European manufacturer ATR plans to use one of its aircraft as a flight test bed for hybrid-electric propulsion by 2030, as the company participates in two of 12 sustainability initiatives selected and funded by the European Union's Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking following its third call for proposals. Clean Aviation has released €945 million ($1.1 billion) of funding to support 12 projects aimed at decarbonising the airline industry. ATR will lead two projects under the Ultra-Efficient Regional Aircraft (UERA) technologies category, which has been assigned €144 million of the EU funds. It will work alongside Safran and RTX subsidiaries Collins Aerospace and Pratt & Whitney Canada. Through its HERACLES (Hybrid-Electric Regional Aircraft Concept for Low EmissionS) project, the airframer will use an ATR72-600 to flight-test hybrid-electric technologies by the end of this decade. This will be carried out under Clean Aviation's DEMETRA (Demonstrator of an Electrified Modern Efficient Transport Regional Aircraft) programme. The EU's Clean Aviation JU says that the projects selected in its latest round will start at the beginning of 2026, with flight tests planned for 2028 and 2029. The EU has agreed to work with Canada as part of its PHARES (Powerplant Hybrid Application for Regional Segment) project, which has been earmarked for €69 million of funding from the bloc. This will see Pratt & Whitney Canada providing propulsion support for the hybrid-electric regional aircraft test programme. "Europe will not fly into the future with yesterday's technologies," states European commissioner for start-ups, research and innovation Ekaterina Zaharieva. "Together with trusted partners, like Canada, we set our course towards CO2 emission reductions [of] 30% – to stay competitive, secure sustainable growth and keep our industry ahead of other world regions." ATR chief executive Nathalie Tarnaud says the project is "more than a technological demonstration", noting: "By flying the world's first hybrid-electric regional aircraft by 2030, we aim to further demonstrate that sustainability and connectivity can go hand-in-hand." The 12 projects selected by Clean Aviation fall under four main areas. In addition to UERA, the EU will provide €199 million for Ultra-Efficient Short-Medium Range Aircraft technologies and €20 million for "fast track areas". A further €15 million of funding will be made available to projects dedicated to "aircraft concept integration and impact assessment", says Clean Aviation. Other companies that have been selected to participate in the latest round include Airbus, Rolls-Royce and Skylife Engineering.

WestJet will be the key customer for CAE's Alberta Training Centre of Excellence for Aviation and Aerospace in Calgary that is scheduled to open in 2028. The carrier has signed a 15-year training agreement that will offer initial and recurrent training to pilots and cabin crew for its Boeing 737 Max and NG, 787 and De Havilland Canada Dash 8-400s. The centre will have eight full-flight simulators, cabin trainers and several digital learning tools, WestJet states. The centre will also partner with Mount Royal University on research and development initiatives. "WestJet's commitment to being the first commercial airline customer at the Alberta Training Centre of Excellence is testament to our investment in our current and future WestJetters and in Calgary as an aviation hub," says WestJet chief executive Alexis von Hoensbroech. "This 15-year contract is a significant commitment that will ensure our people receive the highest standard of training for years to come, and we're very pleased to join forces with CAE, a global leader in aviation training and fellow Canadian company, to bring this project to life." The training deal follows WestJet placing an order for 60 737 Max 10s and seven 787-9s that takes its backlog with the US manufacturer to 123 aircraft.

South Korean carrier T'way Air will rebrand as Trinity Airways during the first half of 2026 in a move aimed at more closely aligning it with its controlling shareholder, Daemyung Sono Group. The airline revealed the new branding on its website and says that it will "gradually introduce visible changes that enhance our group’s unified image and synergies". "Trinity Air represents a symbolic starting point where various sectors of the hospitality industry converge to create new synergies. It reflects our commitment and determination to complete a journey of possibilities through unity," it adds. Daemyung Sono, which primarily operates hotels, acquired control of T'way Air in March after taking a 46% stake in T'way Holdings, which has a 28% interest in the airline. That added to Daemyung's 26.8% stake held directly in the carrier. It previously also held a stake in Air Premia, but dropped plans to merge the two carriers in May and sold its stake in that airline to Tire Bank. T'way Air operates a fleet of 44 aircraft, including 26 Boeing 737-800s, five Max 8s and six Airbus A330-200s, Cirium fleets data shows.