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Biman Bangladesh orders 11 more Boeing aircraft

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André Orban
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Biman Bangladesh Airlines has ordered five Boeing 787-10 Dreamliners and six 737-8s as part of its fleet renewal and expansion plans. The 11-aircraft purchase follows an order for 14 Boeing jets earlier in 2026, bringing the carrier’s orders this year to 25 aircraft.

The 787-10s will add capacity alongside Biman’s existing 787-8 and 787-9 aircraft, while the 737-8s will support its shorter-haul network. The airline also operates Boeing 777s and earlier-generation 737s.

Biman chairman Rumee A. Hossain said the additional aircraft address specific requirements in the airline’s fleet plan. The carrier intends to develop connections serving travellers from Bangladesh, its expatriate communities, businesses and tourism.

Boeing and Biman announced the agreement in New York on 23 September, during the United Nations General Assembly. Neither company specified delivery dates or the value of the new order.

easyJet adds 18 UK routes for summer 2027

By
André Orban
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0

easyJet has put 18 new routes from ten UK airports on sale for summer 2027, expanding its network to destinations in Spain, France, Italy, Germany, Greece, Cyprus, Montenegro and Bulgaria. Six of the new routes serve Spain, including the airline’s first flights from the UK to Girona.

Liverpool–Girona will begin on 28 March with two weekly flights, followed by London Gatwick–Girona on 3 June with three weekly flights. Other Spanish additions include Aberdeen–Barcelona and Palma de Mallorca, Liverpool–Murcia and Edinburgh–Bilbao.

Scotland accounts for six of the new routes. Alongside its two Aberdeen services, easyJet will add Edinburgh flights to Bilbao, Rome Fiumicino, Tivat and Hamburg. Birmingham will also gain a Tivat service, as well as flights to Milan Malpensa.

The French additions are Gatwick–Ajaccio, Bristol–Montpellier and Manchester–Bastia. Elsewhere, easyJet will introduce Bristol–Burgas, Newcastle–Larnaca, London Southend–Rhodes and London Luton–Thessaloniki.

Most routes are scheduled twice weekly, although Newcastle–Larnaca and Luton–Thessaloniki will operate weekly. easyJet says it will be the only airline offering direct flights on ten of the 18 routes. All are also available as package holidays through easyJet holidays.

Ostend-Bruges Airport receives new environmental permit

By
André Orban
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0

Flemish Environment Minister Jo Brouns has granted Ostend-Bruges Airport a new environmental permit, allowing it to continue operating under a defined set of conditions. The airport says it will adapt its procedures to meet those conditions.

The airport plans to broaden its activities by attracting more cargo operators and scheduled passenger services. It also intends to develop business aviation further with its partner NSAC.

Training is another part of the plan. Ostend-Bruges wants to expand pilot and other aviation courses, including through its cooperation with VIVES University of Applied Sciences.

The airport also points to a new hangar planned by EASP Air, which would expand maintenance, repair and overhaul services for business aviation alongside work already carried out on site by NHV.

The announcement does not specify the permit’s duration or its detailed operating conditions.

KM Malta Airlines and SNCF add train connections across France and to Brussels

By
André Orban
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0

KM Malta Airlines and SNCF Voyageurs have announced a Train + Air partnership allowing passengers to book flights and high-speed rail journeys together through Paris Charles-de-Gaulle and Lyon Saint-Exupéry airports.

The service will connect KM Malta Airlines flights with SNCF Voyageurs trains, including TGV INOUI and OUIGO. Passengers will be able to buy combined journeys through the airline’s website and app, travelling between Malta and destinations beyond Paris and Lyon on a single booking.

Via Paris Charles-de-Gaulle, the partnership will offer rail connections to 25 destinations across France and to Brussels, including Marseille, Bordeaux, Nantes, Rennes, Strasbourg, Lille and Montpellier. Connections through Lyon Saint-Exupéry will include Avignon, Grenoble, Marseille, Montpellier and Nîmes.

KM Malta Airlines says passengers affected by eligible flight or train disruptions will receive onward travel arrangements at no additional cost, subject to the applicable conditions. The announcement does not specify when Train + Air bookings will become available.

STARLUX and American launch codeshare covering 20 US destinations

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André Orban
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0

STARLUX Airlines and American Airlines have launched a codeshare agreement linking STARLUX’s transpacific flights with American’s domestic network. Tickets are now available for itineraries combining flights on both airlines via Los Angeles and Phoenix.

The initial agreement covers 20 US destinations. Passengers travelling through Phoenix can connect to cities including Albuquerque, Austin, Boston and Washington Reagan National, while connections through Los Angeles include New York JFK and Miami. Eight destinations, among them Chicago O’Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth and Philadelphia, are available through either gateway.

The codeshare expands an interline agreement established in 2025. Passengers can book eligible journeys on a single ticket, with baggage checked through to the final destination. The airlines say they expect to add further codeshare connections.

A reciprocal frequent-flyer arrangement is also being prepared, but mileage earning and redemption under that agreement are not yet available. STARLUX launched its Taipei–Phoenix service earlier this year, adding a second US gateway for the new codeshare alongside Los Angeles.

Brussels Airlines flight to Heraklion diverts to Zagreb after medical emergency

By
André Orban
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0
Brussels Airlines Airbus A320

A Brussels Airlines flight from Brussels to Heraklion, Greece, diverted to Zagreb on Thursday morning, 24 September, due to an onboard medical emergency. The aircraft landed in the Croatian capital at around 08:00, according to the airline.

A couple left the aircraft in Zagreb. Brussels Airlines spokesperson Joëlle Neeb declined to provide details of the medical situation for privacy reasons. The flight resumed its journey to Heraklion at around 09:00.

Flight-tracking records identify the service as SN3255, operated by an Airbus A320 registered OO-TCH.

Google plans two satellites to test AI computing in space

By
André Orban
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0
Solar arrays aboard the International Space Station, photographed above Earth. The image does not show Google’s planned satellites. Credit: NASA

Google plans to launch two experimental satellites with Earth observation company Planet by early 2027 to test technology for a possible future AI computing network in orbit. The mission is part of Project Suncatcher, a research initiative announced in November 2025.

The prototypes will test how Google’s Tensor Processing Unit (TPU) chips perform in space and whether optical links can connect satellites carrying out shared computing tasks. The launch will be a technology demonstration, rather than an operational space data centre.

Google’s longer-term concept involves clusters of solar-powered satellites linked by high-speed communications. The company says a suitable low-Earth orbit could give their solar panels near-continuous sunlight, potentially providing power for large-scale AI computing.

Significant obstacles remain, including keeping satellites in close formation, managing heat, communicating with Earth and reducing launch costs. Google has not announced when, or whether, a full-scale orbital AI data centre would enter service.

Swedavia plans 95 redundancies in organisational overhaul

By
André Orban
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0

Swedavia has announced changes to its organisation aimed at cutting costs, simplifying decision-making and improving its response to airlines and other customers. The Swedish airport operator says it wants to strengthen Stockholm Arlanda’s role as an international hub while supporting its wider airport network.

Around 125 positions will be affected, including posts that are currently vacant. Swedavia has given notice of planned redundancies covering 95 positions, primarily at its Stockholm head office.

The changes will reduce roles in support functions and move decisions closer to customers, according to President and CEO Mats Johannesson. Swedavia says this will allow it to focus more closely on airport operations and air connectivity.

The restructuring will begin immediately and is expected to be completed by the end of the year. Swedavia says it will provide support to employees affected by the process.

TUI Airline plans 25 new routes for summer 2027

By
André Orban
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0
TUI Boeing 787-9 (copyright Ivan Coninx)

TUI Airline plans to operate 84,000 flights and offer 17 million seats in summer 2027, a 4.6% increase in capacity over summer 2026. Its programme includes 25 new routes and around 640,000 additional seats across the UK, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands.

The schedule is the first developed under a single commercial framework combining demand from TUI tour operators, distribution partners and customers booking flights only. Following a network review, TUI says it has adjusted capacity, frequencies or aircraft deployment on about one-third of its routes.

London Gatwick will gain eight routes, bringing TUI’s network there to 59 destinations. The additions are Athens, Palermo, Santiago de Compostela, Seville, Valencia, Tangier, Djerba and Mytilene.

In Germany, TUI will introduce a twice-weekly Boeing 787 service from Düsseldorf to Curaçao. New short- and medium-haul routes from Düsseldorf and Hanover include Málaga from both airports, Ljubljana, Naples and Venice from Düsseldorf, and Olbia from Hanover.

Amsterdam will gain a twice-weekly Boeing 787 service to Kilimanjaro, operated as part of a routing that also serves Zanzibar. TUI also plans to make Amsterdam the launch base for its Boeing 737-10 in the second quarter of 2027, subject to the aircraft’s certification. The Dutch operation is expected to replace six 737-8s with seven larger 737-10s.

For Belgium, TUI plans more services to destinations including Lanzarote, Gran Canaria, Palma de Mallorca, Alicante, Crete, Madeira and Marrakech. It also identifies new route opportunities to Billund, Ljubljana, Essaouira and Fez, without specifying frequencies or departure airports in the announcement.

TUI says the wider programme will allow it to use its aircraft more intensively while retaining package holidays at the centre of its business. Most of the new routes are planned to operate two or three times a week.

Finnair to offer up to three daily Helsinki–Tokyo flights in summer 2027

By
André Orban
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0

Finnair will add flights to Tokyo Narita during the peak 2027 summer season, increasing the route to up to twice daily while continuing its daily service to Tokyo Haneda. At peak times, the airline will therefore offer up to three flights a day between Helsinki and Tokyo.

The additional Narita service is scheduled from 12 May to 14 August 2027, with exceptions for the Helsinki departure on 13 May and the return flight on 14 May. Finnair says its total Japan schedule will rise from 28 weekly flights in summer 2026 to up to 32 in summer 2027.

Finnair also serves Osaka year-round and Nagoya in summer. The airline says the extra Tokyo flights are timed to connect with its European network.

Brussels and Hyderabad airports agree to develop pharmaceutical cargo links

By
André Orban
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0

Brussels Airport and Hyderabad International Airport have signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen air cargo ties between Belgium and India, with a focus on pharmaceuticals and life sciences.

The airports plan to share expertise, bring their industry partners closer together and identify opportunities to improve cargo connectivity. There is currently no direct air service between Brussels and Hyderabad, and the agreement does not announce one.

Brussels Airport says it has 45,000 square metres of temperature-controlled storage space. Hyderabad is a major centre for pharmaceutical manufacturing, vaccines and research. The agreement was signed with the support of Flanders Investment & Trade; the airports expect to develop specific cargo initiatives in the coming months.

Source: Brussels Airport

Brussels Airport completes five-year Stargate sustainability programme

By
André Orban
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0

Brussels Airport has presented the results of Stargate, a five-year European programme that tested more than 30 projects aimed at decarbonising airport operations, improving local quality of life and encouraging sustainable transport.

Working with 22 partners and support from the EU’s Horizon 2020 programme, the airport accelerated the introduction of electric ground-handling equipment. Electric fuel dispensers developed for Skytanking are now used daily, while hydrogen-powered equipment was tested at Brussels and Toulouse. The trials found potential for hydrogen where battery-electric solutions are impractical, although supply and infrastructure remain obstacles.

A trial conducted with TUI using the TaxiBot aircraft towing system showed that engine-off taxiing could reduce noise by 10 to 15 decibels and ultrafine-particle emissions by up to 80%, depending on operational conditions and taxiing distances.

Stargate also supported the rollout of Brussels Airport’s Digital Green Lane for cargo deliveries and collections. The paperless system now processes 95% of goods passing through the cargo zone, reducing lorry waiting times and associated emissions.

Sustainable access initiatives included additional cycling infrastructure, shared bicycles, improved public-transport information and a study into high-speed rail links. Bicycle traffic on the route towards the terminal increased by 20% in 2025, with a further average rise of 7% recorded across counting points in 2026.

The programme’s final trial uses Europe’s first mobile installation for blending sustainable aviation fuel at an airport. The system allows kerosene to be mixed on demand with a higher proportion of sustainable fuel for airlines seeking to exceed the EU’s current 2% SAF requirement. The pilot, conducted with Skytanking, will continue until the end of 2026.

Edinburgh Airport unveils £500 million expansion programme

By
André Orban
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0

Edinburgh Airport will invest more than £500 million over the next five years in the largest capital programme in its history, expanding terminal capacity and preparing Scotland’s busiest airport for future growth.

The first phase includes new gates and aircraft stands, an enlarged check-in hall and departure lounge, upgraded international arrivals and baggage facilities, and expanded retail, food and beverage areas. Overall, the terminal footprint will increase by 60%.

Work is already under way on the South East Pier expansion, which is expected to open fully in summer 2027. Improvements across the wider airport campus will include additional electric-vehicle infrastructure, a new access road and measures supporting lower-carbon operations.

The programme is intended to improve passenger flows and operational efficiency while creating capacity for additional short- and long-haul services. Edinburgh Airport expects the investment to strengthen Scotland’s links with Europe, North America, the Middle East and Asia.

The development is the first stage of a broader long-term investment plan backed by airport owners VINCI Airports and Global Infrastructure Partners. Balfour Beatty is involved in delivering infrastructure projects while the airport remains operational.

Condor adds Athens and Florence as Frankfurt city network grows

By
André Orban
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0

Condor will add daily flights from Frankfurt to Athens from 28 April 2027 and twice-daily services to Florence from 6 May, as it continues developing its European feeder network.

The two seasonal routes will be joined by the previously announced Frankfurt–Stockholm service, which starts on 13 May 2027 and will operate twice daily throughout the year.

The additions will expand Condor’s European city network to 16 destinations during summer 2027. Flight schedules are being coordinated with the airline’s long-haul operations, offering connections through Frankfurt to destinations across North America, the Caribbean, Africa and Asia.

Condor says the expansion forms part of its transformation from a predominantly leisure carrier into a network airline, using European services to feed its intercontinental routes and strengthen Frankfurt’s role as its principal hub.

Iberia unveils centenary programme and special aircraft livery

By
André Orban
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0

Iberia has begun the countdown to its 100th anniversary in 2027, unveiling a special centenary livery and a year-long programme celebrating the airline’s history, employees, passengers and links between Spain and Latin America.

The main institutional event will be held at Iberia’s La Muñoza maintenance centre in June 2027, the month in which the airline was founded. Other activities will include an air show at Cuatro Vientos, exhibitions and events at Casa de América, a business gathering at the Madrid Stock Exchange and celebrations with the Juan Sebastián de Elcano training ship, which will also mark its centenary.

Iberia will open public spaces dedicated to the anniversary in Madrid, Buenos Aires, Bogotá, Mexico City and São Paulo. A book and documentary will chronicle the airline’s history, while a new Iberia Foundation will coordinate its humanitarian and social-impact activities.

Around 60,000 current and former employees are expected to participate in centenary events. These will include the symbolic IB100 flight retracing the company’s development over the past century.

The anniversary will coincide with several customer-service upgrades, including refurbished long-haul cabins, the fleet-wide rollout of free high-speed Starlink Wi-Fi and a renewed culinary offering developed with Spain’s Royal Academy of Gastronomy.

The programme will also highlight Iberia’s Flight Plan 2030, backed by €6 billion in investment. The airline’s long-haul fleet has grown from 43 aircraft at the beginning of 2025 to 51, with a target of around 70. New Airbus A321XLRs have enabled Iberia to add destinations including Orlando, Recife, Fortaleza, Toronto and Monterrey.

RAF suspends Hawk operations after training jet crashes in Wales

By
André Orban
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0
Royal Air Force BAe Systems Hawk T2 © RAF

The Royal Air Force has temporarily suspended all Hawk T1 and T2 operations after two pilots ejected from a Hawk T2 shortly before it crashed near Pencarnisiog on Anglesey, North Wales, on Wednesday.

The aircraft had departed nearby RAF Valley on a training flight when it encountered difficulties and plunged to the ground, narrowly missing homes and a caravan park before bursting into flames. Both pilots’ parachutes deployed successfully, and they were taken to hospital with injuries believed to be minor. No one on the ground was injured, and no wider damage was initially reported.

Emergency services attended the scene, and firefighters brought the resulting blaze under control. Police asked the public to avoid the area while recovery and investigation work continued.

An eyewitness who watched the aircraft take off reported seeing an orange flame before it climbed steeply, pitched violently and produced two loud bangs as the pilots ejected. The cause of the accident has not been established, and the RAF has opened an investigation.

The Hawk T2 is a two-seat advanced trainer used at RAF Valley to prepare pilots for frontline combat aircraft such as the Eurofighter Typhoon. The precautionary suspension also covers the older Hawk T1, the type flown by the Red Arrows, although any effect on the display team has not yet been confirmed.

Turkish Airlines finalises order for 100 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft with options for 50 more

By
André Orban
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0

Turkish Airlines has finalised its largest Boeing single-aisle order, purchasing 100 737-8 aircraft and securing options for a further 50 737 MAX jets.

The agreement includes substitution rights for the larger 737-10, allowing the airline to adapt the order to future capacity requirements. The aircraft will support domestic and international growth from Turkish Airlines’ Istanbul hub, while improving operational flexibility on short- and medium-haul routes.

Boeing says the 737 MAX uses about 20% less fuel and emits 20% less than the aircraft it replaces. Turkish Airlines expects the type’s range, payload capability and efficiency to support services on high-demand routes.

Turkish Airlines and its subsidiary AJet currently operate more than 200 Boeing aircraft, including the 737 MAX, 737 Next Generation, 777, 787 Dreamliner and 777 Freighter.

The deal follows the airline’s 2025 purchase of up to 75 Boeing 787 Dreamliners and forms part of its broader fleet and network expansion. It also includes industrial participation intended to support Türkiye’s aviation sector.

Air France to operate special flights for Pope Leo XIV’s first visit to France

By
André Orban
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0
Air France Airbus A321

Air France will operate three special flights for Pope Leo XIV during his first visit to France, from 25 to 28 September 2026.

A dedicated Airbus A321 will carry the Pope and his entourage, including more than 70 Vatican officials, security personnel and Swiss Guards, together with over 80 accredited journalists. During the mission, the aircraft will temporarily bear the name “Cité du Vatican” on its fuselage and display the Vatican coat of arms beside the forward boarding door.

The itinerary includes Paris-Orly–Tarbes-Lourdes on 26 September, followed by Lourdes–Metz-Nancy and Metz-Nancy–Rome-Fiumicino on 28 September. Transavia will operate an additional special Orly–Lourdes flight for cardinals, bishops and journalists.

The papal services will be classified as state flights and receive priority handling. More than 100 Air France employees will participate in the operation, covering flight and cabin crews, maintenance, ground handling, security, protocol, catering and coordination.

Vatican Coat of Arms

Before departure from Orly, Air France will present Pope Leo XIV with a collector’s poster recalling the airline’s historic role in religious travel. Previous papal missions include carrying John Paul II aboard Concorde from Réunion to Lusaka in 1989 and operating flights for Benedict XVI’s visit to France in 2008.

Strike at Charleroi airport suspended as mediation begins

By
Bart Noëth
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0

Air traffic controllers at Brussels South Charleroi Airport have suspended their overnight strike to allow mediation talks over a dispute concerning night allowances.

The unions representing the controllers have agreed to enter a new round of negotiations with s

keyes under the supervision of an external mediator. The industrial action had been taking place overnight, between 22:00 and 08:00, since last week and had resulted in numerous flight cancellations at the Belgian airport.

The dispute is linked to the planned digital air traffic control centre in Namur, which is expected to handle traffic for both Charleroi and Liège. The unions are seeking to bring the night allowance for Charleroi controllers in line with the allowance currently applying to their colleagues in Liège.

Belgian Mobility Minister Jean-Luc Crucke proposed external mediation on Tuesday in an effort to resolve the dispute. The unions’ decision to suspend the strike is intended to create the conditions for the negotiations to proceed.

The immediate suspension should reduce the risk of further overnight cancellations at Charleroi Airport, although airlines may still need some time to restore their schedules following the previous disruptions.

Volotea launches Berlin–Florence flights

By
André Orban
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0
Volotea Airbus A320 takes off from Berlin

Volotea has launched direct flights between Berlin Brandenburg Airport and Florence, marking the first time the Tuscan capital has been served nonstop from BER.

The route will operate up to twice weekly, on Tuesdays and Saturdays, using a 156-seat Airbus A319. The journey takes just under two hours.

Services are scheduled around periods of strong leisure demand, operating in September and October, over the Christmas and New Year period, and again from late March with the start of the summer timetable.

The new route also marks Volotea’s return to Berlin Brandenburg Airport and expands the range of direct Italian destinations available from the German capital region.

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