On the 22nd May, the Egypt Civil Aviation Authority (ECAA) announced that the investigation into the crash of Egypt Air MS804, which impacted the Mediterranean Sea on the 19th May 2016, has been handed to Egypt’s Public Prosecutor. As per Article number 108 of the Egyptian Civil Aviation Law No. 28 1981, if the investigation team suspects that a criminal act was a causal factor of a fatal accident, the case shall be referred to the public prosecution to conduct a criminal investigation. The update comes following the examination of the aircraft’s recovered Flight Data and Cockpit Voice Recorders (FDR/CVR) which captured one of the flight crew mentioning the word “fire” prior the accident occurring. Additionally, initial findings confirmed that traces of explosive materials were found in some human remains

The Australian Commonwealth Science and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) have released new modelling and drift pattern analysis which has corroborated theories from late 2016 regarding the final resting place of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370. The CSIRO conducted a series of simulated tests using replicas of the flaperon aircraft component that was found on the coast of Reunion Island in mid 2015. The CSIRO, together with the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) who had been spear heading the search and investigation, announced that the new findings indicate that the aircraft may have come down outside of the initial 120,000 square kilometre search area. Despite this new evidence no plans to resume the search, which was suspended late 2016, have been announced.

Iran’s state carrier, Iran Air, has now placed firm orders for over 100 new aircraft. As part of the nation’s aviation modernisation initiative, a number of Iranian airlines received approval from the United States Department of Treasury to purchase both Boeing and Airbus aircraft in late 2016. Iran Air had initially placed orders for 20 new ATR turboprop aircraft. However reports in April 2017 indicate the order now exceeds 100 aircraft which includes 16 Airbus 350s, each carrying a list price over USD350 million.