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Air travelers, are you ready for it? The official kickoff for summer this weekend is going to get even busier, thanks in part to Taylor Swift. United Airlines revealed that demand for flights to Lisbon, Portugal, where Swift is performing for her “Eras Tour,” shot up 25% for this weekend compared to last summer — and the surge is going to continue for the next few months as fans flock to Europe to for concert tickets that are thousands of dollars cheaper compared to the US. Bookings to other European cities where’s she’s performing in the coming weeks, including Madrid, Edinburgh and Dublin, are also surging, a United representative told CNN. United’s flights to Milan and Munich for Swift’s shows in July have captured the biggest increase in demand – upwards of 45% more passengers compared to last year. The airline flies to all of these cities from its East Coast hubs at Newark and Dulles, with some other destinations additionally linked from its other hubs in San Francisco, Denver, Chicago’s O’Hare and Houston. Delta Air Lines said demand is on the rise for flights to her European tour. The airline said it is prepared as it flies its largest-ever international summer schedule by adding destinations and restoring routes that were cut because of the pandemic. Both airlines are bracing for record-breaking summer travel overall. Delta and United said it will fly nearly 3m people during Memorial Day weekend, lasting from Thursday to next Monday, a 5% increase from last year. Airlines for America, a group representing major US airlines, predicts record numbers of passengers this summer, with carriers expected to fly 270m passengers — up 6% from last year.<br/>

A trial date has been set for 2026 in a class-action lawsuit regarding the crash landing of an Air Canada flight at the Halifax International Airport during a storm in 2015. Lawyers for the plaintiffs say the Nova Scotia Supreme Court has scheduled a 45-day trial starting Jan. 26, 2026. The lawsuit which is seeking compensation for the passengers on the flight names multiple defendant including Air Canada, Nav Canada, Halifax International Airport Authority, Airbus S.A.S., the Attorney General of Canada (on behalf of Transport Canada) and the two pilots involved. The plaintiffs' lawyers say the trial will focus on determining the responsibility of each defendant in the crash that saw 25 people injured. The Air Canada jet crash-landed on March 29, 2015, after it struck a power line and an antenna array and cut power to the airport. A Transportation Safety Board report said approach procedures, poor visibility and lighting led to the incident that saw the jet skid along the runway.<br/>

The flag carrier of Colombia has officially revealed its updated credit card offerings in the United States. The two new avianca cards on the American Express network are tailored for frequent flyers with perks, including elite status in the Star Alliance network and up to 100,000 bonus LifeMiles. Discussions for the new cards have been underway for three years (the airline previously offered an option with Puerto Rico's Banco Popular), resulting in today's announcement of the two options on the American Express network. Both the cards are available now and were designed to help travelers maximize rewards across avianca's considerable network and the broader Star Alliance range of destinations. Simple Flying attended the unveiling of the new cards held at the Amex Centurion Lounge in New York City. Speaking at the event, Will Stredwick, the Senior Vice President of Global Network Services North America at American Express, highlighted the longstanding partnership between the two companies: "It was about 30 years ago that Amex and avianca first started working together. We now have a partnership in many markets around the world. If you understand points and how redemptions work... you'll understand that this is a very strong value proposition. It's very customer-focused, and it's really well thought through."<br/>

The CE of Portugal’s national airline TAP has called on the government to maintain a stake in the flag carrier as he expects its planned sell-off to start in earnest within months. Luís Rodrigues also wants to bring in non-aviation investors to ease competition concerns amid growing unease in Brussels over the prospect of an industry dominated by a handful of the region’s big airline groups. The Portuguese government put TAP up for sale last year, opening the way for more airline consolidation in Europe, and a potential bidding war involving the EU’s major carriers. The new centre-right minority government, which was elected in March, said on the campaign trail it wanted to sell 100 per cent of the airline. But Rodrigues stressed the state should keep a stake in the carrier, particularly given Portugal’s dependence on tourism. “My recommendation would be for the Portuguese government to maintain a position there, to be part of the whole development process,” he said. “Just to make sure that if actors change, nobody will come in with a different agenda,” he added, pointing as an example the need to serve Portugal’s autonomous islands, Madeira and the Azores. I think some time we may be ready for a 100% sale, but let’s take that step by step.” Prime Minister Luís Montenegro said during the election campaign that a 100%t stake sale should come with safeguards to protect Portugal’s strategic interests, such as maintaining Lisbon as a hub airport. The previous government said it wanted to sell more than 50% of the company but less than 100% and keep a stake in the hands of the state. Europe’s three big airline groups IAG, Air France-KLM and Lufthansa, which own a range of subsidiaries and want to expand further, have expressed an interest in TAP amid a sharp rise in dealmaking across the sector. The Portuguese airline offers strong links to Brazil and the lucrative South American market for companies that do not have a foothold there, as well as a way into Africa through its routes to the Portuguese-speaking countries of Angola and Mozambique.<br/>

Afghanistan’s Taliban government confirmed the resumption of Turkish Airlines flights to Kabul’s international airport, nearly three years after the carrier’s services were suspended following the collapse of the Western-backed government. Afghanistan’s Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation said that the first Turkish Airlines flight landed Tuesday and was greeted by government officials. Turkish Airlines flights have returned with a schedule of four weekly round-trip flights between Istanbul and Kabul on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. All international airlines halted flights to Afghanistan when the Taliban seized power in August 2021 as U.S. and NATO forces departed after two decades of war. In January, Air Arabia restarted flights to Kabul’s international airport. In November 2023, FlyDubai became the first international carrier to resume flights to Afghanistan. Two Afghan airlines, Kam Air and Ariana Afghan Airlines, operate from Kabul to destinations such as Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Moscow; Islamabad and Istanbul.<br/>

A 73-year-old man from Britain died and dozens of people were injured after a plane encountered “sudden extreme turbulence” about 10 hours into a flight from London to Singapore, officials said on Tuesday. The plane, a Boeing 777-300ER operated by Singapore Airlines, was diverted to Bangkok, the airline said in a statement, and landed at 3:45 p.m. local time on Tuesday. In all, 71 people, including passengers and crew members, were injured, a hospital in Bangkok said. The hospital, Samitivej Srinakarin, said that of the 71 people from the flight who were being treated in its medical network, six were injured seriously. It listed four of the injured as being from Britain, with three from Malaysia, two each from New Zealand and the United States, and one each from Ireland and Spain. Other victims’ nationalities were not known. The remaining passengers and crew were examined and treated at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, the airline said. Singapore’s Ministry of Transport said it was examining the episode and would send investigators to Bangkok, and the National Transportation Safety Board in the United States said it would send a representative and four technical advisers to help. The Thai prime minister said his government would “assist with everything necessary for the injured.” The man died aboard the flight, said Kittipong Kittikachorn, the director of Bangkok’s airport, without identifying him by name or giving a cause of death. The man’s wife was injured and taken to a hospital, Kittipong said. The average flight time of that route is just under 13 hours. Kittipong said at a news conference that he went onto the airplane after it landed and described the scene as “a mess.” The flight, SQ321, took off from Heathrow at 10:38 p.m. local time on Monday with 211 passengers and 18 crew members. The airline said it encountered turbulence over the Irrawaddy Basin over Myanmar, at 37,000 feet. Data on Flight Radar 24, a website that compiles public information about flights, appears to show that about 10 hours later, it went from 37,000 feet to an altitude of roughly 31,000 feet in only a few minutes. The pilot declared a medical emergency and diverted the flight to Bangkok.<br/>

Passengers injured by severe turbulence on a Singapore Airlines flight on Tuesday are likely eligible for compensation, but the amount each receives could differ dramatically even for identical injuries due to an international treaty. One passenger died and the airline said 30 passengers were treated for injuries after a flight from London to Singapore made an emergency landing in Bangkok on Tuesday. Samitivej Hospital said it was treating 71 passengers. Under the Montreal Convention, Singapore Airlines is liable for accidents, which can include turbulence, on international flights regardless of whether the airline was negligent, according to U.S. aviation lawyers. If passengers file a lawsuit, the airline cannot contest damages up to around $175,000. If a passenger seeks larger damages, Singapore Airlines can try to limit liability by proving it took all necessary measures to avoid the turbulence, said Mike Danko, a California attorney who represents passengers. He said airlines rarely prevail on such arguments. Danko said the airline can also limit their liability by showing the passenger bore some of the fault for the injury, such as by ignoring warnings to wear a seat belt. The size of damages often comes down to the country where the case is filed and how the legal system assesses the amount of compensation.<br/>"First and foremost what is the jurisdiction where you can bring a claim and how do they value injury claims," said Daniel Rose, a New York attorney with Kreindler & Kreindler, which represents passengers.<br/>For example, U.S. juries have awarded passengers more than $1m for the emotional trauma of severe turbulence, while many courts in other countries award far less if anything for similar emotional distress.<br/>

The deadly turbulence on a Singapore Airlines Ltd. flight on its way from London to Singapore has put a spotlight on the world’s most unstable air routes. A British man was killed and seven other people were critically injured after Singapore Air flight SQ321 encountered severe turbulence as it entered Thai airspace Tuesday, triggering an emergency landing in Bangkok. While the most turbulent flights of all connect Santiago in Chile to Santa Cruz in Bolivia, there are similarly bumpy rides across the world, according to the turbli database. Flights leaving Tokyo dominate the list of the roughest long-haul services. Strong turbulence is produced when air streams traveling at significantly different speeds come together. This is typically encountered at the boundaries of jet streams, over mountains and in certain cloud storms, according to the turbli website. For instance, turbulence on the Santiago-Santa Cruz route is generated by winds from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean flowing almost perpendicular to the Andes. The equator is also a well-known region for turbulence because of strong upward currents and thunderstorm activity, turbli said. Japan has high levels of mountain- and ocean-induced turbulence.<br/>

Buckle up. That is the message from flight attendants and pilots following the severe turbulence encountered by a Singapore Airlines flight on Tuesday that resulted in the death of one passenger and injured dozens of others. The London-to-Singapore flight hit heavy turbulence over the Indian Ocean and descended 6,000 feet (around 1,800 meters) in about three minutes, before an emergency landing in Bangkok. Weather forecasting service AccuWeather said satellite and lightning data showed "explosive thunderstorms" developing close to the flight path. Developing thunderstorms can leave pilots with little time to react, it said. Airlines are required by law to switch on the seatbelt sign during takeoff and landing, but carriers have their own procedures to deal with mid-air turbulence. A witness on the Singapore Airlines flight said numerous people who were not in their seatbelt were thrown around the cabin when the plane dipped, many hitting their heads. Singapore Airlines CEO Goh Choon Phong said the plane encountered sudden, extreme turbulence. Sara Nelson, international president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA representing over 50,000 at 20 airlines, said initial reports seemed to indicate clear-air turbulence, considered to be the most dangerous type of turbulence. Clear-air turbulence cannot be seen and is virtually undetectable with current technology, making it all the more important for passengers to wear seatbelts whenever seated, she said. "It is a matter of life and death," Nelson said. The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), which represents more than 77,000 pilots at 41 U.S. and Canadian airlines, echoed that message, saying the safest way for passengers to protect themselves is by making sure their seatbelts are always fastened. Turbulence-related airline accidents are the most common type of accident, a 2021 study by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board said.<br/>