Pratt & Whitney Canada unveils the PT9 engine; the U.S. Navy takes delivery of its first C-130J for conversion into an E-130J Phoenix II; the Boeing 737-10 MAX finally receives FAA certification; jet fuel prices affect airline profitability and ticket prices; the FAA issues a special airworthiness certificate to BETA Technologies for its A250 electric eVTOL aircraft; the B-23 Dragon formerly owned by Howard Hughes flies again after 35 years; and U.S. air traffic controllers finally receive their pay raise.
Pratt & Whitney Canada unveiled the 1,700 to 2,300-shp clean-sheet PT9 turboprop at NBAA-BACE in Las Vegas after Transport Canada certified it. Aviation Week called it a surprise, the product of a secretive five-year development program aimed at new single- and twin-turboprop aircraft. P&WC says it delivers 33% more power at altitude and 20% lower fuel consumption than previous-generation engines, with more than 14,000 development hours.
The PT9 is meant to fill the power gap between the PT6 and PW100 families, not replace the PT6. P&WC has not announced an aircraft application or launch customer, though it says it is talking with manufacturers and expects the design to support multiple platforms.
The Lockheed Martin E-130J Phoenix II is the U.S. Navy’s next-generation airborne command post, allowing the president, secretary of defense, and U.S. Strategic Command to communicate with nuclear forces. The Navy has taken delivery of the first C-130J-30 Super Hercules, which it will convert into the E-130J Phoenix II. Extensive mission-systems integration will begin prior to testing for the Take Charge and Move Out (TACAMO) mission.
The Phoenix II will replace the Navy’s aging E-6B Mercury fleet based on the B707 (with CFM56 engines), and will similarly use a trailing-wire antenna for VLF transmissions to submerged submarines. The aircraft will be hardened against electromagnetic pulse (EMP) effects. The Navy plans to purchase 31 E-130Js. Currently, 16 E-6Bs are in service.
The B737-10 MAX finally received FAA type certification. With that, and the MAX-7 certification in August, all four main MAX variants are now type certified. (The MAX-8 was certified in 2017, and the MAX-9 was certified in 2018.)
To achieve certification, Boeing had to change the 737-10 MAX’s flight control system, including enhanced angle-of-attack system software that identifies sensor behavior that does not match expected conditions. The MAX-10 also incorporates an updated engine anti-ice system that addresses system overheating in certain conditions. This improvement will also apply across the MAX fleet.
The MAX 10 is the first commercial aircraft certified to the full extent of the 2020 Aircraft Certification, Safety, and Accountability Act (ACSAA). Congress passed that act in response to the two 737 MAX crashes.
As airlines struggle to cover fuel costs, passengers pay for it through ticket prices. Fuel is usually the second-largest cost after labor and typically runs about 20–30% of a US airline’s operating expenses. IATA projects fuel will account for over 31% of global airline operating expenses this year.
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The FAA issued a first-of-its-kind Special Airworthiness Market Survey Certificate to BETA Technologies for the A250 electric eVTOL aircraft. This allows operators and participants to fly and evaluate the aircraft. The FAA issued it under Part 21, and the first flight ran from Plattsburgh, NY, to Burlington, VT, covering 34 nautical miles in 20 minutes. It is not a full type certificate and does not approve scheduled passenger service. The FAA also released draft design standards for vertical flight facilities on Oct. 22.
Warbird Aero Restorations restored a rare Douglas B-23 Dragon once owned by Howard Hughes, and the plane flew on October 21, 2026. Two rebuilt Wright R-2600-3 radial engines power it. After its military service, the B-23 entered civilian ownership in 1945, and Hughes acquired it under registration NC49548. It was subsequently owned by a series of corporate owners. The B-23 was built as a successor to the B-18 Bolo. The prototype made its first flight in July 1939. Only 38 were built.
See: Reel of B-23 taking off. (Requires Facebook login.)
The FAA and NATCA agreed to a 2.8% pay increase following key workforce reforms. The FAA also exceeded its FY2026 goal by hiring 2,235 air traffic controller trainees, the most in its history. Hiring is only half the story, since training washout rates and time to certification determine the staffing picture.
See: Trump’s Transportation Department, Air Traffic Controller Union Announce 2.8% Pay Increase Deal
World’s First Piloted Hydrogen VTOL Lifts Off in Quebec
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The National Aviation Hall of Fame Announces the “Class of 2027”
Civil Air Patrol Orders 21 New Cessnas
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