EasyJet Takeover: easyJet’s board has agreed “in principle” to improved Castlelake terms, setting up a regulatory test for a potential £5.5bn-plus deal and fueling talk of a major payday for founder Sir Stelios. Saudi Expansion: flyadeal launched its inaugural Riyadh–Hyderabad daily A320neo service, while Riyadh Air announced daily Mumbai–Riyadh flights from Aug 4 with a four-class 787-9. Aviation Disruption: Catania airport suspended flights after Mount Etna’s eruption, while Italy’s Etna ash cloud forced diversions and cancellations. Air Traffic Tech: the FAA awarded Air Space Intelligence an $875m contract for new air traffic management software to improve traffic flow planning. Border Chaos: EU Entry/Exit System (EES) delays are blamed for up to five-hour waits, prompting calls for faster fixes ahead of peak summer travel. Defense Incident: UK MoD says a Russian Bear-F maritime patrol repeatedly approached HMS Prince of Wales and dropped sonobuoys, intercepted by F-35s. Industry Capacity: SITA says software and smarter operations are key to moving toward 10bn passengers a year without doubling airports or staff. Safety/Legal: Wisk Aero faces a lawsuit alleging retaliation after software safety testing concerns. Operational Funding: FAA granted nearly $32m in Airport Improvement Program funds across North Dakota airports.