Reuters
A Fishtail Air helicopter and an Air Dynasty helicopter collided as they prepared to land at Pheriche in Nepal’s Everest region on Nov. 3, 2026. The crash killed 47-year-old Indian tourist Bhupendra Thapa and injured three others, during the peak trekking season when helicopters ferry hikers and climbers in the region.
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A Fishtail Air helicopter and an Air Dynasty helicopter collided as they prepared to land at Pheriche in Nepal’s Everest region on Nov. 3, 2026. The crash killed 47-year-old Indian tourist Bhupendra Thapa and injured three others, during the peak trekking season when helicopters ferry hikers and climbers in the region.
A Dassault Aviation Rafale M has successfully landed and taken off from an Indian aircraft carrier, marking a flight-test milestone for the French naval fighter in India. The country operates two carriers and has ambitions to add a third, giving the tests relevance to its future carrier-air-wing planning.
Kyrgyzstan’s Aero Nomad has started scheduled service linking Bishkek with Phu Quoc, Vietnam, converting a route it previously operated as a charter. The launch adds a scheduled connection between the Central Asian capital and the Vietnamese island destination; the report provides no frequency or capacity details.
Kazakhstan’s SCAT Airlines began operating a fifth-freedom route from Shymkent to Singapore Changi via Sanya on Oct. 20, 2026. The service adds Singapore to the carrier’s network through an intermediate stop in China, allowing it to carry traffic between Sanya and Singapore.
Gulf Air is adding a fifth-freedom route linking Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. The announcement puts the two Southeast Asian cities on the carrier’s network, but the available report provides no further details on launch timing, frequency, aircraft or the service’s wider routing.
Adani Airport CEO Arun Bansal said some airlines may temporarily suspend service to Mumbai instead of transferring operations to the new Navi Mumbai airport. He expects one or two foreign carriers to take that approach, underscoring the operational and commercial choices airlines face as the city’s airport capacity expands.
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Airspace restrictions over Pakistan and disruption in the Middle East are prompting IndiGo to consider shifting capacity into some international markets earlier than planned. CEO Willie Walsh says expansion must preserve the carrier’s low-cost model; its first 10 A350s are set to have three cabins, including 16 lie-flat business-class seats, from the second quarter of 2028.
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