China Eastern has received its fourth Comac C919 (B-919E, MSN 00010) in a sign that the Chinese airframer is increasing its pace of delivery. According to the carrier, the aircraft took off from Shanghai Pudong International airport on 2 January at 9:44 (local time) and arrived at Shanghai Hongqiao International airport at 10:02. The delivery comes less than a month after China Eastern received its third C919 in December. The carrier received its first C919 in December 2022, which entered commercial service on 28 May flying between Shanghai and Chengdu, and received its second example in July 2023. Since its first commercial C919 flight to the end of last year, the carrier says the fleet has flown 655 commercial flights, carrying nearly 82,000 passengers. The carrier ordered an additional 100 C919s in September. Prior to the latest delivery, the carrier had five units scheduled for delivery in 2024.

Austrian Airlines has received its fifth Airbus A320neo from the airframer. The wholly owned Lufthansa subsidiary says the single-aisle (OE-LZR) was delivered from Airbus's assembly line in Toulouse on 29 December and will operate in a neutral white livery until it will be painted in Austrian's colour scheme in spring. Fleets data shows the Pratt & Whitney PW1100G-powered twinjet was the final A320neo-family jet Austrian had on order. Its previous four A320neos were added to the fleet between August 2022 and July 2023. Austrian has 40 A320-family jets, six Boeing 777-200ERs, three 767-300ERs and 17 Embraer 195s. The 777s and 767s are scheduled to be replaced by 787-9s between 2024 and 2028. "In the coming years, Austrian Airlines will modernise its short- and medium-haul fleet as well as its long-haul fleet," states operating chief Francesco Sciortino. "In addition to the use of sustainable fuels, the use of modern and fuel-efficient aircraft is the greatest lever for achieving our ambitious climate targets," he says.

Brussels airport will use state subsidies to provide up to €200,000 ($220,000) to airlines that use low carbon jet fuels at the facility this year. The gateway is seeking to cover up to 80% of the additional costs of using the fuel for airlines that take part, with the money coming from a €2 million sustainability scheme launched by the Belgian government in 2022. “The SAF incentive programme is one of the measures that Brussels Airport Company wanted to take to accelerate the sustainable development of aviation and promote the use of sustainable aviation fuels,” states Arnaud Feist, chief executive of Brussels Airport Company. “As an airport, within the framework of our European Stargate programme, we have expressed the ambition to aim for 5% SAF on total kerosene use by airlines at Brussels airport by 2026. That is faster than the European target, but we want to fully commit to this together with our airline partners.” The incentive scheme is open to all passenger and cargo airlines, offering short and long-haul services departing from Brussels airport in 2024. Brussels airport notes that it first received SAF via its NATO fuel pipeline in December 2022.