In June this year, Etihad Airways began direct flights between its primary hub, Abu Dhabi, and Jaipur, India. The airline has received an overwhelming response from the four-month-old route. To that end, the #UAE’s national carrier has decided to add more flights between the cities.

Starting December 15, 2024, ten weekly flights will operate between the UAE’s capital and the capital of Rajasthan. Flight EY 0326 will depart from Abu Dhabi and land in Jaipur at 14:25 and 19:00, respectively. The return leg – EY 0327 – will fly out of Jaipur at 22:00 and arrive in Abu Dhabi at 00:45 the next day. These flights will operate on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

In case those times aren’t suitable, there’s another option. Flight EY 0328 will depart from Abu Dhabi and land in Jaipur at 02:10 the next day (operation days: Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays). The service back – EY 0329 – will leave Jaipur and arrive in Abu Dhabi at 03:15 and 06:00, respectively (operation days: Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays).

Etihad will ferry passengers aboard Airbus A320 family aircraft, featuring Business Class and Economy sections. 

Also Read: Etihad To Offer More Flights On Several Routes From December

Vietnam’s flag carrier, Vietnam Airlines, has established a direct link between Hanoi and Munich, Germany. The airline launched nonstop service between the cities on October 5. The outbound flight – VN35 – departed from Vietnam’s capital at five minutes past midnight for the capital of Bavaria. The return service flew out of the Munich International Airport at 13:35 the same day. Both times mentioned are local.

On the newly introduced route, Vietnam Airlines will operate two weekly services. Flights will depart from Hanoi on Fridays and Sundays, whereas those coming the other way will leave from Munich on Saturdays and Mondays.

That’s not all. On October 7, 2024, the airline introduced a direct flight to Munich from Ho Chi Minh City. This route will operate once a week on Mondays (return flight on Tuesdays). However, an additional service on Wednesdays (return on Thursdays) will be introduced in December this year. Last month, the carrier announced its plan to start nonstop flights between Hanoi and Milan next year.

Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) has inked an agreement with Ethiopian Airlines, Africa’s largest airline. According to the paperwork, passengers of both airlines will have access to additional routes and smooth transfers.

The collaboration between the two flag carriers of their respective countries enables travellers to purchase a single ticket for flights of both airlines. An additional convenience extended is the end-to-end baggage check-in service. In other words, passengers won’t have to claim and re-check the baggage between transfers.

Those travelling can benefit from transfers in the Middle East, the GCC countries, and the Indian subcontinent. This partnership opens up a broad choice of international destinations for AZAL passengers, especially in Africa.

Also Read: Azerbaijan Airlines Is The Latest Customer For AerCap

For the very first time, an Indian airline has bagged top honours at the World Travel Awards. The 31st edition of the prestigious awards gave Air India’s latest inflight entertainment the title of Asia’s Leading Airline Inflight Entertainment 2024. With this, the rejuvenated carrier joins an elite club of airlines that have bagged World Travel Awards titles in previous years.

The award recognised Air India’s full suite of inflight entertainment aboard its latest Airbus A350 fleet, which currently ferry passengers between Delhi and London Heathrow. Next month, the new-gen aircraft will serve Air India passengers en route to New York JFK. The same inflight entertainment will also be available on the 64 new widebody aircraft on firm order, and the fleet of aeroplanes that will be upgraded with a complete interior overhaul along with the latest entertainment systems.

Air India’s new inflight entertainment provides a broad choice of content. Over 3000 hours of content across formats and genres is available, including 1400 hours of movies, 850 hours of TV shows, and 1000 hours of audio.

Also Read: Air India Express And AirAsia India Merger Is Now Complete

After starting nonstop service between Belgrade and Guangzhou less than two weeks ago, Air Serbia announced the name of the third destination in mainland China to which it would fly directly. Starting January 11, 2025, the Serbian flag carrier will begin flights to Shanghai from its primary hub. During the winter season, the airline will operate two weekly flights on the newly announced route on Tuesdays and Saturdays. The return flights will begin their journeys on Wednesdays and Sundays. Air Serbia also plans to keep the Belgrade-Shanghai route alive in the following summer season.

Once the new route goes live, Air Serbia will have established nonstop flight links to three cities in mainland China. In addition to the two mentioned above, it has been operating flights to Tianjin since December 9, 2022. The airline aims to facilitate travel between the two countries, which recently signed a free trade agreement and practice a visa-free regime.

Also Read: Air Serbia Now Has Three A330-200s In Fleet

One of the strong players in private jet services, RightJet, has announced the opening of a private jet showroom in a luxury hotel in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Where exactly? In the atrium of the Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental Hotel.

The space is filled with intriguing aspects. For instance, the crew dons a 1960s-inspired uniform but uses high-tech solutions to provide information and services to visitors. The showroom also includes a private meeting room, a majlis area for guests to get all the details for making an informed decision, and a mock-up fuselage of one of the latest and fastest private jets on the market that entered service very recently.

Also, Dubai-based RightJet has created a proprietary application to present real-time aviation solutions and aircraft options to its clients.

Also Read: Opul Jets Has Confirmed New Creature Comfort For Compatible Fleet

The Serbian flag carrier, Air Serbia, has welcomed its third Airbus A330-200 to strengthen the long-haul fleet. Flaunting Expo 2027 Belgrade livery, the aircraft’s registration code is YU-ARD. The colourful set was applied to the plane in Lisbon using 270 unique decals. The widebody aeroplane was manufactured in 2014 and features 22 seats in Business Class and 240 in Economy. Two Rolls-Royce engines provide enough thrust for a maximum flying altitude of 41,450 feet.

The Expo 2027 event is scheduled between May 15 and August 15, 2027. The newly inducted A330-200, along with the other two already in service and another one expected to join Air Serbia’s fleet before 2024 ends, will help bring international crowds from New York and Chicago in the west to Tianjin and Guangzhou in the East. The first Airbus A330-200, bearing registration YU-ARB, joined the carrier’s fleet in April 2021. The second one – YU-ARC – came into the picture in November 2022. That aircraft is named after and features an image of Mihajlo Pupin, a famed Serbian inventor.

Also Read: Air Serbia Now Flying Direct To Two Cities In China

Private jet charter provider Opul Jets has partnered with SpaceX’s Starlink Aviation. Courtesy of the partnership, all compatible aircraft in the company’s fleet will be upgraded to provide satellite internet to its passengers. In other words, those who charter a jet can stay connected to the internet even while flying.

Opul Jets claims that the equipment will help offer high-speed internet with low latency. The promised download speed will vary between 40 and 220 Mbps, while the upload speeds will range from 8 to 25 Mbps. The latency will be less than 99 milliseconds. As a result, passengers can easily watch live sports and stream movies aboard.

The first aircraft to be fitted with equipment to provide satellite internet is Opul Jets’ Bombardier Global Express XRS. It’s an ultra-long-range jet ideal for intercontinental journeys. The aircraft has space for up to 16 passengers and can fly up to 6,500 nautical miles nonstop. Opul Jets operates the aircraft through AV8Jet Charter Ltd, Malta.

The installation process of Starlink Aviation’s hardware isn’t time-consuming. In fact, per Opul Jets, the whole package can be fitted during routine maintenance checks, thus avoiding any service disruption. Each compatible aircraft will be equipped with an antenna (called Aero Terminal), a Power Supply Unit and two wireless access points.

One of India’s newest and fastest-growing airlines, Akasa Air, has partnered with TripFactory to introduce Akasa Holidays. As the name suggests, the carrier allows travellers to book holiday packages directly. The airline offers an extensive range of pocket-friendly and customised holiday packages for those looking to experience a variety of exciting destinations, both in India and overseas. These packages can be customised based on the occasion, for instance, a family vacation, a romantic getaway, or a corporate retreat.

The services included in packages are air travel (of course!), hotel stays, transfers, sightseeing and other miscellaneous activities and 24/7 on-tour assistance, ensuring your safety and comfort throughout the trip. Some curated theme-based packages include Weekend City Breaks, Wellness Tours, and Heritage & Pilgrimage Tours. And yes, all can be customised with add-ons per the passengers’ requirements.

Intrigued? Take advantage of the introductory offer of 10 per cent off packages with the promo code HOLIDAY10.

Also Read: Akasa Air Now Has 25 Boeing Jets In Its Fleet