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Afghanistan national flag carrier Ariana Afghan Airlines formally resumed its passenger air services between Afghanistan's capital city Kabul and neighboring China's Urumqi city on Wednesday. The air route has halted for three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Ariana Afghan Airlines is currently the only operator of direct passenger flights between the two countries, according to the airlines. The Afghan airlines operates once in a week on Wednesday and returns to Kabul on the same day. Ghulam Jilani Wafa, the deputy for the Ministry of Transport and Aviation, welcomed the resumed flights and said the air operations would have direct impact on enhancing trade and economic relations between the two nations.<br/>

Israeli airline El Al on Wednesday reported a narrower first-quarter loss, and said it plans to expand its fleet while opening new routes. El Al, Israel's flag carrier, said it lost $34m in the first three months of 2023, versus a loss of $66m a year earlier. Revenue grew to $500m from $283m the previous year, and surpassed revenue from Q1 2019 before COVID-19 brought harsh travel restrictions. Its load factor rose to 85% in the quarter from 73% in the January to March period of 2022. El Al, which has a 22% market share at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, said it hoped to expand its fleet of aircraft to 60 from 45 by 2028. It also said it was in talks to add new routes to Australia, the Philippines, and additional U.S. cities.<br/>

The Indian aviation regulator will conduct an audit of cash-strapped carrier Go First's preparedness to restart its operations, the company said on Tuesday night in an internal memo. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) will conduct the audit in the coming days, with operations commencing following the regulator's approval, Rajit Ranjan, vice president of flight operations, told employees. As part of preparations to recommence operations, employees will be required to undertake a four-hour refresher on the airline's monsoon operations, among other items, according to the memo seen by Reuters. "You are requested to be available for flying so that the relaunch is smooth and we start flying as soon as possible," it said. Go First has, however, cancelled its flights on May 27-28 due to issues outside the company's control, according to a source with direct knowledge of the matter. Reuters could not immediately reach Go First Chairman Varun Berry for comment. The memo came after an appeals tribunal upheld insolvency proceedings against Go First, which the company describes as a "landmark decision", making it harder for the airline's lessors who are attempting to take back their planes. Go First CEO Kaushik Khona assured that employees' April salary would be credited ahead of resuming operations, said the memo.<br/>

Vietjet has disclosed plans to take delivery of at least three more Airbus A330s, as part of a fleet and network ramp-up this year. In a fleet update issued 24 May, the Vietnamese low-cost operator says it plans to operate 87 aircraft by the end of this year, up from the current fleet of 80 aircraft. This would nine A330-300s, three more than its present widebody fleet. The update comes as it took delivery of three A321neos and one A330 in May. Vietjet also operates A321ceos and A320ceos, according to Cirium fleets data. “The new aircraft featuring fuel savings, emission reduction and environmental protection will help modernise Vietjet’s fleet; thus enhancing the operational efficiency, while reducing operating costs,’ states Vietjet. The airline says the fleet expansion will help “maintain its market leader’s position in terms of passenger volume and efficiency in Vietnam”, as well as support its plans to grow its network, especially on intercontinental routes. The carrier targets an after-tax profit of D1t ($42.6m) for the year ending 31 December, and expects to carry more than 25m passengers system-wide. The airline was loss-making in the 2022 financial year – despite a significant rise in revenues – as it was impacted by higher fuel costs. <br/>

Malaysian low-cost start-up MYAirline is enjoying strong load factors as it contemplates new international routes and fleet growth. The airline, which started operations in December 2022, is on the verge of taking its eighth leased Airbus A320, according to chief executive Rayner Teo. Teo adds that the carrier also has imminent plans to launch services to Singapore from its hub at KLIA2 - the second terminal of Kuala Lumpur International Airport. Teo spoke with FlightGlobal at the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace exhibition, where the airline has a promotional stand. Load factors at the LCC average around 92%, and were as high as 96% during MYAirline’s first month of operations. On the carrier’s finances, Teo notes that the company is privately owned, and the cash situation is comfortable. “Up to now, there are no issues on that front,” says Teo. “But as we go forward we will definitely be exploring other methods of bringing in cash and funding. But that is at a later stage.”Teo also shed light on the company’s plans to start operations to both of Bangkok’s International Airports, Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang from late June. Within a month of commencing Bangkok services, MYAirline will operate two flights daily to each of the airports. He says that some customers have preferences about which Bangkok airport they fly too. The move to cover two Bangkok airports also has a strategic rationale: securing valuable slots before Chinese travel to Thailand returns to the levels seen before he coronavirus pandemic. “Getting a slot is not so difficult, but it’s [difficult] to get the slot that you want,” he says. In addition to Singapore, other new international routes are likely to be Jakarta, Phuket, Ho Chi Minh City, and Da Nang. Regarding fleet, Teo says that MYAirline aims to have 50 aircraft within three years. This is more ambitious than Teo’s stated plan in late 2022, when he told FlightGlobal that the aim was to have 50 aircraft in five years. The carrier is talking to Airbus, Boeing, and Embraer about its future fleet plans, with growth likely to come from a mix of orders and leases.<br/>