Briefings ^BETA

Libyan Prosecutors Detain Pilots After Cessna Citation Runway Excursion in Misrata：Libyan prosecutors announced that two pilots were ordered into pretrial detention after allegedly operating a Cessna Citation Latitude while intoxicated prior to a crash at Misrata International Airport (MRA) on September 14, 2026. Authorities stated that the investigative findings prompted the detention order as legal proceedings into the aviation occurrence continue. Libyan Prosecutors Detain Pilots

Event photo · @SLCScanner via X

Starlux Airlines Retains SKYTRAX 5-Star Rating and Wins World's Cleanest Airline Award：Starlux Airlines received its 5-Star Airline certification for the second consecutive year at the 2026 SKYTRAX World Airline Awards in London on September 18, 2026. The carrier was also awarded first place as the World's Cleanest Airline. Starlux Airlines Retains SKYTRAX

Event photo · Courtesy of STARLUX Airlines

Mandarin Airlines Plans Hualien Flight Reductions Starting October：Mandarin Airlines plans to reduce flights on its Hualien routes starting October 1, 2026, due to low passenger load factors. Taiwan's Civil Aeronautics Administration previously approved moderate flight reductions under poor booking conditions, allowing capacity to shift to other high-demand domestic routes. Both Mandarin Airlines and Uni Air had recently applied to suspend their domestic Hualien routes due to poor passenger volumes. Mandarin Airlines Plans Hualien

Taiwan Builds Non-Red Drone Supply Chain as Ukraine Seeks to Reduce China Dependence：National Security Council Deputy Secretary-General Lin Fei-fan said at the Presidential Office's Whole-of-Society Defense Resilience Forum on 19 September that Taiwan is actively building a "non-red" drone supply chain, with many Ukrainian contacts seeking to reduce reliance on Chinese drone components. Taiwan Builds Non-Red Drone Supply

File photo · Taiwan Presidential Office · CC BY 4.0

Singapore Airlines Overtakes Qatar Airways as Skytrax World's Best Airline：Simple Flying reported on September 18, 2026 that Singapore Airlines overtook Qatar Airways in the most prestigious category of the Skytrax World Airline Awards to reclaim the "World's Best Airline" title. Singapore Airlines Overtakes Qatar

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Joby Technology Flies Modified Cessna Caravan Autonomously Across US：California-based Joby Aviation announced on September 18, 2026, that a modified Cessna 208B Caravan aircraft fitted with its autonomous flight technology completed a 3,199-mile transcontinental journey across the United States. Known as the J208, the turboprop aircraft traveled from California to North Carolina without a single control input from its onboard safety pilot, demonstrating fully autonomous navigation across multiple stages of flight. Joby Technology Flies Modified

Event photo · Joby

ANA Launches Second 2026 Pokémon Jet With Inaugural Honolulu Flight：All Nippon Airways (ANA) officially unveiled its newest special livery aircraft, the "Green Pokémon Jet," on September 18, 2026. The aircraft, a Boeing 787-9 registered as JA923A, made its public debut following a welcoming ceremony at Tokyo's Haneda International Airport (HND). Later that evening, the widebody jet departed on its inaugural commercial passenger service, flight NH186, bound for Honolulu (HNL), Hawaii, marking the launch of its international flight program. ANA Launches Second 2026 Pok mon Jet

Event photo · All Nippon Airways (ANA)

Air New Zealand's Last Grounded Boeing 787 Leaves Australian Desert After 9 Months：2026, Air New Zealand's last Boeing 787 that had been grounded due to Trent 1000 engine issues has left the Australian desert storage facility where it had been parked for nine months. Air New Zealand s Last Grounded

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US Navy to equip F/A-18 Super Hornets with Auto-GCAS ground collision avoidance system：Simple Flying reported on September 19, 2026, that the US Navy is finally bringing Auto-GCAS to its F/A-18 fleet, adding a critical layer of protection against potentially fatal ground collisions. US Navy to equip F A-18 Super

FAA to Introduce New AI System for Air Traffic Management as Early as Monday：The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is scheduled to introduce a new artificial intelligence system to help manage air traffic as early as Monday. The new system deployment represents a technological initiative to assist controllers in maintaining smooth and efficient airspace management operations across the network. FAA to Introduce New AI System for