The U.S. ultra-low fare carrier Frontier Airlines is launching 11 new routes across 15 airports in October and November.
“As consumers look ahead to the fall and winter months and make their holiday plans, we are thrilled to once again expand our roster of convenient and affordable travel options,” said Josh Flyr, vice president of network and operations design, Frontier Airlines. “From warm weather destinations such as Southern California, Texas, and Florida or winter sports meccas Utah and Colorado, to popular metropolitan areas like New York, Atlanta and Washington, D.C., there are now even more exciting destinations to choose from when flying Frontier.”
Frontier Airlines has introduced sweeping changes to its product and customer service offerings, ushering in ‘The New Frontier’ for the airline. Underscoring its commitment to providing exceptional value and a superior travel experience, ‘The New Frontier’ provides more transparency through upfront pricing and options to meet various customers’ needs and budgets. Through no change or cancellation fees, a ‘For Less’ Price Guarantee, longer flight credit windows and more, America’s Greenest Airline is improving what customers can expect and delivering the best price for their travel needs.
Frontier now offers UpFront Plus, a new upgraded seating option with extra leg and elbow room in the first two rows of the aircraft. Customers in UpFront Plus will enjoy a window or aisle seat with extra legroom and a guaranteed empty middle seat.
Etihad Airways has signed on to be the Official Front of Shirt Sponsor of Mumbai City FC in a multi-year partnership starting from the 2024-25 season. The move demonstrates Etihad's continued commitment to the Indian market and Mumbai City's profile as one of the top-performing professional sports teams in India having won two Indian Super League titles and two Indian Super League Cups.
The deal, which is a record in Indian football in terms of duration, coincides with Etihad celebrating 20 years of flying to India and will see the Etihad Airways logo feature prominently on the front of shirt of Mumbai City FC’s first and youth team match shirts and training kits from the 2024-25 season.
The partnership builds upon the decades-long connection between the home countries of the two organisations and reinforces the shared values of teamwork and excellence. Both club and airline aim to bring people together and give flight to ambition.
Kandarp Chandra, CEO of Mumbai City FC, says, "We are incredibly happy to bring Etihad on board as our Official Front of Shirt Sponsor. Their endorsement is a testament to the brand of football Mumbai City plays - one that is committed to performance and the pursuit of excellence on and off the field. Both Etihad and Mumbai City are proud to represent resilient global cities that balance tradition with modernity."
Qatar Airways has unveiled a new global ‘AI Adventure’ film which utilises state-of-the-art technology to reinforce its commitment to developing incomparable, immersive experiences for everyone.
In an industry-first, the campaign offers the opportunity to be part of its emotive story, by utilising advanced AI capabilities so you can place yourself within the film and become the star. This reaffirms the airline’s dedication to placing customers at its very heart.
As part of the innovative campaign, viewers can select from multiple scenes within the film to star as the leading roles. Thanks to cutting-edge AI technology, the characters will be an accurate reflection of the viewer's appearance, adapting to their facial features and skin tone. To be a part of the emotive AI adventure, visit: flyqatar.com and watch the film on the Qatar Airways YouTube channel.
Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Officer, Engr. Badr Mohammed Al-Meer said: "At Qatar Airways, we go beyond simply meeting customer expectations - it's about anticipating their needs and crafting experiences that resonate on a personal level. The launch of this new brand campaign is a true testament to this and our ethos of providing incomparable superior customer experiences."
Qatar Airways Chief Commercial Officer, Mr. Thierry Antinori, said: "Featuring pioneering AI capabilities unseen elsewhere in the airline industry, our latest campaign not only showcases the innovative spirit driving our brand but also encapsulates our customer-centric approach, helping to turn every journey into an adventure. After all, there’s no limit to how far a dream can take you."
Qatar Airways Senior Vice President of Global Marketing & Corporate Communications, Mr. Babar Rahman, said: "With this latest campaign, we have been able to encapsulate our vision as an industry leader in innovation. Crafting an immersive brand experience where everyone can be the stars, has allowed us to create uniquely personalised connections with our audiences, ensuring every moment is truly unforgettable."
Qatar Airways currently flies to over 170 destinations worldwide, connecting through its Doha hub, Hamad International Airport, the ‘World’s Best Airport’, as voted by Skytrax in 2021, 2022, and 2024. In 2024, Hamad International Airport also received the ‘Best Airport in the Middle East’ accolade for 10 consecutive years, as well as ‘World’s Best Airport Shopping’ for the second year in a row.
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Qatar Airways recently announced a new interline partnership with Maldivian, the national carrier of the Maldives, providing passengers the option to book both Qatar Airways and Maldivian flights on its website.
Travellers planning their holidays at one of the Maldives’ beautiful islands can now incorporate both their Qatar Airways and Maldivian flights in one booking. Once Qatar Airways passengers arrive to Velana International Airport, they will be guided to the domestic terminal for their Maldivian flight.
Thierry Antinori, said: “We, at Qatar Airways, continue to expand our services to provide our passengers with innovative and inviting travel experiences. With our latest Maldivian interline partnership, we look forward to seeing our passengers enjoy a smooth start to their holidays, as well as benefit from the plethora of new travel benefits. We are proud to offer the option of a seamless process, allowing passengers to book one ticket that includes both their Qatar Airways flight to Male, and the connecting Maldivian flight to their beachside getaway.”
Maldivian Chief Commercial Officer, Ismail Amrah Umar, said: "We are thrilled to announce our interline partnership with Qatar airways, through which our customers will experience smooth connectivity with international baggage allowance while traveling within our network of 17 destinations across Maldives. By offering more choice and enhanced access to our strong and growing route network, we aim to boost tourism to the Maldives, showcasing our pristine islands to travellers from around the world.”
Red Flag-Alaska 24-3, a Pacific Air Forces-sponsored exercise with approximately 1,800 service members joining together in unity, ramped up operations at Eielson Air Force Base, Aug. 15-29. The 168th Wing, a crucial part of the operations refueled combat fighters throughout the RF-A 24-3 exercise, enabling the mission to deliver lethal airpower in defense of National Military objectives, reports Senior Master Sgt. Julie Avey.
Red Flag Alaska showcases combat tactics and synchronizes capabilities with U.S. and NATO partners, including the Royal Australian service members.
"Interagency cooperation is essential in everything we do,” said Lt. Col. Dean Thibodeau, 168th Air Refueling Squadron commander. “The exercise allows us to strengthen international partnerships, refine advanced tactics, push limits, and sharpen skills. Red Flag focuses on training for individual skills and intricate and large-scale joint engagements.”
The KC-135 boom operators and pilots fuel the fight, assuring air-combat maneuvering sorties are carried out in a realistic environment over the more than 77,000 square miles of airspace in the Joint Pacific Alaska Range Complex, the world's most extensive combat training range.
AirExplore has received approval from the US Department of Transportation (US DOT) to begin commercial operations in United States airspace under conditional Foreign Air Carrier Permit (FACP) provisions.
This approval allows AirExplore to engage in scheduled and charter air transportation of passengers, cargo, and mail to, from, and within US territory, using wet-leased aircraft operated by operators certified by Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) part 129 and are from countries which meet standards set forth in the FAA's International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) program. Increased privileges are pending approval, which will further advance the air transport industry in Slovakia and the US.
“This is a fantastic moment for AirExplore to obtain the approval as the airline grows its international presence,” Martin Stulajter, Chief Executive Officer of AirExplore, said. “This approval reflects the benefits of being backed by the Avia Solutions Group.”
AirExplore reapplied for its FACP earlier this year after being acquired by Avia Solutions Group. The FACP stipulates that AirExplore will have full authority of an air carrier after Slovakia obtains its IASA certification, followed by the processing of FAA Part 129 Operations Specification for AirExplore.
The approval for operation in the United States follows other recent permits for the airline, as well as AirExplore’s placement of four 737NG aircraft with Air Peace in Nigeria. The airline has also recently announced the addition of three cargo aircraft to its fleet.
99% of the flights operated as scheduled, almost 3 out of 4 flights departed with less than 15 minutes delay so far this year.
Brussels Airlines is looking back to a successful summer. Numerous efforts to ensure reliable operations have worked out well, ranking Brussels Airlines in the top 5 of most punctual major airlines in Europe. The Belgian national airline will keep investing together with its partners to improve reliability even further in the future.
During the summer months, July and August, Brussels Airlines transported more than 1.7 million passengers on almost 12,000 flights. As always, summer is the busiest season in the aviation industry. This year, Brussels Airlines is happy to announce improved regularity and punctuality numbers.
99% of all Brussels Airlines flights operated as scheduled during July and August. Some cancellations occurred, mainly due to external factors like the tensions in the Middle East that led to flight cancellations on the route to Tel Aviv.
72% of all flights departed within 15 minutes from the scheduled departure time so far this year. Amongst all major European airlines, Brussels Airlines is in the top 5 most punctual airlines so far in 2024 according to data from aviation analytics agency Cirium.
Flight delays were mainly caused by weather (e.g. thunderstorms), shortage of Air Traffic Control staff in some European countries and occasionally long lines at border control at Brussels Airport.
Tilman Reinshagen, Chief Operating Officer, Brussels Airlines said: “At Brussels Airlines, we want to be the most reliable airline operating from the most reliable hub. We’ve taken numerous initiatives together with all our partners such as Brussels Airport and the Belgian federal police to improve our regularity and punctuality. I’m happy to see that our efforts paid off. There are still areas of improvement such as the further roll out of the electronic gates for passport control for flights to Sub-Saharan Africa. This will lead to shorter waiting times at border control and thus less flights we have to delay while waiting for some passengers.”
Not only did more flights leave as scheduled and on-time, Brussels Airlines and its partners also improved other parameters. The number of delayed luggage has dropped by 14% compared to last year. Less than 0.8% of all checked bags didn’t get to their destination on-time.
Many passengers transfer in Brussels, for example to one of the 18 sub-Saharan African destinations of Brussels Airlines. 96.6% of the transfer passengers made their connection, which is an improvement of 26% compared to last year.
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Digital innovations to take care of passengers
Despite an already very high regularity, Brussels Airlines remains committed to continue decreasing the number of cancelled flights and taking care of passengers who are confronted with irregularities.
During summer, some digital innovations have been rolled out in the Brussels Airlines’ app, in order to better assist passengers at all stages of their journey, and certainly during irregularities.
Chatbot “Charlie” on brusselsairlines.com has been enhanced with new features, allowing the chatbot to assist guests better during irregularities. The easier people can find answers to their questions via these digital tools, the more customer care agents are available for more complicated cases, leading to shorter waiting times.
Brussels Airlines is also implementing a new system that automatically detects changes in flights and sends messages to guests. Soon, passengers will receive notifications for events such as gate changes, boarding times, and delayed baggage.
AirAsia celebrated a double victory at the 2024 World Travel Awards Asia and Oceania ceremony in Manila last night, securing recognition as Asia’s Leading Low-Cost Airline for the ninth consecutive year and Asia’s Leading Low-Cost Airline Cabin Crew for the eighth year in a row.
Air Asia recognised as Asia’s Leading Low-Cost Airline for the ninth year in a row and Asia's Leading Low-Cost Airline Cabin Crew for eight consecutive years
AirAsia’s leading edge in the two major categories was secured once again, as voted by consumers, industry and travel professionals across the region.
Building on its 23-year legacy of transformative multi-hub operations in Asia, AirAsia continues to enhance customer experience while maintaining its commitment to low-cost travel. Through ongoing improvements in booking processes, journey touchpoints, and innovative ancillary services, AirAsia ensures that affordability and quality go hand in hand. The reactivation and planned growth of its new fleet will not only support the airline’s expansion into new destinations but also enable the introduction of routes across different continents, all while staying true to its low-cost model.
Bo Lingam, CEO of AirAsia Aviation Group Limited said: “It is incredibly rewarding to be recognised by the voters which has led to this winning streak at the World Travel Awards. It is a clear sign that we are hitting the mark with our guests. Having flown over 800 million guests since day one, our journey of growth is built upon innovation and improvement.
“In 2024, we expect to operate 440,000 flights. Our growing momentum with new aircraft and routes is accompanied by an unwavering focus on operational resilience and customer experience and this has kept our Net Promoter Score robust as our flight operations expanded more than sixfold since 2021. Looking ahead, we are thrilled about our plans to connect more continents and deliver more choice, value and great service to our guests, as we embrace a greater degree of sustainability in our operations."
Virgin Atlantic has announced additions to next year's schedules from its home base of London Heathrow. The UK airline that's 49% owned by Delta Air Lines is adding two new destinations Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and Accra, Ghana to its network for summer 2025 and also returning to Toronto, Canada.
New route to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
For the first time, the airline will launch a daily service to King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The service aims to participate in the growth expected from Saudi Vision 2030. In 2023, annual trade between the UK and Saudi Arabia was worth £17.1 billion with an ambition to reach £30 billion of trade by 2030. Accordingly, air travel between the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia is forecast to grow 24% between 2019-2035.
Riyadh is in growth mode, with an expanded downtown business district, F1 circuit, theme park, shopping and entertainment complexes. The city is also the perfect base to explore cultural attractions across this vast country including the UNESCO World Heritage sites of historical Jeddah, the gateway to Mecca, Al Ula, Al Ahsa, and the stunning Rock Art in Hima.
Saudi Arabia is the world’s 20th largest economy, the largest in the Middle East with a population of 37 million. The market is expected to have a predominantly Saudi Arabian point of sale, which will see customers visiting the UK, as well as seamlessly connecting to twelve destinations throughout North America, on Virgin Atlantic and Delta networks, including Atlanta, New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Seattle, Boston and Detroit.
Alongside business travellers, the route will serve the ‘visiting friends and relatives’ (VFR) market, which has seen a fivefold increase in Saudis living in the UK between 2000 and 2018.
Flights to Riyadh will operate daily on the airline’s state-of-the-art A330neo, the newest aircraft in Virgin Atlantic’s fleet, with the first flight departing London Heathrow on 30 March 2025. Virgin Atlantic will offer 30 tonnes of cargo capacity on each flight for companies looking to export and import goods, such as fresh produce and specialised goods, including pharmaceuticals, between Riyadh and prime markets in the UK and US.
Riyadh is also home to the airline’s SkyTeam partner, Saudia. The partnership will offer onward connections to Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi, with further destinations within Saudi Arabia to Bangladesh and China to follow as the airline continues to grow its strategic partnership with Saudia. Flying Club members will earn and redeem Virgin Points across Saudia’s flying programme, alongside SkyTeam partners. All Saudia-operated flights from London Heathrow and Manchester to Riyadh and Jeddah are already marketed by Virgin Atlantic, and on sale across all sales channels, offering multi-daily departures between the United Kingdom and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Return to Accra, Ghana
Virgin Atlantic will return to Ghana for the first time since 2013, with daily flights to Kotoka International Airport in the nation’s capital, Accra, from May 2025. The airline will provide much-needed competition on the route, which currently lacks a choice of routes between the two countries.
The UK is home to the third largest Ghanaian diaspora in the world and the new service will respond to demand to visit friends and relatives. Around 10% of customers are also expected to connect through London onto Virgin Atlantic’s New York JFK service.
Launching on 1 May 2025, the daily service will operate on a Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft boasting the airline’s Upper Class, Premium and Economy Delight, Classic and Light cabins, as well as an onboard bar. Accra is expected to be a very strong cargo route and Virgin Atlantic will offer 30 tonnes of capacity on each flight carrying goods, such as fresh produce, between Ghana and key markets in the UK and US.
Airlines for Europe (A4E), Europe’s leading airline trade association, confirmed the appointment of Davide Maistro as Policy Director and Beatrice Pepe as Communications Officer.
They bring with them extensive knowledge and experience of the Brussels landscape. Davide has previously spent many years working as a consultant, advising companies and trade associations in the transport and travel, energy and technology sectors. Beatrice previously worked in several Brussels-based trade associations in the chemicals and energy sectors.
Ourania Georgoutsakou, Managing Director of A4E, said, “I am delighted to welcome Davide and Beatrice to the A4E team. They join at an important time for A4E as we work to ensure our members continue to thrive and connect millions of Europeans across Europe and with the rest of the world while accelerating our industry towards more sustainable flying for the years to come.”
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Airlines for Europe (A4E) is Europe’s largest airline association. Based in Brussels, A4E works with policymakers to ensure aviation policy continues to connect Europeans with the world in a safe, competitive and sustainable manner. With a modern fleet of over 3,600 aircraft, A4E airlines carried over 718 million passengers in 2023 and served nearly 2,100 destinations. Each year, A4E members transport more than 5 million tons of vital goods and equipment to more than 360 destinations either by freighters or passenger aircraft.
Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, landed its iconic A380 in Mumbai on Sunday evening, signalling the start of its celebrations marking 20 years of flying to India. The airline is operating its superjumbo between Mumbai and Abu Dhabi for a limited time only, with three flights per week until the 31 December.
The upcoming STEM Expo at the 2024 Sound of Speed Airshow and Open House on 14th and 15th September, promises to be an exciting blend of education and entertainment, aiming to inspire the next generation of aviators, engineers, scientists and innovators. Although this is the first time the Sound of Speed Airshow has featured a STEM experience, it is sure to be nothing short of spectacular.
Set against the backdrop of thrilling aerial displays, the expo will feature interactive exhibits and demonstrations that bring the wonders of science, technology, engineering and mathematics to life.
The expo will showcase the KC STEM Alliance and the FIRST Robotics display, along with a demonstration of STEM education by the St. Joseph School District. Missouri University of Science and Technology will present a small robotics exhibit. The Air Force will feature a display called the Hangar where guests can use VR to perform an in-flight refuelling mission, test and modulate jet engines, and control the landing gear of a jet. Attendees can also view five Tesla vehicles, including the Cybertruck, and explore a display by the local pilot academy, FlyTech. This is just a sampling of the various STEM displays guests will experience at the show.
One year after its debut, Delta Sync seatback has expanded the smart TV-like update to more than 330 aircraft. A new software release introduces updated features designed to put more day-of travel information at customers’ fingertips. What’s more – BBC News joins the lineup of global networks available on live TV.
One year after debuting Delta Sync seatback on the first A321ceo, customers travelling on more than 330 Delta aircraft can now enjoy the personalized experience that makes the airline’s beloved seatback screens feel more like a smart TV while offering a host of day-of-travel tools for SkyMiles Members designed to streamline their travel journey.
Delta Sync seatback is now available on five fleet types as part of the first phase of the rollout: all A321ceos, , A320s, A319s, most 75Ds and many 738s, representing 40% of total in-flight entertainment enplanements. With more than 165,000 seatback screens across Delta’s fleet—the most of any U.S.-based carrier—the airline expects to begin expanding the product to additional fleet types soon.
“We have introduced customers to a seatback product that is meaningful and relevant to how they go about their lives,” says Julieta McCurry, VP of In-Flight Entertainment and Connectivity Strategy. “SkyMiles Members have already logged in to Delta Sync seatback more than a million times, enjoying personalized content and seamless guidance through their travel day.”
Customers can also look forward to a major in-flight entertainment software release on their seatback, which includes updates like a new kids’ entertainment view, reimagined flight tools and more, as well as platform performance and stability improvements.
“We’ve learned a lot from our customers in the first year of Delta Sync seatback,” McCurry says. “Most importantly, we’ve learned that Delta has our finger directly on the pulse of what they want – a seamless, elevated and personalized in-flight experience. Our focus remains on listening, learning and innovating to deliver exactly that.”
Aeradvise Group, an aviation regulated independent CAMO, technical consulting and asset management company serving high-value aircraft leasing clients worldwide, has confirmed the promotion of Mike Byrt, Chief Operating Officer of Technical Operations, to a broader role that now includes overseeing International Engineering Services Sales.
Pat Toner, Aeradvise CEO, commented: "I would like to express a huge thanks to Mike as a key member of the senior management team for his work in managing the growth of our CAMO department & team to date. With over two decades of experience in the aerospace industry and a proven track record of operational excellence, Mike's expanded leadership will drive our AerAdvise global growth strategy, bringing our world-class engineering services to new international markets. His dedication and expertise make him the perfect leader to guide this next phase of our company's planned evolution".
AerCap Ireland Capital Designated Activity Company and AerCap Global Aviation Trust, each a wholly-owned subsidiary of AerCap Holdings N.V, priced an offering of senior notes, consisting of $1,300 million aggregate principal amount of the Issuers' 4.625% Senior Notes due 2029 and $1,100 million aggregate principal amount of the Issuers' 4.950% Senior Notes due 2034. The Notes will be fully and unconditionally guaranteed on a senior unsecured basis by the company and certain other subsidiaries of the company.
The Issuers intend to use the net proceeds from the Notes for general corporate purposes, including to acquire, invest in, finance or refinance aircraft assets and to repay indebtedness.
RBC Capital Markets, Wells Fargo Securities, BofA Securities, HSBC, Fifth Third Securities and SOCIETE GENERALE are serving as joint book-running managers for the underwritten public offering.
flyExclusive has announced that it has entered into an Aircraft Management Services Agreement with Volato Group, the largest HondaJet operator in the United States.
“As a fully integrated operator, flyExclusive is well-positioned to offer synergistic value to Volato’s clients and deliver enhanced value for our overall growing customer base,” said Jim Segrave, Founder and CEO of flyExclusive. “Over the years, we’ve made strategic investments to remove industry bottlenecks and grow and maintain a leading, consistent customer experience. We’re proud to welcome Volato’s customers and look forward to offering them access to our growing fleet of light, midsize and super-midsize jets.”
Under the terms of the agreement, the Company will manage flight operations, sales and expenses of Volato’s fleet, consisting of 13 fully fractionalized aircraft, 8 leased aircraft and 4 managed aircraft. The goal is to transfer aircraft to the flyExclusive certificate, which will occur over the coming months in coordination with the FAA. The Company will also execute the flights for the Volato customer base of approximately 184 fractional customers and 265 block customers on the Volato certificate, until they are moved over to FLYX agreements, in addition to Volato’s retail and wholesale business. This will significantly increase the FLYX direct-to-customer facing business as planned nearly immediately.
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