unaligned

With Virgin Atlantic returning to Toronto after a 10-year absence, first-time passengers will surely thrill to Canada’s vast expanses as they soar across the ocean from congested London. Perhaps less known to neophytes, they will also be cruising over a vast graveyard, figuratively speaking, of failed transatlantic carriers. Richard Branson’s Virgin last flew to Toronto’s Pearson in 2014 after a brief Vancouver foray from 2012 to 2014. Celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, it will begin direct flights between London Heathrow and Toronto Pearson on March 30 and has been making all the right noises about its return to this country. “At Virgin Atlantic we always think there’s a spot for us,” spokesman Simon Hawkins told travelweek.ca. “We know there is a dominant carrier. There’s Air Canada, and there’s also British Airways and Transat. We think there’s space in there for us. We have strong appeal and we offer something unique.” Juha Jarvinen, Virgin Atlantic’s CCO, predicted “huge opportunities to connect friends, relatives and businesses,” while Hawkins declared Virgin is “excited” about building “more of a footprint in Canada,” adding — perhaps with an eye on the ghosts of carriers past — “it’s very early days.” Virgin’s Canadian comeback is to be welcomed, not least because it is an excuse to recall — fondly for some, furiously for others — the upstarts who’ve flown and foundered on the Canada-U. K. route, their contrails lingering mostly among online aviation geeks and collectors of aircraft ephemera.<br/>

Etihad Airways is significantly expanding its African network as it doubles its services to Nairobi, Kenya. Arik De, Etihad’s chief revenue and commercial officer, said: “At Etihad, we have long recognised the need to strengthen our presence in Africa. Over the past year, we have been focusing on a holistic approach that enhances our presence by expanding our fleet, increasing frequencies, and forming key partnerships. We’re encouraged by the positive early results and are pleased to announce the expansion of our Nairobi service to 14 weekly flights, as well as the increase of our Seychelles service to six weekly flights in partnership with Air Seychelles. We’re also introducing daily 787 services to Casablanca and Johannesburg. Together with Air Seychelles and our groundbreaking relationship with Ethiopian Airlines, these strategic partnerships form a key foundation as we add four new direct routes to Africa from Abu Dhabi this year, underlining our growing commitment to service the dynamic continent."<br/>

Israir received official approval from the United States Transportation Department (DOT) to operate flights to the United States on Monday—a significant breakthrough in the company’s international expansion efforts. The approval is temporary and serves as a basis for a permanent license, provided the company meets the high standards expected of it. The authorization will allow Israir to proceed to the next stage of approvals—full compliance with the regulatory requirements of the FAA and TSA. A final approval is expected by June 2025, according to the timeline Israir presented to its board of directors. Israir is working to obtain full regulatory approvals in order to offer customers flights on Airbus A330 aircraft, which will be operated by Israir’s air and maintenance crews on the Tel Aviv–New York route. Throughout the Israel-Hamas war, El Al gained near-monopoly status in Israel and has worked to sustain that position as ceasefire deals have allowed foreign carriers to resume flights to the region. El Al believed that even as foreign airlines slowly resume their flights, it would be able to compete by appealing to customers as "the Spirit of Israel," an appeal that Israir may now contest. <br/>

As Vietnam emerges from the shadows of the Covid-19 pandemic, the air transport sector has shown remarkable resilience and growth, surpassing pre-pandemic passenger levels. According to data from the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV), the first quarter of 2025 saw a total of 20.7m passengers flying, up 9.2% year-on-year. Domestic travel accounted for over 9m passengers, a rise of 5.4%, while international travel surged to over 11.7m, a robust 12.3% increase. This resurgence in air travel signifies a complete recovery for Vietnam’s aviation industry, which had been heavily impacted during the pandemic. The figures not only reflect a return to pre-Covid activity, but also demonstrate a growth trend, with international passenger numbers increasing by 11% and domestic numbers by 5.8% compared to 2019 levels. During the peak travel season for Tet, from January 14 to February 12, the market saw approximately 7.3m passengers, up 11.7% from the previous year. Similarly, cargo transport totalled 329,000 tonnes, reflecting a 12.4% increase from the same period last year.<br/>

Airline passengers are set to pay higher service charges, according to a memorandum issued by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) ahead of the summer season when travel demand usually picks up. In a memorandum circular signed on April 4, CAAP noted that the passenger service charge (PSC) for international flights will rise to P900 (US$15.87) from the current P550 (US$9.70). For domestic flights, passengers will have to pay P350 (US$6.17) if they are departing from international airports; P300 (US$5.29), principal class 1 airports; P200 (US$3.53), principal class 2 airports; and P100 (US$1.76), community airports. PSC for domestic flights is currently at P200 (US$3.53). “Any passenger refusing or failing to pay the required passenger service charge shall be prevented from boarding the aircraft,” the circular said. CAAP Memorandum Circular 019-2025, which covers all airports under the agency, is set to take effect 15 days after publication in two newspapers of general circulation. CAAP is yet to say exactly when these new charges will take effect, but it should be soon. <br/>