Gregory Polek
Senior Editor
Gregory Polek has spent his entire career in aviation journalism with AIN, starting as a proofreader and assistant to then-managing editor Mary Mahoney in 1995 after serving an internship with New Jersey Monthly magazine and completing his B.A. degree in English/Writing at New Jersey’s William Paterson College. By 1997 Polek accepted a position as an associate editor, covering the regional airline beat for Aviation International News in place of retiring industry veteran Don Anderson. The assignment took Polek across North America and Europe to profile regional airlines varying in size and mission from the likes of floatplane operators Kenmore Air and Chalk’s Ocean Airways to regional jet operators such as SkyWest and American Eagle. Today, in his dual role as Air Transport Editor and International Airshow Editor, Polek writes, edits, and manages AIN’s commercial aviation content while overseeing each of the company’s daily international air show publications in Paris, Farnborough, Singapore, and Dubai. Most recently Polek has assumed oversight of daily coverage of the Helicopter Association International’s annual Heli-Expo convention.
Latest from Gregory Polek
Aircraft
Boeing Takes Flak over 747-8 Freighter Delays
It didn’t take special insight to guess that Boeing wouldn’t meet its year-end target to certify and deliver the first 747-8 Freighter.
Embraer Claims It Hasn’t Given Up on China Talks
Brazil’s Embraer remains in negotiations with Chinese authorities over the prospect of building E-Jets at the Harbin-Embraer plant in Harbin, China, a comp
Engines
Boeing Delivery Totals Reflect Strong Single-aisle Market
More evidence of an increasingly robust single-aisle commercial airplane market surfaced today in Boeing’s third-quarter delivery report, which shows that
Air Mekong Launching Service in Vietnam with SkyWest CRJ 900s
Vietnam’s Air Mekong, 30-percent owned by U.S.
Engines
Pratt & Whitney Canada Launches Global Flight Test Operations Facility
Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) joined Canadian and Quebec government officials in inaugurating the company’s global flight test operations center yesterday
Sixth Boeing 787 Takes Flight, Company Reports ‘Good Progress’ with Test Program
The sixth and final Boeing 787 to join the flight test fleet flew for the first time yesterday from Paine Field in Everett, Wash.
Engines
Pratt’s PW1000G subject of Rolls lawsuit
Rolls-Royce in late August filed a complaint alleging
Aircraft
Curado stays patient as Embraer considers next move
No one would ever accuse Embraer CEO Frederico Curado of letting ego or impatience influence his decision-making.
United, Continental Complete Merger
United Air Lines and Continental Airlines formally closed their so-called
Aircraft
Mitsubishi Cuts First Metal for MRJ
The Mitsubishi Regional Jet project officially entered its manufacturing phase today, as Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) and Mitsubishi Aircraft held a c
Qantas forced to ground five of its Q400s
Qantas removed from service five of the 21 Bombardier Q400s operated by regional affiliate QantasLink in late August after the airline found a defect in wh
Horizon to shed brand flying in favor of an all-CPA model
Seattle-based Horizon Air will end all its so-called “branded” flying under a plan to move to a 100-percent capacity purchase agreement (CPA) model startin
Aircraft
Superjet makes first appearance in Italy
The third Sukhoi Superjet 100 landed in Italy for the first time on August 25 at Turin’s Caselle Airport, where it continued its flight-test campaign in pr
Delta orders drastic cuts of 50-seaters at Comair
Delta Air Lines has directed regional subsidiary Comair to shed more than half of its Bombardier CRJs over the next two years, according to a September 1 m
Aircraft
Q400s To Ply Egyptian Skies
Egyptian executive charter company Smart Aviation placed a firm order for a pair of Bombardier Q400 turboprops in late August in preparation for its expa
Aircraft
Willis Signs for Superjets
Novato, Calif.-based Willis Lease Finance, a leading lessor of commercial jet engines, last month signaled its intention to enter the regional jet leasin
Aircraft
Republic To Fly Q400s through Winter
Republic Airways plans to continue operating three Bombardier Q400 turboprops from Denver this winter, reversing earlier plans to dismantle the fleet com
ALPA Attacks ‘Outsourcing’ During UA-CAL Talks
Pilot leaders from Continental and United Airlines have proposed abolishing so-called regional jet outsourcing during contract negotiations in Denver.
Aircraft
First Delivery Target for Boeing 747-8 Freighter Shifts to Mid-2011
Boeing has shifted its schedule for the 747-8 Freighter to reflec
Aircraft
Another CRJ in Gear-Up Landing
Yet another Bombardier CRJ landed with one side of its main landing gear retracted yesterday.
Southwest Airlines to Acquire AirTran
The consolidation of the airline industry extended to the low-fare segment in dramatic fashion this morning, as Southwest Airlines announced that it has ag
Engines
Pratt and Whitney Countersues Rolls-Royce
Pratt & Whitney today filed a complaint in the U.S.
Caribbean Airlines to Buy Nine ATR 72-600s
Trinidad and Tobago’s Caribbean Airlines signed a firm order in late September covering nine ATR 72-600s worth some $200 million at list prices.
FAA Proposes AD on Koito Seats
The FAA has issued an NPRM calling for additional testing and possible removal of
Aircraft
Russian Deal Helps Spark Another Boeing 737 Production Rate Increase
With demand for single-aisle aircraft showing no sign of abating, Boeing has once again announced an increase in its production rate for its 737 program, t
FAA Proposes $4.855 Million Civil Penalty Against Evergreen Airlines
The FAA has proposed a $4.855 million civil penalty against Evergreen International Airlines of McMinnville, Ore., for its alleged use of improperly or ins
NTSB Probes Near-Midair Over MSP
The NTSB has launched an investigation into a near midair between an Airbus A320 airliner and a Beech 99 cargo airplane near Minneapolis-St.
FAA To Merge ASAP, ATSAP Data
The FAA will for the first time integrate voluntary safety information collected from pilots under the Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP) and from air t
Lufthansa Group to Order 40 Airbus Aircraft
Lufthansa Group’s Supervisory Board has approved the acquisition of 40 Airbus aircraft worth some $4.3 billion, the European airframer announced today.
Ryanair Calls for EU Action To Reform Europe’s ATC System
Ryanair, at its annual general meeting today, called on the European Commission to end the ability of Europe’s air traffic control providers to strike, pri
