Air Canada announced today that Anko Van der Werff will become its next President and Chief Executive Officer, and a member of the Board, by the end of January 2027. Mr. Van der Werff, currently President and Chief Executive Officer at Scandinavian Airlines, succeeds Michael Rousseau, who previously announced his retirement after 19 years with Air Canada.
dnata, a leading global air and travel services provider, is marking the next phase of its growth in Italy by offering permanent employment to 300 colleagues across its airport operations in Rome and Milan. Effective this month, the move covers 150 employees at Rome Fiumicino (FCO) and a further 150 across Milan Malpensa (MXP) and Milan Linate (LIN) airports. It forms part of dnata Italy’s long-term workforce strategy, supporting greater employment stability, skills development and operational resilience across three of the country’s major aviation hubs.
Demand for Norse Atlantic’s first direct flight from Oslo to Miami following Norway’s historic FIFA World Cup quarter-final qualification was so strong that the flight sold out almost immediately. Norse has now secured capacity for a second direct Dreamliner service, giving even more Norwegian supporters the opportunity to cheer on the national team against England. “The response has been truly overwhelming. We’ve received an extraordinary number of enquiries from supporters wanting to be there as Norway writes football history. We’re therefore delighted that we’ve been able to secure capacity for a second flight,” says Eivind Roald, CEO of Norse Atlantic.
The Anguilla Tourist Board (ATB) has proudly congratulated Trans Anguilla Airways on officially going live on the Global Distribution System (GDS) platform, marking a significant milestone for the Anguillian-owned and operated airline and an important advancement for regional connectivity and tourism accessibility. The integration into the GDS platform significantly enhances the airline’s international visibility and booking accessibility, allowing travel advisors, tour operators and travellers around the world to more seamlessly access and book Trans Anguilla Airways services.
Following the German national team’s early exit from the World Cup, many people want just one thing: vacation! Eurowings has reported a significant rise in bookings since the DFB’s defeat by Paraguay – both for flights and for holiday packages from its tour operator Eurowings Holidays. Just in time for the start of the summer holidays in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany’s most populous federal state, the desire to travel is growing noticeably.
Avianca, part of Abra Group, reaffirms its commitment to strengthening connectivity and expanding access to air travel during the midyear peak travel season from June to August, offering more than 71,000 flights and more than 12.5 million seats across a network of more than 160 routes connecting more than 80 destinations in over 25 countries in the Americas and Europe.
For decades, airlines have focused on monetising loyalty currencies through points, miles and co-branded credit cards. But according to loyalty experts, the next phase of airline loyalty will be less about the currency customers earn and more about commercialising the status they hold. Speaking on the latest episode of the Travel Trends podcast, Mark Ross-Smith, CEO of Loyalty Status Co., argued that airlines are beginning to rethink one of the least commercialised elements of their loyalty programmes.
flyadeal’s summer 2026 seasonal network has taken off, with flights to five popular holiday destinations including new services to Milan and Prague now operating. This marks the first time that the Saudia Group’s fast-growing low fare carrier has served Italy through Milan, one of the world’s fashion capitals, and the Czech Republic through Prague, widely regarded as one of Europe’s most culturally rich cities.
Aviation is preparing to move twice as many passengers within a generation, without doubling the airports, the fleet, or the people standing at the borders. SITA’s Impact Report 2025 sets out how the industry is closing that gap, and the answer is increasingly software rather than concrete. The industry will carry 8 billion passengers a year within 20 to 25 years, heading toward 10 billion by 2050, according to IATA. Drawn from a year of work with airlines, airports, governments, and travel partners worldwide, the SITA Impact Report 2025 tracks how technology is becoming the principal way the industry adds capacity, manages disruption, and reduces its environmental footprint.
GO7, the growth platform for airlines, has named South African carrier LIFT among the first to implement its Orchestrated Virtual Interlining (OVI) solution, with the airline calling for wider industry adoption as a new path for connectivity in Africa. Set to go live within weeks, the integration is an early proof point for a new, airline-managed model of virtual interlining (VI) that closes the experience gap between traditional and virtual interline partnerships.
Hamad International Airport (HIA) and Qatar Airways have jointly implemented and now launched the Fast Pass solution, a new biometric service designed to support a more paperless departure journey with technology partner SITA. Using facial recognition, the Fast Pass service enables passengers to move through key airport checkpoints with fewer document checks. The service is one of the largest biometric passenger rollouts of its kind in the Middle East and globally, connecting more than 700 touchpoints into a single trusted journey, with security and data protection built into every step.
Trevor Sadler, CEO of interCaribbean Airways, believes what inspires travelers to choose one Caribbean destination over another begins with storytelling.
easyJet could be heading for one of the most significant ownership changes in its 31-year history after the British low-cost carrier agreed in principle to a revised takeover proposal from U.S. investment firm Castlelake.
Wizz Air has been named Most Sustainable Company in the European Low-Cost Airline Industry at the World Finance Sustainability Awards 2026.
Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, is introducing an international summer deployment programme for its highest-performing Emirati airport trainees for the first time. Taking place immediately after the foundation phase of its Airports and Ground Operations Programmes, the deployment gives UAE Nationals the operational challenge, hands-on responsibility and international exposure to build careers across Etihad’s growing global network.
Whether it’s hiking up Mount Fuji, taking photos during cherry blossom season or enjoying a world-renowned omakase experience, travelers looking to check a visit to Tokyo off their bucket list will soon have a new travel option. Starting next spring, American will launch new nonstop service to Tokyo (NRT) from its hub in Chicago (ORD) in partnership with Japan Airlines. CEO Robert Isom joined customers and team members for a celebration of the new route at the iconic Hall of Flags in Terminal 3 — American’s home at ORD where more than 40,000 customers pass through each day on one of more than 500 daily flights. Earlier this week, Isom also celebrated the new service at a reception for the Chicagoland community.
flynas, the leading low-cost airline in the world and the best LCC in the Middle East, celebrated the inauguration of its first direct flights between Jeddah and the Moroccan capital, Rabat, further strengthening the connection between the two Kingdoms and expanding flynas’ presence in the African market.
A strong signal for more sustainable aviation: As part of its strategy to reduce the climate impact of business travel, Deutsche Bank is investing in the deployment of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) in air transport with the Lufthansa Group. The jointly agreed volume of approximately 1,600 metric tonnes of SAF enables an estimated emissions saving of around 5,500 metric tonnes of CO₂.
Emirates is introducing a third daily flight between Dubai and Phuket, operated by its new Airbus A350, offering travelers greater choice and extending its award-winning Premium Economy experience in Thailand. The additional flight frequency to Phuket complements the airline’s existing schedule and provides much-needed capacity to meet the deep tourism appeal and surge in summer travel demand from Europe and the Middle East/GCC. Customers can look forward to Emirates’ award-winning Premium Economy experience, complete with extra legroom and curated amenities, elevated dining, and more.
In June, the Norwegian Group had a total of 2.8 million passengers. Of these, Norwegian recorded 2.4 million passengers, while Widerøe had 404,000. June was a month where both Norwegian and Widerøe delivered growth in capacity and passengers compared to last year.