United Airlines will expand its presence in Australia this year following a code-share agreement with Virgin Australia, which could shake up the Australian aviation market and result in lower airfares. United will operate 66 flights between the US, Australia and New Zealand weekly when all its flights come online. It’s good news for Aussie flyers, with business travellers and holidaymakers likely to benefit from increased competition and potentially cheaper fares. “We, as consumers, can virtually choose whether we want to fly on either one … we will see a change in the long-haul market to our advantage,” said Professor Doug Drury, head of aviation at Central Queensland University. “Qantas will have to match or beat the United tickets, and United is going to come in here and offer some really fantastic pricing. This is why competition is good for our industry, and especially consumers in Australia.” The code-sharing agreement would allow United Airlines and Virgin Australia to fly each other’s passengers and promote each other’s routes, increasing the frequency and capacity of flights to and from the US, Professor Drury said. The agreement would “open up the global market for Virgin” and give United access to all of Australia, and Virgin’s routes. “This collaboration comes at a crucial time for Virgin, which currently lacks long-haul capabilities after selling off its [Boeing] 777 aircraft,” he said.<br/>
star
Egyptian national airline EgyptAir announced on Tuesday 18 April suspending flights to and from the Sudanese capital Khartoum indefinitely. The announcement was first made on Saturday 15 April for 72 hours following the eruption of conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the country’s main paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces. EgyptAir called on customers traveling to and from the Sudanese capital to review their reservations by contacting the EgyptAir call center. Due to the eruption of violence and disruption of political affairs, Khartoum International Airport has been closed to all traffic since Saturday. On Saturday, Egyptian president Abdelfattah Al Sisi called for an immediate ceasefire in Sudan. In a phone call between the president and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, and another with President Salva Kiir Mayardit, President of the Republic of South Sudan, Al Sisi urged Sudanese parties “to prioritize dialogue and national consensus and to uphold the supreme interests of the Sudanese people.” In the clashes, nearly 300 people have been killed and more than 2,600 injured, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) officials citing Sudan’s Ministry of Health Emergency Operations Center.<br/>