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
Airbus, Kawasaki To Partner on Hydrogen Development
An MOU signed in Tokyo between Airbus and Kawasaki lays the groundwork to study elements of hydrogen adoption by the aviation industry.
Aircraft
Airbus Wins 80-aircraft A320neo Order from BOC Aviation
Singapore-headquartered leasing group BOC Aviation places the largest order in its history with an 80-unit deal for A320neo narrowbody airliners.
FutureFlight
Hexcel To Supply Composites for Archer’s eVTOL Production Aircraft
Archer and Hexcel sign a letter of intent covering the supply of carbon-fiber material for the four-seat Maker.
FutureFlight
Safran Starts Work on Propulsion Systems for Aura Aero's Electric Aircraft Family
Collaboration agreement between Safran and Aura Aero advances plans to fly the Integral E flight demonstrator for the first time this year, as early work on propulsion architecture for a 19-seat regional airliner gets underway.
Aircraft
Safran Starts Work on Propulsion for Aura Electric Aircraft
Collaboration agreement between Safran and Aura Aero advances plans to fly the Integral E flight demonstrator for the first time this year.
Airlines
JetBlue Offers to Buy Spirit Airlines for $3.6 billion
Offer from JetBlue would represent a 50 percent premium on Spirit’s stock price and bring between $600 and $700 million in synergies.
FutureFlight
Aircraft Sales Group Blueberry Agrees to Add Dufour's Aero eVTOL Family to Its Portfolio
Dufour Aerospace and Blueberry Aviation expect their collaboration to result in launch customers for the Aero2 and Aero3 among Blueberry’s operators.
Accidents
Cockpit Voice Recorder from China Eastern 737 Sent to U.S.
U.S. accident investigator NTSB confirms it has received the CVR from China Eastern Airlines Flight MU5735 for downloading.
FutureFlight
Hyundai Adds eSTOL Regional Aircraft to its Supernal eVTOL Plans
Expected to fly to a range of 1,000 km, Hyundai’s eSTOL aircraft would enter service on so-called regional air routes connecting cities in South Korea.
Aircraft
AerCap Works to Mitigate Losses Stemming from Ukraine War
Almost 5 percent of AerCap’s fleet remains in Russian hands.
FutureFlight
UK's Aerospace Technology Institute to Offer Up to £1 Billion In New Green Aviation Funding
The UK’s Aerospace Technology Institute is offering an additional £685 million in funding for the development of “green” aviation technology over the next three years.
FutureFlight
HyPoint Extends Hydrogen Flight Range with New Ultralight Fuel Tanks
NASA award-winning hydrogen fuel cell developer HyPoint has partnered with hydrogen tank maker Gloyer-Taylor Laboratories to employ a new graphite fiber tank that offer 10 times more capacity than do existing fuel tanks.
FutureFlight
FedEx To Test Autonomous Drone Cargo Delivery with Elroy Air
FedEx and Elroy Air plan to launch test flights of the Chaparral autonomous air cargo system in early 2023.
Aircraft
Airbus Flies A380 on 100 percent SAF
One of the Rolls-Royce Trent 900s used in the first A380 test aircraft cruised on pure SAF for about three hours on March 25.
Airlines
EC Transport Head Calls Out Turkey on Increase in Russia Flights
Calls for aviation solidarity among European countries during the Ukraine crisis are going unheeded by Turkey, says EC’s transport director.
FutureFlight
U.S. Senate Passes Bill To Ensure Government Support of Advanced Air Mobility
The Advanced Air Mobility Coordination and Leadership Act (S.516) would establish an interagency working group to more effectively engage the federal government in furthering the Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) sector.
FutureFlight On The Radar
EASA Publishes First Guidance on Urban Air Mobility Vertiport Design
EASA's Prototype Technical Design Specifications for vertiports offer guidance to urban planners, local decision-makers, and industry stakeholders to aid in the design of facilities that will serve VTOL aircraft.
Aircraft
EFW’s A320 Passenger-to-freighter Conversion Earns EASA STC
Elbe Flugzeugwerke gains certification for its A320P2F less than four months after first flight.
FutureFlight
Joby Submits eVTOL Safety Certification Plan to FAA
An FAA type certification plan submitted by Joby Aviation this week centers on safety considerations relating to materials, seats, and occupant restraints for its four-passenger eVTOL aircraft..
Accidents
Recorder Recovered from Doomed China Eastern 737
Search crews have yet to determine whether the heavily damaged recorder recovered from the destroyed China Eastern Airlines Boeing 737 is an FDR or CVR.
FutureFlight
Air Greenland Plans to Acquire Vertical Aerospace VX4 eVTOL Aircraft From Leasing Group Avolon
Avolon and Air Greenland partner to bring zero-emissions air travel to the Arctic region with a fleet of Vertical Aerospace VX4 eVTOL aircraft.
Aircraft
Air Greenland To Acquire Vertical Aerospace VX4s from Avolon
Avolon and Air Greenland partner to bring zero-emissions air travel to the region.
Accidents
China Eastern Grounds 737-800s Following Crash
A crash on Monday of a China Eastern Boeing 737-800 in southern China prompted the airline to ground the rest of the type in its fleet.
FutureFlight
Joby Secures FAA Approval of First Systems and Compliance Review
FAA's systems and compliance review of Joby’s eVTOL aircraft keeps it on pace to receive type certification ahead of entry-into-service in 2024.
Airlines
EASA Reports GNSS Jamming/Spoofing amid Ukraine Conflict
A Safety Bulletin issued by EASA indicates that satellite navigation system degradation in four specific regions began on the day of the Ukraine invasion.
FutureFlight
North Energy Cluster Partnership Boosts Deutsche Aircraft's Plans For Green 328eco Airliner
Norway’s North Energy Cluster is working with Deutsche Aircraft to make available new e-fuels that they say will deliver lower carbon emissions than existing sustainable aviation fuels.
Aircraft
Delta Air Lines, Airbus To Partner on Hydrogen Power
An MOU announced Thursday calls for Delta and Airbus to collaborate on the introduction of a hydrogen-powered airliner in the U.S. by 2035.
Aircraft
Deutsche Aircraft’s 328eco Gets Boost from Norway
Norway’s North Energy Cluster will create the SAF infrastructure to help realize Deutsche Aircraft’s ambitions to develop a new D328 regional airliner.
FutureFlight On The Radar
New Study Predicts $325 Billion Market Boom for Autonomous Aircraft
A new report commissioned by the Aerospace Industries Association forecasts that the autonomous aircraft market will grow nearly 25 percent a year over the next two decades.
FutureFlight
Joby Reaches Fourth of Five Stages in FAA Part 135 Certification Process
California-based Joby expects to gain its Part 135 operator certificate by the end of the year, preparing the way for commercial ride-sharing flights in its eVTOL aircraft by 2024.
