Airlines News Page 60
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.
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.
Norwegian Group with 1.8 million passengers in November
In November, Norwegian had 1.5 million passengers, while Widerøe had 324,000 passengers, bringing the Group total to 1.84 million passengers. The November load factor of 85.5 percent was a record high for Norwegian. “We had a strong performance overall during November. The load factor for Norwegian is the highest we have ever recorded for this month, showing that the network and capacity adjustments we made for the winter season are making a positive impact. We are also pleased with an increase in the unit revenue in November for Norwegian, and that operational performance continues to be solid into the winter season,” said Geir Karlsen, CEO of Norwegian.
Delta to recognize 100,000 acts of kindness to celebrate 100 years of service
Every holiday season, Delta welcomes hundreds of thousands of customers to the skies who are eager to reconnect with loved ones or recharge on vacation. While holiday travel brings its own share of pressure, Delta is shifting the spotlight to the simple acts of humanity that make our journeys memorable. To celebrate 100 years of flight, Delta will highlight the simple acts of care that connect us all – the true reason for the season. For the winter holidays, the global airline is introducing Centennial Cheer, a program that will recognize 100,000 acts of kindness shared among Delta employees and customers.
Korean Air and Hanjin Group airlines to introduce in-flight Wi-Fi powered by Starlink fleetwide
Korean Air, alongside Asiana Airlines, Jin Air, Air Busan and Air Seoul, will introduce Starlink high-speed in-flight Wi-Fi to its entire fleet. This marks the first time a South Korean airline will adopt Starlink for in-flight connectivity, an initiative that aims to significantly elevate the passenger and crew experience ahead of the airlines’ full integration. Starlink, SpaceX’s low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite internet service, delivers peak broadband speeds of up to 500 Mbps, enabling passengers to enjoy seamless streaming, online gaming, video calls, cloud-based work, shopping and messaging. With Starlink, customers across all cabins will have access to fast, reliable in-flight Wi-Fi, allowing them to stay connected in the air as effortlessly as they would on the ground.
Maldivian Strengthens Regional Connectivity Through Strategic Partnership with Air India
Maldivian, the national airline of the Maldives, and Air India, India’s leading global airline, have entered into a bilateral agreement aimed at enhancing connectivity between the two countries and improving passenger movement across regional and domestic networks.
Turkish Airlines and South African Airways Sign Codeshare Agreement
Turkish Airlines, the national flag carrier of Türkiye, has signed a codeshare agreement with South African Airways, the national flag carrier of South Africa. The agreement, which will take effect on 1 March 2026, was signed in Geneva by Turkish Airlines Chairman of the Board and the Executive Committee Prof. Ahmet Bolat and South African Airways Prof. CEO John Lamola, with the participation of senior executives from both companies. Under this new agreement, Turkish Airlines will place its TK flight code on South African Airways flights operating across its key African gateways, including Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth, Windhoek, Harare, Victoria Falls and Mauritius. On its part, South African Airways will place its SA flight code on selected Turkish Airlines-operated flights between İstanbul and Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Frankfurt, Paris and London.
The Kingdom of Bahrain welcomes global travel leaders for World Travel Awards Grand Final 2025
The World Travel Awards Grand Final Gala Ceremony 2025, recognising the achievements of the world’s leading travel and tourism organisations, will take place in the Kingdom of Bahrain on 6 December. Hosted at the landmark Exhibition World Bahrain (EWB), the red carpet reception, organised in partnership with Official Host Destination Bahrain, will bring together travel and tourism leaders from across the world. The gala evening marks the climax of WTA’s Grand Tour 2025, a global search for the best travel and tourism organisations. Regional ceremonies were held earlier in Tanzania, Cancun (Mexico), Saint Lucia, Hong Kong, Sardinia (Italy) and Dubai. The Grand Final brings together these regional winners to compete for the prestigious World categories, the highest accolades in the annual WTA programme, spanning the entire industry, from hotels and resorts to airlines and tour operators.