The 50 year old nuclear-powered aircraft carrier returned to Bremerton, Washington on Dec. 16, 2025 after its final scheduled deployment. USS Nimitz (CVN-68), the oldest commissioned aircraft carrier in the world, is scheduled to be officially decommissioned in May 2026 – 51 years after entering service. After post-deployment maintenance at Naval Base Kitsap, Bremerton,…

Rare Il-38N ASW aircraft reportedly destroyed as Kyiv targets high-value enablers behind the front line. Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) has released footage showing a drone strike against a Russian Navy Ilyushin Il-38N anti-submarine warfare aircraft at Yeysk Air Base, in southern Russia. According to Ukrainian officials, the attack was carried out earlier this month…

The three Royal Navy F-35Bs will be put through an extensive inspection of airframe and substructure for any corrosive damage, following which those parts will be removed, repaired and reinstalled. For the first time, the U.S. Navy’s Fleet Readiness Center Southeast (FRCSE) at Jacksonville, Florida, hosted three Royal Navy F-35B Lightning IIs which will…

NEWS FLASH The Serbian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for the Economy, Adrijana Mesarović, has held talks with Hainan Airlines’ President and CEO, Yu Chaoji, in Beijing, where the two sides discussed avenues to expand cooperation. Talks also focused on the inclusion of Serbian products on board Hainan Airlines flights. Ms Mesarović emphasised that…

Is Santa’s Sleigh the Most Reliable Airframe Ever Built? Spoiler: Yes. Yes, it is. And it’s not even close.  Every 24th of December, without fail, Santa launches the most ambitious overnight operation in aviation history. No test flights. No press conferences. No NOTAMs lighting up ForeFlight. Just wheels up, world covered, mission complete. And…

Coulson Aviation 767 is set to reshape Very Large Airtanker (VLAT) operations as legacy firefighting aircraft near retirement. If you have followed aerial firefighting over the past few years, you already know the uncomfortable truth. The fleet of very large airtankers that agencies have relied on for decades is aging out fast. With the…

The John Wayne Airport Fly Friendly Program helps reduce general aviation jet noise at John Wayne Airport (SNA) through voluntary actions, smart flying, and annual awards. Flying in and out of SNA has always come with extra responsibility. The airport sits right in the middle of densely populated neighborhoods in Orange County, California, which…

NEWS FLASH Airports Council International Europe (ACI), the only worldwide professional association of airport operators representing over 600 airports on the continent, has called upon the European Commission and Schengen Member States to urgently address the mounting operational issues related to the ongoing implementation of the Schengen Entry‑Exit System (EES), which started on October…

Wizz Air, Ryanair and Croatia Airlines will add the most new seats in the former Yugoslav markets during the upcoming first quarter (January – March), compared to the same period in 2025. Among them, Wizz Air and Ryanair, together with Air Serbia, will rank as the largest carriers by available seat capacity. Wizz Air…

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Air Serbia is looking to attract more carriers to launch flights to Belgrade that could feed its network. The airline has confirmed it is in discussions with Etihad Airways to return to the Serbian capital, while there is also interest from Central Asian carriers following the recent introduction of SCAT Airlines’ service from Astana.…

The Taurus NEO is an enhanced variant of the German-Swedish Taurus KEPD 350 air-launched cruise missile. Setting the stage for the development and future production of the German-Swedish Taurus KEPD 350 Air-Launched Cruise Missile (ALCM), Germany’s Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw) signed a contract for “preparing a serial…

Leaving the airspace above New York City at 2,455 miles per hour, SR-71 tail number 64-17972 would set a transatlantic speed record on Sept. 1, 1974. Stationed at Beale Air Force Base (AFB) California, SR-71 972 would become no stranger to setting world records. Crewed by pilot James Sullivan and RSO (Reconnaissance Systems Operator)…

The U.S. Air Force says the YFQ-48A Mission Design Series acknowledges Northrop Grumman’s Project Talon as a “strong contender” for the CCA program. The U.S. Air Force has announced that it has assigned the Mission Design Series (MDS) YFQ-48A to the Northrop Grumman Project Talon Collaborative Combat Aircraft on Dec. 22, 2025. The company…

The development of the Izdeliye 177 appears to be driven by the need to upgrade the earlier Su-57 production models and offer a new powerplant to international customers. Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) announced on Dec. 22, 2025  the test flight of an Su-57 Felon (airframe T-50-052) with a new Izdeliye 177 (Russian for…

The PhantomStrike AESA radar will be integrated on the U.S. Air Force’s X-62 VISTA as part of the recently announced Mission Systems Upgrade to expand autonomy testing. The U.S. Air Force’s X-62 Variable Stability In-Flight Simulator Test Aircraft (VISTA) will receive Raytheon’s PhantomStrike AESA (Active Electronically Scanned Array) radar as a part of its…

NEWS FLASH Nile Air will operate charter flights between Hurghada and Tuzla during the 2026 summer season on behalf of local tour operators. The service is due to commence on June 2 from Hurghada and run weekly until September 2. Tickets are available exclusively as part of package holidays sold by tour operators. Further…

EX-YU Aviation News has been selected as one of the top ten most influential aviation blogs and websites for aviation professionals in 2025 by Feedspot, which compiles the most comprehensive list of the top 100 best aviation sites and blogs on the Internet each year. The list is compiled based on search and social…

NEWS FLASH Pristina Airport saw its busiest November on record by handling 336.964 passengers, representing an increase of 8.1% on the same month last year. During the January – November period, the airport welcomed 4.216.152 travellers, up 13.4%, or by an additional 497.096 passengers. Pristina’s largest airlines by scheduled seat capacity, November 2025