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Star Alliance, which includes, SAA, United, Lufthansa, Turkish Airlines and Singapore Airlines among its 26 members, has enabled cross-airline free seat selection on 83% of connecting bookings. The alliance aims to increase that to 90% by the end of the year, Luc Lachoix, Star Alliance VP of Digital and Technology, told travelweekly.com. The alliance also expects to facilitate multi-airline baggage tracking on 60% of alliance itineraries by December. Star Alliance is slowly expanding its Connection Centres programme, which includes eight airports across North America and Europe. This integrates technology among ground agents to identify and assist multi-carrier customers who are at risk of missing a connecting flight. According to travelweekly.com, the alliance is working towards seamlessly linking loyalty programmes, accrual, redemption and recognition across all its carriers. It says it has already created capabilities that enable the crediting of points to an individual's airline loyalty account when those points are accrued flying on other Star member airlines.<br/>

Air Canada has joined the Cadence consortium bidding to build and operate a High Frequency Rail (HFR) network linking eastern Canada's main cities. "Air Canada enables Canadians to travel at home and around the world. Connections with other modes of transport, such as rail or bus, are part of the solutions the company is already developing to offer the most relevant mobility option, responding in a sustainable way to the specific needs of each of its customers," the carrier said in a statement. It added that the project would "contribute to the harmonious integration of a future intercity rail network with existing airport hubs in the Quebec-Windsor corridor" but said it would not comment any further, as is required by the current regulations. The proposed project will link Windsor, Toronto, Ottawa, Montréal, and Quebec City. Air Canada has hubs at Toronto Pearson and Montréal Trudeau airports.<br/>

Ethiopian Airlines Group has signed an advisory and consultancy contract with Dar Al-Handasah Consultants covering plans for a new 110m-passenger airport located around 40km southeast of its existing Addis Ababa Bole hub. Ethiopia has for several years flagged the need for a hub with more capacity as part of its long-term development plans – included in the Ethiopian Airlines Vision 2035 strategy – and the Star Alliance carrier has previously identified a site at Abusera in Bishoftu for the facility. The airline has now announced plans for the new airport to open in 2029, initially with a passenger capacity of 60m – double that of the existing Bole hub – after disclosing it has signed a deal with Dar Al-Handasah to ”embark on the design and supervision of a Mega Airport City at Abusera” in Bishoftu, to the southeast of the capital. Ethiopian Airlines Group CE Mesfin Tasew says: “The project will not only enhance connectivity but also drive economic growth and prioritise environmentally responsible practices in our country and beyond. ”With its exceptional capacity and world-class facilities, this new airport promises to elevate African aviation and strengthen partnerships, marking a significant advancement for the region’s air travel infrastructure.” While initially opening with a capacity of 60m passengers, plans are in place for the airport to be expanded to handle 110m passengers annually – making it the largest hub in Africa. Notably, the new airport would be sited at a lower elevation compared to the existing Addis Ababa hub, which presents additional operational challenges.<br/>

Comac has completed flight testing for the first C919 aircraft to be delivered to state-owned carriers Air China and China Eastern. The first Air China C919 – carrying test registration B-002M – completed tests on 10 August, according to a post on Chinese social media by state-owned aerospace giant AVIC. On 3 August, flight tests for China Southern’s first C919 (B-002L) took place. The completion now paves the way for their imminent delivery, marking a new chapter for the programme. Air China is expected to take its first C919 at end-August, while no timeline has been disclosed for China Southern. The deliveries will mark the first time the C919 is being delivered to a new customer apart from launch operator China Eastern. According to AVIC, Air China will configure its C919s in a two-class layout with 158 seats: eight in business class and 150 in economy class. This compares to the 164-seat configuration adopted by China Eastern and China Southern. Air China and China Southern placed orders for 100 C919s each in April, providing a needed boost for the programme. Other Chinese operators that have signed for the C919 are Tibet Airlines – which placed an order at the Singapore air show this year – as well as Hainan Airlines units Suparna Airlines and Urumqi Air. <br/>

ingapore Airlines (SIA) has cautioned its customers about scams that use its name. In these scams, phishing websites, e-mails, text messages, social media accounts and phone calls have claimed to be from the flag carrier. The airline said in a Facebook post on Monday that fake hotline numbers have been posted online, including on Google Maps, Wiki pages and community forums. Customers who need help should contact only the hotline numbers found on the official SIA website. People have also pretended to be from the airline company on messaging apps and approached the public with fake job offers, said SIA. Those interested in working for the carrier should go to its official LinkedIn page or career portal, the airline added. In addition, fake social media accounts impersonating SIA have published advertisements offering discounts to get its customers’ personal data. People have also received e-mails or attachments containing phishing links from parties that claimed to be from SIA.<br/>

Thailand’s two full-service operators were in the black in their Q2 earnings, as passenger traffic grew and revenues remained strong. However, the two carriers – flag carrier Thai Airways International and regional operator Bangkok Airways – differed in revenue and cost increases, reflecting the different operating environment they face. <br/>Thai posted an operating profit of Bt5.9b ($167m) for the three months ended 30 June, down nearly 31% year on year. The Star Alliance carrier, which is undergoing business rehabilitation, attributed the profit shortfall to an increase in expenses, which outpaced a rise in revenue. For the quarter, Thai recorded an 18% jump in revenue to around Bt44b, led by a 16% increase in passenger revenue. Thai carried 3.8m passengers during the quarter, up 13.7% year on year. Capacity grew by 21%, far outpacing an 11% increase in traffic. The airline also managed to keep its yields stable, with passenger yields growing 3% year on year. However, quarterly expenses rose 32% to Bt38b, with both fuel and non-fuel costs increasing. The rise in costs came as Thai added four aircraft to its fleet – three Airbus A350s and a single Boeing 787-9 – and the Thai baht depreciated against the US Dollar. <br/>