COMMERCIAL AVIATION
Airbus A321XLR
Airbus received EASA certification of the CFM International LEAP-1A-powered version of the A321XLR and delivered the first aircraft to launch operator Iberia in November. The long-range version of the A321neo will enable airlines to operate secondary long-haul routes at much lower unit cost and has the potential to substantially change long-haul networks.
Embry-Riddle Safety Center
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University's safety center has established itself as a center of excellence for advancing research, education, and industry collaboration on topics critical to improving aerospace safety globally. Launched in 2023, The Boeing Center for Aviation and Aerospace Safety supports safety-related studies by students on key topics including human factors and artificial intelligence.
NASA Electric Aircraft Testbed
Already used by GE Aerospace, MagniX and others, the NASA Electric Aircraft Testbed within the Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio, is a unique asset providing an emerging industry with the crucial capability to test megawatt-class electric propulsion systems at simulated cruise altitudes, paving the way for the electrification of regional and single-aisle airlines.
SAS Scandinavian Airlines CEO Anko van der Werff
After many years in crisis, SAS Scandinavian Airlines has been transformed into a profitable business by Anko van der Werff, appointed CEO in 2021. Emerging from a fundamental restructuring via Chapter 11 bankruptcy in mid-2024, the airline was acquired by a group of investors including Air France-KLM, which can take majority control at a later stage.
WestJet Airlines CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech
Alexis von Hoensbroech joined WestJet as CEO in late 2022 and pivoted to focus on the carrier’s strength in Western Canada, capping widebody operations, building on its position as Canada’s largest leisure carrier by acquiring Sunwing, and maintaining a competitive cost base. His leadership has preserved WestJet’s position as Canada’s premier low-cost carrier.
DEFENSE
Adaptive Engine Transition Program
Pioneering propulsion advances achieved through the U.S. Air Force’s Adaptive Engine Transition Program (AETP) led to the development and test of two three-stream engines – GE Aerospace’s XA100 and Pratt & Whitney’s XA101. With 10% more thrust and 30% higher efficiency than the F135, the engines will pave the way for future variable-cycle powerplants.
Airbus Racer High-Speed Compound Rotorcraft
Just seven flights into its test program, Airbus’ Rapid and Cost-Effective Rotorcraft demonstrator raced past its initial 220-kt. speed target. Developed under Europe’s Clean Sky 2 research program, Racer’s aim is to prove higher cruise speeds can be achieved for rotary-wing aircraft without significantly higher operating cost or training burden.
Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon
Lockheed Martin’s AGM-183A Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW) achieved the first end-to-end tests of a hypersonic glide vehicle with a high lift-to-drag design. Facing an uncertain future, the U.S. Air Force program battled numerous obstacles and a daunting schedule to demonstrate the viability of an air-launched hypersonic weapon with the ability to maneuver during the glide phase.
Anduril Industries
Demonstrating its ability to turn disrupting the defense industry from idea to reality, startup Anduril in 2024 underscored its arrival as an industrial force by winning a U.S. Air Force contract to develop a Cooperative Combat Aircraft, snagging an order for more than 500 counter-drone interceptors and securing a $1.5 billion funding round.
Hermeus
High-speed aircraft developer Hermeus completed initial tests of a full-scale precooler with a Pratt & Whitney F100-229 engine, marking a key step toward the development of a production-relevant turbine-based combined-cycle propulsion system and paving the way for flight tests of a low-cost, reusable, air-breathing hypersonic aircraft.
SPACE
Artemis Accords
A foreign policy initiative launched by NASA as part of its Artemis Moon program, the Artemis Accords establish key principles for global space exploration and development. Starting with seven signatories in October 2020, nearly 50 participating nations have now signed on to a shared vision of a safe and transparent environment for exploration, science and commercial space.
Kourou Spaceport and CNES
Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana is undergoing a metamorphosis with the arrival of the Ariane 6, moves to welcome private developers of small space launchers and repurposing of the Soyuz launch facility left vacant because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The spaceport is simultaneously cutting its environmental footprint by upgrading buildings to higher energy standards.
Space Development Agency and York Space Systems
Since November 2023, the Space Development Agency has demonstrated Link 16 connectivity from a York Space Systems satellite to ground radios in Australia, a carrier in international waters and an aircraft aboard that vessel. Space-based data relay to Link 16 receivers is a crucial enabler for the agency's proliferated satellite network in low Earth orbit.
SpaceX Starship
SpaceX has demonstrated the viability of its Starship-Super Heavy space transport, a fully reusable, low-maintenance system which promises to significantly reduce launch costs. Milestones in 2024 included the spectacular launch tower catch of the Super Heavy booster on the first attempt, and the on-target splashdown of the upper stage during the Oct. 13 fifth integrated flight test.
Varda Space
After eight months in orbit, Varda Space’s Winnebago space capsule landed on the Utah Test and Training Range on Feb. 21. Onboard was equipment for processing pharmaceuticals, including an experiment to reformulate an antiretroviral drug used to treat HIV, demonstrating a free-flying spacecraft and capsule using microgravity for life sciences work.
BUSINESS AVIATION
Bombardier Aerospace
In a bid to lead sustainability in business aviation, Bombardier in in April, became the first business jet manufacturer to disclose the scientifically analyzed environmental impact of its entire aircraft fleet. By declaring each aircraft’s CO2 emissions from raw material to end-of-life, the goal is to take ownership of and drive down the environmental impact.
Garmin Runway Occupancy Awareness
Garmin’s Runway Occupancy Awareness (ROA) is the first certified software using SURF-IA surface indications and alert technology, designed to help pilots navigate complex airports and avoid runway incursions. ROA analyzes aircraft GPS and ADS-B traffic information relevant to the airport’s runways and taxiways to alert the crew visually and aurally to potential threats.
Joby Aviation
In June, Joby Aviation took a prototype of its S4 electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing aircraft and fitted it with a hydrogen fuel-cell system developed by subsidiary H2Fly. The aircraft then completed a 561-mi. remotely piloted flight. This compares with the 155 mi. flown by the battery-electric S4 in 2021, demonstrating the potential of hydrogen-electric propulsion.
Russ Meyer, Cessna Aircraft
In the almost 50 years since he was named chairman and CEO of Cessna Aircraft, Russ Meyer Jr. has been a leader and advocate for the general aviation industry. Now chairman emeritus, his efforts were instrumental in passage of the 1994 General Aviation Revitalization Act, placing time limits on product liability and reviving single-engine aircraft production in the U.S.
Zack Anglin, Spartan College
A flight instructor at Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology in Oklahoma, Zack Anglin knows about overcoming obstacles. Born in Nigeria with no hands or feet, he was abandoned and adopted by an American missionary family. Pursuing his dream to become a pilot, he was repeatedly denied an FAA medical and turned away by schools but persisted until he found Spartan.
MRO
Aerospace Maintenance Council
Marking its 12th year in 2025, the non-profit Aerospace Maintenance Council’s AMC Competition brings teams of five together at Aviation Week Network’s MRO Americas show to compete in hands-on, judged and time competitions. Elevating the profession, the energetic competition highlights that knowledge, skill and integrity are essential to return an aircraft to a safe, airworthy status.
Aviation Supply Chain Integrity Coalition
Formed in February 2024 to find solutions to prevent unauthorized parts entering the market, the Aviation Supply Chain Integrity Coalition brought together Airbus, American Airlines, Boeing, Delta Air Lines, GE Aerospace, Safran, StandardAero and United Airlines. After a nine-month investigation, 13 actions were recommended to close gaps and add layers of safety to strengthen the supply chain.
Embraer Aircraft Maintenance Services
Facing full hangars and rising demand, Embraer's Nashville, Tennessee, heavy maintenance facility needed to do more with the same footprint. Among its tactics: shorten airframe check times by going paperless. Turning task cards into digital files has streamlined communication on issues such as non-routine work approval—a process that took days is now done in hours.
Lufthansa Technik AeroShark
AeroShark, a surface film technology that mimics shark skin to optimize airflow, is reducing emissions for passenger and cargo aircraft around the world. An adhesive riblet film co-developed by Lufthansa Technik and BASF, AeroShark has exceeded its design expectations in both fuel burn and service lifetime and is now being adopted by airlines outside the Lufthansa Group.
Tarmac Aerosave
Tarmac Aerosave’s aircraft recycling process is helping Airbus recover around 90% of aircraft weight at the companies’ recently opened Airbus Lifecycle Services Center in Chengdu, China. Tarmac Aerosave is also collaborating with ATR to enhance the end-of-life dismantling and increase recyclability of the turboprop manufacturer’s aircraft and identify new recycling processes.
