2026

Dubai, 21st April 2026: Following the developments in the region earlier this year, and in close coordination with local authorities, we have taken the strategic decision to reschedule the Dubai International Summit for Aviation Training (ISAT) to 14-15 December 2026 at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC). This decision aligns ISAT with Dubai’s winter events season calendar, ensuring optimal conditions for business development, networking, and high-level industry engagement. It also responds directly to feedback and requests from several airlines and ATOs, many of whom have already confirmed their attendance. With 2,000+ attendees already registered, including 160+ airlines and 50+ ATOs, ISAT continues to build strong momentum and is positioning itself as a key platform for aviation training in high-growth markets across the Middle East, Africa, and India.

Muharraq, Bahrain, 9th April 2026: Bahrain Airport Company (BAC), the operator and managing body of Bahrain International Airport (BIA), confirms the gradual resumption of some flights. This follows a reopening of the Kingdom of Bahrain airspace as announced by its Civil Aviation Affairs (CAA) at the Ministry of Transportation & Telecommunications. Passengers are advised to check with their airlines for the latest updates regarding their flights.

Raigad-Alibag,09 April 2026: To evaluate the operational readiness of the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) in tackling natural or technical calamities, a two-day ‘Multi-Agency Disaster Preparedness Exercise’ was recently concluded at the airport. Organized under the joint aegis of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), the drill witnessed active participation from various Central and State Government agencies, showcasing a high level of emergency preparedness. The two-day program commenced with a comprehensive ‘Tabletop Exercise’ session, which involved detailed discussions on strategic planning and inter-departmental coordination during a crisis. This was followed by a demonstration of state-of-the-art rescue equipment and specialized vehicles essential for life-saving operations. The core of the exercise was a ‘Full-Scale Mock Drill’ designed to evaluate real-time responses, including the safe evacuation of people, search and rescue operations, hazard management, and the effective activation of Emergency Operation Centres (EOC). The simulation involved a highly complex ‘multi-hazard’ situation, encompassing challenges such as a cyclone, fire incidents, and the leakage of hazardous radioactive materials. Under these demanding conditions, the agencies underwent rigorous testing on various parameters, including hazard control, fire suppression, evacuation of citizens from multi-storey buildings, efficiency of communication systems, resource mobilization, and ensuring overall security at the site. The mock exercise was graced by the presence of Dr. Dinesh Kumar Aswal and Major General Ajay Verma from NDMA. It also saw active involvement from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Airport Authority of India (AAI), Armed Forces, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE). Furthermore, local and technical bodies such as the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC), Panvel Municipal Corporation (PMC), CIDCO, Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Fire Brigade, Civil Defence, Aapda Mitras and the state health Department. To ensure immediate medical assistance during the drill, specialized teams from White Lotus Hospital (Kalamboli), Fortis Hospital (Vashi), and Apollo Hospital (CBD Belapur) were stationed on site.The exercise ensured effective inter-agency coordination and identified potential systemic gaps. The primary objective was to bolster the airport’s resilience in responding effectively to complex emergencies arising from extreme weather and sequential hazards.

New Delhi, 9th April 2026: The unprecedented situation arising out of the ongoing West Asia crisis has posed significant challenges to global aviation operations, including Indian carriers. However, the Indian domestic aviation sector continues to remain resilient and robust, supported by timely and calibrated interventions by the Government. The Ministry of Civil Aviation, while closely monitoring the evolving situation, has undertaken a series of measures to provide relief to domestic carriers. Earlier, the Government had announced the passing of only a partial ATF price hike, capping the increase for domestic airlines at 25% only for domestic operations. Whereas, globally the sharp spike in crude prices has led to a disproportionate rise in Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) prices. This step was aimed at enabling carriers to manage operational costs while ensuring that the benefits of affordable air travel continue to reach passengers. Now, as part of a multi-layered response to these unprecedented challenges, the Ministry has taken another significant decision to reduce landing and parking charges for domestic carriers by 25% for a period of three months. Speaking about the announcement, Minister of Civil Aviation, Shri Ram Mohan Naidu, expressed, “Under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the primary focus of the Government in the aviation sector has been to make flying a more affordable and convenient travel option for passengers. Even in the prevailing challenging situation, when global air operations are impacted, we have ensured that cancellations and rising fuel costs do not severely affect the operations of our domestic carriers. While ATF costs globally have risen by more than 100%, we have passed on only a moderated increase capped at 25%.” Talking further about the interventions, Minister said “Now, with the ultimate aim of supporting airlines and, in turn, passengers, airfare increases are being further contained by reducing landing and parking charges levied by airport operators. This step is part of the Ministry’s overall effort to keep the aviation sector stable during this volatile period and to ensure ease of flying for passengers. This is a significant intervention to provide relief to airlines grappling with increasing operational costs. We are in constant touch with all stakeholders, including airlines, airport operators, and the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India (AERA), in this regard.” The Ministry has issued directions to the AERA to reduce landing and parking charges by 25% from the prevailing tariff at all major airports under its purview. This reduction has been brought into immediate effect for all domestic flights and will remain applicable for a period of three months. The AERA has issued an order to this effect, stating that any under-recovery by individual airports shall be adjusted during tariff determination in the next control period of five years. Similarly, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has also been directed to reduce landing and parking charges at all its non-major airports by 25% of the approved rate. This reduction for all domestic flights will also remain applicable for a period of three months. These measures are expected to reduce landing and parking charges payable by airlines at major airports during the three-month period by approximately ₹400 crore. The Ministry of Civil Aviation is keeping a close watch on the evolving situation, and further necessary measures will be taken to ensure the viability of air operations, as well as safe and affordable air travel for passengers. Courtesy: PIB/MoCA

Muscat,6th April 2026: SalamAir, Oman’s Low-Cost Carrier, has announced its On-Time Performance (OTP) results for the first quarter of 2026, reinforcing its continued commitment to operational transparency, reliability, and customer trust. OTP is an internationally recognized measure of punctuality, calculated by the percentage of flights departing within 15 minutes of their scheduled departure time. During the first quarter of 2026, SalamAir operated 5520 flights and carried 778,410 passengers across its network, achieving an On-Time Performance of 65.6%. The quarter was impacted by several extraordinary challenges, including regional airspace restrictions, airport closures because of geopolitical developments and rerouting or diversion of aircraft. All these events led to schedule adjustments and disruptions across parts of the network which impacted OTP. SalamAir’s OTP for the fourth quarter of 2025 was 89% and the drop to 65% in Q1 2026 represents a 26% decrease in On Time Performance. Commenting on the results, Adrian Hamilton-Manns, Chief Executive Officer of SalamAir, said: “On-time performance is a core measure of our operational delivery and reliability. In the first quarter of 2026, we recorded an OTP of 65.6%. While we acknowledge it was a complex period with extraordinary factors impacting flight schedules and operational performance, we apologise to all our customers who did not reach their destination on time. We have previously been among the Top-5 airlines in the region for OTP so today’s results are below our target. We shall focus on strengthening operational resilience and improving schedule reliability to ensure we deliver a consistent and dependable experience for our passengers.” Since the third quarter of 2024, SalamAir has published its OTP results on a quarterly basis, reflecting the airline’s commitment to transparency and accountability. This approach enables passengers to make informed travel decisions while supporting best practices in operational reporting within the regional aviation sector.

Sao Paulo, Brazil, 3rd April , 2026: Embraer informed that it has delivered 44 aircraft in 1Q26. This result represents an improvement of 47% year-on-year (yoy) versus 30 jets delivered in 1Q25, supported by progress in the company’s production leveling initiatives. Commercial Aviation delivered 10 new commercial jets — 3 of which were E195-E2 models, Embraer’s largest aircraft currently in production in the segment — during 1Q26. The business unit’s volume increased 43% in comparison with 1Q25, when it delivered 7 aircraft. Executive Aviation delivered 29 jets during the quarter, up 26% when compared to 1Q25, when 23 aircraft were delivered. Higher deliveries of both light and midsize jets propped the strong performance, and reflected continued solid demand across the segment. In Defense & Security, the company delivered 1 unit of its multi-mission military transport aircraft, the KC-390 Millennium, and 4 A-29 Super Tucano, for a total of 5 aircraft in the quarter, compared with no deliveries in the same period of the previous year. Embraer estimates aircraft deliveries between 80 and 85 in Commercial Aviation in 2026 (midpoint up 6% yoy), and between 160 to 170 in Executive Aviation (midpoint up 6% yoy).

Astana, 1st April 2026: New services from Almaty to Shanghai and Astana to Guangzhou Air Astana has launched its summer schedule, which runs through until 24th October 2026. During this period, flight frequencies to existing destinations have been increased, seasonal routes resumed and new destinations inaugurated. The new Almaty to Shanghai service was launched on 29th March 2026 , which initially operates three times a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. A further new China service between Astana and Guangzhou, will commence on 2nd June 2026, with twice weekly flights on Tuesdays and Thursdays. New services between Astana and Larnaca (Cyprus) will launch on 2nd June 2026 and from Almaty to Larnaca from 4th June 2026. All services will be operated with Airbus A321LR aircraft. Gradual increases in flights from Astana and Almaty to Beijing, Istanbul and Antalya (Turkey) are expected during the Summer Schedule period and flights from Astana to Frankfurt will operate daily starting in May. The number of flights from Almaty to Urumqi (China), Tbilisi (Georgia) and Tashkent (Uzbekistan) are also expected to increase. Seasonal flights are resuming from Almaty to Nha Trang & Da Nang (Vietnam), Batumi (Georgia), Podgorica (Montenegro) and Bodrum (Turkey), as well as from Astana to Nha Trang & Da Nang, Podgorica, Tbilisi, Bodrum and Tashkent and from Atyrau to Tbilisi. Seasonal flights from Almaty to Male (Maldives) have been extended until the end of May.

Bahrain, 26th March 2026: Gulf Air, the national carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain, has announced the operation of limited repatriation flights to select destinations in the Indian Subcontinent via King Fahd [GU1.1]International Airport in Dammam, further supporting passenger travel during the temporary closure of Bahrain’s airspace and certain countries in the region due to current developments. These special flights come in addition to Gulf Air’s current temporary network of 10 destinations operating via Dammam, which includes 10 destinations covering London Heathrow, Bangkok, Mumbai, Chennai, Manila, Cairo, Frankfurt, Paris, Casablanca, and Nairobi. Gulf Air will operate the following limited flights for passengers eligible to travel to and from the Kingdom of Bahrain: 27 March 2026 • Dhaka (DAC) – Dammam (DMM) • Dammam (DMM) – Dhaka (DAC) 27 & 29 March 2026 • Cochin (COK) – Dammam (DMM) 28 March 2026 • New Delhi (DEL) – Dammam (DMM) 29 March 2026 • Dammam (DMM) – Trivandrum (TRV) 30 March 2026 • Trivandrum (TRV) – Dammam (DMM) 01 April 2026 • Cochin (COK) – Dammam (DMM) 03 April 2026 • Dammam (DMM) – Dhaka (DAC) • Dhaka (DAC) – Dammam (DMM) These flights are solely intended for passengers travelling to and from the Kingdom of Bahrain. Local passengers will not be permitted to board or disembark in Dammam, nor will any transit traffic to any other point in the airline’s current network be permitted.

New Delhi,24th March, 2026: The Air Travellers Association (ATA) has formally expressed its strong support for the Government of India’s recent order mandating that airlines allocate at least 60% of flight seats free of charge (p. 1). In a letter addressed to the Secretary of Civil Aviation, ATA hailed the move as a significant step toward prioritizing passenger welfare and aligning Indian aviation with global transparency standards. The Association noted that international jurisdictions, including the US, EU, and Australia, already have robust regulations to protect passengers from excessive and hidden airline fees. ATA specifically pointed to the EU’s Regulation (EC) No 1008/2008 and the oversight of Australia’s Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) as successful models for transparent pricing. Key highlights of ATA’s position include: • Refuting Fare Hike Claims: ATA strongly dismissed claims by the Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA) that free seat allocation would lead to higher ticket prices, calling such arguments “untenable and unethical”. • Legal Implications: The Association warned that anti-competitive practices by airlines could violate Section 3(1) of the Competition Act, 2002, and the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. • Reasonable Pricing: ATA proposed a nominal fee of ₹10 for seat selection as a balanced approach to enhance passenger experience while maintaining transparency. • Protection for Families: The Association emphasized that forcing families and colleagues to pay extra for adjacent seating for safety and convenience is unjust. “Historically, seat allocation was free and based on a first-come, first-served basis,” said D.L. Narasimham, Secretary of ATA. “It is regrettable that certain airlines have exploited this to the detriment of passengers. We urge the government to stand firm on this order”. Furthermore, ATA is advocating for the establishment of an independent Economic Regulator to oversee airfares and protect passenger interests, separate from the safety-focused mandates of the DGCA.

Delhi, 20th March, 2026: Honeywell has announced the commercial launch of Experion Operations Assistant, an AI-powered solution designed to transform how industrial operators monitor plant performance, make critical decisions and respond to alarm incidents before they happen. Built on Honeywell’s flagship distributed control system, Experion PKS, Experion Operations Assistant merges historical data with real-time operational insights to allow operators to forecast and respond to potential critical scenarios associated with unsafe operations and production losses.The solution aims to bridge the gap between autonomous technologies and control room operators. The commercial launch follows the recent pilot program during which Chevron and Total Energies were among the partners who leveraged Honeywell’s Experion Operations Assistant in their operations to help minimize unplanned downtime. In its pilot phase, the AI-powered assistant made predictions an average of 5-10 minutes before alarm incidents would have happened, enabling operators to quickly implement corrective actions and avoid potential events. “Industrials are under pressure to avoid unplanned downtime and maximize the productivity of existing assets,while navigating the massive knowledge transfer of a retiring workforce,” said Jim Masso, president and CEO of Honeywell Process Automation. “By combining more than 50 years of process automation expertise with site-specific knowledge, data and advanced AI, Experion Operations Assistant helps operators anticipate issues earlier, respond with confidence and operate more safely and effectively. Throughout our pilot phase, Experion Operations Assistant delivered tangible, real-world results across multiple customer sites, highlighting the immense opportunity as the solution scales.” As part of Honeywell’s Experion PKS distributed control system network, the Honeywell Experion Operations Assistant is designed to seamlessly integrate into existing control room environments, leveraging the systems already in place and building on the legacy site-specific data. The solution is centered upon its capability to capture site-specific knowledge and then use language models to analyze this data in real-time in order to proactively advise operators of impending issues.