Author name: Aviation World

Putrajaya, Malaysia, 7th July 2026: In a landmark step towards accelerating aviation decarbonisation across Asia-Pacific, the SAF Association (SAFA) and NGen Energy Sdn Bhd had launched the India–APAC Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Working Group – a high-level regional platform designed to drive policy leadership, industry collaboration, investment mobilisation, and market development for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). The announcement marks the beginning of a long-term strategic partnership between the SAF Association and NGen Energy to establish one of the region’s most influential industry-led platforms dedicated to advancing the SAF economy across India and the Asia-Pacific. As governments and aviation stakeholders intensify efforts to meet net-zero commitments, the India–APAC SAF Working Group will serve as a catalyst for regional cooperation, bringing together policymakers, airlines, airports, energy companies, fuel producers, technology developers, certification bodies, financial institutions, investors, research organisations, and international agencies to collectively shape the future of sustainable aviation. The Working Group aims to become the leading platform for dialogue, collaboration, and action on SAF across the region, helping bridge policy ambitions with commercial implementation while strengthening regional supply chains and investment opportunities. Building the Future of the Regional SAF Economy The India–APAC SAF Working Group will focus on five strategic pillars critical to the development of a globally competitive SAF ecosystem: ● Feedstock Development – Unlocking sustainable feedstock potential through agricultural residues, municipal solid waste, industrial waste streams, biomass, and next-generation feedstocks. ● Certification & Sustainability Standards – Promoting internationally recognised sustainability certification, lifecycle emissions accounting, and harmonised sustainability frameworks. ● Regional SAF Trade & Supply Chains – Facilitating cross-border trade, commercial partnerships, offtake agreements, logistics integration, and market access across the Asia-Pacific region. ● Policy Leadership & Harmonisation – Encouraging coordinated policy development, regulatory alignment, and knowledge exchange between governments and industry. ● Investment & Project Development – Connecting investors, project developers, financial institutions, and technology providers to accelerate bankable SAF projects and large-scale commercial deployment. Beyond policy discussions, the Working Group will establish specialised task forces, executive roundtables, technical committees, investment forums, research collaborations, capacity-building programmes, and annual regional dialogues to accelerate implementation across the SAF value chain. Establishing a Regional Leadership Platform The India–APAC SAF Working Group represents a shared commitment by the SAF Association and NGen Energy to build an enduring regional institution capable of supporting the next generation of sustainable aviation growth. By fostering stronger collaboration between India and the Asia-Pacific region, the initiative seeks to position the region as one of the world’s leading centres for SAF production, innovation, investment, technology deployment, and sustainable aviation policy. The Working Group will actively engage with governments, multilateral organisations, financial institutions, industry associations, and private sector stakeholders to create practical pathways for scaling SAF production and accelerating aviation decarbonisation. Rohit Kumar, Secretary General, SAF Association, said, “The transition to Sustainable Aviation Fuel is no longer a national conversation – it is a regional and global imperative. The India–APAC SAF Working Group reflects our vision of creating a permanent platform that brings together governments,industry, finance, technology providers, and academia to collectively shape the future of sustainable aviation. The SAF Association is committed to providing strategic leadership that transforms dialogue into implementation, accelerates investment, and builds resilient regional SAF value chains. Together with NGenEnergy, we are laying the foundation for a new era of cooperation that will help position India and the Asia-Pacific as global leaders in sustainable aviation.” LT Leong, President & Executive Director, NGen Energy Sdn Bhd, said, “The future of Sustainable Aviation Fuel will be built through partnerships that combine policy vision with industrial capability. As Malaysia strengthens its role in the regional clean energy transition, NGen Energy is proud to partner with the SAF Association in establishing the India–APAC SAF Working Group. We see this platform as a catalyst for attracting investment, enabling technology collaboration, strengthening regional supply chains, and accelerating commercially viable SAFprojects. Together, we are creating a strategic platform that will help define thefuture of sustainable aviation across Asia-Pacific.”

Delhi, 4th July 2026: Akasa Air has inductee  40th aircraft in its growing fleet, marking a significant milestone in the airline’s journey. The first leg of the aircraft’s delivery flight commenced from Seattle, USA, to Reykjavik, Iceland and concluded with the final leg from Cairo, Egypt, to Bengaluru, India. Bearing registration number VT-YBQ, the Boeing 737 MAX 8-200 aircraft arrived at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru on July 3, 2026.  Within four years of commencing operations, Akasa Air has emerged as a formidable player in the Indian aviation landscape, while establishing a strong foundation for long-term growth. The milestone comes at a time when the airline continues to expand its network, strengthen its operational capabilities, and invest in building an airline for generations. The aircraft is purpose-built to Akasa’s specifications and equipped with Safran Z200 seats, a next-generation seating solution designed to elevate the in-flight experience. The seats feature a generous four-inch recline, an ergonomically contoured backrest, and enhanced cushioning for superior sitting comfort, alongside thoughtfully positioned additional conveniences such as USB-C and USB-A ports to support the needs of today’s hyper-connected travellers. Akasa Air has placed a firm order for 226 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, with a pipeline of 186 additional aircraft scheduled for delivery over the next six years. As India’s aviation sector continues to witness sustained growth, the airline remains committed to contributing meaningfully to the country’s evolving air travel ecosystem. With continued expansion, Akasa Air remains on track to become one of the top 30 airlines across the globe by the turn of this decade

New Delhi,3rd July 2026: Air India has announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with SIA Engineering Company Limited (SIAEC) to explore a collaboration in Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) which will contribute to the development of India as a global aviation MRO hub. The MoU was signed in Mumbai on 3 July 2026 by Air India Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Campbell Wilson, and SIAEC Chief Executive Officer, Chin Yau Seng. This follows Air India’s earlier collaborations with SIAEC to strengthen maintenance and component support for its growing fleet and network expansion: Signing of a 12-year Inventory Technical Management (ITM) agreement with SIAEC for extensive component support coverage for Air India’s current fleet of Airbus A320 family aircraft on 21 February 2024; Appointment of SIAEC as Air India’s Base Maintenance strategic partner for the development of the airline’s Base Maintenance facilities located in Bangalore on 11 May 2024. The latest MOU aims to deepen the partnership between both parties by tapping on SIAEC’s MRO and technical expertise to bolster Air India’s established airline operations network by jointly developing a world-class MRO ecosystem in India. This collaboration could include the potential formation of an MRO Joint Venture in India, serving the increasing needs of the Indian and regional aviation markets. Campbell Wilson, Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director, Air India, said: “India’s rapid aviation growth is driving the need for a stronger, more self-reliant MRO ecosystem within the country. As fleet sizes expand and operations scale up, developing local maintenance capacity will be important to support efficiency, resilience and long-term growth. Partnerships such as this can play a constructive role in enabling that broader direction and developing India as a global aviation hub.” Chin Yau Seng, Chief Executive Officer SIAEC, said: “India is one of the world’s fastest-growing aviation markets, and the continued development of its MRO capabilities will be an important step in strengthening its position within the global aerospace ecosystem. Through this MOU, we look forward to exploring how SIAEC’s technical expertise can support the progressive build-up of capabilities and capacity in India, alongside our ongoing partnership with Air India.” The potential collaboration, which is legally non-binding, is likely to be progressively firmed up with material developments in future.

São Paulo (SP),3rd July, 2026 : Embraer has reported that it has delivered 65 aircraft in 2Q26, marking its strongest second-quarter delivery performance over the past 16 years. Deliveries increased 48% quarter-over-quarter (QoQ) and 7% year-on-year (YoY). In 1H26, Embraer delivered a total of 109 aircraft, circa 20% more than the 91 aircraft delivered in 1H25, supported by continued progress in the company’s production levelling initiatives. Commercial Aviation delivered 20 new aircraft during 2Q26 – 6 of which were E195-E2 models, Embraer’s largest aircraft currently in production in the segment. The business unit’s volume increased 100% in comparison with 1Q26 when it delivered 10 aircraft, and 5% in comparison with 2Q25 when it delivered 19 aircraft. Executive Aviation delivered 45 aircraft during the quarter, up 55% QoQ from 29 aircraft in 1Q26, and up 18% YoY from 38 aircraft in 2Q25. Growth was driven by higher deliveries across both small and medium jet segments, reflecting sustained demand and continued operational execution. There were no deliveries in the Defense & Security segment during the quarter. Embraer continues to expect deliveries between 80 and 85 aircraft in Commercial Aviation (midpoint up 6% YoY and between 160 and 170 aircraft in Executive Aviation (midpoint up 6% YoY) in 2026. In India, the regional airlines Star Air is the sole commercial operator which has fleet of all-Embraer aircraft. As of now, it has fleet size of 12 aircraft, including 8 Embraer E175s and 4 Embraer E145s, and as per the company website they are looking to expand the fleet to 25 aircraft over the next 36 months. However, they are many Indian NSOPs which uses Embraer business jets for regular charter operations.