Russia's United Aircraft Corporation has completed a first flight with a Yakovlev MC-21 test aircraft fitted with domestically developed onboard systems to replace Western-supplied equipment. UAC parent Rostec says "some foreign systems" were replaced on the test aircraft, citing the examples of navigation equipment, communication radios, lights, environmental control systems and the auxiliary power unit. It adds that domestic components have been included in the power supply systems, hydraulics and landing gear. The narrowbody is one of two MC-21 flight test aircraft that previously, featuring Western equipment, were involved in certification trials and have since been modified under Russia's import substitution programme. A "completely Russian" MC-21 with PD-14 engines is in final assembly and is scheduled to fly by the end of June, Rostec indicates. Fleets data lists six MC-21 in service, three of them powered by Pratt & Whitney PW1400G engines and the others by PD-14s. The first flight of the modified MC-21 test aircraft with Russian systems was operated from airframer's facility in Irkutsk on 29 April and lasted 1h 15min, reaching an altitude of 9,800ft and speeds of 313kt. Rostec says the flight's mission was fully completed and that "all aircraft systems, including new domestic ones, worked without remarks". It notes that the first flight marks the beginning of factory development tests. "Our aircraft manufacturers have done a great job, replacing about 80 foreign systems and assemblies in order not to depend on sanctions and suppliers from other countries," states Rostec executive director Oleg Yevtushenko. "Today's flight brings us one step closer to certification and the start of deliveries to the market of the import-substituted MC-21." On 23 April, UAC completed a first flight of a Superjet test aircraft fitted entirely with Russian systems in place of previous Western-supplied ones, and powered with PD-8 engines.

LATAM Airlines has reported an operating profit of $558 million for the first quarter of 2025, a 27% rise compared with the $441 million profit made during the same period in 2024. The Chile-based airline group generated $3.41 billion in first quarter operating revenue, up from $3.32 billion in 2024's first quarter. Expenses, at $2.85 billion, were down from $2.88 billion in last year's first quarter. LATAM raised its first-quarter capacity by 7.3%, "primarily driven by a 10.7% increase in international operations", it says. The group ended the first quarter with cash and cash equivalents of $2.15 billion, total gross debt of $7.1 billion, and net debt of $4.9 billion. LATAM has improved its guidance for full-year 2025, and now expects an adjusted operating margin of 13-15%, up from 12-13.5% in the previous guidance issued on 3 December 2024. The raising of its guidance reflects LATAM's "strong financial performance", the South American carrier's chief executive Roberto Alvo said on 29 April during an earnings call. "This update is supported by the group's operation flexibility and cost-containment abilities, as well as continued demand strengths that serve across the group's domestic and international markets." Alvo notes that, so far, LATAM's business has not been adversely affected by recently imposed US government tariffs and related worsening travel demand being reported by US carriers. "We have not seen, to date, in our bookings or in our cargo revenues, any relevant impact from all the announcements and the news that we have seen from tariffs," Alvo says. He adds: "Our markets are not following necessarily the dynamics that you see in the US."

Nationwide power cuts across Spain and Portugal are threatening to force cancellation of swathes of services to and from the two countries, causing chaos for airlines. Electricity outages have been reported across the Iberian peninsula, stranding millions of people without power. National providers say they are working to restore services as soon as possible, in stages. A cause has not yet been identified. Data shows that across Spain and Portugal around 3,700 return services were scheduled to take place on 28 April. Most severely affected are Ryanair Group, with around 1,440 return services; Iberia, with 480; and TAP Air Portugal, with 400. EasyJet also has 272 return services planned, and Air Europa 146. For carriers based in the country, the vast majority of their global operations will be impacted. TAP has advised passengers not to travel to the airport until power services are restored. Air Europa says flights will operate "as airports allow" and that delays are expected. Spanish airport operator Aena says "some incidents are occurring at the airports" and that passengers should check with their airlines before travelling in. Aena's website also confirms widespread disruption.. All arrivals have been cancelled at Madrid-Barajas, Spain's busiest airport, and departures are heavily delayed. The danger for airlines is the longer the outage lasts, the more disruption will ricochet across the continent and further afield as crews and aircraft remain out of position. Outages that cause disruption and delays can be expensive for airlines. A failure by the UK airspace controller NATS in August 2023 led to the cancellation of around 1,500 flights, resulting in industry estimates of around £100 million ($134 million) in extra costs.