Walkaround

19 October 2026

Walkaround

Aviation news and fleet brief

What is going on with the aircraft you work on. Every page is a five minute read, and every claim carries at least two independent sources.

Today in aviation

The one or two things worth knowing right now. Each opens in full, with its own sources.

Air traffic control

FAA and controllers agree a pay raise tied to new scheduling rules

Air traffic controllers get the raise Congress funded in April, but only after agreeing to badge in and out and let the FAA build shifts around forecast traffic.

This week17 October 2026Read more

Airbus A380

Technical and maintenance

FAA orders A380 engine seal replacement after uncontained failure

One high pressure turbine seal broke apart and forced an Airbus A380 to abort its takeoff roll, and the FAA now wants every high cycle seal of its kind off the wing within weeks.

This week16 October 2026Read more

Technical and maintenance

GE and Pratt put AI in front of the borescope

GE Aerospace is extending its AI blade inspection tool from the GEnx to the CFM LEAP and GE9X, reporting a borescope inspection cut from three hours to ninety minutes. Pratt and Whitney bought an AI borescope company this year.

This week15 October 2026Read more

By the numbers

Every figure below is the one published on the page it links to, so you can check it rather than take it.

Widest wing79.8 mA380Longest fuselage76.3 m747Narrowest wing24.9 mCRJ familyStill on four engines2747 and A380Engine families tracked14across five makersSpan ratio, biggest to smallest3.2 to 1A380 against CRJ family

Wingspan, to scale

  • A38079.8 m
  • 74768.4 m
  • 787 Dreamliner60.1 m
  • A320neo family35.8 m
  • CRJ family24.9 m

Fleet brief

One page per type, kept current. All 15 types, with photographs and a size comparison.

Changed this week: Boeing 737 MAX, Boeing 787 Dreamliner, Boeing 777 and 777X, Boeing 767, Airbus A220, Airbus A330 and A330neo, Airbus A380, Embraer E-Jet E2.

Boeing

737 MAXMAX 7, MAX 8, MAX 9, MAX 10787 Dreamliner787-8, -9, -10777 and 777X777-200ER, -300ER, 777-8, 777-9, 777-8F767767-300ER, -300F, KC-46A747747-400F, 747-8F, 747-8I737 NG737-600, -700, -800, -900ER

Airbus

A220A220-100, A220-300A330 and A330neoA330-200, -300, A330-800, -900, A330 MRTTA380A380-800A320neo familyA319neo, A320neo, A321neo, A321XLRA350A350-900, A350-1000, A350FA320ceo familyA318, A319, A320, A321

Embraer

E-Jet E2E175-E2, E190-E2, E195-E2E-Jet E1E170, E175, E190, E195

Bombardier

CRJ familyCRJ200, CRJ550, CRJ700, CRJ900

Engines

Most of what goes wrong on a modern airliner goes wrong at the engine. All fourteen families.

CFM International

LEAPLEAP-1A, LEAP-1B, LEAP-1CCFM56CFM56-5A, CFM56-5B, CFM56-7B

GE Aerospace

GEnxGEnx-1B, GEnx-2BGE90 and GE9XGE90-115B, GE9X-105B1ACF6CF6-80C2, CF6-80E1CF34CF34-3B1, CF34-8C5, CF34-8E, CF34-10E

Pratt and Whitney

PW1000G geared turbofanPW1100G, PW1500G, PW1700G, PW1900GPW4000PW4000-94, PW4000-100, PW4000-112

Rolls-Royce

Trent XWBTrent XWB-84, Trent XWB-84 EP, Trent XWB-97Trent 1000Trent 1000, Trent 1000 TEN, Trent 1000 XETrent 7000Trent 7000Trent 700 and Trent 900Trent 700, Trent 900

Joint ventures

IAE V2500V2500-A5, V2500-D5Engine Alliance GP7200GP7270, GP7277

Technology

The fleet and engine pages track what is happening to the aircraft. These track what is happening to the job. All 9 topics.

On the aircraft

Electronic technical recordsElectronic tech logs, paperless records, digital signaturesHealth monitoring and predictive maintenanceACMS data, engine trend monitoring, prognostics, digital twinsComposite primary structureCarbon fibre fuselage and wings, composite fan blades, damage assessmentAI assisted inspectionBorescope image analysis, blade inspection, damage flagging

In the factory and the shop

Additive manufacturingPrinted turbine parts, consolidated assemblies, repair applicationsPowder metallurgyPowder metal turbine and compressor discs, contamination, inspectionEngine durability engineeringTurbine blade coatings, cooling geometry, time on wing

Around the aircraft

Air traffic modernisationSMART, traffic flow prediction, ageing telecom infrastructureCertification reformPost MAX oversight, delegated authority, the current reform push