SpaceNews.com
• Jeff Foust
Rocket Lab launched the eighth Japanese iQPS radar-imaging satellite on Aug. 6, more than a month after an earlier launch attempt was aborted. The mission highlights the company’s continuing role in deploying iQPS’s growing Earth-observation constellation and the operational recovery required after a launch interruption.
Asia-Pacific (APAC)
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Finland and Sweden sent delegations to Australia’s Exercise Pitch Black for the first time this year, with both focused on fighter integration and maintenance. Their participation adds a new dimension to the multinational exercise’s role in developing operational coordination and sustainment practices.
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Rocket Lab launched the eighth Japanese iQPS radar-imaging satellite on Aug. 6, more than a month after an earlier launch attempt was aborted. The mission highlights the company’s continuing role in deploying iQPS’s growing Earth-observation constellation and the operational recovery required after a launch interruption.
High activity
EVA Air will begin operating nonstop flights between Taipei and Delhi on Dec. 1, 2026, establishing its first direct link between Taiwan and India. The carrier says the route will provide a convenient alternative for India–North America connections and marks an important step in its network development.
Qantas Group and Japan Airlines have signed a binding agreement to restructure Jetstar Japan’s ownership, with the Development Bank of Japan replacing Qantas through a share buyback. The low-cost carrier plans to rebrand by the third quarter of 2027, ending Qantas’ role in the Japanese venture.
United Parcel Service has asked the U.S. Department of Transportation to approve the transfer of six weekly fifth-freedom cargo frequencies linking Hong Kong International Airport with Clark International Airport in Angeles City, potentially reshaping UPS’s regulatory authority and operating pattern on the Asia-Pacific route.
IndiGo and Ethiopian Airlines have emerged as two of the Global South’s most consequential carriers, but their rise followed sharply different models. Their contrasting strategies offer a useful lens on how airlines outside traditional aviation centers are reshaping the industry’s competitive landscape.
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Cathay Pacific posted its strongest first-half performance since 2010, with passenger and cargo growth offsetting higher fuel costs, while Lufthansa’s operating profit fell to €383 million and Air Astana slipped into a small loss. Carriers remain cautious as Middle East-related fuel price pressures persist.
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