Asia-Pacific Aerospace Briefs Today
May 11th 2026
Today’s briefs report news from Batik Air Malaysia, Bird Group, DHL Express, Embraer, GMR Airports Limited, Sabre and Vietjet. Read More »
Batik Air Malaysia and Malaysia-based MARA Corporation have signed a letter of intent to work together to build the country’s maintenance, repair and overhaul skilled workforce. The Lion Air Group carrier is also considering establishing a base maintenance facility at Kuala Lumpur Subang as part of the partnership. "The LOI establishes a framework for deeper collaboration, including the potential for a joint venture or shareholders’ agreement, interim management arrangements, and future infrastructure development to support the continued growth of Malaysia’s aviation sector," Batik Air Malaysia said.
DHL Express has launched an AI-supported tool to identify and generate a customs-compliant description based on a photo of a shipment item to help simplify cross-border transport of goods. "Accurately describing shipment contents to meet customs requirements has traditionally required specialised knowledge and careful wording," DHL Express said. "By embedding AI directly into the booking process, DHL Express removes this complexity, improving data quality, reducing the risk of delays, and making international shipping more accessible and reliable for customers of all experience levels." The product is now live in eight markets, including Hong Kong and Singapore within the Asia-Pacific region, and is being rolled out to more markets during the rest of 2026.
Embraer has reported net profit of US$33.4 million for the three months to March 31 2026, down 54.5% from US$73.4 million in the same three months in 2025. Revenue rose 31.2% to US$1.4 billion, Embraer said in a regulatory filing. The company said it was the highest revenue ever achieved for the first quarter of a calendar year.
Sabre reported net profit of US$8.1 million for the three months to March 31 2026, down 77% from US$35.3 million in the same three-month period in 2025. The company noted the net profit measure was impacted by discontinued operations between this year and last year. Revenue rose 8% to 760.3 million, Sabre said in a regulatory filing. "While the conflict in the Middle East and higher fuel prices have weighed on near-term air bookings, our outlook assumes the conflict subsides during the second quarter," Sabre CEO, Kurt Ekert, said in a regulatory filing. "We expect a gradual recovery through the summer and fall, driving positive full-year air bookings growth."
Vietjet has signed cooperation agreements with India-based firms GMR Airports Limited and Bird Group. Specifically, the LCC will work with GMR Airports on opportunities to jointly develop air connectivity, airport infrastructure, logistics, aviation services, smart airports and long-term investment initiatives. Its collaboration with Bird Group is focused on ground handling services, training, aviation technology, travel and hospitality.
