Qantas launches direct Cape Town–Sydney flights ahead of 2027 Rugby World Cup
(Image: Qantas Official Website) Qantas has announced that South Africans planning to visit Australia will soon have a more convenient travel option, with the first non-stop flights between Cape Town and Sydney. This is a seasonal service that launched in October, 2027, just in time for the knockout stages of the Rugby World Cup, and will strengthen air links between the two countries. The Cape Town–Sydney route will operate three times a week – on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays – with a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner as the aircraft used for flights. Qantas expects the route to add almost 30 000 seats
World Luxury Travel Awards 2026: LIFT wins ‘Best Cabin Crew in South Africa’ and ‘Best Airline in Africa’
According to a recent company announcement, South African airline LIFT won two awards – one for ‘Best Cabin Crew in South Africa’ and another for ‘Best Domestic Airline in Africa’ – at the 2026 World Luxury Travel Awards, which took place in Bangkok, Thailand on the October 24, 2026. This is a noteworthy achievement for South African aviation and LIFT, and further cements the standard set by the South African commercial aviation industry and airlines, five years after the airline’s inception. The ‘Best Cabin Crew in South Africa’ award recognises Lift’s onboard workforce and their ability to provide passengers with a great
South African, Fijian pilots honoured for safely landing aircraft after attempted hijacking
(Image Posted on X by @DXBMediaOffice) A South African off-duty pilot, Rowan Tooth, and an off-duty Fijian pilot, Henson Steven, are being honoured by United Arab Emirates (UAE) authorities on October 27, 2026, for safely landing a damaged Boeing 737 carrying 150 Israeli passengers in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia – which was originally scheduled to fly from Dubai to Tel Aviv – after Captain Smit Machchhar was attacked with an axe by his copilot. Tooth, the son of former South African cricketer, Barry Tooth, was an Airlink pilot until 2023 before becoming a pilot for Flydubai, while Steven previously worked as a pilot
Airbus, Wits University and ISAE-SUPAERO sign agreement to boost South Africa’s aerospace capabilities
By DefenceWeb Airbus Southern Africa, the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits), and the Institut Supérieur de l’Aéronautique et de l’Espace (ISAE-SUPAERO) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) establishing a strategic collaboration to bridge advanced aeronautical education and aerospace manufacturing and design. The four-year agreement, announced by Airbus on 17 September, sets out a framework to equip South African engineering students with globally recognised qualifications to support local industrialisation and to foster a culture of aerospace innovation across the region. Under the agreement, Wits and ISAE-SUPAERO will align their aerospace engineering curricula through comprehensive gap analysis and mapping, supported by a reciprocal
Textron Aviation Names Brian Rohloff President and CEO Following Retirement of Ron Draper
Textron Aviation has officially confirmed that Ron Draper will retire from his position as President and Chief Executive Officer after eight years of executive leadership. Following a deliberate and structured succession planning process, Brian Rohloff has been named the company’s next President and CEO, with the appointment taking effect on Monday, 31 August 2026. Draper will remain with the aerospace manufacturer through the end of the calendar year as a Senior Advisor to ensure a seamless leadership transition. Draper’s tenure at the helm of Textron Aviation was defined by significant portfolio modernization, workforce development and sustained market leadership across the global aerospace
Heart Aerospace Completes First Flight of World’s Largest Electric Aircraft
Heart Aerospace has successfully completed the first flight of its X1 demonstrator aircraft, marking a significant milestone in the development of electric commercial aviation. The X1 took to the skies on 12 August 2026 from Heart Aerospace’s flight-test base at Plattsburgh International Airport in New York. With a wingspan of 106 feet, a length of 76 feet and a take-off weight exceeding 25,000 pounds, the aircraft is now the largest battery-electric aircraft ever flown. The piloted flight lasted 27 minutes and saw the X1 reach an altitude of 1,100 feet above ground level. During the flight its all-electric propulsion system delivered more
National Airlines Completes World’s Longest Nonstop Commercial Boeing 777 Freighter Flight
U.S.-based cargo carrier National Airlines has successfully completed what is believed to be the world’s longest commercial Boeing 777 Freighter flight carrying live cargo. The ultra-long-haul mission covered 9,849 nautical miles nonstop from Prestwick, Scotland to Melbourne, Australia in 19 hours and 23 minutes. The flight was operated using one of National Airlines’ newest Boeing 777 Freighters (registration N792CA) to transport time-critical Aircraft on Ground (AOG) components for another airline. Designed to resolve an urgent maintenance requirement, the entire charter was planned, coordinated and launched within 30 hours of the initial customer enquiry. The mission generated widespread public interest on global flight-tracking
Emirates and South African Airways Expand Codeshare Agreement to Boost Regional Connectivity
Emirates and South African Airways (SAA) have announced a major expansion of their long-standing codeshare partnership, transitioning the arrangement into a fully reciprocal agreement that adds nine new destinations across central and southern Africa. The enhancement marks a key operational evolution in the nearly 30-year partnership between the two carriers. Previously operating on a unilateral basis where SAA placed its code on Emirates flights, the newly approved framework allows Emirates to place its ‘EK’ code on SAA-operated domestic and regional flights. Under the expanded network, passengers gain single-ticket connectivity, coordinated flight schedules and through-checked baggage to additional destinations via SAA’s hub at
South African Civil Aviation Authority Strengthens Regional and Transport Safety Ties with Dual MoUs
The South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) has finalized two strategic Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with domestic and regional transport authorities, expanding regulatory collaboration with South Africa’s Railway Safety Regulator (RSR) and Angola’s National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC). The bilateral agreement signed with the RSR establishes an inter-agency framework between two of South Africa’s primary transport safety regulators. Executed at SACAA headquarters, the agreement targets enhanced cooperation across risk management protocols, safety promotion initiatives, technical capacity building, joint research projects and coordinated responses to systemic transport sector challenges. Expanding its international civil aviation oversight, the SACAA simultaneously concluded a technical cooperation MoU
SUSTAERO Partners with Topsoe and Sasol for Landmark Canadian Sustainable Aviation Fuel Project
SUSTAERO GP Inc. (SUSTAERO) has entered into a single point licensing agreement with global technology leaders Topsoe and Sasol to deliver advanced process technologies for its pioneering wood waste to Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) project in Canada. The agreement marks a major milestone for SUSTAERO, locking in the core chemical synthesis and upgrading blocks of its proprietary SOAR (Syngas Optimization for Aviation Renewables) architecture. Under the terms of the agreement, Topsoe and Sasol will provide their integrated Gas-to-Liquid synfuels (G2L) technology. This fully wrapped solution integrates Topsoe’s hydrogen production, gas reforming and hydroprocessing solutions with Sasol’s world-leading Fischer-Tropsch and treatment technologies. The
MD Helicopters Delivers First MD 530F to Zimbabwean Wildlife Conservation Agency
MD Helicopters has announced the successful delivery of a new MD 530F rotorcraft to an operator in Zimbabwe, marking the first time this specific aircraft model has been delivered into the Southern African country. The light single-engine helicopter was officially accepted by the customer at the manufacturer’s primary production facility in Mesa, Arizona before being prepared for international shipment. The aircraft is destined for a prominent wildlife conservation agency in Southern Africa to support highly demanding regional operations, including anti-poaching patrols, aerial surveillance and wildlife monitoring. To ensure a seamless transition, MD Helicopters is providing a complete turnkey delivery solution for the
Rolls-Royce Pearl 10X Engines Power Successful Maiden Flight of Dassault Falcon 10X Flagship
Rolls-Royce has announced that its highly advanced Pearl 10X engines have successfully powered the first flight of Dassault Aviation’s brand-new flagship business jet, the Falcon 10X. The maiden flight took off from Dassault’s production facility in Mérignac near Bordeaux, France, signaling the official commencement of the aircraft’s comprehensive flight test programme and marking a pivotal milestone toward its final entry into service. Over the coming months, both the airframe and the powerplants will undergo a rigorous series of operational tests designed to gather critical aerodynamic and performance data necessary for final type certification. The Pearl 10X stands as the newest and most
MOST POPULAR
NEWSLETTER
Subscribe to our newsletter for new blog posts, tips and news
