Israeli flag carrier El Al increased its second-quarter net profit to $147 million, from $59 million in the period last year. Revenue meanwhile grew by a third, to $839 million. El Al attributes the profit increase to improvements in load factor, activity and cargo. During the quarter, capacity was up 8% year on year, while passenger load factor gained nearly six percentage points to reach 92%. The airline on 15 August disclosed an order with Boeing for 20 737 Max jets, which includes options for another 11 single-aisles. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2028. Earlier this year, El Al had ordered three 787s, for delivery in the 2029-30 period, and taken options for another six Dreamliners. Fleets data shows the airline has 28 737NGs (including one freighter), 16 787s and four 777s. Under its fleet plan, El Al intends to have 31 737s in 2031 and 22 Dreamliners in 2032, it says. By 2028, El Al aims to increase full-year revenue 46%, to $3.5 billion, and capacity by half versus last year.

Emirates will introduce its newly retrofitted Boeing 777s on its Zurich and Riyadh routes from 1 October. Deployment to the Saudi Arabian capital will represent the debut of Emirates' premium-economy offering in the Middle East/GCC region, the Dubai-based carrier notes. It is also planning to deploy the aircraft on its Geneva and Brussels routes from 22 September and 9 October, respectively. The four-class 777 is configured with six or eight first-class suites, 38 business-class seats in a four-abreast arrangement, 24 seats in premium economy in a 2-4-2 layout and 260 economy-class seats. Emirates plans to serve 28 cities with premium economy by the end of this year. So far, 25 aircraft have been retrofitted, and 17 more are set to follow suit by December.

Brazilian air accident investigators have extracted information from the flight data and cockpit voice recorders of the Voepass ATR 72-500 which crashed in Vinhedo on 9 August. The Centro de Investigacao e Prevencao de Acidentes Aeronauticos (CENIPA) says the two recorders were sent to its laboratory in Brasilia on 10 August and confirms that the two devices captured aural and flight data from the turboprop's final flight. CENIPA chief Marcelo Moreno states that a detailed study of the pilots' conversations, cockpit sounds and ATC transmissions is being carried out and that the authority is at the beginning of a process to extract and convert binary FDR data. CENIPA says that "initial action" at the crash site in Vinhedo was completed on 12 August and the investigation has since moved on to data analysis focused on the aircraft's flight, operating environment, human factors, components, systems and infrastructure. ATR and French investigation authority Bureau d'Enquetes et d'Analyses pour la Securite de l'Aviation civile (BEA) have sent specialists to Brazil to support CENIPA's probe. The Voepass ATR 72-500 (registered PS-VPB) crashed during a flight from Cascavel to Sao Paulo International airport in Guarulhos, with no survivors among the 58 passengers and four crew on board.