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Star Alliance has unveiled its first branded lounge in Asia, located at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (CAN), within Terminal 1. The facility caters to First and Business Class passengers, as well as Star Alliance Gold status customers traveling with member airlines. Situated on the upper level of the GBIA lounge, the space spans 750 square metres, accommodating up to 100 guests. It features an open layout with tarmac views, shower suites, and workstations, alongside a Tea Appreciation Corner and locally inspired cuisine. “Lounges are a critical component for the effortless travel experience we aim to provide to our member airline passengers,” said Star Alliance CEO Theo Panagiotoulias. “As a key strategic hub in Asia, Guangzhou serves as an important gateway for our guests. We are excited to inaugurate our first lounge in Asia, given the significance of the continent to aviation growth today and in the years to come.” <br/>

Air Canada is poised to roll out facial recognition technology at the gate, making it the first Canadian airline to deploy the software in a bid to streamline the boarding process. Starting Tuesday, customers who board most domestic Air Canada flights at Vancouver International Airport will be able to walk onto the plane without presenting any physical pieces of identification, such as a passport or driver's licence, the country's largest airline said. Participants in the program, which is voluntary, can upload a photo of their face and a scan of their passport to the airline's app. Launched as a pilot project in February 2023, the digital ID option is already available at Air Canada's Maple Leaf lounges in Toronto, Calgary and San Francisco. The airline plans to unveil it at other Canadian airport gates "in the near future." Canadian carriers have been slow to adopt biometric processes, with face-matching technology already deployed by a number of U.S. airlines, overseas airports and government security agencies. Since 2021, some Delta Air Lines customers at the Atlanta and Detroit airports have been able to check their bags, pass through security and board their flight by flashing no more than a smile. The airline expanded the technology to Los Angeles and New York City last year. In 2023, Germany's Frankfurt Airport began to allow all airlines to use "face biometrics" from the check-in desk to the boarding gate — no physical ID involved — after introducing the technology in 2020.<br/>

Brussels Airlines is gearing up for a busy summer in 2025, with plans to increase capacity, add new destinations, and expand its fleet. From April to October, the Belgian carrier will operate a fleet of 50 aircraft, up from 44 in summer 2024. This includes 11 long-haul Airbus A330s, 35 short-haul Airbus A319/320s, and four Airbus A220s operated by Air Baltic. The airline’s network will encompass 91 destinations, including 71 in Europe. Highlighting its European network, Brussels Airlines will launch weekly direct flights to Funchal, Madeira, expanding its Portuguese destinations to four. Additional frequencies will be added to Faro and Porto, while its newly introduced Fuerteventura route will continue into summer. Spain will feature prominently, with 11 destinations, and Greece will grow to nine, including increased flights to Samos and Lesbos. Birmingham will remain a year-round destination, and the airline will take over flights from Brussels to Munich, Frankfurt, Zurich, and Geneva from Lufthansa and Swiss. Brussels Airlines also plans to hire over 350 new staff, including cabin crew, pilots, and ground personnel, to support its growth. Details of the expanded long-haul network will be revealed soon, as the airline achieves its largest fleet size to date.<br/>

Last week the world’s largest airline alliance Star Alliance opened its first branded airport lounge in Asia at China’s Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport. In India, lounges are highly popular among traveers and massive queues outside airport lounges are common. India has over 60 lounges across over 140 airports in the country. “Consumers in India rate airport lounge access as one of the most appealing travel-related rewards,” according to airport and travel enhancement company Collinson International’s country director for India and South Asia Sumit Prakash. Collinson International has expanded its network of airport lounges and travel experiences in India by 15% over the last 12 months. The appeal of airport lounges is so significant among Indian travelers that they are being replicated at Indian railway stations, such as the Executive Lounge at Chennai Central, New Delhi, and Varanasi stations. “Airport lounges hold a special allure for Indian travelers. Some of the key factors for this include comfort, convenience, and food. The sense of luxury and exclusivity associated with airport lounges is also a significant draw,” airport lounge operator Encalm Hospitality’s CEO Vikas Sharma told Skift. Travel credit cards have played a key role in increasing airport lounge visits. Sharma said that many credit cards provide complimentary access to premium lounges, incentivizing cardholders to explore and use these facilities. “Credit card companies actively promote lounge access benefits through marketing campaigns and direct communication,” Sharma said. Story has more.<br/>

Korean Air’s high-profile acquisition of Asiana Airlines is nearing completion after the European Union's (EU) competition authority granted approval for the deal, Thursday. According to the nation’s flag carrier, the European Commission (EC) concluded its review of Korean Air’s fulfillment of all required conditions to acquire cash-strapped Asiana. The approval paves the way for the long-awaited launch of the mega carrier, as the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is expected to conclude its review of the deal and grant approval in line with the EC's decision. Korean Air said it submitted the EC approval to U.S. authorities and plans to finalize the transaction by the end of December. “Korean Air satisfied all conditions set by the EU competition authority,” an official at the carrier said. In February, the EC granted conditional approval, requiring Korean Air to meet two preconditions: the operation of a replacement carrier on four overlapping European routes and the sale of Asiana’s cargo business. In response, Korean Air designated T’way Air as the replacement carrier for the four routes from Incheon to Barcelona, Frankfurt, Paris and Rome. Air Incheon was also picked as a preferred bidder to purchase Asiana’s cargo business. Korean Air plans to inject 800b won ($573m) and secure a stake of 63.9% in Asiana on Dec. 20 to finalize the long-delayed acquisition. Asiana Airlines will then be incorporated as a subsidiary of Korean Air.<br/>