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Latest news, in-depth features and opinion on aviation, with a particular focus on the industry in Hong Kong, mainland China and Asia.
A C919 jet operated by China Eastern Airlines takes off from Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport on January 1. Photo: Xinhua
China’s C919 passenger plane

China’s Comac to team up with China Eastern for bigger C919 variant, sources say

Comac’s stretched model, expected to be dubbed the C919-800, could target lucrative Asian routes and seat more than 200 passengers.

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India

Duopoly of Air India, IndiGo to face challenge from 2 new airlines

Singapore

Business class thief jailed after targeting Singapore Airlines passengers

China's military weapons

‘Saturation attacks’: drone swarms key for wartime victory, PLA Daily says

Concentrated UAV swarms seen to allow ‘optimal combat effectiveness with minimal battlefield expenditure’.

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Concentrated drone formations in wartime are capable of “forcing the enemy into a state of exhaustion and passive defence”, PLA Daily article says. Photo: Shutterstock
Taiwan

F-16V fighter jet tested as Taiwan presses US and Lockheed Martin for delivery

Taiwan’s air force says it is pushing US side on production speed and quality control amid mounting scrutiny from lawmakers over delays.

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China-Japan relations

China-Japan tension hits holiday travel as flights cancelled on 46 routes

All cancelled flights are operated by Chinese carriers and involve most of the country’s major airlines.

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Low-altitude economy

China’s ‘black flying’ drone dilemma: when tech clashes with aviation safety

Videos posted online have shown drones climbing above 8,000 metres, dangerously close to passenger aircraft.

A drone flies over the Khumbu Icefall on the Nepali side of Mount Everest in April last year. Photo: Xinhua
United States

US government admits liability in fatal Washington helicopter-plane crash

US government admits ‘breach of care’ as DOJ cites Army and FAA errors in January crash that killed 67 near Ronald Reagan airport in Washington.

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Cathay Pacific

Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific investigates wrong taxiway use at Manila airport

Carrier says it is cooperating with local authorities in probe into incident, which led to delays for two incoming planes.

Hong Kong economy

Hong Kong to become Asia’s leading aircraft recycling hub, John Lee vows

City leader says opening of Aircraft Engineering Training Centre is ‘major step’, adds hub will create ‘better-paid and high-skill jobs’.

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The training centre’s inaugural programme will cover cabin integration, with courses on aircraft wiring fitting, system mechanics and quality inspection to be introduced in the second half of 2026. Photo: Jonathan Wong
China-Japan relations

Chinese tourist arrivals to Japan lose momentum amid tensions: official data

Mainland visitor numbers rose just 3% in November after flight cuts and travel warnings took effect as diplomatic strains escalated.

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Mainland Chinese tourists visit Sensoji temple in the Asakusa district of Tokyo on Thursday Photo: AP
China's military weapons

China’s latest stealth endurance drone, CH-7, completes maiden flight

Designer says UAV can quickly penetrate target areas for reconnaissance and rely on stealth to send information from battle front lines.

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Mainland China

China-led Asia-Pacific lifts global aviation outlook as profits set to soar

Passenger demand from China and India, eased visa rules and freight resilience drive growth as IATA forecasts record airline profits in 2026.

European Union

Belarus agrees to stop balloon flights into Lithuania amid hybrid attack fears

The incidents have caused over a dozen closures of Vilnius airport in recent months, prompting Lithuania to declare a state of emergency.

An undated image shows an officer inspecting a balloon used to smuggle cigarettes into Lithuania. Photo: State Border Guard Service via AP
China consumption

‘A violation’? China’s airlines in the hot seat over hidden extra fees

Seat selection fees are becoming more common in China as airlines grapple with squeezed profit margins, but consumers are pushing back.

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Passengers board an Air China flight at an airport in Beijing. China’s major airlines are facing criticism for charging extra seat selection fees. Photo: Getty Images
China's military weapons

China’s drone carrier Jiu Tian takes flight to signal PLA swarm capacity boost

Xinhua hails ‘breakthrough in China’s large drone technology’, says Jiu Tian could also be deployed in wide range of civilian applications.

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Cathay Pacific

Hong Kong police arrest man over trying to open plane door on Cathay flight

Police officers board aircraft after it safely landed at Hong Kong airport, arrest man for allegedly violating Aviation Security Ordinance.

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India

IndiGo flight chaos exposes risks of India’s aviation duopoly

India’s largest airline grounded nearly 3,000 flights last week, showing how easily a staffing crunch at one carrier can paralyse the sector.

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IndiGo employees tag stranded bags belonging to the airline’s passengers at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi on Monday following large-scale flight disruptions. Photo: Reuters
Russia

Crew killed in Russian military plane crash during test flight

State media reported seven people were on board at the time of the crash.

Hong Kong economy

Hong Kong signs aviation deals with 7 countries to expand global reach

Transport chief Mable Chan says deals reached with mostly Latin American nations, while Airport Authority CEO calls for more investment to manage risks.

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Science

Chinese team reports way to extract hypersonic weapon fuel boron from seawater

Inspired by ‘novel sustainable technology’ research, the team designs a single, powerful system using solar energy for extraction.

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Scramjet engines are among the technologies requiring boron. Chinese scientists say they have developed a method to extract boron from seawater. Photo: Getty Images
Britain

UK police probe Heathrow pepper spray attack linked to suitcase robbery

Chaotic chain of events caused several hours of delays for passengers trying to get to and from the airport.

Armed officers respond at Heathrow Airport on Sunday, as seen through a car windscreen. Photo: Tom Bate via Reuters
India

India regulator faults airline CEO amid severe disruption

IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers has been ordered to explain the cancellations that affected almost half of its flights.

India

India caps airfares as IndiGo crisis hits 5th day, stranding hundreds

IndiGo’s spate of cancellations has prompted fare increases on flights operated by other airlines on popular routes.

China airliners

A Chinese home-grown business jet is on the way. Will it rival Gulfstream?

China’s state-owned aircraft maker is stepping up efforts to break into the business jet market with its CBJ model.

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The Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac) showcases its CBJ private jet at an exhibition in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou in October. Photo: Weibo
Timepieces

6 lush coffee table books to gift the watch lover in your life

These tomes tell of timepieces owned by powerful women like Elizabeth Taylor and hip-hop stars such as Busta Rhymes, to iconic pilot watches from the Cartier Santos to the Omega Speedmaster.

The Watch Book Rolex – Next Generation is just one of a handful of eye-catching tomes you could consider gifting to a watch lover. Photo: Handout
India

Video | Travel chaos in India after over 1,200 flights cancelled

IndiGo attributed the chaos to a combination of operational and weather-related challenges.

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Middle East

Opinion | Why Gulf region’s dreams of aviation domination are built on sand

While Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Istanbul’s plans are already aggressively ambitious, Saudi Arabia’s extravagant vision seems like something from fantasyland.

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