The U.S. Air Force has completed the final high-speed sled test of the Boeing T-7A Red Hawk escape system, a simulated ejection at 550 knots effective airspeed that tested a redesigned canopy fracturing pattern and a modernized ejection seat sequencer. The run closes the program’s sled test matrix and moves the trainer toward final qualification of its escape system.

The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC) said in an article published on November 4, 2026, that the T-7 Program Office had executed the test. The 846th Test Squadron conducted the test at the Holloman High Speed Test Track at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, on October 7, 2026. AFLCMC called the test a critical milestone in certifying the trainer’s aircrew safety systems.

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What the final sled test checked

The primary objective was to validate two safety enhancements: a redesigned canopy fracturing system pattern and a modernized ejection seat sequencer, according to AFLCMC. The test used an anthropomorphic test device representing the lightest occupant in the pilot candidate spectrum, which the Air Force said is meant to ensure that the escape system protects the full range of future aviators.

An initial review of high-speed video indicated that the modernized seat sequencer functioned as designed, deploying the stabilizing drogue parachute for an extended duration. AFLCMC said this deployment timing stabilizes the seat during separation, significantly lowering peak loads on the neck and spine and giving a smoother descent. Seat trajectory, acceleration and biometric sensor data remain under formal engineering analysis, so the result is not yet a final qualification.

“Completing this final sled test represents a major achievement in our rigorous qualification process.”

That was Col. Robert Volesky, AFLCMC’s T-7A System Program Manager. “Aircrew safety is our highest priority,” he said. AFLCMC said the event caps a comprehensive test matrix of static and dynamic sled runs, paving the way toward final qualification of the escape system and supporting future production aircraft deliveries.

How the escape system reached this point

The October run follows an earlier high-speed test of the redesigned canopy and seat sequencer. In an article published on May 2, 2025, AFLCMC said the 846th Test Squadron at Holloman ran a high-speed test of the new escape system on April 16, 2025, at 450 knots effective airspeed (KEAS), and that the system met all test objectives.

That test focused on a redesigned canopy ejection system and a new seat sequencer. According to the 2025 article, the redesigned canopy is meant to break apart in a safer pattern and protected the test mannequins from shattered glass, while the modernized sequencer deployed the stabilizing parachute for a longer duration to reduce the risk of neck and spine injury. Initial results then showed the system protected both lighter-weight and heavier-weight mannequins. AFLCMC said at the time that another test was scheduled for August.

Compared with the April 2025 run, the final test was conducted at 550 knots rather than 450 knots effective airspeed, with a test device representing the lightest occupant in the pilot candidate range, according to the two AFLCMC articles.

Production and what comes next

The escape system work runs alongside the move into production. On May 4, 2026, Boeing said the U.S. Air Force had announced that the T-7A reached Milestone C in its development life cycle, which allows the program to proceed to low-rate initial production of aircraft for instructor and student training. “Milestone C positions us to start low-rate initial production this year,” said Andy Adams, vice president and program manager of Boeing T-7 Programs.

In 2018, the Air Force awarded Boeing a $9.2 billion contract for 351 T-7A advanced trainers, 46 simulators and support, according to Boeing, which builds the aircraft at its St. Louis, Missouri site. The T-7A replaces the T-38 trainer, which Boeing said has been in service since the 1960s. AFLCMC said the Red Hawk is designed to train pilots and weapon systems officers for 4th, 5th and emerging 6th-generation fighters and bombers, working with an advanced Ground Based Training System.

The next step named by AFLCMC is final qualification of the escape system, once the engineering analysis of the October data is complete. The Air Force did not give a date for that qualification or for the first production deliveries.

Houston Airports will grow the East Cargo area at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) by 183 acres and plans to launch an airport-specific insurance program for airfield contractors as early as January 2027. Director of Aviation Jim Szczesniak announced both among six major developments at the Greater Houston Partnership’s 2026 State of the Airports, held at the Hilton Americas-Houston.

In a press release dated November 4, 2026, Houston Airports said the other announcements cover pickup amenities for drivers, a pharmaceutical cargo certification, the completion date for seven new gates at William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) and faster international arrivals for Global Entry members. The airport system said the initiatives support Mayor John Whitmire’s goals of better passenger experiences, stronger infrastructure and more business opportunities for Houstonians. “Houston doesn’t stand still, and neither can its airports,” Szczesniak said.

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Cargo growth at Bush Intercontinental

On the cargo side, the East Cargo area at Bush will expand by 183 acres, from about 100 acres to approximately 283 acres, according to Houston Airports. Future tenants could build warehouses, parking and other facilities, and the airport system said the expansion would support Houston’s energy, aerospace, biotechnology and logistics industries. Houston Airports expects to seek development proposals in early 2027.

The plan follows what the airport system called a record year for freight. In FY2026, 598,139 metric tons of cargo moved through IAH and HOU, a 7.2% increase year over year. At the existing East Cargo complex, cargo handler dnata Cargo USA earned the International Air Transport Association (IATA) CEIV Pharma certification for pharmaceutical handling, and Houston Airports said its facilities protect temperature-sensitive products during storage and handling.

Seven new gates at Hobby

At Hobby, the West Concourse project, developed with Southwest Airlines at a cost of nearly $500 million, will add seven gates, a new baggage system and a covered walkway from the parking garage to the terminal. Houston Airports said the project remains on schedule, with phased completion beginning in the first quarter of 2027.

According to the AirPro Atlas, Hobby has three runways, the longest of them 7,602 feet. Bush Intercontinental has five runways, the longest 12,001 feet, and handled 48,131,213 passengers in 2025, according to the Atlas record.

An insurance program for airfield businesses

The insurance program, called AirsideDrive, is an airport-specific excess auto liability program that Houston Airports is developing at Mayor Whitmire’s direction. It is meant to make required coverage more affordable for businesses whose vehicles operate on the airfield, and to reduce cost barriers for qualified small businesses seeking airport work.

The program would provide $9 million in excess coverage above a company’s required $1 million underlying coverage while authorized vehicles operate inside the Air Operations Area. Houston Airports said the model originated at Denver International Airport, where it produced savings of up to 70% for participants. Safety standards would not change, and businesses would still need to win airport contracts.

Changes for passengers and drivers

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) confirmed that Bush will be one of eight airports receiving Global Entry Walk-Through technology in December, Houston Airports said. Eligible members will be able to keep walking while cameras use facial comparison to verify identity, instead of stopping at a kiosk. CBP is piloting the technology, which builds on its existing use of facial comparison, according to the release.

The cell-phone waiting area along John F. Kennedy Boulevard will be redeveloped with a redesigned waiting area, a fuel station, electric vehicle chargers, a convenience store, public restrooms and quick-service restaurants. Houston Airports also listed $90 million in restroom improvements underway across IAH and HOU, and parking upgrades that include online reservations, cashless technology and better garage wayfinding.

Where the airport system stands

Houston Airports listed recent results alongside the announcements: 22 new gates opened as part of the Terminal B transformation at IAH, and 4.6 million passengers traveled through IAH and HOU during the 2026 FIFA World Cup travel period. Houston Airports said it supports more than 200,000 local jobs and generates approximately $40 billion in annual economic activity.

Szczesniak also outlined a 20-year master plan covering future airfield capacity, terminal growth, roadway access and infrastructure supporting Houston’s economy. After the address, he joined Greater Houston Partnership President and CEO Steve Kean for a discussion on investment, global connectivity and how local businesses can help shape the airport system’s future. The next dates to watch are the January 2027 target for AirsideDrive, the first quarter of 2027 for the first Hobby gates and the call for East Cargo development proposals in early 2027.

Mobix Labs has received a six-figure production order from an unnamed tier-one aerospace and defense supplier for connectors used in engine systems on multiple U.S. fighter jet platforms and on wide-body commercial aircraft, extending its engine-system work across military and commercial aviation.

In a press release published through Business Wire on November 5, 2026, the company (Nasdaq: MOBX) said the order covers custom-engineered connectors filtered against electromagnetic interference (EMI) that protect engine control and monitoring electronics. The release does not name the supplier, the specific fighter or wide-body types, or the exact value of the order. It presents the award as the next step after F-16 production orders and what it calls a 500% increase in F-22 component orders.

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What the order covers

Mobix Labs, which describes itself as a U.S.-based provider of advanced, mission-critical electronic components for aerospace and defense, said modern fighter jets operate in demanding electromagnetic environments, where radar, communications and electronic warfare systems coexist with digital engine controls. The company said its filtering helps protect engine electronics from that interference.

“From front-line U.S. fighter jets to the world’s largest commercial aircraft, engine reliability is nonnegotiable.”

Phil Sansone, chief executive officer of Mobix Labs, said the order reflects the expanding role of the company’s technology and its growing reach into commercial aviation. The company said the award supports its strategy of expanding into mission-critical aerospace and defense applications through specialized, high-reliability components for established aircraft programs. The release does not give a delivery schedule for the new order.

How the order builds on F-22 and F-16 work

Fighter programs

On April 2, 2026, Mobix Labs reported new and expanded activity on the F-22 Raptor program from Irvine, California, including a new customer and increased demand from an existing partner. That release described the combined activity as “approximately a five-fold increase in component orders,” with production underway to support deliveries in 2026.

On September 8, 2026, the company announced its initial F-16 connector order, placed by a veteran-owned U.S. aerospace sustainment contractor that supports the Air Force F-16 fleet. Those EMI-filtered connectors are made by its EMI Solutions unit at a military-approved facility in Irvine. The September release noted that the Air Force’s F-16 Service Life Extension Program extends upgraded aircraft from an original 8,000-hour service life to as much as 12,000 flight hours, supporting operation of parts of the fleet toward 2050.

Beyond fighters

According to the September release, Mobix Labs components are used on the F-22 Raptor, F-35 Lightning II, F/A-18 Super Hornet and F-16 Fighting Falcon. Its wider portfolio includes Apache helicopters, U.S. Navy shipboard secure communications systems, missile programs, Gulfstream aircraft, where AirPro News covered its Gulfstream component orders, and certified onboard systems for Boeing 737NG aircraft. The company operates through subsidiaries including EMI Solutions and RaGE Systems.

For scale, Mobix Labs said in an earlier release listed on its Business Wire page that revenue for its fiscal fourth quarter of 2026, which ended September 30, 2026, would exceed $1.6 million, the midpoint of guidance of $1.4 million to $1.8 million issued on August 17, 2026.

The commercial backlog behind the pitch

To support the commercial side of the order, Mobix Labs cites figures from ADS, the UK trade association for aerospace, defence, security and space. In data published on August 31, 2026, ADS said the global commercial aircraft backlog reached a record 17,037 aircraft in July 2026, equal to more than 12 years of production at current delivery rates.

ADS reported that 1,573 aircraft were ordered in the first seven months of 2026, up 31% on the same period of 2025. Deliveries for January to July reached 794, the strongest performance for that period since 2018, but ADS said the backlog keeps growing because demand exceeds production, and it acknowledged supply chain and industrial challenges. Mobix Labs said engine supply is a critical factor in the pace of deliveries.

The company said it believes its U.S.-based manufacturing and its experience with high-reliability components position it for more military and commercial work. Its release also states that no assurance can be given of additional orders or revenue.