Thai Airways International is planning to recruit over 300 cabin crew to support the noteworthy growth in travel demand. The move is in accordance with the airline's plan to increase flight frequencies in the first quarter of 2023 following the significant growth in travel demand in the fourth quarter of 2022, as well as its growing tendency in 2023, the carrier says.

China on 26 December cleared Korean Air's planned acquisition of Asiana Airlines. "The Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic of China (MOFCOM) has demanded that the merged Korean Air-Asiana entity reduce its market share due to competition concerns, to which Korean Air has submitted remedies proposing to transfer slots to any new airlines wishing to start air services on nine routes where both Korean Air and Asiana Airlines operate," Korean Air said in a 26 December statement. The Korea Fair Trade Commission proposed five of the nine routes earlier this year and an additional four routes have been advised by MOFCOM, it adds. Korean Air expects China's approval of the business combination to play a "positive role" in the review process of the remaining competition authorities. Currently, Korean Air is still waiting for business combination approvals from the USA, European Union and Japan, countries where reporting is mandatory, as well as the final approval from the UK, where reporting is arbitrary. Korean Air says "it will continue to cooperate closely with the remaining competition authorities to ensure the review process is completed as soon as possible". The airline has completed the approval process in 10 countries. Out of these countries, Korean Air has received approval from China, South Korea, Turkey, Taiwan and Vietnam. The Thailand Competition Commission announced that submission of a business combination report was not necessary. From countries where reporting is arbitrary, Korean Air has received clearance from Singapore, Malaysia and Australia. The Philippines has confirmed that the business combination report was not required.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) and the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB) have signed a strategic framework arrangement to collaborate on civil aviation as the two major air hubs of the Asia-Pacific region emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic. "Under the framework arrangement, the two civil aviation authorities will work together on six key areas to rebuild their aviation sectors and position themselves for future opportunities, in partnership with their respective aviation and aerospace industries and companies," the aviation authority said in a 23 December statement. These six key areas are air transport, aviation sustainability, aviation safety, air traffic management, airport innovation and technology and unmanned aircraft systems and advanced air mobility. Under aviation sustainability, the authorities will establish knowledge exchange in areas such as the ICAO Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) and the ICAO Long Term Global Aspirational Goal for International Aviation and sustainable aviation fuels (SAF). They will also study on developing "green lanes" between Singapore and Japan to encourage the gradual uptake of SAF-operated flights. Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic in 2019, passenger movements between Singapore and Japan reached a historic high of 3.4 million, with over 200 weekly passenger services between Singapore and seven Japanese cities. Passenger traffic between Singapore and Japan has recovered to about 50% of pre-Covid levels and is expected to further increase in 2023. CAAS director-general Han Kok Juan states: "The framework arrangement will also help us leverage complementary strengths in our respective public and private sectors to seize new opportunities in sustainability, technology and innovation."