The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will hold a two-day investigative hearing in December on the crash of Asiana Airlines Flight 214.

Swiss International Air Lines has reached an agreement with its two pilot unions that will ultimately integrate the cockpit crew at the short-haul arm of Swiss European and long-haul operator Swiss International.

Turkish Airlines has confirmed to ATW that its two pilots, who were kidnapped in Beirut Aug. 9, have been safely returned to their countries.

Lufthansa Group subsidiary Austrian Airlines will hire 230 additional flight attendants in 2014.

Finnair has received the green light to be included in British Airways and Finnair’s Japanese joint venture after announcing plans to join the partnership in July.

Premium air travel growth improved in August, with overall international premium traffic increasing 8.6% year-over-year, markedly better than July’s 1.4% growth, according to IATA’s August Premium Traffic Monitor.

Separation between two commercially operated Boeing 747s flying over Scotland in June fell to 3.5 nautical miles and 300 ft., according to the UK Airprox Board’s report of incidents assessed at the September 2013 meeting, published at the end of last week.

The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is urging airports to use differential landing charges to give airlines an incentive to operate cleaner and quieter aircraft.