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
Republic To Speed ERJ Retirements
Republic Airways and Delta Air Lines in late July reached an agreement to remove the Indianapolis-based regional airline’s final eleven 37-seat Embraer ERJ
Delta To Take Back Mesa CRJ900s
Delta Air Lines has notified Mesa Air Group that it plans to cancel its contract to fly Bombardier CRJ900s.
Boeing Issues ‘Best and Final’ Offer to Machinists
Boeing today presented what it called its best and final contract offer to its approximately 27,000 employees represented by the International Association
Embraer E-Jets Subject of New AD
The FAA issued a new Airworthiness Directive today that warns of a failure by the flight guidance control system (FGCS) in certain Embraer E170s and E190s
Kingfisher To Launch International Service on September 3
India’s Kingfisher Airlines announced it will launch its first international service on September 3 between Bangalore and London Heathrow Airport.
TSA Blunder Forces Eagle To Ground Embraers
American Eagle had to ground nine Embraer ERJ regional jets at Chicago O’Hare Airport on August 19 after a TSA officer used the airplanes’ total air temper
Aircraft
CRJ1000 first flight expected early next month
An integration fault in the Bombardier CRJ1000’s fly-by-wire rudder control system has forced the company to install a software revision in the flying prot
Aircraft
Second Embraer 175 flies
The second Embraer 175 prototype flew its maiden mission on August 7, marking the resumption of a comparatively short flight-test program scheduled to last
Aircraft
Embraer 170 soldiers on toward November approval
Brazil’s Embraer remains firmly on target for November certification of its much-heralded but delay-prone Embraer 170, according to company vice president
Profit-leader ACA builds its case for new low-fare venture
During a quarter in which all the big publicly traded regional airlines turned a handsome profit, it came as little surprise that Atlantic Coast Airlines l
Regionals Update: Midlands' duo to go solo
The former Maersk Air, reconstituted in a management buyout in June and renamed Duo, announced last month that it has severed its relationship with British
Regionals Update: Caribbean consolidation effort under way
Struggling Caribbean regional airline Liat and fellow money-losing international carrier BWIA will form the basis of a new West Indian airline under a plan
SkyWest adds US Airways code share
The trend toward consolidation and alliances among major airlines may concern some in the Justice Department, but it hasn’t restricted opportunities for re
Aircraft
Regionals Update: Air Deccan launches ATR 42 service
India’s Air Deccan operated its inaugural revenue flight with one of six 48-seat ATR 42-320s on August 25, between its home city of Bangalore and Hubli, in
Propane Blast Closes Bombardier Plant
Bombardier canceled the midnight and morning shifts at its Downsview, Ontario factory today to clean up debris from an explosion at a nearby north Toronto
Aircraft
ATR 42 drop test useless, claims RAA
The Regional Airline Association last month lambasted the FAA for the agency’s highly publicized drop test of an ATR 42-300 turboprop in Atlantic City, N.J
Embraer's profits slide
Brazil’s Embraer saw its net income for this year’s second quarter plummet to $4.9 million from $36.9 million during the same period a year earlier, as cha
Delta Moves To Take Back CRJ900s from Mesa
Delta Air Lines on Friday notified Phoenix-based Mesa Air Group that it plans to cancel its contract to fly Bombardier CRJ900s as Delta Connection.
Aircraft
M7 won't wait for 328 deal to pursue RJ work in San Antonio
M7 Aerospace, the company that took control of the U.S.
Aircraft
French, Russian avionics trio leap to front of RRJ 'short list'
AVPK Sukhoi’s ambition to use U.S.-built avionics on the Russian Regional Jet appear dashed due to an apparent lack of interest on the part of both Honeywe
Big changes may be in store for EAS communitie, airlines
Now that the U.S.
Regionals Update: ERA chief blasts EC for lack of 'business like' practices
Mike Ambrose, director general of the European Regions Airline Association (ERA), slammed the European Commission last month for a failure to apply basic b
Regionals Update: Qantas boosts regional presence
Australian flag-carrier Qantas last month announced it would enlist its wholly owned regional subsidiary, QantasLink, for a large-scale expansion along the
Regionals Update: United moves to shore up regional network
United Airlines completed a series of moves last month that signaled not only its intention to embark on a large-scale expansion of its regional network, b
Aircraft
Regionals Update: ALPA foils US Airways' plans for CRJ705
Unable to convince the Air Line Pilots Association to accept further regional-airline scope-clause concessions, US Airways has converted its firm order for
Survey probes attitudes among airline aviators
Ask an airline executive to rank the most frustrating aspects of his job, and labor relations will more often than not top the list, particularly at a time
Air Wisconsin unsure of UAL request for 70-seat bid
Air Wisconsin, a UAL United Express partner, has expressed some confusion with regard to a request by United Airlines to its partners that they submit bids
UAL arrives at Accord with SkyWest
United Airlines has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with SkyWest Airlines to operate select portions of the company’s United Express service.
Training and Workforce
Chautauqua pilots vote on strike option
Characterization prompted Teamsters Local 747 representatives to mail strike ballots to the 700-strong pilot group.
Regionals Update: Frustrated ACA reaches terms with Bombardier on CRJs
Atlantic Coast Airlines in late May reached terms with Bombardier Aerospace on a revised delivery schedule for the remaining 42 CRJ200s on firm order after
