US aviation investment firm Air T has agreed to buy Australian carrier Regional Express, subject to approval from creditors and customary closing conditions. The airline's administrators from Ernst & Young confirmed in a 21 October statement that they have "now entered into a sale and implementation deed with Air T, which will result in the sale and recapitalisation of the business operations conducted by the Group". No details of how much the bid is worth were provided, but the administrators say that no return to shareholders is anticipated. The proposal will be voted on by creditors at a meeting that must be convened before 5 December, which is when the administration period is set to end. Rex's administrators also thanked the Australian Government for its "support to date in assisting to facilitate the proposed transaction". Transport minister Catherine King welcomed the announcement, noting that the government "has also entered into an agreement with Air T in relation to restructuring Rex’s financing arrangements in connection with the acquisition." She adds: "This will allow Rex to keep flying and maintain critical aviation links for regional communities." Canberra is Rex's largest secured creditor after it purchased A$50 million ($32.4 million) of debt previously owed to PAG Capital Asia, while it has also provided A$110 million in financing to support its continuing regional turboprop operations since it was placed in administration on 30 July 2024 following deep losses from its Boeing 737-800 operations. NASDAQ-listed Air T operates in four major aviation sectors: commercial aircraft engines and parts, ground support equipment, digital solutions and overnight air cargo. It is not currently invested in commercial passenger operations but has invested in an aircraft portfolio managed by Crestone Asset Management. Fleets data shows that Rex operates a fleet of 34 Saab 340Bs and has 23 more in storage.

The merger of AirAsia Aviation and AirAsia X is set to close in December after clearing a hurdle to gaining regulatory approval in Thailand. A 17 October disclosure by AirAsia X to the Bursa Malaysia states that it and AirAsia Aviation parent Capital A have agreed to waive a condition to obtain an exemption from the Securities and Exchange Commission of Thailand. This would have allowed the airline to proceed without having to take over Thai AirAsia's parent company Asia Aviation. Instead, once the merger is completed, AirAsia X "together with an identified Thai third party acting as a joint offeror" will launch a tender offer for Asia Aviation shares, to be arranged and funded by the other party. AirAsia X's equity interest in Asia Aviation will remain at 40.7% once the offer is completed, and Thai AirAsia's operations will be unaffected. In a separate press statement, AirAsia X says that with the condition waived, "both parties expect to announce all condition precedents met and that the share sale and purchase agreement will become unconditional by the end of October, followed by the completion of the transaction expected in December". The other steps required to close the deal include a capital reduction and distribution, share allotment, and listing of additional shares. Capital A chief executive Tony Fernandes says in a LinkedIn post that the company is "entering the final phase of one of the most complex restructurings in business history". The merger of Capital A's airline businesses with AirAsia X has been in process since January 2024, when a non-binding letter of acceptance was signed. There have been several extensions to the deadline as a result of regulatory and lender consent delays.

Europe's airline industry has warned that the European Parliament's plans to reform EU261 passenger-compensation legislation could double the cost of complying and threaten the affordability of travel. The regulation, which mandates compensation for delays, has long been a cornerstone of EU consumer protection. But in a joint policy paper, industry bodies the European Regions Airline Association (ERA), IATA and lobby group A4E argue that the cost of complying could rise from around €8 billion per annum to over €15 billion under changes proposed by the European Parliament. Per-passenger costs would increase from €5 to €10 per flight. On 13 October, members of the European Parliament on its Transport & Tourism Committee adopted negotiating guidelines aimed at strengthening EU air passenger rights, including maintaining the current entitlement to compensation for delays of 3h or more, while introducing new rights such as free seats for children and guaranteed cabin-luggage allowances. That follows on from reform proposals published by the European Council, representing nation states, that would have extended the minimum delay for which compensation from 3h to as high as 6h. This was rejected by parliamentarians.