FlightGlobal Focus

What this spring’s biggest aerospace shows reveal about the future of flight — and how a sudden fuel shock might change the picture.

After years of noise about wanting to retire the famous Fairchild Republic A-10 ground attack fighter, the US Air Force now says it has graduated the last class of new pilots assigned to fly the "Warthog".
But just weeks later, the Pentagon announced that the A-10's. retirement is being pushed back to at least 2030. It's just the latest example of the titanium-enclosed jet beating the odds on bureaucratic survival.
Has the end really come for the Warthog or can the plane famous for its battlefield survivability once again stave off the end from Washington?
Americas defence reporter Ryan Finnerty speaks with the commander of the 357th Fighter Squadron that trains new A-10 pilots and retired air force Colonel Kim "KC" Campbell, whose combat service in the Warthog over Iraq has made her arguably the most famous A-10 pilot.

Show Notes:

Kim Campbell profile in Flight International, 2023:
https://www.flightglobal.com/fixed-wing/2023/06/rough-air-over-baghdad-a-10-pilot-kim-campbell-flies-into-aviation-history/

US Air Force begins first A-10 retirements:
https://www.flightglobal.com/fixed-wing/2023/04/usaf-begins-long-sought-a-10-retirements/

The A-10 returns to combat in Iran:
https://www.flightglobal.com/fixed-wing/2026/03/a-10-returns-to-combat-hunting-iranian-vessels-in-strait-of-hormuz/

A-10 "Sandy" mission over Iran:
https://www.flightglobal.com/archive/2026/04/iran-rescue-mission-featured-155-aircraft-refuelling-over-enemy-territory-and-one-lost-a-10/

The armed crop duster that could replace the A-10:
https://www.flightglobal.com/fixed-wing/2025/02/us-air-force-dubs-new-oa-1k-armed-crop-duster-skyraider-ii-ahead-of-first-delivery/

This week we discuss rising jet fuel prices related to the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz in the Middle East, and look at how global carriers are responding to the crisis heading into the summer air travel season.

The deadly 22 March collision involving an Air Canada Express CRJ900 exposed holes in overlapping aviation safety networks. Meanwhile, the entire US aerospace industry is coming to terms with a pending requirement to replace all altimeters on all aircraft to prevent interference from new 5G cellular networks, a multi-billion-dollar effort.

The annual report from NATO's secretary general is out and it shows some notable trends.
More than a year of threats and berating from US President Donald Trump seems to have spurred European governments to take on a greater share of financial responsibility for collective defence. Figures for 2025 indicate Europe and Canada now account for 48% of NATO spending versus only 40% in 2024.
Meanwhile in the Middle East, the US Air Force lost a Boeing E-3 Sentry airborne warning and control aircraft while on the ground in an Iranian long-range strike. The incident calls into question the ability of the USAF to execute its agile combat employment strategy for protecting aircraft on the ground.

FlightGlobal's European defence editor joins Americas defence reporter Ryan Finnerty to discuss spending trends in Europe and the future of the crucial airborne early warning mission set.