Mighty Mirage 2000 hits 40
In July 1984, the Mirage 2000 entered service at Dijon, with Escadron de Chasse 1/2 ‘Cigognes’ becoming the first front-line operator of the delta interceptor. Forty years later, as Henri-Pierre Grolleau reports, EC 1/2 still flies the ‘Deux Mille’, albeit in the Mirage 2000-5F variant and from Luxeuil. With the recent announcement of the transfer of Mirage 20005Fs to Ukraine, its immediate future is unclear.
KLM takes delivery of its first Airbus A321neo
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, part of the Air France-KLM Group, has received its first Airbus A321neo as part of its fleet modernisation programme.
USAF F-35s land on a highway in Finland
US Air Force F-35A Lightning IIs performed their first austere landings in Europe on September 4, 2024.
JetBlue looks to Long Island
As part of the airline’s network overhaul, JetBlue has announced that it will launch flights from Long Island/MacArthur airport in October.
US Coast Guard opens first new air station in 25 years
Although a formal commissioning ceremony scheduled for June 18 was postponed, the US Coast Guard has opened its newest air station in southern California, writes Tom Kaminski
How Delta and United entered the jet age with the DC-8
Despite entering service almost a year after Boeing’s 707, the California-built Douglas DC-8 was a game-changer for the aviation industry and the two airlines that simultaneously put the type into service on September 18, 1959. Lee Cross documents Delta Air Lines’ and United Airlines’ entrance to the jet age
Indian Air Force stages Exercise Tarang Shakti
The Indian Air Force is hosting its first-ever major multinational exercise, Tarang Shakti.
EL AL seals its largest ever aircraft order
EL AL Israel Airlines has confirmed its largest aircraft purchase in its 76-year history, finalising an order for up to 31 Boeing 737 MAXs.
B-17 Flying Fortress Yankee Lady changes hands
On 5 June at Willow Run Airport, Ypsilanti, the Michigan Flight Museum — known as the Yankee Air Museum before a rebrand in early May — announced the sale of its flagship flight experience aeroplane, Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress 44-85829/N3193G, following 38 years of ownership.
Final KC-46A Pegasus for McGuire delivered
Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst has received its 24th Boeing KC-46A Pegasus, the final example of the tanker-transport destined to serve with the wings that operate from the site.