Latest news with #Skytrax


Indian Express
a day ago
- Business
- Indian Express
IndiGo commences operations on its first long-haul route with direct flights between Mumbai and Manchester
IndiGo, India's largest and most preferred airline inaugurated its first ever, direct long-haul service connecting Mumbai and Manchester, United Kingdom. This is a significant move that paves the way for IndiGo to become a global airline offering enhanced connectivity between India and key global markets. This also signifies successful execution of IndiGo's internationalisation strategy – 'Towards New Heights and across New Frontiers'. This new direct connection will significantly enhance accessibility between Mumbai, India's financial capital, and Manchester, a major economic and cultural hub in Northern England. The service is expected to benefit business travellers, tourists, students, and the Indian diaspora residing in the United Kingdom, fostering stronger economic, educational, and cultural ties. IndiGo will operate 3x weekly flights making it the only airline to offer connectivity between the two cities. Mr. Pieter Elbers, Chief Executive Officer, IndiGo, said, 'As we embark on our long-haul journey with the launch of direct flights between Mumbai and Manchester, this moment marks our transition from a successful regional carrier to one with growing global relevance. This new service, operated by our Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, damp-leased from Norse Atlantic Airways, ensures greater comfort, seamless connectivity, and choice to our customers. We are also delighted to offer specially curated complimentary hot meals and beverages to all passengers, with an elevated dining and service experience. This milestone is also a reflection of IndiGo's growing global ambition and its contribution to India's emergence as a global aviation hub. We are confident that this route will not only serve the large diaspora but also strengthen the economic and cultural ties between the two countries.' The Mumbai–Manchester route will be operated by IndiGo's Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft (on damp lease from Norse Atlantic Airways) featuring a two-class cabin configuration comprising 56 IndiGoStretch seats and 282 Economy seats. All seats feature seatback screens for in-flight entertainment – around 300 hours of content with movies and TV shows across a balanced mix of comedy, romance, drama and action. Celebrating India and its unique cuisines, specially curated complimentary hot meals and beverages, by iconic home-grown Indian brands, will be served to all customers on our long-haul routes. Flight Schedule: IndiGo continues to expand its international footprint with a modern fleet and a commitment to operational excellence. IndiGo has been recently recognised as the 'Best Airline in India and South Asia' at the prestigious 2025 World Airline Awards by Skytrax. – Customers in the stretch cabin are offered welcome drinks that remind them of home. – Authentic Indian flavours along with choice of international menu. – Customers flying in the stretch cabin get four meal choices – vegetarian Indian and international, non-vegetarian Indian and international meals – The default meal for economy class is thoughtfully crafted Indian vegetarian delicacies, however non-vegetarian meals can be pre-booked at no cost – Alcoholic beverages from celebrated Indian brands like Sula, Amrut, Stranger & Sons – complimentary in the Stretch cabin and available to buy in economy class. – Exclusive overlays on board, enabling its customers to experience tradition, style and stories as they fly with the airline. Every overlay (complimentary in the Stretch cabin and available to buy at a nominal cost in economy class) brings alive a legacy of craft, region, and design. The airline also offers specially designed pillows on board. – To make every journey restful, IndiGo offers its calming Sleep Spray on board. These are thoughtfully blended with Lavender and Vetiver — two natural ingredients long celebrated for their relaxing properties. A quick spritz on the pillow or sleep mask helps ease the mind and invites peaceful sleep. – Sustainable dental kits on board packed with a wheat straw toothbrush and vegan, cruelty-free toothpaste. – Specially developed for IndiGoStretch, 4700 BC introduced Blue Chips – a bold flavour for the skies. Made from naturally blue corn, these artisanal chips are a crunchy celebration of quality and innovation. – As a parting gift, IndiGo offers a sweet tribute to India's vibrant spirit with a tricolour mithai, blending nostalgia and indulgence in every bite. Crafted in three distinct layers — creamy white chocolate sandwiched between tangy green and zesty orange aam papad — it's a playful fusion of traditional flavours and modern flair. IndiGo is India's preferred and amongst the fastest growing carriers in the world and has a simple philosophy: offer fares that are affordable, flights that are on time, and provide a courteous and hassle-free travel experience across its unparalleled network. With its fleet of 400+ aircraft, the airline is operating around 2200+ daily flights, connecting 90+ domestic and 40+ international destinations, inducted 58 aircraft in 2024 and welcomed over 118 million customers in FY25. IndiGo was also named the 'Best Airline in India and South Asia' by Skytrax at the World Airline Awards 2025. For more information more information, please visit or download our mobile app. You can also connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.


Egypt Independent
3 days ago
- Business
- Egypt Independent
Sisi orders continued airport development under int'l partnerships
NEW ALAMEIN CITY, Egypt, June 28 (MENA) – President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has directed that the development of Egyptian airports continue through international partnerships grounded in efficiency and sustainability, alongside encouraging private sector involvement. The steps are part of Egypt Vision 2030, aiming to transform airports into advanced regional hubs operating under the latest global systems, while also providing an attractive investment climate that ensures economic viability and sustainable development, Presidential Spokesman Mohamed al-Shennawy said in a statement Saturday following Sisi's meeting in Alamein with Civil Aviation Minister Sameh el Hafny and Chairperson of EgyptAir In-Flight Services Soheir Abdallah. The meeting reviewed the comprehensive strategic vision to advance the civil aviation sector, covering air navigation, fleet expansion, airport upgrades, and human resource development in support of Egypt's target to raise annual tourist arrivals to 30 million. The President was also briefed on the 'New Republic Air Gate' at Terminal 4 of Cairo International Airport, including the technical and operational specifications of the project, which will establish a new passenger terminal under the highest global standards, with a capacity of at least 30 million passengers, raising the airport's overall capacity to over 60 million annually. The project will fully comply with safety, security, and environmental sustainability standards. The minister further outlined the national strategy, developed with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) as the ministry's strategic advisor, to involve the private sector in operating and developing airports. The plan aims to be finalized by summer 2025 and seeks to enhance the civil aviation sector's efficiency, improve passenger services, and attract private investments and advanced operational expertise to develop 11 key airports, while fully maintaining public ownership of these strategic assets. Sisi instructed moving ahead with modern airport development approaches and to offer Hurghada Airport for private sector partnership by the end of 2025. The spokesman added the meeting also covered Egypt's air navigation sector, highlighting international praise for the country's air traffic management amid recent regional crises and neighboring airspace closures, which increased traffic over Egypt to more than 1,600 aircraft daily. Organizations such as Eurocontrol, ICAO, and IATA commended Egyptian air traffic controllers for managing the surge efficiently without compromising safety or operational discipline. The talks also tackled plans to restructure Egypt's airspace and upgrade radar and communication systems. The session further touched on EgyptAir's recent progress, including winning, for the first time, the Skytrax award for 'Best Airline Staff in Africa' for 2025 during the Paris Air Show. The airline also earned awards for best economy class meals, fastest-growing airline in Africa (for the second year running), and best cabin crew on the continent. The minister noted EgyptAir advanced 20 places from last year, ranking 68th among the world's top 100 airlines out of over 325 carriers, and outlined the airline's plan to grow its fleet to 97 aircraft by 2028/2029 to boost competitiveness and enhance passenger experience. Additionally, he reviewed efforts to upgrade EgyptAir In-Flight Services by improving infrastructure and equipment, training staff, modernizing ground services, elevating international service standards, and upgrading business lounges to meet the highest levels of comfort and service. The company is also working to improve its on-time performance. (MENA)
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Delta Air Lines Makes 'Exciting' Announcement for Travelers
Delta Air Lines has already established itself as one of the best in its industry, but that doesn't mean management is satisfied. Earlier this week, Delta was awarded Best Airline Staff Service in North America by Skytrax. Despite the airline's strong reputation, the higher-ups are considering a plethora of moves that could take their product to the next level. Delta senior vice president of network planning Paul Baldoni spoke to The Points Guy about potential changes coming to the airline. For starters, Baldoni revealed that Delta's fleet of Airbus A330-200 and Airbus A330-300 jets will be retrofitted with Delta One Suites. This change will take place over the next few years. Additionally, Delta confirmed that it'll have a subfleet of Airbus A321neos. "We are looking forward to the A321neos that will come with flat-bed seats," Baldoni said. "We're going to put it places where we have existing domestic Delta One service today." Baldoni wasn't done revealing changes for Delta Air Lines. Last year, Delta made the decision to upgrade all flights between New York and Los Angeles with premium economy seats. Baldoni said that decision went over so well with the public that Delta will do the same for flights between New York and San Francisco. San Francisco isn't the only city expected to benefit from Delta's new plans. Though nothing is official yet, Austin could become the next hub for the Georgia-based airline. "We've had great success in Austin. We like the demographic trends we see in Austin. So, that will continue to be the primary focus," Baldoni said. "We're getting up to now close to 80 departures a day [along with our partners]. When we get to close to around 120 daily departures, you start building some of that connectivity that exists in what you would call a hub, whether we call Austin a hub or not." Delta Air Lines Makes 'Exciting' Announcement for Travelers first appeared on Men's Journal on Jun 26, 2025


Zawya
6 days ago
- Business
- Zawya
Gulf Air resumes scheduled flights to the Jordanian Capital Amman and to Baghdad and Najaf in the Republic of Iraq
Muharraq, Bahrain: Gulf Air, the national carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain, announced the resumption of its scheduled flights to and from the cities of Amman in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, and Baghdad and Najaf in the Republic of Iraq, starting from Saturday 28 June 2025. The airline added that the rest of its flights to destinations across its network are operating according to schedule. Gulf Air extends its sincere gratitude to its valued customers for their patience and understanding, as the exceptional recent regional developments affected some of its flights. The airline reaffirmed that the safety and well-being of passengers and crew is a top priority for Gulf Air. Passengers can stay updated on flight schedules by downloading the Gulf Air mobile application or visiting Gulf Air's website Gulf Air: A Tradition of Excellence Gulf Air, the national carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain, has been operating since 1950, making it one of the earliest airlines established in the Middle East. The airline operates scheduled flights from its hub at Bahrain International Airport to various destinations across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and the Far East. Gulf Air is recognized as a "Five-Star Major Airline" by APEX, based on verified traveler reviews, and has been awarded this prestigious status for the year 2025. The airline was also named "World's Most Improved Airline" in 2022 by Skytrax.


USA Today
6 days ago
- Business
- USA Today
These are the best airlines of 2025 – and no US carrier made the list. Here's why.
Skytrax recently released its World's Best Airline Awards of 2025 – also called the "Oscars of the aviation industry" – with Qatar Airways scoring the top spot for the ninth time and no U.S. airlines making the list. Since 1999, the aviation rankings organization has determined the annual awards based on results from the largest airline passenger satisfaction survey. For this year's list, the global survey was conducted from September 2024 to May 2025, with the winners announced on June 17. "We welcomed back a large number of previous winners and were also delighted to see new faces and airlines represented here today," said Edward Plaisted, CEO of Skytrax, in a statement. "As is indicated by so many former winning airlines being present, quality consistency is clearly well recognised by customers when they vote for these airlines." Not only did Qatar Airways win World's Best Airline, but also Best Airline in the Middle East, World's Best Business Class and Best Business Class Airline Lounge. "This recognition is far more than an award, it is a celebration of the passion, precision and purpose that defines who we are as an airline," Qatar Airways Group CEO Badr Mohammed Al-Meer said in the release. Airlines based in the Middle East and Asia dominated the top 10, with many repeat winners like Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific and Emirates, while no U.S. carriers made it into the top 20. Best airlines of 2025 Here are the top 20 airlines of 2025, according to Skytrax: US carriers fail to make top 20 U.S. carriers were absent from a majority of the Skytrax awards. However, two made it onto lists: Delta Air Lines scored the Best Airline Staff Service in North America, and JetBlue Airways was the sixth Best Regional Airline for 2025. (Regional airline awards are for those with mostly domestic flights and international ones up to six hours.) "This isn't just a ranking problem. It's a reputation and business problem," said Anton Radchenko, aviation expert and founder of air passenger rights company AirAdvisor. "The reason U.S. airlines are failing to crack the top 10 isn't because they're incapable; it's because they're prioritizing margins over meaningful passenger experience." A 2024 report by the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations found major U.S. airlines generating billions in revenue from charging "sky high junk fees," such as checked bags and seat assignments, to passengers. Between 2018 and 2023, seat reservation fees made a combined $12.4 billion for American, Delta, United, Frontier and Spirit. "U.S. carriers need to understand that international passengers and, increasingly, Americans too, expect more than just an on-time flight," said Radchenko, adding that they should invest in improving the traveler experience instead. "Travelers may not buy tickets based on awards, but they feel the difference, and they vote every day with their wallets and loyalty, he continued. "Until U.S. airlines close the gap on these fundamentals, we'll continue to see them locked out of the global top tier.'