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France will build a new aircraft carrier with a capacity for 30 fighter jets and 2,000 sailors, French President Emmanuel Macron announced Sunday in what he described as "the display of our nation's power in the service of freedom on the seas and amid the turbulence of our times. In an age of predators, we must be strong in order to be feared, and especially strong at sea. This is why, in line with the last two military programming laws, and after a thorough and careful review, I have decided to equip France with a new aircraft carrier. The decision to launch the construction of this very large-scale program was taken this week, Macron told French troops stationed in Abu Dhabi. The new vessel is planned to be ready in 2038, replacing the ageing Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier, which came into service in 2001. It will have a displacement of about 78,000 tons and a length of 310 meters (1,017 feet), compared to 42,000 tons and 261 meters (856 feet) for the Charles de Gaulle. The ne
China has commissioned its latest aircraft carrier after extensive sea trials, state media reported Friday, adding a ship that experts say will help what is already the world's largest navy expand its power farther beyond its own waters. The official Xinhua news agency reported Friday that the Fujian was commissioned in Sanya on Hainan island on Wednesday in a ceremony attended by top leader Xi Jinping. The Fujian is China's third carrier and the first that it both designed and built itself. It is perhaps the most visible example so far of leader Xi Jinping's massive military overhaul and expansion that aims to have a modernized force by 2035 and one that is world class by mid century which most take to mean capable of going toe-to-toe with the United States. With it, Beijing takes another step toward closing the gap with the US Navy and its carrier fleet and network of bases that allow it to maintain a presence around the world. Carriers are key to Chinese leadership's vision of
India will host the Asia-Pacific region's aircraft accident investigators' meeting for the first time in the national capital from October 28-31. Around 90 aircraft accident investigators are expected to participate in the Asia Pacific Accident Investigation Group (APAC-AIG), an official release said on Sunday. The meeting will be hosted by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) on behalf of the Civil Aviation Ministry. Representatives of ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) member states in the Asia Pacific region, along with various international organisations, participate in the meeting that is held annually. "India will be hosting the APAC-AIG meeting for the first time. There will be participation of approximately 90 representatives from aircraft accident investigation authorities of Asia Pacific countries, as well as from the ICAO," the release said. The meeting is generally hosted by any one of the ICAO member states in the APAC region. Civil Aviatio
Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Friday that the US military is deploying an aircraft carrier to the waters off South America, in the latest escalation and buildup of military forces in the region. The US military has conducted its 10th strike on a suspected drug-running boat, Hegseth said earlier Friday, blaming the Tren de Aragua gang for operating the vessel and leaving six people dead in the Caribbean Sea. In a social media post, Hegseth said the strike occurred overnight, and it marks the second time the Trump administration has tied one of its operations to the gang that originated in a Venezuelan prison. The pace of the strikes has quickened in recent days from one every few weeks when they first began to three this week, killing a total of at least 43 people since September. Two of the most recent strikes were carried out in the eastern Pacific Ocean, expanding the area where the military has launched attacks and shifting to where much of the cocaine from the world'
A cargo aircraft skidded off a Hong Kong runway into the sea when landing early Monday, killing two people. The flight, arriving from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, was landing at Hong Kong International Airport around 3.50 am, according to Hong Kong's airport authority. Four crew members on the plane were rescued and taken to hospital. Initial reports from police said two people in an airport ground vehicle were dead. The north runway of Hong Kong's airport, one of Asia's busiest, where the aircraft skidded off runway, has been closed, authorities said. Two other runways at the airport continue to operate. The Boeing 747 freighter is a Turkish air cargo carrier AirACT aircraft flying for Emirates SkyCargo, with the flight number EK9788. It was flying from Al Maktoum International Airport. Hong Kong's Civil Aviation Department said in a statement that it was following up with the airline and other parties involved in the crash.
Mahindra Group on Friday said it has inked a pact with Embraer Defense & Security for introduction of C-390 Millennium military transport aircraft in India. Embraer Defense & Security and Mahindra Group have signed a landmark strategic cooperation agreement (SCA) to advance the C-390 Millennium solution for the Indian Air Force's Medium Transport Aircraft (MTA) programme, the Mumbai-based Mahindra Group said in a statement. This agreement was inked alongside the inauguration of Embraer's national office in Aerocity, New Delhi. The agreement builds upon the memorandum of understanding signed in February 2024 at the Embassy of Brazil in New Delhi, deepening the scope of cooperation to include joint marketing, industrialisation and developing India as a hub for the C-390 Millennium. Since the signing, the C-390 Millennium aircraft has further increased its operator base globally. Embraer and Mahindra Group will work closely with stakeholders in the country and engage with India's
China's newest aircraft carrier has sailed through the Taiwan Strait, the navy said Friday. The body of water separates China from Taiwan, the self-governing island that Beijing says must come under its control. The sailing could serve as a warning to the US and others against support for Taiwan, though China played down any such motive. The Fujian, which is doing sea trials ahead of its commissioning, was heading to the South China Sea to conduct training and scientific experiments, the navy said in a short post on social media. The navy said the carrier's activities were not targeting anyone else. A social media account affiliated with state media quoted an expert saying the Taiwan Strait was the normal and most reasonable and efficient route for the carrier to reach the South China Sea. It was the first time the Fujian had passed through the strait, the post by the Yuyuantantian account said. The US Navy sends warships through the strait periodically, as do some of its allies,
New Zealand's government announced new military spending Thursday of 2.7 billion New Zealand dollars ($1.6 billion) to replace aging aircraft, with senior officials who unveiled the package citing rapidly growing global tensions and a deteriorating security environment. The purchase of military planes and helicopters was the first procurement announced in a government plan, disclosed April, to double defence spending from 1% to 2% of GDP in the next decade. New Zealand's military spending has trailed that of its larger partners in the Five Eyes intelligence sharing group of countries which includes the United States, Britain, Canada and Australia and the bolstered budget reflects a shift in how the remote island nation is responding to strategic competition between major powers in the Pacific Ocean. The procurement includes five MH-60R Seahawk helicopters to replace the existing maritime fleet and two Airbus A321XLR aircraft, allowing the retirement of Boeing 757s that are more th
The insurance premium for aircraft is expected to go up as there are elements of the geopolitical situation, inflationary pressures and accidents, IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers said on Wednesday. The country's largest airline, which is in discussions on finalising the insurance premiums, has a fleet of over 400 planes, and the fleet is expanding. During a virtual interaction post announcing the June quarter results, Elbers said the insurance premiums always follow some of the trends in the market and "we do expect them to go up and we're still finalising some of the discussion in what magnitude that would be". Without mentioning the possible quantum of increase in premiums, he said there are different elements coming together, including the entire geopolitical situation, and there are overall inflationary pressures. "And then clearly, when accidents are happening, and not only the one which happened in India, but on the global scale, insurers operate on the global scale. They look at ..
SpiceJet has finalised an agreement to lease five Boeing 737 planes, and the aircraft are scheduled to join its fleet in October. The aircraft are being inducted on a damp-lease basis, where operational crew will be shared between the operator and the airline, according to a release on Friday. The airline said it has finalised a lease agreement to induct five Boeing 737 aircraft, and they are scheduled to join the fleet in October and will cater to the peak winter season as well as the early summer season of 2026. "SpiceJet is also in advanced discussions with other lessors to further enhance its fleet and strengthen both domestic and international operations," it added. The budget carrier, which had been facing multiple headwinds, operates Boeing 737s and Q-400s. It did not mention the current number of operational planes in its fleet. As per data available on fleet tracking website Planespotters.net, the airline has 20 planes in operation and 33 on the ground for various reasons
Five Indian airlines reported 183 technical defects in their aircraft to the aviation regulator DGCA this year till July 21, including 85 by Air India Group, according to the government. IndiGo and Akasa Air reported 62 and 28 technical defects, respectively, while SpiceJet reported 8 defects, as per data shared by the civil aviation ministry in a written reply to the Lok Sabha on Thursday. Air India and Air India Express together reported 85 technical defects, respectively. All the figures are for this year till July 21. In 2024, the number of technical defects reported stood at 421, lower than 448 reported in 2023. In 2022, the count of technical defects reported stood at 528. The figures for these three years also include those of Alliance Air and erstwhile Vistara. In 2021, the number of technical defects reported in aircraft was 514. At that time, Akasa Air had not started operations. "All defects reported by the airline to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) a