Airbus has joined Japan's "Act For Sky", a voluntary coalition aimed at increasing the adoption of locally-produced sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). As a member of the coalition, Airbus will provide technical information and cooperate on SAF-related research and technology activities. "We are delighted to have joined Act For Sky. At Airbus we are committed to supporting SAF as a major lever in the reduction of CO2 emissions as part of the aviation industry decarbonisation roadmap to net zero CO2 emissions by 2050," says Stephane Ginoux, senior vice-president and head of North Asia at Airbus and president of Airbus Japan. In June 2022, Airbus partnered local operator Nakanihon Air to operate Japan's first SAF-powered helicopter flight at Nagoya Airport, and has since used locally-made SAF for further helicopter test flights at Airbus Helicopters Japan’s Kobe Airport facility. The airframer says it will transport helicopters or larger aircraft parts with Beluga aircraft powered with SAF. All Airbus aircraft can be operated with a 50% SAF blend, and it aims to raise this to 100% SAF by 2030 across the entire product portfolio. Act for Sky currently has 31 members, including Airbus and Boeing, and was established in March 2022 by founding members ANA, Japan Airlines, engineering company JGC Holdings and biofuel producer Revo International, alongside 12 other companies.

Pilots at Qantas subsidiary Network Aviation have voted to strike for one day from the early hours of 4 October over an ongoing pay dispute, which is likely to impact a number of mining charter and scheduled services from Perth to regional ports in Western Australia. The Australian Federation of Air Pilots says that the 24-hour stoppage will occur from midnight local time, and follows more than 99% of its members at Network Aviation voting in favour of taking the industrial action. "The AFAP remains committed to reaching an agreement for our members in Western Australia who fly for Qantas subsidiary Network Aviation and is disappointed that we have had to take this action," says the union's senior industrial officer Chris Aikens. Pilots have been operating under an agreement that expired in 2016, but have been unable to reach a new deal with Qantas, which has offered pay increases but is also seeking offsets in other areas. "Our proposed agreement offers our pilots significant pay rises and more guaranteed days off each roster period and we’re disappointed the AFAP has chosen to move towards industrial action while we have been trying to negotiate," Qantas says in a statement. Fleets data shows that Network operates 16 Fokker 100s and 15 Airbus A320s under the QantasLink banner. The unit operates charters and scheduled services that support remote mines in Western Australia, and Wednesday represents a peak day for those operations due to shift changes among most of its clients. Networks data indicates that at least 58 scheduled flights to ports including Port Hedland, Broome, Paraburdoo, Exmouth, Darwin and Kalgoorlie will be impacted by the strike, although the actual impact is expected to be larger due to its flights direct to minesites that are not captured in flight schedules. Qantas states that it has contingency plans in place to minimise the disruption to its customers.

Cathay Pacific has exercised purchase rights for a total 32 Airbus A320neos and A321neos that were part of an order placed with the airframer in 2017. The carrier states in a Hong Kong stock exchange notice that the single-aisles are scheduled for delivered by the end of 2029 and will operated by the mainline unit and/or its HK Express subsidiary. Airbus previously said it had no delivery slots for new A320neo-family orders available before 2029. Cathay has not disclosed a split between A320neos and A321neos under the new order. Fleets data shows Cathay has 12 CFM International Leap-1A-powered A321neos in its fleet, which otherwise comprises Boeing and Airbus widebodies. Three A320ceos and two A321ceos – fitted with International Aero Engines V2500s – are listed in storage, while a further four A321neos are on order for the mainline. HK Express, meanwhile, has seven A320ceos and 11 A321ceos – all V2500-powered – and 10 A320neos with Pratt & Whitney PW1100Gs. Additionally, HK Express has two Leap-1A-powered A320neos in its fleet and another 14 of these twinjets on order. Cathay says the 32 additional single-aisles have a basic aircraft price value of $4.66 billion. The airline adds that it received significant concessions from Airbus, in line with price reductions of previous deals with the European airframe. Sale and leaseback arrangements and/or finance leases will be used to fund the additional aircraft, Cathay notes.