South African Airways chief executive John Lamola has resigned from his position effective from the end of the month. The Star Alliance carrier says it will be led by Matshela Seshibe, who currently leads subsidiary Air Chefs, until a permanent replacement can be found. Lamola took on the leadership of SAA in May 2022 as it was emerging from business rescue, a form of bankruptcy protection, and navigating the lingering effects of the Covid crisis. Under his stewardship, SAA focused on restoring operations and expanded its fleet from five to 19 aircraft while growing its route network from six to 17 destinations. That included the reintroduction of routes to international destinations such as Sao Paulo and Perth, alongside a strengthening of SAA's domestic presence. "The board and executive management remain firmly committed to ensuring leadership continuity and maintaining operational stability," says SAA. "Like many global airlines, SAA continues to contend with external pressures, including rising aviation fuel costs linked to geopolitical developments in the Middle East, which are impacting the broader industry." Lamola's departure follows the resignations in recent weeks of three SAA board members, citing various reasons.

Some carriers in the Middle East are starting a gradual return to normal operations as airspace restrictions are eased in some countries after the USA and Iran agreed a two-week ceasefire. Aviation authorities in Iraq, Bahrain and Syria have lifted notices to airmen (NOTAMs) that previously barred operation of civilian flights in their airspace. Israel has eased some limits, though its airspace is still formally closed. Airspace in Kuwait and Iran remains closed, while Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar have partially opened airspace access. With the opening of its home airspace, Gulf Air started operating a limited schedule of departures from Bahrain International airport on 9 April, to Thiruvananthapuram, Riyadh, Jeddah, Kochi and Dubai. Other routes are to resume over the coming two days. None of the routes will be operated at greater than thrice-weekly frequency, and the carrier is maintaining operations from the King Fahd International airport in Dammam to several destinations. Qatar Airways says it has published a revised schedule "reflecting the gradual increase in flights to and from Doha reaching more than 120 destinations by mid-May 2026". It adds: "All flights to and from Doha continue to operate through dedicated flight corridors established in close co-ordination with the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority." Etihad Airways, meanwhile, says it is in a "phased resumption" of operating to around 80 destinations from its Abu Dhabi hub, and that the schedule is "being expanded carefully and responsibly as conditions allow". El Al says that from the week beginning 13 April it will restore services to around 30 destinations across Europe, the USA and Asia, although sales for outbound flights from Israel remain suspended until 18 April. "Over the course of the month, we will continue to gradually expand the number of destinations, until a full return to operations across our entire network," it adds.

The price of jet kerosene continues to sit at its recent high levels amid an "acute" shortage of product, according to energy information service ICIS. It notes that jet fuel for delivery to northwest Europe was assessed at $1,887.75 per tons on 7 April, up 8.5% week on week and from around $650 at the start of the year. ICIS, which is part of RELX, notes that buyers are holding back from making large purchases at current prices, despite limited available volumes. "[The] European physical jet-fuel market is experiencing acute supply-driven tightness, with prices and refining margins surging to record levels amid disruptions linked to the Middle East conflict," writes ICIS. "Market liquidity remains thin, with sellers retreating at elevated levels while buyers continue to secure limited volumes through necessity-driven bidding." It adds that jet fuel availability has "tightened sharply" with inventories falling and an inbound flow of product from the USA and West Africa unable to make up for a shortfall of supplies that would normally arrive from the Middle East. High demand for diesel, which like jet fuel is a middle distillate, means that refineries are continuing to prioritise that product and holding back from shifting to kerosene, notes ICIS. The result is that jet fuel is "now widely viewed as the most stressed barrel", it writes. Prices for delivery to Singapore fell slightly to $221 per barrel, although that compares with around $80 at the start of the year. ICIS notes that Asia has been hurt by a cut in refinery runs because of a shortfall in Middle Eastern crude imports, as well as the loss of product shipments. Around 80-90% of Gulf crude exports go to Asia, notes ICIS: primarily China, India, Japan and South Korea. In the USA, product delivery to New York harbour rose by 31 cents per US gallon to $4.33, up from less than $2 at the start of the year.