Star Alliance has inaugurated its first branded lounge in Asia at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (CAN) in China. This lounge, located in Terminal 1’s international area, offers exclusive access to First and Business class passengers and Star Alliance Gold status travellers on member airline flights. Spanning 750 square meters with space for up to 100 guests, it features a modern, open layout designed for relaxation and productivity, conveniently situated near departure gates. Open 24/7, the lounge provides a seamless blend of comfort and functionality. Guests can enjoy premium amenities, including workstations, shower suites, and a 100-square-meter VIP room for private meetings. The glass facade allows natural light to illuminate the space, while regional artwork and a special Tea Appreciation Corner add a local touch. A dedicated bar and a variety of food options, including regional delicacies, further enhance the experience. Theo Panagiotoulias, CEO,Star Alliance, highlighted Guangzhou’s importance as a strategic hub in Asia, underscoring the lounge’s role in enhancing the travel experience. Ambar Franco, Vice President for Customer Experience, emphasised the lounge’s thoughtful design and commitment to meeting the modern traveller’s needs. Qi Yaoming, Deputy General Manager of Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, expressed pride in being chosen for Star Alliance’s first branded lounge in Asia, reaffirming the airport’s status as a key international hub.<br/>
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An unruly passenger on a Los Angeles-bound United Airlines flight experienced a violent outburst during which he smashed up a plastic tray and repeatedly kicked a seat until other travelers intervened to contain the situation. The incident took place on United Airlines Flight 502 from Austin, Texas to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on Nov. 16 with 76 passengers and five crew members on board, the airline said in a statement to USA TODAY Wednesday. Video recorded by another passenger shows the man standing on a seat and repeatedly kicking the back of a seat and wrecking the plastic tray table. Gino Galofaro, who captured the incident on camera, told L.A. TV station KABC he and other passengers got together to restrain the man after they saw "the flight attendant walk by and do nothing." "I took that video really quick, and I watched the flight attendant walk by and do nothing," Galofaro told KABC. "Nobody on the plane was doing anything. So, I got up and proceeded to restrain him. Two other bystanders were getting zip ties from the flight attendant." "We had to restrain him with zip ties and then seat belt him to the seat," he added.<br/>
Starting December 4, Lufthansa Group will make its eco-friendly “Green Fares” available on all long-haul routes, covering 850,000 flights annually across all travel classes. These fares offset flight-related CO2 emissions through SAF and certified climate projects. Originally launched in 2023 for short- and medium-haul flights, the programme has already attracted over 2m passengers, offsetting nearly 190,000 tonnes of CO2. The expansion reflects Lufthansa’s commitment to sustainable aviation and includes perks like additional miles and free rebooking options.<br/>
Optimising its network, Air India on Wednesday said it will deploy erstwhile Vistara's A320 planes that offer the best narrow-body cabin products on five key metro-to-metro routes, including Delhi-Mumbai and Mumbai-Hyderabad. The Tata Group-owned airline, which has embarked on an ambitious transformation journey, will continue to operate one flight with a wide-body plane each between Delhi and Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru, Delhi and Hyderabad. Either a Boeing 777 or Airbus A350 aircraft will be deployed for the services. Full-service carrier Vistara, which was well regarded for its services, was merged with Air India earlier this month, and providing a choice to passengers at the time of booking, flights operated with Vistara aircraft have their numbers starting with the prefix 'AI2'. Air India said flights on five metro-to-metro routes will be operating with erstwhile Vistara's A320 series aircraft having a three-class configuration - business, premium economy and economy class. The routes are Delhi and Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru, Delhi and Hyderabad, Mumbai and Bengaluru, and Mumbai and Hyderabad.<br/>
Taipei Taoyuan International Airport (TPE)-based EVA Air has announced that it plans to expand its long-haul network with a new service connecting its hub to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) as of November 2025. The new route is likely going to be operated by the Boeing 787-9 fleet, although this is unconfirmed. The new addition will join existing flights to the United States to destinations including Houston (IAH), New York (JFK) and more. Operating five times weekly, the new flights to the Texas city will begin on November 3rd, 2025, said EVA Air President Clay Sun in a press conference, cited by the Central News Agency. The new route is interesting, particularly given that just 24,000 passengers traveled roundtrip between the two cities in the year ending July 2024, according to Simple Flying Route Analyst, Dr. James Pearson. EVA Air says that the new route will facilitate economic relations between the two countries, as it coincides with the continued move of high-tech companies from Silicon Valley to Texas. Sun highlighted, according to Taiwan News, that the route would mean TPE is connected to the world’s third-busiest airport by passenger volume.<br/>
Thai Airways International expects to raise as much as 44b baht ($1.27b) from a share rights offering, the carrier’s final major step to exit a court-supervised debt restructuring and allow the resumption of the trading of its stock. Thailand’s flag carrier set the share price for its 9.82b new shares for existing shareholders at 4.48 baht, according to its exchange filing late Tuesday. Each holder of existing stock can purchase 4.5 new shares, it said. The airline, like regional rivals, is benefiting from a post-pandemic travel boom since 2023 that has boosted earnings and cash flow. The turnaround prompted Thai Airways to order a new fleet of Boeing and Airbus jets to expand flights and destinations. “Thai Airways has gone a long way from a near collapse to its strong emergence to become a dominant player in the global aviation industry again,” Piyasvasti Amranand, the court-appointed debt administrator, said at a press briefing Wednesday. “Strong business outlook and attractive share price should help Thai Air achieve the capital raising through rights offerings.”<br/>
The merger between Korean Air and Asiana Airlines, which was initiated in 2020, is on the verge of completion after four years of negotiations. The European Commission (EC), the final major regulatory hurdle, is expected to announce its approval soon. Alongside the creation of a “mega carrier,” the integration of low-cost carriers (LCCs) affiliated with both airlines - Jin Air, Air Busan, and Air Seoul - is expected to reshape South Korea's aviation industry. According to the aviation industry on Wednesday, the EC is likely to finalize its review of the merger and announce its approval later in November 2024. The EC granted conditional approval earlier in February after requiring the sale of Asiana's cargo business and the transfer of certain European passenger routes and is currently conducting a final review of Air Incheon's suitability to acquire Asiana's cargo division. Air Incheon plans to complete the remaining processes for the acquisition and begin operations under the new arrangement from July 1st, 2025, onwards. The sale of Asiana's cargo business, which faced legal challenges, cleared its final hurdle when a Korean court recently dismissed an injunction request by Asiana's pilot union to halt the sale. The EC also confirmed that the requirement to transfer four European passenger routes has been fulfilled. Under its conditions, Korean Air and Asiana were required to transfer routes to Frankfurt, Paris, Rome, and Barcelona to T'way Air. T'way Air completed the transition earlier in November 2024 by launching flights to Frankfurt, having already commenced services to the other destinations.<br/>
Singapore Airlines (SIA) is adjusting flight times on its Darwin-Singapore service, adding late-night departures three days of the week. Starting in the upcoming northern summer season, commencing 30 March, the SQ254 service on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays will depart Darwin at 1:55am, arriving in Singapore at 5:10am local time, which the airline says will enable better connectivity. Passengers from Darwin will see layover times in Singapore dramatically decreased, some by more than 10 hours, removing the need to overnight at Changi Airport on a number of routes. “This new morning arrival into Singapore will increase connection options and reduce transit times for key destinations from DRW including Jakarta, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Manila, Ho Chi Minh City and Kathmandu,” the carrier said. “Additionally, this will allow connectivity to a greater number of European flight routes, including London Heathrow, Paris, and Frankfurt. With two departure options for these destinations across the week, customers can enjoy their choice of flight, with efficient connections for their onward journeys to Europe.”<br/>