U.S. aviation regulators announced an important milestone in returning Boeing Co.’s grounded 737 Max jet to service, an event one person familiar with the process said would happen no earlier than October.

The fatal crash of a cargo plane last year was caused in part by the failure of the U.S. federal government to establish a reliable system of weeding out unqualified airline pilots, investigators concluded.

Testing of the 737 Max jetliner’s revised flight-control systems by U.S. regulators and Boeing Co. wrapped up July 1, laying the foundation for the plane’s possible return to service later this year.

Hundreds of driverless cars have been tested in locations across the U.S. in recent years, but standards are inconsistent and in a handful of cases there have been accidents and even a death.

Alphabet Inc.’s Wing unit is seeing a dramatic increase in the number of customers using its drone delivery service in rural Virginia during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Almost every day over the past three weeks the number of people flying in the U.S. has reached a record low as the pandemic kept people home. But on April 7, the levels crossed a stark dividing line: fewer than 100,000 people.

Airlines must fully refund airfare to passengers whose flights have been canceled during the outbreak of COVID-19, the U.S. Transportation Department ordered on April 3.

House Republicans say they are exploring a range of proposals — from loans to grants for cleaning airports — to help the aviation industry staggering under the weight of the coronavirus outbreak.

Government regulators plan to review drone designs in the same way they review other aircraft, a major step toward allowing routine drone deliveries and other flights over congested cities.

All but the smallest civilian drones would have to broadcast radio tracking data to ensure greater safety and prevent terrorism under a sweeping proposal unveiled by U.S. regulators Dec. 26.