Airlines News Page 54
Southwest Airlines and Turkish Airlines to Partner in Transatlantic Travel Beginning in January 2026
Southwest Airlines announced today a partnership with Turkish Airlines is scheduled to begin in early 2026 to offer travelers around the globe one-ticket, transatlantic journeys between the United States and Istanbul unlocking onward connections across both carriers’ networks. Turkish Airlines flies to more than 350 destinations in 132 countries from its global hub, Istanbul Airport, including ten airports in the United States served by Southwest. International travelers will be able to seamlessly connect through those shared gateway airports on tickets that will become available next year through Turkish Airlines, travel agents, and travel websites.
Ethiopian Airlines Partners with Nucore Technologies to Advance Digital Transformation
Ethiopian Airlines Group, Africa’s leading airline, signed a strategic agreement with Nucore Technologies, a company that specialized in providing software solutions for advanced back-office automation, integration, reporting and analytics capabilities to travel agencies, OTAs, aggregators, and corporate customers.
American leads Eastern Caribbean recovery with interisland flights and another nearly 2,000 seats
American Airlines continues its support of customers affected by the FAA-mandated airspace closure in the Eastern Caribbean with more flights, more seats and limited-time interisland flying. The airline has added nearly 2,000 more seats — a total of nearly 7,000 seats with 43 extra flights — to boost capacity and expand access for customers who need to travel between the Eastern Caribbean and U.S.
Lufthansa turns 100!
In 2026, Lufthansa marks a major milestone: on January 6, 1926, 100 years ago, the first “Luft Hansa” was founded, and by April 6 of the same year, it had its maiden flight. This anniversary is not only a reflection on the history of one of aviation’s most iconic brands but also a significant step into the future. It honors the pioneering spirit, innovation, and connection of people, cultures, and economies that Lufthansa has shaped for a century.
IndiGo Reflects on a Year of Progress and Learnings; Looking Ahead to the Next Chapter
IndiGo, India’s preferred airline, concludes 2025 as a landmark year in its journey towards becoming a truly global carrier. The year saw accelerated network expansion, the launch of long-haul service, consistent passenger growth, international recognition and important operational learnings for IndiGo. The airline aims to focus on building on the momentum and continuing its growth path as it enters the new year. Guided by IndiGo’s customer promises of on-time performance, courteous and hassle-free service, affordable fares, unparalleled network, and unwavering commitment to safety, the airline expects to close the calendar year 2025 by welcoming over 123mn customers, an addition of over 10mn compared to 113 million customers in calendar year 2024, reinforcing its position in the Top 10 global airlines.
Air New Zealand connects nearly 16 million people across Aotearoa and around the world in 2025
Over the last 12 months, the airline has carried nearly 16 million passengers across its domestic and international network – helping connect New Zealanders with each other and the world and welcoming nearly one million visitors to our shores. Air New Zealand Chief Corporate Affairs and Sustainability Officer Kiri Hannifin says the airline’s 11,500 team members take great pride and responsibility in the role they play connecting people with one another.
Aeromexico Repeats as Most On-Time Global Airline
Aeromexico maintained a 90.02% on-time performance to claim the world’s most on-time global airline title for the second consecutive year, according to Cirium’s 2025 On-Time Performance Review released today. The Mexican carrier becomes only the second airline to achieve consecutive global wins since Cirium launched the program in 2009, operating 188,859 flights across 23 countries while maintaining industry-leading schedule reliability.
RYANAIR REVEALS TOP 5 DESTINATIONS FOR 2026
As the year closes, a new year begins – which means it’s time to start planning your 2026 getaways. To help inspire your New Year travel plans, Ryanair, Europe’s No.1 airline, today (Wed, 31 Dec) revealed the top 5 destinations across its industry-leading network of over 235 destinations that passengers are flocking to in 2026:
JetBlue Set to Launch New Nonstop Service Between New York and Cleveland
JetBlue has announced plans to launch new daily nonstop service between New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE), expanding travel options for customers in Northeast Ohio with access to JetBlue’s New York focus city. The new route begins March 30, 2026, with tickets on sale today.
CALC orders 30 additional Airbus A320neo Family aircraft
China Aircraft Leasing Group Holdings Limited (CALC) has signed a firm order with Airbus for 30 A320neo Family aircraft to satisfy strong demand for the aircraft from its customer base. The agreement is the fifth order with Airbus, bringing the total number of Airbus aircraft ordered by CALC to 282, of which 203 are A320neo Family aircraft.
American takes Chicago expansion up a notch with 100 new daily departures this spring
American Airlines is taking its ongoing expansion in Chicago to the next level with 100 new daily departures from O’Hare International Airport (ORD) — bolstering its schedule with additional flights to more than 75 popular destinations just in time for spring break. The airline’s largest ORD spring schedule on record enhances the strongest network in the U.S. and means more for American’s customers: more flights, more choices, more popular destinations and more opportunities to see the world. Additionally, the airline is expanding its summer seasonal service from ORD to two sought-after European destinations: Paris and Dublin. It’s the latest in American’s comprehensive expansion plan that has already enhanced the customer experience, improved operational reliability and deepened its century-long roots in the Chicago community.
Emirates flags busy week of travel from Jan 2 – Jan 5
Emirates is advising all customers of a significant travel peak in the first week of January, with high numbers of departures and arrivals expected from 2 – 5 Jan. Emirates strongly recommends that customers arrive to the airport 4 hours ahead of departure, preparing for the likelihood of additional traffic on the way to the airport, busier carparks, and a bustling airport.