For the fifth consecutive year, Star Alliance has been named the World’s Leading Airline Alliance at the esteemed World Travel Awards. The announcement took place at the Grand Final Gala Ceremony held at Madeira, Portugal on 24 November 2024, attended by the elite of global tourism. Earlier, in the North America edition in July 2024, Star Alliance’s Los Angeles Airport Lounge also achieved significant recognition by securing the title of North America's Leading Airport Lounge for the fifth year running, reinforcing its standing as a leader in airport hospitality. Expressing his gratefulness for this latest accolade, Star Alliance CEO Theo Panagiotoulias stated, “We are incredibly honoured to receive the title of the World’s Leading Airline Alliance yet again. This enduring achievement reflects the collective dedication of Star Alliance and member airline employees and their commitment to deliver seamless travel experiences. We also extend our deepest thanks to our valued customers for their continued trust and support." Now in its 31st edition, the World Travel Awards aims to recognise and celebrate excellence across various sectors of the travel, tourism, and hospitality industries. Winners are determined based on a worldwide poll involving qualified executives in the travel sector, alongside consumer travel buyers.<br/>
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Africa’s leading airline has earned the title ‘Airline of the Year – Global Operations’ at this year’s African Airlines Association (AFRAA) Annual General Summit. The summit took place in Cairo, Egypt last week (17-19 November) with this year marking the eighth occasion Ethiopia’s flag carrier has received the accolade. Describing the award as “powerful affirmation of the commitment and resilience” of his team, Mesfin Tasew, the airline’s CEO said winning the award “mirrors our unwavering mission to enhance Africa’s connectivity and fuel economic growth.” At Ethiopian Airlines, he added, “we don’t just fly; we connect dreams, cultures and opportunities.” The airline was specifically recognised for its “outstanding performance”, as demonstrated by its impressive profitability for the financial year ending June 2023, as well as its advancements in cargo services, cooperation with other carriers and extensive route network development. The airline is also credited with playing a vital role in promoting tourism and trade, connecting various African nations and fostering stronger economic ties with destinations around the globe.<br/>
SR Technics announced its selection by Air India, India’s largest full-service global carrier, as the partner of choice for long-term maintenance support of the airline’s CFM56-5B/-7B engine fleet. Under the terms of the six-year agreement, SR Technics will provide comprehensive MRO services for Air India’s fleet, ensuring the highest levels of engine performance and operational reliability. “This strategic partnership is a milestone for SR Technics and reflects Air India’s trust in our expertise and commitment to excellence in engine maintenance,” said Owen McClave, CEO of SR Technics. “We are thrilled to collaborate with Air India and are confident that our state-of-the-art services will contribute to the continued success of their operations.” Campbell Wilson, CEO & Managing Director of Air India, commented: “SR Technics was able to meet our stringent technical, commercial, and operational requirements. High-quality services delivered by SR Technics will enable Air India to enhance safe and enjoyable flight experiences for its customers.”<br/>
Competition among airlines for high-end customers is heating up in the region as Hong Kong flag carrier Cathay Pacific joins the fray, with analysts warning that patrons could face rising airfares despite the tussle for market share. Cathay last month rolled out a new business class cabin, called Aria Suite, together with its premium economy seats on board its retrofitted Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. It also announced a new first-class cabin featured in the carrier’s 777-9s, as well as a flat-bed business-class offering on its Airbus A330 aircraft in 2026. Aria-equipped 777s have a total of 361 seats, including 45 seats in business class where passengers can enjoy features such as a sliding privacy door, wireless charging and a 24-inch 4K screen with Bluetooth audio pairing. Rival Singapore Airlines earlier announced a S$1.1b (US$817m) investment to retrofit its 41 Airbus A350-900 long-haul aircraft with refreshed business class cabins and premium economy seats available from 2026. As part of its multi-year plan, the carrier will launch its luxury first-class cabins on its seven A350-900ULR aircraft, featuring four exclusive first-class suites, including amenities such as electric window blinds.<br/>
Air New Zealand's persistent engine issues further bit into its bottomline, as it forecast lower earnings for the first half of financial year 2025, as global engine maintenance delays caused aircraft availability issues, the airline said on Monday. New Zealand's flagship carrier expects its earnings before taxation in the first half ending Dec. 31 to be in the range of NZ$120m ($70.15m) to NZ$160m, compared with NZ$185m it had reported a year earlier. However, the company's projected forecast will be much higher than its second-half earnings of financial year 2024. The firm had reported a pre-tax profit of NZ$37m in the second half of 2024. Shares of the airline gained as much as 2.8% to NZ$0.550, hitting its highest level since Sept. 13, while the broader benchmark index traded up 0.3% as of 0002 GMT. The Auckland-based carrier said last year's engine maintenance issues had dented its 2025 prospects as well. Earlier this year, the airline had flagged that maintenance needs for its Pratt & Whitney engines led to six of its Airbus neo aircraft being inoperable at times. On Monday, the company reiterated the ongoing issue. It said engine maintenance delays had caused its six Airbus neo aircraft and up to four Boeing 787 aircraft - 16% of the carrier's entire jet fleet - to be out of service across the first half of this financial year. "Disappointing to read that engine availability issues are not expected to ease until 2026," said Tom McBride, financial adviser at Hamilton Hindin Greene. Air New Zealand said it would continue to look at leasing further aircraft, among other measures, to improve capacity.<br/>