Jazeera Airways has reported a loss for the first quarter after Kuwaiti airspace was temporarily closed amid the Middle East conflict and its operations were transferred to Saudi Arabia. The airline slipped to a KD1.06 million ($3.4 million) first-quarter loss, after a KD4.95 million profit in the same period last year. Revenue declined 16% to KD45 million. Jazeera says it has sought waivers from aircraft and engine lessors and has deferred dividend payments for 2025 in an effort to preserve liquidity. Kuwait's Directorate General of Civil Aviation closed national airspace on 28 February and reopened it on 24 April for flights by Kuwait Airways and Jazeera. No other airlines are currently permitted to operate at Kuwait International airport, the regulator's website indicates. As a result of the airspace closure, Jazeera began flying from Saudi Arabia's Qaisumah airport, located close to Kuwait's border, on 11 March and from Dammam on 26 March, it says. Cirium data shows that Jazeera in April operated 43% of its flights to and from Dammam, while Kuwait and Qaisumah accounted for 6.7% and 2.5%, respectively. The proportions have since reversed, with Jazeera so far in May having operated 40% of its flights to and from Kuwait and 6.6% from Dammam. The airline has not scheduled flights from Qaisumah this month or from Dammam in June. Jazeera's fleet comprises 12 Airbus A320ceos and 11 A320neos. It has another 18 A320neos and eight A321neos on order.

The Asiana Airlines brand and operations will disappear from 17 December after its board reached agreement to consolidate with Korean Air on 13 May, bringing an end to a process that started in November 2020. The deal will see Korean Air mop up the remaining shares in Asiana after it took a 63.9% stake in its one-time rival on 12 December 2024 by issuing one KAL share for 0.3 Asiana shares held by the remaining shareholders. The flag carrier will then submit an application to South Korea's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport in June to bring Asiana's aircraft and safety systems under its air operator certificate, with several other filings to follow. Fleets data shows that Asiana operates 65 aircraft with two more in storage and 27 on order. Korean Air, meanwhile, operates 168 aircraft with 128 on order and seven in storage. "The integration will elevate Korean Air's global market presence and establish Incheon International airport as a dominant global hub through optimised network connectivity and increased transit efficiency," the airline states. It adds that it is finalising the consolidation of the two airlines' loyalty programmes in coordination with the Korea Fair Trade Commission "to ensure a seamless transition for passengers." Once the merger of the parent airlines is complete, it is expected that Korean Air will turn its attention to integrating the low-cost carrier operations of Air Seoul and Air Busan with its Jin Air subsidiary. Jin operates 19 Boeing 737-800s, three -900s, seven Max 8s and four 777-200ERs, while Air Seoul operates six Airbus A321ceos and Air Busan eight A321ceos, eight A321neos and five A320ceos.

US president Donald Trump has flagged that China will order 200 Boeing aircraft following a meeting with his Chinese counterpart in Beijing. Speaking to Fox News anchor Sean Hannity in a clip that was posted online on 14 May, Trump commented that he had a "very good meeting" with Xi. "One thing he agreed to today: he's going to order 200 jets. That's a big thing. Boeings – 200 big ones," he adds. Trump went on to say: "That's a lot of jobs. It's a lot. Boeing wanted 150, he got 200... I think it was a commitment, sort of like statement, but I think it was a commitment." A 22 April Reuters report, which Cirium has not independently verified, had said that the order could include as many as 500 737 Max jets. Boeing referred queries from Cirium about Trump's comments to the White House, which had not responded at the time of publishing. Trump and Xi's 14 and 15 May meeting kick off what is expected to be a series of four meetings throughout 2026. Boeing chief executive Kelly Ortberg and GE Aeropsace chief Larry Culp are among a cohort of other business leaders that are on the state visit to China, according to an 11 May Reuters report. As of May 2026, Chinese commercial operators collectively hold firm orders for 180 Boeing aircraft, a backlog concentrated almost entirely in the 737 Max family, with a smaller but meaningful widebody component spanning the 787 and 777 programmes, Cirium fleets data shows. The orderbook spans 15 Chinese entities, a mix of mainline carriers, regional operators, and Chinese financial lessors acting as intermediaries.