Qantas will add 14 more De Havilland Canada Dash 8-400s to its group fleet to allow for the gradual phase out of its smaller -300 and -200 turboprops that are used on regional routes. The airline says that the mid-life Dash 8-400s with a 78-seat configuration will start joining the fleet before the end of the year, eventually taking its fleet of the type to 45. Fleets data shows that the 16 Dash 8-300s that operate in QantasLink colours are between 19.6 and 24.3 years old, while the three -200s are 27-28.5 years old. In comparison, its 31 existing Dash 8-400s are between 9.9 and 18.5 years old. "By consolidating our turboprops into a single fleet type, we’ll be able to further improve our reliability and provide a better recovery for our customers during disruptions as well as reducing complexity and cost for our operation," says the airline's chief executive Vanessa Hudson. Qantas adds that the capital investment to acquire the aircraft will be spread across its 2025 and 2026 fiscal years and will be managed within its existing guidance of A$3.7-3.9 billion ($2.46-2.59 billion). Schedules data shows that the turboprop fleet mostly operates on regional services to Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and Melbourne, and several intrastate routes in Queensland.

Icelandair plans to add Lisbon to its route network this winter, with flights starting from 11 October. The carrier says it will serve the Portuguese capital at twice-weekly frequency. It has also signed a memorandum of understanding with Portuguese flag carrier TAP to work towards a codeshare agreement. "We are very excited to announce Lisbon as the latest addition to our extensive route network and at the same time, increase our partnership with TAP," states Icelandair chief Bogi Nils Bogason.

Germany’s competition regulator, the Bundeskartellamt, has approved the restructuring of SAS's ownership as it emerges from bankruptcy protection in the USA. Having examined the deal, with a particular focus on its impact on scheduled service to and from Germany, the regulator found that it had “no competition concerns about the project”. Andreas Mundt, president of the Bundeskartellamt, states that: “It is not to be expected that competition will be seriously affected on short- and medium-haul routes from Germany to destinations in Europe or on long-haul routes to the US and Asia or vice versa.” SAS is currently working through a Chapter 11 restructuring process. The carrier has selected a consortium consisting of investment company Castlelake, Air France-KLM, the state of Denmark and investment company Lind Invest as its new owners. As part of the deal, with the company undergoing court-supervised restructuring in the USA, existing shareholders and some creditors will see their value in the company wiped out, while others will see just a "modest recovery".