Cathay Pacific to launch new route to Dallas Fort Worth

Cathay Pacific is pleased to announce it is further expanding its North America network with the launch of non-stop flights between Hong Kong and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) for the very first time. The new service, scheduled to commence on 24 April 2025, marks Cathay Pacific’s sixth passenger destination in the United States and eighth in North America, further reinforcing the airline’s presence on the continent while bolstering the global connectivity of its home hub, Hong Kong.

Cathay Group Chief Customer and Commercial Officer Lavinia Lau said: “With our unique position of having deep roots in Hong Kong, being proudly part of China, and connecting the world, Cathay continues to build Hong Kong as a leading international aviation hub that connects people to the most exciting places in the world.

“Dallas Fort Worth International Airport is one of the world’s busiest airports. With our Cathay Pacific codeshares as well as other flight options, customers can connect to over 190 domestic destinations in the United States, as well as 11 destinations in Central and South America via DFW, further enhancing Hong Kong’s connectivity with North America and important Belt and Road Initiative participating countries.”

Currently, Cathay Pacific operates 88 return passenger flights per week to destinations in North America, including Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Toronto and Vancouver. To complement its existing network in North America, the airline will operate four return flights per week between Hong Kong and DFW using its modern Airbus A350-1000 aircraft. Flights for Cathay Pacific’s DFW service are open for booking with the following flight schedule (all times local, subject to regulatory approval):

Human-Centered design in Sasaki’s Xuhui Runway Park

A 30-meter stretch of lawn on the south side of Xuhui Runway Park in Shanghai has attracted significant attention. The sloped lawn, dotted with reclining visitors overlooking a sunken basketball court, has emerged as an oasis for office workers in busy Shanghai. The destination went viral on Little Red Book, one of the most popular social media platforms in China.

The lawn’s central location and gentle slope—almost like a lounge chair— makes it a popular lunchtime getaway for office workers to nap or people-watch. Dubbed the “Workers’ Sanctuary,” the spot has drawn hundreds of daily visitors from the nearby towers to unwind together outside in the grass—such opportunities are rare in the dense city. The phenomenon has sparked a hashtag “20-Minute Park Effect” on Chinese social media to describe the recharging effect of lounging outside, even for a short interval.

Sparking extensive discussion on social media, more and more people noticed this hidden gem and wondered, who proposed this genius idea?

CitizenPlane launches new operating system to shape the future of airline growth

CitizenPlane, a leading distribution software company for airlines and tour operators, today announced the launch of the CitizenPlane Operating System (OS) for mid-tier carriers and fast-growing airlines. To realize new levels of commercial opportunity with solutions that are only a click away, the modular, all-in-one platform enables airlines to control offer creation, revenue optimization, distribution, and delivery.  The industry-first offering leverages CitizenPlane's recent acquisition of Passenger Service System (PSS) provider Travel Technology Interactive's (TTI) Zenith software. Looking ahead, CitizenPlane plans to enhance its OS capabilities, to include for example, revenue accounting and crew management solutions, through acquisitions and product innovation.

Simplifies operations, unlocks revenue opportunity, and enables the end-to-end customer journey for mid-tier carriers and fast-growing airlines; Recent acquisition of Travel Technology Interactive kick-starts the realization of the company's vision.

The CitizenPlane OS extends and modernizes the traditional PSS concept by breaking down monolithic technology into easy-to-innovate cloud-based applications. The result is a modular platform that focuses on simplifying complexity. The CitizenPlane OS will quickly deliver innovation across the airline business and reduce the overhead of running disparate software solutions.

The CitizenPlane OS features a market-first flight distribution solution - AIR. The AIR module enables airlines and tour operators to instantly distribute inventory, outside of the GDS, to a host of online travel agencies (OTAs) and metasearch websites. This solves a major pain point for smaller airlines without easy, low-cost access to large-scale distribution channels. "Our vision is that all airlines will be able to benefit from effective innovation," said Charles Rajjou, CEO at CitizenPlane. "We are building on the technology foundations laid by the pioneers who have delivered the industry to the thriving business it is today and bringing to the table a laser-focus on elegant simplicity that has become our hallmark."

The new CitizenPlane OS enables airline business users to easily define and control their retailing strategy from creation of flight content, ancillaries and bundled offers, to distribution through any point-of-sale, in alignment with industry standards including IATA NDC.

American Airlines welcomes JetSMART to the award-winning AAdvantage programme

American Airlines and JetSMART announced today that customers can earn AAdvantage miles when flying on JetSMART-operated flights throughout South America. This is one of many new customer benefits that are part of JetSMART joining American’s award-winning travel rewards program, AAdvantage.

JetSMART customers can join the AAdvantage program for free when purchasing tickets on JetSMART’s website, enabling them to earn miles on both domestic and international flights operated by JetSMART. Later this year, AAdvantage members will also be able to redeem miles for JetSMART-operated flights.

“We are excited to welcome JetSMART and their customers to the AAdvantage program, the most valuable travel rewards program,” said Scott Chandler, American’s Senior Vice President of Revenue Management and Loyalty. “This is a significant milestone in our partnership that offers customers more low fares and more travel options throughout South America.”

The strategic partnership between American and JetSMART launched in 2023 with codeshare itineraries between the United States and Chile and recently expanded to flights in Peru and Argentina. Together, the airlines are creating the broadest network in North and South America, offering more ways for customers to earn and use their miles. The partnership enables American to strengthen and expand its South American network, uniquely providing customers with enhanced travel options and ultra-low fares.

“From the beginning, we have been innovators in South American aviation, offering ultra-low fares and an extensive route network, often connecting cities for the first time. By deepening our partnership with American, we are continuing to make history, furthering our mission of bringing air travel to every corner of the continent. Our customers will now be able to earn miles when they fly on the JetSMART network and connect to American's global network. As the fastest-growing airline in South America, this alliance strengthens our position as we work toward our vision of reaching 100 million passengers and 100 aircraft by 2028," said Estuardo Ortiz, CEO of JetSMART.

Low-cost carriers reach ancillary revenue records..........while traditional airlines stumble

The 2024 edition of the CarTrawler Yearbook of Ancillary Revenue by IdeaWorksCompany, released today, describes ancillary revenue activities and results for 68 airlines in 2023, revealing divergences in trends and providing an assessment of the industry as a whole. Key findings include: 

 LCCs post record-breaking performance: Spirit Airlines achieved ancillary revenue of 56.4% of total revenue, which is a global record. Ancillary revenue for Jet2.com was $95.83 per passenger, which represents another global record.  

 Ancillary revenue surges above pre-pandemic levels: For 2023 the top 10 airline companies generated $54.1 billion, which is far in excess of the $38.4 billion result for the top 10 companies for the pre-pandemic year of 2019.   

 Traditional airlines were challenged: Total ancillary revenue was up for the category, but declined on a per passenger basis. Other revenue, which includes passenger fares, declined by a larger amount, which hints at competitive troubles. 

 Frequent flyer program revenue jumped:  Total loyalty revenue for the top 10 programs was $32.2 billion, which was 18.6 % higher than 2022. 

 United Airlines sets new ancillary revenue record: United reported $9.5 billion in ancillary revenue, a record 20.9% increase from 2022, although its per-passenger increase was a modest 6.2%, with loyalty revenue representing 58% of total ancillary revenue. 

Read the full report here.

While total ancillary revenue for the top 10 airlines surpassed pre-pandemic levels by over 41%, the report highlights the changing fortunes among air carriers.  LCCs, which have a good share of their income powered by fees associated with optional extras, enjoyed solid gains on a per passenger basis.  Traditional airlines have an advantage to boost ancillary revenue through their loyalty programs and co-branded credit card portfolios.  Carriers in every category can become even better travel retailers, if they create destination-oriented websites that divert consumers from online competitors and airlines that rely upon a travel-as-a-commodity approach.   

Hyatt expands its luxury and lifestyle brand across the Americas region

One of the globe's leading hotel companies, Hyatt Hotels is rapidly expanding its luxury and lifestyle hotels in the Americas region with the news that more than 20% of planned openings are across the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean.

This planned growth will expand Hyatt’s brand footprint in several new regional markets, allowing Hyatt to care for guests and World of Hyatt members in more places and on more stay occasions.

It is no secret that Hyatt has been on an upward trajectory since 2017, as it has doubled the number of luxury rooms, tripled the number of resort rooms, and quintupled its number of lifestyle rooms globally. This growth marks out Hyatt as the fastest-growing luxury portfolio with the largest number of luxury-branded rooms in resort locations worldwide.

Crystal Vinisse Thomas, vice president and global brand leader for Hyatt's luxury and lifestyle brands said: "We are engaged with our guests and World of Hyatt members and taking in their feedback helps us strengthen our understanding of the key markets and leisure experiences that resonate with and excite them the most. -  From Deer Valley to Miami to Valle de Guadalupe, Mexico, our luxury and lifestyle brands’ expansion in new and key markets is driven by our desire to offer travellers more opportunities to explore the unique communities our hotels are a part of and the chance to embark on incredible experiences with Hyatt.”

Looking ahead, Hyatt will offer guests more iconic lifestyle brands and experiences through the planned acquisition of lifestyle pioneer Standard International. Enhancing its position as a leading lifestyle hospitality leader, Hyatt will launch a new dedicated lifestyle group that will include The Standard and Bunkhouse Hotels brands, as well as many of its world-class restaurant and nightlife affiliates (The Boom Boom Room, The Standard Grill, Le Bain, and more). Following the transaction’s close, Hyatt is planning to welcome Standard International properties into World of Hyatt, bringing even more celebrated lifestyle options to its 48 million loyalty members.

See below for newly opened and coming soon properties from Hyatt.

Emirates opens new premium lounge at London Stansted Airport

Emirates, the world’s largest international airline, has opened the doors to its new lounge at London Stansted Airport. The airline has invested more than GBP 4 million to design a spacious 900-square-metre lounge that can accommodate up to 125 guests, including First and Business Class customers, as well as Emirates Skywards members.

The new lounge is Emirates’ sixth dedicated lounge in the UK, complementing the airline’s world-class facilities available in London Heathrow, London Gatwick, Birmingham, Glasgow, and Manchester. All London airports served by Emirates now provide access to premium on-ground experiences for customers to unwind and enjoy elevated dining experiences ahead of their journeys.

Emirates is one of few airlines that have invested in its on-ground experiences including its own network of 40 dedicated lounges around the world and complimentary chauffeur drive services for premium customers.

Mohammed Mattar, Divisional Senior Vice President Airport Services at Emirates said: “Emirates has been serving London Stansted since 2018, and the airport remains a very important gateway for our customers across the southern region of the UK.  The new lounge is a testament to our brand promise of always flying customers better – in the air and on-ground. And it also marks a major milestone for us as we now proudly offer dedicated lounge facilities across six airports in the UK – underscoring our ongoing commitment to one of the most important markets in our network. We look forward to taking the premium travel experience to new heights and to offering customers a chance to unwind and dine with Emirates’ renowned signature hospitality.”

Gareth Powell, Managing Director at Stansted Airport, said: "The opening of Emirates’ new world-class lounge is fantastic news for London Stansted and passengers using Emirates services to Dubai and beyond, and once again demonstrates the airline's commitment to the airport and the wider region. Offering an experience of luxury and comfort for the airline’s First and Business Class customers, its location in Satellite 1 boasts excellent views over the airport and allows boarding access to the aircraft directly from the lounge. The 14 weekly flights between London Stansted and Dubai have been extremely popular with travellers since day one, not just to the Middle East, but right across the globe thanks to the airline's huge worldwide route network.”

Taking premium travel to new heights

Located in Satellite 1, adjacent to the departure gates – customers can look forward to a spacious lounge with new furnishings and dedicated seating areas to dine and unwind in before a flight. Customers will also enjoy an exceptional food and beverage selection, complimentary Wi-Fi, and refreshing shower facilities and amenities.

The Emirates lounge also offers customers a short walk for boarding access to the aircraft, with a short 2–3-minute walk to the aircraft.

new route for Air Samarkand......

                                      Air Samarkand has launched a new once-weekly service between the Uzbek capital of Tashkent and Al Ain, the ‘Garden City’ of Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). 

 

The first flight, carrying a near capacity of 195 passengers and lasting three hours and 40 minutes, took place yesterday (Sunday), using an Airbus A321 aircraft. The aircraft offers 12 spacious business class seats and 182 comfortable economy class seats to ensure a pleasant travel experience. 

Al Ain is the fourth-largest city in the United Arab Emirates and the largest inland city in the UAE. It is a significant cultural centre, playing an important role in the country’s history. 

“We are excited to add another destination and a new country to our flight map, which we are confident will become popular among both tourists and business travellers,” said Zafar Butaev, CEO of Air Samarkand. 

This latest development follows the expansion of services to Istanbul earlier in September, to three return flights a week, and marks the continued and steady expansion of Air Samarkand’s route network. In late July the carrier began flying to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to support religious pilgrims, increasing the frequency to five per week by September – with two services departing from Samarkand and one each week from the Uzbek cities of Termez, Fergana and Namangan. Air Samarkand also serves Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt and Nha Trang in Vietnam, using Airbus A321neo and A330-300 aircraft. 

Flights to Al Ain are operated in partnership with the tour operator EasyBooking, which is providing quick and convenient transfers from Al Ain Airport to selected hotels in Abu Dhabi or Dubai. At the initial stage, flights will operate once a week on Sundays:

 

Departure from Tashkent: 10:40, arrival in Al Ain: 13:20 (local time).

Departure from Al Ain: 15:00, arrival in Tashkent: 19:40 (local time).

 

Delta and Scandinavian Airlines System sign codeshare deal

The U.S. mega-carrier Delta and Scandinavian Airlines System - SAS, the flag carrier of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, have signed a codeshare agreement to come into effect tomorrow, Wednesday 25th September. 

The codeshare agreement will improve connection opportunities for customers flying between North America and Scandinavia and will offer reciprocal codeshare and frequent flyer benefits including the ability to earn and redeem SkyMiles or SAS EuroBonus points across both carriers. 

Delta and SAS customers will enjoy extended travel options within their networks in Europe and North America. Delta customers flying from North America will gain additional access to 50 destinations in Northern Europe beyond SAS’s hubs in Copenhagen, Oslo, and Stockholm. Meanwhile, SAS customers will gain access to more than 150 destinations in North America via Delta’s hubs in Atlanta, Boston, Los Angeles, New York, and Seattle. 

Perry Cantarutti, Delta’s Senior Vice President Alliances said: “As part of Delta’s mission to connect people around the world, our new partnership with SAS will strengthen our presence in Northern Europe by offering customers improved access to destinations throughout Scandinavia and a better overall flying experience.”   

Paul Verhagen, Chief Commercial Officer from SAS, said: “We are thrilled to expand our partnership with Delta through this new codeshare agreement, enhancing travel options between Scandinavia and North America. With our new direct route from Copenhagen to Seattle, we’re strengthening connections to the Pacific Northwest offering more travel options for our passengers. As a proud new member of SkyTeam Alliance, this collaboration offers great opportunities to provide seamless connectivity and benefits across our global network. We are excited about the possibilities and committed to delivering an elevated travel experience for our customers."

It may be September, but summer training for winter is snow joke!

As temperatures hit the mid-20 oC this week, it may seem odd to hear London Stansted has been preparing for the winter by kicking-off its snow training programme to ensure the airport is ready for any adverse weather in the months ahead.

The snow team, which is responsible for clearing runways, taxiways and aircraft stands during wintry weather conditions, has been diligently working over the last few weeks to fine-tune its winter operations plan.

To familiarise themselves with the airport's fleet of specialist equipment and snow clearing techniques, the team has been conducting regular training sessions, while emergency response plans have been revised and updated to ensure they are able to respond efficiently to any snow-related incidents.

Nick Millar, the airport’s Operations Director, said: “With more than 29 million passengers travelling through London Stansted in all weather conditions each year, it’s a big job to ensure the airfield and runway are always safe and operational. Winter brings additional complexities, and a large team of colleagues work together to prepare for snow and ice, no matter how rare it is in this part of the UK. We have a robust Winter Operations Plan in place which is reviewed and tested every year to make sure that everyone involved in responding to a snow event is fully prepared if and when the time comes.

One of the key aspects of preparation is ensuring that the airport has the necessary equipment and resources to handle snow and ice effectively. The snow team has been conducting inspections and maintenance of its snowploughs, blowers, and other snow removal equipment to ensure they are in good working condition. They also check we have sufficient supplies of salt and de-icer to ensure the runway and taxiways are adequately treated during icy conditions.”

The airport's proactive approach to winter planning extends beyond the runway and airfield to ensure that other airport facilities, including the car parks, airport roads, and passenger walkways, are also well prepared to deal with the challenges posed by cold weather.

“Our commitment to winter preparedness is to provide a safe and smooth travel experience for passengers, and by proactively preparing early for the season's challenges, the airport is ensuring it has done all it to can to continue flight operations even during the harshest of weather conditions,” added Nick.

 

Emirates adds fourth daily flight to Johannesburg

Emirates is adding a fourth daily flight between Dubai and Johannesburg due to a massive increase in demand. The news follows hot on the heels of the carrier's recent decision to upgage to operate a second daily A380 on the route.  

The fourth daily service will begin on 1st March 2025, and will be operated on a three-class Boeing 777-300ER, offering an additional 708 seats in and out of South Africa’s largest and busiest international airport every day. EK767 will depart Dubai at 00:10hrs, arriving in Johannesburg at 06:20hrs; the return flight, EK768, will depart Johannesburg at 10:15hrs arriving in Dubai at 20:15hrs, expanding the airline’s schedule to introduce a morning departure from Johannesburg. 

Adnan Kazim, Emirates Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer said, “South Africa has long been a highly popular destination for both leisure and business travellers connecting to and through Dubai, and the fourth daily flight enables us to better serve the growing demand for travel to and from the market. We’d like to extend our thanks to the South African authorities for their partnership and support in securing this new service, which reinstates the capacity we offered South Africa pre-pandemic, with 49 weekly flights, across three gateways. As we reflect on nearly three decades of operations to the market, we remain committed to driving inbound travel to South Africa, supporting the government as they aim make tourism the leading economic contributor and vehicle for transformation, as well as encouraging more inwards investment to the country.” 

Boeing offer striking workers 30% pay rise by bypass union

U.S. planemaker Boeing has offered its striking workforce a pay rise of 30% over four years and offers to reinstate some perks including a performance bonus and better retirement benefits.

The deal is time-critical and has to be accepted by the workers before the midnight Pacific time deadline on Friday 27 September. If the 30,000 workers accept the offer the manufacturer will give them a one-time signing bonus of $6000.

However, Boeing hopes that a divide and conquer approach will win the day as the company has bypassed the union representing thousands of the striking workers.  The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) confirmed the offer was not negotiated with them and that "it was thrown at us without any discussion". The company sent the offer directly to union members and not the union itself.  Boeing also informed the media of the offer before the union.

According to some at the firm, Boeing has been trying to deunionize its plants for several years, often with underhand methods such as trying to besmirch union representatives' characters. 

The union says Boeings self-proclaimed "best and final offer" will not be put to its members before the company's deadline. 

East Midlands Airport up for two national awards.......

East Midlands Airport (EMA) is in line to be declared the UK’s best airport in two national awards, as well as being recognised for being a good neighbour to surrounding communities.

The National Transport Awards and the Travel Industry Awards by TTG have both shortlisted EMA in their Airport of the Year categories. EMA is also a finalist in the Positive Impact category of the Travel Industry Awards.

The Airport of the Year shortlisting recognises EMA’s focus on providing effortless travel for its passengers and seamless trade through its unrivalled cargo operation. Internationally-recognised Airport Service Quality rankings earlier this year placed EMA second in the UK for overall experience and 13th among 119 participating European airports for how people feel about their experience.

Over the past year, the airport has launched a £120m investment programme including improvements to customer facilities and security arrangements, as well as upgrading its Air Traffic Control equipment, runway and taxiways.

Construction of new departures terminal at Vilnius Airport completed as Lithuanian Airports Present Operational Strategy Through 2028

Lithuanian Airports present operational strategy through 2028

On 23 September, the updated operational strategy of Lithuanian Airports (LTOU) up to 2028 was officially presented, along with which the airports' representatives also announced the completion of the construction of the new departure terminal at Vilnius Airport, with the remaining works to be carried out on the installation and testing of the equipment inside the terminal before its opening in February 2025.

"The coming years will be crucial for the development of the infrastructure of Lithuanian airports to increase passenger handling capacity and to reach a whole new level of service quality. Vilnius Airport will be the first to demonstrate this qualitative leap, with its new departure terminal soon to not only handle double the number of passengers but also provide a completely new level of travel experience thanks to state-of-the-art technology. We are therefore consistently pursuing our goal of raising the standard of Lithuanian airports to the next level so that travelling through the new gateway will be as comfortable as possible," said Minister of Transport and Communications Marius Skuodis.

Strategy focuses on partnerships and contribution to the country's economic growth

The new LTOU operational strategy is based on two key objectives - promoting the development of sustainable partnerships and the contribution of the airport ecosystem to the Lithuanian economy.

"For our aviation, commercial and institutional partners, we aim to create an environment that enables consistent, sustainable growth. Much of the change we seek over the four-year period will be related to the planned expansion of airport infrastructure. We want these investments to have a direct impact both on improving the passenger experience and the overall ability to serve more passengers, and to provide a platform for businesses to expand their operations at our three international airports. In the coming years, we will see that the airport space is changing dramatically, and in this process our focus will be on the highest quality bar, which we want to achieve together with our partners," commented Simonas Bartkus, Head of the LIA, on the strategy's ambitions. 

Among the strategically important areas of LTOU's activities are not only infrastructure development, but also improving the quality of air transport, refining a balanced business model, improving passenger experience, managing potential business risks and ensuring sustainability in operations.

According to the CEO of LTOU, the next few years will be focused on digital transformation, which will encompass the passenger experience, more efficient management of the organization, and many other processes that almost all passengers at the airport come into contact with. 

"A significant proportion of processes at airports are already increasingly digitalized and automated, and this proportion will only increase in the coming period. From the automation of baggage systems, self-service options, flow management to aviation security screening or the ordering and management of ancillary services, we are planning major changes in many areas that will allow us to accumulate new competencies, which is why we see this ambition as one of the important connecting denominators," says Bartkus. 

LTOU representatives emphasize that in order to achieve the goals set out in the new strategy, it will be necessary to create and maintain a modern system of staff competency development, invest in maintaining the values and culture of the organization. 

Construction work on the departure terminal completed 

NASA astronaut Tracy C. Dyson, crewmates return from Space Station

NASA astronaut Tracy C. Dyson completed a six-month research mission aboard the International Space Station on Monday, returning to Earth with Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub.

The trio departed the space station aboard the Soyuz MS-25 spacecraft at 4:36 a.m. EDT Monday, Sept. 23, making a safe, parachute-assisted landing at 7:59 a.m. (4:59 p.m. Kazakhstan time), southeast of the remote town of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan.

While aboard the orbiting laboratory, Dyson conducted multiple scientific and technology activities including the operation of a 3D bioprinter to print cardiac tissue samples, which could advance technology for creating replacement organs and tissues for transplants on Earth. Dyson also participated in the crystallization of model proteins to evaluate the performance of hardware that could be used for pharmaceutical production and ran a program that used student-designed software to control the station’s free-flying robots, inspiring the next generation of innovators.