Category Archives: Aviation

Turkish Airlines, the airline that flies to more countries than any other, has launched its longest flight with the addition of Sydney flights. The flag carrier landed on Sydney soil for the first time on 29th November, marking a monumental milestone as it expands to its second destination in Australia, reaching 351 destinations across six continents within its global network. Flight between Istanbul and Sydney will be operated with the airline’s new, modern fleet of Airbus A350-900 aircraft which is designed for long haul comfort with 32 flatbed seats in business class, and 297 recliners for economy travellers. Set to be operated four times a week via Kuala Lumpur, flights will take 19 hours with its 9,300-mile flight path. The new route will not only bolster the ties between Türkiye and Australia, driving growth in tourism, trade, and cultural exchange, but also provide Australian guests the flag carrier’s robust flight network, ensuring they can explore the world with the comfort and hospitality of Turkish Airlines. Following the launch of Turkish Airlines’ first flight from Melbourne in March this year, Sydney becomes the second Australian city added to flag carrier’s ever-expanding network. The inaugural flight sets the stage for Turkish Airlines’ future plans to introduce direct, non-stop services from Sydney to Istanbul, revolutionising travel between the two iconic travel destinations. On the arrival of the first aircraft in Sydney, Bilal Ekşi, CEO, Turkish Airlines stated, “This momentous occasion marks Turkish Airlines’ longest flight path in history, as we happily add our second Australian city to our flight network. The arrival of our first flight from Istanbul to Sydney represents our ongoing commitment to connect travellers across the globe, providing a seamless …

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) has woven sustainability into every aspect of its operations, driven by a deep understanding of the environmental impact of modern air travel. Through initiatives in waste reduction, energy conservation, and resource management, CSMIA is setting a new benchmark in the Indian aviation industry—leading the way towards a cleaner and greener future in air travel. Minimising waste across operations At the core of CSMIA’s sustainability efforts is a powerful waste management system that has diverted 99.6 per cent of its waste from landfills. CSMIA has streamlined various initiatives to minimise waste across the operations: Waste Segregation and Recycling: A comprehensive waste management system includes waste segregation at source and safe disposal through authorised vendors across both commercial and cargo operations. Plastic Waste Reduction: CSMIA is a proud flag bearer of green initiatives in the Indian Aviation industry, under which Reverse Vending Machines (RVM) were installed to encourage passengers and the airport community to recycle plastic bottles by safely disposing them in RVM’s Organic Waste Management: Organic waste from food and beverage outlets is processed in an on-site composting facility, producing compost for landscaping. E-Waste Management: The airport has set up e-waste collection points for the proper collection of electronic waste generated within the airport. Mumbai Airport disposes all the e-waste via authorised vendors. Tissue-less toilets: To minimise paper waste, hand dryers have been installed in washrooms, significantly cutting tissue paper consumption. Through these innovative steps, CSMIA is creating cleaner, greener, and more sustainable airport experience. Engaging passengers in sustainability efforts A key part of CSMIA’s sustainability drive is engaging passengers to create a culture of shared responsibility. To make recycling simple and intuitive, CSMIA has …

The Australian national carrier Qantas has today announced a new model for travel agents to access Qantas fares, as the airline continues to invest in its new distribution capabilities to better serve the evolving needs of agents and customers. Launching mid-next year, the new model reflects a global drive towards adoption of NDC technology, which has significant benefits for travel agents and their customers. From 1 July 2025, agents will be able to access Qantas content a number of ways, with surcharge free options as well as varying ticket surcharges, including: • Traditional indirect booking systems (also known as EDIFACT) • Standard NDC • Premium NDC

British Airways has unveiled its brand-new First seat, combining elegant design with expert British craftsmanship, reflective of modern British luxury travel. The new cabin forms part of the airline’s A380 retrofit plans, expected to take to the skies in mid-2026. The airline’s new first class has been carefully designed to provide the feel of a modern luxury hotel, alongside home comforts and thoughtful British touches at 35,000ft. The seat has been beautifully curated by expert designers and world-class manufacturers from all corners of Great Britain and Ireland, including London, Glasgow, West Yorkshire, Kilkeel and Dublin. British Airways has unveiled a game changing new First Seat for its customers, combining elegant design features, reflective of modern British luxury travel The airline is the only European carrier to offer First class from London to the US and has worked alongside expert designers and world-class manufacturers to produce a modern luxury seat, championing the best of British craftsmanship Carefully designed to provide customers with a modern luxury hotel feel, the seat also combines home comforts and thoughtful British touches New features include a wider and longer seat, a 32-inch TV screen, buddy dining, optimal sense of space and privacy, with a personal luggage space The new seat is ultra-wide (36.5inches), with a bed length of 79inches, and features a multi-purpose ottoman and elegant storable table, a 32-inch 4K TV screen, adjustable mood lighting including scenes such as ‘relax’, ‘dine’ and ‘cinema’. The seat can be adjusted with the touch of a button to find the perfect level of comfort and is located within a cocooned 60-inch curved wall for ultimate privacy, whilst still providing a spacious environment. For customers travelling together in the centre …

One of the world’s smallest countries is a highly attractive travel destination LOT Polish Airlines inaugural flight on 16th April 2025 Four weekly flights to Malta International Airport The Mediterranean archipelago of Malta may be one of the smallest countries in the world (only 316 square kilometres) but it has become a trendy travel destination with over three million visitors annually (2023). Star Alliance member LOT Polish Airlines makes this precious gem available for travellers from India and adds Malta to its global route network starting on 16th April 2025. The flights between the airline’s global hub at the Chopin Airport in Warsaw and the Malta International Airport will be operated four times per week with a Boeing 737. Guests will have the choice between the two service classes LOT Economy Class and LOT Business Class. In order to offer passengers more flexibility, departures from Warsaw will take place at two different times: Sundays and Wednesdays at 8:20h, Tuesdays and Saturdays at 14:05h. The flight time is three hours. Overview of the new Malta flights operated by LOT Polish Airlines: Sunday and Wednesday Departure with LO 671 from Warsaw at 8:20h, arrival in Malta at 11:20h Departure with LO 672 from Malta at 12:10h, arrival in Warsaw at 15:05h Tuesday and Saturday Departure with LO 673 from Warsaw at 14:05h, arrival in Malta at 17:05h Departure with LO 674 from Malta at 17:55h, arrival in Warsaw at 20:50h “Malta is no longer an insider tip, but presents itself as a high-quality holiday destination with a wide range of tourist attractions that appeals a lot to what people from India love when travelling abroad,” says Amit Ray, Director India, DACH Markets …

“Beti Ki Udaan, Desh Ka Swabhimaan” Felicitating the leaders of today, who will further inspire and light up the path for #ChampionsOfChange tomorrow Women in Aviation India (WAI) held its third edition of the iconic Awards – Giving Wings to Dreams 2024 today at Roseate House New Delhi, felicitating 37 women achievers who have contributed significantly to the aviation sector. The award ceremony took place in the distinguished presence of Vumlunmang Vualnam, Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India and other eminent dignitaries present at the ceremony included Usha Padhee, IAS, Principal Secretary, Commerce & Transport Dept., Govt. of Odisha and Vipin Kumar, IAS – Chairman AAI. These Awards recognise excellence in diverse fields of aviation and help build a value chain where achievers inspire the next generation. Following a thorough selection process, led by an eminent jury comprising of stalwarts of the industry, successful women aviators across categories of airside operations, terminal operations, ground support, flight dispatchers, airline security, fire rescue, engineering, communication, cabin crew and flight operations were felicitated at the award ceremony. Women achievers from nodal aviation authorities BCAS, DGCA, CISF and Pawan Hans were also recognised for service excellence. “At the Ministry of Civil Aviation, it is a very satisfying moment for us to see this initiative of Women in Aviation India being applauded by our honourable president and prime minister. Through our collaboration with WAI, we are helping women break barriers and are empowering them to lead in this fast-growing sector. India’s aviation infrastructure has expanded exponentially, with the number of airports more than doubling from 74 to 157 over the past decade. Passenger numbers have surged from 11 crore to 22 crore annually, …

SriLankan Airlines has won the prestigious 2025 APEX Best Entertainment Award in Central/Southern Asia at the FTE APEX Asia Expo on 20 November 2024 in Singapore. The APEX Awards are entirely based on certified passenger feedback, with over a million flights across 600 airlines rated on experience metrics such as seat comfort, cabin service, entertainment, and meals for the 2025 awards. SriLankan Airlines additionally retained its status as a ‘Four Star Major Airline’ in the 2025 APEX Official Airline Ratings™ for the eighth consecutive year. Maria Sathasivam, Manager Product Development, SriLankan Airlines, commented on the award, stating, “We are delighted that passengers have collectively rated SriLankan Airlines as having the best inflight entertainment in this region. A passenger’s inflight experience is shaped by numerous factors, with entertainment playing a key role in enhancing overall inflight satisfaction and reducing perceived travel time. To that end, our content portfolio has been meticulously curated to reflect current entertainment trends, ensuring that passengers stay entertained throughout their journey.” SriLankan Airlines’ Inflight Entertainment (IFE) system offers a rich selection of Hollywood blockbusters, the latest releases and an extensive catalogue of regional films from South Asia and beyond, including favourites from Sri Lanka. The collection offers hours of captivating movies and TV shows across a range of languages and genres, including action, comedy, drama, adventure, animation, kids, musical, sci-fi and sports. Passengers can also enjoy a library of over 100 handpicked audio albums, featuring music for every listener, from international hits to local classics. This prestigious award reflects SriLankan Airlines’ dedication to transforming every journey into an extraordinary experience. It also adds to a growing list of accolades that the airline has secured recently for passenger …

India’s aviation infrastructure has expanded exponentially with the number of airports doubling in last 10 years. Underscoring the government’s dedication in integrating women in this sector, Vumlunmang Vualnam, Secretary, Civil Aviation, said, “There are immense opportunities for women to become a part of this growth story in aviation.”

Women in Aviation India (WAI) in collaboration with the Ministry of Civil Aviation held its 3rd edition of the iconic Awards- Giving Wings to Dreams 2024 at Roseate in New Delhi, felicitating 37 women achievers who have contributed significantly to the aviation sector. The awards recognise excellence in diverse fields of aviation and help build a value chain where achievers inspire the next generation. Highlighting India’s aviation infrastructure which has expanded exponentially, with the number of airports more than doubling from 74 to 157 over the past decade, passenger numbers surging from 11 crore to 22 crore annually, and the aircraft fleet growing from 400 to 800, with projections to reach 1,400 within five years, Vumlunmang Vualnam, Secretary, Civil Aviation, said, “There is an immense opportunity for women in the aviation sector and to become part of this growth story.” He underscored the government’s dedication to integrating women into the expanding drone industry, linking this initiative to the broader transformation underway in India’s aviation sector.

SriLankan Airlines, the official Airline Partner of the Sri Lanka Design Festival (SLDF), premiered the latest range of products under its award-winning upcycle brand, ‘Mathaka,’ at the event held from 6 to 11 November 2024 at Cinnamon Life. Launched in 2021, SriLankan Airlines’ ‘Mathaka’ brand transforms its retired materials into a range of on-trend lifestyle products and collectables, underscoring its commitment to being one of South Asia’s most sustainable airlines. Like many organizations worldwide, SriLankan Airlines has faced the challenge of ethically disposing of materials retired from its operations. For the airline, this meant dealing with unusable aircraft seat covers, blankets, curtains, uniforms, wooden air cargo pallets, and other items. The airline found its solution in Mathaka, aptly named for transforming remnants of yesterday’s onboard product into brand new consumer items. Mathaka allows SriLankan Airlines to take its planet-friendly philosophy to another level by fashioning people’s memories of air travel into tangible products. The latest range, which includes travel bags, tote bags, peg dolls, table runners and mats, and many more exciting items, also ushers in a new era for Mathaka, with SriLankan Airlines forming collaborations with three Sri Lankan women sustainable entrepreneurs to create Mathaka products. This consists of House of Lonali, founded by Lonali Rodrigo; SO4 by Ruth Weerasinghe; and Pom’s Island by Shamin Abideen. In addition to its sustainable advantages, the Mathaka project also supports the livelihoods of economically disadvantaged women, who are involved in producing certain Mathaka items. Richard Nuttall, Chief Executive Officer, SriLankan Airlines, stated, “Since our earliest days, SriLankan Airlines has championed environmental causes, backing our commitment with action. We are proud to collaborate with these outstanding individuals, with whom we share a deep …