A decommissioned Airbus A330 previously operated by Cathay Pacific was destroyed by fire at Ciudad Real airport in Spain on 18 April. The aircraft had been undergoing disassembly at the site, local fire and rescue service SCIS says on X, formally known as Twitter. No injuries were reported in the accident. Cathay Pacific confirms the aircraft was previously part of its fleet and was deregistered with the Hong Kong Civil Aviation Department in 2022. The Hong-Kong-based carrier did not disclose the aircraft's MSN. Fleets data shows three retired ex-Cathay A330-300s at Ciudad Real airport and another five listed as being in storage. All the aircraft are managed by Cathay, with all but one being owned by the airline. The remaining jet is owned by NBB Dragon Lease. All aircraft were built in the 1992-98 period.

The Federal Aviation Administration has issued new requirements for charter and commuter airlines, air tour operators, and some aircraft manufacturers to implement safety management systems (SMS). According to the FAA, SMS "provides a means for a structured, repeatable, systematic approach to proactively identify hazards and manage safety risk". "By incorporating SMS, these aviation organisations will be better able to develop and implement mitigations that are appropriate to their specific environment and operations," the FAA says. The regulator's final rule mandates that these organisations develop a SMS within one to three years, depending on the operation. The FAA has required US airlines to have SMS since 2018, and some manufacturers have already developed and implemented the systems. FAA administrator Mike Whitaker states: "Requiring more aviation organisations to implement a proactive approach to managing safety will prevent accidents and save lives. The rule also requires those organisations that have an SMS to share hazard information with other aviation organisations so they can "work collaboratively to identify and address potential safety issues", according to the FAA. The agency adds that the final rule goes beyond the requirements of the aircraft certification, safety and accountability act of 2020, which directed the FAA to mandate SMS only for aircraft manufacturers. The rule, the FAA says, also addresses recommendations from the National Transportation Safety Board and independent review panels. The adoption of SMS by operators and manufacturers in the global aviation industry has been a long-standing priority for ICAO and its member states.

Air traffic controllers in the USA will get at least 10 hours off between shifts and 12 hours off before a midnight shift in a bid by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to combat fatigue among the workforce. FAA administrator Mike Whitaker is directing the Air Traffic Safety Oversight Service to ensure the agency "has a robust methodology to ensure compliance with this direction", he says in a 19 April statement. In December, the FAA commissioned an independent panel of scientific fatigue experts to assess the risks introduced by controller fatigue in its system and to "give us a roadmap to mitigate the risks", Whitaker says. The report "brought into focus key reforms which we're implementing immediately to ensure air traffic controllers are getting sufficient rest, while we also work to implement some longer term, systemic changes", he adds. Whitaker also says that in addition to these scheduling practices, growing the air traffic controller workforce continues to be a "top priority". "We are beginning to reverse the decades-long shortage of air traffic controllers. Last year we reached our hiring goal of 1,500 controllers, with an even bigger goal of 1,800 this year, which we're on track to meet," he adds. "We've also expanded the training pipeline to maximise recruitment. Getting more qualified individuals into our air traffic facilities will help alleviate the demands on the current workforce."