Airlines News Page 76
Emirates introduces Premium Economy to Bangkok on newly retrofitted A380
Emirates has unveiled its highly acclaimed Premium Economy Cabin on flights EK376/377 between Dubai and Bangkok, operated by its newly retrofitted A380 aircraft. The latest product introduction reaffirms the airline’s ongoing investment to elevating travel experiences for customers travelling to and from Thailand and beyond. With the deployment of Emirates’ newly retrofitted A380 to Bangkok, the airline extends its Premium Economy experience to over 70 cities globally. Located at the front of the main deck, with 56 seats laid out in a 2-4-2 configuration, the Premium Economy cabin is designed to bridge the gap between Economy and Business Class.
World Aviation Festival 2025 – Day 3 highlights
Day 3 of World Aviation Festival 2025 in Lisbon placed airports and passenger experience firmly in the spotlight, with global leaders exploring how infrastructure, technology and customer centric innovation will shape the future of air travel. Growth and transformation in Saudi Arabia In a fireside chat, Steven Greenway, CEO of Saudi Arabia’s low-cost carrier flyadeal, outlined the airline’s rapid growth trajectory. Founded in 2017 and now operating 42 aircraft, flyadeal expects capacity to grow by 42% next year as new aircraft join the fleet.
Emirates empowers customers with accessibility requirements through suite of new services
Empowering customers to fly with confidence, Emirates has unveiled a suite of new services and products for people with disabilities at the 7th edition of AccessAbilities Expo in Dubai World Trade Centre. Emirates’ latest services and enhanced offerings include a new Accessible & Inclusive Travel Hub available on emirates.com for global customers – providing a wealth of information for travellers with varying accessibility requirements and enabling them to plan their journey by specific need. Emirates also revealed new onboard sensory products and fidget toys for children and adults, and an array of process enhancements across the inflight experience, as well as improved on-ground features in its hub of Dubai, and several innovative and future-focused ideas that are currently in development
Etihad Airways Expands Network With New flights to Kabul, Connecting Abu Dhabi with Afghanistan
Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, is further expanding its regional network with the launch of flights to Kabul, Afghanistan, starting 18 December 2025. The new service responds to growing demand for travel between the UAE and Afghanistan, providing direct access between Abu Dhabi and Kabul while offering seamless onward connections to key markets across the GCC, Europe, Australia and North America.
British Airways showcases the future of its lounges with brand-new openings in Miami and Dubai
British Airways is proudly celebrating the launch of its new lounge design concept with the opening of two new lounges on its global network, marking a significant step change in the airline’s premium offering. Working in partnership with global architecture and design firm Gensler, these openings debut the flag carrier’s new design concept that will serve as the vision for future lounge developments. Calum Laming, British Airways’ Chief Customer Officer, said: “We’re thrilled to be unveiling our new design concept with new lounges in both Miami and Dubai. These unique spaces have been created with our customers in mind and are the next step in our extensive lounge transformation plan. Whether they’re looking to relax, dine, work or enjoy a drink at the fully staffed bar, there’s something for everyone.
Portugal Stopover grows 74 percent in the first half of the year
From January to June 2025, more than 193,000 TAP Air Portugal customers added the Portugal Stopover to their travel options, reflecting a 74% increase over the same period last year. This means that during this period, 5% of tickets issued by TAP worldwide included the Portugal Stopover option.
Riyadh Air Announces Inaugural London Flights & Groundbreaking Sfeer Loyalty Program
Riyadh Air, Saudi Arabia’s new national carrier, today reveals two significant milestones as it announces a landmark on its journey towards its 2025 debut: the commencement of its first daily flights to London Heathrow Airport (LHR) on October 26th. Riyadh Air is also proud to unveil Sfeer, its groundbreaking loyalty offering, which will provide exclusive benefits to its early Founding Members through “The Founders”.
oneworld Innovation Summit showcases airlines and innovators powering the future of flight
oneworld® hosted its first-ever Innovation Summit on Monday as a precursor to the World Aviation Festival in Lisbon. The event connected digital, customer experience and sustainability leaders from across the alliance with innovators, industry partners, start-ups and scale-ups for a deep dive into new technologies that are being both successfully deployed and considered for future implementation.
Etihad Airways Lands in Ethiopia with New Daily Flights Connecting Abu Dhabi to Addis Ababa
Etihad Airways has launched new daily flights between Abu Dhabi and Addis Ababa, strengthening links between the UAE and Ethiopia while enhancing onward connectivity across Africa. The service marks Etihad’s debut into Ethiopia, reinforcing Abu Dhabi’s position as one of the world’s fastest-growing aviation hubs. The launch also coincides with the formal activation of Etihad’s landmark Joint Venture with Ethiopian Airlines, announced earlier this year, which enhances collaboration between the two flag carriers and expands seamless travel options between Africa, the Middle East and Asia. Under the new Joint Venture, Etihad and Ethiopian Airlines will coordinate schedules and jointly develop routes, offering guests more choice and convenience while strengthening trade, tourism and cultural links between both regions. The agreement also paves the way for broader cooperation in areas including loyalty programmes, training and cargo, underscoring the airlines’ shared commitment to deliver a smoother, more connected travel experience for guests.
World Aviation Festival 2025 – Day 2 highlights
Day 2 of the World Aviation Festival 2025 in Lisbon brought together some of the most influential voices in global aviation, with government leaders, airline CEOs, and industry innovators addressing the sector’s defining challenges – resilience in a geopolitical world of uncertainty, the urgent need for decarbonisation, and the transformative potential of technology. Over 4,500 global leaders are attending the festival at the Feira Internacional de Lisboa, with more than 600 speakers and 400 travel tech companies showcasing the latest developments in aviation.
InterLnkd and Viasat to offer targeted onboard shopping to airline passengers
InterLnkd has partnered with Viasat to offer the provider’s airline customers access to AirMall – the first full-scale digital inflight shopping mall – giving carriers a new way to monetise their onboard Wi‑Fi investment. Viasat is a global leader in satellite communications providing inflight broadband connectivity to more than 60 airlines worldwide. Announced at the World Aviation Festival in Lisbon, the agreement will see AirMall available on Viasat’s Connected Partner Platform, which hosts curated applications, allowing Viasat airline customers to opt in to a global retail channel that connects travellers to more than 20,000 brands in the air.
Daily non-stop flights between Hong Kong and Changsha mark Cathay’s continued network growth
The Cathay Group has announced the launch of daily non-stop flights between Hong Kong and Changsha, beginning November 4, 2025. The new service marks the airline group’s fifth Chinese Mainland destination added this year, expanding its network in the region to 24 cities.