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&nbsp;New Jersey Monthly&nbsp;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&nbsp;Aviation International News&nbsp;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.

Senior Editor

Gregory Polek

A Lao Airlines ATR 72-600 crashed in southern Laos near the Champasak provincial capital of Pakse on Wednesday. According to a statement issued by ATR, the airplane took off from the capital city Vientiane and crashed into the Mekong river. Reports from the official Laos news agency indicate the airplane hit the water some five miles short of its destination, Pakse International Airport.


ATR identified the airplane, operating as flight QV301, as MSN 1701, delivered from the Toulouse production line in March. It also confirmed that the flight carried 44 passengers and five crewmembers.


According to ATR, Lao Airlines officials reported that the aircraft ran into “extreme” weather conditions. “There [was] no news of survivors at this time,” said ATR, quoting the officials. Laotian authorities have yet to release an official death toll.


“In line with the ICAO [International Civil Aviation Organization] Annex 13 convention, ATR will provide full assistance [to] the French Bureau d'Enquêtes et Analyses [BEA], [the] safety investigation authority representing the country of the aircraft manufacturer,” said the manufacturer.


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ATR 72-600 Crashes in Laos 

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