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 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.

easyJet, one of Europe’s largest airlines, has agreed to acquire the Adria Tehnika maintenance facility based in Slovenia. The five-bay aircraft maintenance facility in Brnik has undertaken heavy maintenance for the easyJet fleet of aircraft for several years and the airline plans to invest in the facility over the long term

Qantas has welcomed its tenth and final A380 back to Sydney today after nearly six years in storage, marking the largest maintenance check in airline’s 105-year history. The return of the aircraft, named after one of the Qantas founders, ‘Paul McGinness’ will serve as an operational spare during the Christmas period and from 1 January 2026 will boost international capacity by allowing daily A380 flying on the airline’s Sydney – Dallas route.

flydubai, the Dubai-based carrier, has officially signed the Buckingham Palace Declaration to join United for Wildlife’s global taskforces. Founded by Prince William and The Royal Foundation, the initiative aims to tackle illegal wildlife trade and protect endangered species worldwide by disrupting trafficking routes and strengthening supply chain security.

Velassaru Maldives has officially opened Sora, a new overwater Japanese restaurant designed to enhance the resort’s culinary offering with a dedicated teppanyaki counter, robata grill and sushi and sashimi bar. Suspended above the lagoon and built with clean, minimalist lines, Sora takes its name from the Japanese word for “sky” and offers diners uninterrupted ocean views from both the indoor open-plan dining area and the outdoor deck. At the heart of the restaurant’s open-plan design lies the black-marble teppanyaki counter where guests can watch chefs preparing dishes to order. To one side sits a robata grill that adds a smoky depth to the menu, while the opposite counter houses a sushi and sashimi station. The interior design incorporates natural elements such as a thatched roof, rattan-strip ceilings and stone-patterned floors, paired with blonde wood furniture and folding doors that open to let in refreshing sea breezes, views of bright blue skies and colourful Maldivian sunsets.