Airline News Page 88
IHG Hotels & Resorts and Delta Business Traveler Partner to Expand Business Travel Benefits
As global business travel continues to recover, with spending projected to grow by 6.6 percent year over year in 2025 according to the Global Business Travel Association’s Business Travel Index Outlook, IHG Hotels & Resorts (IHG) is expanding its support for U.S. small-and-medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) through a new partnership with Delta Business Traveler. IHG’s long-standing SME travel program, IHG Business Edge, has been a trusted solution since its launch in 2018, now serving tens of thousands of enrolled business accounts globally. This new collaboration connects IHG Business Edge with the newly launched Delta Business Traveler (DBT) platform, reaching millions of eligible highly engaged SkyMiles Members.
Emirates welcomes its first retrofitted Boeing 777 in Africa
Following the advanced deployment of the retrofitted Boeing 777 aircraft to both Cape Town and Johannesburg last month, Emirates, the world’s largest international airline, hosted a guided tour of the fully refreshed aircraft. The airline showcased its next-generation cabins, featuring the latest sophisticated design and South Africa’s debut of the highly acclaimed Premium Economy Cabin. Johannesburg and Cape Town are the first destinations in Africa to be served by the retrofitted Emirates Boeing 777, demonstrating the airline’s steadfast commitment to South Africa.
Qatar Airways Becomes First Ever Presenting Partner of the Ballon d’Or ® Award Ceremony
Qatar Airways will make history this year as the first ever Presenting Partner of the world’s most prestigious award ceremony in football, Ballon d’Or®, reinforcing the airline’s deep commitment to global sport and excellence. The landmark 69th edition of the Ballon d’Or® will take place on 22 September 2025 at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, France.
INFORM Outlines Four Key Pillars for "Airport of the Future" at inter airport 2025
INFORM, a leading global provider of AI-based software for the optimization of business processes, will present their GroundStar Suite at GATE Booth B5-1360 in Hall B5 during the 2025 inter airport Europe exhibition in Munich, October 7-9. With the aviation industry at a crossroads, INFORM will share its vision for the "Airport of the Future" – a model that redefines the roles of airlines, airports, and ground handlers while placing the passenger at the center of every decision.
Etihad Airways adds the world’s oldest city, Damascus, to growing global network
Etihad Airways continues expanding its global network with the announcement of a key new destination in the Middle East, Damascus, Syria from June 2026. The new route reflects growing demand from travellers in the UAE and GCC to connect directly to Damascus. Etihad’s new airbridge with Damascus also provides travellers from Syria with direct access to the beautiful emirate of Abu Dhabi. Travellers benefit from access to Etihad’s expansive global network, with seamless connections through Zayed International Airport.
InterLnkd brings e-commerce to the sky with first inflight shopping mall
InterLnkd has introduced AirMall – the first solution to turn an airline’s inflight Wi-Fi into a full-scale digital shopping platform, connecting travellers to more than 20,000 brands in the air. Dynamic by design and deployable across an airline’s entire route network, AirMall gives carriers a way to offset the cost of inflight connectivity while delivering unparalleled choice in the cabin, with zero onboard stock or crew involvement.
Turkish Airlines Launches Flights to Seville, Its Sixth Destination in Spain
Turkish Airlines has added Seville, one of Spain’s most prominent tourism hubs, to its Southern Europe network, further strengthening its global connectivity. With this launch, Seville becomes the airline’s sixth destination in Spain after Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Malaga, and Bilbao.
High Expectations for 42nd ICAO Assembly
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has high expectations for the 42nd Assembly of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) (Montreal, 23 September-3 October 2025). ICAO has accepted 14 working papers authored by IATA covering a wide range of topics for the Assembly’s consideration.
IBS Software and Emirates Skywards Launch Strategic Partnership
IBS Software, a global leader in SaaS solutions for the travel industry, today announced the successful go-live of its cloud-native iLoyal platform with Emirates Skywards, the award-winning loyalty programme of Emirates and flydubai.
Emirates marks 15 Years of Operations to Senegal
Emirates, the world’s largest international airline, is celebrating 15 successful years of flying to Dakar, Senegal. Since the inaugural flight in 2010, Emirates has played a pivotal role in connecting passengers and trade from Senegal, with its vast global network, via Dubai. Emirates first began operations to Dakar in 2010, operating an Airbus A340-300 with five-weekly services. This marked the first scheduled air link between the UAE and Senegal, creating a seamless, fast and convenient service for travellers. Beyond connectivity into the Middle East, the new route significantly improved ease of travel between Senegal, China and other Asian markets, a boon for traders and the business community. Likewise, the route also enhanced the journey for thousands of pilgrims, travelling to the holy city of Mecca for Hajj and Umrah.
Turkish Airlines Launches Flights to Port Sudan
Connecting more destinations across Africa than any other global carrier, Turkish Airlines has launched flights to Port Sudan, increasing its number of destinations in Africa to 63. The national flag carrier will operate its Port Sudan flights as two weekly frequencies until 29 September, after which the service will increase to three weekly frequencies on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
Air Canada rolls out bag-tracking feature across Europe
Air Canada has rolled out its Bag Tracking feature to several destinations across the Atlantic, giving customers in Europe a stress-free journey when flying with the Canadian flag carrier. Passengers flying from London, Paris, Dublin and Edinburgh can now keep tabs on their luggage using the tracking feature in the Air Canada app. The feature is also available to customers travelling from Rome, Milan and Copenhagen.