Qantas and Emirates will now be able to include trans-Tasman flights in their global partnership, after New Zealand’s government agreed to approve the joint venture. The country's Ministry of Transport has authorised the partnership for an initial period of five years, meaning that Qantas' New Zealand flights can now be operated ...

Asia Pacific, May 15, 2013

This week,  David Brett, President of Amadeus Asia Pacific, chats with Travel Daily about the rise of female travellers and other major forces affecting travel in the Asian region… Q)           Is female travel increasing in Asia and among Asian women? It depends on where you are. There is definitely a phenomenon of ...

Asia Pacific, May 13, 2013

US aviation authorities have approved Boeing's Dreamliner battery solution, paving the way for the aircraft to resume commercial flights. Boeing submitted the solution to the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in February and following a series of tests, the regulator has decided the new battery is safe to use. Airlines will ...

Asia Pacific, April 20, 2013

IATA has said it wants to eliminate queues at airport security checkpoints by the end of the decade. Speaking at the IATA Ops Conference in Vienna this week, the association's Director-General & CEO, Tony Tyler, said IATA is focused on implementing its 'Checkpoint of the Future Roadmap', trials of which have ...

Asia Pacific, April 16, 2013

The number of bags misplaced by the aviation industry fell again in 2012, according to a new report. The rate of mishandled bags dropped 1.78% last year, according to the ninth annual SITA Baggage Report, with only 8.83 bags per thousand passengers misplaced in 2012, down from 8.99 in 2011. This ...

Asia Pacific, April 9, 2013

The growth of global air passenger traffic accelerated in February 2013, due to strong demand from emerging markets. According to the latest data from IATA, global passenger traffic rose 3.7% in February 2013 compared to February 2012, marking the latest in a series of improvements in recent months. IATA noted that ...

Asia Pacific, April 4, 2013

Organisers of the 2015 Rugby World Cup in England are seeking official travel agent partners around the world. The world’s third largest single sports event will kick off on 18 September 2015, running through to the final at London's Twickenham Stadium on 31 October 2015. An official travel programme has now ...

Asia Pacific, April 2, 2013

Emirates is embarking on a major expansion in Australia. From 1 November 2012, the Dubai-based airline will launch four weekly flights to Adelaide, rising to a daily service from 1 February 2013. The South Australian city will become the airline’s fifth destination in the country. In addition, Emirates’ current double-daily service ...

Asia Pacific, July 5, 2012