The SR-71's titanium cracking mystery led Skunk Works from failed summer welds to chlorinated Burbank tap water—and a remarkably simple fix.
Published at 0400PDT / 1100GMT 18SEP26 TAP Air Portugal at the launch of Northern winter 2026/27 season plans service increase on Porto – Rio de Janeiro Galeao route, on board Airbus A330-900neo aircraft. The 3rd weekly flight will commence on 28OCT26. TP077 OPO1415 – 2145GIG 339 1 TP077 OPO1430 – 2155GIG 339 5 TP077 OPO1445 – 2220GIG 339 3 TP078 GIG2315 – 1210+1OPO 339 1 TP078 GIG2325 – 1220+1OPO 339 5 TP078 GIG2350 – 1250+1OPO 339 3
Emirates closed Arabian Travel Market 2026 having signed more than 30 agreements at the industry event, spanning tourism boards across 16 countries, and organisations at the centre of new customer segments and communities. Premium Economy is a standout draw The highlight of the airline's stand was its first electrically powered Premium Economy seat, shown publicly for the first time at ATM 2026. Thousands of visitors were able to sit in the seats and explore the latest functions and comfort in Premium Economy. It drew steady traffic throughout the show, with visitors also experiencing the A380 Shower Spa and Onboard Lounge, the Boeing 777 Game Changer First Class Suite, and A350 Business and Economy Class seats, which included the U-Dream headrest. Growing visitor flows through partnerships Emirates signed or renewed agreements with tourism authorities across Africa, Europe, Asia and the UAE, working to convert awareness in source markets into visitor arrivals and supporting travel ecosystems. In Africa, the airline signed new agreements with Kenya Tourism Board and Mozambique's ANDITUR. In Europe, Emirates signed with Visit Finland ahead of the 1 October Helsinki launch, Fjord Norway, Bologna Welcome and Parma Welcome, while Emirates Holidays partnered with the Spain Tourism Office. In West and Southeast Asia, agreements were reached with Tourism Malaysia, the Japan National Tourism Organization, the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau and the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation, Seychelles Tourism Board and Ministry of Tourism and Culture, and the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority, and renewed its partnership with the Madagascar's Ministry of Tourism and Handicrafts. Closer to home, the airline renewed with Sharjah Commerce & Tourism Development Authority and signed with Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority. Tapping into new customer segments Several new agreements are creating inroads for the airline to tap into new travel segments beyond traditional leisure and corporate business. In education, the airline partnered with the Knowledge and Human Development Authority to support Dubai's ambition as a global study destination, and with ICEF, becoming a preferred global airline partner for education travel. In medical and wellness travel, an agreement with the Medical Tourism Association positions Emirates as the preferred airline for longevity and wellness travel alongside traditional medical travel. In sports, a partnership with Cutting Edge will build travel packages for fans attending major fixtures across cricket, football, motorsport, golf, tennis and more. The airline also moved deeper into marine crew travel through agreements with Cisalpina Tours International and MSC Cruises, covering seafarer rotations, dedicated crew fares and enhanced baggage allowances. Further agreements with the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, the Finnish and Vietnamese Business Councils, Huawei, Dubai Duty Free, Alibaba Fliggy, DERTOUR Group, Emirates Islamic and Al Etihad Payments to bring Jaywan to Emirates bookings, extended the airline's reach across distinct communities and channels. Emirates and Kuwait Airways also signed to expand their interline partnership into a reciprocal codeshare. Recognitions and accolades During ATM, Emirates was recognised for product and service excellence, winning several global and local accolades. At the 2026 World Travel Awards Middle East, Emirates received four honours: Middle East’s Leading Airline – First Class 2026; Middle East’s Leading Airline Brand 2026; Middle East’s Leading Airline Lounge – First Class 2026; and Middle East’s Leading Airline Rewards Programme 2026. The airline was also named Best Long-Haul Airline at the inaugural Independent Travel Awards 2026 and received the Al Rehla Golden Travel Award in the UAE. These recognitions underscore Emirates’ continued focus on product innovation, customer experience and connectivity, as the airline continues to work to further elevate its onboard and onground experiences. Emirates has experienced a strong recovery in demand following earlier disruption and is now operating at approximately 93% of its pre-disruption capacity. Against this backdrop, discussions at the event also reflected the broader outlook for Dubai’s tourism and aviation ecosystem.
Catalyst Campus for Technology and Innovation, in partnership with the BMC3I TAP Lab, has selected the Focus Area Cohort Teams (FACTs) participating in Cohort 26.A. The selected teams represent innovative […]
SpaceNews•Catalyst Campus17 Sept
Portugal has extended the TAP privatisation process until 31 December 2026, allowing the government to hold a final three-week negotiation phase with Air France-KLM and Lufthansa. Both groups submitted binding offers in July for a 44.9% stake in TAP. The government considers their overall valuations sufficiently close to justify asking both bidders for improved and […]
Aviation24.be•André Orban7 Sept
The Portuguese Government will negotiate with both Lufthansa Group and Air France-KLM after concluding that their binding offers for a minority stake in TAP received “very similar” overall assessments. The negotiations will last several weeks and are intended to produce improved proposals. The Government will then select one bidder for exclusive final talks. Portugal plans […]
Aviation24.be•André Orban4 Sept
TAP’s new Orlando route drives targeted US growth as the airline expands its winter transatlantic network.
A calm early morning breach near runway 2 showed a man walking the grass verge as a TAP crew alerted controllers.
Portuguese carrier carried more passengers and improved load factor, but a 52% jump in second-quarter fuel costs hit earnings as its partial privatization moves forward
Air Data News•Ricardo Meier31 Aug
TAP Air Portugal announces that, by decision of co-optation of the Board of Directors, José Eduardo Moreira is TAP’s new COO, following the resignation of the position presented by Mário Chaves. José Eduardo Moreira joined TAP in 1998 and currently holds the position of General Manager of Maintenance and Engineering. Previously, he held engineering roles in the Engine Maintenance and Engineering and Airworthiness departments.
New travel kits, PressReader on board, ‘Skip Meal’ option and a partnership with LUGGit expand services available to passengers TAP Air Portugal introduces new features designed to further personalise the travel experience and cater to passengers’ various needs, from comfort and relaxation to access to digital content. The airline is now offering new travel kits on long-haul flights, complimentary access to PressReader via the in-flight Wi-Fi portal, that includes UK titles, and the ‘Skip Meal’ option, which allows customers to indicate in advance that they would prefer to skip their in-flight meal, as well as a new service for the collection, storage and delivery of luggage through a partnership with LUGGit.
TAP Air Portugal is set to connect Porto directly to the island of Sal in Cape Verde. From 25 October, Porto will have another intercontinental route operated by the airline, which already connects the city to New York, Boston, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Luanda and Praia, as well as London, Paris, Zurich, Geneva, Terceira and Funchal.
TAP Air Portugal has just expanded the benefits of its TAP Miles&Go loyalty programme through a new partnership with Airbnb. From now on, TAP Miles&Go Customers can earn two miles for every euro spent on eligible stays and experiences booked on the platform. The partnership integrates Airbnb into the TAP Miles&Go ecosystem and creates an opportunity for programme members to earn more miles when planning their next trip.
An Airbus A319 of Lufthansa City Airlines is the world’s first test aircraft for a new generation of fuel-efficient AeroSHARK technology. Lufthansa Technik will test approximately 70 transparent film patches measuring 20 × 20 centimeters each on the short-haul aircraft with registration D-ABGK together with its development partner Surventis (formerly BASF Coatings) through February 2027. These material samples are attached to selected areas on the sides of the fuselage as well as on the inside and outside of the engine cowlings. Their performance will be analyzed over the next few months during regular flight operations between Munich and Hamburg and is expected to provide insights for the further development of the AeroSHARK technology. The long-term goal is to tap into additional efficiency potential in flight operations through the broader use of AeroSHARK, thereby contributing to greater sustainability in air travel.
The introduction of a lighter basecoat technology across the airline’s fleet is expected to enable TAP Air Portugal to save around 428 tonnes of fuel and reduce CO₂ emissions by...
Lisbon has made clear that price alone won't decide TAP's future. One bidder arrived in Portugal with a spade; the other enlisted Delta's Ed Bastian.
Skift Airlines•Gordon Smith30 JulCompetition to become a strategic shareholder in TAP Air Portugal has intensified after both Lufthansa Group and Air France-KLM confirmed they have submitted bids to Parpública, Portugal’s state-owned investment company, as part of the ongoing privatisation process for the flag carrier. Lufthansa Group announced it has submitted a bid for an initial minority stake in […]
AviTrader•Heike Tamm30 Jul
Both Air France-KLM Group and Lufthansa Group have now submitted binding offers to acquire a minority stake in TAP Air Portugal following on from their non-binding bids in April…
AeroTime•Ian Molyneaux30 Jul
The Lufthansa Group yesterday submitted a bid to Parpública, the Portuguese state-owned investment company, as part of the bidding process for TAP Air Portugal. The acquisition of an initial minority stake is intended to establish a long-term partnership between the Lufthansa Group and TAP Air Portugal in order to secure TAP’s successful future as Portugal’s national airline on a sustainable basis.
TAP Air Portugal moves a step closer to privitisation, with both Lufthansa Group and Air France-KLM submitting binding offers for a minority stake in the airline.
AviationSource News•Len Varley30 Jul