Show Notes
AirAsia places a large A220 order, a Frontier jet collides with a pedestrian, Boeing hopes for a mega-deal in China, power banks in the cabin are in the cross-hairs, the Senate hopes to save the last three Tomcats, and FedEx plans to return MD-11s to service. Also, preliminary information about AvCon 2027, upcoming airshows and fly-ins, and a detailed explanation of weight and balance for airliners.
Aviation News
Air Asia orders for 150 A220s, giving program a big boost; launches high density version
AirAsia becomes the launch customer for a 160 PAX high-density version of the Airbus A220 currently under development. The order from the Malaysian LCC brings total A220 orders to more than 1,000. Airbus wants to increase the production rate to 14 per month, and this order will help. Deliveries could begin in late 2027 or early 2028.
Credit: Airbus
Tony Fernandes, Chief Executive Officer of Capital A (the holding company of AirAsia), said “My philosophy has been built on a very strong network. Two of the driving factors of AirAsia’s network are that 60% of our routes are routes that were never done before. We go into secondary and tertiary cities. And the second underlying principle of what we do is frequency. So, obviously, we’ve bought a lot of A321s, which have 244 seats. Not every route pairing could fill 244 seats.”
Person who jumped perimeter fence is hit and killed by Frontier plane during takeoff on Denver runway, airport says
A person crossed the perimeter fence and a runway at Denver International Airport and was subsequently struck and killed by a departing Frontier Airlines plane, Flight 4345. The flight was aborted, and a brief engine fire was extinguished. Twelve people reported minor injuries in the evacuation, and five were taken to local hospitals.
Potential 600-aircraft Boeing mega-order from China hinges on Trump-Xi summit
President Donald Trump’s business delegation is visiting China, and Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg is reportedly attending. Thirteen Chinese domestic carriers operate 97 737 MAX aircraft, and Boeing is hopeful that with Trump’s help, as many as 500 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft and about 100 widebody jets can be ordered. In April 2026, Ortberg said, “Without the administration’s support, I don’t think we’ll see any near-term large orders out of China. It really is something that would be tied to the effort from the administration.”
The CAAC does not simply rubber-stamp Western approvals. It runs a parallel, sovereign certification process based on the Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement (BASA) signed by the US and China in 2005, with the operational details specified in the Implementation Procedures for Airworthiness (IPA).
Airlines Are Cracking Down on Portable Power Banks
According to ICAO, power banks caused more reported airplane fires and thermal runaway incidents than any other lithium-battery device in 2025. FAA data shows that airlines reported lithium battery events involving fire, smoke, or extreme heat nearly twice a week on average in 2025. Airlines ban power banks in checked luggage and are now implementing new rules for these devices brought on board.
‘Maverick Act’ saves last 3 F-14 Tomcats from destruction
The US Navy has just three remaining F-14D Tomcats. The aircraft were retired in 2006, but the U.S. Senate wants to ensure that those three jets survive and maybe even fly. S. 4161, the Maverick Act, passed by the Senate but not yet enacted, authorizes the Secretary of the Navy to transfer the three F-14D Tomcats to the U.S. Space and Rocket Center Commission in Huntsville, Alabama. The Commission could put the aircraft on display or operate them at “an airshow … or a commemorative event to preserve United States naval aviation heritage.”
FedEx’s MD-11 comeback to start with short cargo flight to Miami
FedEx hopes to repair and return to service 29 grounded MD-11 freighter aircraft. The company proposes to send technicians to 16 locations worldwide, where they will remove
More from Airplane Geeks Podcast
Interviews from the Pacific Airshow, a visit to the American Helicopter Museum, and an Australia desk with news from Down Under.
FAA ATC hiring record, NBAA and ATC modernization, restrictions on flights near spacecraft launches, Army findings on the DC midair crash. Also, VFC-12 (the “Fighting Omars”), talking with Kiah Erlich and Martin Kemp, Launchpad’s last chocolates, Kinner Sportwing B-2, a new refueling squadron, and a United transatlantic flight makes an unusual fuel stop.
Advanced airline systems technology with the head of DataArt’s Aviation Practice. In the news: cloud-based air traffic control in the Washington, D.C., area; thousands of flights delayed and canceled after FAA and NATS system failures; safety reforms after the DCA midair collision; and the loss of a new Cessna Citation Latitude.
Bombardier and global aerospace manufacturing, air traffic controller criticism of the FAA, boom refueling for RAF tankers, airport gate access for people without tickets, restricting beverage service after pushback, and an OzDesk report.