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Lydd Airport, located in Kent 75 miles (120 km) from London's city centre, has received approval to expand its facilities. The airport wants to attract scheduled flights to both domestic and international destinations. The expansion plans include the lengthening of the runway from 1500 to 2000 metres, and the construction of a new terminal with a capacity of 500,000 passengers per year. Part of the plan is also the renaming of the airport into London Ashford. Currently the only commercial operator based at the airport is Lydd Air, which operates scheduled weekend flights to Le Touquet in France, as well as charter services.

The Civil Aviation Authority of China (CAAC) has stated that the Chinese carriers will buy a total of 218 aircraft in 2010 to replace older planes in their fleets and meet growth in demand. It is expected that the number of passenger and cargo flights operated by Chinese airlines will increase by 12% this year.

Varsity Express, a new regional airline in the UK which had commenced operations on March 1, has suspended its flights. The company was active on the Oxford-Edinburgh route, flying with a Jetstream 31 operated by Linksair. According to the company's website, the flights were suspended due to "operational issues between Varsity Air Services Ltd and the airline and AOC holder who have been contracted to operate the Jetstream 31." It is not known whether the company will re-launch flights.

The company is headed by Martin Halstead, a young British entrepreneur who attempted to establish an airline before by launching Alpha One Airlines in 2005. That operation was shut down after only six weeks.

The ATR 42-600 has made its maiden flight from the manufacturer's base in Toulouse. The -600 is the newest version of the 50-seat turboprop and is equipped with new avionics and upgraded, more efficient engines.

Allegiant Air will expand its fleet with six Boeing 757-200s. The airline, which currently operates an all-MD80 fleet of 46 aircraft, plans to launch fllights from manland USA to Hawaii with the 757s. The company also plans to add another six MD-80s by the end of this year.

Chinese aircraft manufacturer Xi'an Aircraft Company has sold nine MA-60 turboprops to foreign customers: six to a company in Sri Lanka and three to Myanmar. The aircraft will have a layout for 56 passengers and will be delivered in 2010 and 2011.

Tajikistan carrier Somon Air has placed an order for two Boeing 737-900ERs. The Central Asian airline, the only privately owned carrier in the country, operates flights to several destinations in Russia, as well as Frankfurt and Dubai. It currently operates two leased 737-800s and was launched in 2008.

Air Slovakia has been grounded by the country's aviation authorities following failure of the company to pay its bills. The carrier was founded in 1993 and has been facing financial trouble for some time now. Air Slovakia's grounding follows the bankruptcy of Sky Europe and Seagle Air, leaving Danube Wings as the sole airline based in the country.

An ATC controller at New York JFK was suspended after he let his young son talk to pilots, issuing clearances. While the airplane crews didn't seem to be bothered by the event and reacted amused, the FAA took the issue more seriously and suspended the controller and his shift supervisor.

Dutch authorities have arrested a Swedish man who was flying with a false pilot's license. The Swede had been working for two years as a Boeing 737 captain for Corendon Airlines. He was arrested just before his next flight from Amsterdam to Ankara following a lead from the Swedish aviation authorities. The airline stated it had checked the man's references, who had flown over a period of 13 years for other airlines in Belgium, Italy and the UK, before hiring him. Apparently the 41-year old never earned an ATPL (Air Transport Pilot's License), which is necessary to become a captain, and only had a CPL (Commercial Pilot's License) which was expired a long time ago.