Beta Technologies ends first day on NYSE in the green and $1B raised
The electric aviation company Beta Technologies made an impressive showing in its debut on the New York Stock Exchange.
Aviation
The government shutdown is strangling aviation
In May, The Verge reported that the US aviation system was so fragile that “the smallest disruption can throw the entire system into chaos.” That disruption arrived on October 1st, when the federal government shut down over a budget dispute. Chaos has indeed ensued. More than 6,000 flights are being delayed every day, nearly twice […]
Blade’s air taxis are coming to the Uber app
Last month, Joby Aviation purchased Blade Air Mobility’s helicopter taxi business for $125 million, with the goal of eventually replacing those noisy, polluting helicopters with its more quiet, battery-powered air taxis. But while it waits for FAA certification, Joby is teaming up with Uber to get more passengers in its newly acquired fleet of helicopters. […]
A brazen attack on air safety is underway — here’s what’s at stake
At the end of July, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) convened a three-day public hearing to investigate January’s mid-air collision over Washington, DC that killed 67 people. After the hearing, two conclusions were inescapable. First, the disaster should have been prevented by existing safety rules. And second, the government regulators responsible for air safety […]
How Trump let Boeing off the hook for the 737 MAX crashes
On July 18th, a federal judge in Texas scheduled what will likely be the final hearing in the case of United States v. The Boeing Company. After five years of litigation, the end result can only be described as a victory for Boeing – and a permanent setback for those who hoped that the company […]
The brutal realities of ICE Air
In Donald Trump’s second term, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has escalated its enforcement operations in extremely public ways, conducting surprise raids, arresting lawmakers, and launching a new Florida detention center with an alt-right media blitz. But ICE is growing in less obvious ways, too. Since January, it has expanded the shadowy network of charter […]
Qantas hack results in theft of 6 million passengers’ personal data
Qantas, the largest airline in Australia, confirmed the theft of 6 million customers’ personal information.
Newark’s air traffic outages were just the tip of the iceberg
On June 2nd, US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy traveled to Newark Liberty International Airport to celebrate the reopening of runway 4L-22R. This was unusual: few runway openings are glamorous enough to warrant a visit from the airport’s CEO, let alone a cabinet secretary. But as we reported last month, few airports have come to symbolize […]
Joby delivers first aircraft to Dubai as air taxi service nears launch
Joby Aviation is getting ready to take flight. The electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) company has delivered its first production aircraft to Dubai, where it plans to launch a commercial air taxi service in early 2026. Joby, which has successfully completed multiple flight tests with a pilot onboard, says it has begun in-market testing […]
The Newark airport crisis is about to become everyone’s problem
There are too many planes in the sky. In 2024, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) supervised nearly 16.8 million flights in American airspace – half a million more than the year prior. To manage all of those airplanes, however, the FAA uses an air traffic control system designed in the early 1990s – when features […]