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Air Canada has unveiled plans to launch non-stop flights between its trans-Pacific hub at Vancouver International Airport (YVR) and Changi International Airport (SIN) in Singapore. The new route is scheduled to take off with four flights per week beginning 3 April 2024, using Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft configured with three cabins of service: Signature Class with lie-flat seats, Premium Economy and Economy Class. "We are committed to growing YVR as a premier trans-Pacific hub and Singapore is a top global financial centre, a multicultural destination that offers an abundance of tourism and food experiences, as well as an important gateway to beyond destinations in Southeast Asia, Southern India and Western Australia," said Mark Galardo, Executive Vice President, Revenue and Network Planning at Air Canada. "Our newest flight will be equally appreciated by international business travellers, as well as those seeking an exciting holiday destination, or simply visiting friends and family. Customers can now begin planning their next trip to Singapore."<br/>

Scandinavian carrier SAS has revised its timeline for equity solicitation, extending the deadlines for investors by four weeks. SAS, which is restructuring under US Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, also states that it aims to complete its court-supervised processes around the end of this year. The airline is looking to raise at least SKr9.5b ($896m) in new equity capital as part of the ‘SAS Forward’ re-organisation scheme. It claims it has received “substantial interest” from potential financial and strategic investors in the company. SAS states that, following initial discussions, it is extending the deadlines for the procedures in order to provide “enough time for investors to prepare their bids” as well as for the assessment of offers. Initial indications of interest, as a result, are due by 17 July and final bids will be accepted to 18 September.<br/>

Serbia has been in talks with Turkish Airlines (TK, Istanbul Airport) and its maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) unit Turkish Technic for several weeks about the possibility of opening a joint MRO operation in Belgrade, the Serbian aviation news site Tango Six reported. The launch of such a venture would be in the context of the Turkish carrier’s expanding ties with Air Serbia (JU, Belgrade) as the local flag carrier would likely also have its aircraft maintained by the company. Relations between Air Serbia and its main MRO provider JAT Tehnika, which Polish-based Avia Prime Group owns, have reportedly been strained in recent months over bottlenecks, prompting the airline to send some of its aircraft to Istanbul for maintenance. Aviation Week first reported last week that Turkish Airlines was “working with investors, for example in Belgrade” to outsource some of its MRO outside Türkiye, in the words of the airline’s chairman Ahmet Bolat, who added: “We will make a decision accordingly. We are always open to opportunities. We evaluate future prospects and so on, that’s the important thing.” Labour costs are falling in parts of southeastern Europe, he claimed, making it a favourable region to invest in. However, Kazakhstan and Indonesia are also options for Turkish Technic to expand to, Bolat said.<br/>

With the 2023 UEFA Champions League final in the books, Turkish Airlines is readying its second year as the organization’s airline sponsor. One of its most significant partnerships yet, Turkish Airlines was named last year as the first airline sponsor for the UEFA Champions League in a two-year agreement. The cost of the sponsorship has not been disclosed. The first year was complete with the final that took place in Istanbul last weekend. The other 2023 season sponsors included Heineken, PlayStation, PepsiCo, Mastercard, FedEx, Just Eat Takeaway.com, and OPPO. Next year’s will take place at Wembley Stadium in London on June 1, 2024. Turkish Airlines has sponsored a number of sports tournaments and teams over the years — including in basketball, volleyball, tennis, golf, rugby, and equestrian — part of a marketing strategy that the company plans to continue as it seeks to raise brand awareness worldwide. “In today’s increasingly connected world, sports such as football are ever-popular, and well known teams do have fans worldwide regardless of distance, culture, and language,” said Rafet Fatih Özgür, senior vice president of communications for Turkish Airlines. “We have good numbers in Europe, but Champions League is not only [effective] in the Europe market. It’s also effective in other regions as well — in the Middle East and the U.S.” Over the past 10 years, the company has placed an emphasis on expanding awareness with the North American market in particular, he said. <br/>

Ethiopian Airlines earnings jumped 20% to $6.1b in the 2022/2023 fiscal year, despite the impact of Russian-Ukraine war and the increase in fuel prices, the country’s state news agency reported on Thursday. The airline transported 13.7m passengers and 723,000 tons of cargo in the fiscal year, which ends on July 7, the company’s CEO Mesfin Tasew said, according to the Ethiopian News Agency. The state-owned carrier increased its fleet by 11 passenger planes, bringing the total to 140, and converted two into cargo planes, bringing the total number of cargo planes to 15, Mesfin said. Ethiopian Airlines introduced seven new international destinations, including Copenhagen, Atlanta, and Karachi during the budget year. Earlier this month Mesfin said the company was evaluating possible Airbus and Boeing wide-body plane orders and was expecting to make a decision by the end of the year.<br/>

Air New Zealand and the Government are to invest more than NZ$2m in two studies to consider the feasibility of producing sustainable aviation fuel in Aotearoa New Zealand. The airline will contribute around $1.5m in the project, while the taxpayer will chip in $765,000. The deal was announced on Friday at Air NZ’s Auckland head office at the launch of the draft Tourism Environment Action Plan, attended by Tourism Minister Peeni Henare. Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is made from waste like forestry slash, municipal waste, or used cooking oils, but while there is high demand globally, there is limited supply. Burning SAF produces significantly lower lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions than fossil jet fuel, Air New Zealand says. The $2m-plus investment follows an earlier year-long process that invited innovators to demonstrate the viability of operating a SAF plant at a commercial scale in New Zealand. The airline, along with government officials, evaluated proposals from multiple international SAF producers, to understand what technologies are available globally, and whether they could be brought to New Zealand. Proposals from two United States-based companies will be examined in the next phase of the project: one with LanzaJet and another with Fulcrum BioEnergy. Air NZ said the next phase would evaluate the technical, economic, supply chain, and environmental feasibility of establishing and operating a SAF production facility in New Zealand. Kiri Hannifin, Air NZ’s chief sustainability officer said: “Our climate is worsening at a rate far faster than predicted. We all need to take immediate and drastic action to protect what we love, including our land, and all that depends on her. “So much of what we rely on in Aotearoa is based on our magnificent natural assets including tourism and food production. Air NZ has a significant role to play in transitioning our economy to a lower carbon future and flying with SAF is a key part of this transition,” she said.<br/>