World's largest amphibious aircraft takes off in China

China's home-grown AG600, the world's largest amphibious aircraft in production, took to the skies on Sunday for its maiden flight.

The plane codenamed "Kunlong" according to state news agency Xinhua, took off from the southern city of Zhuhai and landed after roughly an hour long flight.

With a wingspan of 38.8 metres (127 feet) and powered by four turbo-prop engines, the aircraft is capable of carrying 50 people and can stay airborne for 12 hours.

Australia defends end of MH370 hunt; investigation continues

Australia's Transport Minister Darren Chester said on Wednesday that experts will continue analyzing data and scrutinizing debris washing ashore from Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 in a bid to narrow down where it crashed in the southern Indian Ocean. But Chester declined to specify what kind of breakthrough would convince officials to resume the search for the missing airliner that was suspended this week after almost three years.

"When we get some information or data or a breakthrough that leads us to a specific location, the experts will know it when they see it," he told reporters in the southern city of Melbourne.

India's low-cost airline to buy up to 205 new Boeing planes

India's low-cost airline Spicejet plans to buy up to 205 next-generation Boeing planes worth $22 billion in a major deal to expand its domestic and international operations.

A joint statement by the two companies Friday said the planes booked at the end of 2016 include 100 new Boeing 737 MAX 8s, 42 MAXs, 13 additional 737 MAXs as well as purchase rights for 50 additional planes.

India's government approves new civil aviation policy

India's government on Wednesday approved a new civil aviation policy aimed at increasing regional connectivity, boosting cargo operations and making it easier — and possibly cheaper — for passengers to fly.

Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju said the policy will help India become the world's third-largest civil aviation market by 2022, behind the U.S. and China. Raju tweeted after the Cabinet's approval that it would be "a game-changer for the (aviation) sector."

Indian airline makes huge order for 250 Airbus jets

Indian budget airline IndiGo finalized an exceptionally large order for 250 single-aisle Airbus A320neo jets on Monday to keep up with rapid growth in the country's air travel.

IndiGo, India's largest domestic airline, had signed a preliminary order last year and firmed it up Monday, Airbus said in a statement. The manufacturer based in Toulouse, France, called it the biggest order by number of jets that it had ever received.

Taiwan airline suspects bad weather caused crash

An airline said Thursday it suspected typhoon weather caused one of its planes to crash land on a small Taiwanese island, killing 48 people.

The ATR-72 operated by Taiwan's TransAsia Airways was carrying 58 passengers and crew when it crashed into houses on the Penghu island chain in the Taiwan Strait between Taiwan and China late Wednesday, authorities said. The plane was on a flight from the city of Kaohsiung in southern Taiwan.