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Uganda Airlines, via its official Facebook and Twitter accounts, announced (20-Feb-2026) it temporarily removed two long haul aircraft from service "due to unscheduled maintenance". The airline is working to rebook affected customers with partner airlines, adjust schedules and support rebooking. The airline's long haul fleet comprises two A330-800s, according to the CAPA Fleet Database, which are used to operate Entebbe-London Gatwick and Entebbe-Mumbai services, according to OAG and the CAPA Route Capacity Analyser.

IATA reported (20-Feb-2026) the following highlights from its Air Transport Chartbook for 4Q2025:

• Passengers:
  • Global passenger traffic in RPKs increased 6% year-on-year. Global passenger capacity in ASKs increased 5.7%, resulting in a 0.2pp increase in load factor to 84%;
  • International traffic increased 8%. Economy class demand grew 8.1% and premium demand grew 6.7%. The international segment contributed more than 80% of total RPK growth;
  • Domestic traffic increased 2.8%, led by Brazil with 10.3% growth. The US market contracted 0.7%, marking its fourth consecutive quarterly decline;
  • Global scheduled seat capacity is forecast to grow 3.3% in 1Q2026, moderating slightly from 3.7% in 4Q2025. Regional growth is expected to remain uneven;
• Cargo:
  • Global cargo demand in CTKs increased 4.6%, marking the highest quarterly growth of 2025, the 10th consecutive quarter of growth and a new record volume. IATA stated the performance reflects "sustained resilience despite differing regional trajectories". Capacity increased 4.7%, marking the strongest result of 2025 and the 12th consecutive quarterly expansion. Load factor decreased 0.1pp to 45.9% in seasonally adjusted terms. IATA commented: "Demand generally kept pace with supply, even as capacity expanded across most regions";
  • International traffic increased 5.7%, marking the 10th consecutive quarterly gain. All regions except the Americas contributed to the increase. International capacity increased 6.5% for bellyhold and 6.4% for dedicated freighters, marking the fastest growth of 2025 for both categories;
• Fuel:
  • Crude oil prices decreased 8% compared to 3Q2025 to an average of USD63.7 per barrel. The drop was primarily driven by mounting concerns over persistent oversupply;
  • Jet fuel prices increased 1% compared to 3Q2025 to an average of USD91.4 per barrel. The jet fuel crack spread widened by 30% to USD27.7;
  • Global sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production is estimated at 1.9 million tonnes for 2025, compared to one million tonnes in 2024, accounting for 0.6% of total jet fuel consumption. SAF output is projected to increase at a slower pace to reach 2.4 million tonnes (0.8% of demand) in 2026. IATA stated "ineffective policies", and notably SAF mandates, "are leading to fragmentation, higher prices, though not any discernible increase in production or in CO2 emissions reduction";
  • SAF milestones in 4Q2025 included the start of production in Brazil and Malaysia. Six SAF purchase deals were announced, bringing the total to 39 for 2025 and marking the highest annual total to date. [more - original PR]

IATA stated (20-Feb-2026) electrolytic sustainable aviation fuel (e-SAF) projects should be developed in regions where renewable electricity is more abundant and affordable, as electricity can account for up to two thirds of production costs. Details include:

• 40 of the 46 announced commercial scale e-SAF facilities are in Europe, where "the average levelised cost of renewable electricity is among the highest globally". Nordic countries are potential exceptions as relatively low cost electricity markets;
• There is a "glaring dearth of announced projects" in countries and regions with "significant untapped potential and lower renewable electricity costs", such as Brazil, India, the Middle East and North Africa;
• e-SAF is expected to account for more than 40% of SAF needs by 2050, but no commercial scale e-SAF facilities are currently in operation. IATA added: "The risk of insufficient supply, particularly by 2030, is increasing". Progress is hindered by high capital investments and production costs, which can be up to 12 times higher than conventional aviation fuel.

IATA stated: "e-SAF project announcements seem to be driven primarily by the mandates in the EU and the UK rather than by project economics. As a result, no commercial scale e-SAF projects in Europe have progressed to a final investment decision (FID), and globally, only one project has reached FID to date and is under construction in the US". The association concluded: "Scaling affordable e-SAF supply should focus on enabling countries with the highest potential to enter the market. Developed economies should also boost their renewable energy production to lower their costs and make their planned production economically viable". [more - original PR]

Azul concluded (20-Feb-2026) its financial restructuring process in the US, with consequent emergence from Chapter 11 conducted before the US Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York. Azul stated all conditions under the plan of reorganisation "have been satisfied or waived", and provided the following restructuring results:

• Reduction of loans and financing debt by approximately USD1.1 billion;
• Reduction of aircraft lease debt by nearly 40%;
• Estimated reduction in annual interest payments of more than 50% compared to pre‑Chapter 11 levels;
• Estimated reduction of approximately one third of recurring aircraft leasing;
• Estimated pro forma net leverage after implementation of the plan of reorganisation, upon emergence of less than 2.5x;
• Capital raise of approximately USD1.4 billion through the issuance of senior notes and USD950 million in equity commitments. [more - original PR]

Qantas Airways, via its official LinkedIn account, announced (21-Feb-2026) its second Project Sunrise A350-1000ULR entered the final assembly line at the Airbus facility in Toulouse, with fuselage sections and wings joined and the tail installed. The first Project Sunrise aircraft is in advanced stages of ground testing ahead of its flight test programme, which is scheduled to commence "in the coming months". The carrier plans to operate the aircraft from Australia's east coast nonstop to London and New York.

Air France-KLM CEO Benjamin Smith stated (19-Feb-2026) the company plans to increase its minority stake in SAS to 60.5% by the end of 2026. The group also plans to make a non-binding offer for a stake in TAP Air Portugal. Mr Smith added: "The network TAP has in place is very complementary. Having an entry point into Latin America from the Iberian peninsula would be extremely strong for us". [more - Aviation Week]