The world’s largest aircraft, the Stratolaunch "Roc" air-launcher vehicle produced by Scaled Composites, has made its maiden flight on the 13th of April from Mojave Air and Space Port in California.The six-engined twin-fuselage all-composite design was created as a purpose-built air-launch vehicle for US-based Stratolaunch, The first flight follows more than 12 months of ground testing. Test crew Evan Thomas and Chris Guarente flew simulated landing approach exercises at an altitude of 15,000ft.
“Today has been great. The airplane flew as predicted. It was a very smooth flight and the team had a lot of fun,” said Thomas. The Roc, is powered by six Pratt & Whitney PW4056 turbofans, the same engine fitted to the Boeing 747-400. Each fuselage is 73m (238ft) in length and they are 29m apart, while the wingspan of 117m makes Stratolaunch the largest aircraft ever to fly. The crewed cockpit is incorporated into the right fuselage while the left fuselage is empty and unpressurised.

The crash occurred while the plane, a Czech-manufactured Let L-410 belonging to Summit Air, was trying to take off from Lukla for Kathmandu on Sunday morning.
The plane skidded off the runaway, hitting a Manang Air helicopter.
Reports of 3 deaths and 4 injured have been received.
The Kathmandu airport is often referred to as the world's most dangerous because of the short runway and difficult approach. It's open only to helicopters and small fixed-wing aircraft. It sits at an elevation of 2 845m.

Russian based, newly-rebranded operator Smartavia, formerly Nordavia, has shown off the first aircraft, a new Boeing 737-800 at St Petersburg on the 10th of April 2019. The airline will have aquired seven Boeing 737-800 jets by mid-summer, says chief executive Sergei Savostin. The airline will use St Petersburg as a hub, operating to 18 Russian and international destinations. Smartavia has emerged from Arkhangelsk-based Nordavia, which uses a fleet of 12 aircraft including 737-500s, -700s and -800s.