Emirates has flown its first flight with one engine powered entirely by sustainable aviation fuel, claiming a first among carriers in the Middle East and North Africa. The Dubai operator describes the flight, operated with a Boeing 777-300ER, as a step toward a future where 100% SAF will be used to power aircraft, slashing lifecycle CO2 emissions. Emirates was joined by partners Boeing, GE Aerospace, Honeywell, Neste and Virent in procuring and developing the SAF blend. During lab tests, chemical and physical fuel property measurements were conducted at each blending ratio.
The 18t of SAF used in the flight comprised HEFA-SPK provided by Neste and HDO-SAK from Virent. SAF was used to power one of the GE Aerospace GE90 engines, while the other engine was powered by conventional jet fuel. Adel Al Redha, chief operating officer at Emirates, states that the flight will pave the way for future regulatory approvals of higher SAF blends. "This flight is a milestone moment for Emirates and a positive step for our industry as we work collectively to address one of our biggest challenges: reducing our carbon footprint," he adds. "Such initiatives are critical contributors to industry knowledge on SAF, and provide data to demonstrate the use of higher blends of SAF for future regulatory approvals."

UK regional airline Flybe has ceased trading and entered into administration. "Flybe has now ceased trading and all flights from and to the UK operated by Flybe have been cancelled and will not be rescheduled," the airline says in a statement. On 28 January, the high court appointed David Pike and Mike Pink of insolvency firm Interpath Advisory as joint administrators to help manage the affairs, business and property of Flybe. Flybe operated scheduled services from Belfast City, Birmingham and Heathrow to airports across the UK and to Amsterdam and Geneva. Flybe relaunched services after collapsing just prior to the pandemic in 2020. The new Flybe is owned by US-based Cyrus Capital Partners, who purchased the airline's brand following its collapse in 2020.

New Zealand authorities have launched an inquiry into an incident where the crew of an Air New Zealand Boeing 777-300ER lost control of the aircraft shortly after touching down at Auckland International Airport. The Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) states that the aircraft, registered ZK-OKN, was operating a flight from Melbourne on 27 January and was landing amid heavy rain and wind gusts when it “briefly lost directional control” and veered from the runway centreline. The crew were able to regain control of the aircraft and completed the landing before taxiing it to the terminal. The aircraft sustained damage to its undercarriage and one tyre deflated in the incident, while six runway edge lights were also damaged. The TAIC states that there are no reports of injuries to the crew and passengers onboard the aircraft. Two investigators have been appointed to lead the investigation. Fleets data shows that the 777 (MSN 38406) was delivered to Air New Zealand in 2011 and is owned by the airline. Auckland Airport has been affected by wild weather from 27-28 January, which caused flooding in sections of the international terminal. That resulted in a 37-hour closure of the facility, and international flights began to operate again from 29 January.