The US Federal Aviation Administration has issued a request for information (RFI) for a company to build a new air traffic control system, as part of President Donald Trump's and transportation secretary Sean Duffy's initiative to implement that over the next three years. In the 3 June RFI, the FAA said it is seeking an "integrator to play a key role in upgrading the National Airspace System (NAS)". "The integrator would be fully responsible for executing the secretary's vision for the brand-new ATC. The integrator will conduct all necessary activities to obtain the necessary facilities, acquire capabilities, and to deploy new technologies, including as it relates to existing FAA contracts." The agency notes it is "open to new ideas, new technologies, new procurement strategies, new implementation structures, alternative solutions, and any other considerations that will enhance the mission of a new ATC". The deadline for submissions is 16:00 US eastern time on 23 June. The FAA notes that the project is on an "accelerated timeline" and requests respondents have "the right personnel available to execute quickly", adding that it will be seeking additional support from Congress to support the new system. The agency will host industry days at the Department of Transportation headquarters in Washington, DC from 10 June to 11 June, with a virtual attendance option, as well as a tour of systems at the William J. Hughes Technical Center for Advanced Aerospace in Atlantic City, New Jersey on 12 June. It also plans to host one-on-one sessions between 16-18 June with companies who are "committed to, and capable of, competing for the role of prime integrator for this effort" and that the FAA "determines would provide helpful market research in selecting the prime integrator". "We have an antiquated air traffic control system that is showing its age," states US transportation secretary Sean Duffy. "In order to implement President Trump and I's plan for a brand new system, we need the technical expertise and management experience from the best innovators in the world."

Southwest Airlines and China Airlines are in negotiations to enter a transpacific interline partnership in early 2026. The two carriers announced the plans during the IATA AGM event in Delhi, which Southwest is attending for the first time after becoming a member earlier this year. "The initial work to partner with Taiwan-based China Airlines would allow for seamless transpacific journeys across the Southwest network," states the US carrier's chief operating officer Andrew Watterson. China Airlines president Kevin Chen adds: "Growing our long-haul network has always been China Airlines' long-term plan. As we expand our gateway operations in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle, as well as Ontario, California, we are pleased to include Southwest as one of our partners, with its unique network that further expands North American connection opportunities into the Midwest and toward the East Coast." If the partnership goes ahead, Southwest and China Airlines passengers will be able to book itineraries under one ticket and travel seamlessly between the two carriers' networks. Southwest entered a similar partnership with Icelandair earlier this year, through which its passengers from Baltimore/Washington International, Denver and Nashville can connect to Icelandair's European network via Reykjavik. Orlando, Pittsburgh and Raleigh-Durham will be added to the agreement on 14 July. "We've found great interest globally in potential partnerships with Southwest and continue discussions here in New Delhi with several like-minded carriers," notes Watterson.

IATA has rallied against the implementation of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) mandates, claiming that compliance fees charged by producers have doubled the cost of SAF for airlines in Europe since the start of the year. SAF mandates came into effect in the European Union and the UK on 1 January, meaning that 2% of jet fuel uplifted in 2025 at UK and EU airports must be SAF. This percentage will gradually increase between now and 2050. Global SAF production is expected to double this year, to 2 million tonnes, although it will account for just 0.7% of the aviation industry's total fuel needs. Half of that volume is "heading toward Europe", says IATA, and, at current market prices, the cost to European airlines will be $1.2 billion, it adds. But the airline trade association estimates that SAF producers and suppliers will charge an additional $1.7 billion in compliance fees, making SAF "five times" more expensive than conventional jet fuel. "This highlights the problem with the implementation of mandates before there are sufficient market conditions and before safeguards are in place against unreasonable market practices that raise the cost of decarbonisation," states IATA director general Willie Walsh. "Raising the cost of the energy transition that is already estimated to be a staggering $4.7 billion should not be the aim or the result of decarbonisation policies. Europe needs to realise that its approach is not working and find another way." IATA wants governments to redirect some of the $1 trillion in global subsidies it says are granted to fossil-fuel companies towards helping scale up SAF supplies. It is also calling for a "comprehensive approach" to renewable energy policies, to ensure that enough renewable energy is allocated to the production of SAF. The association is also urging governments to make eligible emissions units available for airlines to purchase and claim against their obligations under ICAO's Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA). In April, IATA launched a SAF registry aimed at making it easier for airlines to accurately account for and report their emissions reductions from SAF.