Air France is proud to celebrate 80 years of operations between Manchester Airport and Paris, marking eight decades of connectivity between the Northwest of England and France. Air France’s first flight to Manchester took place on 16 June 1946, when a Dakota aircraft F-BADX arrived from Paris Le Bourget Airport. The historic service dropped off one passenger that day and picked up a VIP party of 18 for the return journey. Shortly afterwards, Air France began operating the route three times weekly.

Following the successful completion of its inaugural flights to London and Jeddah, Riyadh Air, Saudi Arabia’s new national carrier, has now also officially joined the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Celebrated at the 82nd IATA World Air Transport Summit in Rio de Janeiro, the historic milestone integrates the airline into the global aviation ecosystem and accelerates Riyadh Air’s operational readiness and cements its commitment to world-class safety, efficiency, and industry collaboration.

Jumeirah, a global leader in luxury hospitality and a member of Dubai Holding, marked World Sea Turtle Day with the release of 23 rehabilitated sea turtles into the Arabian Gulf. Among them was Foxy, a green turtle fitted with a satellite tracker through the Dubai Turtle Rehabilitation Project (DTRP), allowing her journey to be monitored following release. With her release, the programme has now returned more than 100 satellite-tracked turtles to the wild. Foxy was rescued by a fisherman off the coast of Ras Al Khaimah in January 2025 after losing a front flipper. By chance, DTRP Ambassador Sheikh Fahim Al Qasimi was in Ras Al Khaimah at the time and drove the turtle back to Dubai for treatment and rehabilitation. Following more than a year of specialist care, Foxy has made a remarkable recovery, demonstrating strong swimming ability despite her injury.

Sunway Hospitality Group, Malaysia’s leading hospitality company, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Tourism Malaysia that will support the Visit Malaysia Year 2026-27 campaign and position this vibrant Southeast Asian nation as a destination-of-choice for international travel and tourism.

Meili, the leading technology platform enabling direct ancillary distribution, has announced a strategic partnership with LATAM Airlines, the largest airline group in Latin America. The partnership marks a key milestone in Meili’s expansion across Latin America, strengthening its presence in one of the world’s fastest-growing travel markets. LATAM Airlines has selected Meili to enhance its car rental offering across all digital touchpoints. The partnership empowers car rental providers to distribute directly within LATAM’s ecosystem, eliminating third-party redirects and enabling greater control over customer experience, performance, and loyalty integration.

The presence of the Prime Minister, the Mayor of London and HRH The Prince of Wales at London Tech Week last week highlights the growing importance of the UK’s events and exhibition industry and reinforces London’s position as a global destination for innovation, business and international collaboration, according to Olympia Events’ CEO Andy O’Sullivan. Speaking as Olympia enters the next phase of its £1.3 billion transformation, O’Sullivan said the high-profile attendance reflects the growing recognition of the role events and exhibitions play in driving economic growth, attracting international investment and showcasing British expertise on the world stage.