Ethiopian Airlines has received Best Airline in Africa 2026 APEX Passenger Choice Awards, a recognition that reflects the confidence and loyalty of passengers who continue to choose the airline across its global network. The award highlights Ethiopian Airlines’ steady focus on delivering a smooth, comfortable, and dependable travel experience, from the moment passengers book their flights to the time they reach their destinations. Consistently strong service, onboard comfort, and operational reliability have all played a role in meeting the changing expectations of today’s travelers.

The American Airlines team is doing everything we can to support Spirit Airlines customers and team members affected by Spirit's immediate wind-down of operations. We are in touch with the Administration, including the Department of Transportation, on steps we are taking to help mitigate the impact on the communities Spirit serves and the traveling public. To help customers whose travel may be disrupted, we immediately put rescue fares into place on Spirit routes where American also offers nonstop service. American serves 70 of the 72 airports Spirit presently serves, and 67 of the specific routes Spirit currently operates. We are also reviewing opportunities to add additional capacity — including utilizing larger aircraft and adding flights on critical routes — to support as many affected passengers as possible.

SriLankan Airlines led with two wins in the Airline Award category for South Asia, securing both Best Overall Passenger Experience and Most Improved Airline at the PAX International Readership Awards 2026 held recently in Hamburg, Germany. The awards celebrate the industry’s best and brightest, with winners determined by votes from PAX’s global readership. The Best Overall Passenger Experience – South Asia award recognises an airline that delivers an exceptional onboard experience to passengers across multiple service areas, including meal service, inflight entertainment and seating. At SriLankan Airlines, this entails meticulous planning at every stage of the passenger journey, supported by collaboration among multiple teams and continuous monitoring and refinement.

Qatar Airways continues to reinstate its network across the Middle East, announcing the return of passenger flights to Baghdad (BGW), Basra (BSR), and Erbil (EBL) in Iraq, starting on 10 May 2026. In parallel, Qatar Airways will reintroduce freighter services to Baghdad* from 7 May 2026, further supporting cargo flows.

Frontier Airlines today announced systemwide rescue fare discounts and is also offering a $199 GoWild All-You-Can-Fly Summer Pass to support travelers affected by Spirit Airlines' end of operations, helping customers maintain access to low fares. Frontier currently serves more than 100 routes previously flown by Spirit and will expand further this summer with nine additional routes, plus 15 additional daily flights across 18 former Spirit markets, giving customers more options to rebook their travel plans with confidence while keeping fares low.

Virgin Atlantic is launching the Virgin Atlantic Passport Challenge on Strava – a global fitness-meets-travel rewards challenge inviting participants to turn movement into premium travel experiences. Beginning Wednesday, May 6, Strava users who log the most miles during the challenge period will be entered to win 1 million Virgin Points. Points can be redeemed for future travel with Virgin Atlantic and across the broader Virgin Red ecosystem, including flights from the US to the UK, Virgin Hotels stays, sailings with Virgin Voyages and more.