The FAA is forming public-private partnerships to conduct trials of electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft ahead of full certification—Joby, Archer, and others are participating. Aims include testing safety, noise, and emergency-response use cases.
The FAA increased its academy class to ~600 recruits (a record), but internal documents show a serious shortage of qualified instructors at Oklahoma City, with many instructors working double shifts and burnout concerns.
IATA reports passenger traffic rising year-over-year (e.g. Jul growth +4%) and several countries updating visa/entry rules, with travelers paying attention to changing regulations in Asia, Europe, etc.
A leading group (Federation of American Scientists) recommended Congress create a standalone agency merging FAA’s Office of Commercial Space Transportation and Commerce Department’s Office of Space Commerce to streamline regulation, promote industry, and manage space traffic.
In an expansion of maritime operations, U.S. forces struck a second narcotics vessel near Venezuela, during a campaign involving air, naval, and drone-enabled operations in the Caribbean. Raises issues of international law, rules of engagement, and strategic use of unmanned systems.
The U.S. Air Force has started converting a Boeing 747-8 gifted by Qatar into a presidential airlift aircraft; the program is classified and modifications are expected to take about a year.
The FAA is forming public-private partnerships to conduct trials of electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft ahead of full certification—Joby, Archer, and others are participating. Aims include testing safety, noise, and emergency-response use cases.
US President Donald Trump has a unique opportunity to grow the US space industry, while ushering in a new era of US-Africa collaboration writes Scott Firsing.
The General Aviation Manufacturers Association reported business jet deliveries rose nearly 10% in H1 2025, while turboprops declined slightly, reflecting shifting demand.
The U.S. Space Development Agency placed its first Tranche-1 Transport Layer satellites into orbit, building a LEO mesh network to support secure military communications.
Two leading eVTOL developers, Joby Aviation and Archer, announced their participation in the FAA’s pilot program, giving them an early foothold in urban air mobility markets.
President Trump announced moving U.S. Space Command HQ from Colorado to Huntsville, Alabama—citing “Rocket City” legacy and promising 1,400–1,600 new jobs. Colorado officials have raised national security concerns.
The recent U.S.–EU Framework Agreement avoids raising U.S. tariffs on aircraft and parts—preserving export stability. However, full EU adoption is pending European Parliament and Council action, keeping future trade policy uncertain.
This bill mandates an annual State–Defense Department review of defense articles currently restricted to Foreign Military Sales (FMS), identifying which might shift to Direct Commercial Sales (DCS)—streamlining transfers and potentially boosting U.S. defense firms’ export opportunities. It passed the House by 395–20 on September 2, 2025 and is now under Senate review.
Joby successfully flew its autonomous “Superpilot” system via a Cessna Caravan over 7,000 miles during DoD exercises—highlighting DoD interest in unmanned logistics.
Coverage includes potential Commerce Dept. investment in defense firms, Boeing’s F-47 program, counter-drone investments, and the Space Command move—all signaling policy-aligned industrial growth trends.
