It seems the German low-cost carrier, Eurowings, is gearing up for a busy winter 2024/25. After announcing two new routes earlier this month, the airline is back with another similar development.

From October 27, 2024, the pocket-friendly carrier will fly twice weekly from Hamburg to Thessaloniki, Greece. Another route that goes live on November 4 and will operate six times a week is between Hamburg and Nuremberg. Eurowings has also confirmed that from December 22, 2024, it will operate two weekly flights from the Hanseatic city to Rovaniemi, Finland. Another Finnish destination – Kittila – will be added to the network from January 12, 2025, with twice-weekly service.

And lastly, Eurowings will expand operations from Stuttgart as well. It will fly two weekly flights to Tromsø, Norway, from January 25, 2025. Located deep inside the Arctic Circle, the town is among the top destinations for seeing aurora borealis.

Louisiana-based PHI Group and Rome-based Leonardo have signed a framework agreement for 12 AW189 helicopters. The deal comprises firm orders, purchase options, and an extensive support partnership, including a service centre agreement, MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul) contract and training solutions for the AW139 and AW189 choppers.

PHI Group has been supporting the energy industry for 75 years. The newly ordered AW189s, which will comply with the IOGP (International Association of Oil & Gas Producers) Report 690 guidelines, will start joining its fleet next year. Presently, the firm operates over 200 helicopters worldwide, serving various markets such as energy and air medical. Of the overall fleet, more than 20 helicopters, including AW139s and AW109s, are from Leonardo.

The Leonardo AW189 belongs to the super-medium class of helicopters. It’s in its DNA to serve various kinds of missions, such as energy industry support, search and rescue, passenger transport, firefighting and law enforcement. The AW189 has been cleverly designed to tackle challenging situations. For instance, its main transmission can run without oil for 50 minutes. The chopper also has a built-in auxiliary powerplant.

Note: The image above is only for representational purposes.

To expand connectivity options for passengers travelling to Mexico from Dubai, Emirates has signed an interline agreement with Viva Aerobus. Per the paperwork, Emirates customers can travel from Mexico City to 21 domestic destinations while benefiting from the single baggage policy using both airlines on a single ticket. Also, this partnership opens more international routes for those travelling via Emirates, with 20 flight options linking six points in Mexico and multiple American cities.

Specifically, Emirates passengers from Dubai to Mexico City can travel further to domestic destinations such as Acapulco, Cancun, Guadalajara, Monterrey, and others. The agreement also includes direct flights from US points, including Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Orlando and Miami, to select Mexican destinations. Those travelling from Mexico City can fly nonstop to Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, New York-JFK or San Antonio.

A two-class Boeing 777 serves the Dubai-Mexico City route. Those who prefer to travel to Los Angeles or Houston before connecting to a Viva Aerobus flight to Mexico can enjoy a ride on Emirates’ A380. Viva Aerobus has a fleet of 83 Airbus A320 and A321 single-aisle jets with an average age of less than 5.5 years. The carrier has the most modern fleet in its home country and the fifth youngest in Latin America.

Also Read: Emirates And Avianca Launch Codeshare Partnership

Dubai-based carrier Emirates and Bogota-headquartered airline Avianca have launched their reciprocal codeshare partnership. Per the paperwork, passengers flying from Emirates’ network via Madrid, Barcelona, or London Heathrow can fly directly to three destinations in the Latin American region. The codeshare flights include Madrid to Bogota, Medellin, or Cali; Barcelona to Bogota; and London Heathrow to Bogota.

Avianca will insert its code on Emirates flights, between Barcelona, Madrid or London Heathrow, and Dubai. Its customers will travel on Emirates’ widebody jets, recognised for their comfortable accommodations, premium dining, and renowned inflight entertainment.

In addition to seamless connectivity, customers of both airlines will benefit from a single baggage policy checked through to their final destination. Tickets are already available via Emirates’ and Avianca’s official websites, mobile applications, contact centres, and travel agents. The codeshare flights start from June 4, 2024.

Also Read: Emirates To Restart Daily Service To Nigeria

LCI, an aviation company, and Sumitomo Mitsui Finance and Leasing Company Limited (SMFL) have created a joint venture (JV) leasing operation. That JV has signed an order contract with Airbus Helicopters for up to 21 helicopters. It comprises a firm order for 14 with the option to purchase an additional 7. The order is a mix of light twin H145s, medium twin H160s and super medium H175 choppers.

Per Airbus Helicopters, the order will be completed by 2028. The new helicopters joining the JV’s fleet will cater to various segments, like emergency medical services (EMS), search and rescue (SAR) and offshore energy. LCI and SMFL’s combined fleet presently consists of more than 40 Airbus helicopters deployed by 12 operators in over 10 countries. Those, too, serve the same sectors as mentioned above, all of which align with UN Sustainable Development Goals.

A firm order for an additional 105 Airbus A320neo Family aircraft has been placed by Saudia Group, which owns Saudia, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s (KSA) national flag carrier. The order comprises 12 A320neo and 93 A321neo aircraft, taking Saudia Group’s order backlog with Airbus to 144 A320neo family jets. Of the 105, 54 A321neo aircraft will be added to Saudia’s fleet, whereas flyadeal will get 12 A320neo and 39 A321neo aeroplanes.

Saudia wants to increase flights and seating capacity across its existing network of over 100 destinations across four continents. Specifically, raise capacity to 330 million and expand the number of destinations to 250 by the end of the decade. This will significantly boost KSA’s aviation capabilities and meet the goals of Saudi Vision 2030. The nation targets more than 150 million visitors by 2030, including tourists, entrepreneurs and pilgrims. Achieving this will create more employment opportunities and popularise local content, contributing to the country’s economy.

German low-cost carrier Eurowings has confirmed two new routes for the winter season of 2024/25. Starting October 28, the airline will fly an Airbus A320neo thrice weekly, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, from Cologne/Bonn to Dubai, UAE. The one-way ticket prices for this service start at EUR 179.99. This new route will complement Eurowings’ services to the desert emirate from Berlin and Stuttgart. Those went live last year.

The other new route comes into action on October 30, 2024. Eurowings will operate a flight from Dusseldorf to Cairo, the capital of Egypt. This service will be offered twice weekly on Wednesdays and Saturdays, with one-way ticket prices starting at EUR 139.99.

Dubai-based carrier Emirates has announced that daily flights to Lagos, Nigeria, will restart on October 1, 2024. The service will be offered on a Boeing 777-300ER, configured with 8 First Class suites, 42 Business Class seats, and 304 Economy seats.

The outbound flight – EK783 – will leave Dubai at 09:45 and arrive in Lagos at 15:20. The return service – EK784 – will depart from Lagos at 17:30 and land in Dubai at 05:10 the next day. Tickets for this route are available via travel agents and, of course, through the carrier’s official website.

Once the Dubai-Lagos route is live, Emirates will have 19 gateways in Africa. It will have 157 weekly flights to Africa from its hub in Dubai, with an additional 130 regional destinations in the continent through codeshare and interline partnerships with South African Airways, Airlink, Royal Air Maroc, Tunis Air and others. Also, the daily Dubai-Lagos service will boost Emirates SkyCargo’s offering with over 300 tonnes of weekly bellyhold cargo capacity.

Also Read: Emirates To Upgrade More Aircraft With New Interiors