Aviation Insider

Virgin Atlantic is reportedly preparing to transfer two Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners to LOT Polish Airlines during the first half of 2027.

LOT chief executive Michał Fijoł has confirmed that the airline expects to receive two additional used 787-9s. The specific aircraft and registrations involved have not yet been publicly identified.
This does not mean Virgin Atlantic is abandoning the Dreamliner. Its published fleet plan already targets a reduction from 17 to 14 Boeing 787-9s by 2028, alongside 19 Airbus A330-900neos and 12 Airbus A350-1000s.

The remaining Dreamliners are also receiving significant investment. A complete cabin redesign is scheduled to begin in 2028, increasing Upper Class from 31 to 44 seats and Premium from 35 to 56 seats.

The change therefore appears to be strategic consolidation rather than a complete shift away from Boeing. The A330neo will become Virgin Atlantic’s largest individual aircraft type, while a smaller and extensively refurbished Dreamliner fleet remains part of its long-term operation.
Is Virgin making the right fleet decision, or should it retain more Dreamliners?

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An airline simulator assessment can be one of the most demanding stages of pilot recruitment. It tests more than your ability to fly. Assessors may also be looking at your workload management, communication, situational awareness, decision-making and capacity to learn.

Aviation Insider works with trusted simulator providers to help you prepare in a realistic flight deck environment. Practise manual handling, instrument scanning, briefings, raw-data flying and effective crew coordination before the assessment that matters.

Preparation is not about memorising every movement. It is about arriving familiar, confident and ready to demonstrate your skills under pressure.

Contact us to discuss simulator preparation for your upcoming airline assessment.

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An extraordinary display or an unnecessary risk?

Two Airlink Embraer jets flew in formation over Cape Town’s DHL Stadium ahead of the South Africa versus New Zealand rugby match on 29 August.

Flightradar24 data indicates that the lead aircraft passed approximately 41 to 46 feet, or 12.5 to 14 metres, above the stadium roof at around 150 knots. Pyrotechnics were also being fired from the roof, with footage showing the aircraft passing through the coloured smoke.

Airlink says the display was carefully planned and rehearsed, supported by the relevant aviation authorities and operated by highly experienced crews. Each aircraft carried three senior captains, and recorded flight data reportedly remained within the approved altitude and speed limits.

Even with those precautions, the images have prompted serious questions about the remaining safety margin. At that height and speed, one unexpected gust, sudden wind shift, wake disturbance or small deviation could have rapidly changed the situation. Above a packed stadium, the consequences could have been catastrophic.

Precision flying can be spectacular, but aviation safety is built around maintaining sufficient margins when something unexpected happens.

Was this a controlled display or a risk that should never have been accepted?

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Wizz Air is recruiting across all three AOCs (Hungary, Malta and UK) for everything from cadet First Officers to Direct Entry Captains, on a young all-Airbus A320 family fleet. The airline is targeting 500 aircraft and 100 million passengers a year by 2030.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
DEC (A320 rated): 3,500 factorised hrs, current A3xx FBW type rating + IR, 500hrs on A320, 1,000hrs PIC on Airbus FBW
DEC (non-type rated): 3,500 factorised hrs, ME/IR, 1,000hrs PIC on jets over 50T in CAT ops
Experienced FO (rated): 500hrs on A320, current A320/IR, ATPL theory if CPL
Experienced FO (non-rated): 500hrs MPA in CAT ops, ATPL theory, JOC or APS-MCC
Cadet FO: 140hrs integrated or 200hrs modular, ATPL theory complete

LICENCE AND ELIGIBILITY
Hungary and Malta: EASA ATPL/CPL, EASA Class 1, ICAO English 4+, and the right to live and work in the EU or selected partner states. UK: UK CAA licence and medical, plus unrestricted UK right to work.

THE PACKAGE
Retention bonuses up to €25,000 (FO/SFO) and €40,000 (Captain) after three years, plus sign-on bonuses up to €5,000 and €10,000, available in selected bases with T&Cs. Roster options include 14/7 commuter with two free network commutes a month, 20/10 floating with hotel and allowances, and reverse patterns with extra nights at home.

One key catch: you cannot change AOC once you've applied, so check bases and rosters before you commit.

Prepping for the assessment? Our Wizz Air interview guide breaks down the format, the technical questions and the sim profile. Link in bio.

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Type rating expiring? Need to convert from CAA to EASA? Sort it in the sim.

Whether you need to revalidate before it lapses, convert onto a new authority, or renew one that's already expired, we'll get you back in the right-hand seat.

- A320 | A330 | B737
- CAA, EASA and ICAO licences
- Full-flight simulator sessions with experienced TREs
- Flexible slots to fit around your roster or job search

Keeping your rating current is one of the strongest things you can do for your employability. Recruiters notice.

DM us, email us, WhatsApp us, or hit the link in bio to check availability.

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Big moves in pilot training.

FlightSafety International has signed a deal to acquire Acron Technologies' Commercial Training Solutions business, including its training systems, aviation academy and simulator manufacturing, with 300+ full-flight simulators currently in operation worldwide.

Why it matters: the global airline fleet is projected to grow from ~28,000 aircraft today to 50,000+ by 2045. More aircraft means more pilots and a race to build the training capacity to produce them. Expect more simulator slots, more academy places, and more opportunity for the next generation of flight crew.

The deal is expected to close Q4 2026.

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Airbus has stopped counting hours.

Its pilot curriculum has been rebuilt around nine core competencies rather than a total in a logbook. Some are technical: knowledge, procedures, flight path management. Some are not: communication, teamwork, leadership, workload management. Airbus expects the competency based approach to improve training efficiency by 10 to 20 percent.

There is a new tool alongside it. The Virtual Procedure Trainer is cloud based, so crews can rehearse flows and procedures before they get anywhere near a full flight simulator, instead of burning sim time learning where the switches live.

The direction of travel is clear enough. What gets measured is shifting from how long you have been flying to how well you handle the aeroplane and the people next to you.

Does that feel like progress, or does the logbook still tell the truer story?

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The FAA is reportedly moving to dismiss two LaGuardia air traffic controllers who allegedly clocked out around an hour before the end of their shift on the night of the Air Canada Express Flight 8646 accident in March, leaving two colleagues in the tower without backup.

Flight 8646, a CRJ900 operating from Montreal, collided with an airport fire truck crossing the runway just after landing on 22 March. Both pilots, Captain Antoine Forest and First Officer MacKenzie Gunther, two young pilots at the start of their careers, lost their lives. Dozens of the 72 passengers on board were injured.

The controllers' union, NATCA, has confirmed it is discussing the allegations with FAA leadership. The accident has renewed scrutiny of chronic staffing shortages across US air traffic control, and the FAA has since begun fitting transponders to all airport vehicles.

Our thoughts remain with the families and colleagues of both pilots.

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The XLR finally goes to work.

United has confirmed its A321XLR will start international flying in December, as the 757 fleet winds down. After years of talk about what a long range single aisle would do to the map, we are about to find out.

For pilots, this is the interesting part. A narrowbody rating now opens routes that used to need a widebody: thinner transatlantic city pairs, smaller crew complements, different rostering patterns, and a very different working day at the back end of a long sector.

The 757 crowd will have opinions. It usually does.

Would you rather hold the XLR or the aircraft it is replacing?

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