To bolster its China network, Korean Air has confirmed that from July 1, 2024, it will operate a new daily flight between Seoul Incheon and Macau. The outbound service – flight KE169 – will depart the South Korean capital at 21:15 and land at Macau International Airport at 23:55. The return leg – flight KE170 – will leave Macau and land in Seoul the next day at 01:10 and 06:00, respectively. The flight time will be approximately 3 hours and 40 minutes.

Macau, a popular tourist destination, is close to Hong Kong. Travellers can access the latter within an hour via a ferry or bus. Korean Air already operates four daily services between Seoul Incheon and Hong Kong. The carrier resumed three weekly flights between Seoul Incheon and Zhangjiajie and four weekly services linking Seoul Incheon and Zhengzhou from April 23 and April 24, respectively.

Also Read: Korean Air and WestJet Expand Codeshare Partnership

NOTE: Image has been sourced from Boeing Mediaroom

China’s GDAT and Airbus have finished signing a contract. The former will purchase up to 20 H175 helicopters from the latter. The agreement splits the order half and half between firm and optional orders. An Ireland-based start-up helicopter leasing and financing company, GD Helicopter Finance (GDHF), will market the H175s to potential customers in the energy, SAR (Search and Rescue), EMS (Emergency Medical Services), and parapublic market segments globally. GDHF will also market 50 Airbus H160 helicopters, which GDAT placed an order for last year.

The Airbus H175 has been in service since 2015. Belonging to the super-medium class, the helicopter offers a robust blend of long-range and heavy payload. It is a good fit for various offshore and onshore missions, including disaster relief, search and rescue and other public services.

India’s largest airline by fleet, IndiGo, has placed a firm order for 30 Airbus A350-900s. Furthermore, the paperwork states an option to purchase an additional 70 aircraft of the same type. These widebody jets will be powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines.

There’s no word on when the deliveries will commence. Also, it isn’t the only aircraft type in Airbus’ order books for the Indian airline. Last June, IndiGo created history by placing the biggest single order ever. It ordered 500 jets from the Airbus A320 family. Presently, the aircraft manufacturer still has to deliver nearly 1,000 units. The order book comprises a mix of A320Neo, A321Neo and A321XLR single-aisle aeroplanes.

With the new order for A350s, IndiGo will deepen its business ties with Airbus and open a new chapter with Rolls-Royce, one of the world’s most renowned aviation marques.

Latvia’s flag carrier, airBaltic, has announced the start of direct flights between its core hub, Riga and the capital of Slovenia – Ljubljana. The airline will operate two weekly flights between the two capitals. The one-side duration of the flight has been quoted as 2 hours and 15 minutes. Tickets for this route are available on the carrier’s official website.

airBaltic confirms that during the summer of 2024, it will offer 15 new routes from the Baltics and Tempere. The airline, which has an all-Airbus A220 fleet, operates over 130 routes from Riga, Tallinn, Vilnius, Tampere and, during specific periods, Gran Canaria.

Also Read: airBaltic Announces More Pop-Up Flights For Summer

From November 1, 2024, UAE’s national carrier, Etihad Airways, will begin flying an Airbus A380 to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport. Flight EY31 will leave Abu Dhabi at 02:40 and land in the French capital at 07:30. The return leg – EY32 – will depart from Paris and arrive at Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International Airport at 09:45 and 19:25, respectively. All times mentioned are local.

This daily service between Abu Dhabi and Paris means the French city will become the third metropolis to receive the mammoth double-decker, after London (UK) and New York (USA).

Flights featuring Etihad’s A380 to John F. Kennedy Airport began a few days ago. The one set to ferry passengers to and fro from Paris will have the same configuration as the one on the Abu Dhabi-New York route. That means 68 Economy seats with extra legroom, 337 Economy Smart seats, 70 Business Studios, nine First Apartments, and a three-room suite called The Residence. The aircraft will also boast a lounge and a lobby area, bifurcating the Business Studios section and the First Apartments.

To boost its capacity for the US market, Etihad Airways has added its flagship Airbus A380 to the New York route. The flight – EY1 – flew from Abu Dhabi and landed at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport on April 22, 2024. The aircraft features a four-class layout: Economy, Business, First and The Residence.

The A380 boasts 68 seats with extra legroom in Economy and 337 in Economy Smart, featuring fixed-wing headrests and large pillows. On the upper floor of the double-decker, there are 70 Business-class private spaces, a service lounge, a bar, and nine First Apartments with 80-inch lie-flat beds and access to the shower room. The pièce de résistance is, of course, The Residence. It features a private living room, a bedroom, an ensuite bathroom with a shower, and a dedicated crew.

Etihad will operate the A380 on the Abu Dhabi-New York route every day, making it the second daily nonstop service between the two cities. The other is operated by a Boeing 787-9 with a three-class configuration: First, Business and Economy.

Also Read: Etihad Announces Flights To Al Qassim

For the first time, Air India and All Nippon Airways (ANA) have decided to enter a codeshare partnership. To be effective May 23, 2024, it will allow passengers aboard both airlines to travel between India and Japan on a single ticket. The tickets, however, are already on sale. The Indian carrier will add the designator code ‘AI’ on ANA flights between Tokyo Haneda and Delhi and Tokyo Narita and Mumbai. Similarly, ANA will add its ‘NH’ code on Air India flights between Tokyo Narita and Delhi.

Besides the added convenience of utilising the network of both airlines on a single ticket, passengers will also benefit from other services, such as lounge access and priority boarding. The carriers have also confirmed that they will continue to explore expansion opportunities for codeshare.

South Korea’s flag carrier, Korean Air, and Canada’s second-largest airline, WestJet, have announced an expansion of their codeshare agreement. On May 17, 2024, the latter will launch a new route between its hub in Calgary, Canada, and Seoul Incheon. Korean Air will begin selling tickets for this service, which will operate three times weekly using Boeing 787 Dreamliners.

WestJet will also benefit from this new agreement. It will get access to flights operated by Korean Air to six new destinations – Bangkok (Thailand), Da Nang (Vietnam), Hanoi (Vietnam), Ho Chi Minh (Vietnam), Hong Kong and Singapore. These connections will be available for WestJet customers via Seoul Incheon, Korean Air’s hub.

The duo first inked a codeshare agreement in 2012. Since then, the carriers have expanded partnerships, covering Korean Air’s flights from Seoul Incheon to Vancouver and Toronto, WestJet’s services within Canada and flights to/from the USA via Vancouver and Toronto. With the Calgary-Seoul connection, the codeshare partnership will increase to 36 routes.

Also Read: Korean Air Announces Charter Services To Taichung

NOTE: Image sourced from Boeing Mediaroom.

For the summer season 2024, Latvian carrier airBaltic has confirmed additional pop-up flights. For the record, pop-up flights operate during a particular period to cater to an increased demand. The new pop-up services include a domestic flight between Riga and Liepaja and a link between Tallinn, Estonia and Palma de Mallorca, Spain, towards the end of summer.

The Riga-Liepaja flight will operate twice a week between July 11 and July 22 and August 1 and August 5. One-way ticket prices are EUR 39 for Economy Classic and EUR 99 for Business Class. The service between Tallinn and Palma de Mallorca will operate once a week, on Mondays. On this route, the one-way ticket prices start at EUR 99.

Before these two pop-up services, airBaltic had announced similar operations from Riga to Ostrava, Czechia. Flights on this route will operate on May 11, 13, 17, 20 and 22. Latvia’s men’s hockey team will be in action on these dates at the IIHF 2024 Ice Hockey World Championship.

Like all other airBaltic flights, the pop-up services will also be provided on an Airbus A220-300.

Also Read: airBaltic Announces Three New Routes For Winter Season

After a four-year hiatus, the UK’s flag carrier, British Airways, has returned to the capital of the UAE. On April 21, 2024, the flight BA073 touched down at Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi. This service, provided on a Boeing 787-9, will now be a year-round operation. The resumption of this route for the airline means it can cater to more passengers in the Middle East.

The outbound flight – BA073 – will leave London Heathrow at 22:25 and arrive in Abu Dhabi at 08:30 the next day. After a short stop, the return will depart Zayed International Airport at 10:10 and land in London at 15:30. All times mentioned are local and for the summer season. The arrival and departure times from Abu Dhabi will move 1 hour forward during the winter season.