Airline News Page 66
Melbourne transforms bag drop with Amadeus seamless solution
Passengers at Melbourne Airport will benefit from a unique side-loading design that makes it easier to load bags and manoeuvre large items like wheelchairs, pushchairs and trollies
VIRGIN ATLANTIC LAUNCHES THE FUTURE OF TRAVEL PLANNING: YOUR PERSONAL CONCIERGE IS HERE
Virgin Atlantic has today unveiled the full rollout of its innovative Virgin Atlantic Concierge across both the Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Atlantic Holidays websites, giving every guest access to an intelligent, always-on travel companion that redefines how journeys are planned and booked. Powered by OpenAI and built in partnership with Tomoro teams, Virgin Atlantic’s digital Concierge combines the warmth and personality of Virgin Atlantic with cutting-edge AI technology. Whether guests are seeking the perfect getaway, exploring Virgin Atlantic Holidays, or booking their next flight, the Concierge listens, understands, and curates tailored recommendations in real time, offering a seamless way to plan, book, and dream about future travels through natural conversation. Guests can choose to tap, type or talk, enjoying effortless interaction however they prefer.
Qatar Airways Group Appoints Mr. Hamad Ali Al-Khater as Group Chief Executive Officer
Qatar Airways Group today announced the appointment of Mr. Hamad Ali Al‑Khater as Group Chief Executive Officer, effective Sunday, 7 December 2025. Mr. Al‑Khater succeeds Engr. Badr Mohammed Al‑Meer.
flynas Celebrates Launching Its First Direct Flight Between Madinah and Baghdad
flynas, the leading low-cost airline in the world and the best LCC in the Middle East, celebrated today launching its first direct flight between Madinah and Baghdad, adding one more route to its flight network connecting the two brotherly countries, in line with flynas growth and expansion plan and in parallel with the national goals in the aviation sector
Star Alliance Named World’s Leading Airline Alliance Once Again
Star Alliance has once again been recognised as the World’s Leading Airline Alliance at the World Travel Awards 2025, continuing its six-year winning streak. This year’s recognition reflects the Alliance's continued focus on shaping a more seamless experience across the customer journey — from booking and airport to connections and loyalty. The honour was announced at the Grand Final Gala Ceremony, held in Bahrain. Commenting on the achievement, Star Alliance CEO Theo Panagiotoulias said, “We are truly honoured to be named the World’s Leading Airline Alliance once again, especially knowing it reflects the trust of travellers and industry peers. Our focus has always been on making customer journeys feel effortless, and our lounges bring the experience to life. This recognition belongs to the teams across member airlines and the Alliance headquarters who make that possible every day, and we’re deeply grateful to our customers for their continued support.“
Etihad Guest Rewards 10 Extraordinary Challenge Winners at the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Grand Prix
Etihad Guest, the loyalty programme of Etihad Airways, celebrated the winners of The Extraordinary Challenge during a special ceremony held at the Etihad Guest Terrace during the Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix over the weekend. Recognising and rewarding 10 extraordinary guests as the first to fly to complete the challenge and announcing the top three winners to become Miles-millionaires. Launched in May of this year, The Extraordinary Challenge dared Etihad Guest members to visit 15 of the year-round new destinations the airline had announced at the time. Since the launch of the competition Etihad continues its strategic and rapid expansion having announced 31 new route launches to date, including Palma de Mallorca, Salalah and Krakow to begin operating from next year.
Emirates Unwraps Christmas Magic at 40,000 Feet
This December, Emirates is sprinkling seasonal magic across every customer’s journey, inviting passengers to embrace the warmth, wonder, and whimsy of Christmas from departure to destination. As the airline prepares for more than 2.3 million departures and 2.5 million arrivals in the coming weekends, those flying with Emirates can expect generous touches of festive flair, from winter-inspired menus in global lounges to treasured traditions served at 40,000 feet. Classic Christmas cuisine above the clouds
Etihad Airways and Condor announce strategic partnership and new Abu Dhabi routes
Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, and the German carrier Condor announced a strategic partnership alongside the launch of new daily flights connecting Frankfurt and Berlin to Abu Dhabi starting Summer 2026 and an extensive codeshare agreement. From 1 May 2026, Condor will operate daily services between Frankfurt and Abu Dhabi using its Airbus A330 aircraft, followed by the launch of daily Berlin-Abu Dhabi flights from 15 June 2026 operated by Airbus A320 aircraft. The new services will significantly broaden direct access to Abu Dhabi for German travellers, with seamless onward connections to Etihad's extensive network across the Middle East, Asia, Africa and Australia.
Riyadh Air and IBM Partner to Launch World's First AI-Native Airline
At IBM Think Riyadh 2025, IBM and Riyadh Air announced a major milestone in their collaboration, unveiling Riyadh Air as the world's first AI-native airline. Designed from the ground up without legacy patch work, these AI-driven operations provide the foundation to transform guest and employee experiences and set a new benchmark for innovation in the aviation industry.
World Travel Awards honours global innovators in the Kingdom of Bahrain
Tourism royalty from across the globe convened in the Kingdom of Bahrain for the World Travel Awards (WTA) Grand Final Gala Ceremony 2025 to recognise the travel organisations pushing the boundaries of excellence and innovation.
Jet2 announces the launch of flights and holidays to Egypt
Jet2 has revealed more exciting news for customers today, by announcing the launch of flights and holidays to Egypt, as well as a special offer on holidays to celebrate the arrival of the new destination. From February 2027, the award-winning tour operator and airline will operate year-round to two hugely popular sunshine destinations in Egypt – Hurghada and Sharm-El-Sheikh – a move that will be warmly welcomed by holidaymakers.
SAS launches SAS Holidays – a brand-new all-in-one travel product
SAS expands its offering with the launch of SAS Holidays. The new concept reflects the rising demand for integrated leisure travel solutions, giving customers the possibility to arrange their entire journey in one place. By combining flights with accommodation, transfers and tailored extras, SAS strengthens its position in the growing holiday market. With SAS Holidays, the entire trip can now be managed in one place, reflecting SAS’ ambition to expand its offering in the leisure market. The product will be actively marketed going forward, with the campaign line “There’s holidays. And there’s SAS Holidays.” playing a central role.