpoint. In 2022, American Airlines pilots threatened to stop using KCM because so many crew members were being pulled for random screenings (a response to the number of weapons and narcotics found on aircrew). The decision rattled the airline because of fears that flights would be delayed. TSA also considers the administration of CMAP to be a worthwhile investment, meaning that it can concentrate its resources on higher-risk passengers. https://www.paddleyourownkanoo.com/2026/06/29/american-airlines-faces-2-64-million-annual-bill-to-let-pilots-and-flight-attendants-skip-regular-tsa-security-screening/ Honeywell forecasts record decade for business jet deliveries Honeywell’s 34th annual Global Business Aviation Outlook predicts 8,500 new business jets worth US$283 billion will be delivered over the next 10 years, the highest figure in the report’s history, with an average annual growth rate of 3%. New business jet deliveries in 2026 are expected to be 5% higher than in 2025. Among operators surveyed, 20% globally have at least one aircraft on firm order, up from 17% a year ago, with the figure rising to 28% among Part 135 and equivalent charter operators. Fractional ownership continues to drive industry growth, with fractional fleets expanding more than 65% since 2019 to roughly 1,300 aircraft. Light, midsize and super-midsize jets account for 80% of fractional fleets. Among operators of wholly owned aircraft, 12% also hold fractional shares, with a further 15% considering purchasing them. Flight activity is also rising, with business jet flight hours up approximately 3% year on year in 2025 after a flat period between 2023 and 2024. Growth is driven primarily by private operators and fractional companies, while corporate flight departments continue to lag as they seek to optimize costs. Looking ahead, 28% of operators plan to fly more next year, with 64% expecting to fly about the same. North America is expected to receive roughly 70% of new jet deliveries over the next three years, followed by Europe at 14%, Latin America at 7%, Asia-Pacific at 5% and the Middle East and Africa at 3%. In Europe, 29% of operators have at least one aircraft on firm order, above the global average. Operators reported that the return of 100% bonus depreciation under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act is expected to spur additional purchase activity. Aircraft performance remains the top purchase priority at 89% of respondents, up from 82% last year, with range the single most important specification. Cost ranked second at 56%. On sustainability, 81% of operators believe more fuel-efficient aircraft and engines are at least moderately effective in achieving sustainability goals, while 61% said the same of SAF. Among those taking proactive steps, 60% are acquiring more fuel-efficient aircraft and 56% are using SAF, with cost and availability remaining the biggest barriers. The report was compiled using macroeconomic analysis, OEM production data and surveys of 312 non-fractional operators representing 1,199 aircraft worldwide, conducted in partnership with Seefeld Group and Ad Hoc Research. https://www.businessairportinternational.com/news/jets/honeywell-forecasts-record-decade-for-business-jet-deliveries.html Scandinavian Airlines bets on recovery with record €8.75 billion Airbus jet order Scandinavian airline SAS has placed the biggest order in its history, agreeing to buy up to 40 Airbus widebody jets in a deal worth more than $10 billion (€8.75bn), a striking show of confidence from a carrier that emerged from bankruptcy only two years ago. The Scandinavian airline SAS confirmed a record order at a press conference in Copenhagen on Tuesday, committing to as many as 40 twin-aisle aircraft from Airbus's A330 family to renew and expand its long-haul fleet. At list prices the jets carry a combined value above $10 billion (€8.75bn), though, as is standard in the industry, SAS is likely to have negotiated a substantial discount for such a large bulk purchase. The order covers a mix of the new, more fuel-efficient A330-900, part of the upgraded A330neo range, and the older A330-300, which will support the airline's growth in the nearer term. First deliveries are expected from the early 2030s and the scale of the commitment marks a remarkable turnaround. SAS emerged from US Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2024 after a painful restructuring that wiped out billions in debt, delisted its shares and brought in new owners led by the Air France-KLM group. As part of the overhaul, the carrier also left the Star Alliance collective to join the rival SkyTeam grouping. The recovery has since gathered pace, with SAS returning to operating profit in 2025 after heavy losses the year before. The Airbus deal follows an order last year for 55 Embraer regional jets, and the airline is presenting the combined investment as the foundation of its plans for the decade ahead. Why Airbus won The decision is a notable victory for the European manufacturer Airbus over its US rival Boeing, whose 787 Dreamliner and 777X had been in contention. SAS already operates Airbus A330s on its long-haul network, and sticking with the same manufacturer spares it the heavy cost of introducing an entirely new aircraft type, with the retraining, spare parts and ground support that would entail. That logic of fleet commonality runs through the order. SAS said the additional A330-300s would be fully compatible with its existing Airbus operations, while the newer A330-900 shares the overwhelming majority of its airframe components with the older model. For Airbus, the win adds another European flag carrier to a widebody order book already swollen by airlines racing to replace ageing and less efficient jets. https://www.euronews.com/business/2026/06/30/scandinavian-airlines-bets-on-recovery-with-record-875-billion-airbus-jet-order The C-2 Greyhound Has Made Its Last Landing Aboard A Carrier The venerable C-2A Greyhound carrier onboard delivery (COD) aircraft made its final flight to an aircraft carrier, a U.S. Navy official confirmed to TWZ. This final trap, which took place last week aboard the USS Nimitz, marks the end of nearly 60 years of providing logistics services to America's flattops. That role has now been completely turned over to the Navy's fleet of CMV-22B Osprey tiltrotor aircraft, the official told us, marking the end of an era in naval aviation. On June 25, Greyhounds belonging to the "Rawhides" of Fleet Logistics Support Squadron 40 made the last arrested landing and catapult launch from a carrier, the official added. Though the Greyhounds won't land on carriers anymore, they will still be flying until later this year when they are anticipated to be fully retired, barring any major contingencies. A C-2A Greyhound, attached to the "Rawhides" of Fleet Logistics Support Squadron 40, takes off from the flight deck of the Nimitz class aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68), making the last ever catapult launch of a Greyhound on June 25, 2026. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Peter K. McHaddad) Janes was the first to report the last carrier mission of the Greyhound. "Vice Admiral Doug Perry, commander of both the Joint Force Command Norfolk and the US 2nd Fleet, joined Nimitz as the ship travelled north from Mayport, Florida, toward New York City," the publication stated. "Adm. Perry and several reporters, including Janes, boarded the Greyhounds as the C-2s were catapulted off Nimitz at about 1800 local time, marking the aircraft's final expected COD takeoff." Greyhounds were aboard the Nimitz along with the T-1 demonstrator for the MQ-25 Stingray unmanned tanker program and a number of Super Hornets, all of which are taking part in a large multinational exercise associated with America's 250th birthday. The C-2s on the other hand didn't linger around. The Greyhound, a derivative of the Navy's E-2 Hawkeye airborne early warning and control aircraft, first entered service in the late 1960s and replaced the piston-engined C-1 Trader in the COD role. "The original C-2A aircraft were overhauled to extend their operational life in 1973," the U.S. Naval Academy noted. "In 1984, a contract was awarded for 39 new C-2A aircraft to replace the earlier airframes. Dubbed the Reprocured C-2A due to the similarity to the original aircraft, the new C-2A includes substantial airframe and avionic systems improvements. All the older C-2As were phased out in 1987, and the last of the new models was delivered in 1990." Greyhound's replacement, the CMV-22B, was declared Initial Operational Capability (IOC) in 2021. While the Program of Record has 48 CMV-22Bs projected, the Navy currently plans to procure only 44 aircraft. As we noted in previous coverage, the advent of the Ospreys was seen as a "game-changer" by senior Navy officials. "With distributed maritime ops, longer ranges, distances between multi-carrier operations, distances from land-based areas, and the ability for the CMV-22B to plop down on unimproved spaces, it proved to be a game-changer for us on deployment," Vice Adm. Kenneth Whitesell, then-commander of Naval Air Forces (NAVAIR) and Naval Air Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet, said during a 2022 Maritime Security Dialogue event. From our past story: "Powered by two Rolls-Royce Liberty AE1107C engines, each delivering 6,200 shaft horsepower, the Osprey has a range of about 1,150 nautical miles with a 6,000-pound internal payload, Whitesell noted at the time. It's also capable of aerial refueling, while the C-2 is not. By comparison, the Greyhound, powered by two Allison T56-A-425 turboprop engines each delivering 4,600 shaft horsepower, has a range of about 1,000 nautical miles. Then there was the issue of being able to land on an aircraft carrier at night. Whitesell said the CMV-22B can do that, while the Navy has been 'reticent in the past' to allow Greyhounds to do night carrier landings 'based on the avionics in that platform.'" There are various other advantages and disadvantages of each platform. For instance, the C-2 is pressurized and can fly at higher altitudes, over weather, while the CMV-22 is not and flies at lower altitudes. While the Navy was moving to retire the Greyhounds, the Ospreys encountered a number of problems. Key among them was a three-month-long grounding of virtually all Osprey tiltrotors worldwide following the fatal crash of a U.S. Air Force CV-22B off the coast of Japan in 2023. The 2023 CV-22 crash "was definitely a wake-up call for many of us who are anticipating transitioning from the C-2 to the CMV-22," Rear Adm. Douglas 'V8' Verissimo, then commander of Naval Air Force Atlantic (AIRLANT), said bluntly last year. "The C-2 crews, with some venerable old aircraft, stepped up and took care of business. An unexpected surge in the requirement to maintain carrier onboard delivery [COD] to our aircraft carriers going forward." In the wake of that incident, there were flight restrictions placed on the Ospreys that limited the range they could fly, which impacted their COD role. However, after mechanical fixes were made, the Navy began lifting those restrictions in January, a Navy official told us. "For security reasons, the specific thresholds, numbers of aircraft affected, and details of added controls are not releasable," the official added. There have also been relatively damning reports about the CMV-22's ability to do the COD mission from the Pentagon's own testing force, nonetheless the C-2's final retirement has drawn closer. Regardless of how the CMV-22Bs are still restricted, the Navy apparently feels confident enough in the Osprey to move the C-2A Greyhound one step closer to retirement. At the same time, there can be no doubt that while the Navy gains new capabilities with the Osprey, it loses others with the C-2. Beyond that, the workhorse nature of the C-2 is a known and proven quantity, while the CMV-22 is still having its teething issues. No matter the aircraft, COD is a 'no-fail' mission that enables the entire carrier strike group. With that in mind, the CMV-22 will have some big flight boots to finally fill alone once the C-2 leaves the service later this year. https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/c-2-greyhound-made-last-202728402.html CALENDAR OF EVENTS . Aircraft Fire Hazards, Protection, and Investigation Course 7 to 9 July 2026; Woburn MA 01801 USA : APSCON/APSCON Unmanned 2026 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL - July 13-17, 2026 . EAA AirVenture Oshkosh - July 20–26, 2026 . July 20-24, 2026 | Farnborough, UK - Farnborough Airshow 2026. . ICAO/EASA Third Global RSOO/RAIO Forum for Aviation Safety — September 29–30, 2026, in Georgetown, Guyana., https://www.icao.int/events : Aircraft Cabin Air International Conference - 22-23 September 2026 . IATA World Maintenance & Engineering Symposium (23-25 June, Madrid, Spain) . ISASI - BOSTON 2026 - September 28, 2026 – October 2, 2026 . Global Aviation Conference Frankfurt- 29-30SEP2026 - Frankfurt, Germany . 79TH ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL AVIATION SAFETY SUMMIT MONTREAL | NOVEMBER 10-12, 2026. . 2026 NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE) Oct. 20-22, 2026 | Las Vegas, NV . 2027 ACSF Safety Symposium - April 6-8, 2027 - ERAU Daytona Beach, FL Curt Lewis