Briefings ^BETA

Taiwan grounds Army Apaches and deploys Super Cobras and Kiowas for readiness：Defense Minister Kuo Li-hsiung said the Ministry of National Defense received a U.S. technical notice and the Army’s Apaches are grounded. The U.S. Army ordered hundreds of AH-64Es grounded over potential gearbox design and material risks. Taiwan’s precautionary measure follows no specific accident report; the Apaches will remain on ground standby pending inspections, while AH-1W Super Cobras and OH-58D Kiowas take on readiness missions. AH-64E Apache grounding

Pakistan restores airspace access to Taiwan carriers after brief refusal; Taiwan regrets move：Pakistan initially refused Taiwanese airlines access to its airspace, citing a one-China policy, but restored access hours later and approved China Airlines and EVA Air to use its airspace from October 28 through March 27 next year. Taiwan’s Executive Yuan expressed regret on October 29, saying the move politicized airspace and affected flight safety. The transport ministry and civil aviation authority said they would assist carriers and monitor route developments. Taiwan carriers' airspace access

China Airlines moves CI840 to the following day after Bangkok runway damage：China Airlines said runway damage at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport affected CI840 from Bangkok to Kaohsiung. A large depression was suspected as the flight prepared to take off; the airline rescheduled it for the following day, taking Kaohsiung Airport’s curfew into account. The aircraft was inspected and found safe, and the airline arranged meals, accommodation and transport for passengers. Separately, CI160 from Taoyuan to Seoul Incheon was delayed several hours for checks after an abnormal maintenance signal. China Airlines CI840

Starlux and Etihad launch two-way mileage redemption and earning：Starlux Airlines and Etihad Airways are extending their partnership to their member mileage programs, with two-way mileage redemption and earning. Members can redeem miles for award tickets on flights operated by the other airline, earn miles on qualifying flights and request retroactive mileage credit. The partnership also offers connections through Etihad’s Abu Dhabi hub to more than 120 destinations worldwide. Starlux-Etihad mileage partnership

File photo · 4300streetcar · CC BY 4.0

airBaltic plans cuts of about 100 pilots and 200 cabin crew, with notices from October 31：airBaltic plans to cut about 100 pilots and 200 cabin crew, but the figures are not final and may change after staff assessments. Individual notices are due to begin on October 31. The crew reductions are part of the wider workforce adjustment announced on October 5, which could affect 500 to 700 employees, not additional cuts on top of that total. The Latvian Aviation Union has called for the assessment to pause and for talks on selection criteria. airBaltic crew cuts

GE qualifies NYCO turbine oil for GEnx-1B engines after Air France trials：GE Aerospace qualified NYCO’s TURBONYCOIL 600 turbine oil for GEnx-1B engines used on Boeing 787 aircraft. Air France evaluated the oil across multiple engines for more than 36 months and nearly 7,000 flight hours. Engine teardowns and inspections confirmed effective wear protection for lubricated components and low levels of coke deposition. TURBONYCOIL 600 for GEnx-1B

File photo · Acroterion · CC BY-SA 4.0

Lufthansa plans first A350-1000 route in December with new cabins for three Asian destinations：Lufthansa plans to launch its first Airbus A350-1000 route in December, introducing its new Allegris cabins and adding premium capacity to three Asian destinations. The airline previously selected Tokyo as the destination for the first commercial flight of its first A350-1000. Lufthansa A350-1000 debut

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