A joint declaration signed by the European Union and the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) has given the European Commission a green light to secure a mandate for negotiating a comprehensive air transport agreement between the two regions. The declaration was signed in February at the end of a two-day EU-ASEAN Aviation Summit in Singapore, aimed at fostering more and better direct air services between the two trading blocs.

The Swiss civil aviation authority has denied there is a problem over approving Etihad Airways’ new link with Darwin Airline—now Etihad Regional—but said it is still investigating the degree of control Etihad will have over the Swiss airline.

Lufthansa Group said its passenger airline fleet reported a decline in fuel consumption for 2013.

Aerial searches for wreckage from the missing Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777-200 will be suspended while the undersea search area will be widened as part of a new phase of the hunt for flight MH370.

Frontier Airlines has fully embraced the “ultra” low-cost carrier (ULCC) business model, unveiling a simplified fare structure and adding fees for most services.

With growing talk of a looming pilot shortage in the US—particularly at the regional airline level—flight deck crew at regional carriers feel they have leverage, leading them to reject new labor deals negotiated by union leadership. But the pilots are taking a big gamble. Instead of forcing management to offer better deals, the pilots’ rejection of new contracts may just lead executives at US regional airlines to conclude they have no choice but to downsize.

IATA is calling on governments to ratify important changes to the Tokyo Convention that were agreed upon at a diplomatic conference in Montreal in April. The Tokyo Convention provides the legal framework for dealing with passengers whose unruly or disruptive behavior leads to physical assault or poses a threat to the safety of a flight.

Italy’s Unione Italiana del Lavoro (UIL) union has said it should part of negotiations as Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways considers making an investment in Italian flag carrier Alitalia.