The Aviation Industry Corp. of China (AVIC) is planning to develop a series of four successively larger pilotless cargo aircraft, an official of the state company said at a conference.

Thailand’s NokScoot has expanded its fleet to seven aircraft, after commissioning the sixth and seventh Boeing 777-200 Oct. 3.

Are these seemingly mutually exclusive goals attainable in an increasingly environmentally concerned world? It was on the agenda at the International Society for Air Breathing Engines (ISABE) conference in Canberra, Australia, from where senior editor Guy Norris discusses everything from biofuels and more electric aviation to hypersonics and long range commercial operations with the Society’s Prof. Ric Parker and Prof. Andrew Neely.

Most US airlines would see minimal near-term fallout from tariffs on Airbus deliveries, although New York-based JetBlue Airways and Florida-based Spirit Airlines could face notable challenges offsetting added costs, a Bernstein analysis has concluded.

Boeing and Embraer on Oct. 3 formally acknowledged they do not expect their commercial aircraft joint venture deal to close until “early 2020” after the European Commission indicated its competition review will extend into a Phase II.

Dedicated Boeing customer XiamenAir, attracted by the capabilities of the Airbus A321neo, is assessing whether it should order Airbus aircraft, industry sources said.

Italian manufacturer Tecnam has delivered the first two of up to 100 nine-passenger P2012 Travellers to US regional carrier Cape Air.

A project to convert the nine-passenger Britten-Norman Islander to hybrid-electric propulsion for short-haul flights has kicked off in the UK. Project Fresson is led by Cranfield Aerospace Solutions (CAeS), which plans to obtain and market a supplemental type certificate (STC) for the conversion.