Australia's Regional Express reaffirmed expectations of a profitable full year on the back of improved pre-tax profit from domestic jet operations in October. The airline disclosed a pre-tax profit of about A$2 million ($1.35 million) for domestic jet operations in October, improving from the "slight profitability" in September, marking the first time it has reported a monthly profit from jet operations. Its regional Saab operations remained loss making in October, but EBITDAR was a positive A$1 million for the month, having been EBITDAR positive since September, Rex says in a filing disclosed to the Australian Securities Exchange today. The airline believes that its regional Saab operations will return to monthly profitability by the third quarter of financial year (FY) 2023. The board has reaffirmed its expectations that the group will make up for the accumulated losses incurred in the first four months to emerge overall profitable for the entire financial year.

Moldova's civil aviation authority has warned that Air Moldova is at "potential risk of insolvency". An unannounced inspection uncovered "serious deficiencies" in the carrier's finances, says the regulator, which believes these could "disrupt the smooth functioning of the operator and the safety of the planned air operations". It adds: "The air operator appears to have major financial difficulties, facing problems of financial stability and a potential risk of insolvency." The civil aviation authority says "it is necessary to start a risk management process immediately" and has requested that Air Moldova submit for approval a corrective action plan "to remedy the precarious financial situation, in order to ensure the proper functioning of the operator". The airline has also been instructed to suspend ticket sales where "no properly approved flight schedule and/or authorisation for the [route] operation" is in place. Air Moldova argues that the regulator's request for a halt in ticket sales is "unfounded and illegitimate". The airline adds that it has contested all non-conformities raised in the latest audit, and complains of being "regularly subjected to unjust, illegitimate and unacceptable acts of subjugation". Since privatisation in 2018, Air Moldova has, it says, "been working conscientiously, transparently, paying considerable taxes to the state, developing its network of destinations [and] promoting the image of the country and civil aviation internationally in accordance with all world standards." It adds: "Air Moldova is not about politics [and] will not tolerate... attacks on it." The carrier has also indicated plans to initiate court action. Data shows Air Moldova has two Airbus A319s, one A320, two A321s and an Embraer 190. The two A319s – 16 and 20 years old, respectively, and powered by CFM International CFM56-5Bs – are managed by Carlyle Aviation Partners, as is one of the A321s: a CFM56-powered jet built in 1998. The 2005-vintage A320 and the other A321, built in 2000, are managed by TrueAero and Willis Lease Finance, respectively, and powered by International Aero Engines V2500s. The E190, manufactured in 2010, is owned by Air Moldova.

Air India is launching new long-haul services from Mumbai to New York, Paris and Frankfurt and resuming several routes to European cities from February. The carrier says it will commence daily flights to New York JFK from 14 February using Boeing 777-200LRs. New flights to Paris and Frankfurt will begin next quarter, operating three and four times a week, respectively. The Mumbai-New York service will complement Air India's existing daily service from Delhi to New York JFK and four weekly flights to Newark Liberty airport. This takes Air India's India-USA frequency to 47 nonstop flights per week, it adds. Air India is also resuming nonstop flights connecting Delhi with Copenhagen, Milan and Vienna. Flights to Milan will be operated four times a week from 1 February, while thrice-weekly flights to Vienna and Copenhagen will resume from 18 February and 1 March, respectively. This expansion comes as the airline "continues to make progress in augmenting its fleet with newly-leased aircraft" and return existing aircraft to service. These long-haul routes will be operated by 787-8s that have 18 business class and 238 economy class seats. With the resumption of these flights, Air India will serve seven cities in Europe with 79 weekly non-stop flights: 48 to the UK and 31 to Continental Europe.