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Turkish Airlines will transfer ownership of five of its Boeing 737-800s to its soon-to-be spun out low-cost operation AJet to support its application to secure its own operating permits. The Star Alliance carrier is in the process of establishing its budget unit Anadolu Jet as a wholly-owned subsidiary, rebranding it under the AJet name. In a short stock exchange statement Turkish Airlines says it will transfer ownership of five 737-800s to the unit ”as an in-kind capital in order to obtain necessary operating permits” to begin operations. The low-cost airline, which is set to operate a fleet of 88 aircraft by year-end, hopes to begin flights under the AJet branding next summer.<br/>

Turkish Airlines plans to increase frequencies on several routes in the region during the 2024 summer season, which begins on March 31 of next year, but has ruled out the introduction of flights to Banja Luka following talks with airports officials. Apart from its recently announced plans to boost operations to Zagreb from fourteen to eighteen weekly, Turkish will also increase services on its other destination in Croatia - Dubrovnik - from the five weekly rotations operated during the summer of 2023, to daily. The additional service on Mondays and Wednesdays will be introduced from March 31. Turkish Airlines will increase flights from Istanbul to both Podgorica and Tivat after signing a Memorandum of Understanding with Air Montenegro earlier this year, enabling both flag carriers to grow their frequencies in each other’s markets. The Turkish carrier will initially increase operations between Istanbul and Podgorica from double daily to seventeen weekly, growing to eighteen weekly from mid-August. Similarly, it will boost frequencies on flights to Tivat, which it launched this summer, from six weekly to nine weekly, increasing to ten weekly from mid-August.<br/>

Turkish Airlines has commenced a new service between Istanbul and Osaka, China's second largest city, operating flights between the cities four times a week. Using Boeing 787-9 aircraft, the airline will fly the route between Istanbul Airport and Osaka's Kansai international airport on Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Eastbound flights leave Istanbul at 02.35 and arrive in Japan at 20.05. Westbound flights leave Osaka at 22.25 and arrive in Turkey at 05.55 (all local times). Turkish Airlines chairman of the board and the executive committee Ahmet Bolat said: "Osaka flights not only strengthen our presence in the Asia-Pacific region but also shows our dedication to connecting people and cultures around the world." The airline is also increasing flights between Istanbul and Birmingham in the UK, with plans to operate four extra flights a week from June, meaning there will be 18 weekly flights between the two cities next summer.<br/>

Brussels Airlines has completed its first commercial flight using new Airbus A320neo between Brussels and Vienna. It is the first of the new aircraft for the Belgian carrier with four more scheduled to join the fleet in the coming months. The Airbus A320neo produces up to 20% fewer CO2 emissions and up to 50% less noise than previous aircraft. Onboard, the aircraft is also quieter and overhead luggage bins are 40% larger for passengers' bags. In April the airline appointed Dorothea von Boxberg as its new CEO.<br/>