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ATR identified (19-Aug-2026) 209 new domestic air routes in Indonesia that would be "economically viable if served by regional turboprop aircraft". ATR stated total demand for the routes is 16 million passengers p/a and the airport infrastructure already exists, noting: "There is enormous scope to develop new domestic air routes in Indonesia, because 70 of the country's 180 airports, with paved runways, currently have no scheduled passenger services". ATR added 88% of the potential air routes, accounting for 14 million passenger volume p/a, are intra-island routes and 90% of the new potential air routes are on islands other than Java. [more - original PR]

Aircalin, via its official website and Facebook account, confirmed (18-Aug-2026) its long haul flight schedule is experiencing "significant disruption", owing to two simultaneous technical issues impacting its A330 fleet. The first A330 has been returned to service following "a persistent oil odour". The carrier confirmed its second A330 has been repaired after it sustained damage a fan blade. Aircalin confirmed it has secured the charter of an aircraft from an authorised airline to operate frequencies from 22-Aug-2026 onwards.

IATA Economics reported (14-Aug-2026) fleet renewal is an important decarbonisation lever for the air transport industry, but significant delivery delays are slowing progress and forcing operators to use older aircraft with higher fuel consumption. Details include:

• As many as 1662 aircraft replacements were estimated to be delayed until 2025. Delayed aircraft deliveries impose on airlines the deferral of their fleet renewal. Airlines must then continue to operate older generation aircraft until they can take delivery of the ordered aircraft;
• Depending on the type of aircraft, airlines might have to wait up to seven years to receive their order. These delays, caused by supply chain and manufacturing issues, lead to higher fuel consumption and, in turn, more CO2 and non-CO2 emissions, adding around USD3 billion per year to airlines' fuel costs;
• Next generation widebody aircraft reduce CO2 emissions per ASK by 20%. For narrowbody and regional jets, the CO2 emissions reduction is even greater, at 24% and 40%, respectively.
• The ongoing aircraft delivery delays cause approximately 12 million tonnes (Mt) of additional CO2 emissions p/a equivalent to 1.2% of total industry emissions or 2.6 million cars. That is double the gain from using all the SAF estimated to be produced in 2026, 2.4 Mt, which avoids about 6 Mt of CO2 emissions, assuming an average emissions reduction factor of 0.8, or 0.6% of the airline industry's total CO2 emissions;
• The lack of new aircraft also brings about higher non-CO2 emissions. New engine technologies, such as lean burn combustors, emit much fewer nitrogen oxides and significantly reduce non volatile particulate matter. Aircraft delivery delays curtail improvements in air quality and aggravate climate impacts. [more - original PR]

Air France commenced (14-Aug-2026) the deployment of Boeing 777-300ER aircraft with the new La Premiere cabin on one daily Paris CDG-San Francisco frequency (AF083/AF084). The carrier announced that 19 777-300ERs equipped with the new cabin are operating to 13 destinations from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport during the summer 2026 season. [more - original PR]

Airport Coordination Limited (ACL) Asia Pacific reported (13-Aug-2026) 4% of take-off and landing slots at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport for the northern summer 2026 scheduling period from late Mar-2026 to the end of Oct-2026 have been cancelled. ACL Asia Pacific stated slot numbers are "down in key markets on initial allocations" for the period owing to "the Middle East conflict impacting regional aviation hubs and sending the global fuel price soaring". International services recorded the largest decline with 6% cancelled, whilst domestic slots are down 3% for the period. The highest cancellation rates are for carriers servicing China (24%), Qatar (24%), the United Arab Emirates (22%), India (32%), the Philippines (18%) and Vietnam (12%). ACL Asia Pacific reported that whilst "no region has escaped unscathed", some destinations have benefitted from increased services to meet demand caused by altered travel patterns - with Malaysia recording a 3% increase in slots to cater for increased demand from European-bound travellers avoiding Middle East hubs. Slots to Thailand rose marginally while Vanuatu (7%) and Canada (7%) saw substantial slot increases. Airlines also added capacity on services connecting Sydney travellers to Europe, including Italy and France via Perth, as passengers increasingly sought alternatives to Middle East hubs and airspace affected by the conflict. ACL Asia Pacific stated that despite current scheduling adjustments, it is seeing "strong demand for international take-off and landing slots" at the airport for the six months starting at the end of Oct-2026 - with preliminary data showing international airline slot demand increasing by 6% year-on-year as domestic slot demand remains stable. ACL Asia Pacific coordination manager Darren Batty stated: "While airlines are responding to fuel costs and geopolitical uncertainty in the short term, demand for access to Sydney remains strong", adding: "What we're seeing is airlines adapting their networks to changing market conditions and the increase in slot requests for the next scheduling period is a positive indication of Sydney's ongoing importance to global airline networks". [more - original PR]

Air Niugini provided (13-Aug-2026) the following temporary changes to services at Mount Hagen Kagamuga Airport, Hoskins Airport and Kiunga Airport, owing to major runway rehabilitation and upgrade works being undertaken by the National Airports Corporation:

• Mount Hagen:
  • Works require all services to operate using Dash 8-200/300 aircraft, with these restrictions expected to remain in place until Oct-2026, when project progress allows for the return of larger Q400 and Fokker aircraft. The runway works are scheduled for completion in early Dec-2026, after which the airport will be capable of handling Air Niugini's A220 and Boeing 737 aircraft;
  • To minimise the impact of capacity reductions at Mount Hagen, Air Niugini has increased Port Moresby-Goroka frequency from twice to three times daily using Fokker and Q400 equipment;
• Hoskins:
  • Works will restrict operations to Dash 8 aircraft until mid Sep-2026, when the runway will be reopened to larger Q400 equipment. The airport will be capable of handling Air Niguini's A220 and 737 aircraft upon completion of all airport upgrade works later in 2026;
• Kiunga:
  • Services are scheduled to resume on 27-Sep-2026 following the completion of runway rehabilitation works. Services were suspended in Jan-2026 to facilitate the project, which will enable larger Q400 aircraft to operate at the airport. [more - original PR]