✈️ AVWIRE Evening Air & Transport Briefing^BETA

Some sources could not be fetched in full for this edition; coverage may be incomplete. A fetch failure does not mean no events occurred.

According to aviation news reported by Simple Flying, American Airlines has selected DO & CO to serve as its permanent catering contractor at London Heathrow Airport, effectively ending a five-month transitional period during which the carrier relied on stopgap catering measures. As DO & CO officially takes over responsibility as the airline's permanent caterer at Heathrow, passengers traveling with American Airlines can expect a full restoration of the carrier's inflight menu offerings.

Russia's first production MC-21-310 aircraft completed its maiden flight on August 3, 2026, taking off from United Aircraft Corporation's (UAC) facility in Irkutsk, Siberia. During the one-hour-and-23-minute initial test flight, the aircraft reached a maximum speed of 600 kilometers per hour and an altitude of 6,000 meters. The MC-21-310 is powered by Russian-made PD-14 engines and incorporates a higher proportion of domestic components. As of August 2026, the aircraft remains in its certification process, with UAC reporting 18 additional MC-21-310 aircraft in various stages of completion at the plant.

The United States Air Force completed its final A-10C Thunderbolt II sortie from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona on July 29, 2026, ending nearly five decades of A-10 flight operations at the location. The 357th Fighter Squadron, which served as the formal training unit for A-10 pilots, graduated its final class in April 2026. While the base shifts its mission toward hosting Air Force Special Operations Command units, official plans announced by Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink will extend the operational service of remaining A-10 squadrons at other bases through 2030.

Japan Airlines announced on August 4, 2026, that it has partnered with Hitachi and Mitsui O.S.K. Lines to conduct Japan's first pilot test of Direct Ocean Capture technology on Kume Island in Okinawa Prefecture. The project will deploy land-based containerized equipment to draw in seawater and remove dissolved carbon dioxide. Japan Airlines, alongside regional partners Japan Transocean Air and Ryukyu Air Commuter, will lead outreach efforts for the test and aims to explore utilizing the captured carbon dioxide as a raw material to produce sustainable aviation fuel in the long term.

Tom and Alejandro of Simple Flying conducted a full tour of Emirates' brand-new Airbus A350-900 aircraft during the Farnborough Airshow 2026. Their walkthrough detailed the interior cabin features across all classes, including the airline's all-new Business Class, an expanded Premium Economy cabin, an upgraded ice inflight entertainment system, and a redesigned Economy Class. The tour provided a detailed overview of every cabin, highlighting the latest features and showing what passengers can expect when flying on the carrier's newest widebody aircraft.

According to AeroTime, Changi Airport Group (CAG) and its ground handling partner SATS announced the rollout of autonomous wheelchairs at Singapore Changi Airport on August 4, 2026. The self-driving wheelchairs are designed to help passengers with reduced mobility navigate terminals independently, reducing the need for one-on-one staff assistance. The initiative, part of SATS' 'Hub Handler of the Future' project, is expected to eventually handle approximately 10% of Changi's daily mobility assistance demands. The technology underwent trials beginning in March 2025, serving over 13,000 passengers during the testing phase.

📡 Sources checked

Coverage notes

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· AI 搜尋服務暫時不穩定，本期未能產生條列內容；我們正努力恢復服務，系統將於下一期自動重試