General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) of Saudi Arabia hosts special event on youth development in the aviation sector

More than 300 people from 30 countries have taken part in a side event designed to attract and develop young people into the aviation sector on the sidelines of the United Nations Future Action Days.

The Youth Empowerment and Development in the Civil Aviation Sector event was hosted by the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) of Saudi Arabia, in collaboration with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

GACA’s leadership of the event provided an opportunity to showcase Saudi Arabia’s efforts to empower youth, in line with Vision 2030, and to demonstrate the authority’s role in equipping younger people with the necessary skills and training to contribute to the civil aviation sector.

The event featured an opening speech by His Excellency Abdulaziz Al-Duailej, the President of GACA, which addressed the role of youth in the future of civil aviation in the context of the rapid transformation faced by the aviation industry.

Delta’s record 2025 trans-Atlantic expansion in Italy and beyond

Delta to fly its largest-ever trans-Atlantic summer schedule, with new routes to Catania, Sicily, Naples, Rome, Milan, Barcelona, Dublin, Brussels and more.

Delta is gearing up for an unforgettable summer in 2025, offering more opportunities than ever to explore Europe’s most captivating destinations, from the sun-soaked beaches of Catania, Sicily, to the historic charm of Rome. Highlights include Delta’s most expansive trans-Atlantic schedule from key hubs such as New York-JFK, Atlanta, Boston, Minneapolis-St. Paul, and Detroit, along with an enhanced travel experience featuring the debut of Delta One Lounges, free international Wi-Fi, and increased premium seating on the A330-900 and A350-900 aircraft. 

“With over 700 weekly flights to 33 European destinations and beyond, we’re expanding access to key cities like Barcelona and Dublin with new routes, while introducing our first-ever nonstop service to Catania, Sicily,” said Joe Esposito, Delta’s Senior Vice President – Network Planning. “We’ve also recently opened a stunning Delta One Lounge at JFK, with more to come at LAX, BOS, and SEA. Alongside the rollout of free international Wi-Fi and increased premium seating across our fleet, we’re ensuring our customers enjoy the best in connectivity and comfort from the moment they arrive at the airport to when they touch down.” 

With Delta’s enhanced Summer 2025 schedule, Italy—a land of timeless beauty and rich cultural history—has never been more accessible. As the largest U.S. carrier in the Italy market, Delta is boosting its service by over 10% year-over-year, providing even more ways for customers to experience la dolce vita.  

Additionally, Delta Vacations offers a wide selection of accommodations across the Amalfi Coast, Rome, Milan, and Venice, from top international hotel chains to boutique properties. Travelers can also book private tours of historical sites like the Duomo in Milan and Pompeii near Naples, as well as experiences like chef-guided cooking lessons and private drivers for local exploration. 

The first flight of the first Boeing E-7 Wedgetail for the RAF conducted.

The U.S. planemaker Boeing completed the first flight of the E-7 Wedgetail destined for the Royal Air Force on Friday last week.

The E-7 Wedgetail aircraft will provide the RAF with advanced Airborne Early Warning & Control capabilities.  These jets that are highly modified commercial 737 NG aircraft that will be based at RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland, where Boeing's local suppliers and contractors are nearing completion of the infrastructure facilities to support its introduction into service.  

The aircraft is currently unpainted and is one of three 737 NG aircraft on British soil which are undergoing modification by 100 people at STS Aviation Services in Birmingham. The first flight checked the functionality of the aircraft alone, which seems to have performed as expected.

"This safe and systematic Functional Check Flight is an important step for Boeing and the RAF as part of our rigorous and extensive testing and evaluation," said Stu Voboril, Boeing vice president and E-7 program manager. "Our team is committed to ensuring the E-7 delivers the safety, quality, and capabilities we've promised to our customer as we prepare for delivery of the UK's first E-7 Wedgetail to the RAF."

The E-7 Wedgetail RAF programme is already overdue and instead of getting the five aircraft the RAF originally wanted, they will only get three and the cost is just over £1.90 billion for the programme. The price tag for all five was £2.1 billion, which isn't perhaps the best deal or considered and the reduction for three isn't very much.  The RAF will continue to get all five of the special Northrop Grumman Multi-role Electronically Scanned Array (MESA) radars, which they will use to ensure that it always has one E-7 available. 

Other countries that have ordered the E-7 Wedgetail aircraft from Boeing have also experienced problems and delays. The Royal Australian Air Force experienced initial delays and a number of technical challenges during the early stages of the E-7 Wedgetail programme, including integration issues with the radar and critical mission systems. Additionally, some systems failed during two operations, which raised questions about the ongoing suitability of the aircraft. As a result, technology upgrades were instigated and updates continue to be made. The Turkish Air Force has also encountered delays in delivery and operational readiness of their E-7 Wedgetail aircraft. Some of these were due to technical issues, extra testing and modifications. The Republic of Korea Air Force reported some initial technical issues with the aircraft’s radar and communication systems, these needed further adjustments, testing and modification.

Group Captain Richard Osselton, RAF Programme Director for Wedgetail said, "Achieving the first flight of Wedgetail is a significant milestone, representing an outstanding effort from the RAF programme team, DE&S, Boeing and STS Aviation. We will now build on this success and look forward to continuing the Test & Evaluation phase as part of our preparations for the aircraft to enter into service."

DE&S Director Air Support, Richard Murray, said, "This first flight marks a significant milestone for the programme and for our team who have worked tirelessly with our partners to progress what is a hugely complex endeavour. We are moving forward and will be delivering this critical capability to the RAF."

"We're proud of the robust E-7 modification line we've stood up in the UK to deliver the RAF's future Airborne Early Warning & Control fleet," said Maria Laine, president of Boeing UK, Ireland and the Nordics. "We are committed to delivering this crucial capability to support the UK's national security and contribute toward regional stability."

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Flightkeys confirms investment from Insight Partners for strategic growth plans

Flightkeys, the cloud-based flight planning and optimization software built specifically for the most innovative global airlines, has announced a strategic growth investment from global software investor Insight Partners.

Founded in 2015 by a team of passionate aviation experts with a combined 200 years of experience, Flightkeys offers the most modern, cloud-based solution for dynamic flight planning and optimization. FLIGHTKEYS 5D enables innovative airlines to maximize airline network throughput, increase on-time performance, minimize greenhouse gas emissions and carbon footprint, and ensure compliance with the highest safety standards. Built entirely from the ground up using modern software standards, Flightkeys has powered 291 million trajectories and generates 380,000 flight plans daily.

"At Flightkeys, we set out to build the best flight planning software solutions to help the airline industry deliver better performance for passengers all over the world," said Flightkeys Co-Founders Christoph Prinz and Raimund Zopp on behalf of Flightkeys' seven co-founders. "We are delighted to be working with Insight Partners, who supports our vision of building world-class software solutions for airlines that make dispatchers and pilots more effective and allows airlines to improve operations for the benefit of their customers." The founders of Flightkeys retain majority control and management of the Group.

PLAY Airlines launches twice-weekly Valencia flights

PLAY airlines has launched ticket sales for scheduled flights to Valencia. PLAY will operate flights on Tuesdays and Saturdays next summer, with the first flight departing from Valencia on May 24. The schedule will continue until the end of September.

As a low-cost carrier connecting North America and Europe, PLAY uses Iceland as its central hub. Passengers have the option of a stopover in Iceland, allowing them to explore the country for up to 10 days at no additional cost before continuing their transatlantic journey.

In North America, PLAY operates flights from Baltimore, Boston, New York, Washington D.C., and Toronto. Iceland offers travelers breathtaking natural wonders, including waterfalls, glaciers, geysers, and unique wildlife—all within a short distance from Reykjavik, the vibrant capital known for its rich culture, diverse dining, and lively nightlife.

Cathay Pacific releases traffic figures for August 2024

Cathay Pacific released its traffic figures for August 2024, this week, showing that the airline carried more than two million passengers for the second consecutive month. ​

Cathay Pacific carried a total of 2,068,979 passengers in August 2024, an increase of 15.9% compared with August 2023. The month’s revenue passenger kilometres (RPKs) increased 15.9% year on year. Passenger load factor decreased by 2.9 percentage points to 85.2%, while available seat kilometres (ASKs) increased by 19.8% year on year. In the first eight months of 2024, the number of passengers carried increased by 29.9% to a total of 14,736,805, against a 36.1% increase in ASKs and a 29.2% increase in RPKs, as compared with the same period for 2023.

The airline carried 124,236 tonnes of cargo in August 2024, an increase of 6.3% compared with August 2023. The month’s cargo revenue tonne kilometres (RFTKs) decreased 0.9% year on year. The cargo load factor decreased by 1.7 percentage points to 57.1%, while available cargo tonne kilometres (AFTKs) increased by 2.1% year on year. In the first eight months of 2024, the tonnage increased by 9.8% to a total of 970,498 tonnes, against an 8.8% increase in AFTKs and a 3.2% increase in RFTKs, as compared with the same period for 2023.

 

Corendon Airlines partners with IBS Software to maximise operational efficiency

                                                 Corendon Airlines, one of Turkey's leading air carriers, has entered a strategic partnership with IBS Software to revolutionise its commercial operations. By leveraging IBS Software's iFly Res commerce platform Corendon will improve revenue streams and enhance operational efficiency. This move towards efficiency is fundamental as the airline is projected to process over 37 million passengers over the duration of the partnership.

IBS Software - a leading SaaS solutions provider to the global travel industry globally - was selected after an in-depth market evaluation which took over a year to complete. Corendon Airlines chose the iFly Res Passenger Service System (PSS) as it can uniquely unify Corendon's seat-only and tour operator business under a consolidated inventory. In turn, manpower requirements are reduced, and revenue dilution is prevented.

The partnership will see the integration of IBS Software's advanced Revenue Management solution delivering improvements to Corendon's bottom line. By providing a single, unified inventory that integrates both tour operator allotments and seat-only sales, the platform will empower revenue analysts to make consistent, data-driven decisions.

The collaboration also enables dynamic optimisation of pooled allotments, seat-only inventory, and pricing, all designed to maximise revenue. Additionally, iFly Res facilitates real-time data exchange with tour operator interfaces, ensuring seamless, uninterrupted operations.

Through NDC-based distribution, Corendon Airlines will now be able to offer dynamic pricing and more personalised options, enhancing passenger satisfaction and maintaining a competitive edge. These real-time dynamic and personalised pricing capabilities are a vital tool in delivering the most cost-effective fares and ensuring pricing is competitive with other regional leisure travel providers.

Speaking about the partnership, Burcu Par Güler, PSS Project Manager of Corendon Airlines, said: "At Corendon Airlines, our mission is to deliver exceptional travel experiences. By partnering with IBS Software, we are leveraging cutting-edge technology to refine our operations and elevate our service offerings. This partnership is a pivotal step in our growth strategy, and we are thrilled to be working with like-minded individuals who share our passion for innovation."

Ben Simmons, VP & Regional Head of Europe and Africa, IBS Software said: "We are delighted to welcome Corendon Airlines to our expanding family of airline partners in Turkey. The iFly Res platform is tailored to meet the unique needs of hybrid tour operators and charter airlines like Corendon. We are committed to helping Corendon Airlines achieve their goals of bringing more people to Turkish shores and drive commercial success. "

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Founded in 1997 in the Netherlands as a tour operator, Corendon has grown into a tourism group over time by adding airlines, incoming services, and hotels in Europe, Turkey, and the Caribbean to its portfolio. Corendon Travel, one of the leading tour operators in the Netherlands and Belgium, also operates in the Danish market. Corendon, particularly known in these markets for its association with the Turkey destination, is among the pioneering tour operators offering a wide range of products and destinations to its guests. Since entering the aviation sector with the slogan "Make a Difference" from its very first day, Corendon Airlines has introduced many exemplary practices and firsts in the industry. 

IBS Software is a global leader in SaaS solutions for the travel industry, managing mission-critical operations for clients in aviation, hospitality, tour & cruise, and energy resources sectors. IBS's aviation solutions encompass fleet & crew operations, aircraft maintenance, passenger services, loyalty programs, staff travel, and air cargo management.

In the hospitality industry, IBS Software offers a cloud-native, unified platform for hotels and travel sellers, including central reservation (CRS), property management (PMS), revenue management (RMS), call centre, booking engine, loyalty, and distribution systems.

IBS Software - Airline Travel Software & Airline Reservation System - 

PLAY airlines carried 187,960 passengers in August 2024........

.PLAY airlines carried 187,960 passengers in August 2024, marking a 1.8% increase from August 2023 when the airline transported 184,926 passengers. The load factor in August 2024 was 91.6%, setting a record for the highest load factor in a single month for PLAY. This represents a 2.7% increase from the 88.9% load factor recorded in August last year.

PLAY operated 32 destinations in August 2024, with 22 of these achieving a load factor exceeding 90%. In addition to the record load factor, PLAY also achieved an outstanding on-time performance of 91.5%, significantly higher than its main competitors. PLAY has therefore been the most punctual airline operating departures from Keflavík International Airport 13 months in a row. 

Among the passengers flying with PLAY in August, 25.9% were departing from Iceland, 35.6% were flying to Iceland, and 38.5% were connecting passengers. PLAY continues to grow its share in the local market, with 48,694 passengers flying from Iceland in August 2024. This marks a notable increase from August 2023, when 41,112 passengers flew from Iceland, representing a 18.4% growth in the local market.

New Destinations and Positive Impact on Icelandic Society

New Garmin G5000 avionics upgrade now available for Cessna Citation XLS Aircraft

Textron Aviation announced customers can now upgrade their Cessna Citation XLS+ and Citation XLS Gen2 aircraft with the Garmin G5000 integrated flight deck following Garmin’s receipt of FAA supplemental type certification (STC) for the avionics upgrade. Customers can have the upgrade installed at selected domestic Textron Aviation Service Centers to add significant technological advances and new capabilities to their aircraft.

“The G5000 avionics upgrade for the Cessna Citation XLS series modernizes the cockpit and addresses the evolution of FAA airspace, while also offering a lower cost of operation,” said Brian Rohloff, senior vice president of Customer Support. “We are continuously investing in new enhancements for our customers and their aircraft and expanding the G5000 avionics system to Citation XLS+ and XLS Gen2 operators supports our mission to deliver the best aviation experience for our customers.”

The G5000 integrated avionics suite features three landscape-oriented flight displays with split-screen capability, allowing pilots to simultaneously view maps, charts, checklists, Terrain Awareness Warning System (TAWS), Traffic alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS), flight plan information, weather and more, increasing situational awareness for the flight crew. It also includes options for Synthetic Vision Technology (SVT) and fully automatic advanced weather radar and automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) Out compliance and allows for future growth and expansion through software updates.

BOC Aviation places two Airbus A320neo's with Nouvelair

BOC Aviation is pleased to announce the placement of two Airbus A320NEO aircraft with new customer, Tunisia's first private airline, Nouvelair. Both aircraft are powered by CFM LEAP-1A engines and are scheduled for delivery this year.

“We are excited to welcome Nouvelair as a new customer as we build out our exposure to the rapidly-growing North African aviation market,” said Paul Kent, Chief Commercial Officer (Europe, Americas & Africa). “These latest technology aircraft will provide a significant boost to the modernity and operating efficiency of Nouvelair’s fleet as it develops further scale.”

Chokri Zarrad, General Manager of Nouvelair, emphasized: "We are enthusiastic about this collaboration with BOC Aviation and look forward to a long-term partnership. Adding our first environment friendly A320NEO to our fleet is part of our modernization strategy. We will reach a total of 15 aircraft by the third quarter of 2024. Our aim is to meet the growing expectations of our passengers regarding comfort and environmental sustainability, while maintaining the efficiency that has contributed to Nouvelair's success. The Airbus A320NEO, with its technological advancements, enables reduced fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.”

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PLAY airlines completes deal with Sabre

Sabre Corporation, a leading technology provider to the global travel industry, and Play airlines,  a fast-growing Icelandic low-cost carrier, today announced a multi-year distribution agreement. Through this partnership, Sabre-connected travel agencies will have seamless access to PLAY airlines' expanding network of affordable flights across North America and Europe.

This strategic agreement comes as PLAY airlines continues to grow its presence in key markets, including the Nordics, the United States, and Canada. The carrier's low-cost model offers travellers cost-effective transatlantic travel options, with Iceland serving as a hub for both North American and European travellers. The airline currently operates a modern all-Airbus fleet, connecting passengers up to 40 destinations in 2024.

This is in line with Sabre's ongoing investments in multi-source content and capabilities, and its commitment to addressing the growing content fragmentation challenge, enabling the efficient integration and normalization of content, and ensuring travel buyers retain the choice, transparency, and service standards they value today.

easyJet to save on emissions as it continues its transition to electric maintenance vehicles across key UK and European bases

easyJet is set to make a saving of 54 tonnes of CO2e per year* thanks to an ongoing fleet renewal programme for its engineering and maintenance vehicles at several of its major bases across the UK and Europe.

The vehicles have been rolled out at the airline’s major bases including Berlin Brandenburg, London Luton, Bristol and Liverpool Airport

Replacing older petrol and diesel-fuelled vans with new electric vans will see easyJet reduce its engineering fleet emissions by 28%

This is part of a wider fleet renewal programme which will be implemented at all easyJet engineering bases across the UK and Europe.

Replacing traditional petrol and diesel-powered vehicles for engineering and maintenance teams across its operations. The new fleet of active vans, 36 in total, has been rolled out at easyJet’s engineering bases including Berlin, Luton, Bristol and Liverpool airport.

The airline is planning to continue this rollout across other engineering bases in FY25, at which point 80% of easyJet’s bases will be using fully electric maintenance vans.

Speaking on the initiative, Jane Ashton, Director of Sustainability said: “After a successful, small-scale trial at Berlin Airport last year, which saw the conversion of a number of maintenance vehicles to electric our immediate step was to expand on a much bigger scale across our UK and European bases.

This small but critical move will help us further reduce the impact of our ground operations and we continue to try and find new ways to do this every day through the integration of operational efficiencies including fleet renewal both for aircraft and maintenance vehicles as well as fleet optimisation through various new technologies.”

easyJet continues to work towards its Net Zero ambition, outlined in its Net Zero roadmap launched two years ago, and already achieved a 5% improvement in carbon intensity in 2023 vs the baseline year of 2019.

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Overview of vehicle distribution across easyJet’s bases

Base	Number of Electric Vehicles	Status/ date expected
Belfast	2	2025
Berlin	11	Active
Birmingham	2	FY25
Bristol	10	Active
Edinburgh	4	2025
Glasgow	2	2025
Liverpool	4	Active
Luton	11	Active
London Gatwick	TBD	TBD
Manchester	TBD	TBD

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

JetBlue plans to introduce airport lounges

The U.S. airline JetBlue is seeking to get more high-revenue premium passengers to travel with the carrier that is struggling to get back into profitability since its failed takeover bid of budget carrier Spirit, by introducing executive lounges.

The airline says it will be opening lounges at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) Terminal 5 in late 2025 and Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) Terminal C soon after. These new lounges will be a new perk to its top-level TrueBlue Mosaic members and a benefit to the new premium credit card soon to be announced.

Marty St. George, president of JetBlue said: "Customers have asked for a JetBlue lounge for years and we can’t wait to unveil our take in New York and Boston. Lounges have become an essential offering for the growing numbers of customers seeking premium experiences, and JetBlue’s lounges will further boost the value of our TrueBlue loyalty program as we expand our portfolio of JetBlue credit cards."

At New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport, JetBlue’s lounge will span 8,000 total square feet and 11,000 square feet at Boston Logan International Airport. Both lounges will feature the airline’s iconic blue brand elements weaved together with local and regional artwork, personal touches and functional amenities, designed around three unique areas:

Play: Unwind and socialize as JetBlue brings the ‘fun’ in functionality to the lounge experience while customers can also relax as mixologists shake and stir their favorite complimentary alcoholic 1 and non-alcoholic beverages at a full-service bar.

Work: Stay connected and fully charged with private workspaces featuring fast and free Wi-Fi, an abundance of outlets to plug in and free barista-made coffee bar beverages.

Lounge: Enjoy familiar hospitality with complimentary food and beverage offerings. Kick back alone or with groups throughout the lounge in comfortable, cozy seating areas.

The lounges will also come complete with the airline’s standard of incredible customer service delivered by hospitality-trained crewmembers.

JetBlue says that airport lounges have, in recent times, become overcrowded due to their popularity and thus passengers no longer feel special going into them, especially if they are shared access lounges.  

New York's hometown airline says its two lounges will only be available to:   

Holders of a new premium JetBlue credit card (details soon to be announced)

TrueBlue Mosaic 4 members

Transatlantic Mint customers

TrueBlue Mosaic 4 members and the new premium JetBlue credit cardmembers will also receive complimentary access for an accompanying guest. Day passes and guest passes will be available for purchase by additional eligible customers based on space availability. 

All customers will be able to purchase an annual pass, making the lounges accessible to even more travellers seeking to get the most out of their award-winning JetBlue experience. More details about the lounge access policy will be shared in the future.

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Cathay Pacific A350 engine fire may be linked to cleaning process

Europe's aviation regulator on Thursday linked a recent engine fire on a Cathay Pacific Airbus A350 to a possible problem with the maintenance of its Rolls-Royce engines.

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) earlier this month ordered airlines to carry out visual inspections on Rolls-Royce XWB-97 engines after the incident involving a Zurich-bound Airbus A350-1000 on 2nd September 2024, reports Tim Hepher and Tassilo Hummel from Reuters.

"In-service and in-shop inspections since then have identified that a specific cleaning process available during engine refurbishment may lead to fuel manifold main fuel hose degradation", the agency said in a statement.  The announcement came after Hong Kong investigators confirmed they had found a hole in a fuel hose after leaking fuel caught fire in one of the Rolls-Royce engines of a Cathay Pacific, Airbus A350-1000 jet, forcing it to turn back to base. Nobody was injured in the incident.

Southeast Asia air traffic to more than triple through 2043

Boeing claims that Southeast Asian airlines will need 4,720 new aeroplanes over 20 years, with single-aisle jets making up 80% of projected deliveries.

Passenger air traffic in the region will grow 7.2% annually, as carriers connect fliers across Asia-Pacific

BALI, Indonesia.

The U.S. planemaker Boeing predicts Southeast Asia passenger air traffic to more than triple over the next 20 years, driven by above-global average economic growth and a rising middle class. The region’s aeroplane fleet is also projected to more than triple to 4,960 jets to meet the rising air travel demand, according to Boeing’s 2024 Commercial Market Outlook (CMO), the company’s long-term demand forecast for commercial aeroplanes and services.

Through 2043, passenger air traffic in Southeast Asia will grow 7.2% annually – well above the 4.7% average annual growth rate globally – according to the CMO.