Gregory Polek
Senior Editor
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 New Jersey Monthly 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 Aviation International News 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.
Latest from Gregory Polek
ACA in Hot Water with FAA
The FAA has proposed fining Sterling, Va.-based Atlantic Coast Airlines $1.5 million for failure to perform mandated maintenance work on “several aircraft.
Embraer Wins Financing Reprieve
GE Capital Aviation Services last month secured $220.8 million in financing from Brazil’s BNDES development bank for 10 Embraer 170s destined for US Airway
Pilots flex newfound muscle to block AA commuter plan
A federal arbitrator’s ruling to award the Allied Pilots Association $23.2 million for American Airlines’ scope-clause violations appears to have achieved
Aussie service crisis fueling, ire of 'second-class citizens'
While industry groups in the U.S.
Aircraft
Embraer 190 Flies
The 98- to 108-seat Embraer 190 officially began its year-and-a-half-long flight-test campaign on March 12, when the first prototype took off from Embraer’
Aircraft
Embraer 170 finds its bearings as first airplanes enter service
Brazil’s Embraer delivered its first batch of newly certified Embraer 170s to three customers last month, just as the company prepared to score a major U.S
Aircraft
Chinese jet gaining clout among world’s suppliers
It’s suddenly fashionable to look to China as an up-and-coming economic force, a trend that has drawn billions of dollars in foreign investment into an eco
Swiss Hands Lugano to Cirrus
Swiss will replace its four daily flights between Zurich and Lugano with the same number of flights subcontracted to Cirrus Airlines as of April 1.
Aircraft
Omni Launches Saab 2000 Service
Saab Aircraft Leasing (SAL) recently delivered the first Saab 2000 to Omni Aviação e Tecnologia of Portugal.
Subsidy Squabble Heats Up Again
As Bombardier prepares a financial foundation for the proposed launch of a new 115-seat jet, the Canadian company fired the opening salvo in what appears l
Delta Connection Carriers Gobble Up More RJs
Delta Connection carriers Atlantic Southeast, SkyWest and Chautauqua Airlines will fly another 45 fifty-seat regional jets under contract with Delta Air Li
CEO Dosé Quits Swiss
Andre Dosé resigned his post as CEO of Swiss International Airlines last month amid a continuing investigation into the Nov.
United Signs Chautauqua, Republic, Shuttle America
United Airlines availed itself of more options to its imperiled code-share partnership with Atlantic Coast Airlines last month, when it recruited Indianapo
Bombardier gets serious about new jet project
Canada’s largest aerospace company has apparently given up playing coy about its reliance on government support to compete in the large RJ arena.
Regulations and Government
NTSB lashes out at FAA on maintenance scrutiny
The NTSB issued a scathing indictment of the FAA’s oversight of contract maintenance providers, essentially validating a DOT inspector general’s report tha
Regional turboprops hold their own in a tough market
Last year saw reasonably brisk activity in the regional turboprop business, as the Western world’s remaining players scrambled to hold their positions duri
Bombardier snags big CRJ orders
The Bombardier CRJ line of regional jets added to its ample order totals recently when over the span of two weeks Mesa Air Group and SkyWest Airlines each
Pilots Acquiesce on MidAtlantic, Express Crews OK Merger
US Airways can no longer point to the lack of a pilot deal for any further delays in the launch of MidAtlantic Airways, as members of the Air Line Pilots A
Engines
Harbin-Embraer sells first ERJ-145s
Harbin-Embraer–the manufacturing joint venture established in January last year by Brazil’s Embraer and AVIC II subsidiaries Harbin Aircraft and Hafei Avia
Regulations and Government
Part 139 extends to small airports
A new final rule issued by the FAA last month will subject airports hosting scheduled flights in aircraft designed to hold between 10 and 30 passenger seat
Engines
Pratt & Whitney Canada PW306s under fire, great plains closes
A cooling deficiency in Pratt & Whitney Canada’s PW306B turbofan has forced the company to correct and recertify the design after turbine blades showed
Delta Continues Regional Shakeup
Mesa Air Group will fly another 14 Bombardier CRJ900s as Delta Connection starting in September under the terms of a contract amendment that also calls for
Mesa Loses Ground to Maui Rival
Maui-based Pacific Wings exacted a small measure of revenge on Hawaiian gatecrasher Mesa Air Group last month when it won the rights to two of Mesa’s Essen
Aircraft
XJet ERJ 145s Spell JetBlue E190s
JetBlue Airways last month recruited Houston-based ExpressJet to fly four 50-seat Embraer ERJ 145s as replacements for each pair of E190s it sends to Embra
Security
Comair Arrests Prompt Crackdown
The Transportation Security Administration began random security checks of airline and airport employees in Florida and Puerto Rico last month after author
Accidents
Missing Bolt Blamed for Q400 Mishap
Japanese investigators have determined that a missing support arm bolt caused the nosegear hatch on an All Nippon Airways Bombardier Q400 to jam as i
Aircraft
JAL to Take E170s; E195 Customer Revealed
Japan Airlines said it will order 10 Embraer E170s and place an option on another five airplanes this spring. The airline plans to place the airplane
Aircraft
1st ARJ21 starts to take shape in China
Xi’an Aircraft Industries delivered the first sets of ARJ21-700 wings and main fuselage sections for final assembly to Shanghai Aircraft Company early last
FAA shuts down RegionsAir for flaws in training manuals
Smyrna, Tenn.-based RegionsAir had to suspend all service indefinitely on March 9 after the FAA for the second time in a week halted operations for inadequ
Aircraft
An-148-100 lands milestone approvals
The 80-seat Antonov An-148-100 won type approval from Russian and Ukrainian authorities in late February, marking the successful completion of the first ne
