Bloomberg
• Anusha Ondaatjie, Asantha Sirimanne
Sri Lanka’s anti-graft body arrested lawmaker Namal Rajapaksa, son of former president Mahinda Rajapaksa, in an investigation into a 2013 Airbus aircraft purchase by SriLankan Airlines. The probe follows allegations of kickbacks and earlier findings by international authorities that Airbus agreed to pay bribes in Sri Lanka.
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Poland’s LOT is set to acquire two Boeing 787-9 aircraft from Virgin Atlantic, adding to its long-haul fleet through a secondary-market transaction. The deal highlights LOT’s fleet expansion and the continued repositioning of widebody aircraft among European operators.
Sri Lanka’s anti-graft body arrested lawmaker Namal Rajapaksa, son of former president Mahinda Rajapaksa, in an investigation into a 2013 Airbus aircraft purchase by SriLankan Airlines. The probe follows allegations of kickbacks and earlier findings by international authorities that Airbus agreed to pay bribes in Sri Lanka.
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ANA Holdings has placed a firm order for eight additional Embraer E190-E2s, taking its commitment to 23 aircraft before the first delivery. The deal reinforces Embraer’s position in Japan’s regional market and supports ANA’s strategy of expanding capacity through regional operators, including IBEX Airlines.
The General Aviation Manufacturers Association has released its second-quarter 2026 report on aircraft shipments and billings. The update provides an industry snapshot of general aviation manufacturing activity, including the volume and value of aircraft delivered during the period.
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Indian air cargo company Afcom Holdings has reached a provisional agreement with Boeing covering up to four 777-8F twinjet freighters. The letter of intent provides few additional details, but would mark a potential expansion of Afcom’s long-haul cargo fleet and add another prospective customer to Boeing’s new freighter program.
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Air Canada will add seven routes to five new destinations in summer 2027, expanding from Toronto, Montréal and Vancouver to Europe and Asia while increasing Latin America capacity. The plan includes Toronto–Guangzhou, Basel, Dubrovnik, Oslo and Shannon services, with Oslo and Shannon operated by Airbus A321XLRs.
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Goa-based Indian regional carrier FLY91 will begin receiving 40 ATR 72-600 turboprops next year, with deliveries continuing through 2032. The order is valued at roughly $1 billion and represents ATR’s largest firm order in almost a decade, as well as its biggest agreement with a regional airline.
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Airbus nearly halted A330neo deliveries for about three months after identifying a quality issue affecting the horizontal tailplane, with a stray tool found in one aircraft’s tail section. The manufacturer inspected or corrected affected aircraft and says deliveries have resumed, but some handovers will be delayed into 2026.
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