There is a change at the top of the Egyptian airline EgyptAir. Mohamed Moussa, the previous CEO, will be replaced by his deputy Mohamed Alian.<br/>The new CEO is an experienced pilot and instructor on the Airbus A330. Alian takes over the leadership of the state-owned company at a time when the aviation industry continues to face the aftermath of the global pandemic and geopolitical challenges. The exact reasons for the change were not explained in detail by EgyptAir.<br/>
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Today, Japanese carrier ANA All Niippon Airlines (NH) announced an expansion of its European network for the Winter 2024-2025 season by adding three new routes to Milan (MXP), Stockholm (ARN), and Istanbul (IST). All of these new routes will depart from Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND), and the three new additions will be flown as return flights three times weekly. Starting December 3, 2024, the HND to MXP flight will operate as NH207 on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays, and the return flight will operate as NH208. Starting January 31, 2025, the Haneda to Stockholm ARN will also be flown on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays as NH221/222. Commencing February 12, 2025, NH219/220 will see flights between HND and IST on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays. This route is highly significant, as it allows passengers to transit in Istanbul and fly with fellow Star Alliance member Turkish Airlines (TK) to several destinations. TK flies to more than 130 countries worldwide, the most for any commercial airline. <br/>
South Korea's top two airlines, Korean Air and Asiana Airlines, are recently ramping up efforts to encourage their passengers to use up their mileage in an apparent move to ease financial burdens ahead of their planned merger later this year. Korean Air recently announced a strategic partnership with GS Retail, a local retailer operating GS25 convenience stores, to allow customers to use their Korean Air points at GS25 outlets. Asiana Airlines also plans to launch an online shopping site exclusively for mileage points use next month. During the COVID-19 disruptions, many travelers were unable to redeem their mileage points, leading to an increase in the total amount of unused miles. Both airlines were also forced to extend the mileage expiration dates due to the global pandemic. As a result, their unused mileage points have surged to a combined 3.5t won ($2.6b) in recent years. According to the latest data released by the Financial Supervisory Service on Monday, Korean Air's deferred income, which reflects the accumulated points, stood at 2.52t won as of June, up 15.2% from 2019 before the pandemic. During the same period, Asiana Airlines saw an almost 40% jump to 975.8b won. With their unused mileage points piling up, their passengers are wary of any change in the value after the merger of the two airlines that is still waiting for approval from the US aviation authorities. Both airlines denied immediate changes in their mileage management systems even after the merger, at least for another two years. "Even after the merger gets the final nod by the US, the airlines will continue to operate as two separate brands for two years,” a Korean Air official said. “After that, we plan to combine the two brands into Korean Air and discussions will be made on details, including mileage transfer.”<br/>