FedEx Celebrates Legacy of Founder Frederick W. Smith with Airport Dedication and FWS Day of Service + a retrojet livery on Boeing 777F N864FD

FedEx announced:

On August 11, 2026, the Memphis community and FedEx team members worldwide came together to honor the legacy of the late FedEx founder Frederick W. Smith. In a dual tribute, the Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority celebrated the renaming of the Memphis International Airport in his honor, coinciding with the inaugural FedEx FWS Day of Service.

The renaming serves as a lasting tribute to Smith, who passed away in June 2025, and recognizes his unparalleled contributions to the aviation industry, the global economy, and the city of Memphis. Simultaneously, the day of service honors his profound civic pride and philosophy of community leadership by committing to do good in the communities where team members live and work.

A U.S. Marine Corps veteran, Smith chose Memphis as the home for Federal Express in 1973, citing its strategic geographic location and reliable weather. Over the subsequent five decades, Smith deeply invested in the city’s future, ensuring the partnership between the airport, the city of Memphis, and FedEx helped shape the region into a critical hub for global commerce and economic development. As a visible tribute to this shared history, FedEx today unveiled a new mural along Plough Boulevard. The artwork features a portrait of Smith composed of the iconic FedEx purple aircraft tails – a fitting gateway image for travelers arriving and departing the city he helped champion.

“Moving forward, every plane, person, and package that passes through Frederick W. Smith International Airport will carry the spirit of our visionary founder and the pride of a city that connects the world,” said Raj Subramaniam, president and chief executive officer of FedEx Corporation.

Memphis was more than just a headquarters to Smith; it was his hometown, and he fiercely championed its civic and economic prosperity. Today, FedEx delivers over 18 million packages a day around the world. Of those, the Memphis World Hub — located at the newly dedicated airport — sorts more than 2.4 million packages daily.

The event concluded with a ceremonial landing of Flight 1944, a FedEx 777F (N864FD) (above) painted in the company’s original 1972 purple and orange livery. The flight number honors the year Smith was born. It made the first ceremonial landing at the newly renamed Frederick W. Smith Airport. The aircraft is named Rosie after one of Smith’s granddaughters who was born shortly before his passing. This naming continues the longstanding tradition of naming aircraft after employees’ children.

The FWS Day of Service also is a part of Purple Week, the company’s global, enterprise-wide celebration grounded in its “People-Service-Profit” (PSP) culture values. The week recognizes not just what the FedEx team achieves, but how they make it happen together. This week, there are more than 120 FedEx Cares volunteer and community impact events happening around the world, part of the company’s global community engagement program. Moving forward, this annual day of service will honor the late founder’s legacy by ensuring FedEx continues to take care of its communities and each other for generations to come.

ValueJet of Nigeria adds the first of three Boeing 737-800s

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ValueJet on August 7, 2026 announced the following:

We’re proud to welcome the first of three Boeing 737NG aircraft to the ValueJet family, a defining milestone in our growth journey.

Its arrival marks the beginning of a new phase for ValueJet, strengthening our capacity, expanding our network, and creating even more opportunities to connect people and places.

As we continue to invest in our future, one thing remains unchanged: our commitment to delivering safe, reliable, and value-driven air travel.

ValueJet was founded as an airline in 2018.

The airline operates to and from the following cities: Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Yola, Benin, Asaba, Kano and Jos.

American expands Pecan Lodge’s authentic Texas barbecue to more domestic flights from DFW

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American Airlines announced:

Following the successful debut of Pecan Lodge’s barbecue platter and smoked brisket sandwich, American Airlines is expanding its partnership with the award-winning Texas barbecue restaurant. The popular First Class meal option will be available on all eligible domestic flights departing from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) beginning Sept. 9.

Customers can select Pecan Lodge’s smoked brisket sandwich for lunch or the barbecue platter for dinner when available for preorder on eligible flights departing from DFW.

Pecan Lodge’s smoked brisket sandwich

Pecan Lodge’s barbecue platter

But bringing an iconic Texas barbecue experience on board takes more than simply adding a menu item. It starts at Pecan Lodge’s restaurant in Dallas, where meats are seasoned and slow-smoked using the same techniques that have earned the restaurant national acclaim. The barbecue is then carefully packaged to preserve its flavor and quality, while American’s catering partners prepare each preordered entree for service in the air, ensuring customers can enjoy an authentic taste of Texas at 35,000 feet.

The expanded offering builds on American’s commitment to showcasing beloved regional brands and elevating the onboard dining experience. Pecan Lodge, nationally recognized for its Central Texas-style barbecue, has earned acclaim from The New York Times, Food Network, Travel + Leisure and more.

Beyond menu enhancements, American continues to invest in the entire inflight dining experience, offering the most elevated champagne selection among U.S. carriers, new California wines in premium cabins, premium Lavazza coffee on all mainline flights and an expanded selection of snacks available for purchase in Main Cabin.

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American Airlines and Infinium announce commercial passenger flight powered by eSAF

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American Airlines and Infinium today announced its first delivery of electro sustainable aviation fuel (eSAF) to a commercial airport for use in a commercial passenger flight, marking a major milestone in the decarbonization of aviation. The eSAF was allocated to an American flight that departed Corpus Christi International Airport (CRP) and landed at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), demonstrating the real-world deployment of next-generation, drop-in sustainable aviation fuel.

The eSAF used for the flight was part of a batch produced and blended at Infinium’s Pathfinder facility in Corpus Christi, Texas — the world’s first commercial-scale power-to-liquids eFuels production site, which has been operating since 2023. The eSAF batch was blended with conventional jet fuel and tested to meet the ASTM International specification for JetA, certifying its use in today’s aircraft engines and fueling infrastructure without further modification. It was then delivered to the common jet fuel tanks at CRP before being allocated to American’s flight to DFW — the first delivery of SAF made without biobased feedstocks to a commercial airport in the U.S. The flight demonstrates the compatibility of eSAF with existing aviation jet fuel supply chains.

Infinium’s eSAF is made using waste CO₂ and renewable electricity, delivering a meaningful reduction in lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions compared to conventional jet fuel. Infinium’s eSAF can reduce lifecycle GHG emissions by over 90% compared to conventional petroleum-based jet fuel.

American Airlines, a leader in advancing sustainable aviation fuel adoption, is working across the value chain to accelerate deployment of low-carbon aviation solutions. The airline has an offtake agreement for commercial volumes of eSAF from Infinium’s Project Roadrunner, supported in part by a separate agreement with Citi to enable Scope 3 emissions reductions from employee travel. These partnerships reinforce the collaboration needed to scale next-generation fuels. Project Roadrunner, financed by Breakthrough Energy Catalyst and Brookfield Asset Management, with nonrecourse project debt from HSBC, is currently under construction and expected to begin eSAF production and deliveries in 2027. Once it reaches full capacity, Project Roadrunner is expected to produce over 5 million gallons of eSAF annually.

Aviation currently consumes nearly 100 billion gallons of jet fuel annually, with global air travel exceeding 4 billion passengers per year. Despite growing momentum, sustainable aviation fuel accounts for less than 1% of total jet fuel use worldwide. Scalable, drop-in fuels like eSAF offer one of the most near-term and practical solutions for reducing aviation emissions. Scaling eSAF also strengthens energy security by diversifying aviation fuel supply, helping create a more resilient system.

Today’s flight marks a transition from innovation to implementation, signaling a new phase in scaling viable, low-carbon alternatives to conventional jet fuel and advancing the future of sustainable flight.

Seventh Boeing 777-9 completes first flight

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The seventh 777-9 takes off on its first flight. (Marian Lockhart photo)

The 777-9 that Boeing will use to conduct extended operations (ETOPS) and function and reliability testing flew for the first time Friday, completing an approximately three-hour profile over Washington State, Idaho and Oregon.

Capt. Dan Mangel and Capt. Jake Miller completed a standard first-flight profile that tested the airplane’s systems and structures, which were monitored onboard by systems operators Scott Brihn and Zachary Lewis; flight analysts Seth Town, John Theeringer and Michael Deutsch; instrumentation specialist Lauren Meyer; and propulsion analyst Kinsey Bilyeu. The airplane landed at Paine Field in Everett, Wash., at 5:35 p.m. PT.

“The purpose of today’s first flight is to test the entire airplane as a system, and then all the individual systems to make sure they’re functioning properly,” said Capt. Dan Mangel, Engineering pilot. “The airplane performed beautifully on its first flight; it was great to fly.”

Why it matters: Regulatory approval for ETOPS will allow operators to fly the airplane extended distances from an airport suitable for landing, opening more direct routes that save time and fuel. Following extensive analysis, lab tests and engine tests, as well as validation of the maintenance program, ETOPS testing will include proving flights to demonstrate the 777-9 can safely and reliably conduct trans-oceanic routes and support extended diversions.

Function and reliability testing will simulate routine operations in a variety of conditions to demonstrate the airplane can operate safely and reliably in service.

Preparing for flight: Teams rolled the airplane out of the Everett factory, applied a white livery, fueled the airplane, completed engine runs and conducted a taxi test in the weeks and days before flight.

“It’s quite a milestone, but it’s not the end of the line,” said JeRae McCoy, 777X Change Incorporation & Refurbishment conformities manager, who supported the build of the airplane. “We’ve got more work to do to certify this airplane and begin deliveries. We’re going to keep working together to get there.”

Continuing a legacy: The 777-9 will continue the 777 family’s history of long-haul, twin-engine efficiency: The original 777 entered service with ETOPS approval. Its first revenue flight 31 years ago, between London and Washington, D.C., was an ETOPS flight.

Testing, certification, delivery: The 777-9 program has logged more than 4,800 flight test hours across the 777-9 test fleet. In addition to the dedicated test airplanes, production-configured airplanes – like this seventh 777-9 to fly – are supporting certification work ahead of first delivery in 2027, the company said.

“Airplane development is not easy, but it is such a worthy endeavor because we are creating incredibly capable airplanes that will safely transport people around the world for generations,” said Terry Beezhold, 777-9 vice president and program manager. “A big thank you to our team for their continued hard work and to all of our 777X customers.”

About the family: The 777X family – the 777-9, the 777-8 Freighter and the 777-8 passenger airplane – are the newest members of Boeing’s market-leading widebody family. Boeing teammates designed them to maximize efficiency and environmental performance, drawing on technologies proven on the 777 and 787 Dreamliner and new innovations, according to the company.

Customers have ordered more than 650 777X airplanes.

SAS once again named Europe’s most punctual airline

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SAS has been named Europe’s most punctual airline in Cirium’s On-Time Performance report for July 2026, achieving an on-time arrival rate of 84.32 percent.

The result comes during the peak summer season, one of the busiest and most operationally demanding periods of the year for aviation, highlighting SAS’ continued focus on delivering a reliable travel experience.

“July puts every part of an airline’s operation to the test, with high passenger volumes, congested airports and very little margin for disruption. Being named Europe’s most punctual airline during this period is something we’re incredibly proud of. It reflects the dedication, professionalism, and teamwork of the thousands of colleagues across SAS who work every day to keep our operation moving and our customers on their way – even when the operational environment is challenging. As we celebrate our 80th anniversary this year, this recognition reflects the values that have guided SAS for eight decades – connecting people through reliable, dependable travel,” says Anko van der Werff, President & CEO of SAS.

The July result continues a strong operational performance for SAS. Earlier this year, the airline ranked as the world’s most punctual airline in both March and April.

Over the past two years, SAS has achieved seven number-one rankings in Europe and four number-one rankings globally, demonstrating the consistency of its operational performance.

Cirium’s On-Time Performance rankings are among the aviation industry’s most widely recognized benchmarks for operational reliability, measuring the percentage of flights arriving within 15 minutes of their scheduled arrival time.

SAS aircraft photo gallery:

Air Canada, Air Canada Foundation and Air Canada Cargo Support Wildfire Relief Efforts Across Northern Ontario

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Air Canada announced:

As wildfires continue to affect communities across Northern Ontario, Air Canada, the Air Canada Foundation, and Air Canada Cargo are working alongside long-time humanitarian partner GlobalMedic to help deliver critical support to frontline firefighters, evacuees, and communities impacted by the ongoing emergency.

Through the transportation of essential equipment and support for emergency response efforts on the ground, Air Canada is helping ensure that aid reaches people and communities who need it most.

Most recently, Air Canada Cargo transported 140 fire-resistant coveralls to Thunder Bay to help equip firefighters responding to active wildfires across the region.

In addition to transporting protective equipment, Air Canada is supporting GlobalMedic’s broader wildfire response efforts by helping transport its teams to communities across Northern Ontario. This support enables GlobalMedic personnel to deliver critical assistance on the ground, including the distribution of specialized Fire Skid Units to rural and volunteer fire departments. These innovative units convert pickup trucks into rapid-response firefighting vehicles, expanding the capacity of local departments to respond quickly and effectively to wildfire threats.

Since the program began in August 2023, GlobalMedic has distributed more than 700 Fire Skid Units across Canada and continues to provide additional support to departments actively battling fires in affected regions. Beyond firefighting efforts, the organization is also providing support to evacuees through wellness checks, mobile clinic services, emergency snacks, and hygiene supplies. As communities begin the recovery process, GlobalMedic will continue supporting local food banks and other recovery initiatives in the months ahead.

A Collective Effort to Support Impacted Communities

Recognizing the urgent needs facing Northern Ontario communities, Destination Northern Ontario (DNO), the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario (TIAO), and the Northern Ontario Tourist Outfitters Association (NOTO) have joined Air Canada and the Air Canada Foundation in helping raise awareness and support for wildfire relief and recovery efforts.

Supporting Relief Through Employee Giving

Driven by the generosity and longstanding commitment of Air Canada employees to support communities in times of need, the Air Canada Foundation has launched an employee fundraising campaign in support of GlobalMedic’s wildfire response efforts. Funds raised will help provide Fire Skid Units, protective equipment for frontline firefighters, support for evacuees, and recovery initiatives for communities affected by the wildfires.

As communities across Northern Ontario face the challenges of wildfire response and recovery, Air Canada, the Air Canada Foundation, Air Canada Cargo, employees, and industry partners remain committed to standing alongside Canadians in times of need, helping to deliver support, strengthen resilience and assist communities as they recover and rebuild.

With wildfire activity continuing in several regions across the country, Air Canada, the Air Canada Foundation and Air Canada Cargo remain ready to support our humanitarian partners as they respond to evolving community needs.

Drew Brees to be featured in Breeze Airways ads

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Breeze Airways has named Super Bowl XLIV Champion and Super Bowl MVP, Drew Brees, as its first brand ambassador.

The news comes as Brees prepares to be enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio – one of the airline’s major base cities – on August 8. The 13-time Pro Bowl selection, two-time AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year and 2006 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award recipient spent most of his career with the New Orleans Saints – another major market in the airline’s network.

As the airline’s brand ambassador, Brees will be featured in ads and on Breeze’s social media platforms and will take part in its annual Breeze Kindness Week in November. The social media campaign, which launched across all of Breeze’s platforms including Instagram and TikTok, today features short, witty videos of Brees highlighting aspects of the Breeze experience and declaring them as ‘Brees Certified.’ The paid ads will feature key Breeze cities in partnership with Visit Rhode Island, the Akron-Canton Airport, and Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport.

Breeze currently operates more than 300 year-round and seasonal routes to 91 cities in the United States, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. Coupled with its brand-new fleet of Airbus A220-300 aircraft and premium products like free family seating, fast onboard WiFi, preferred seat options, and no change or cancel fees, Breeze is making it nice to fly affordably.

Routes from New Orleans:

The FAA certifies the 737-7 MAX 7

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Boeing announced:

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has granted Boeing the amended type certificate (ATC) for the 737-7, clearing the way for commercial service.

Boeing worked under the oversight of the FAA through a multi‑year certification effort that included extensive flight and ground testing, human factors reviews and system safety assessments.

Why it matters: This important certification validates the rigor of the airplane’s design and clears the way for Boeing to provide the 737 MAX family to a new segment of the market.

The 737-7, the longest-range member of the 737 MAX family, offers a range of up to 3,800 nautical miles (7,040 km) and is particularly designed for airline customers flying out of airports at high altitudes and hot climates.

The 737 MAX family order book stands at more than 7,200 airplanes, of which 2,360 have been delivered through the end of June 2026.

What’s next: Teammates have started refurbishment work on the previously built 737-7 airplanes.

More about the MAX family:

The 737-7 seats 135-160 passengers in a two-class configuration and offers a range of up to 3,800 nautical miles (for the course of an eight-hour flight). The airplane reduces fuel use and carbon dioxide emissions by about 20% and lowers the noise footprint by about 50% compared with the airplanes it typically replaces.

Other members of the 737 MAX family, beyond the 737-7, offer unique capabilities to customers around the world including:

The 737-8 seats 160-180 passengers and offers a range of up to 3,500 nautical miles. It can profitably fly in almost any short and medium-haul market.
The 737-9 has three more seating rows compared to the 737-8 and seats 175-195 passengers with a range of up to 3,300 nautical miles.
The largest airplane in the family, the 737-10 offers greater fuel efficiency and the best per-seat economics of any single-aisle airplane. It seats 185-210 passengers with a range of up to 3,100 nautical miles. Boeing is working toward certification of the 737-10 later this year.

737-7 Boeing Livery airplane flying over snowy mountain background

The Boeing 737-7 (MAX 7) order book is anchored by a few key airline customers worldwide:

Southwest Airlines: 302 aircraft on order. Southwest is the launch customer and largest buyer for the MAX 7, planning to use the type to replace its aging Boeing 737-700 fleet.
Allegiant Air: 30 aircraft on order (part of a broader multi-variant MAX agreement with Boeing that includes options for additional airframes).
SKY Airline: 10 aircraft on order.
Luxair: 4 aircraft on order (including firm orders and commitments as part of its fleet modernization strategy).

All photos by Boeing.

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