Recent News

New Delhi,4th December 2025: Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh and the Defence Minister of Russia Andrei Belousov will co-chair the 22nd India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military & Military Technical Cooperation ministerial meeting in New Delhi on December 04, 2025. The two leaders will review the entire range of multi-faceted relations between the two countries in the field of defence, including Military and Military Technical Cooperation. They will also exchange views on contemporary regional and global issues of mutual interest. During the visit, the Russian Defence Minister will also lay a wreath at the National War Memorial, New Delhi, and pay tribute to the Indian soldiers who have made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty.

Kuala Lumpur,1 December 2025: The Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) has announced that Wong Hong will take up the position of AAPA Director General, effective 1 April 2026, following the decision by the current Director General Subhas Menon to step down after having successfully led the Association since 2020. Wong Hong has over 22 years of international aviation experience, having held senior commercial roles in network planning, revenue management and sales at Singapore Airlines and Delta Air Lines. Most recently, he held the position of Delta Air Lines’ President – China based in Shanghai, leading the carrier’s growth in the China market through a close partnership with China Eastern Airlines. He brings extensive overseas experience having been based in China, India, Thailand and Vietnam. His earlier roles in ground handling and catering at SATS, as well as in distribution and financial services at IATA further add relevant regional expertise to his new appointment. Reporting through the Executive Committee to the AAPA Assembly of Presidents, as Director General Mr. Wong Hong will represent the interests of the AAPA and its member airlines on a wide range of aviation policy issues, working closely with member airlines and other aviation industry stakeholders. The AAPA, as the trade association of international airlines based in the Asia Pacific region, has built up a strong reputation and presence with leading regulators and other industry stakeholders as a credible and respected voice of Asia Pacific airlines, championing policies that support safe, sustainable and competitive air transport across the region. AAPA Director General Subhas Menon said, “It has been an honour and a privilege to serve as AAPA Director General, and I am grateful for the trust and collaboration of our member airlines over the past six years. With Asia Pacific as the world’s largest aviation market, I am confident that AAPA will continue to thrive under Wong Hong’s leadership as the Association navigates a rapidly evolving aviation landscape.” AAPA Chairman 2025 and President of Bangkok Airways,Puttipong Prasarttong-Osoth said, “On behalf of our member airlines, I would like to thank Subhas Menon for his dedication and strong leadership of the AAPA over the past six years. Under his guidance, AAPA has strengthened its advocacy efforts and deepened engagement with regulators and industry partners during a period of significant change for the aviation sector. Notably, he successfully grew the AAPA membership to 18 member airlines, despite challenging circumstances during the COVID pandemic. As a widely respected organisation within the global aviation community, AAPA is well-positioned to benefit from Wong Hong’s extensive regional experience, strategic insight and deep industry knowledge. We warmly welcome him and look forward to working closely together.” Wong Hong said, “I am honoured to be entrusted with this role and look forward to working closely with our member airlines and industry stakeholders. The Asia Pacific region is central to global aviation, and I am committed to building on AAPA’s strong foundation as we work together to support the sustainable growth and competitiveness of our region’s industry.”

New Delhi, November 29th, 2025: Air India has completed the reset on over 90% of its operating A320 family aircraft that were impacted by EASA and Airbus’ requirement for a software realignment. We expect to cover the entire fleet within the timeline prescribed by EASA, with safety remaining our top priority. In a post on X, Air India mentioned that rising to the occasion, our engineering and ground colleagues worked round the clock to ensure there were no cancellations and that the impact on our schedule integrity across the network was minimal.

Manama,November29, 2025: Gulf Air, the national carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain, said in Press release that its A320 operations are running as normal following the completion of the mandatory Airbus-directed software update. The airline carried out the required work promptly after Airbus issued a global alert advising operators to apply the update before their next scheduled flights. The update was completed across Gulf Air’s A320 fleet alongside all mandated checks, in full accordance with the latest A320 Alert Operations guidelines. Gulf Air confirmed that all safety requirements have been met and that its A320 services are operating as normal following the completion of the Airbus-directed update.

Hong Kong, 28th November, 2025: Warburg Pincus, the pioneer of global growth investing, today announced the acquisition of Topcast Aviation Supplies Company Limited (“Topcast”), the largest independent distributor of civil aviation parts and Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) service provider in Asia Pacific. Headquartered in Hong Kong, Topcast offers integrated solutions to the civil aviation industry, including the distribution of aircraft parts and consumables, buyer-furnished equipment (BFE), Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) services, and repair and maintenance support. With an unparalleled local presence in Asia Pacific and particularly strong market leadership in Greater China, Topcast has become the partner of choice for airlines, MROs, and OEMs globally. The company operates across Asia Pacific, EMEA, and Americas, connecting global aviation parts manufacturers with the region’s fast-growing markets. Warburg Pincus is among the most active private equity investors in the global aviation sectors, with current and former investments including Accelya, Aquila Air Capital, CAMP Systems, Consolidated Precision Products, Extant Aerospace, TransDigm, Triumph and Wencor. Notably, Warburg Pincus has a strong presence in Asia Pacific, with over 30 years of local investment experience and around US$34 billion invested in more than 270 companies in the region, underscoring its localized and partnership-oriented approach to long-term growth and value creation. Ben Zhou, Managing Director and Co-Head of China Private Equity at Warburg Pincus, said, “Asia Pacific is one of the most dynamic and fast-growing civil aviation markets in the world. Topcast has built a strong reputation as a trusted and innovative partner to airlines, MROs, and OEMs, helping to ensure the efficiency, reliability, and safety of the aviation supply chain. It is a differentiated business with deep regional expertise, technical know-how, and a customer-centric approach. We look forward to supporting Topcast in deepening its local capabilities, expanding its global partnerships, and driving its next phase of sustainable growth.” Orson Lo, Chief Executive Officer of Topcast said, “We are excited to begin this new chapter with Warburg Pincus. Their deep sector experience, global network, localized approach and growth-oriented philosophy will support our mission to deliver best-in-class service and innovative solutions to the civil aviation industry in Asia Pacific and beyond. Together, we will continue to invest in our people, service infrastructure, digital capabilities, and global operations to better serve our partners around the world.”

Kuala Lumpur, 28th November 2025: Preliminary October 2025 traffic figures released today by the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) showed healthy growth in international passenger demand, underpinned by rising tourism activity and business travel. Recent progress in trade agreements following the April announcement of United States reciprocal tariffs has contributed to business confidence, while ongoing adjustments in supply chains have sustained growth in air cargo markets. For the month, the region’s carriers posted a 10.2% year-on-year increase in the number of international passengers carried to an aggregate total of 33.5 million, led by strong expansion in markets connecting North East Asia. In revenue passenger kilometre (RPK) terms, demand rose by 10.7%, while available seat capacity expanded by 9.3% year-on-year. As a result, the average international passenger load factor increased by 1.0 percentage point to 82.4% in October. International air cargo markets delivered another month of resilient growth, with Asia Pacific carriers reporting a 2.2% year-on-year increase in international air cargo demand, as measured in freight tonne kilometres (FTK). Shifting supply chains together with robust e-commerce volumes supported demand. Offered freight capacity expanded by 5.6% year-on-year, mainly on the back of increased belly-hold space, resulting in a 2.0 percentage point decline in the average freight load factor to 59.7%. Commenting on the results, Subhas Menon, AAPA Director General, said, “Asia Pacific airlines began the final quarter on stable ground, supported by continued expansion in the services sectors, while Asia’s export activity remained resilient as businesses diversified supply sources in response to trade tariffs. Overall, the number of international passengers carried increased by 10.4% to 322 million for the year to October, while cargo demand rose by 5.4% over the same period, helped by the restocking of inventory ahead of major on-line sales events.” Looking ahead, Mr. Menon concluded, “Broad-based growth in the global economy should underpin continued growth in both passenger and cargo markets in the coming months. However, this outlook is moderated by ongoing geopolitical and trade risks, despite relatively stable business confidence. In an increasingly competitive economic environment, Asian carriers remain committed to strengthening financial performance through improved efficiency, without compromising safety excellence or customer care standards.”

London, November 28, 2025: IBA, the aviation market intelligence and advisory company, reports that airline capacity to North America (scheduled seats) for Thanksgiving 2025 is up 2.0% year-on-year, led by a 2.8% increase from full-service carriers. However, despite this uplift, airline profitability continues to decline, with operating margins tightening across both full-service and low-cost segments. Data from the aviation intelligence platform IBA Insight, reports that scheduled seats within North America, including US domestic services, account for 89% of total capacity, with flights from Europe and other regions providing the remainder. Low-cost carriers have posted only 0.5% capacity growth, and the Big Four US airlines continue to dominate the market, collectively supplying 66% of scheduled seats. Despite this capacity rise, data from IBA Insight shows that profitability has weakened. Low-cost carriers saw a rolling twelve-month operating margin that had declined to – 2.3% by the end of October 2025, down from –1.3% a year previously, while full-service airlines slipped to 7.0% from 7.1% over the same period, reflecting cost pressures and softer revenues heading into the holiday period. Recent third-quarter results further highlight divergent pressures across business models. Full-service airlines have seen unit revenues soften by 0.4% in the twelve months to the end of October 2025, while low-cost carriers face rising unit costs, up 0.3%, driven partially by higher staffing and maintenance expenses. Performance among individual airlines varied, with Southwest Airlines delivering a modest 0.5% operating margin in Q3, whereas Spirit Airlines reported an improved but still negative –14.1% margin as it continues the structural changes initiated during its second Chapter 11 process. The airline capacity growth follows disruptions linked to the recent US government shutdown, which temporarily affected air traffic control staffing and forced airlines to trim schedules at several major airports. With restrictions now lifted and the FAA confirming a return to regular operations, carriers enter the Thanksgiving travel window with improved operational stability, though financial headwinds remain. Dan Taylor, Head of Consulting at IBA, says: While travellers prepare to tuck into their Thanksgiving feasts, airlines may find there is a little less on their own profit plates this year, with rising costs and softer revenues giving the industry more to chew on over the months ahead.”

Bahrain, 25th November 2025: The Bahrain International Airshow (BIAS) proudly secured partnerships with new and existing partners, strengthening its position as one of the region’s premier aviation events, during its attendance at the Dubai Airshow 2025. The Bahrain delegation was led by His Excellency Shaikh Abdulla bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, Minister of Transportation and Telecommunications, who met with leading global aerospace and aviation companies to discuss the upcoming Bahrain International Airshow 2026, set to take place from 18-20 November next year at the Sakhir Airbase. During the Dubai Airshow, His Excellency Shaikh Abdulla bin Ahmed Al Khalifa held productive discussions with key industry leaders, exploring avenues for collaboration, investment, and participation in BIAS 2026. These meetings underscored Bahrain’s commitment to fostering international partnerships and advancing the Kingdom’s strategic role as a regional aviation hub. Global industry leaders Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Thales, joined Joramco, DHL, DFS Aviation, Chevron, Bahrain Airport Services, Aloula Aviation and Valo Aviation in securing their presence at BIAS 2026 during the Dubai Airshow. Commenting on the occasion, His Excellency Shaikh Abdullah bin Ahmed Al Khalifa said: “The Bahrain International Airshow continues to strengthen its global reputation as a dynamic platform for connecting decision-makers and driving collaboration across the aviation and aerospace sectors. Our engagement at the Dubai Airshow has yielded exceptional outcomes, and we are delighted to have secured the participation of several leading companies ahead of the 2026 edition. This reflects Bahrain’s position as a trusted destination for high-level business engagement and innovation.” The Bahrain International Airshow, organised by the Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications in collaboration with the Royal Bahraini Air Force in association with Farnborough International, has established itself as a distinguished biennial event, offering a unique platform for business, innovation, and networking across the aviation and aerospace sectors. As preparations intensify for BIAS 2026, Bahrain looks forward to welcoming participants, exhibitors, and visitors from around the world to experience the Kingdom’s growing contribution to global aviation.

New Delhi, 25th November 2025: BLS International has signed a contract with the Embassy of Cyprus in Russia to provide comprehensive visa outsourcing services. Under the terms of this agreement, BLS International will oversee Cyprus visa application operations in Russia, establishing centers across nine major cities and offering streamlined, secure, and customer-friendly visa services. The centres will incorporate enhanced infrastructure and advanced technology to ensure a seamless experience for applicants. Shikhar Aggarwal, Joint Managing Director at BLS International, said, “This collaboration with the Embassy of Cyprus in Russia is a meaningful milestone that reflects the trust placed in us to deliver services with integrity and global standards. At BLS International, we are uniquely positioned to manage this mandate responsibly, backed by proven expertise and a strong commitment to compliance and transparency. Through this collaboration, we aim to ensure that travellers to Cyprus benefit from a seamless, clear, and efficient experience as we continue to drive innovation in international mobility.” In FY 26, BLS International has secured key contracts from India in China, Cyprus in Kazakhstan and Slovakia in 80 countries —strengthening its footprint across Asia and Europe.