Recent News

Singapore, 23rd Sept. 2025: Customers of Vietnam Airlines and Singapore Airlines (SIA) have more options on flights between Singapore and Vietnam, after the two carriers signed a new codeshare agreement that comes into effect on 26th October 2025. Under the arrangement, SIA will codeshare on Vietnam Airlines-operated flights between Singapore and the Vietnamese cities of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, while Vietnam Airlines will codeshare on SIA-operated flights between Singapore and Da Nang, Hanoi, and Ho Chi Minh City. All flights are subject to regulatory approvals. These codeshare flights will be progressively available for sale from 10th October 2025 via both airlines’ sales channels and travel agents. This agreement deepens the partnership between Singapore Airlines and Vietnam Airlines. Both airlines will also explore adding other destinations in their network to the codeshare agreement, as well as deepening the commercial cooperation that could offer customers more options, enhanced connectivity, and greater value. Nguyen Quang Trung, Director of Corporate Planning and Development, Vietnam Airlines, said: “This codeshare agreement marks a significant milestone in the ongoing strategic partnership between Vietnam Airlines and Singapore Airlines — one of the world’s most prestigious 5-star carriers. The collaboration leverages the extensive route networks and premium services of both airlines, enhancing connectivity between Vietnam and Singapore while delivering greater flexibility and a more seamless travel experience for passengers. “For Vietnam Airlines, this partnership not only strengthens our international presence but also supports our commitment to aligning with world-class service standards. We look forward to deepening our cooperation with Singapore Airlines and jointly contributing to the long-term, sustainable development of the regional aviation industry.” Dai Haoyu, Senior Vice President Marketing Planning, Singapore Airlines, said: “Our codeshare partnership with Vietnam Airlines is an important step in strengthening connectivity between Singapore and Vietnam. By leveraging our respective networks, we can offer customers more choice, greater flexibility, and seamless transfers across our services between the two countries. This will also support economic growth and tourism in our countries, and deepen the long-standing ties between Singapore and Vietnam.”

Delhi, 20th September 2025: Akasa Air had commenced operations in Phuket, Thailand, connecting it with Mumbai with daily direct flights. The inaugural flight on 20th September 2025 departed Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai at 0745 hrs IST arriving at Phuket International Airport at 1435hrs ICT. The launch marks Akasa Air’s foray into Southeast Asia, a region that will remain central to the airline’s international growth strategy in the years ahead. Akasa Air will further strengthen its operations to Thailand with the launch of daily direct flights between Bengaluru and Phuket starting 1st October 2025.

Gurugram, 17 SEPTEMBER 2025: Air India and Uganda Airlines have signed an inter airline agreement which will provide seamless connection on the networks of both airlines, offering passengers enhanced travel options between India, Africa and beyond. Through this partnership, Air India guests can now enjoy smooth, single-ticket connections from across India and other parts of Asia to Entebbe, the main gateway to Uganda. Air India guests can either use Uganda Airlines’ direct service from Mumbai to Entebbe or connect to Uganda via Air India’s Dubai gateway. From Entebbe, Air India guests can also take onward connections to destinations across Africa, including South Africa, Nigeria, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Zambiaand other key destinations, gaining easy access to the continent’s growing business centres and world-renowned tourism attractions. Uganda Airlines’ guests from Entebbe will now be able to access Air India’s extensive domestic network, connecting seamlessly to more than 25 cities across India on a single ticket.In addition to strengthening connectivity within India, the interline partnership also extends Uganda Airlines’ reach to key international destinations served by Air India. Guests can conveniently travel from Entebbe via Mumbai to global hubs such as Bangkok, Colombo, Dhaka and Singapore, gaining access to some of Asia’s most dynamic economies as well as Europe’s leading capital city. “We are happy to partner with Uganda Airlines, enhancing connectivity between India and Africa”, said Nipun Aggarwal, Chief Commercial Officer, Air India. “This partnership not only provides our customers with seamless access to Uganda and an extended network across Africa but also warmly welcomes Uganda Airlines’ passengers to explore Air India’s extensive routes within India and beyond, fostering stronger economic and cultural ties between our regions.” “We are excited to launch this partnership with Air India, an iconic brand in global aviation,” saidJenifer Bamuturaki, Chief Executive Officer, Uganda Airlines.”This interline agreement is a significant step in our strategy to connect Uganda to Africa and beyond. It provides our customers with a smooth, single-ticket travel experience to dozens of new destinations, strengthening economic and cultural ties between our regions.”

Calgary, AB, September 17, 2025: De Havilland Aircraft of Canada has announced the retrofit option of Starlink in-flight internet on its Dash 8-400 aircraft. This advancement brings reliable, high-speed Wi-Fi to one of the world’s most versatile aircraft, setting a new standard for in-flight connectivity in regional aviation. Starlink will be available as a ‘factory option’ through De Havilland Canada’s OEM Refurbishment Program or as a retrofit solution for in-service Dash 8-400 aircraft. The installation is designed for minimal downtime and integrates seamlessly with existing aircraft systems. We look forward to our customers introducing this exciting new product to passengers in the coming weeks by equipping their Dash 8-400 fleets with reliable in-flight connectivity. This milestone marks the first De Havilland Canada aircraft in the world to deliver the service and will provide passengers with seamless, gate-to-gate internet access—even when flying in remote or previously underserved regions. “The addition of Starlink on the Dash 8-400 demonstrates our commitment to continued investment in our products and to providing cutting-edge solutions for our customers,” said Ryan DeBrusk, Vice-President, Sales and Marketing, De Havilland Canada. “With this technology, passengers can enjoy reliable, high-speed internet access for streaming, browsing and other real-time online applications – bringing the regional flying experience in line with today’s traveller expectations.” Flying millions of passengers worldwide, the Dash 8 aircraft continues to be a mainstay of regional travel, known for its performance, reliability, and sustainability. This latest enhancement further strengthens its position as the aircraft of choice for modern, connected regional operations.

Singapore, 17 September 2025 – Satair, an Airbus Services company, Airbus (Chengdu) Lifecycle Services Ltd. (ALS), and Guangzhou Hangrun Technology Co., Ltd. (Hangrun Technology) have signed a Tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for joint strategic cooperation. This non-binding agreement outlines a five-year collaboration for aircraft end-of-life solutions. The partnership aims to provide a comprehensive, one-stop service for aircraft dismantling and the distribution of Used Serviceable Material (USM). Under this agreement, Hangrun Technology will provide 15 aircraft over a five-year period to ALS for dismantling. The USMs from these aircraft will be distributed and sold by Satair’s Chengdu entity (SC), leveraging Satair’s global distribution network. This strategic collaboration is designed to provide customers with a single, streamlined solution for the management of mature assets and the opportunity to generate more profit from USM sales. This new agreement builds upon the existing consignment relationship between Satair Chengdu and Hangrun Technology, which was established earlier this year with an A330 airframe. The tripartite MoU marks a significant step forward in mapping out a long-term cooperation between the three parties. Andy Lee, Managing Director of Satair China, noted, “This tripartite cooperation provides a unique, one-stop end-of-life aircraft solution for our customers. By combining our global USM sales network with ALS’s capabilities, we are helping our customers handle their mature assets in a profitable and streamlined way.” Mr. Peng Xiaofeng, Chairman of Hangrun Technology, added: “We are pleased to formalise our strategic partnership with Satair and ALS. This MoU will streamline our aircraft dismantling processes and ensure that the USMs are distributed through a trusted global partner. It is a significant step forward in our long-term collaboration and commitment to the industry.” This strategic agreement marks a significant milestone for all three parties, ensuring a cohesive approach to aircraft end-of-life management. The unique aspects of this agreement include the comprehensive, one-stop nature of the solution, which highlights the strong, collaborative partnership between the three companies.

Dubai,17 September 2025: flydubai has announced the launch of new flights to Nairobi International Airport (NBO) in Kenya, starting from 15 October 2025. The flights will operate from Terminal 3, Dubai International (DXB) with a four-times-weekly service.In addition to the new service to the capital, flydubai will increase its operations to Mombasa to a daily service from 01 October 2025, bringing the airline’s total weekly flights to Kenya to 11. Commenting on the announcement, Ghaith Al Ghaith, Chief Executive Officer at flydubai, said: “Kenya is an important market for flydubai, and we are pleased to strengthen our operations with the addition of Nairobi and the increased frequency of our service to Mombasa. These flights underline the importance of connecting Kenya to Dubai’s global aviation hub, enhancing access for trade, travel and tourism between our two countries. We remain committed to playing our part in supporting stronger economic and cultural ties between the UAE and Africa.” Sudhir Sreedharan, Divisional Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations (UAE, GCC, Africa and South Asia) at flydubai, added: “We are pleased to see our footprint in Kenya grow with the start of flights to Nairobi and the daily service to Mombasa, which started with a four-times-weekly service in 2024. This expansion provides more convenient options for customers from the UAE and across our network to access Kenya, whether they are travelling for business, leisure or to visit friends and family. We sincerely thank the Kenyan authorities and our partners for their support in making these routes possible.”

Dehradun, 16th September 2025: Air India Express commenced operations from Dehradun Airport with the launch of daily direct flights to Bengaluru. The first flight on the Dehradun–Bengaluru route was flagged off by Pushkar Singh Dhami, Chief Minister of Uttarakhand. The inaugural flight departed Dehradun at 16:30 hrs and landed in Bengaluru at 19:30 hrs. Pushkar Singh Dhami, Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, said: “The start of Air India Express services from Dehradun marks an important milestone for civil aviation in our state. Enhanced connectivity to Bengaluru will provide a significant boost to tourism, trade, and investment opportunities in Uttarakhand, while also strengthening links for students, professionals, and entrepreneurs with one of India’s most dynamic cities. We welcome Air India Express and look forward to the positive impact this connectivity will bring to our people and economy.” Commenting on the occasion, Aloke Singh, Managing Director, Air India Express, said: “We are delighted to commence operations from Dehradun, our 58th station, with daily direct flights to Bengaluru, our largest domestic hub. This is the third new station launched this month, following Ahmedabad and Chandigarh, underscoring the rapid expansion of our network. The new route not only connects Uttarakhand directly with Bengaluru’s economic and educational hubs but also offers convenient one-stop connections to 18 more cities across India. With our fleet now crossing 115 aircraft, we are scaling up, building a stronger, more accessible network that reflects the aspirations of modern India.”

Bengaluru, September 15, 2025: Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru has announced the launch of its innovative loyalty programme – Pulse Rewards. Designed to enhance the travel experience, Pulse Rewards enables passengers to earn and redeem points seamlessly across retail, F&B, duty free, lounges, and the BLR Pulse app. Every customer transaction at participating outlets now translates into tangible rewards. Members will earn 2% of their spends as points, with 1 point equal to 1 rupee, making every purchase at the airport more rewarding. Additional benefits include birthday and anniversary bonus points, exclusive access to events, and special partner offers. To mark the launch, festive promotions have been introduced for Dasara and Diwali, giving passengers the opportunity to get up to 1000 bonus points in addition to the base 2%, when they shop or dine. The offers are valid from September 12 to October 26, 2025. Commenting on the launch, Kenneth Guldbjerg, Chief Commercial Officer at Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL), said, “With Pulse Rewards, we are bringing in an element of anticipation and discovery into every interaction. Shop, dine, or simply explore—and you’re earning points! It’s about making the journey more fun, more engaging, and more rewarding. We don’t just want passengers to pass through; we want them to play, discover, and unlock experiences every time they are at BLR Airport.” Enrollment is simple: passengers can download the BLR Pulse app and register to start earning and redeeming points instantly. Throughout the year, Pulse Rewards will host special events and promotions, offering members unique experiences and additional opportunities to earn points. From shopping sprees to dining treats, every interaction at BLR Airport now comes with a bonus, ensuring journeys are not just about reaching destinations, but enjoying the experience along the way.