Airlines

Budapest Airport has celebrated the launch of Wizz Air’s daily service to Istanbul, marking the Hungarian gateway’s first Turkish connection. The ultra-low-cost carrier will utilise its fleet of A321 Neos on the 1,017 km sector, providing an additional 1,195 one-way weekly seats to the transcontinental country. Balázs Bogáts, Airline Development Director at Budapest Airport, said that Turkey is the airport’s fifth largest country market and that the new route, which will be joined by the carrier’s connection to Antalya later in the season, will offer more than 50 weekly flights to four popular destinations in the large peninsula. “As a...

A 24-year-old woman was arrested for smoking in the lavatory of a Kolkata-Bengaluru Indigo flight on 5 March, according to media reports. The woman was caught after the cabin crew forced open the door and found her smoking. She was reported to airport security, arrested and charged under Section 336 of the IPC (act of rashly and negligently endangering human life or the personal safety of others). Another passenger, identified as Anil Meena, was arrested on 6 March for smoking inside the lavatory of an Air India Kolkata-Delhi flight. The alarm alerted the flight crew who reported the incident to...

The 30th annual Boston Red Sox Celebrity Classic in Fort Myers, Florida raised a total of $325,000 for the Golisano Children's Hospital of Southwest Florida. The event, which took place on January 26th, brought together Red Sox players, coaches, and alumni for a day of golf and other activities. Fans were able to purchase tickets to the event, with proceeds going to the hospital. In addition, there was a silent auction featuring sports memorabilia and other items. The event has raised over $11 million for the hospital over the past 30 years. Read further.

Virgin Atlantic has signed a codeshare agreement with fellow SkyTeam member Korean Air, aimed at boosting the British airline's network in the Asia-Pacific region. Initially covering flights between the UK and South Korea, the partnership will be expanded from May 2023, with customers able to book connecting flights to other locations across South East Asia and Australasia, and then to Fukuoka, Hong Kong, Kansai, Nagoya, Okinawa, Tokyo Haneda and Tokyo Narita from June. The move is part of Virgin Atlantic's wider plans to expand its presence in the Asia-Pacific region. Read further.

AirAsia India and Vistara are among the Indian airlines that are struggling due to the pandemic. AirAsia India has announced that Summer 2023 would be its last scheduling season, and Vistara is also facing significant losses. AirAsia India's decision to end operations in Summer 2023 comes after the airline failed to attract enough customers during the pandemic. AirAsia India's CEO, Sunil Bhaskaran, said that the airline could not sustain its operations due to the country's regulatory environment and high taxes on aviation fuel. AirAsia India started operations in June 2014 as a joint venture between AirAsia Berhad and Tata Sons....

Air Canada Cargo has announced that it will begin operations for its Boeing 767 freighter to Liege, Belgium, which will connect the European destination to Toronto and the carrier's global network. The service will operate twice a week initially, and the service frequency will increase to three flights per week later in the year. The flights will originate in Toronto and have a stop in Halifax. Air Canada has described the move as strengthening the Air Canada Cargo network as they continue their efforts to expand and to offer customers reliable, year-round service. Managing Director, Commercial at Air Canada Cargo,...

Qatar Airways has extended the rolling status extensions for its Privilege Club until 31 December, 2023. The airline has confirmed that the ‘status surprise’ will be applied automatically, and even customers who did not earn sufficient Qpoints to warrant an extension will see their status maintained until the end of 2023. The extension applies to those who participated in the status match promotion last year as well. Privilege Club status also grants users access to Qantas first class lounges and other Oneworld alliance perks. This marks the fifth extension granted by Qatar Airways since the pandemic began. Read further.

Indian airline Vistara, a joint venture of Tata group and Singapore Airlines, announced the addition of a new long-haul route between Mumbai and London. The direct flights, operated five times a week, will commence on 1 June 2023 using brand-new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner featuring a three-class configuration. This addition reflects Vistara's rapid expansion into the international network, especially in Europe after it connected Frankfurt, Paris and London with Delhi. The airline encourages customers to fully understand visa and entry requirements before making their bookings. Introductory all-inclusive round-trip fares start from INR 57,799 from Mumbai to London in economy class, INR 1,02,199 in premium economy and...

World's largest airline groups by available seat kilometres (ASKs) in Mar-2023 have been highlighted by CAPA using data based on OAG flight schedules and its CAPA Fleet database. The US airlines Delta Air Lines, United Airlines Holdings, and American Airlines Group continue to dominate the metric, followed by Emirates Group and International Airlines Group. Air France-KLM, Southwest Airlines, and China Southern Air Holding Company also rise above Deutsche Lufthansa, while Turkish Airlines Group rises in the ranking. Ryanair Holdings, easyJet, and Air India Limited report a rise in ASKs, while Wizz Air Group records a +75.2% rise. Cathay Pacific Group,...