The administrators of Regional Express have sold its 50% stake in charter operator National Jet Express to the other shareholders of the company. Proceeds from the sale of shares in National Jet Express will be used by the Rex Group to pay secured debt, the company states in a 2 December Australian Securities Exchange filing. The sale price was not disclosed. Rex held the 50% stake in NJE through its Air Partners subsidiary, and the other 50% is held by entities controlled by former Rex executive chairman Lim Kim Hai and his brother-in-law Tjoa Thian Song. NJE operates 10 De Havilland Canada Dash 8-400s, seven Embraer 190-E1s and four BAe 146-300 Freighters, fleet data shows. It primarily operates on mining charter services in Western Australia, South Australia and Queensland, while the freighters are wet-leased to Qantas Freight. In October Rex's administrators agreed to sell its air ambulance business, Pel-Air Aviation, to Toll Holdings for A$47.1 million ($31.2 million). Rex was placed in administration in July after sustaining losses on its inter-city jet operations but has continued to operate regional services and is awaiting court approval to extend the administration period to June 2025. Contingent on that approval, the Australian government will provide an A$80 million ($51.7 million) credit facility to allow the airline to continue operating and reactivate some of its grounded Saab 340B turboprops.

Korean Air has received final approval from the European Commission for its proposed takeover of Asiana Airlines as it races to close the long-delayed transaction by the end of this year. The carrier adds that it has submitted the EC’s approval to the US Department of Justice, which represents the final regulatory hurdle Korean Air has to clear to complete the deal which was first announced in November 2020. “The European Commission (EC) announced on November 28 that it has concluded its review after confirming Korean Air's fulfilment of all required conditions for the merger with Asiana Airlines,” says Korean Air. The EC granted Korean Air provisional approval in February on the conditions that it divests Asiana’s cargo business and increase competition on four European routes. On 28 November the Commission approved Air Incheon as a “suitable purchaser” of the cargo unit, while Korean Air has already ceded routes to Barcelona, Frankfurt, Paris and Rome to rival carrier T’way Air.

Malaysia Airlines has taken delivery the first of 20 Airbus A330neos from lessor Avolon in Toulouse. Fleets data shows the aircraft as bearing registration 9M-MNG (MSN 2080), with flight tracking sources showing that the jet is expected to arrive in Kuala Lumpur on 29 November. The aircraft is configured with a two-class layout with 297 seats, states Avolon. The carrier’s parent company Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG) agreed in 2022 to lease 20 Airbus A330-900s from Avolon with 10 from the lessor’s orderbook and another 10 acquired from MAG via sale-and-leaseback with deliveries scheduled through 2028. “We are proud to have partnered with MAG on a complex and unique transaction, says Avolon chief executive Andy Cronin, adding: “With global supply of widebody aircraft extremely limited these aircraft are a core element of MAG’s fleet renewal strategy, allowing them to capitalise on the continuing recovery in the Asian aviation market.” The aircraft was initially scheduled for delivery in the third quarter of 2024 but was delayed due to “findings identified by Airbus during the flight line stage”, according to an October statement by MAG. The airline now expects to receive five A330neos by the first quarter of 2025.