Category Archives: Aviation

Malaysia Airlines is set to further expand its presence in South India by increasing frequencies to Trivandrum. Beginning 12 September 2025, the airline will introduce a fifth weekly service, with daily operations to commence from 1 December 2025. Tickets for the new frequencies will be available with immediate effect. This marks a significant step forward since the route’s launch in November 2023, which initially operated twice weekly before increasing to four times weekly in April 2024. The airline has also partnered with Kerala Tourism under ‘Look East’ initiative, launched in Trivandrum to strengthen travel ties between East Asia and Kerala. The increase in frequency reaffirms Malaysia Airlines’ commitment to the Indian market by offering travellers greater flexibility and convenience, while enhancing connectivity between India and Malaysia. Through its hub in Kuala Lumpur, the airline continues to strengthen its role as the gateway to Asia and beyond. Dersenish Aresandiran, Chief Commercial Officer, Airlines, Malaysia Aviation Group said, “India remains a key focus market for Malaysia Airlines, and this frequency increase reaffirms our dedication to meeting the growing demand for air travel from South India. With daily flights to Trivandrum, we are well-positioned to offer greater flexibility and convenience for both business and leisure travellers, while supporting trade and tourism flows between our two countries.” Malaysia Airlines currently operates 76 weekly flights across ten key cities in India including Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kochi, Ahmedabad, Amritsar, and Trivandrum. With the new additions, this number will increase to 77 weekly flights by December 2025. Passengers flying from India to Malaysia can also take advantage of Malaysia Airlines’ Bonus Side Trip (BST) programme, which offers a complimentary side trip to one of seven …

Focus on long-haul expansion, fleet renewal, and synergies with Lufthansa Group ITA Airways’ Board of Directors has approved today the Company’s 2026-2030 Business Plan. The plan is structured around three fundamental strategic pillars: Strengthening the competitive position: ITA Airways aims to establish itself as Italy’s reference carrier—efficient and innovative—offering high-quality connectivity in close collaboration with the key sectors of tourism and international trade. At the core of the Company’s strategy is delivering exceptional service to both business and leisure travellers, with a continuous focus on economic, social, and environmental sustainability through responsible resource management. Network and fleet development: The Plan focuses on expanding the long-haul segment and increasing intercontinental destinations from the Rome Fiumicino hub. Connectivity will also be enhanced through commercial agreements and strategic partnerships with other Airlines. Meanwhile, the fleet renewal process will continue, prioritising energy efficiency and reducing environmental impact, in line with the Company’s sustainability commitments and EU regulations—such as the elimination of ETS free allowances. By the end of the plan period, the fleet will be almost entirely made up of next-generation aircraft. Strengthening integration with the Lufthansa Group, the world’s fourth largest Airline group, as a strategic advantage to leverage significant operational, commercial, and technological synergies, boosting competitiveness, the access to new markets, and driving continuous innovation in passenger services. Below are the key development priorities outlined in the Business Plan. Network The 2026-2030 business plan places great emphasis on expanding and strengthening the network, particularly long-haul routes. ITA Airways plans to launch new routes connecting Rome Fiumicino with key destinations in North America, South America, Asia, and Africa, tapping into growing markets and meeting the needs of an increasingly global customer base. These …

IndiGo announced the extension of its codeshare agreement with KLM, the Netherlands’ carrier. The agreement will allow IndiGo to place its code on KLM-operated routes to 30 destinations across these regions, via Amsterdam.

Akasa Air has launched visa services in partnership with Udaan India, offering seamless end-to-end visa assistance for over 100 countries. Integrated into its website, the service is designed for both business and leisure travellers. As an introductory offer, the airline is providing a 20% discount on visa fees using code EVISA20 till 31 December.

Garuda Indonesia and Singapore Airlines (SIA) will strengthen their long-standing commercial cooperation in August 2025, with the launch of joint sales of fare products, additional codeshare destinations, and reciprocal lounge access. From August 2025, customers will be able to book flights operated by both airlines for services between Singapore and Indonesia within a single itinerary, offering greater convenience, and a wider range of fare options for travellers. The two carriers will also expand their codeshare arrangement in August 2025 to offer customers more travel options between Indonesia and Singapore, and beyond. Garuda Indonesia customers will gain access to four additional SIA destinations — Bengaluru, Kolkata, and Delhi in India, as well as Male in the Maldives. SIA customers will be able to connect to popular Garuda Indonesia flights from Denpasar to Labuan Bajo, as well as Jakarta to Labuan Bajo, Lombok, and Manado. Customers will continue to enjoy existing codeshare options on flights operated by both carriers between Singapore and Denpasar, Jakarta, and Surabaya in Indonesia, as well as SIA operated flights to London (Heathrow), the United Kingdom, and Mumbai, India. From mid-August 2025, members of GarudaMiles and KrisFlyer frequent flyer programmes will enjoy reciprocal lounge access when travelling between Singapore and Denpasar, Jakarta, and Surabaya. This covers the Garuda Executive, KrisFlyer Gold, and the Business Class SilverKris lounges in Singapore and those destinations. Members will also be able to earn and redeem miles on the new codeshare routes, under the frequent flyer partnership that was launched in February 2025. SIA increased its flight frequency between Singapore and Jakarta to nine daily services in May 2025, up from eight. Subject to regulatory approval and operational considerations, Garuda Indonesia will boost …

Group Concorde has been appointed as the General Sales Agent (GSA) for China Southern Airlines – Passenger Sales across India, effective from 1 August 2025. Group Concorde will represent and support China Southern Airlines’ passenger sales operations throughout the Indian market. This strategic partnership marks a significant milestone in strengthening China Southern’s presence in India and is a testament to Group Concorde’s proven track record and deep-rooted expertise in airline representation

As 13 new Boeing 737 MAX 8 is going to join LOT Polish Airlines fleet by the end of 2026, the airline is rejoicing the delievery of the first shipment of RECARO Aircraft Seating products, which will be installed on both its Boeing 737 MAX 8 and Airbus A220 aircraft. The initial set was manufactured at RECARO’s facility in Świebodzin and will be fitted into one of the thirteen Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft. In total, LOT will take delivery of about 14,000 modern, ergonomic seats – with passenger comfort as a top priority. The new seats are part of LOT Polish Airlines’ broader initiative to modernise its aircraft cabins. The interiors of the Boeing 737 MAX 8 fleet will be completely redesigned, drawing inspiration from LOT Polish Airlines’ Polonez business lounges in Warsaw and Chicago. The goal is to create a unified look across the entire fleet, aligning the new design with the cabin style of the Boeing 787 Dreamliners – which are also set for a comprehensive interior upgrade. This retrofit will take passenger comfort to an even higher level across all classes of service.

Poland’s national airline and Vienna Airport are commemorating a long-standing and dynamic partnership. On July 29, 1955, LOT Polish Airlines resumed flight operations to Vienna, inaugurating a period of uninterrupted service on the Warsaw–Vienna route that endures to this day. Yet the roots of LOT’s presence in the Austrian capital reach even deeper—its inaugural aircraft touched down in Vienna as early as 1929, operating both non-stop and direct services from Katowice. Over the decades, this route has played a pivotal role in the airline’s development, serving as the launchpad for major fleet milestones, including the first Embraer 170 and Boeing 787 Dreamliner landings at Vienna Airport. About three million passengers have taken advantage of this flight connection over the last 30 years alone, namely since 1994. Today the 70th anniversary of flight service linking Warsaw and Vienna was commemorated within the context of a photo session featuring Amit Ray (Director DACH Markets, Italy, Malta, India & Head of Global Corporate & Strategic Sales), Olaf Krauss (Sales Manager Austria & Corporate Sales Italy), both for LOT Polish Airlines and Julian Jäger (joint CEO and COO of Vienna Airport). Julian Jäger, joint CEO and COO of Vienna Airport states, “The Vienna–Warsaw connection has been a success story for 70 years. LOT Polish Airlines was one of the first international carriers at Vienna Airport and served as a gateway to Central and Eastern Europe. Today, this route is a key pillar of our network – strategically vital. Over the past three decades, three million passengers have flown this route, underscoring its unique blend of continuity and future potential”. Robert Ludera, Proxy and Director of Network Department at LOT Polish Airlines added, “Our connection …

SriLankan Airlines has been named the ‘Best Airline for South Asia’ at the recently held International Tourism Conclave and Travel Awards in Delhi, India, cementing its position at the pinnacle of the region’s aviation landscape. The award honours SriLankan’s expansive, next-level network connecting South Asia to the world, its signature Sri Lankan hospitality and the meaningful connections it fosters with travellers across the region, as recognised by a distinguished panel of judges and jury members. Dimuthu Tennakoon, Head, Commercial, SriLankan Airlines, said, “Receiving this award further validates our unwavering commitment to delivering an exceptional travel experience to our customers in South Asia. Our extensive connectivity across key markets, combined with our renowned service, make us the preferred choice for travellers in this part of the world. This recognition inspires us to continue pushing boundaries in our quest to enhance both the travel experience and our network, so we can serve our customers even better in the future.” With nearly 90 weekly flights linking India to Colombo and beyond, SriLankan Airlines offers multiple daily connections from key metro cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Bengaluru, along with strong connectivity from Tier two cities. The airline operates eight weekly flights from Tiruchirappalli, proudly holding the distinction of being the first international carrier to serve the city. SriLankan also connects Madurai with six weekly frequencies, while operating four weekly flights each from Hyderabad and Thiruvananthapuram. From the Kerala hub of Kochi, the airline offers daily services, reinforcing its role as a key enabler of India’s rapidly growing leisure travel market, both from metros and emerging urban centres. India is Sri Lanka’s single largest tourism source market, accounting for about one-fifth of the total …

Sabre’s global travel agency survey finds that 75% of them say the number of content connections has grown over the past three years and 80%+ believe that unified access through a single platform would reduce technology costs. At the same time, AI is seen as a powerful remedy, with 91% of agencies believing it can enhance both productivity and the customer experience. Yet, 41% remain concerned about AI’s long-term implications for the workforce, reinforcing the need for smart, responsible implementation.