Cathay Pacific are awaiting acquisition of Hong Kong Express is just one element of its preparation to take advantage of growth opportunities afforded by the coming opening of a third runway at its Hong Kong base. HK Express will give the Oneworld Alliance member a "running start" to rapidly expand in the low-cost segment once the new runway opens in 2024, says the the carrier's chairman John Slosar at the Wings Club in New York on 30 May. "We'll already have 30 airplanes in the air [and] the next 20 to 30 will be easier on that basis," he says of HK Express. "It would be a lot harder if we started from zero." Hong Kong airport's new runway will be ready just in time to capture much of this growth. The "three runway system" will boost the airport's annual capacity by roughly 30 million passengers to around 100 million by 2030. Cathay announced plans to acquire HK Express from HNA Group for HK$4.93 billion ($628 million) in March. The deal is expected to close by year-end pending regulatory approval, with Slosar saying today the companies are on-track to meet that timeline.

Aeroflot has sharply criticised comments from the regional governor of Khabarovsk after suggesting the fatal accident involving a Sukhoi Superjet 100 was entirely the result of human factors. Governor Sergei Furgal, said in an interview with regional television channel Gubernia, that the Superjet production would not be halted as a result of the the accident on the 5th of May 2019. But he claimed that official conclusions stated that the aircraft was in “perfect” technical condition and “fully functional”, and that the pilots made “a number of errors”, due to inexperience or agitation, on returning to land at Moscow Sheremetyevo. “This is 100% human factor,” Furgal stated. Aeroflot has condemned Furgal’s comments, describing them as a “blatant attempt” to put pressure on the Interstate Aviation Committee – which is heading the inquiry – and to influence public opinion. “[Aeroflot] requests that [the governor] provides documents confirming the published information about the final results of the investigation,” the carrier says. “In the absence of such, Aeroflot demands an immediate and official denial.”

The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) has disclosed positive improvements in its regulatory capabilities following a series of ICAO audits. The authority indicated that ICAO has given it an effective implementation (EI) score of 65%, while ICAO’s targeted figure of 60%. The EI score revolves around the implementation in eight primary fields: legislation, operating regulations, oversight, staff qualification, procedures, licensing, surveillance, and the resolution of safety concerns. In all areas, Thailand says it has improved. “The achievement is the outcome of the commitment of the Prime Minister, Minister of Transport and Ministers in the cabinet, the full backing of the members of the National Legislative Assembly, the collective effort and dedication of all CAAT personnel, and the understanding and common objectives of all aviation operators in Thailand,” says CAAT.