NEW DELHI, 24 March 2026: In response to the situation in the Middle East, IndiGo will operate 252 weekly flights to and from the Middle East through to 28 March 2026.
IndiGo is almost back to operating its regular schedule with 126 weekly flights to and from Saudi Arabia and 28 weekly flights to and from Oman.
Photo credit: IndiGo.
Additionally, IndiGo will operate 98 weekly flights to and from the UAE.
The airline will continue to monitor the situation given the ongoing geopolitical risk, airspace restrictions, airport constraints, consistently rising fuel and insurance costs, and other uncertainties.
Schedule of IndiGo flights to and from the Middle East, until 28 March 2026.
Customers from the above cities in the Middle East will continue to be able to connect to multiple cities in India and beyond, using IndiGo’s network.
Additionally, as part of the network adjustments, planned operations to Doha, Kuwait, Bahrain, Dammam, Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah and Sharjah will remain suspended until 28 March 2026.
MELBOURNE, 24 March 2026: AirAsia has introduced flights from Bali to Melbourne earlier this week, marking the start of the daily connection between the two cities.
Indonesia AirAsia deploys an A320 for the daily flight, adding an annual 130,000 seats on the route for Victorian travellers planning their next Bali or Indonesian getaway.
Photo credit: AirAsia. (L-R) Peppy Adi-Purnomo – VP Airline Business Development, South and South East Asia Melbourne Airport, Jim Parashos – Chief of Aviation, Melbourne Airport, Yohannes Jatmiko Heru Prasetyo, Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia in Melbourne, Captain Achmad Sadikin Abdurachman, General Manager of Indonesia AirAsia, Eddy Krismeidi Soemawilaga, Head of Indonesia Affairs and Policy, Indonesia AirAsia.
Indonesia AirAsia General Manager Captain Achmad Sadikin Abdurachman said the launch reflects strong demand for Bali and reiterated the airline’s commitment to Australia.
“Bali continues to be the most popular international holiday destination for Australians, and we’re excited to give Victorians another great value option when planning their next escape,” he said.
“This new service supports AirAsia’s goal to make travel more accessible for Australians who wish to experience Bali, while also discovering the many remarkable destinations across the wider Indonesian archipelago.”
“From Bali, passengers can easily connect to some of Indonesia’s fastest-growing destinations, including Labuan Bajo, the gateway to the iconic Komodo National Park; and Balikpapan, a vibrant culinary and cultural hub in Kalimantan, and to the Capital of Indonesia, Jakarta.”
The Melbourne to Denpasar service marks AirAsia’s third Australian route to Bali, complementing the airline’s existing services from Perth and Adelaide. The airline recently increased frequency out of Adelaide in response to rising demand from Australian travellers.
AirAsia is offering special promotional fares from Melbourne to Bali starting at AUD209 one way. Travellers can also grab a ‘Fly-Thru’ deal with fares starting from AUD289 one way from Melbourne to Singapore (via Bali), Melbourne to Bangkok from AUD316 (via Bali) and AUD316 from Melbourne to Phuket (via Bali).
Fares are bookable via the airasia MOVE app, airasia.com, online travel agents, and authorised travel partners.
MANILA, 24 March 2026: Philippine Airlines has confirmed the suspension of flights from Manila to Doha (DOH) and Dubai (DXB) until 30 April 2026 due to the Iran war and drone and missile attacks on the Gulf countries.
The suspension came into effect on 20 March and ends on 30 April, except for PR 685, which ends on 1 May.
PR 658 Manila-Dubai PR 659 Dubai-Manila
PR 684 Manila-Doha PR 685 Doha-Manila
The precautionary measure is being taken considering the security situation affecting parts of the Middle East and the resulting operational uncertainties in certain regional airspace corridors and airport operations.
PAL continues to closely monitor developments and coordinate with aviation authorities and relevant stakeholders to determine when normal operations can safely resume.
Assistance for affected passengers
Passengers with affected bookings may avail themselves of the following options:
• Free rebooking once flights resume
• Conversion of tickets into travel credits for future use
• Full refunds, in accordance with applicable policies
PAL’s customer service teams are actively assisting passengers through our website, contact centre, and ticket offices.
SINGAPORE, 23 March 2026: Vietjet has once again been recognised by AirlineRatings with two major accolades for 2026: “World’s Best Ultra Low-Cost Carrier” and a place among the Top 10 “World’s Best Low-Cost Airlines”.
The recognition comes as Vietjet continues to expand its presence in Singapore, with the newly announced service to Nha Trang, among connections to Vietnam’s Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, and Phu Quoc.
Photo credit: Vietjet.
According to AirlineRatings, the awards are based on measurable criteria for onboard service. Vietjet was recognised for its competitive fares, customer-focused innovation, and products designed to meet different traveller needs.
The airline has held the title of “World’s Best Ultra Low-Cost Carrier” since 2018 and has remained consistently ranked among the world’s leading low-cost airlines. This reflects a long-term strategy focused on delivering value, enhancing the travel experience, and expanding access to air travel for millions of passengers each year.
Vietjet continues to expand its international network across Asia-Pacific and beyond, operating a modern fleet and offering year-round promotions on routes linking Vietnam with Singapore, Australia, India, Japan, South Korea, China, Indonesia, Thailand, Kazakhstan, and other markets.
SINGAPORE, 23 March 2026: Royal Caribbean’s Quantum of the Seas will once again homeport in Singapore, offering cruises in Asia in 2027.
From October 2027 to March 2028, families and friends can choose from three to 10-night vacations from Singapore, sailing to the beaches, cities and cultures of Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Hong Kong and Japan with the convenience of starting and ending their holiday in one of Asia’s best-connected hubs.
Photo credit: Royal Caribbean—Quantum of the Seas.
Royal Caribbean vice president and managing director, Asia-Pacific Chad Grospe said: “With these 2027-28 holidays, we’re building on the strong demand we’ve seen over past seasons — from three and four-night getaways to longer adventures that connect vacationers to spectacular landscapes, cuisines, and cultural wonders around Asia. Whether it’s a multigenerational family holiday or a getaway with friends, it’s all about making memories together.”
Highlights of the 2027-28 season
Guests can experience the ultimate weekend escape with three and four-night getaways through Southeast Asia’s most captivating destinations, savouring the world-renowned street food of Penang’s historic George Town and unwinding on the sun-soaked shores of Phuket.
Those looking for more time away can choose between four- and five-night adventures to the sun-soaked shores of Phuket, Thailand, or a 10-night cruise that extends to Bangkok, Thailand.
There are also 10-night cruises to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and Hong Kong, as well as bucket-list destinations in Japan such as Tokyo, Nagoya, and Kobe.
KUALA LUMPUR, 23 March 2026: The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) confirms RHB Bank will return as the Official Bank Partner for the upcoming MATTA Fair in April 2026.
The MATTA Fair April 2026 will take place from 3 to 5 April 2026 at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC), Kuala Lumpur. Widely recognised as Malaysia’s largest consumer travel fair.
Photo credit: MATTA. Show time exclusive promotions, financial solutions and travel privileges powered by RHB Bank.
Occupying a total exhibition space of 40,820 sqm across 10 halls, the fair will feature over 2,000 booths from 330 participating organisations, including 210 tour and travel agencies offering a diverse range of travel packages.
Visitors can engage with six National Tourism Organisations (NTOs), 11 local State Tourism Organisations (STOs), 63 hotels and resorts, 11 theme parks, and 28 other travel-related service providers. This creates a comprehensive and dynamic platform for discovering new destinations and experiences.
The continued partnership with RHB reflects a shared commitment to making travel planning more accessible, seamless and rewarding, while supporting the wider growth of Malaysia’s travel and tourism industry. Visitors can look forward to a range of exclusive promotions, financial solutions, and travel privileges offered by RHB Bank at the fair, on Level 1 (Domestic Hall) and Level 2 (International Hall).
“Travel is about destinations, the joy of discovery and the excitement of new countries and cities. We partnered with RHB because they value the wonders of travel. Through this valued collaboration, we make travel more accessible, more convenient and rewarding,” said MATTA President Nigel Wong.
“Our fairs always set the tone for our members, providing them with the opportunity to present their best travel products directly to the travelling public. Every travel package and experience showcased at the fair is offered by licensed travel agents and tour operators, assuring travellers that they are booking with trusted and accountable professionals,” he added.
RHB Banking Group Managing Director of Group Community Banking Jeffrey Ng Eow Oo said: “RHB Bank continues to strengthen its presence in the travel and hospitality segment through tailored financial solutions for travellers and travel agencies. These include the Multi Currency Debit Card/-i, which supports 34 currencies with zero foreign conversion fees and seamless integration with mobile wallets, as well as travel-focused credit cards with airport lounge access and rewards. RHB Travel Plus further supports the travel sector with a suite of products and benefits tailored for travel agencies.”
During the fair, visitors who make travel purchases with RHB Visa Cards/-i can enjoy exclusive savings of up to MYR4,000 with our dedicated travel partners — including Corporate Information Travel, Golden Destination and MITRA Tours and Travel.
In addition, RHB Bank offers flexible instalment plans of up to 0% interest, allowing customers to break down large-ticket purchases into affordable monthly payments. Fairgoers who spend their RHB Visa Cards/i will also be entitled to redeem exclusive travel merchandise and stand a chance to win a Luxury Hotel Voucher worth MYR5,000.
To ensure a smooth visitor experience, MATTA Fair offers free admission and is open from 1000 to 2100 on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, 3, 4 and 5 April.
Visitors can take advantage of the complimentary shuttle services from KL Sentral and Sunway Putra Mall to MITEC. For those driving, parking facilities are available at the South Entrance basement in MITEC, MITI basement, MATRADE open parking, Kompleks Mahkamah KL open parking, The MET basement, MET 1 basement and MET 9 open parking.
SINGAPORE, 23 March 2026: The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released its Long‑Term Demand Projections (LTDP) for air travel last week, indicating global air passenger demand could more than double by 2050.
Under the mid‑range scenario, demand is forecast to reach 20.8 trillion revenue passenger kilometres (RPKs), based on a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.1% (2024-2050) from the 9 trillion RPKs seen in 2024.
Photo credit: IATA. Long‑Term Demand Projections— air travel.
A higher-growth scenario would see a 3.3% CAGR, with passenger demand reaching 21.9 trillion RPKs in 2050. A lower-growth scenario would see a 2.9% CAGR, with passenger demand reaching 19.5 trillion RPKs by 2050.
The different scenarios are driven by alternative modelling of long-term economic growth, populations, aviation fuel price trends, the global energy transition, and air transport supply-side capacity development.
“The outlook for air travel is positive. People want to travel and, under all our modelled scenarios, the demand to fly is expected to more than double by mid-century. That is good news for global economic and social development because aviation growth will catalyse opportunities, including jobs worldwide, said ATA’s Director General Willie Walsh.
“Our Long-Term Demand report gives governments, industry, and energy suppliers a robust basis for long‑term planning. It underscores the need for policy frameworks to support key success enablers such as efficient infrastructure development, market access facilitation, regulatory harmonisation, and an effective clean energy transition”.
Regional Outlook: Growth concentrated in emerging markets
The pace of growth will be uneven across regions, reflecting differences in demographics, market maturity, economic development, and connectivity potential. Under the mid‑range scenario, Asia‑Pacific and Africa are expected to be the fastest‑growing regions over 2024-2050, with CAGRs of 3.8% and 3.6%, respectively. Europe and North America are projected to grow more slowly, at 2.5% and 2.8%.
The LTDP identifies the fastest‑growing markets as intra‑Africa (4.9%), Africa–Asia‑Pacific (4.5%), Asia‑Pacific–Middle East (3.9%), intra‑Asia‑Pacific (3.9%), and Africa–North America (3.8%), highlighting the importance of investment in aviation infrastructure and regulatory frameworks in developing regions. By contrast, several Europe-centred markets have the slowest growth.
Long-term global trends
The LTDP confirms that the COVID‑19 pandemic caused a permanent structural shift in global aviation demand. Unlike previous crises, the unprecedented collapse in RPK has created a persistent gap that is not expected to converge back to the pre-pandemic GDP-aligned trend by 2050, even under the high‑growth scenario.
While long‑term demand remains robust, the growth rate is moderating gradually. Historical analysis shows that average annual growth slowed from a 6.1% CAGR between 1972 and 1998 to a 4.5% CAGR between 1998 and 2024. The central scenario for 2024-2050 projects a further slowing to 3.1% CAGR. This gradual moderation reflects market maturity rather than weakening demand, as absolute passenger numbers continue to rise significantly.
SINGAPORE, 23 March 2026: Air Astana has introduced extra services from Almaty to popular overseas holiday destinations during the Nauryz* holiday week, 21 to 23 March.
Nine extra frequencies have been added on the Almaty to Phuket route, whilst services to Phu Quoc in Vietnam have been upgraded from single-aisle A321 aircraft with 169 seats to a widebody Boeing 767-300 with 223 seats, approximately a 35% increase in seating capacity on the route.
Image generated by Gemini AI.Happy Nauryz — an ancient spring equinox festival celebrating the New Year and renewal of nature.
“To mark the Nauryz celebrations, we are increasing flight frequencies to both regional and long-haul destinations, allowing more passengers to travel, visit family and friends, or spend the holiday abroad. These additional services will enhance schedule flexibility and convenience, enabling our passengers to plan their journeys with greater ease,” says Air Astana’s CFO/CEO-elect Ibrahim Canliel.
Frequencies have also been increased on other popular routes. In particular, 13 flights have been added on the Almaty–Delhi service, while frequencies to London, Male, Istanbul, Tbilisi, and Tashkent have also increased.
The additional flights will continue in April. The Astana-Frankfurt route will gradually increase from four weekly flights to a daily service by the end of the month. Additional frequencies will also be introduced on the Almaty-Phuket and Almaty-Bangkok routes.
*Nauryz (Наурыз): Derived from the Persian word Nowruz, meaning “New Day,” it marks the spring equinox and the beginning of the traditional New Year in many Central Asian cultures and is celebratedannually from 21 to 23 March, marking the renewal of nature.
KOTA KINABALU: 23 March 2026: China’s Chongqing Airlines launched its inaugural service, linking southwestern China to Kota Kinabalu, the state capital of Sabah, Malaysia, last week.
OQ2193 landed at Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA) at 2315, marking the start of a three-weekly service operating on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, using an A320 with 166 seats. Flight time: Four hours and 15 minutes.
Photo credit Sabah Tourism Board. Chongqing touches down at Kota Kinabalu airport to launch three-weekly services.
Chongqing Airlines is a subsidiary of China Southern Airlines.
Flight schedule
OQ1923 departs Chongqing (CKG) at 1845 and arrives in Kota Kinabalu (BKI) at 2315. (Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday). OQ1924 departs Kota Kinabalu (BKI) at 0030 and arrives in Chongqing (CKG) at 0510 (Wednesday, Friday and Sunday).
The service opens a new gateway for travellers from southwest China during the Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign year.
Malaysia Airports Holdings (MAHB) welcomed the 154 passengers on board the inaugural flight with a water cannon salute.
With the addition of Chongqing, Sabah is now connected to eight key cities in China — the others being Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Shanghai, Beijing, Hangzhou, and Fuzhou, further strengthening its position in the Chinese outbound travel market.
(Source: Sabah Tourism Board with additional reporting)
SINGAPORE, 23 March 2026: Looking ahead to the 2026 Alaska season, Princess Cruises will sail its largest Alaska season ever in 2026, highlighted by the debut of its newest ship in the fleet, Star Princess.
All eight Princess ships sailing in Alaska this season will feature new programming: Star Princess, Coral Princess, Royal Princess, Ruby Princess, Grand Princess, Emerald Princess, Discovery Princess, and Island Princess.
Photo credit: Princess Cruises.
First introduced in 2015, Princess’s immersive North to Alaska programme brings local personalities, culture and food, connecting guests with Alaska’s rich heritage, awe‑inspiring scenery and natural wonders through authentic offerings, educational events and engaging entertainment both onboard and ashore.
The expanded programme features eight ships, 180 departures and visits to 19 destinations, giving travellers an unparalleled range of Alaska adventures by sea or through combined land-and-sea cruisetours.
“Our North to Alaska programme is designed to bring guests closer to the spirit, culture and natural beauty of Alaska,” said Princess Cruises Vice President of Entertainment John-Paul Lamb. “From encounters with local experts and native storytellers to immersive entertainment and scenic glacier viewing, these experiences allow our guests to connect with Alaska along every step of their journey.”
With more than 55 years of experience sailing in Alaska, Princess Cruises continues to bring guests closer to the people, landscapes, and stories that define The Great Land, with five convenient departure ports, weekend departures from Seattle, and flexible itinerary choices for 2026-2027.
