Icelandair has finalised its order for 13 Airbus A321XLR aircraft following a memorandum of understanding signed in April, marking the first Airbus purchase for the flag carrier. The first long-range XLR aircraft is scheduled for delivery in 2029, Icelandair president and chief executive Bogi Nils Bogason states, adding that "we plan to have four Airbus aircraft in operation before summer of 2025 and have now secured the lease of [four] new A321LR aircraft with our long-term partner SMBC Aviation Capital Limited”. According to fleets data, Irish lessor SMBC Aviation Capital manages three Boeing 737 Max 8s for Icelandair. Regarding the 13 new Airbus purchases, Icelandair states that "the financing of the aircraft is yet to be determined". This is normal when deliveries are several years out. Taking delivery of these long-range A320s can enable Icelandair to extend the reach of its transatlantic network, Airbus states while enabling it to reduce its operating costs through better fuel efficiency. Icelandair has 18 Boeing 737 Max aircraft in service and orders for two Max 8s. Its older Boeing fleet includes 12 757-200 aircraft in service, along with five in storage. The rest of its aircraft in service includes five 767-300s, two 757-300s, one 737NG-800, and six De Havilland Canada Dash 8 aircraft.

London Gatwick airport has submitted an application to planners that could bring its Northern Runway into regular use by the end of the decade. The runway is currently maintained for emergencies only, but Gatwick believe that by repositioning its centreline by 12m it could safely be used to operate departing flights. This would allow the airport to serve up to 75 million passengers per year, up from nearly 47 million in 2019. Gatwick has now submitted an application known as a Development Consent Order to the UK's Planning Inspectorate, outlining its ambitions. It says the move would create around 14,000 new jobs and inject £1 billion ($1.3 billion) into the region's economy each year. "If approved, our plan will also improve airport resilience, meet future passenger demand, and increase competition in the London airport market, by providing vital new international connections to support 'Global Britain'," states Gatwick chief executive Stewart Wingate. "The consultation and engagement activity over the past two years has been hugely valuable in shaping our plans to ensure they best meet the needs and requirements of local people, as well as our airlines, passengers and other stakeholders. We are confident that our plans are both economically and environmentally robust." The airport says eight out of 10 residents in the nearby region support the plan. As part of its submission, Gatwick has also made legally binding commitments around noise levels and reduces carbon emissions, including that within nine years of the Northern Runway opening the airport’s operations will generate less noise than in 2019. The Northern Runway would also not be used routinely between 23:00 and 06:00.

Scottish regional airline Loganair has introduced its first ATR 42-600s to Glasgow airport as part of a major investment in new fleet. "The new ATR 42-600 aircraft, which are larger, quieter and more efficient than the Saab 340s they replace, will operate on services linking Glasgow with Islay, Benbecula, Sumburgh and Donegal from July, followed by Kirkwall and Derry services from August," the carrier states. The first of the new aircraft started operations on 3 July with departure to Islay, it adds. These services will benefit from up to a 45% increase in capacity, the airline notes. The introduction of the ATRs will also enable greater year-round connectivity to domestic and international destinations via Glasgow with Loganair and its interline partners. "This is a major milestone in Loganair's investment plans to renew our fleet, and it futureproofs the essential air links to Scotland's island communities which is Loganair's privilege to serve," says Loganair chief executive Jonathan Hinkles. "Investment in new equipment has been undertaken by Loganair on a purely commercial basis and without recourse to public subsidy."