Alaska Airlines pilot Joseph Emerson has been spared a slew of attempted murder charges but still faces a multitude of misdemeanor charges and a charge for aircraft endangerment. A grand jury in Multnomah County, whose county seat is Portland, declined to indict Emerson on 83 counts of attempted murder sought by the state of Oregon, but did indict on 83 counts of recklessly endangering another person and one count of endangering an aircraft. "The attempted murder charges were never appropriate in this case because Captain Emerson never intended to hurt another person or put anyone at risk – he just wanted to return home to his wife and children," says Portland-based law firm Levi Merrithew Horst, which is representing Emerson, in a press release. The Emerson case, in which he is accused of attempting to shut down the engines of a Horizon Air aircraft in-flight on 22 October, has again focused attention on the issue of pilot mental health. Emerson, who had been suffering from depression, "thought he was in a dream" when he attempted to shut down the engines of the Embraer 175, which then diverted from its destination of San Francisco to Portland. He was arrested there after the pilots managed to subdue him and he spent some time restrained at the back of the aircraft being looked after by cabin crew. The accused has admitted to taking psychedelic mushrooms two days before the flight, during which he was a jump-seat passenger and not in control of the aircraft. After taking the mushrooms, he said, he could not distinguish between being in reality and a dream for five days afterward. Emerson refrained from seeing a doctor to obtain medication for depression as his research told him it could lead to his being grounded from flying. The day after Emerson's state indictment, the US Federal Aviation Administration's administrator Mike Whitaker announced that his agency had officially established a Mental Health and Aviation Medical Clearances Rulemaking Committee. That announcement followed a 9 November announcement that the FAA was planning to set up the committee "to provide recommendations on breaking down the barriers that prevent pilots from reporting mental-health issues to the agency". The FAA previously said that while the Emerson incident "resulted in increased public attention [around pilot mental health], the FAA has taken a number of recent steps to foster greater openness about pilot mental health". "The rulemaking committee is a natural extension of those efforts," it said at the time. Among the new FAA rulemaking committee's tasks will be to identify "factors that prevent individuals who hold FAA medical certificates or clearance from reporting mental health issues". It will also "discuss and develop recommendations for mental health education programs for individuals who hold medical certificates or clearances that the FAA and the aviation industry could implement to improve awareness and recognition of mental health issues, reduce stigmas, and promote available resources to encourage voluntary self-disclosure in a confidential and protected environment, and assist with resolving mental health problems". Emerson's next appearance in state court is scheduled for 7 December, when he will be arraigned on the indicted charges. His defense lawyers said in the statement they are "crafting a release plan" and expect Emerson will "finally return home to his family by the end of this week".

Turkish Airlines and new Saudi carrier Riyadh Air have signed a strategic co-operation agreement to enable passengers to travel onwards across their respective networks via their hubs in Istanbul and Riyadh. The memorandum of understanding includes an interline and codeshare agreement, and should also open the door to "further strategic benefits along the value chain, including aviation-related services, cargo and digital development", says Riyadh Air. Signed in Saudi capital Riyadh during an ICAO air services event, the deal is intended to come into force "as soon as possible" following the launch of operations by Riyadh Air in mid-2025. It is the first such major agreement for the airline outside of Saudi Arabia and is subject to regulatory approval. In addition to passenger benefits to which the parties have committed, the agreement also envisions that they will "work together to explore and implement broader synergies and efficiencies across the value chain, touching areas such as aviation-related services, cargo and digital development", says Riyadh Air. Turkish Airlines chief investment and technology officer Levent Konukcu states: "This memorandum of understanding is more than a collaboration; it's a bridge between Turkiye and Saudi Arabia, further strengthening our ties. It's also an opportunity to expand our reach and offer our guests more choices and convenience." Riyadh Air chief executive Tony Douglas sees the agreement as "another very significant step in the evolution of Riyadh Air as we partner with the world's largest global airline by destinations served". He adds: "Our close relationship will open up seamless connectivity via the global-leading hub at Istanbul Airport to some 130 destinations worldwide, especially within Turkiye, Europe and the Americas, and accelerate our network footprint through the market-leading, guest-centric, digitally focused and like-minded global airline brand that is Turkish Airlines." Douglas observes also that the agreement is aligned with Saudi Arabia's ambition of attracting increased numbers of tourists and business and religious travellers to the kingdom. It has stated that this is a key aim of its national policy for the coming decade, as part of its strategy of economic diversification.

Cathay Pacific Group has redeemed 50% of the HK$19.5 billion ($2.49 billion) preference shares that were issued to the Hong Kong SAR government as part of the group's recapitalization financing in 2020. The group says it plans to buy back the remaining HK$9.75 billion worth of shares by the end of July 2024. Cathay adds that it will continue to pay dividends on the remaining preference shares as they fall due. To date, it has disbursed HK$1.97 billion in preference share dividends to the Hong Kong government. "The investment by the government was essential in supporting the Cathay Group and upholding Hong Kong's status as an international aviation hub through the Covid-19 crisis," chief executive Ronald Lam states. "That we have been able to redeem half of the preference shares is testament to the hard work of our people and the encouraging progress we have made in our journey to rebuild."