American Airlines is Kentucky Derby-bound from 20 destinations

The countdown to race day is on, and getting to the track in Louisville, Ky. (SDF) is top priority for many travelers. To meet those needs, American is moving into the homestretch with nonstop flights connecting SDF to a record 20 destinations this year.

More flights to connect travelers to the action

American has added special flights to 13 destinations between April 30 and May 3, complementing existing service to seven destinations. These additional nonstop flights give travelers faster and more convenient flight options to show off their seersucker suits, spring dresses, and fashionable new hats.

American’s hubs, such as Charlotte (CLT), Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW), Philadelphia (PHL), and Washington, D.C. (DCA), will see a combination of extra flights and larger aircraft operating to SDF on peak travel dates.

Compared to a traditional day at SDF, American will more than double the number of flights it operates on peak dates surrounding the marquee race. This means 41 arriving flights on April 30 and 46 departing flights on May 3.

Setting the pace with elevated travel experiences

From Los Angeles (LAX) and Santa Ana (SNA) in California, American will operate special flights to SDF with Airbus A321T aircraft.

NASA funds major overhaul on 42-year-old research jet

NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center is moving forward with a significant long-term maintenance project for one of its oldest research aircraft, a 1984 Gulfstream III, even as it relies on a sole-source contract to keep the plane’s aging engines running. [Full story]

US Special Operations Command explores market for new Small Cruise Missile

The U.S. Special Operations Command has launched a market research initiative to identify existing technologies for a new air-launched Small Cruise Missile. [Full story]

Rocket Lab plans hypersonic aircraft flight test from Virginia

Rocket Lab Corp. announced Thursday that its next launch will be a dedicated mission for the Department of War’s Defense Innovation Unit (DIU). The flight, named “Cassowary Vex,” is slated to lift off no earlier than late February from Launch Complex 2 at the Virginia Spaceport Authority’s Mid‑Atlantic Regional Spaceport on Wallops Island.

The mission will employ Rocket Lab’s HASTE (Hypersonic Accelerator System for Testing and Evaluation) vehicle, a commercially operated launch system that the company has positioned as a rapid‑turnaround, low-cost platform for hypersonic testing. The flight will carry the DART AE, a scramjet-powered aircraft prototype developed by Australian aerospace firm Hypersonix. DART AE stands for Dual‑Axis Ram‑jet Test – Advanced Experimental.

This will be our fourth hypersonic test launch in under six months. The HASTE vehicle provides the Department of War and its allies with a repeatable, high-performance testbed capable of reaching flight regimes up to Mach 20, unmatched in the commercial sector.

The DIU, which partners with private‑sector innovators to accelerate the fielding of advanced technologies for national security, selected the HASTE platform to restore a domestic hypersonic testing capability that had been eroded after the retirement of several government-run programs. By leveraging Rocket Lab’s commercial launch cadence and cost structure, the DIU aims to increase the frequency of flight tests, shorten development cycles, and reduce overall program expenditures.

Hypersonix, the Australian company behind DART AE, is seeking to validate its scramjet design for potential future applications in rapid‑response strike weapons and high-speed reconnaissance. Successful deployment of the vehicle would demonstrate a key technology milestone for both the firm and the broader U.S. hypersonic community.

Counter-drone industry event sells out early following real-world incident

Registration for a key U.S. military industry day focused on counter-drone technology has closed well ahead of schedule, organizers announced Thursday, underscoring surging demand in the defense sector. [Full story]

Northern Jet to show off fleet across Florida

Northern Jet, a prominent private aviation services provider, is launching an exclusive "2026 Aircraft Preview" event series at three Florida airports this March. The invitation-only events are designed for private aviation clients evaluating premium travel solutions, including jet card upgrades, fractional ownership, or aircraft management.

The series will offer hands-on guided tours of two key aircraft in the Northern Jet fleet: the Bombardier Challenger 300 and the Citation CJ3+. According to the company, the events aim to provide a tangible sense of each aircraft's cabin design, range, performance, and mission flexibility.

The company will highlight the distinct advantages of each model. The Bombardier Challenger 300 is noted for its spacious cabin and long-range capabilities, suited for extended missions. In contrast, the Citation CJ3+ is promoted for its speed, operational efficiency, and ability to access a wider variety of airports.

Alongside the physical tours, Northern Jet's team will detail the structure of its service programs: the Private Advantage Jet Card, Fractional Ownership, and Aircraft Management. The focus will be on how these programs are designed to ensure consistent access, operational reliability, and streamlined travel planning for clients.

The preview events are scheduled as follows:

• Naples, Fla. (APF): March 2, with sessions from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM and 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM.
• Sarasota, Fla. (SRQ): March 3, from 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM.
• Orlando, Fla. (ORL): March 4, from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM.

Attendance is limited, and advance registration is required. Interested parties can find additional details or reserve a tour time on the company’s website.

EVA Air launches Taipei‑Washington, D.C. flights

EVA Air announced on Wednesday that it will begin operating a new scheduled service between Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport on June 26. The route will be served by four weekly flights using the airline’s Boeing 787‑9 Dreamliner, which offers a three-class cabin layout: Royal Laurel (first‑class), a fourth-generation Premium Economy, and Economy.

The addition brings EVA Air’s North American network to ten gateway cities – Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, New York, Houston, Dallas‑Fort Worth, Chicago, Vancouver, Toronto, and the new Washington, D.C. link – and raises the total weekly departures on the continent to 98. The airline says the expansion makes it the carrier with the most destinations and the largest flight network from Taiwan to North America.

Washington, D.C., the nation’s capital and the seventh‑largest U.S. metropolitan area, is a major hub for government, diplomatic, and corporate activity. The city hosts a concentration of multinational headquarters, NGOs, and international institutions, as well as a sizable population of high‑net‑worth travelers. Its cultural assets, including the Smithsonian museums and historic sites, also generate demand for leisure and academic travel.

Passengers on the new service will be able to connect through EVA Air’s existing North American gateways to a broader network of more than 200 destinations across the Americas. The airline relies on its Star Alliance membership and codeshare agreements with carriers such as Air Canada, United Airlines, Avianca, and Copa Airlines, as well as cooperative arrangements with Alaska Airlines, JetBlue, Hawaiian Airlines, Sun Country, Southwest, and WestJet.

Founded in 1989 as Taiwan’s first privately owned international airline, EVA Air operates a fleet of over 80 Boeing and Airbus aircraft to roughly 60 destinations in Asia, Oceania, Europe, and North America.