Air Transat reached a tentative labour agreement with its pilots on 9 December, averting the threat of a strike and allowing it to return to normal operations. The Air Line Pilots Association representing Transat's pilot group had issued a 72-hour strike notice on 7 December, and while negotiations continued, the airline started suspending flights between 8-9 December. The union says that more than 750 pilots will vote on it "in the coming days". ALPA adds that Transat pilot leaders "believe this contract goes a long way toward recognising today's aviation industry standards and delivers on the goals of better job security, enhanced compensation, and more flexible schedules to allow for a better work-life balance". "We are pleased to have finally reached a tentative agreement with the union representing our pilots, marking a complete overhaul of their collective agreement. We would have greatly preferred to avoid the threat of a strike, which forced us to modify our operations," says Transat president and chief executive Annick Guerard.

IATA is blaming "poorly designed mandates" in the UK and European Union for a projected slowing in the production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in 2026. The industry body says that this year SAF output is expected to nearly double to 1.9 million tonnes compared to 2024, but next year growth will slow with capacity only set to reach 2.4 million tonnes. Further, it adds that all SAF production in 2025 equates to only 0.6% of total fuel consumption, while airlines carried an additional $3.6 billion of cost due to the alternative fuel's premium pricing. It says that the ReFuelEU Aviation mandate pushed up SAF costs due to limited production capacity and "oligopolistic supply chains", while the UK's SAF mandate has caused price spikes. "If the goal of SAF mandates was to slow progress and increase prices, policymakers knocked it out of the park. But if the objective is to increase SAF production to further the decarbonization of aviation, then they need to learn from failure and work with the airline industry to design incentives that will work," states IATA director general Willie Walsh. The organisation has called on both the UK and EU to not repeat the policy missteps of the current mandates when their eSAF mandates are implemented in 2028 and 2030, respectively. Senior vice-president for sustainability and chief economist Marie Owens Thomsen called on regulators to "course-correct" and ensure the long-term viability of SAF production so that prices can come down. "Mandates have done just the opposite, and it is outrageous to repeat the same mistakes with e-SAF mandates," she says.

Rolls-Royce has formally opened its jointly owned engine overhaul facility with Air China in Beijing. Named Beijing Aero Engine Services (BAESL), the site will support Airbus A350-900-powering Trent XWB-84s alongside Trent 700s and Trent 1000s, optionally available for A330ceos and Boeing 787s, respectively. Overhaul operations are scheduled to begin in 2026, with a plan to complete 250 shop visits a year by 2034, Rolls-Royce says. It highlights the site's role as the first dedicated Trent MRO facility in mainland China for customers in the nation "and beyond". In Hong Kong, Rolls-Royce operates a jointly owned overhaul shop with local maintenance specialist HAECO, which is part of Swire Group, Cathay Pacific's largest shareholder. That engine shop, HAESL, supports both Trent XWB-84s and -97s (used on A350-1000s and the in-development A350 Freighter) as well as the Trent 700s, Trent 800s (optionally available for first-generation 777s), Trent 1000s and legacy RB211-524Gs. The Civil Aviation Administration of China has granted BAESL a maintenance organisation certificate, "confirming the facility's readiness to deliver professional, reliable and high-quality overhaul services on Trent engines", Rolls-Royce says. "China is one of the largest and fastest growing widebody markets in the world and is also key to Rolls-Royce," states the UK manufacturer's director commercial aviation aftermarket operations Paul Keenan. "We power more than 500 of China's in-service commercial aircraft; nearly 20% of our global Trent engines were delivered to China. Increasing flying hours, new orders and existing fleet upgrades all lead to growing demand for shop visits, both in China and around the world." Cirium fleets data shows that Air China's mainline passenger fleet of 529 aircraft includes 88 Rolls-Royce-powered jets: 44 A330ceos, 30 A350s and 14 787s.