Ethiopian Airlines' maintenance arm has been approved to complete performance-restoration shop visits on Boeing 737 Max-powering CFM International Leap-1B engines. The African carrier says that it completed a Leap-1B engine test at its facility following certification by the Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority and US Federal Aviation Administration. "This capability puts Ethiopian MRO among the very few MRO facilities which have achieved the testing capability of the Leap-1B engine," states Ethiopian chief executive Mesfin Tasew. "As we are growing our MRO services and expanding our capabilities, this is a milestone moment in the history of Ethiopian MRO," he adds. Related Articles

Air Niugini chief executive Gary Seddon has reportedly been suspended by the airline's board as it seeks clarity over which airports in the country its incoming Airbus A220s will be able to operate from. A report in local newspaper Post Courier quoting the airline's chairman Karl Yalo says that the suspension is a "procedural matter" as it waits on information on the A220, the first of which will be delivered soon. Yalo says that the information sought includes "operations manuals, spare parts, reporting procedures, the availability of the existing fleet and contingency plans" ahead of the A220's introduction into service, scheduled for mid-September. Cirium has contacted Air Niugini for comment but has not received a response at the time of publishing. The board's request for information on A220 operations appears to be linked to earlier controversy over the suitability of the new jet to operate to several airports across Papua New Guinea that are currently served by its Fokker 100 and 70 jets. National Airports Corporation issued a statement in early August that identified only five airports – Port Moresby, Nadzab, Kavieng, Mamate and Gurney – are immediately ready for A220 operations, but nine other airports required upgrades that will be rolled out between September 2026 and early 2029. In response, Seddon had said in a 4 August statement that Air Niugini and Airbus had " evaluated the performance of both the A220-100 and A220-300 models and confirmed these aircraft can serve every airport where our Fokker 70s and 100s operate". Nonetheless, he adds that some A220 flights may face operational restrictions due to "infrastructure limitations". Air Niugini has released images of its first A220-300 which has been painted in special livery celebrating the country's 50th year of independence. Cirium fleets data shows that the carrier has eight A220-100s on order and is leasing three -300s from Azorra. They will replace its nine Fokker jets and three Boeing 737-800s.

Air Senegal is being pursued through the UK High Court for alleged non-payment of rent relating to two Airbus A330neos. In a skeleton argument submitted to the UK Commercial Court in early August, an entity called Casamance and Wilmington Trust assert that the African carrier has been in default on lease payments relating to two A330-900s (MSNs 1910 and 1923) which they had leased to Air Senegal since 2020. These arrears began in mid-2024 and as of 17 June, are alleged to have totalled over €20.7 million ($24 million). Casamance purchased the two aircraft from Air Senegal in 2020 and immediately leased them back to the airline. Casamance financed its acquisition in part by entering into a loan agreement which was arranged and facilitated by Santander and guaranteed by export credit agencies, including Bpifrance assurance export. Wilmington was made security trustee in the transactions. Following demands for payment of outstanding rent made in June, Santander issued a notice terminating the lease of MSNs 1910 and 1923 and seeking both payment of the outstanding €20.7 million and a €115 million final down payment owed against the jets. Casamance and Wilmington allege that Air Senegal has made part-payment of €12 million and that a "substantial amount therefore remains outstanding". The document states that an "interim prohibitory injunction" was granted at an "ex-parte hearing" on 14 July 2025 that restricted Air Senegal from removing MSN 1910 and its engines, which were previously installed on MSN 1923, from their current location in Rome. Also in July, the claimants sought the return of the aircraft. The claimants additionally sought a mandatory injunction preventing Air Senegal from flying MSN 1910, with the engines of MSN 1923 installed on it, out of Rome where the aircraft had been undergoing maintenance, amid their efforts to seek the jet's redelivery. In a counter skeleton argument submitted on the same day, Air Senegal contends that to date it has paid $93 million towards the purchase of the aircraft in finance lease repayments. The airline denies the arguments for a mandatory injunction to impound the aircraft and argues for its continued use. Air Senegal urges that the case be mediated by the Hague Court of Arbitration for Aviation rather than through UK courts.