Ethiopian Airlines Group, the largest network operating carrier in Africa, is pleased to announce that it will launch its new three-times-weekly direct passenger service to Port Louis, Mauritius, effective July 12, 2026. This new route to the idyllic island nation underscores Ethiopian Airlines’ strategic commitment to deepening continental integration while driving economic growth across Southeast Africa and beyond. By expanding regional connectivity, this service will elevate tourism, catalyze trade, and foster stronger people-to-people interactions, while creating an essential gateway that links regional markets to global networks.

As anticipation builds for the FIFA World Cup 26™, American Airlines is giving fans a new way to be part of the world’s biggest sporting event, from the streets of the Host Cities to 100 stories above New York City. This summer, American is launching its Spot the Bag campaign, a dynamic, on-the-ground experience that brings the excitement of the tournament directly to fans. The campaign is further brought to life through creative featuring former U.S. Men’s National Team goalkeeper Tim Howard, who helps kick off the journey of the campaign’s signature suitcase, representing fans traveling to the FIFA World Cup 26™.

In celebration of World Environment Day on 5 June, Emirates is highlighting the significant impact of its closed-loop recycling programme, first launched in June 2023. Over the past year, the airline has repurposed more than 88,000 kilograms of plastic from Economy Class inflight meal service items, transforming them into new products for use onboard.

As football’s governing bodies prepare for the largest FIFA World Cup in history, aviation executives gathering in Rio de Janeiro for the IATA Annual General Meeting find themselves confronting a similar question. The Americas have been handed home advantage. The United States, Mexico and Canada will host a tournament expected to attract millions of international visitors, while airlines across the hemisphere are adding capacity, opening routes and positioning themselves for a decade of growth. Yet as any football supporter knows, hosting the tournament does not guarantee lifting the trophy. Talent matters. Infrastructure matters. Execution matters even more.

When the airline industry’s leaders last gathered in Rio de Janeiro for an IATA Annual General Meeting in 1999, Latin American aviation occupied a very different place in the global system. At the time, the region accounted for just 4% of global air traffic and carried around 68 million passengers annually. Its airlines were largely domestic champions, operating fragmented networks with limited international reach. LAN and TAM, the two carriers that would eventually merge to create LATAM Airlines Group, operated separately, carrying a combined 12 million passengers with fleets totalling just over 100 aircraft.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released estimates showing that global Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) production is expected to reach around 2.4 million tonnes in 2026, representing just 0.8% of aviation fuel use, at a cost to airlines of $4.3 billion.