AirAsia Consulting and FitsAir have emerged as two of six bidders for SriLankan Airlines, according to Sri Lanka's finance ministry. AirAsia Consulting is a subsidiary of AirAsia Aviation Group, Capital A’s holding company for its airline investments, while FitsAir is a privately owned low-cost carrier in Sri Lanka. The other bidders for the carrier are Dharshaan Elite Investment Holding, Sherisha Technologies, Treasure Republic Guardians and Hayleys PLC, states the finance ministry. The request for qualification ended on 22 April after multiple extensions to the deadline. The evaluation and selection of bids are expected to take place in August, with a cabinet approval planned in September, according to a timeline by the ministry. Sri Lanka's government agreed in March to take over about $312 million of SriLankan Airlines’ debt to sweeten the deal for potential bidders..With that, the carrier has an outstanding $175 million, 7%, five-year bond issued and backed by sovereign guarantee due in June, of which it has failed to make three coupon payments. The carrier currently has an all-Airbus fleet of 24, comprising A320s, A321s and A330s, of which 19 are operational,

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.