The US Federal Aviation Administration has proposed a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Boeing 747-400F aircraft after receiving a report that cap seals were not applied to certain fasteners in the fuel tank during production. "This proposed AD would require applying cap seals to certain fastener collars inside the fuel tanks. The FAA is proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products," it states in a document published to the Federal Register on 12 April. The cap seals provide an insulating layer on the fasteners to prevent arcing between them during a lightning strike or other high-energy short-circuit. A directive issued in 2022 required cap seals to be fitted to 747-400Fs with line numbers 645-1363, after which a production design change was implemented on subsequent aircraft. Boeing, however, discovered that the change omitted eight fasteners on the left and right winds in the inboard main fuel tanks. The FAA says it has determined that the actions identified in the AD are necessary to reduce the potential of ignition sources inside fuel tanks, "which, in combination with flammable fuel vapors, could result in fuel tank explosion or fire". The directive would affect 15 747s registered in the USA, with a cost to operators of just over $62,000, the regulator adds. The FAA says it must receive comments on the proposed AD by 28 May 2024.

Air Niugini will suspend its weekly Brisbane-Port Moresby-Palau service from 1 May after the service failed to meet its expectations. Schedules data shows that the service operates with a Boeing 767-300. The airline commenced the service in February 2023, supported by the Australian government under the Pacific Flights Programme, which was part of a Covid response package for the Pacific islands. Including the Air Niugini service, Palau receives 14 flights per week, linking it to Macau, Taipei Taoyuan, Pohnpei, Guam and Manila.

Indian carrier Vistara has scaled back its schedule by around 30 flights per day to provide more resilience to its operations following a spate of operational issues in recent weeks. Chief executive Vinod Kannan states in an internal newsletter seen by Cirium that the airline's operations have been impacted by several issues, "including ATC delays, bird hits, and maintenance activities last month – all of which had a cascading effect on a highly optimised network". That has led the carrier to remove up to 10% of its daily capacity, mainly on its domestic network and ahead of time to manage the impacts on passengers. He also mentioned that the carrier is "working on the plans for May 24 and beyond" Despite those challenges Kannan highlighted that the carrier has taken delivery of its seventh Boeing 787-9 in recent weeks, rounding out its orderbook for the widebody. Vistara is in the process of merging with Air India, with the transaction set to be completed around mid-2025, which will see Singapore Airlines hold a 25.1% stake in the enlarged Air India Group. The remainder will be held by India's Tata Group conglomerate, which acquired Air India in 2022 and is also the majority shareholder in Vistara.