Category Airline, Tourism, Organisations & Operators

The centennial summer for American Airlines is shaping up to be one for the record books, with the airline set to welcome more customers than ever across its largest summer schedule to date.

During American’s summer travel period, which runs from May 21 through Sept. 8, the airline expects to welcome 75 million customers across 750,000 flights, smashing its previous record set in 2019. The summer kicks off with Memorial Day weekend, when American expects to welcome more than 4.2 million customers across more than 40,000 flights from May 21 through May 26. The most traveled day that weekend is Friday, May 22.

Etihad Airways will showcase its role as one of the UAE’s largest global exporters of services and a key driver of national economic growth at Make it in the Emirates (MIITE) 2026, the country’s largest industrial trade platform, taking place from 4 to 7 May at ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi.

Etihad generates more than AED 29 billion in annual revenue through the export of aviation and logistics services to global markets, directly contributing to the UAE economy. Through its wider role in tourism, trade and connectivity, the airline drives over AED 130 billion in economic activity across the UAE.

Turning a layover into a city trip: Lufthansa now offers passengers on Singapore and U.S. routes the opportunity to extend their stopover at the Munich hub for up to seven days. As an additional step, hotels and other tourist offerings in the Bavarian capital can be included in the booking.

Jet2 has marked the launch of its brand-new route to La Palma, after the UK’s favourite airline and tour operator’s inaugural flight departed from Manchester Airport on Friday (3rd April) afternoon.

Perfectly timed for the Easter holidays, the full flight signalled the start of Jet2 operating award-winning flights and holidays to La Palma for Summer 2026 – its fifth destination in the Canary Islands.

Madeira is set to strengthen connectivity from the UK for the summer season*, with increased frequency on both London and some regional routes.

London will remain a key getaway to Madeira, with a consistent schedule of 31 weekly flights operating across the capital’s airports throughout the summer season, up from an average of 28 weekly flights last summer. The Bournemouth service, which launched last summer, returns for the summer season, and Bristol will benefit from increased frequency, rising from four to five flights per week, offering improved flexibility for travellers from the South West.

British Airways is expanding its nonstop London Heathrow to Cincinnati Northern Kentucky International Airport service to six weekly flights from 29 March 2026, boosting capacity by 55 to 60 percent in response to rising demand. The timing could not be better. The Cincy Region, where German heritage meets urban energy and Southern hospitality, is gearing up for a standout year of landmark events, culinary innovation and major cultural moments, making 2026 the perfect time to visit.

As tensions and military confrontations intensify across parts of the Middle East, the aviation sector has seen significant disruptions. Airlines, governments, and international aviation authorities are grappling with safety concerns, rapidly changing flight plans, and economic fallout as the region’s airspace becomes increasingly volatile.

Global airlines suspended flights across the Middle East on Saturday after the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran, plunging the region into a renewed military confrontation.
Flight maps showed the airspace over Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Israel and Bahrain virtually empty as Israel said it struck Iran and the U.S. military initiated a series of strikes against targets in the country. Iran retaliated with a salvo of missiles.

Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. (BTMI) UK & Ireland has warmly welcomed today’s announcement that Aer Lingus will launch a new direct service from Dublin (DUB) to Barbados (BGI), with seats
going on sale from Thursday, February 12th.
The new route represents a significant milestone for Barbados in the Irish market, providing direct connectivity between the two islands. Operated by Aer Lingus’ new fuel-efficient Airbus A321XLR aircraft, the service will strengthen ties between the two destinations while offering Irish travellers a seamless and sustainable way to get to Barbados.

With no sun in sight and freezing conditions set to sweep across the UK this week, families are chasing affordable sunshine abroad this winter for some much-needed vitamin D.

A new ‘Holiday Hotlist’ index has been published that factors in criteria such as typical winter temperature, hours of sunshine per day, time difference with UK and average price of a meal out for four to pinpoint the best spots for winter sun.