New Caledonian carrier Air Caledonie has stood down around half of its staff as it has cancelled all domestic flights due to protests that have made it impossible to operate flights to key airports around the French overseas territory. The carrier's commercial director Marion Gentelet tells Cirium that staffing levels are fluctuating daily, while it is still carrying on international flights and some other operations. "There is no specific period [for the stand down] and it will last as long as islands airports are closed," she adds. The airline has had limited operations since 2 March due to protests that have blockaded airports at the Isle of Pines and Loyalty Islands. Protestors have been opposing the carrier's move from Noumea-Magenta airport to the more distant La Tontouta airport, which had previously only handled international flights. Cirium schedules data shows that the airline had been scheduled to operate 74 domestic flights per week, plus twice-weekly services from La Tontouta to Port Villa in Vanuatu. The carrier owns and operates three ATR 72-600s, one of which is encumbered, Cirium fleets data shows.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has confirmed that the two pilots of an Air Canada Express MHIRJ CRJ900 were killed in a ground collision at New York's LaGuardia airport on 22 March. In footage broadcast by Sky News, the port authority's executive director Kathryn Garcia tells reporters that the aircraft collided with a firefighting vehicle on the airport's runway 4 at around 23:47 local time. The aircraft, operated by Air Canada partner Jazz under the flight code AC8646, had arrived from Montreal. It carried 72 passengers and four crew members, according to a "preliminary passenger list", Jazz says. Garcia says 41 of the people on board, along with the fire vehicle's two occupants, were taken to hospital, and that some have suffered serious injuries. Jazz states: "The exact number of injuries and fatalities is not available at this time." The airline's president Doug Clarke adds: "We are fully committed to co-operating with the relevant authorities to determine what happened. We will share updates as soon as verified information becomes available." LaGuardia has been closed until 23:00 today. The US National Transportation Safety Board says it has launched an investigation into the accident.

The US Federal Aviation Administration has certificated an increased maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) for the 787-9 and -10 ahead of its entry into service with launch customer Air New Zealand. Boeing states that the first of the jets built to the new production standards are "now progressing through ticketing and delivery activities", and that all 787-9s and -10s assembled since December are structurally capable of being certified at the higher weight. The upgrade increases the MTOW of 787-9s by around 10,000lb (4.54t), which delivers over 300nm (560km) of additional range, or an increase in payload of around 3t. On the larger -10 variant, the 14,000lb increase in MTOW extends its range by more than 400nm or allows an extra 5t of payload. "Certification of an increased maximum takeoff weight for the 787 reflects years of rigorous engineering, testing and close coordination with our regulators,” says Lisa Fahl, Boeing's vice president of 787 engineering. "This certification approval has followed a structured, data-driven program of analysis to validate structural loads, performance and systems behaviour at the higher weight that will deliver more capability and new opportunities for our customers." Boeing confirms that Air New Zealand is the launch customer of the 'iMTOW' programme, and the carrier's general manager of strategy, networks and fleet says that the weight increase "gives us greater ability to carry additional payload on our ultra long-haul routes – an important enabler for our network ambitions, supporting trade, tourism and better connectivity for New Zealand." Fleet data indicates that the carrier is expected to take delivery of the new 787-9 in April, with another due in July and two more in 2027. They will be the first GE Aerospace GEnx-powered aircraft that will join its existing fleet of 14 Rolls-Royce Trent 1000-powered 787-9s.