The 10 coolest new things happening in air travel
Qatar's Hamad International Airport (DOH) in Doha recently unveiled two new concourses at the Qatar Airlines base. Officially opened in March, Concourse D and E add 51,000 square metres of terminal space and 17 new aircraft contact gates, which means improved passenger connectivity and almost 1000 fewer bus transfers between aircraft and the terminal each day. Separated by the airport's indoor tropical garden, The Orchard, the new concourses are accessible by train from the check-in area or a short walk. The expansion was crucial since Doha's airport was facing capacity constraints. It positions Doha as a major Middle East hub alongside Dubai and Istanbul. See dohahamadairport.com
Albania on the runway
Albania's coastal city of Vlora will soon have an international airport, expected to open in time for the summer crowds. Able to land wide-bodied aircraft on its 3.2 kilometre runway, the airport will handle up to 2 million passengers a year in its initial phase. It unlocks Albania's southern regions and the impact on the local economy and tourism is expected to be significant, providing easy access to one of the last stretches of Europe's Adriatic and Ionian coastlines that has seen relatively few tourists. It's also controversial since the location, inside Narta Lagoon, a protected ecological zone, violates Albania's global agreements and will also disrupt migratory birds that rely on the lagoon. See mabetex.com
Virgin and Qatar buddy-up
Virgin Australia will begin long-haul flights to Doha starting in June. The non-stop flights will operate from Sydney, Brisbane and Perth to the Qatari capital, aboard aircraft wet-leased from Qatar Airways, which means the Middle East carrier will provide aircraft and crew for the VA flights. This is a win for travellers, with more flights aboard a leading international carrier bringing increased competition to one-stop routes to European cities, and possibly exerting downward pressure on ticket prices. It also sidesteps the limitations our government had placed on Qatar Airways under the bilateral aviation agreement. See virginaustralia.com
Qantas keeps Perth to Paris
Qantas has maintained its non-stop flights between Perth and Paris, which began in July 2024 to provide speedy access for Aussie sports lovers heading for the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games. The airline is currently operating three flights a week on the 17-hour route, just one fewer than during the Paris Olympics. Flights depart Perth on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 19.35, arriving in the French capital in time for croissants at 06:45 the following morning. This is the second non-stop flight between Australia and Europe, following Qantas' Perth-London service which launched in 2018. See qantas.com
Fly closer to the Taj
Delhi's Noida International Airport will soon be seeing its first commercial flights. Located at Jewar, close to the Delhi-Agra Yamuna Expressway and about a 90-minute drive south of New Delhi, the new airport will take some of the load off the capital's Indira Gandhi International Airport. Barely a month after it sees its first domestic flights, the airport expects its first international flights from June 25. Some international carriers have announced intentions to fly into the new airport, including Singapore Airlines. See niairport.in
Adelaide non-stop to the US
Starting December 11 United Airlines will offer flights between Adelaide and San Francisco, the first ever non-stop flights between the South Australian capital and the US. United will operate the 15-hour flight as a thrice-weekly seasonal service until March 2026, with the option to increase frequency as demand grows. When the new flight launches, United will be the only airline flying non-stop to the US from four Australia capitals: Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane as well as Adelaide. See united.com
Greenland surge
Greenland is suddenly hot property, and the island's Nuuk International Airport, opened last November, is attracting an ever-increasing number of international flights. Nuuk currently has non-stop flights from Newark in the US, Iceland's Reykjavik, Iqaluit in Canada and from Copenhagen, Aalborg and Billund in Denmark.
It's a signal that the island is opening up for tourism and some of its isolated communities are experiencing a surge in visitor numbers, but greater accessibility will bring changes to Greenland that might shake its very foundations. See airports.gl
Cathay Pacific's smart Aria suites
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Airlines' business class seats are in a constant state of one-upmanship and Cathay Pacific has recently introduced a few refinements to the Aria Suite seats currently being rolled out in its Boeing 777-300ER cabins. As well as an ethically sourced wool blanket for the luxurious lie-flat bed, a personal storage compartment with an embroidered inlay tray and a choice of seat modes that includes Relax, Work or Sleep, the suite's 61centimetre in-flight entertainment screen allows passengers to check loo availability without leaving their seat. See cathaypacific.com
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