The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Mumbai zonal unit, has arrested a male Air India crew member for allegedly smuggling 1.373 kg of foreign-origin gold valued at approximately ₹1.41 crore into India. The crew member was intercepted on Friday, June 13, shortly after arriving at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) from New York on flight AI-116.

Based on specific intelligence about a syndicate using airline crew members to smuggle gold from the United States into India, the DRI conducted heightened surveillance at CSMIA. An initial search of the crew member found no contraband; however, sustained questioning led to the revelation that he had hidden a pouch containing gold bars wrapped in black duct tape near the baggage services area during a mandatory post-flight breathalyser test. The DRI team subsequently recovered the pouch with 1.373 kg of smuggled gold.

In a voluntary statement, the accused admitted to smuggling gold into India on previous occasions. Following this disclosure, the DRI launched a follow-up operation and arrested the alleged mastermind behind the smuggling network, who had been recruiting airline crew members to facilitate the illegal transport of gold.

Both the crew member and the mastermind are now in custody under the Customs Act, 1962, with investigations ongoing to identify further participants in the racket.

The seized gold has been confiscated, and the DRI continues to target organized gold smuggling networks, many involving flight and ground personnel. This case follows previous incidents involving Air India crew members implicated in gold smuggling at Indian airports.

Air India has not yet issued a statement regarding the incident. Further details are awaited as the investigation progresses.

The first four months of 2025 have brought a mixed bag of passenger traffic trends across Oman’s airports, reflecting shifting travel dynamics in the region. According to the latest data from the National Centre for Statistics and Information, a total of 4,701,055 passengers passed through the country’s airports from January to April, marking a slight 4.1% decrease compared to the same period last year.

Muscat International Airport, the nation’s primary aviation hub, handled 4,222,789 passengers by the end of April  down 4.7% from 4,428,726 in early 2024. Flight operations also saw a notable dip, with the number of flights falling 8.6% to 29,731, compared to 32,520 last year. Despite the decline, Muscat remains the busiest airport in Oman, serving as the gateway for millions of travelers.

Indian nationals continue to dominate the passenger demographic at Muscat International Airport, with 182,628 travelers recorded so far this year. Omanis rank second with 101,087 passengers, followed by Pakistanis at 47,078, highlighting the strong regional connectivity and expatriate travel patterns.

In contrast to Muscat’s slight downturn, Salalah Airport experienced a positive surge in passenger numbers, increasing by 6.8% to 458,394 compared to 429,181 last year. This growth underscores Salalah’s rising appeal as a travel destination and transit point. However, flight operations at Salalah saw a marginal decrease of 0.2%, totaling 2,974 flights.

Sohar Airport recorded the most dramatic drop in activity, with flights plunging 62.5% to just 72 from 192, and passenger numbers plummeting by a staggering 98.7% to only 307 travelers, down from 23,842 last year. This sharp decline signals significant operational challenges or changes in airline services at Sohar.
Duqm Airport also experienced a slight downturn, with flights decreasing by 1.9% to 204 and passenger numbers falling 2.7% to 19,565 from 20,106 in the previous year.

While Oman’s overall airport passenger traffic has softened slightly in early 2025, the varied performance across its airports highlights evolving travel trends and regional economic factors. Muscat International remains a vital hub, Salalah shows promising growth, and the steep declines at Sohar and Duqm suggest areas needing strategic focus to boost connectivity and passenger confidence.

As Oman continues to develop its aviation infrastructure and tourism offerings, monitoring these trends will be key to sustaining growth and enhancing the travel experience for both residents and visitors alike.

Following Qantas’s announcement to shut down its Singapore-based budget airline Jetstar Asia on July 31, 2025, Singapore Airlines (SIA) and its low-cost subsidiary Scoot are set to expand their Asian services to fill the gap left by Jetstar’s exit.

Jetstar Asia, which operated about 180 weekly flights from Changi Airport and served approximately 2.3 million passengers in 2024, is closing due to rising operational costs, increased airport fees, and intense competition from other low-cost carriers. The closure will affect around 500 employees, but SIA is working with Jetstar Asia and unions to explore opportunities for affected pilots and cabin crew within the SIA Group.

Scoot plans to launch new flights to destinations previously served exclusively by Jetstar Asia, including Okinawa, Japan, and Labuan Bajo, Indonesia, starting from the Northern Winter 2025 season (October 26, 2025, to March 28, 2026). This will include four weekly flights to Okinawa and two weekly flights to Labuan Bajo, alongside daily flights to Medan, Indonesia.

From August 2025, Scoot will increase flights to key Southeast Asian cities: Bangkok from 35 to 39 weekly flights (rising to 42 from late October), Penang from 21 to 28 weekly flights, and Clark in the Philippines from 5 to 7 weekly flights. Additional increases will be made to services for Denpasar (Bali), Jakarta, Phuket, and Surabaya during the Northern Winter season.

Meanwhile, Singapore Airlines will boost its frequencies on several routes: Colombo, Sri Lanka, from 7 to 10 weekly flights; Jakarta, Indonesia, from 63 to 70; Manila, Philippines, from 28 to 35; and Phuket, Thailand, from 30 to 42 weekly flights. On some Manila routes, Scoot will deploy larger Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft to replace smaller Airbus planes, increasing passenger capacity.

This expansion by Singapore Airlines and Scoot ensures continued connectivity and increased flight options across Asia, maintaining competitive pricing and supporting growing travel demand following Jetstar Asia’s closure. Travelers can expect seamless access to key destinations with enhanced frequency and capacity across the region.

Two Indian tourists were swiftly apprehended at Singapore’s Changi Airport for multiple shoplifting offences committed while in transit, highlighting the airport’s strict enforcement against retail theft.

On June 2, 29-year-old Goenka Simran and 30-year-old Garg Prasha were caught stealing at Terminals 2 and 3. Simran pleaded guilty to theft in a dwelling and was sentenced to eight days in jail. She stole a yellow purse valued at over SGD 300 (US$233) from a Furla store at Terminal 3 and a bottle of perfume worth more than SGD 200 from a cosmetics shop at Terminal 2.

 Prasha was fined SGD 700 for stealing a black haversack bag from a Charles & Keith store at Terminal 2. Both were arrested within an hour of the thefts, with the stolen items recovered, and prevented from leaving Singapore.

These cases are part of a broader pattern of shop theft incidents at Changi Airport. In recent months, multiple foreign nationals have been arrested for similar offences. For example, a 25-year-old Indian man was arrested in January 2025 after stealing a SGD 480 tie clip from Terminal 2; he was caught when returning to Singapore in transit and charged with theft in dwelling, carrying a penalty of up to seven years’ imprisonment or a fine.

 Another case involved a 37-year-old Indian man who allegedly stole over US$1,300 worth of items from five shops in Terminal 3 within three hours, including chocolates, jewellery, and stationery. He was detained before leaving Singapore and faced multiple theft charges.

Additionally, a 45-year-old Australian man was arrested for stealing perfume and facial products worth hundreds of dollars from a cosmetics store at Terminal 1 in May 2025, with charges pending. These incidents reflect a 7.6% increase in shop theft cases in Singapore in 2024 compared to the previous year, totaling over 4,200 cases nationwide.

Singapore’s laws impose severe penalties for theft, especially theft in a dwelling, which can lead to up to seven years in jail, fines, or both. The authorities maintain rigorous surveillance and cooperation with retailers to detect and deter shoplifting, particularly in high-traffic transit zones like Changi Airport. The swift arrests and prosecutions underscore Singapore’s zero-tolerance stance on retail theft to ensure a safe and secure environment for all travellers.

Saudi Arabia's flag carrier, Saudia (SV), has filed for a potential new route connecting Jeddah (JED) to Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW), according to the Winter 2025 ACL slot coordination report. This proposed service, if launched, would mark Saudia’s first direct entry into the American Midwest.

The airline plans to operate the route using its Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, a fuel-efficient wide-body aircraft central to Saudia’s long-haul fleet. The 787-9 offers up to 298 seats in a two-class configuration and can comfortably cover the Jeddah–Detroit distance of over 7,500 nautical miles.

Detroit emerges as a strategic choice for several reasons. It is a major U.S. gateway with a significant Arab-American community, particularly in nearby Dearborn, home to one of the largest Middle Eastern populations in the country. Additionally, Detroit serves as a key hub for Delta Air Lines, a SkyTeam alliance partner of Saudia, enabling potential seamless domestic connections across the U.S..

While slot filings like this one are often a precursor to route launches, they do not guarantee that flights will commence. Saudia has previously filed for U.S. routes to Atlanta and Miami that have yet to materialize, so cautious optimism is warranted.

This move aligns with Saudia’s broader Vision 2030 initiative, aiming to transform Saudi Arabia into a global aviation hub. The airline is actively modernizing its fleet and expanding its international network, already serving U.S. cities including New York, Washington D.C., and Los Angeles, as well as Toronto in Canada.

However, the airline faces challenges amid geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, which have caused airspace closures and rerouting, potentially impacting operational costs and route viability for new transatlantic services like Detroit.

Saudia’s winter schedule announcements are awaited to confirm whether the Jeddah–Detroit route will officially launch. If approved, this service would significantly bolster Saudia’s presence in North America and offer Midwest travelers direct access to Saudi Arabia, further cementing the airline’s strategic expansion in the region.

Malaysia’s low-cost carrier AirAsia is reportedly in advanced talks to order at least 100 Airbus aircraft at the upcoming Paris Airshow, a move that would mark the introduction of Airbus’s smallest jet, the A220, to its all-Airbus fleet, industry sources reveal.

The potential deal signals a strategic shift for AirAsia, which currently operates larger A320 and A321 models, by adding smaller, more fuel-efficient aircraft tailored for regional routes. The A220, seating between 100 and 150 passengers, would enable AirAsia to expand its network with greater flexibility and cost efficiency on thinner, point-to-point sectors.

AirAsia, one of Airbus’s largest customers with over 350 planes on order, has not placed a new order since before the COVID-19 pandemic. The airline has been restructuring its order book amid financial challenges exacerbated by pandemic travel restrictions. In 2022, Malaysia’s stock exchange classified AirAsia’s parent company, Capital A, as financially distressed, but the company aims to exit this status by mid-2025 as it pursues recovery.

Negotiations are ongoing, and no agreement is guaranteed. AirAsia has also been in talks with Brazil’s Embraer regarding its E2 jets, following the cessation of Malaysia’s SKS Airways operations earlier this year, indicating a careful evaluation of fleet options.

In a broader restructuring move, Capital A plans to consolidate its aviation operations by selling its AirAsia business to its long-haul unit, AirAsia X, unifying short- and long-haul services under a single AirAsia brand.
Neither AirAsia, Airbus, nor Embraer has commented on the discussions.

The Paris Airshow, scheduled for June 16-22 at Le Bourget, is expected to be the platform for the official announcement if the deal is finalized, marking a significant milestone in AirAsia’s post-pandemic growth and fleet modernization strategy.