The new route connects Hong Kong directly to Hefei Xinqiao International Airport (HFE), with four weekly flights scheduled Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. The A320neo assigned to the route has a flight time of two hours and 30 minutes.

In a press statement, the airline said the new service will significantly improve travel convenience between Hong Kong and Anhui Province without requiring connections or high-speed rail transfers from nearby hubs like Nanjing or Shanghai.

Round-trip “Ultra Lite” fares on the route will start at HKD77, while round-trip “Lite” fares start at HKD99, including one Small Personal Item and one cabin Baggage

The booking period for the introductory fares remains open until 4 October 2026, with travel allowed from 3 December 2026 to 27 March 2027 on the official HK Express website or the HK Express mobile app.

Flight schedule

UO270 departs Hong Kong (HKG) at 1135 and arrives in Hefei (HFE) at 1405.
UO271 departs Hefei (HFE) at 1500 and arrives in Hong Kong (HKG) at 1735.

Visa requirements

Unilateral Visa-Free Policy: Citizens holding ordinary passports from an expanding list of countries (including many European nations and Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and South Korea) can enter Mainland China visa-free for up to 15 or 30 days for tourism or transit.

Visa-Free (240-Hour / 144-Hour): Hefei Xinqiao International Airport (HFE) participates in China’s extended Visa-Free Transit Scheme for passport holders of around 54 eligible countries.

Best Time to Visit

Autumn (September – November): The best season to visit. Temperatures are mild (18°C – 25°C), weather is dry, and park foliage is colourful.

Winter (December – February): Chilly with occasional light snow (temperatures hovering around 0°C to 8°C). Keep warm layers ready if travelling on the December flight route.

Spring (March – May): Mild and pleasant, with blooming gardens around the Hefei Botanical Garden.

Attractions & Highlights

Sanhe Ancient Town: A 2,500-year-old water town about an hour south of central Hefei, known for its classic Hui-style architecture, narrow stone alleys, ancient bridges, and local snacks.

Bao Zheng Memorial / Lord Bao Park: Dedicated to Bao Zheng (Judge Bao), the famous Northern Song dynasty official known for his incorruptibility and justice. The tranquil park features his temple, tomb, and the Clear Breeze Tower.

Anhui Museum: Excellent for history buffs, showcasing thousands of Anhui cultural relics, bronze items, and historical Hui architecture displays.

Chaohu Lake & Swan Lake: Chaohu Lake is one of China’s five largest freshwater lakes. For modern leisure, Swan Lake in the New District offers illuminated cityscapes and parks.

Gateway to Huangshan (Yellow Mountain): Hefei serves as a convenient transit point for exploring broader Anhui Province, with frequent high-speed trains running directly to Huangshan in under two hours.

(Source: HK Express)

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However, when excluding the Middle East, demand grew by 0.6%. Total capacity, measured in available seat kilometres (ASK), increased 0.3% year-on-year. The load factor was 85.1% (-0.9 ppt compared to August 2025).

International demand fell 0.9% compared to August 2025. Excluding the Middle East, demand grew by 1.3%. Capacity was flat (0.0%) year on year, and the load factor was 85.0% (-0.8 ppt compared to August 2025).

Domestic demand fell 0.5% compared to August 2025. Capacity increased 0.7% year-on-year. The load factor was 85.3% (-1.1 ppt during the same reference period).

“Global demand for air transport contracted by 0.8% compared to August 2025 as the recovery trajectory for carriers in the Middle East was interrupted. The region’s carriers reported that demand was 14.6% lower year-on-year, reversing an improving trend.

Excluding the Middle East carriers, demand for air travel grew by 0.6% year-on-year in August, half the pace seen in July. With some important exceptions such as domestic China, global connectivity was generally weaker in August. The coming months will reveal whether travellers, whose purchasing power has been reduced by higher energy prices, are adjusting their travel budgets and whether prevailing geopolitical instability is discouraging them from travelling. In the meantime, forward schedules for October are showing cautious optimism with 2% growth in available seats,” said IATA’s Senior Vice President Sustainability and Chief Economist Marie Owens Thomsen.

Regional Breakdown – International Passenger Markets 

International RPK fell 0.9% year on year, with capacity unchanged. However, excluding the Middle East carriers, total demand rose 1.3% on the same basis.

Asia-Pacific airlines saw demand fall 0.1% year on year. Capacity fell 0.9% year on year, and the load factor was 85.6% (+0.7 ppt compared to August 2025). Traffic on routes within Asia fell 2.0%, and capacity declined for the fourth straight month. By contrast, traffic on the Asia-North America corridor grew by 2.5%.

European carriers saw a 2.1% year-on-year increase in demand. Capacity rose 2.8% year-on-year, and the load factor was 86.8% (-0.6 ppt compared to August 2025). The Europe-Asia corridor continued to expand strongly (+12.2%), but transatlantic routes fell 2.4%, with traffic declining from several markets, including the UK and France.

North American carriers saw demand fall 1.7% year on year. Capacity fell 1.1% year on year, and the load factor was 86.8% (-0.5 ppt compared to August 2025).

Middle Eastern carriers saw a 14.2% year-on-year decrease in demand. Capacity fell 9.0% year-on-year, and the load factor was 79.1% (-4.8 ppt compared to August 2025). Traffic declined further in August, reversing the gradual stabilisation trend since the Iran war in February. The year-on-year contraction on Middle East-Asia routes, for example, accelerated to -11.7% from -8.6% in July.

Latin American airlines achieved a 6.7% year-on-year increase in demand. Capacity climbed 6.4% year-on-year. The load factor was 84.8% (+0.2 ppt compared to August 2025).

African airlines saw demand rise 6.7% year on year. Capacity was up 8.3% year-on-year. The load factor was 78.4% (-1.2 ppt compared to August 2025).

For the full report.

(Source: IATA)

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Travellers booking a return trip to Dubai with Emirates will receive a bundle of complimentary passes, worth AED535, to three of the city’s favourite attractions.

They can enjoy the slides at Atlantis Aquaventure Waterpark, come face to face with sharks and rays at Lost World Aquarium, and hop on and off the Dubai City Sightseeing bus to take in landmarks from the Burj Khalifa to the historic Al Fahidi district, at their own pace.

My Emirates Pass presents savings at hundreds of restaurants, shops and leisure spots across Dubai.

Emirates’ care goes well beyond the flight itself. Customers travelling to Dubai also benefit from unlimited free date changes across all cabin classes, the option to hold a fare free of charge for 24 hours, and reduced refund fees.

Customers can add Emirates’ Comprehensive Travel Cover when booking on emirates.com or later through Manage Your Booking. Available in 27 countries, it includes unlimited worldwide medical expenses, emergency evacuation, and cover for trip cancellation and baggage delay or loss. It also provides conflict cover, with medical expenses reimbursed up to USD25,000 and a free trip extension of up to 30 days, and it isn’t restricted by government travel advice.

The offer is valid across all cabin classes on eligible return tickets to Dubai purchased between 21 September and 11 October 2026, for travel between 24 September and 13 December 2026.

(Source: Emirates)

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Direct flights will commence on 11 December 2026 and operate twice weekly on Tuesdays and Fridays using a 168-seat Airbus A321LR. Flight time is around seven hours and 50 minutes.

Flight schedule 

Tuesday departures (NQZ)

KC8111 departs Astana (NQZ) at 2125 and arrives in Bangkok (BKK) at 0710 (plus a day). 
KC8112 departs Bangkok (BKK) at 0815 and arrives in Astana at 1445.

Friday departures (NQZ)

KC8111 departs Astana (NQZ) at 2105  and arrives in Bangkok (BKK) at 0655 (plus a day).
KC8112 departs Bangkok at 0805 and arrives in Astana at 1430.

Return fares start at USD553 in economy class and USD2,193 in business class. Tickets can be booked on the airline’s website and mobile app or through accredited travel agents.

The Astana-Bangkok service will complement Air Astana’s existing daily flights between Almaty and Bangkok.

(Source: Air Astana).

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Etihad has served Sydney since 2007. Four weekly flights join the current 10, giving passengers a choice of two departures daily, all on the Etihad Airbus A350, and delivering over 5,000 seats a week between the two cities.

Guests connecting through Abu Dhabi can add a complimentary hotel stay of one or two nights with the Abu Dhabi Stopover programme, which now includes Al Ain, the UAE’s oasis city, with its UNESCO-listed gardens, forts and the Jebel Hafeet mountain. Beyond Abu Dhabi, the extra flights open more of Etihad’s network across the Gulf and the wider Middle East, the Indian subcontinent, Africa and Europe.

For passengers travelling to Sydney from across the Etihad network, the second daily flight opens up more of Australia and New Zealand beyond Sydney, with onward connections on Etihad’s interline partners Qantas, Jetstar and Air New Zealand. 

For passengers in New South Wales, the two departures line up with Etihad’s morning and evening banks in Abu Dhabi, with same-day connections across the Gulf and onward to Zurich and Geneva, Milan and Rome, Frankfurt, Munich and Düsseldorf, Paris, Amsterdam, Madrid and Barcelona, London and Manchester, and Dublin.

More flights mean more opportunities to explore new destinations, reconnect with family and friends, do business across continents, or break up the journey with a memorable stopover in one of the world’s most dynamic and fast-growing cities.”

Etihad’s Australian network also includes daily flights between Abu Dhabi and Melbourne on the Boeing 787.

(Source: Etihad)

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The service will operate three times weekly on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays from 25 December 2026 to 27 March 2027, operating an Airbus A321LR.

Flight schedule

KC8167 departs Almaty at 2135 and arrives in Langkawi at 0810 (plus a day). Flight time: Seven hours and 35 minutes.
KC8168 departs Langkawi at 0940 and arrives in Almaty at 1440. Flight time: Eight hours.

Return fares start at KZT326,605 (USD740) in economy class and KZT886,590 (USD2020) in business class, including taxes and charges. Tickets can be booked on the airline’s website and mobile app as well as through accredited travel agents.

Kazakh citizens can enter Malaysia visa-free for stays of up to 30 days.

Langkawi is one of Malaysia’s most popular island destinations, located in the Andaman Sea and known for its white-sand beaches, ancient mangrove forests and mountainous landscape. The archipelago is recognised as a UNESCO Global Geopark. Its best-known attractions include Pantai Cenang beach, the Langkawi Cable Car and the Sky Bridge, which offers panoramic views over the island’s tropical rainforest.

(Source: Air Astana)

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Airlines are already doing what is expected, explains SITA President Asia Pacific Sumesh Patel. 

According to SITA’s 2025 Air Transport IT Insights report, 63% now use AI in operations control to manage disruption, aircraft assignment, and crew availability. In Asia Pacific, 98% of airlines use AI in some form, the highest adoption of any region in the world. The technology is no longer the problem.

The problem, the same research shows, is that 49% of airlines still name data integration as their biggest barrier to scaling AI further. This pattern shows up across the industry: significant investment in intelligence, and comparatively little in the plumbing that lets that intelligence act. An airline’s AI can predict a delayed connection perfectly and still fail the passenger, not because the prediction was wrong, but because that prediction never reached the other systems that needed to act on it in time.

This is not a technology gap. It is a coordination gap, and closing it matters more than any single new tool the industry adopts this year.

This already works. It just isn’t connected.

None of this is hypothetical. When a flight is delayed, and a connection is at risk, AI can already flag the issue, reroute the bag, alert ground staff, and update the passenger before the disruption cascades. When a security lane gets congested, AI can automatically open a new one. When a passenger with reduced mobility arrives at the gate, AI can dispatch a wheelchair before anyone has to ask. These are not concepts. They are running today at some of the world’s major airports.

Data is what makes each of them possible. When operational information moves cleanly between airlines, airports, ground handlers, and border agencies, AI can act on it in real time. When it doesn’t, and too often it doesn’t, coordination slows, and the passenger absorbs the delay.

Aviation is growing faster than most people realise, and where that growth is coming from matters. Global passenger demand grew 5.3% in 2025, with Asia Pacific leading all regions at 10.9% international traffic growth. The average traveller is not flying more often than before. The growth is coming from first-time flyers, digital natives who have grown up with ride-hailing apps, instant delivery tracking, and payments that just work, and who have never known anything but connected digital experiences.

SITA’s Passenger IT Insights report, which surveyed more than 7,500 passengers worldwide, captures what this new majority wants: simplicity, trust, and sustainability. Their top ask is shorter wait times. Second is a single ticket covering the entire journey across air, rail, and road. Neither is a request for a new gadget. Both are requests for the systems that already exist to stop working in isolation.

That is not a preference. It is an expectation, and it is the same coordination problem, seen from the passenger’s side of the counter.

One identity, every touchpoint

Biometric identity is where the coordination argument becomes visible to the passenger. A single scan can already replace a document check. The harder problem, and the one that matters, is getting every system along the journey — check-in, bag drop, security, boarding, immigration — to recognise the same passenger without asking them to prove it again at each stop. That is not a technology limitation. Airports and airlines already have the tools. 

Do systems talk to each other?

APAC is leading the way on both fronts. The share of passengers who have never used biometrics dropped from 41% in 2024 to 31% in 2025 in a single year, and 62% would now actively choose a biometric checkpoint over a traditional border counter. Passengers are not just tolerating this technology. They are choosing it, and asking for more of it: 79% are comfortable storing their passport on their phone, and 78% are happy to share their digital identity and biometrics ahead of travel.

The demand is no longer the constraint. The constraint is coordination: 54% of airports globally have live biometric border control today, a figure expected to reach 83% by 2028, and 64% of airlines plan to move to airline-issued digital identity credentials, nearly double the share from a year ago. The direction is set. APAC and the Middle East are setting the pace.

Baggage: The same gap, in numbers

Baggage makes the coordination argument in dollars. According to SITA’s 2026 Baggage IT Insights Report, mishandling rates fell 23% in 2025 to 4.9 bags per 1,000 passengers, dropping below pre-pandemic levels for the first time, even as global passenger volumes hit a record 5 billion. That progress happened because more of the handoffs between airline, ground handler, and airport now share data in real time. Where that handoff still breaks, the cost is steep: the industry absorbs $6.3 billion a year in mishandling, at $260 per bag on average. Airline net profit runs at roughly $8 per passenger, so one mishandled bag can erase the profit from more than 30 seats sold.

Asia Pacific shows what happens when that handoff works. The region already records the lowest mishandling rate globally, at 3.41 bags per 1,000 passengers, and the lowest cost per bag at $210, well below the global average. That advantage is not incidental. It is the dividend of newer airports built with connected systems from the start.

The next gains are coming from linking passenger-facing tools directly into that same data layer. Integrating Apple Find My and Google Find Hub into airline recovery systems cut permanently lost bags by 90% in the first year alone. None of this required new hardware. It required the systems to share what they already knew.

APAC: Highest ambition, widest gap

Asia Pacific is not just growing faster than any other aviation market. It drives more than half of the world’s new passenger traffic, and its passengers already fly more than anyone else, averaging 4.4 flights a year. It also runs the coordination gap this piece describes at its most extreme: the highest AI adoption of any region, and only 21% of airlines share operational data with partners. That gap, real ambition without the connective layer to match it, is the same gap driving everything above. Here, it’s widest.

The physical build-out backing that ambition is real and moving fast: airport-rail links under construction in Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, and Seoul, single-ticket air-rail itineraries already live in Korea, and growing integration between aviation and maritime transport across the region. 45% of APAC passengers now book multiple intermodal trips, against 31% in Europe and the Americas.

None of that infrastructure closes the gap on its own. A rail link only helps a passenger if the train actually knows their flight is late and holds the connection for them, and that is a data problem, not a construction one. Close it at the same pace the region is pouring concrete, and APAC does not just keep growing fastest. It becomes the template everyone else copies.

The next leap isn’t a technology. It’s an agreement.

None of this arrives through a single vendor or a single product. It arrives when the industry stops treating passenger data as a competitive asset each company holds alone and starts treating it as shared infrastructure, information that exists for the journey, not for whichever company happens to be holding it.

By 2050, the goal will not be a nicer airport. It will be an airport the passenger barely notices, because the system is navigating them, AI is orchestrating the handovers, and their identity is following them across every mode of transport without being asked to prove it again. Sustainability is not added to that picture afterwards. It is built into every decision along the way.

We already have the technology. We already have the data. We already have passengers asking for exactly this. What is missing is the coordination to bring it together, and for the next billion of them boarding for the first time, that is not aspiration. It is the job in front of us.

(Author: SITA President Asia Pacific Sumesh Patel)

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The World Travel Awards, one of the most prestigious accolades in the travel and tourism industry, recognises organisations that deliver outstanding products and services worldwide. Industry professionals, travellers, and consumers worldwide determine the winners.

This year’s recognition builds on Vietjet’s strong track record at the World Travel Awards, following three consecutive titles as “Asia’s Leading Airline – Customer Experience” in 2023, 2024 and 2025, as well as “Asia’s Leading Airline – Airline Loyalty Programme” in 2024.

Vietjet’s Chief Executive Officer Nguyen Thanh Son said: “Vietjet is entering a new phase of growth, repositioning itself as a leading hybrid airline with an increasingly diverse portfolio of products, services and experiences. We envision a Vietjet that not only brings destinations closer, but also creates greater value, richer experiences, and new possibilities for passengers around the world. Vietjet will continue to take Vietnam’s spirit of innovation to new horizons while building an Asian airline brand with a global footprint.”

In the first six months of 2026, Vietjet carried more than 13.4 million passengers on 72,000 flights across a network of 213 routes, including 46 domestic and 167 international routes. 

Its growing international network includes connections between Singapore and key destinations in Vietnam, alongside continued expansion to Japan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, China, Kazakhstan and, notably, the Czech Republic. The Hanoi–Almaty and Hanoi–Prague routes are scheduled to launch in October 2026, providing a springboard for Vietjet’s further expansion into Europe. 

The airline has also ordered more than 600 Airbus and Boeing aircraft, laying a strong foundation for its long-term growth strategy. 

The airline is also set to further expand its Singapore–Vietnam connectivity with the launch of a new Singapore–Nha Trang service in December 2026.

(Source: Vietjet)

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Scheduled in advance timetables until 27 March 2027, the additional flight will depart Bangkok at 0800, complementing the airline’s midday and evening departures. All three daily flights will use A320s with 156 seats.

Flight schedule: Additional morning service

TG572 departs Bangkok (BKK) at 0800 and arrives in Vientiane (VTE) at 0910.
TG573 departs Vientiane (VTE) at 1015 and arrives in Bangkok (BKK) at 1125. 

Flight schedule: Midday service

TG570 departs Bangkok (BKK) at 1155 and arrives in Vientiane (VTE) at 1305.
TG571 departs Vientiane (VTE) at 1330 and arrives in Bangkok (BKK) at 1450.

Flight schedule: Evening service

TG574 departs Bangkok (BKK) at 1830 and arrives in Vientiane (VTE) at 1945.
TG575 departs Vientiane (VTE) at 2030 and arrives in Bangkok (BKK) at 2155.

THAI competes with Lao Airlines on the route, with the average round-trip fare monitored at USD220. Lao Airlines flies the route using an A320 with 150 seats, offering twice-daily departures from Vientiane, its home base.

(Source: Online advance timetables)

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To say thank you to millions of guests for their loyalty, the airline is rolling out the ‘AirAsia Flight Lotto’ campaign, turning every flight booking into an exciting chance to win an unbelievable prize: 17 Winners • 17 Trips • 17 Months of free travel. Bookings are open now on AirAsia MOVE and all channels

Thai AirAsia  Head of Commercial Tansita Akrarittipirom, for Thai AirAsia, said: “The ‘AirAsia Flight Lotto’ campaign is our way of giving back — turning everyday journeys into thrilling rewards while inspiring everyone to take off on new adventures late this year. We’ve beefed up our network and bumped up flight frequencies across domestic and international routes, so we’re 100% ready to welcome everyone aboard for the upcoming high season!”

Under the ‘AirAsia Flight Lotto’ campaign, 17 lucky winners will score 17 round-trip flights each, valid for travel across 17 months. 

How to join Flight Lotto

Book a Flight: Grab any Thai AirAsia (FD) or Thai AirAsia X (XJ) ticket between 22 September and 15 November 2026.

Register: Submit your details via https://forms.gle/uLM6rUoz7vuNEywM9 

Stack Your Chances: One passenger name on an issued ticket = 1 entry. The more you fly, the higher your chances of winning!* Bookings can be made on AirAsia MOVE or any official channel.

The lucky draw will take place on 27 November 2026, and the lucky winners will be announced on 3 December 2026 on the Fly AirAsia Facebook page.

(Source: AirAsia)

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