Despite going public with plans to fly from Istanbul to Australia with a layover in Singapore, Turkish Airlines has not lodged any application with the Republic’s authorities to operate these flights. Responding to queries from The Straits Times on Dec 27, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) said it “has not received any application from Turkish Airlines to operate fifth-freedom services between Singapore and Australia”. “Airlines must obtain regulatory approvals before the flights can be operated,” said CAAS director of air transport Sidney Koh. Fifth-freedom flights allow a carrier to fly from its home country to another, and offload passengers and freight, before picking up passengers and cargo and flying on to its final destination. Turkish Airlines chairman Ahmet Bolat told Hurriyet Daily News, an English daily in Turkey, that it will start flights to Australia between March 15 and 25, 2024. The carrier plans to operate flights to Sydney and Melbourne. “The Australia flight will involve a layover, a 10-hour stopover in Singapore, and then a further seven-hour journey to Australia,” he said in the news report published on Dec 8. He added that the carrier is in talks with Hollywood star Margot Robbie, the lead actress in the hit 2023 movie Barbie, to front the airline’s advertising campaigns for this new route.<br/>
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Kenya Airways, the country's national carrier, said Thursday it has expanded its codeshare partnership with South African Airways (SAA), the flag carrier airline of South Africa, to include direct flights from South Africa to South America. Kenya Airways said customers will now experience a seamless travel journey to Sao Paulo, Brazil, via Johannesburg on one ticket, as KQ and SAA codeshare on the recently reintroduced South Africa Airways flight to Sao Paulo (GRU). Julius Thairu, chief commercial and customer officer at Kenya Airways, said customers will now enjoy expanded strategic cooperation. "Together, we are dedicated to providing passengers with unmatched travel options, world-class services, and an expanded global reach," Thairu said in a statement issued in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya. "This alliance provides a superior option for those journeying between Africa and South America. Notably, the South Africa-South America link through this collaboration stands out as the most direct, reducing the overall carbon footprint and contributing to sustainability in air travel," Kenya Airways said, declaring that travelers would benefit from simplified logistics, reduced layover times, and an enhanced overall travel experience from Kenya to Brazil.<br/>
Three Air India staffers were nabbed by Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel for allegedly attempting to allow a man to fly to a European country based on fake documents, a Delhi Police official said on Thursday, December 28. However, CISF said that four airline staff members and one passenger were nabbed. "Around 1.15 pm on Wednesday, the CISF surveillance and intelligence staff at IGI Airport, New Delhi, observed suspicious activities involving a passenger seated in the check-in area near departure gate No 5. The passenger, identified as Diljot Singh, an Indian national intending to travel from Delhi to Birmingham with Air India, became the focus of attention," it said. Due to profiling concerns, Singh was directed to undergo thorough screening at a random checkpoint. "Despite a comprehensive examination of his baggage revealing no suspicious items, Singh's failure to board the flight raised alarm. When questioned about his non-boarding, he provided unsatisfactory answers," a senior CISF official said. According to the statement, his previous movements were tracked through CCTV footage ‘based on strong suspicion’. Electronic surveillance and inquiries with the passenger revealed that after checking in at the F-11 counter, he proceeded to immigration, where officials stopped him for possessing dubious travel documents. He was instructed to bring the airline staff concerned to address the doubts, as per the CISF. Story has more.<br/>
Thai Airways International (THAI) will on Jan 1 start covering all flights previously operated by its subsidiary, Thai Smile Airways, the public company announced on Thursday. Thai Smile customers are advised to contact THAI through its website, representative offices, and contact centre, as they will take over from the budget airline’s contact channels as part of the merger (see contact information below). THAI will take over all Thai Smile operations and services under the parent company’s business rehabilitation plan, according to a press release from the company. While Thai Smile’s contact centre will be operational until Dec 31, its website was closed down on Dec 16. Thai Smile focused on covering domestic and short-haul international flights. With Thai Smile discontinued, THAI will serve all the routes covered by Thai Smile. All Thai Smile staff, including pilots and crew members, will transition to Thai Airways, including donning THAI uniforms. Customers with Thai Smile air tickets can still fly as scheduled, as their seats will be reserved on THAI flights, the airline Thai Smile customers who wish to change their travel schedules may contact THAI through the available channels.<br/>