The Pakistani Civil Aviation Authority (PkCAA) issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) prohibiting all Indian carriers from operated below an altitude of 29,000 feet. The flights restrictions are applicable to the airspace above Lahore and Karachi and will reportedly remain in place for thirteen days. No official announcement regarding the reasoning for the restriction has been made, however sources have suggested it may be due to the increased military exercises that are being conducted in the region. In September 2016, India reportedly stated it was reviewing and revising its Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) with Pakistan, which was last altered in 2002, that ultimately led to both nations banning each other from their respective airspace.

The United States Department of Treasury has granted approval for major aircraft manufacturers, Airbus and Boeing, to begin the sale of aircraft to Iran. Following Iran’s plans to modernise its aviation industry, over 100 Boeing and Airbus aircraft will be delivered to the nation’s state carrier Iran Air in a sale reportedly worth over USD$25 Billion. Deliveries are expected to commence in early 2017 and continue on through to 2025.

Equatorial Congo Airlines (ECair) resumed its regular scheduled domestic flights after returning two of its Boeing 757 aircraft to operational service. In June 2016, one of the airline’s Boeing 737 aircraft was damaged in a maintenance hangar fire which impacted the airline’s operational capability. As a result, the airline was subsequently forced to temporarily suspend its domestic passenger flights due to a lack of serviceable aircraft. The airline’s regular 3x weekly Brazzaville to Point-Noire flight route resumed on the 3rd of October.