Canadian carrier Air Transat has expanded its virtual interlining service with the addition of Jet2 and Air Mauritius to its platform. The additions bring the total to 16 collaborating airlines, offering access to over 280 additional destinations worldwide, Transat says. The partnership now offers passengers access to Mauritius via a connection at Paris-Charles de Gaulle or London-Gatwick. In addition, Air Transat's partnership with Jet2.com allows it to serve several new destinations in the UK, including Leeds Bradford, Birmingham, Newcastle and East Midlands. Connections are available through the search engine on the carrier's website and through some flight aggregators using technology from Dohop. The booking also includes an assistance service in case of flight delay or cancellation.

Australia's latest aviation policy white paper has committed to establishing a new charter of rights and an ombuds scheme, plus additional monitoring of airline pricing and how airports set their charging regimes. The finalised policy paper puts forward 56 government initiatives, which transport minister Catherine King says, "will create the framework to give passengers a better deal while ensuring the industry maintains Australia’s strong safety record". Central to the policy is a greater focus on passenger rights with the establishment of the charter that King says, "establishes a regime for the fair and appropriate treatment of customers, including actions the airline must take in the event of flight delays and cancellations". It will also require airlines to report reasons for flight delays and cancellations to the Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics to allow the agency to provide greater detail on disruptions broken down by airline and route. Alongside that will be the establishment of the Aviation Industry Ombuds Scheme by 2026 which will replace the industry-funded Airline Consumer Advocate to resolve passenger-airline disputes. The policy also foresees changes to how Australia's airports negotiate commercial agreements with their airline customers, with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission set to play a greater role in monitoring pricing and service quality across major capital city airports. "Major airports are natural monopolies and appropriate oversight is needed so they do not misuse their market position," says King. "The ACCC will monitor the conduct of pricing negotiations between airlines and major airports - and the next Productivity Commission inquiry into the economic regulation of airports will advise whether stronger regulation is required." That may include the adoption of a negotiate-arbitrate model, which has been advocated by the Airlines for Australia and New Zealand industry lobby group. Other changes noted include reforming Sydney airport slot management arrangements, most of which have already started, but without lifting the 80 movements per hour cap nor the overnight curfew. The policy also calls for pursuing additional capacity in bilateral air service agreements with other countries and to negotiate open skies agreements "where to do so is in Australia's interests". The government has also restated its vision for the aviation industry to reach net zero emissions by 2050, with plans to establish a robust certification scheme for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) purchases and providing access to other innovation funding to development new feedstocks for SAF.

Malaysia Airlines will reduce its network until December following a recent spate of disruptions as it continues to grapple with delivery delays, supply chain and labour issues. “We are taking immediate steps to address the root causes of these significant issues that contribute to operational difficulties including supply chain constraints, manpower challenges, and other external factors as part of the continuing normalisation of global aviation operations post-pandemic,” says group managing director Izham Ismail in a 24 August statement. “MAG has also been affected by the delayed deliveries of new aircraft this year, leading to less aircraft being made available for operations than planned,” he adds. The MAG chief referenced disruptions that took place on the week of 19 August involving Malaysia Airlines, Firefly and charter operation Amal. On 19 August, flight MH128 from Melbourne to Kuala Lumpur was diverted to Alice Springs due to engine issues, reports Australia's SBS news. The flight was operated by an Airbus A330-300, bearing registration 9M-MTJ (MSN 1347). Flight tracking data shows the jet returned to Kuala Lumpur on 25 August. The next day, on 20 August, another flight from Kuala Lumpur to Shanghai (MH386) was forced to return to the Malaysian capital due to a cabin pressure issue, reports Malay Mail. The flight was operated by an Airbus A330-300, bearing registration 9M-MTG (MSN 1318). Izham says the reduced network will "ensure the longterm reliability of our fleet and robustness of our operations" and adds that the airline is "working closely with our aircraft and engine manufacturers, and a wide range of suppliers to comprehensively address supply chain and technical issues". The 24 August statement follows a similar notice on 16 August, where the carrier apologised for an increase in flight delays and cancellations by Malaysia Airlines and Firefly. Malaysia Airlines operates 42 Boeing 737NGs, 23 A330s, seven A350-900s, four 737 Max 8s and three A330 freighters, fleets data shows. It also has 21 737 Max 8s and nine A330neos on order. It is scheduled to receive six 737 Max 8s and three A330neos before the end of this year.