50 SKY SHADES - World aviation news

Essential news for 30 Apr 2025

Deutsche Aircraft lays cornerstone for D328eco Final Assembly Line at Leipzig/Halle Airport: first regional aircraft built in Germany in 20 years

With cornerstone ceremony for the final assembly line of the D328eco regional aircraft at Leipzig/Halle Airport, Deutsche Aircraft has reached a significant milestone on the path to serial manufacturing of this innovative turboprop in the heart of Germany. Since the groundbreaking ceremony back in May 2023, which also featured Saxony's Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer, extensive groundwo...

Wednesday`s summary

Ascend Airways makes history with first direct flight between UK and Sierra Leone in over a decade

Ascend Airways UK has successfully operated the inaugural flight from London Gatwick to Freetown, Sierra Leone. This marks a re-establishment of direct air connectivity between the two countries after a 12-year hiatus. The historic flight took place on April 26, with the return journey from Freetown on April 27, coinciding with Sierra Leone's Independence Day. The inaugural flight carrying mem...

Greece orders eight Airbus H215 helicopters to combat forest fires

Airbus Helicopters signed a contract with the Hellenic Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection for the purchase of eight H215 helicopters (with an option for two additional aircraft) to support the combat of wildfires in the country following a tender conducted by the Project Preparation Facility of Growthfund (the National Fund of Greece) on behalf of the Ministry. This contract is suppor...

ATOBA, easyJet, and World Fuel sign a MoU to develop long term supply of sustainable aviation fuel

easyJet and ATOBA Energy, in partnership with World Fuel Services, signed a MoU for the development of long-term supply of Sustainable Aviation Fuel for easyJet’s operations in Europe and the UK. The agreement supports the airline’s decarbonisation strategy and is expected to unlock the SAF value chain through the combination of ATOBA’s SAF aggregation, enabling managem...

Bell announced signed purchase agreement for first Bell 505 in the Netherlands

Bell Textron announced the first Bell 505 sale in the Netherlands to Gerrit Verwijs, owner of Verdegro Group, a Dutch public safety infrastructure manufacturer. With its newly acquired Bell 505, the Verdegro Group plans to use the helicopter for its company travels, including meetings with their international customer base and representation of their facilities near Breda. R...

KEYVAN Aviation and SIMNEST Aviation forge a strong data partnership for flight training

KEYVAN Aviation has taken a significant step to expand its global presence in the simulator market by signing a new service agreement with SIMNEST. Under this agreement, KEYVAN’s certified aeronautical and navigation database, compliant with international regulations and approved by global aviation authorities, will now be actively integrated into SIMNEST’s professional-grade simulator...

Joby achieves testing landmark with piloted aircraft

Joby Aviation has reached a landmark moment in its aircraft test program, successfully completing flights with a full transition from vertical to cruise flight, and back again, with a pilot onboard. Transitioning from vertical to horizontal flight is a key design attribute of the Joby aircraft, allowing it to take-off and land vertically like a helicopter, while maintaining the efficiency and spee...