Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG) is set to induct four new Airbus A330neos and eight Boeing 737 Max 8s in 2024 as part of its fleet modernisation plan. The first A330-900 is scheduled to arrive in the third quarter of 2024, the company states. "We are excited to induct the first of 20 Airbus A330neos in Q3 of this year, which will gradually replace our A330ceo fleet and operate to our network across Asia, Oceania, and the Middle East," says Izham Ismail, MAG group managing director and chief executive officer of Malaysia Airlines. The A330-900s layout will comprise 297 seats, with 28 seats in business class and 269 in economy. The new widebodies are part of a memorandum of understanding MAG signed in August 2022 with Airbus, Rolls-Royce and Avolon for 20 A330neos due to be delivered through 2028. Ten of the aircraft have been directly purchased from Airbus under sale-and-leaseback arrangements with Avolon, while the remaining from the lessor's orderbook Malaysia Airlines took delivery of its first 737 Max 8 (9M-MVA, MSN 6643) in November 2023, the first of 25 on order that are due to be delivered through 2026. It signed long-term leases with Air Lease Corporation for the jets in February 2022. MAG currently owns a fleet size of 104 through its subsidiaries Malaysia Airlines, Firefly, MASwings and MASkargo. Malaysia Airlines has 24 A330ceos and 42 737NGs stored and in service on its fleet, while Firefly operates five 737NGs

Finnair expects to cancel around 550 flights on 1-2 February due to a strike planned by several unions across the country, aimed at the government. Industrial action will have a significant impact on Helsinki airport as well as the carrier, which normally operates approximately 280 flights per day. Finnair expects to operate just a handful of services through period. Cancellations will be implemented gradually from 30 January, with alternative routings offered to customers. Ground and inflight services are also expected to be affected. "It is unfortunate that the political strike will affect so many customers' travel," Finnair's vice-president of operations, Jari Paajanen, says. "We will work in close collaboration with our partners to ensure that after the strike, our flight operations can again commence as smoothly as possible." Finnair has already offered its customers the opportunity to reschedule flights or apply for refunds if they are unable to change travel dates.

JetBlue Airways has flagged to Spirit Airlines the possibility that it may terminate their merger agreement, which has been blocked by a US district court judge, on or after 28 January. In a US Securities and Exchange Commission filing, New York-based JetBlue says it has told Spirit "that certain conditions to closing required by the agreement and plan of merger… may not be satisfied prior to the outside dates set forth in the merger agreement". JetBlue adds that it "continues to evaluate its options under the merger agreement", noting: "Unless and until such time as the merger agreement is terminated pursuant to its terms, JetBlue will continue to abide by all of its obligations under [the agreement]." Spirit and JetBlue have jointly filed with the US Court of Appeals for the First Circuit a notice of their appeal against a 16 January ruling by Judge William Young of the Massachusetts District Court that blocked the carriers from executing the merger deal they had agreed in July 2022.