The European Commission has authorised France's €119 million ($125 million) restructuring aid measure to enable Air Austral to return to viability and €17.5 million in aid to compensate the airline for damage suffered during the Covid-19 pandemic between 17 March 2020 and 30 June 2020. After the approval by the EC of rescue aid in the form of a €20 million loan from the French state to Air Austral on 18 January 2022, France formally notified the EC of restructuring aid aimed at funding a restructuring plan for the airline, the commission says. Air Austral incurred significant operating losses and experienced a steep decline in traffic and profitability during the 17 March 2020 and 30 June 2020 period owing to the travel restrictions in place to limit the spread of Covid-19. The compensation was approved under Article 107(2)(b) TFEU after the EC found, in particular, that the French measure will make good the damage that is directly linked to the Covid-19 outbreak. It also found the measure to be proportionate, as the compensation does not exceed what is necessary to make good the damage.

US president Joseph Biden has re-nominated Phil Washington to become the administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration after months without a confirmation hearing following his initial nomination in July. Washington is chief executive of Denver International airport, before which he headed up the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. His prior experience also includes work as chief executive of Denver Regional Transportation District. Senate Commerce Committee chair Maria Cantwell has not scheduled a hearing but in December said the committee would consider his nomination in 2023. Democrats maintained control over the Senate in the November midterm election but may have delayed scheduling a hearing as lawmakers faced a heated summer of campaign events. Senator Roger Wicker, the ranking Republican on the commerce committee, has also opposed Washington’s nomination out of concern that he is named in a search warrant related to allegations of corruption at the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Washington has denied these allegations. The previous FAA administrator Steve Dickson on 1 April 2022 departed halfway through his five-year term that began in 2019. The FAA since then has been led by acting chief Billy Nolen.

VietJet has taken delivery of its new A321neo ACF to gear up for the upcoming holiday travel season in the region. The 240-seat aircraft landed at Noi Bai International airport in Hanoi on New Year's Eve and will be operating in the first few days of 2023, the Vietnamese low-cost carrier says The carrier also took delivery of another A330 recently. It plans to expand its flight network to the further destinations in Asia Pacific and beyond with the new aircraft.