Asia-Pacific (APAC) News

Skift

High activity

Mumbai airport holds winter slots steady as T1 redevelopment delays international-service shift to Navi Mumbai

Mumbai International Airport Ltd. says airlines’ historical slots will remain unchanged through the winter schedule as it plans to redevelop Terminal 1, with a joint working group tasked with limiting disruption. Adani Airport Holdings has postponed moving international services to Navi Mumbai until the summer schedule; the new airport has also reported cargo achievements alongside freight-operation challenges.

eVTOL Insights

Skyports deploys automated BVLOS drones to survey Australia’s HumeLink West transmission project

Skyports Drone Services is using automated beyond-visual-line-of-sight operations to collect regular aerial data for construction teams working on the HumeLink West transmission project in New South Wales. The approach provides site surveys without requiring pilots to be physically present.

ch-aviation

Guam’s Asia Pacific Airlines regains rights to carry cargo to Manila

Guam-based Asia Pacific Airlines has regained cargo traffic rights to Manila, restoring access to a key destination for its Boeing 757-200F operation. The available report provides no further detail on the timing, capacity or terms of the rights.

DefenseNews.com

China’s planned military training site at a Laotian airport raises regional concerns over PLA reach

China’s plan to use an airport in Laos for joint military training is prompting concern across Southeast Asia about the extent of the People’s Liberation Army’s regional presence. The proposed site places questions of military access and influence at the center of regional security discussions.

eVTOL Insights

TCab Tech and Malaysia’s SIDEC explore E20 eVTOL commercialization

Chinese eVTOL developer TCab Tech has signed an MOU with Selangor Information Technology and Digital Economy Corporation to explore commercializing its five-seat E20 electric aircraft in Malaysia. The agreement also aims to support the company’s expansion across Southeast Asia; the parties have not disclosed specific commercial or operational plans.

SpaceWatch Global

High activity

Starlink’s India launch delayed by security reviews and spectrum requirements

Starlink’s entry into India remains stalled as the company faces security reviews and spectrum requirements. The regulatory hurdles complicate Elon Musk’s effort to challenge the country’s established telecom operators, leaving the timing of a launch uncertain.

ch-aviation

Kyrgyzstan’s Asman Airlines plans to add A321s by mid-2Q27

Asman Airlines plans to add Airbus A321s to its fleet by the middle of the second quarter of 2027. The report does not specify how many aircraft the Kyrgyz carrier intends to add or how it plans to source them.

ch-aviation

South Korea’s Jin Air secures Vietnamese approval for LCC merger

Jin Air has secured approval in Vietnam for a merger involving a South Korean low-cost carrier. The clearance is a regulatory milestone for the transaction, though the available report does not specify the merger’s other parties, terms or remaining approvals.