Asia-Pacific Aerospace Briefs Today
January 13th 2026
Today’s briefs report news from BOC Aviation, China North Industries Group, Fiji Airways and Peking University. Read More »
BOC Aviation reported its transactions for the three months to December 31 2025 included commitments to purchase 14 aircraft, the delivery of 16 aircraft, the sale of seven owned and one managed aircraft, and the signing of 21 lease commitments. CEO Steven Townsend said the company delivered strong operational performance in calendar 2025. "We added 160 aircraft purchase commitments to our orderbook and reinforced our position as one of the top five global aircraft lessors," Townsend said in a regulatory filing. "With a strong portfolio and orderbook, we are confident in achieving our future growth objectives."
China North Industries Group has conducted a test flight with an unmanned cargo aircraft, the Tianma-1000, local media reported, citing vision posted online. The aircraft has a range of 1,800km, could fly up to 8,000m in altitude and had cargo capacity of one tonne, the reports said, making it suited to logistics delivery and disaster response operations.
Fiji Airways is the latest airline to update its policy on the use of portable power banks. From Monday, January 19, passengers must not use power banks on board an aircraft. They must store them in the seat pocket and not in the overhead locker. The power banks will not be allowed in checkin luggage. "This change supports the airline’s ongoing focus on providing a safe, comfortable and reliable travel experience for all our guests while upholding the highest standards of aviation operations," Fiji Airways said.
Peking University said in a report Mainland China was "advantageously positioned" to capitalise on the immense potential of the global sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) market, given "abundant supplies" of used cooking oil, agricultural and forestry residues, as well as renewable energy resources. The report recommended China introduce "demand-side interventions" to stimulate market uptake and establish a market-based pricing mechanism to sustain the whole SAF value chain. Cathay Pacific has welcomed the findings of the report. "This study by Peking University is encouraging, as it demonstrates the long-term potential for cost parity between SAF and conventional jet fuel, provided there is sufficient support for the development of new technologies and large-scale SAF production, along with policies that support SAF deployment from both demand and supply sides," Cathay general manager of sustainability, Grace Cheung, said.
