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A rather unusual case is going before the federal courts in Canada as the country’s biggest airline is suing a passenger following a missing bag claim. Air Canada issued legal proceedings against Alaa Tannous on Christmas Eve last year. It all started in 2022 when Tannous and his wife, Nancy, took a flight from Toronto to Vancouver, but while they got to their destination, their bag did not. They said an Air Canada employee told them they had no idea where the bag was and that they could spend "a reasonable amount" on necessities, so the couple began shopping for replacement items. The luggage then turned up less than 24 hours later, but not before the couple had spent C$3435 (NZ$4230). When they sent the airline the receipts, they were offered C$250 (NZ$308) in compensation. Tannous declined and went to the Canadian Transportation Agency which ordered the airline to pay the couple C$2079 (NZ$2560), which was accepted. At that time, Air Canada’s maximum payout for delayed or lost luggage was C$2400 (NZ$2950). But now the airline has pushed back, issuing legal proceedings against Tannos. In a statement posted on LinkedIn, it listed a time-line of the items bought by the couple (all in Canadian dollars):<br/>May 25, 2022: $570.12 for toiletries, make up and skin care products<br/>$1,121.86: $348.84 for a dress, 2 x trousers, 3 x tops<br/>$247.52 for 4 x sets of lingerie and 1 x sleepwear<br/>$525.50 for underwear, jeans and 2 x t-shirts<br/>May 26, 2022: Bag delivered to hotel at 9:15 am<br/>May 26, 2022: $433.61 for one pair of ladies sneakers purchased at 6:54 pm<br/>May 28, 2022: $1310.40 for one personally monogrammed Tumi piece of luggage, purchased at 11:23 pm.<br/>“Under current law, Air Canada cannot appeal decisions by the Canadian Transportation Agency to the agency itself and must instead appeal to the Federal Court. In this case, Air Canada has chosen to appeal to the Federal Court because it is seeking guidance on what constitutes reasonable expenses that customers can claim.“ Tannous defended the purchase of the sneakers as the couple had left the hotel for the day and were unaware the bag had been returned. He also said the purchase of the Tumi luggage was to bring home the newly-purchased items and that the compensation of C$2079 did not cover its cost.<br/>

Croatia Airlines is attributing a loss-making performance for the full year to the costs of transitioning to its new Airbus A220 fleet, as well as external pressures over which is has little control. It points out that the first two A220s had been due for delivery before the summer 2024 season, but were “repeatedly pushed back”. The initial aircraft only commenced commercial flights in early August, while the second was not introduced until December. Its first 20 pilots – including five instructors – for the new aircraft type had to spend longer than planned undergoing simulator training, even having to repeat sessions, because of the delivery delays. The carrier adds that, owing to training demands reducing crew availability, it could not fly aircraft at full capacity. Alongside the A220s it has six Airbus A320-family jets and six De Havilland Dash 8 turboprops. Croatia Airlines generated a full-year operating loss of nearly E16m and a net loss of E19.6m, in contrast to the profits recorded in 2023. It says the fleet-replacement cycle is “characterised” by “operational and financial challenges”, and the carrier expected negative financial results. But it adds that it also faced “significant cost exposure” in other areas. These included prolonged maintenance for its Airbus and Dash 8 fleet, running to July 2024, arising from difficulties in the spare-parts supply chain. Aircraft groundings which would normally have taken just 24h, it adds, took two or three days to resolve. Croatia Airlines says the capacity problems forced it to wet-lease “significantly more expensive” aircraft to meet its flight schedule.<br/>

Turkish Airlines has announced flights from Istanbul to Phnom Penh, making it the first European carrier to fly to the Cambodian capital. Turkish Airlines is set to make history on December 10, 2025, by launching the first regular direct service between Europe and Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s vibrant capital. This landmark route will connect Istanbul to Phnom Penh, establishing a crucial bridge between continents. This new service marks a significant milestone, making Turkish Airlines the seventh flag carrier to serve Phnom Penh. The airline will operate three weekly flights, with a brief stopover in Bangkok, offering convenient travel options for passengers. Flights will depart Istanbul on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays, while return flights from Phnom Penh will operate on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.<br/>

Air India will move its Delhi-Tokyo service from Narita International Airport to Haneda Airport, significantly improving connectivity between India and Japan. The move, effective March 31, 2025, offers swifter access to central Tokyo, which fits into AI’s broader plan to enhance connectivity worldwide. It is also expanding codeshare arrangements with All Nippon Airways, Japan’s largest airline, to provide travel options throughout Japan. Tokyo’s two large international airports are Narita, far from the city center and much closer to Haneda. Just under 18 km from central Tokyo, Haneda enables passengers to get to Tokyo Station in around half an hour; the journey from Narita can take an hour or more. It saves travelers precious minutes and reduces transportation costs—taxi prices from Narita to central Tokyo can run up to over USD$170. In contrast, Haneda offers the Monorail and the cheaper Keikyu Line. The shift also improves domestic connectivity since Haneda is Japan’s leading domestic hub. ANA, AI’s partner in the Star Alliance, has a larger footprint at Haneda, offering smooth onward flight connections to all major Japanese cities. Business travelers also favor the airport; many international airlines have moved to Haneda for its accessibility.<br/>

When Air New Zealand last summer dropped its 2030 climate impact reduction target, it underlined the challenges even the most progressive airlines face in building momentum in meeting their longer-term commitment to cut carbon emissions. In mid-2022, the airline had been among the first to commit to a science-based target to reduce carbon emissions by the end of this decade. That envisaged a near 29% reduction in carbon intensity by 2030 against 2019 levels. This was to be achieved through a multi-faceted approach, focusing heavily on the adoption of new aircraft technologies and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The 2030 target marked a clear staging post on the carrier’s journey to net-zero emissions by 2050. However, two years later, and while remaining committed to the long-term goal to be net-zero by mid-century, Air New Zealand dropped it. Meeting such decarbonising ambitions always included a leap of faith by airlines, in that the required ramp-up of SAF production and new technology development was largely beyond their control. But even the part airlines thought was within their control – the ability to operate more fuel-efficient aircraft – turns out to be harder to achieve as well. Air New Zealand cited the wider policy and availability issues regarding new aircraft and fuels development as factors in its decision. Significantly, however, CE Greg Foran flagged that it had “become apparent” that potential delays to its fleet renewal plans posed an additional risk to the target’s achievability. The carrier is far from alone. Story has more.<br/>