The flag carrier of Vietnam, Vietnam Airlines, has taken delivery of a brand-new Airbus A320Neo. Powered by engines that promise up to 16 per cent in fuel savings, 75 per cent less noise and 50 per cent lesser emissions compared to the previous-gen jets, it’s the first of three Airbus A320neos that the airline will receive before 2024 comes to a close.

The newly received aircraft features a two-class layout, with 8 seats in Business Class and 174 in Economy. Passengers will have the comfort of a 28-29-inch seat pitch, 5-inch recline and wireless IFE system. Vietnam Airlines is ecstatic to receive the new aircraft for what is going to be a busy summer season. The new narrowbody jets will serve routes such as Hanoi-Dalat, Hanoi-Phu Quoc, Ho Chi Minh City-Thanh Hoa, and Ho Chi Minh City-Chu Lai.

The three Airbus A320neos will provide approximately 40,000 seats during the summer peak for Vietnam Airlines. In the second half of the year, they’ll offer about 300,000 seats. The carrier is also expected to receive Boeing 787-10s soon. Once inducted, the largest member of the Dreamliner family will also take the same title in the airline’s fleet.

Also Read: Vietnam Airlines Launches Direct Flights To Manila

What you see above is another new Air India aircraft sporting the brand’s latest livery. Landed at New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport from the Airbus facility in Toulouse, France, it’s an A320neo with registration code VT-RTN.

Besides flaunting the new livery, the single-aisle jet boasts a three-class interior layout. It comprises eight seats in Business Class, 24 in Premium Economy and 132 in Economy—details about what the interior offers to passengers were released last month. The Premium Economy section in a narrowbody aircraft is a first for the carrier.

The new A320neo should enter service in August 2024, operating on short-haul domestic routes. Three A320neo jets with old Air India livery but with the new three-class configuration have already begun serving passengers on Air India’s domestic network.

The first new aircraft sporting Air India’s new livery and interior, an Airbus A350-900, entered service in January this year. The airline claims that starting early next year, it will begin offering a completely overhauled flying experience through its new, upgraded, refurbished aircraft on domestic and international routes.

UK-based pocket-friendly airline easyJet has announced that starting this winter, it will operate year-round flights between London Gatwick and Menorca. The route, which is currently active for the summer, will become an all-year-round offering from November 6, 2024. The service will run twice weekly on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Tickets for the winter season on the route mentioned above are already available, with prices starting at GBP 38.99.

Menorca is one of the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea and part of Spain. easyJet first launched flight services to the Balearic Islands over a quarter of a century ago. Since then, the carrier has ferried approximately 45 million passengers. Over the years, the airline has grown connections from the islands to Europe and the UK to 64 routes. The carrier began operations in Menorca in 2005 with flights from London Gatwick. Over 3.6 million passengers have taken easyJet’s services between the two points to date.

Also Read: easyJet To Strengthen Presence In Malta

After launching services to Malé from Dubai, Zurich, Munich and Riyadh, Beond Airlines has announced the introduction of flights from Milan-Malpensa. The carrier, which currently operates a specially curated Airbus A319 with luxurious appointments and only lie-flat beds, will fly two weekly flights on the newly introduced route on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

The airline has already taken delivery of its second aircraft, an Airbus A321. The twin-engined jet, typically configured to haul around 200 passengers, is undergoing refurbishment. Once ready, it will help the carrier boost its operations and add more destinations across the Middle East, Asia Pacific, and Europe.

Turkish Airlines has ordered four Boeing 777 Freighters to boost its cargo capacity further. Once inducted, the airline will have 12 such aircraft in its fleet. Each Boeing 777 Freighter provides a range of up to 9,200 kilometres (4,970 nautical miles) and a payload capacity of 102 metric tons, nearly 112 tons. Simple math reveals that the Turkish carrier will have an additional cargo volume of 408 metric tons.

The 777 Freighter is Boeing’s best-selling aircraft of all time. In fact, the American aeroplane manufacturer provides over 90 per cent of the dedicated freighter capacity globally, covering new and converted jets.

Turkish Airlines operates various Boeing aircraft in addition to freighters. These include the 777-300ER, next-gen 737, 737 Max, and 787 Dreamliner.

Also Read: Arajet Inducts Tenth Boeing 737 MAX

Canada’s flag carrier, Air Canada, has signed an agreement with BOC Aviation to lease eight new Boeing 737-8 jets. The single-aisle jets are scheduled for delivery before 2024 comes to a close. However, they will undergo modifications before entering service next year.

Air Canada confirms that the aircraft will initially have a single Economy class layout. Later, they will be revamped to feature a two-class cabin. All the new jets leased from BOC Aviation will be powered by CFM LEAP-1B engines.

Here’s what Michael Rousseau, President & CEO of Air Canada, said in an official release:

We look forward to these aircraft entering into service next year, upon the completion of some required modifications. These eight, brand-new, fuel- and cost-efficient 737-8s will provide more fleet flexibility and additional capacity while supporting one of our sustainability goals of mitigating emissions.

After a busy summer, airBaltic seems to have planned an equally busier winter season. Earlier this year, it announced three new routes – Riga-Madeira, Vilnius-Oslo Torp and Tallinn- Kittilä. Now, the Latvian carrier has confirmed the addition of three more from its primary base in Riga.

From October 25, 2024, the airline will operate two weekly flights between Riga and Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. One-way ticket prices start at EUR 145 for Economy and EUR 399 for Business. The following day, the airline will launch the Riga–Hurghada route, linking Latvia’s capital with another Egyptian destination. Two weekly services will run between the two cities. Ticket prices are the same for both categories, as mentioned above.

The third new route – Riga-Innsbruck (Austria) – will come into action on December 22, 2024. airBaltic will operate only one flight per week on this route, on Sundays. One-way fares start at EUR 69 for Economy and EUR 249 for Business. Once active, it will become the carrier’s third destination in Austria, after Vienna and Salzburg.