African Pilot Weekly Magazine 39:2026
Freighter Order
Ethiopian Airlines Orders Boeing 777 and 777-8 Freighters to Expand Cargo Fleet
Ethiopian Airlines has ordered eight Boeing 777-8 Freighters and two 777 Freighters, becoming the first African carrier to order the 777-8F. The order is its second for the 777X family following the purchase of eight 777-9 passenger aircraft.
Ethiopian Airlines Orders Boeing 777 and 777-8 Freighters to Expand Cargo Fleet
Ethiopian Airlines has ordered eight Boeing 777-8 Freighters and two 777 Freighters, becoming the first African carrier to order the 777-8F. The order is its second for the 777X family following the purchase of eight 777-9 passenger aircraft.
Freighter Order
Armscor Strengthens Support to Keep South African Air Force in the Skies
Armscor has appointed service providers to maintain and service the South African Air Force’s prime mission equipment, with the aim of improving aircraft availability and operational readiness.
Defence Support
Egypt Receives First Five Boeing CH-47F Chinooks
Egypt has received the first five of 12 new Boeing CH-47F Block I Chinooks, beginning replacement of the Egyptian Air Force’s CH-47D fleet.
Military Helicopters
Freighter First Flight
Airbus A350F Freighter Flies for the First Time, Opening a 400-Hour Certification Campaign
The Airbus A350F flew for the first time from Toulouse on 29 September 2026, starting a flight-test campaign of about 400 hours towards EASA type certification.
Airbus A350F Freighter Flies for the First Time, Opening a 400-Hour Certification Campaign
The Airbus A350F flew for the first time from Toulouse on 29 September 2026, starting a flight-test campaign of about 400 hours towards EASA type certification.
Freighter First Flight
Trent XWB-97 Powers Airbus A350F First Flight
The Airbus A350F made its first flight at Toulouse on 29 September 2026 on Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engines, which have more than 4.5 million engine flying hours over eight years of service on the A350-1000. The freighter has 115 orders from 14 customers, and Rolls-Royce…
Freighter Engines
Deutsche Aircraft Opens D328eco Final Assembly Line in Leipzig
Deutsche Aircraft has opened its D328eco Final Assembly Line at Leipzig/Halle Airport, establishing production capacity for up to 48 regional aircraft annually.
Aircraft Production
Kigali Meeting Advances Aviation Infrastructure Pipeline to Support SAATM
The African Union Commission and AFCAC met Member States, aviation partners and development finance institutions in Kigali from 14 to 17 September 2026 and agreed a common process for moving SAATM infrastructure projects towards financing. A Post-Kigali Project Acceleration Platform and a 90-day readiness assessment…
SAATM Infrastructure
Space Policy
NASA Celebrates as Artemis Accords Surpasses 75 Signatories
Albania, Croatia, Côte d’Ivoire and San Marino have signed the Artemis Accords, taking the number of signatory countries to 76, NASA announced on 28 September 2026. Signatories meet next at a Principals’ Meeting at the International Astronautical Congress in Antalya, Türkiye, from 5 October.
NASA, Boeing Share Update on Commercial Starliner Development Plans
NASA intends to exercise options for a fifth and sixth Starliner flight to the International Space Station and to certify United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket for the spacecraft. An uncrewed Starliner-1 could fly in December 2026 or January 2027, with astronauts planned to return on…
Spaceflight
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Game Aerospace GB2 Completes First Flight
Game Aerospace has completed the first flight of its GB2 aerial firefighting aircraft, beginning flight testing ahead of planned FAA Part 23 certification and production.
First Flight
Cessna Citation CJ4 Gen3 Flight Test Pilots Put Garmin Emergency Autoland to the Test
Textron Aviation has tested Garmin Emergency Autoland aboard the Citation CJ4 Gen3 as the light business jet progresses toward FAA certification.
Safety & Avionics
Airbus Delivers Nigeria’s First Two H125 Helicopters to the Nigerian Air Force
Airbus has delivered Nigeria’s first two H125 helicopters to the Nigerian Air Force, which reassembled them locally at the Nigerian Air Force Base, Ikeja, in Lagos. The Air Force will use the helicopters for missions including transport, surveillance and other operational support tasks as it…
Defence Fleet
Business Jets
Inaugural Praetor 600E Delivered to Fleet Launch Customer Flexjet
Embraer has delivered the first Praetor 600E to Flexjet, making the fractional aviation company fleet launch customer for the updated super-midsize business jet.
Inaugural Praetor 600E Delivered to Fleet Launch Customer Flexjet
Embraer has delivered the first Praetor 600E to Flexjet, making the fractional aviation company fleet launch customer for the updated super-midsize business jet.
Business Jets
Kenya Inspects Runway and Aircraft Parking Works at Manda Airport in Lamu
Infrastructure
Works at Manda Airport in Lamu cover runway repair and marking, improved passenger walkways and additional aircraft parking, Kenya Airports Authority told Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir and Principal Secretary Teresia Mbaika during an inspection on 28 September 2026. The State Department links the works to…
SACAA Fee Schedule Applies from 1 October 2026: Changes for Pilots, Crew and Operators
New SACAA fees apply from 1 October 2026. Licence fees for pilots, cabin crew, AMEs and remote pilots rise on average, while aircraft registration and some other fees decrease.
Regulatory Fees
HENSOLDT Launches KENIS Sensor and Secures 200-Unit HEVI Optronics Order at AAD 2026
HENSOLDT South Africa has launched its KENIS 1280 AK as a standalone thermal imaging sensor and secured a 200-unit order from HEVI Optronics.
Defence Sensors
Air Zimbabwe Reports 42.6% Revenue Growth and a Narrower 2024 Loss at Its Fourth AGM
Air Zimbabwe’s revenue rose 42.6% to US$10.74 million in 2024 and its net loss narrowed 31.7% to US$7.12 million, according to audited accounts considered at the airline’s fourth Annual General Meeting in Harare on 30 September 2026. The airline carried 33,676 passengers, and cargo volumes…
Airline Results
Giant Pandas Ping Ping and Fu Shuang Arrive in Atlanta on the FedEx Panda Express
FedEx transported giant pandas Ping Ping and Fu Shuang from Chengdu to Atlanta aboard a dedicated Boeing 777 freighter for Zoo Atlanta.
Special Cargo
Emirates Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027 A380 Livery Lands in Sydney
Emirates A380 A6-EVH has debuted a Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027 livery, which will operate across the airline’s global network for a year.
Special Livery
Kenya Airways Selects Sabre for New Retailing Platform
Kenya Airways has selected Sabre to replace its core retailing platform, covering reservations, ticketing, inventory management, airport check-in and digital retailing capabilities.
Airline Technology
