Air Arabia Saudi (Air Arabia Alliance) has received its AOC from Saudi Arabia’s GACA, clearing the way to begin low-cost operations from Dammam’s King Fahd International Airport. Initial destinations will be announced shortly, extending Air Arabia’s multi-hub joint-venture model into Saudi Arabia despite challenging first-half 2026 trading conditions.

European ATFM delays fell 17% during summer 2026, but restrictions still affected 681,000 flights, or around 21% of services. Eurocontrol says capacity and staffing shortages remain the main challenge, warning that 13 of Europe’s 68 area control centres are expected to miss 2026 capacity targets as traffic continues to grow.

Pegasus Airlines has received Czech competition approval for its €154 million acquisition of Smartwings, subject to the expiry of the appeals period. To address competition concerns on the Prague–Antalya route, Pegasus has agreed to release slots to rival carriers. The acquisition significantly strengthens Pegasus’ presence in Central and Eastern Europe, while Smartwings is expected to continue operating as a separate brand.