Etihad Airways has commenced flights from Abu Dhabi to Medina this week, further expanding the airline’s strong footprint in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and enhancing travel options for guests across religious, business and leisure segments. The resumed direct service connects Abu Dhabi with Medina, one of the most spiritually significant cities in the world and a key destination for visitors performing religious travel throughout the year. The route will support growing demand from pilgrims and travellers across the world seeking seamless connections to the Kingdom’s holy city. Medina becomes the latest addition to Etihad’s operations in the Kingdom, reinforcing the UAE’s national carrier as a major facilitator of travel to and from Saudi Arabia. With the launch of flights to Medina, Etihad will operate 93 flights per week to five cities across the Kingdom, flying four times per day to Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam, and three services per week to Al Qassim. This expansion is part of Etihad’s ambitious growth strategy, announcing 31 new destinations in a year.

AACO, SITA, and Amadeus have come together to explore how data and technology can bring greater accuracy and transparency to aviation’s sustainability efforts. The initiative represents a concrete step toward helping airlines and passengers make informed decisions based on the environmental impact of air travel, and building the trust needed to support meaningful climate action. Conscious of the criticality of the challenge, two of aviation’s leading technology providers are working together. The collaboration pairs SITA Eco Mission, which draws on real aircraft performance and operational data to deliver accurate emissions and fuel-burn calculations, with Amadeus Travel Impact Suite, which aggregates carbon emissions calculations from multiple recognized sources and standards. Together, they provide the ecosystem with detailed emissions information so that travelers can make more informed decisions. Their shared goal is to demonstrate how accurate data can support decision-making on sustainable travel and facilitate climate action, such as carbon offsetting.

Avianca announced its succession plan for the airline. Frederico Pedreira will step down from his role as Chief Executive Officer, effective February 28th, 2026, after five years with the company. To further strengthen the airline’s leadership structure and ensure a smooth transition, Avianca’s Board of Directors has approved the creation of a President position, to be filled by Gabriel Oliva concurrently with his COO role, effective immediately. Frederico will remain as CEO until February 28th to ensure full continuity and alignment across the organization.

Korean Air has launched a new Application Programming Interface (API)-based solution that enables direct integration between its cargo system and its customers’ in-house systems. This initiative is part of the airline’s response to rapid e-commerce growth and the increasing market demand for greater logistics transparency and efficiency. The new API solution allows for the real-time exchange of data. This integration enables customers to perform key tasks such as checking schedules, viewing rates, making reservations, and transmitting waybills directly from proprietary platforms without having to access a separate system.

easyJet has marked the 30th anniversary of its first ever flight from London Luton to Glasgow by operating the very same flight today, staffed entirely by pilots and cabin crew who also turn 30 this November. Bringing together past and present, the crew were joined by retired Captain Fred Rivett who operated the very first easyJet flight on 10 November 1995. Fred and his crew made history three decades ago, when EZY121 to Glasgow took off with 122 passengers. Now 30 years to the day, new research commissioned by the airline has revealed the lasting cultural impact affordable flying has had on the nation, and how the democratisation of air travel has transformed not just the way we travel but also shaped our lives at home.

The second edition of the film festival promoted by TAP Air Portugal on board its aircraft announced its winners yesterday, on World Cinema Day, at a ceremony held at the Centro de Arte Moderna Gulbenkian. The short films in competition were screened on TAP flights throughout October and voted on by passengers and an international jury that included Rui Tendinha, Sónia Balacó, Paul Visser, João Antero, and Elisabete Mendes.