APRIL 30, 2026: A final report released yesterday by the ATSB found a fatigue crack in a high-pressure turbine blade inside a CFM engine was behind a Qantas B737-800 engine failure during take-off in Sydney in November 2024.

APRIL 30, 2026: New Zealand will fast-track aviation reforms that target aircraft operations and airports, updating security, licensing and maintenance rules, while cutting red tape to boost safety, efficiency and capacity.

APRIL 29, 2026: The nose gear of a King Air B200 operated by the Technology Service Corporation on behalf of the Forum Fisheries Agency collapsed on or after landing at Nukuʻalofa’s Fuaʻamotu Airport on April 24, 2026.

APRIL 28, 2026: Emirates is increasing flights to Australia and New Zealand, including returning to Adelaide, as it rebuilds its network amid ongoing Gulf unrest. However, services remain well below pre-conflict levels.

APRIL 28, 2026: Vanuatu’s PM says its aviation sector, including Air Vanuatu, needs reform after a review found poor planning and ageing aircraft. The government wants to restore reliability, cut costs and rebuild confidence.

APRIL 27, 2026: Qatar Airways will resume Auckland flights via Adelaide on mid-June as it rebuilds operations impacted by the Iran conflict. Its other Southwest Pacific services are also gradually returning  to normal despite ongoing uncertainty.

APRIL 27, 2026: New Zealand will lend Air Chathams, Sounds Air, and Island Air nearly $22 million to help them maintain their fleets, service debts, and ensure essential air links amid rising costs and industry pressure.

APRIL 24, 2026: Flight path changes will come into effect over Sydney in July ahead of the opening of Western Sydney Airport (WSI) later that month. The changes will affect aircraft operating to and from Western Sydney, Bankstown (BWU), and Sydney (SYD) airports.

APRIL 23, 2026: Damage from Typhoon Sinlaku has shut Saipan Airport until April 30 to most non-essential flights, with at least one airline suspending services through to June. Other carriers have also cancelled flights, although for shorter periods.

APRIL 23, 2026: Solomon Airlines is trimming domestic and international flights through June as fuel costs surge 70%. It is also introducing a temporary fuel levy in a bid to maintain essential network connectivity.

APRIL 22, 2026: Nauru Air Corporation minister Asterio Appi has called for reforms to ensure the North Pacific Connector service remains commercially viable, urging higher revenues, lower costs and greater regional support.

APRIL 22, 2026: The Government of Western Australia has awarded over $5 million to Nexus Airlines and Aviair to continue regional flights, ensuring Kimberley residents stay connected and have access to essential services.

APRIL 21, 2026: The Autonomous Bougainville Government has launched Bougainville Wings with a single Cessna Caravan, aiming to improve regional connectivity and support economic development across the region.

APRIL 20, 2026: China Southern Airlines is extending winter capacity cuts across its South-West Pacific network to late September, reducing services to most Australian and New Zealand destinations.

APRIL 17, 2026: Queenstown-based scenic airline Glenorchy Air has acquired a Tecnam P2012 and will use the aircraft to launch a new charter brand called Queenstown Air Charter. The aircraft is due for delivery mid-year and will be registered as ZK JTK (msn 091).

APRIL 16, 2026: The US Department of Transportation has approved an application by Aero Micronesia, trading as Asia Pacific Airlines, for an exemption to operate between the US and all countries with which it has an open-skies agreement or is a MALIAT signatory.

APRIL 16, 2026: Virgin Australia says effective fuel hedging has helped insulate it from the worst of the recent fuel price spikes. In an April 15 market update, the airline says it expects its fuel costs in the current six-month period to increase by just $30 – 40 million.

APRIL 15, 2026: Nouméa’s Commercial Court (Tribunal mixte de commerce de Nouméa) has placed Air Calédonie into receivership. The court issued the order yesterday, April 14, following a decision by the airline’s board to file for bankruptcy.

APRIL 15, 2026: The Qantas Group is trimming domestic capacity by around 5% this quarter as its half year fuel bill blows out to over $3 billion. While multiple routes will lose some frequencies, some regional propellor and jet operated routes will be suspended.

APRIL 13, 2026: Virgin Australia is usually outgunned by Qantas when it comes to network depth and breadth. However, Virgin Australia flies into two Australian airports not served by Qantas and operates on nine domestic routes that Qantas does not.

APRIL 13, 2026: Australian charter airline GAM Air is acquiring a Beechcraft 1900D freighter from Utah’s Alpine Air Express. The transaction is the first time the aircraft converter and cargo carrier has sold a plane to an Australian customer.

APRIL 13, 2026: Launceston Airport is adding two new destinations to its departures board, with Link Airways about to start Launceston – Canberra flights and Sharp Airlines saying it will begin non-stop services between Tasmania's second largest city and King Island.

APRIL 10, 2026: Suva’s High Court has heard arguments about whether parties who chartered a Fiji Airways jet to fly pilgrims to Israel and back in 2023 should have to pay the multi-million-dollar amount still owed.

APRIL 9, 2026: Four Qatar Airways B777s temporarily parked at Brisbane Airport have returned to Doha, with three resuming scheduled services. Flight tracking data shows the jets spent around one week at Brisbane before returning to Doha.

APRIL 8, 2026: An A330-900 that unexpectedly went out-of-service is disrupting Aircalin’s schedules, resulting in flight cancellations, rescheduling, and the airline calling in other operators to help.

APRIL 8, 2026: Chinese airlines are scaling back services to Australia and New Zealand ahead of the upcoming Southern Hemisphere winter, reflecting seasonal demand trends across the Southwest Pacific aviation market.

APRIL 7, 2026: Air Calédonie director Daniel Houmbouy has told a government committee that the domestic airline expects to start insolvency proceedings this week. He said the court will decide whether to liquidate Air Calédonie or give it time to submit a restructuring plan.

APRIL 3, 2026: Government funding has helped lock in Air New Zealand flights to Western Sydney Airport (WSI). The kiwi carrier has set October 26, 2026, as the start date for thrice-weekly narrowbody flights between Auckland (AKL) and the new airport.

APRIL 3, 2026: The Australian Government is seeking to appease both the aviation industry and passengers with new laws that will seek to streamline the consumer complaints process while not over-burdening the industry.

APRIL 2, 2026: Papua New Guinea’s National Airport Corporation (NAC) says work on the new terminal building at Gurney Airport (GUR) is almost three quarters complete. The NAC says the work should be finished by August 2026

APRIL 1, 2026: Fiji Airways has released its annual report for calendar 2024, revealing an after-tax loss of FJD25 million despite record operating revenues. The airline attributes the loss to increased operating costs, yield pressures, and foreign exchange volatility.

APRIL 1, 2026: Air Niugini has started flying its A220-300s outside Papua New Guinea. The airline deployed the aircraft onto the Port Moresby (POM) – Cairns (CNS) route last week and the Port Moresby – Sydney (SYD) city-pair earlier this week.