Ho Chi Minh City – Colombo route

The new Ho Chi Minh City–Colombo service marks Vietjet’s entry into the Sri Lankan market and represents a further step to growing its South Asia network. 

Scheduled to commence in August 2026, the route will operate four return flights per week, creating a new air bridge between Vietnam and Sri Lanka while supporting greater tourism, trade, investment, and people-to-people exchange.

Vietjet, First Vice Chairman Dinh Viet Phuong said: “The Ho Chi Minh City–Colombo route opens a new air connection between Vietnam and Sri Lanka, creating new opportunities for cooperation in trade, investment, tourism, and cultural exchange across South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the broader Asia-Pacific region.”

Colombo, a key economic and trading hub in the Indian Ocean, and Ho Chi Minh City, one of Southeast Asia’s most dynamic metropolitan centres, are expected to form a new bridge for regional growth and cooperation.

Expanding partnerships in India

In India, Vietjet has also signed strategic cooperation agreements with GMR Airports Limited and Bird Group, two of the country’s leading enterprises.

The agreements pave the way for broader collaboration between Vietnam and India across aviation infrastructure, logistics, airport services, technology, tourism, and hospitality. 

Over the years, Vietjet has been a pioneer in connecting Vietnam with India, developing an extensive flight network to India’s major economic, cultural, and tourism hubs, including New Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru. 

(Source: Vietjet)

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The Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance will retain the remaining 10% of the share capital.

Completion of the transaction is expected in the first quarter of 2027, subject to approval by the relevant authorities, including the European Commission and the US Department of Justice.

The company is now preparing to enter a new phase of growth within the Lufthansa Group, thereby improving its exposure to the European and international air transport markets.

ITA Airways will continue to operate under its own brand, which will be maintained and enhanced within the group’s structure. Closer integration into the Lufthansa Group will enable ITA Airways to develop further industrial and commercial synergies with the group’s airlines, while preserving its Italian identity. 

For the company, this represents an opportunity to consolidate its role as Italy’s reference carrier, contributing to the growth of the country’s connectivity and to the promotion of Made in Italy around the world.

Italy represents a strategic market in the European and international landscape: it is the third-largest economy in the European Union and the Lufthansa Group’s largest catchment area outside the United States and its home markets. In this context, ITA Airways confirms its central role in connecting the country with the rest of the world, supporting tourism, businesses, trade flows and international mobility.

ITA Airways’ integration path as the Lufthansa Group’s fifth network airline will also continue, building on the progress already made and the major customer milestones achieved. 

“This new phase represents a step of major industrial and strategic significance for ITA Airways. Over the past few years, we have built a solid, recognisable company focused on quality, thanks to the contribution of our people and the trust of our customers, and Deutsche Lufthansa’s decision is a clear demonstration of the good work carried out so far,” said ITA Airways Chief Executive Officer and General Manager Joerg Eberhart. “We look to the future with ambition and responsibility: full integration into the Lufthansa Group will allow us to compete more strongly in international markets, while continuing to bring to the world the value of Italy, its connectivity and its capacity for innovation.”

(Source: ITA Airways)

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Qatar Airways flights to Helsinki (HEL)

As part of its commitment to further connectivity to Europe, Qatar Airways will operate four weekly flights to Helsinki from 15 July and increase its frequency to daily from 1 August. Travellers from Australia, Kenya, and Southeast Asia will benefit from the airline’s extensive global network.

Flights will depart every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday.

Doha (DOH) to Helsinki (HEL) – Flight QR301: Departure 0840; arrival 1530.
Helsinki (HEL) to Doha (DOH) – Flight QR302: Departure 1705; arrival 0005.

From 1 August, additional flights will depart every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.

Doha (DOH) to Helsinki (HEL) – Flight QR303: Departure 0130; arrival 0820.
Helsinki (HEL) to Doha (DOH) – Flight QR304: Departure 09:50; arrival 16:50.

Qatar Airways flights to Tokyo Haneda (HND)

Qatar Airways is complementing its service to Tokyo Narita (NRT), returning to Tokyo Haneda (HND) with four weekly flights from 15 July. Facilitating onward transfers in Japan for travellers from Europe and the Middle East, the airline will increase its operations to daily flights from 1 August.

From 15 July, the schedule below will operate on Mondays, Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays, and will increase to daily operations from 1 August.

Doha (DOH) to Tokyo Haneda (HND) – Flight QR812: Departure 0750; arrival 0005.
Tokyo Haneda (HND) to Doha (DOH) – Flight QR813: Departure 01:35; arrival 0645.

Qatar Airways is improving global connectivity by rebuilding its network to cover over 160 destinations across six continents this summer.

(Source: Qatar Airways)

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The airline will also launch five-times-weekly services to Madrid via Barcelona on 26 October 2026, subject to regulatory approvals.

It will restructure its current twice-weekly Singapore-Barcelona services, SQ388 and SQ387, to operate on the route, making Madrid SIA’s 15th destination in Europe and its second in Spain. 

Singapore Airlines, Senior Vice President Marketing Planning Dai Haoyu said: “Europe is an important market for Singapore Airlines, and these adjustments reflect our commitment to it. We are seeing strong demand for travel to Europe, and increasing frequencies to key destinations such as Manchester, Milan, Munich, and London Gatwick in response. Madrid is also an increasingly popular tourist destination and a financial and business hub. These new services will give our customers more choice and greater value when planning their travel.”

From 13 July 2026, SIA’s Singapore-Manchester services, SQ302 and SQ301, will increase from five-times weekly to daily. SIA’s current three-times-weekly Singapore-London Gatwick services, SQ314 and SQ313, will increase to daily from 25 October 2026. This will give SIA two daily services to the airport and six flights a day to London, including the four daily services to London Heathrow. 

The airline’s Singapore-Milan services, SQ356 and SQ355, will increase from four-times weekly to daily from 25 October 2026. The three-times-weekly Singapore-Milan-Barcelona services, SQ378 and SQ377, will be cancelled from 27 October 2026, following the launch of the new Singapore-Barcelona-Madrid service. 

SIA will launch a new three-times weekly Singapore-Munich service, SQ340 and SQ339, from 26 October 2026, bringing its total to 10 weekly services to the German city.

The inaugural flight to Madrid, SQ388, is scheduled to depart Singapore at 2330 (local time) on 26 October 2026, arrive in Barcelona at 0640 (local time) on 27 October 2026, depart Barcelona at 0740 (local time), and arrive in Madrid at 0850 (local time) the same day. 

The return flight, SQ387, is scheduled to depart Madrid at 1000 (local time) on 27 October 2026, arrive in Barcelona at 1115 (local time), depart Barcelona at 1235 (local time) the same day, and arrive in Singapore at 0825 (local time) the next day. 

SIA will operate its Airbus A350-900 long-haul variant with 253 seats (42 in Business Class, 24 in Premium Economy Class, and 187 in Economy Class) on the Singapore-Barcelona-Madrid route. 

Spain’s capital is known for its vibrant culture, world-class museums, and landmarks like the Royal Palace of Madrid. It is also a business and financial hub for both the region and South America.

Tickets for the new Madrid service will go on sale from June 2026 via SIA’s distribution channels, while tickets for the additional services to Manchester, Milan, Munich, and London Gatwick will be released progressively. 

BARCELONA AND MADRID, SPAIN

SIA will restructure its current twice-weekly Singapore-Barcelona services into five-times-weekly Singapore-Barcelona-Madrid services.

LONDON GATWICK, UK

SIA will step up its second London Gatwick tranche to a daily operation during the Northern Winter 2026 operating season. This will complement SIA’s existing daily services, SQ312 and SQ309, to London Gatwick, and SIA’s four daily services to London Heathrow, bringing

SIA’s total London services to up to six times daily.

MANCHESTER, UK

SIA will increase its Singapore-Manchester services from five times weekly to daily.

MILAN, ITALY

SIA will increase its Singapore-Milan services from four times weekly to daily.

MUNICH, GERMANY 
SIA will launch a new three-times weekly service between Singapore and Munich. This will complement SIA’s existing services, SQ328 and SQ327, to Munich, bringing the total to 10 weekly services.

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The airline also exercised options for an additional six aircraft from its 2014 order with Airbus. The new aircraft will be delivered progressively starting in 2028.

With these 11 additional aircraft, which will be powered by the Pratt & Whitney PW1100G-JM (GTF) engines, Scoot’s total A320neo family orderbook will increase to 20 aircraft.

The new aircraft will feature 186 seats on the A320neo and 236 on the A321neo, all in a single-class configuration. For more information, please see Annex A.

The additional A320neo family aircraft will expand Scoot’s capacity and route deployment flexibility across a five- to six-hour radius, enabling the airline to launch new services and optimise feed into the wider SIA Group network. These capabilities will enhance the depth and breadth of Singapore’s air connectivity between Southeast Asia, North Asia and beyond, reinforcing its standing as a premier global air hub. This growth also reflects confidence in the long-term outlook for air travel, particularly within the Asia-Pacific region.

Since FY2022/2023, the airline has bolstered the SIA Group’s connectivity with 25 new destinations, including emerging non-metro cities such as Chiang Rai in Thailand and Phu Quoc in Vietnam, as well as long-haul destination Vienna in Austria. Of these new destinations, 16 are operated exclusively by Scoot out of Singapore.

By June 2026, Scoot will serve 85 destinations, accounting for about half of the destinations that Singapore currently connects to via Changi Airport. Of these destinations, 37 are operated exclusively by the airline, underscoring Scoot’s role in opening new direct city links and stimulating traffic flows that might otherwise remain underserved.

Scoot Chief Executive Officer, Leslie Thng, said: “We expect travel demand to continue growing, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region, in the coming years. The range and capacity of the A320neo family aircraft will enable Scoot to expand and deepen the SIA Group’s network connectivity, providing the SIA Group with new growth opportunities and offering customers more seamless travel options.”

“Scoot’s mix of Embraer E190-E2 regional jets, Airbus A320 family narrowbody aircraft, and Boeing 787 family widebody aircraft allows us to operate an extensive network of flights. This covers short, medium and long-haul routes, which complement the broader SIA network and further enhance Singapore’s position as a leading global aviation hub,” added Thng.

Scoot currently operates a fleet of 63 aircraft, comprising 24 widebody Boeing 787 Dreamliners (including the -8 and -9 variants), 30 A320 family aircraft (six A320ceos, 12 A320neos, and 12 A321neos), and nine Embraer E190-E2 aircraft. As part of its fleet renewal programme and to maintain a more fuel-efficient fleet, Scoot plans to phase out its six A320ceo aircraft by 2028.

Since 2024, Scoot has added Embraer E190-E2 regional jets to its fleet, which are among the quietest and most fuel-efficient aircraft in their class. In FY2025/2026, the airline replaced eight A320ceos with new-generation A320neos and A321neos. 

(Source: Scoot)

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In addition to the existing daily flights that depart Munich 1230, Singapore Airlines will offer evening flights from Munich Airport on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Evening flights will depart at 2030 and arrive in Singapore the following day at 1515.

The airline serves the Singapore-Munich route with an A350-900 aircraft configured with 259 seats.

As Star Alliance members and joint venture partners, Singapore Airlines and the Lufthansa Group will offer 17 weekly connections between Munich and one of Asia’s most important economic and financial hubs.

Munich Airport Senior Vice President Aviation Oliver Dersch said: “We are very pleased that Singapore Airlines is further expanding its commitment to our premium hub in Munich. For our passengers, this means more choices, greater flexibility, and excellent connections to many destinations in the Asia-Pacific region.”

Singapore Airlines General Manager Germany, Austria and Switzerland,

Alastair Haycampbell highlights: “Our new evening departures from Munich create excellent onward connections to destinations, such as Bangkok, Denpasar (Bali), Koh Samui, Jakarta, Ho Chi Minh City, and nearly all routes to Australia and New Zealand. This expanded schedule marks a significant step toward strengthening our footprint in the German market, while also offering our customers greater flexibility and choice. With the introduction of the 2026 winter schedule, Singapore Airlines will operate 24 weekly flights connecting Frankfurt and Munich directly to Singapore.”

(Source: Munich Airport)

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Led by aviation veteran Datuk Bernard Francis, the airline made history as the first Indonesian airline to be recognised by Changi Airport Group for achieving the highest passenger growth in Southeast Asia.

TransNusa commencing operations at Changi Airport on 20 November 2023. 

“Our regional and domestic network connectivity expansion is based on the needs and demands of our passengers, among other variables,” said Datuk Bernard, adding that TransNusa had developed new routes specifically to meet the changing needs and demands of its passengers,” said the airline CEO. 

CAG Chief Executive Officer Yam Kum Weng presented the award to Datuk Bernard at the award ceremony last week, which was attended by about 90 airlines and aviation partners.

(Source: TransNusa)

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The contract was announced at a ceremony this week at the Airbus facility in Mirabel, attended by Capital A Chief Executive Officer and Advisor to AirAsia Group, Tan Sri Tony Fernandes and Airbus Chief Executive Officer, Commercial Aircraft Lars Wagner.

The event took place in the presence of the Right Honourable Mark Carney, Prime Minister of Canada and the Honourable Christine Frechette, Premier of Quebec.

The purchase agreement makes AirAsia the first customer to order a 160-seat version of the  A220, an increase of 10 seats, made possible by adding extra overwing exits on each side of the aircraft.

The A220 complements AirAsia’s existing Airbus fleet and will play a key role in advancing the group’s network and growth. The aircraft will service destinations across ASEAN and into Central Asia, freeing up larger aircraft to fly longer routes.

“We have built AirAsia by making bold decisions at the right moment, not the easiest moment. This order reflects our long-term discipline and the scale of our ambitions. The A220 unlocks new markets and routes and brings us closer to building the world’s first true low-cost network carrier,” said Capital A CEO and Advisor to AirAsia Group Tony Fernandes. “Our partnership with Airbus spans more than two decades and has been central to everything we have achieved. Today is another milestone in that journey, and there are many more to come.”

“The A220 will provide an optimal platform for AirAsia, combining low operating costs with the range that will enable the carrier to open new routes across Asia and beyond,” commented Airbus CEO Commercial Aircraft Lars Wagner. “Airbus and AirAsia teams have been working tirelessly to reach this landmark agreement, which is fully aligned with the airline’s new network strategy.”

The A220 can carry between 100 and 160 passengers on flights of up to 3,600 nautical miles (6,700 km). At the end of March 2026, 501 A220s had been delivered to 25 operators worldwide.

(Source: Airbus)

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As part of the campaign, Vietjet offers 10 million deluxe tickets at 30% off (excluding taxes and fees) across its flight network for travel through 31 August 2026*. 

Passengers can enjoy the offer by applying the promo code SALE55DLX during booking. Deluxe fares include up to 20kg of checked baggage, complimentary seat selection, and flexible itinerary changes.

In addition, a million Eco tickets are available at 100% off (excluding taxes and fees) with promo code SALE55, valid across all Vietjet routes for travel between 5 September 2026 and 31 March 2027*. Passengers booking Eco fares during the promotion will also receive 20kg of complimentary checked baggage.

For travellers in Singapore, the promotion presents an opportunity to plan their next Vietnam getaway, with Vietjet’s direct services from Singapore to Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Da Nang and Phu Quoc.

To further enhance the summer campaign, passengers who complete a successful booking between now and 19 May 2026 (GMT+8) will receive a lucky draw entry code for the “Fly Vietjet, Strike Gold” programme. Prizes include one tael of 999.9 gold, one tael of 999.9 silver, and e-vouchers worth up to VND15 million (SGD 725).

* Travel periods and conditions may vary by route. Blackout dates may apply. 

(Source: Vietjet)

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The milestone marks a significant step forward in the programme’s transformation into a modern, globally relevant lifestyle-led loyalty platform.

Expansion of partnership network

The Maharaja Club programme has focused on expanding its partner ecosystem, driving over 4.2 million member transactions across 100+ partners in FY26, including international lifestyle and everyday-use brands. These partnerships maximise avenues for Air India’s frequent flyers or Maharaja Club members to earn Maharaja Points beyond their spending with the airline, thus accelerating their path to award flights and upgrades.

Over the past three years, Air India has recorded a two-fold increase in member engagement and its partner activity rate, reflecting higher transaction volumes and deeper customer participation across the network. This expanded network has strengthened the programme’s scale, engagement, and utility across a broader set of member interactions.

Celebrating with Maharaja Club members

To celebrate the milestone, Air India announced a limited-time promotion — Points Fest, designed to reward loyal members with opportunities to earn up to 50% bonus Maharaja Points. Until 31 May 2026, the campaign offers members two exciting ways to earn up to 200,000 bonus Maharaja Points per eligible partner. To participate, members need to register for the offer using their Maharaja Club ID and complete transactions or conversions via the designated partner pages.

Shop and Earn

Members can enjoy a flat 50% bonus Maharaja Points on every transaction made with brands across categories such as lifestyle, stays, experiences, travel services category, including brands like Adidas, Ajio, Apple, Atlys, FirstCry, Forest Essentials, H&M, Healthians, Levi’s, Myntra, Nike, Puma, The Bicester Collection, UNIQLO, and many more.

Convert and Earn

For those with accumulated reward points across other programmes, members can earn up to 50% bonus Maharaja Points when they convert reward points to Maharaja Points via eligible Points Conversion Partners, including Axis Bank, HDFC Bank, HSBC Global, Kotak Mahindra Bank, ICICI Bank, Flipkart SuperCoins, Audi India and many other points conversion partners. The bonus structure is tiered as follows:

The bonus points earned during the Points Fest can significantly enhance members’ ability to redeem rewards across Air India’s expanding domestic and international network. With 2,00,000 Maharaja Points, members can, for example, redeem up to 5 one-way Economy Class tickets between Mumbai and London Heathrow or up to 20 round-trips on prime domestic routes such as Delhi-Mumbai.

Other recent enhancements

On 1 April 2026, Air India reduced the Maharaja Points requirement for award flights and cabin upgrades across at least 90% of its routes, introduced a new, simplified tier-based structure for rescheduling and cancellation of Award Flights, and reduced the flight-count thresholds to accelerate tier progression for members.

(Source: Air India)

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