Brazil’s federal government has announced a historic US$10.6m investment on its International Tourism Acceleration Program (ITAP) for 2025, generating at least 500,000 new international flight seats. The program will be rolled out in phases throughout 2025, beginning in late January with a call for proposals focused on regular international flights to unserved regions such as Northeast Brazil. In March 2025, the call for charter flights will be launched, followed by sub-regional domestic flights in the second half of the year. Brazilian Tourist Board President Marcelo Freixo, (Visit Brasil/Embratur), highlighted the program as a leap forward from the pilot project implemented in 2024. "Regionalizing our measures for each region of Brazil seems to be the right approach, as different regions face different challenges. I want to see the Northeast competing head-to-head with the Caribbean and to achieve this, we need to integrate regional promotion. This is a significant step toward generating jobs, income, and development for society," he said. The initiative stems from collaboration within the Brazilian federal government, a joint effort by Embratur, the Ministry of Tourism, and the Ministry of Ports and Airports. He stated, "We've been working together since the first week. What we deliver today is the result of that collaboration. From an initial US$0.8m investment on IATA Winter 2024/25, to over U$10m, with equal or higher investments of airlines and airports we are on the right path.”<br/>
general
Morocco’s Mohammed V International Airport in Casablanca pledged to reduce passenger waiting time from 45 to 25 minutes. nTransport and Logistics Minister Abdessamad Kayouh announced the news during a parliamentary session on Tuesday.Moroccan cuisine He said that the pledged improvement comes as part of a broader MAD40b ($4b) expansion project set to transform the Casablanca hub by 2029. The new airport terminal, spanning 700 hectares, will serve as the home base for Royal Air Maroc’s expanding fleet, which is projected to grow from 50 to 250 aircraft by 2033. The expansion will triple the airport’s current capacity from 15m to 45m passengers annually by 2029, requiring an investment of MAD25b ($2.5b). In preparation for the 2030 FIFA World Cup, Morocco’s airports are undergoing significant upgrades. The national airport network’s total capacity, currently at 40m passengers, will double to 80m by 2035. Recent developments at Mohammed V International Airport include a new international transit zone, operational since June.<br/>
Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD) has announced an additional loan of AED147m ($40m) to the island nation of Maldives to support the completion of its Velana International Airport project. This follows an earlier loan of AED183.5m ($50m) provided in 2017 for the project’s initial phases, highlighting the airport’s vital role in driving tourism, a key pillar of the Maldivian economy. On complete expansion, the Velana International Airport will boast upto 26 gates for passenger access to aircraft, in addition to a building for international flights. It will also be able to handle 7.5m passengers per annum. Abu Dhabi Fund for Development has been actively contributing since 1976 to supporting and financing many strategic projects in the Maldives. "This funding reflects the critical role of ADFD in driving economic and social development in partner countries through transformative infrastructure projects. The additional support for the modernization and expansion of the Velana International Airport will promote the Maldives’ growth, as it increases capacity to meet the rising demand from a thriving tourism sector," remarked Mohamed Saif Al Suwaidi, the Director General of ADFD after signing the deal with Moosa Zameer, the Minister of Finance in the Maldives in the presence of senior officials. He pointed out that these efforts align with the Maldivian government’s development objectives. <br/>
Hong Kong’s aviation sector navigated a turbulent year in 2024 as it tried to recuperate from the pandemic and underwent a series of mid-air dramas. From a broken toilet door during a flight to an Airbus A350 engine fire and a global Microsoft outage disrupting operations at Hong Kong International Airport, the Post looks back at the aviation stories that made headlines in 2024. Cathay Pacific Airways cancelled almost 800 flights between December 2023 and February 2024 due to pilot illnesses and recruitment challenges. It drew a backlash from authorities for poor crew planning, causing frustration for travellers trying to reschedule flights and for pilots navigating what they perceived as chaotic roster arrangements. The city’s flag carrier also cancelled 90 flights and conducted inspections and repairs on its 48-strong Airbus A350 aircraft after the engine of a Zurich-bound flight caught fire in September. The issue stemmed from a fuel nozzle failure in a Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engine. Cathay’s budget carrier HK Express told two visually impaired passengers to deboard a Tokyo-bound flight in May, triggering criticism from the Hong Kong Blind Union, which called the move “insulting”. The airline first denied claims of forced removal due to safety concerns, but later apologised and offered compensation to the two passengers. A cargo plane operated by Atlas Air suffered a burst tyre during an emergency landing on the airport’s northern runway in June. It paralysed the runway for eight hours and delayed about 450 flights. The hydraulic system failure on the aircraft complicated the emergency handling, extending the time needed to resolve the situation. Story has more.<br/>