The UK government has introduced new legislation intended to modernise the aviation sector, including by strengthening passenger protections and improving the efficiency of national airspace. The Civil Aviation Bill, currently undergoing its second reading in parliament, would give the Civil Aviation Authority enhanced enforcement powers while overhauling regulation of the UK's skies. Under the proposed laws, airlines and airports could face fines if they fail to properly compensate passengers for cancelled flights, provide adequate support during delays or ensure accessible services for disabled travellers. The measures are designed to ensure passengers receive assistance including food, accommodation and clear information during disruption. UK passenger rights are currently governed by UK261, officially retained in UK law as the Air Passenger Rights Regulation 2004. When the nation left the European Union, it essentially copied the bloc's EU261 passenger rights regulation directly into UK law. While it functions almost identically to the EU regulation, it is operated independently under the oversight of the CAA. The proposed new legislation is also aimed at accelerating long-planned airspace modernisation, allowing flightpaths to be redesigned to reduce delays and improve efficiency. By cutting congestion, the government aims to deliver faster journeys and lower emissions while accommodating future growth. "As UK airspace approaches 70 years since its original design, these changes are critical to accommodate growing passenger numbers and reduce avoidable delays," says the Department for Transport. "Without this reform, passengers could face delays increasing by 200% by 2040, which is why UK ADS [Airspace Design Service] has already begun redrawing London routes, with changes planned for the mid-2030s." The bill also includes provisions to streamline aviation safety rulemaking, enabling the UK to respond more quickly to new technologies and emerging risks. Tim Alderslade, chief of industry group Airlines UK, has welcomed the legislation's emphasis on enabling growth in the UK industry, but warns that "new rules must strike the right balance and deliver real consumer benefits" as "unnecessary burdens help no one". He adds: "We look forward to shaping this legislation with government as it progresses through parliament."

Italian competition authority AGCM has opened an investigation into EasyJet's online booking process. The probe will focus on how the UK carrier sells additional services – specifically checked baggage for round-trip flights – on its Italian website and mobile app. AGCM accuses EasyJet of structuring the purchase process to advertise only an average price for these add-ons, and says the platform automatically selects a bundled purchase for both legs of the journey as the default option. "Consumers would thus be misled as to the actual price of the service for each leg of the trip and, if they wished to purchase the additional service for only one leg, would have to take steps to override EasyJet's default option by interrupting the online booking process," argues AGCM. This behaviour, it suggests, could violate the Italian consumer code were it to be deemed a deceptive and aggressive commercial practice. AGCM adds that it has launched its investigation because EasyJet did not comply with a previous "moral suasion" warning: a non-binding request from the watchdog giving the airline the opportunity to voluntarily adjust its practices.

More than four years into its war with Ukraine, Western sanctions continue to largely shut Russia out of the global aviation system – but the recent transfer of a Western-built commercial aircraft into Russian hands is an example of one slipping the net. MSN 4934, an Airbus A320, has been ferried into Russia from Turkiye via Oman, and is now under the control of North-West Air Company, a Russian operator that describes itself as specialising in business jets, charter flights and aircraft acquisition. Cirium data shows that the aircraft is in storage at Moscow Vnukovo International airport. The 2011-vintage jet, powered by International Aero Engines V2500s, has had an eventful history. Operated initially by Etihad Airways and later by now-defunct carrier Air Albania, MSN 4934 had passed through a succession of unrelated owners before its acquisition by an Omani entity, under a transaction confirmed by a US-based participant, on 26 December 2025. A representative of the Omani entity did not respond to Cirium's requests for comment, and it remains unclear how and from whom the aircraft was acquired by North-West, which likewise did not respond to requests for comment. THE ROUTING Cirium fleet data shows that on the same date, 26 December 2025, the narrowbody was ferried between Istanbul Airport and the city's Ataturk airport, which closed to commercial flights in 2019 but remained open for cargo operations, maintenance, general aviation, air taxis, and corporate, state and diplomatic aircraft. MSN 4934 had been parked at Istanbul airport since July 2024, the data indicates. On 14 April 2026, the narrowbody was ferried to Omani capital Muscat, where it remained for a month before being flown to Moscow Vnukovo on 14 May. On that same day, it was reregistered from the Cayman Islands to Russian registration. The routing of the aircraft through Oman highlights that unlike the EU and UK – which impose strict restrictions on the sale, lease and onward transfer of Western-built aircraft to Russia – the sultanate, like several other Middle Eastern jurisdictions, has not adopted an equivalent sanctions regime.Sanctions imposed by the EU, UK and USA after February 2022 were designed to cut Russia off from Western-built aircraft. They prohibit the sale, lease or transfer of aircraft, engines and parts to Russian operators, and require the termination of existing leases.