A low-fare airline being set up in Saudi Arabia is expected to launch services by the middle of this year.

Emirates Airline's training and rostering practices have been criticised by South African investigators in their report into a take-off accident involving one of the carrier's Airbus A340-300s at Johannesburg in April 2004.

Singapore, which operates Asia's sixth-busiest airport, may double the capacity of its S$45mil terminal for budget airlines, Asia's first, betting more people will travel by air on discounted fares.

Airliners carrying a total of 348 people came within 40 seconds of colliding over southern Norway at the weekend, the Oslo newspaper VG quoted a Norwegian aviation official as confirming.

US FAA last week proposed to fine Alaska Airlines $500,000 for flying a 737 without required cabin floor lighting on 478 revenue flights between July 12 and Dec. 2, 2004.

US regulators proposed a USD$500,000 fine against Alaska Airlines on Friday for allegedly operating a passenger jet on 478 flights without proper lighting to identify emergency exits.

Nigeria will clear a thick forest and stagnant ponds at Lagos Airport as part of urgent reforms to the aviation sector after two plane crashes that killed more than 200 people, the airports authority said on Sunday.

National Air Traffic Services said it handled a record 2.3 million flights through British airspace in 2005, a rise of 5.7% over the previous year and the highest annual growth since 1999.An increase in service by low-cost carriers to Eastern Europe contributed to the record, with flights to the region jumping 36.5% over the 12 months. Traffic to the Middle East, Asia and Africa also showed significant growth, rising 12.9%. However, the strong gains in domestic traffic seen all year slowed considerably after the start of the winter schedule, from a peak increase of 9.5% in May to 0.4% in December. Transatlantic overflights remained below 2000 levels.

The General Electric/Pratt & Whitney-led Engine Alliance received certification from the US Federal Aviation Administration yesterday (4 January) of its GP7200 engine for the Airbus A380 super large aircraft and aims to start flight tests in Toulouse in the second quarter.

The pilots' union at Northwest Airlines says the carrier is "risking labor peace" if it voids their collective bargaining agreement before another consensual deal is in place, according to court documents.