The government of the European island country of Malta plans to establish a new airline to replace struggling flag carrier Air Malta. The new carrier is expected to start operations on 31 March 2024 with a fleet of eight Airbus A320neo aircraft, according to Prime Minister Robert Abela. Air Malta will keep flying until 30 March 2024 and passengers can continue to book tickets as usual. The same number of workers will be employed at the new company as at Air Malta, he adds, saying those workers will have "a quality career with certainty and stability". Malta's finance minister Clyde Caruana states that the country's national airline is "a crucial part of the infrastructure of our islands" and the air connectivity it provides is "inextricably linked to the economic growth and the success of our country". Caruana adds: "The new national airline will build on the many good things of Air Malta, but with a strong emphasis on long-term financial stability." The airline will be "sustainable and in line with environmental measures", the government adds, without elaborating.

Scandinavian carrier SAS will operate its last commercial Boeing 737 flight on 19 November. The airline says the service will be operated from Danish capital Copenhagen to the aircraft's base in Oslo in Norway under flight number SK737. A 737-700 named "Dag Viking" (registered LN-RRB) has been selected to operate the flight, SAS adds. Fleets data shows that six 737-700s and three 737-800s, variously built between 2000 and 2013, remain part of SAS's fleet today. The airline introduced its first 737 in 1989, having previously operated McDonnell Douglas DC-9s and MD-80s across its short-haul network. Its 737 fleet size peaked in 2015, with 30 737-800s, 29 -700s and 26 -600s. Having operated Airbus A320-family jets in parallel with its 737s for years, SAS has decided to standardise its narrowbody fleet around the European airframe. "The Boeing 737 has served us well," SAS states. "But it's time to say goodbye to this iconic aircraft, to make way for the next generation, more efficient aircraft, which we have been phasing in for the last few years." Sixty-six A320-family jets are listed as part of SAS's fleet, including 36 A320neos and three A321LRs. The carrier has another 18 A320neos on order.

Airbus has joined Japan's "Act For Sky", a voluntary coalition aimed at increasing the adoption of locally-produced sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). As a member of the coalition, Airbus will provide technical information and cooperate on SAF-related research and technology activities. "We are delighted to have joined Act For Sky. At Airbus we are committed to supporting SAF as a major lever in the reduction of CO2 emissions as part of the aviation industry decarbonisation roadmap to net zero CO2 emissions by 2050," says Stephane Ginoux, senior vice-president and head of North Asia at Airbus and president of Airbus Japan. In June 2022, Airbus partnered local operator Nakanihon Air to operate Japan's first SAF-powered helicopter flight at Nagoya Airport, and has since used locally-made SAF for further helicopter test flights at Airbus Helicopters Japan’s Kobe Airport facility. The airframer says it will transport helicopters or larger aircraft parts with Beluga aircraft powered with SAF. All Airbus aircraft can be operated with a 50% SAF blend, and it aims to raise this to 100% SAF by 2030 across the entire product portfolio. Act for Sky currently has 31 members, including Airbus and Boeing, and was established in March 2022 by founding members ANA, Japan Airlines, engineering company JGC Holdings and biofuel producer Revo International, alongside 12 other companies.