2026-07-22 · 12 storiesGenerated 3:02:36 AM
Day two of Farnborough 2026 followed an opening day of 234 firm orders worth $28.6B, with SMBC Aviation Capital ordering 200 combined Airbus/Boeing jets and Philippine Airlines committing to 15 Boeing 787-10 Dreamliners powered by GE Aerospace engines.
Qatar Airways inaugurated its long-awaited 2x-weekly Boeing 777-200 service connecting Doha with Bogotá and Caracas today, forging a new link between the Middle East and South America.
Severe thunderstorms sweeping from the Midwest intensified across the US Northeast on July 21–22, causing over 825 combined cancellations and delays at JFK, Newark, LaGuardia, Boston, Reagan, and Philadelphia airports.
Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport closed its primary Runway 10-28 on July 22 for a full rehabilitation project, with construction work scheduled to run through October 8, 2026.
China Eastern Airlines launched new 3x-weekly Airbus A330 flights between Shanghai Pudong International Airport and Tbilisi, Georgia, opening a fresh air link between China and the South Caucasus.
Power-to-liquid company Twelve opened AirPlant One in Moses Lake, Washington — the first US facility producing e-SAF from captured CO2 and renewable electricity — with Alaska Airlines and Microsoft as key partners at an initial capacity of ~50,000 gallons/year.
IATA cautioned that despite global SAF production rising to around 2.4 million tonnes in 2026 — a 26% year-on-year increase — this still represents less than 1% of total jet fuel consumption, and Director General Willie Walsh flagged growing policy headwinds.
Kenya's government signed an engineer-consultant contract appointing Dar Al-Handasah Consultants to oversee design, project management, and construction supervision for the multi-billion Jomo Kenyatta International Airport modernisation project.
The US Air Force transitioned its modified F-16 VENOM aircraft to fully autonomous AI-controlled flight operations in July 2026, with an onboard AI agent assuming control during flight while a safety pilot continuously monitored performance.
Amsterdam Schiphol Airport and easyJet launched routine engine-off taxiing using the world's first fully electric TaxiBot for Airbus A320neo aircraft, saving an estimated 95 kg of fuel and 299 kg of CO2 per flight, with Schiphol being the first European airport to deploy the technology for Airbus operations.
Oman's SalamAir launched 2x-weekly Airbus A320neo service between Muscat International Airport and Kigali, Rwanda, marking a new air corridor between the Gulf region and East Africa.
BloombergNEF analysis found that SAF prices in Europe spiked to an average of $2,830 per tonne in Q2 2026 — up 31% — as the closure of the Strait of Hormuz disrupted global oil markets and drove up demand for biofuels across all sectors.
