Aviation Week
U.S. aerospace/defense industry trade
Background
The publication traces its roots to 1916, when Lester D. Gardner—backed in part by Orville Wright and Alexander Graham Bell—launched it as Aviation and Aeronautical Engineering to supply the aeronautical profession with technical information. It took the name Aviation Week in 1947 through the merger of two predecessor titles, and became Aviation Week & Space Technology in 1960 as coverage expanded beyond aircraft. For most of the 20th century it was a McGraw-Hill property, establishing itself as the authoritative trade record for the U.S. aerospace and defense sector. Its close sourcing relationships inside the Pentagon and defense contractors earned it the long-standing industry nickname 'Aviation Leak and Space Mythology,' reflecting its reputation for obtaining sensitive pre-release information. McGraw-Hill sold the property to Penton Media in 2013, and Informa PLC absorbed it when Informa acquired Penton in 2016. As a trade outlet it does not endorse candidates or take domestic political positions; its perspective is shaped by the interests and perspectives of its core audience—aerospace engineers, defense procurement officials, airline executives, and MRO operators.
Sources
- Aviation Week & Space Technology – Wikipedia
- Aviation Week Network – Wikipedia
- Penton Buys Aviation Week Group | Aviation Week
- Informa Acquisition of Penton – Press Release
- Aviation Week At 110: Decades Of Scoops—And A Few 'Oops'
- Trump Administration's Push For Major Reform Roils The Pentagon | Aviation Week
- Trump Administration's Unorthodox Budget Rollout Prompts Criticism | Aviation Week
- Subscription Services | Aviation Week Network
Profile compiled 2026-08-25; refreshed when ownership, funding, or the administration changes.