The Belgian Air Transport Association, representing Air Belgium, Brussels Airlines and TUI, has declared itself “extremely disappointed” by a government decision to impose an embarkation tax from 1 April. The measure, approved by parliament on 24 March, is being introduced on environmental grounds, and will mainly apply to services up to 500km from a Belgian airport, adding €10 ($11) per ticket. This will fall to €4 for services of over 500km but outside the EEA. and €2 within the EEA, according to a report in The Brussels Times. Belgium’s airlines had requested that the tax be imposed based on the date of reservation and not of the flight in order to avoid retroactively charging customers who have already paid for services from 1 April. They also claim the decision is “legally questionable” because it does not follow ICAO recommendations for an implementation timeline between the decision being finalised and coming into force, to allow for updating booking systems and informing passengers. “The decision taken yesterday represents an additional financial burden for the Belgian aviation sector of €5 million while the industry is trying to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic, the most costly and impactful crisis in its history,” argues the BATA. “Besides, the tax has no positive effect on the environment, one of the key goals of the government next to the tax shift, as the money is not invested in environmental progress.” IATA has also raised concerns about the tax, complaining on 24 March that the lead time for its implementation “is a blow” to airlines and that it was being enacted as part of “ineffective greenwash”.

Chinese rescuers have retrieved the flight-data recorder of the China Eastern MU5735 jet crash on the sixth day of search and rescue efforts. Rescuers at about 09:20 on 27 March found what they described as a “second black box” buried 1.5m below the surface, situated about 40m away from what has been determined as the main point of impact, Zheng Xi, head of Guangxi Fire Rescue Corps told a press briefing held on 27 March afternoon. Mao Yanfeng, head of aircraft investigation of the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) confirmed the metal cylindrical tank found was the flight-data recorder. He said the device, which records the aircraft’s altitude, speed, pitch angle, roll angle, heading, and vertical speed during flight, “can provide real and objective evidence for the analysis of the cause of the accident”. CAAC’s director of aviation safety Zhu Tao said the appearance of the flight-data recorder was “relatively intact”, but upon closer inspection, “other parts of the recorder were severely damaged”. The recorder has been sent to a laboratory for decoding. The discovery comes after rescuers on 26 March found the plane’s emergency locator transmitter, which was close to where the flight-data recorder was installed. The engine gearbox as well as parts of the main landing gear were found in the main crash site. Data from the flight-data recorder as well as the cockpit voice recorder recovered on 23 March will be crucial as investigators determine the main cause of the jet crash in southern China on 21 January. The CAAC has confirmed that none of the 123 passengers and nine crew members survived the crash. Rescuers have confirmed the identities of 120 victims through DNA testing.

The Russian government is considering buying approximately 500 leased aircraft to settle their status, Interfax reports, quoting transport minister Vitaly Savelyev. "First of all, we need to come to a decision with the government on what should be done by airlines that we have pretty much urged to keep planes - that is, planes should be bought out or not bought out. Because companies should continue to make lease payments," Savelyev is quoted as stating during an appearance at the Russian Federation Council on 23 March. He said that the fleet has a total residual value of $20 billion which is a "very large amount". Savelyev, who is subject to Western sanctions, adds that lessors have requested the return of the leased jets, which represents a "political decision" for the Russian government. Savelyev is also quoted as stating that the other issue is around letters of credit extended by Russian banks. "This is approximately 200 billion roubles for all airlines, because our banks, approximately 20 or so banks, have issued letters of credit against foreign banks, guaranteeing these payments. Right now, these letters of credit are unsealed, and default on the part of airlines, which will happen on March 28, I hope we'll find a solution by that time...this default will yield a cross default on our banks. Therefore, either the banks suffer or the airlines do, because banks are pursuing claims," Savelyev is reported to have said. Lessors face a deadline of repossessing their aircraft by 28 March before leases are voided by EU sanctions on doing business with Russian carriers.