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CAPA News Briefs

CAPA publishes more than 1,000 global News Briefs every week, covering all aspects of the aviation and travel industry. It’s the most comprehensive source of market intelligence in the world, with around 50 per cent of content translated from non-English sources. The breadth of our coverage means you won’t need any other news sources to monitor competitors and stay informed about the latest developments in the wider aviation sector.

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Below is a sample of the latest news headlines. 231 news briefs have been published for CAPA Members in the past 2 days.

Edelweiss Air announced (20-Jan-2026) plans to equip its entire A350 fleet with a new cabin design by summer 2027. The first A350 aircraft with the new cabin is expected to enter service in Dec-2026. The new cabin provides more space in all travel classes, free high-speed internet from Starlink, 4K resolution screens, Bluetooth audio connection, and power supply at every seat. [more - original PR]

Background ✨

Edelweiss Air planned to replace its five A340s with six A350s by mid 2027, initially operating the A350s in the original operator’s cabin configuration due to material shortages, before a full cabin conversion from the end of 2026, including premium economy and inflight internet. The new cabin design was scheduled for unveiling in Nov-2025, with deliveries of the fourth A350 expected in Dec-20251 2 3.

Air Niugini confirmed (20-Jan-2026) plans to introduce its A220 equipment to "important domestic destinations" such as Mount Hagen, Wewak and Kimbe as airport runway upgrade works progress across Papua New Guinea. The A220-300 will also be deployed on select regional services including routes to Australia upon completion of regulatory requirements. The aircraft will initially service Cairns ahead of its debut on Port Moresby-Sydney service from 29-Mar-2026. The carrier plans to increase Port Moresby-Sydney frequency from twice to three times weekly from 29-Mar-2026. As previously reported by CAPA, the carrier received its third A220-300 aircraft in mid Dec-2025. [more - original PR]

Background ✨

Air Niugini received its third A220-300 aircraft in Dec-2025 and planned to deploy it on the Port Moresby-Rabaul route from 19-Dec-2025, while also transitioning the Port Moresby-Sydney service from Boeing 737-800 to A220 aircraft in late Mar-2026 and increasing Sydney frequency to three times weekly from 03-Apr-20261 2. The A220 is expected to add significant capacity on the Port Moresby-Cairns route3.

Hahnair added (20-Jan-2026) 29 new partner airlines to its network in 2025, marking the largest number of additions since 2019. Hahnair now has more than 350 partner carriers. [more - original PR]

Background ✨

Hahnair stated it had surpassed 350 partner airlines in 1Q2025, following the addition of new partners including Air Rarotonga, euroAtlantic Airways, Eurowings, MY FREIGHTER and Widerøe, among others. Several of these new carriers became available in major GDSs under their own IATA codes or under the X1 and H1 codes, enhancing global distribution options for travel agencies and partner airlines1 2.

Rolls-Royce delivered (20-Jan-2026) Trent XWB-97 engines to Airbus for the new A350-1000ULR aircraft that is expected to join Qantas Airways' fleet in 2026. [more - original PR]

Background ✨

Rolls-Royce previously secured an agreement with Qantas to provide Trent XWB-97 engines for 12 A350-1000 aircraft, alongside a commitment to a TotalCare service agreement for engine maintenance1. The Trent XWB-97 is the exclusive powerplant for the A350-1000 and has also been selected for Airbus' A350F freighter variant2.

Thai Airways confirmed (20-Jan-2026) it is in negotiations to lease 10 Boeing 787s from Avolon until its own 787 deliveries commence. The aircraft were formerly operated by China Southern Airlines. Deliveries are expected to begin in Mar-2026, with entry into service starting in Jul-2026. As previously reported by CAPA, the carrier has 45 787 aircraft on firm order with Boeing and expects to have 100 aircraft in its fleet by the end of 2026. [more - Aviation Week]

Background ✨

Thai Airways planned to expand its fleet to 100 aircraft by the end of 2026, with 78 aircraft in service as of 30-Sep-2025. The carrier ordered 45 new Boeing 787s, but the first nine deliveries were rescheduled to 2028, leading it to seek additional leased widebodies in the interim. Long-term, Thai Airways aimed to operate 150 aircraft by 2033 and retrofit multiple fleet types1 2 3.

Las Vegas Harry Reid International Airport, via its official Twitter account, announced (14-Jan-2026) the opening of a Mob Museum Store near the D Gates by Gate D50. The location offers merchandise and displays exploring Las Vegas' organised crime history.

Background ✨

Las Vegas Harry Reid International Airport recently introduced several new retail and dining options, including a Candy Cove in Terminal 3, a second TUMI location near the D Gates, and the Vegas Baby bar in the A gates rotunda, as part of its ongoing refresh of passenger amenities1 2 3.

New South Wales (NSW) Government announced (20-Jan-2026) a free bus service connecting Luddenham and St Marys train and bus interchange to Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport. The interim service will provide a connection to the wider Sydney public transport network which will be delivered when the Sydney Metro Western Sydney Airport rail line opens in 2027. The new bus service will commence prior to the airport's opening in 4Q2026. Interim bus service will be phased out when the metro services begin. Track laying on the metro line is at 70% completion with station construction "reaching key milestones". [more - original PR]

Background ✨

Western Sydney International Airport CEO Simon Hickey noted that contingency plans, including the M12 motorway, would be in place if the Sydney Metro rail line was not ready by the airport's scheduled opening in 4Q20261. The metro project had reached 70% track completion, with six new stations under construction and design finalised after stakeholder consultation2 3. The metro line is projected to move up to 7740 passengers per hour in each direction once operational4.

Qantas Group announced (20-Jan-2026) QantasLink plans to gradually deploy A220 equipment on Adelaide-Brisbane service from 03-Mar-2026, replacing Embraer E190. The Group stated the change will mark the first time the A220 has operated in South Australia and result in up to 100,000 additional seats in Adelaide p/a. The Group - via its official LinkedIn and Facebook accounts - confirmed it took delivery of two A220s (VH-X4J and VH-X4K) in Dec-2025, bringing its total fleet to 11. The Group expects to take delivery of four additional A220s by the middle of 2026. [more - original PR]

Background ✨

QantasLink A220s previously replaced Boeing 717s as part of the group's domestic fleet renewal and have been progressively introduced to more routes, with five delivered in FY2025 and a total of 11 in the fleet by Dec-2025. Additional deliveries were expected by mid-2026, supporting broader network expansion and the opening of new routes across Australia and internationally, including the type's first international deployments from early 20261 2 3.

Air France and SNCF expanded (19-Jan-2026) their 'Train + Air' collaboration to include OUIGO trains. The offer is initially available for routes connecting Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport and Avignon, Aix-en-Provence and Marseille, with the network to be gradually expanded to all 70 destinations served by OUIGO in France. With the addition of OUIGO trains, 27 train stations in France will be connected to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport as part of the 'Train + Air' offer by Sep-2026. [more - original PR]

Background ✨

Air France and SNCF's 'Train + Air' network previously covered 41 routes from Paris CDG and Orly, with over 600,000 bookings since 2019, and Flying Blue loyalty members could already redeem Miles for SNCF TGV INOUI vouchers to promote intermodal travel and low-carbon solutions1. Recent enhancements included new baggage drop-off areas at Paris CDG and additional benefits for elite and business class passengers2.

Air Astana, in a Kazakhstan Stock Exchange disclosure, announced (15-Jan-2026) a resolution was passed at the extraordinary general meeting on 15-Jan-2026 on the conclusion a major transaction with Boeing for the firm acquisition of five 787-9 aircraft with deliveries scheduled for 2032 to 2035. The transaction also covers five option rights and five purchase rights for 787-9s. As previously reported by CAPA, Air Astana placed an order for up to 15 Boeing 787-9s in Nov-2025, comprising five firm positions, five options and five purchase rights. [more - original PR - English/Kazakh/Russian]

Background ✨

Air Astana previously signed a lease agreement for three 787-9s in 2022, with delivery originally scheduled for 2026/27, and placed an order for up to 15 Boeing 787-9s in Nov-2025, comprising five firm orders, five options and five purchase rights, making it the largest aircraft order in the airline’s history1. The majority of its current fleet consists of A320 family aircraft2.

IATA reported (16-Jan-2026) approximately 270 million global passenger trips for the period 15-Dec-2025 to 04-Jan-2026, up 7% year-on-year, according to preliminary estimates. The trips involved 325 million flight segments. The largest growth was recorded on US-Mexico, US-Caribbean and India-UAE routes, reflecting many foreign nationals returning to their home countries. Cancún and Punta Cana featured in five of the top 20 routes for traffic growth, driven mainly by US outbound holiday travel. European leisure travellers preferred visiting Southeast Asia, with Bangkok and Phuket emerging as the leading destinations. [more - original PR]

Safran entered (19-Jan-2026) a definitive agreement for the sale of Safran Cabin's shares in EZAir to Embraer. EZAir was established as a 50:50 JV between Safran Cabin and Embraer to manufacture Embraer's interiors in Chihuahua, and to provide associated aftermarket activities and related engineering and manufacturing activities in Brazil. Details include:

Background ✨

Safran CFO Pascal Bantegnie stated the company considered further divestments from the aircraft interiors business acquired from Zodiac Aerospace, while CEO Olivier Andriès noted the focus remained on recovering financial performance before proceeding with additional disposals, specifically excluding seats from any divestment plans1. Safran previously announced a EUR6 million investment to open its twelfth aerospace equipment facility in Chihuahua, planned for 20252.