Cathay Pacific low-cost subsidiary HK Express has taken delivery of the first of 16 on order Airbus A321neos. The Hong Kong-based carrier opted to power the twinjets with CFM International Leap-1A engines and fit them with 236 Recaro SL3710 passenger seats. Recaro highlights that the seat will also be used for a cabin upgrade on HK Express's existing fleet, with a total supply of more than 4,000 seats. HK Express is an all-A320-family operator with a fleet comprising 11 A321ceos, 10 A320neos and five A320ceos, Airbus notes. The carrier's A320ceos and A321ceos are powered by International Aero Engines V2500s, while the A320neos are fitted with Pratt & Whitney PW1100Gs. Cathay Pacific has 10 Leap-powered A321neos and another six on order. Five A320ceos and three A321ceos – all V2500-powered – are listed as being in storage. Apart from these single-aisles, Cathay Pacific operates a fleet of Airbus and Boeing widebodies. The 16 A321neo orders for HK Express had originally been scheduled for delivery at now-defunct sister carrier Cathay Dragon, under an order for 32 of the type. Cathay Pacific disclosed the transfer in late 2019 and meantime acquired the remaining 16 A321neo orders for its mainline fleet. Cathay Dragon was dissolved amid the pandemic in 2020. HK Express chief executive Mandy Ng describes the A321neo has having "a game-changing ability to provide more capacity with greater sustainability". She states: "The A321neo is key in our efforts to reduce our impact on the environment." Airbus adapting its production system to produce A321neos from all its single-aisle assembly lines in France, Germany, China and the USA. HK Express's first A321neo was delivered from the airframer's plant in Hamburg.

Italian flag carrier ITA Airways has reported a net loss of around €486 million ($527 million) for the full year of 2022. Revenue reached €1.58 billion, of which €1.27 billion came from the passenger traffic business, the airline says. ITA commenced operations on 15 October 2021 and generated €90 million in revenue during that year. The airline says its 2022 results were significantly impacted by the rise in fuel costs following the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, as well as the "worsening of the EUR/USD exchange rate". It reported a negative EBITDA of €338 million and ended the year with €418 million in cash. During the year, ITA operated around 97,000 scheduled flights and transported about 10.1 million passengers. The airline expects its revenue to grow substantially in 2023, driven by the expansion of its route network and fleet size.

The Malaysian Aviation Commission (MAVCOM) has proposed extending an exemption on the joint venture between Japan Airlines and Malaysia Airlines on routes between Japan and Malaysia. The joint venture allows the two airlines to coordinate in a number of areas, including scheduling, sales and inventory management, on a metal-neutral basis. MAVCOM notes that it only covers the mainline services of the two airlines, plus JAL subsidiary J-Air, but excludes their other subsidiaries. In the draft decision, the regulator notes that while JAL and Malaysia Airlines are the dominant carriers on many routes between the two countries, there was still enough competitive pressure being exerted by competitors and carriers offering viable one-stop services to ensure that continuing the joint venture would not impact consumers. MAVCOM has invited written feedback on its draft submission, which must be submitted by 10 April Once the consultation period closes, MAVCOM is expected to issue its formal exemption soon after. Networks data shows that in April JAL will operate solely on the Kuala Lumpur – Tokyo Narita route, while Malaysia Airlines flies from Kuala Lumpur to Narita, Tokyo Haneda and Osaka Kansai, as well as Kota Kinabalu-Narita. AirAsia X, All Nippon Airways and Batik Air Malaysia are the other carriers that fly between Malaysia and Japan.