Browsing: Travel

Dubai-based flag carrier Emirates has begun the northern winter travel season with strong booking figures that surpass initial corporate forecasts, demonstrating solid demand across its international routes. This positive outlook follows a busy summer period during which the airline carried over 8.6 million passengers on 140 international destinations between July and August. Persistent demand from both leisure travelers and premium service clients continues to fuel passenger numbers as the airline scales up capacity to meet seasonal expectations.

Etihad Airways is set to launch year-round flights connecting Abu Dhabi to Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea International Airport starting on Oct. 4, 2026. Initially, the airline will operate one flight per week, increasing to two weekly services from Oct. 25. This new route will position Red Sea International as the sixth destination in Saudi Arabia within Etihad’s network and will strengthen nonstop travel options from the UAE capital to Saudi Arabia.

Indonesia has restored operations at Jakarta’s primary airport and several regional hubs following a disruption caused by volcanic ash from Anak Krakatau. The ash cloud affected nearly 3,000 flights and over 340,000 travelers nationwide. Soekarno-Hatta International Airport resumed services after officials confirmed that ash levels had decreased. Monitoring teams observed three smaller eruptions on Tuesday morning. The volcano remains at Level III, which is the second-highest alert level in Indonesia.

Air Arabia boosts Sharjah Bangkok routes to 28 weekly flights. Starting October 25, 2026, the airline will introduce a fourth daily non-stop service connecting Sharjah International Airport to Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok. The added operational schedule brings the carrier’s weekly non-stop connections on the Sharjah-Bangkok route to 28 flights, enhancing schedule flexibility for leisure and business travelers. Air Arabia increases Bangkok frequency with four daily flights from Sharjah to meet growing regional travel demand across commercial corridors. The expanded Bangkok operations complement the airline’s existing schedule to Thailand, which includes 21 weekly non-stop flights between Sharjah and Phuket. With the addition of the fourth daily Bangkok frequency, Air Arabia will operate a combined total of 49 weekly non-stop flights between its primary Sharjah hub and Thai destinations.

In July 2026, South Korea’s international visitor count reached 2,093,223, signaling a robust rebound in global tourism. China remained South Korea’s largest source market for inbound visitors in July. The number of foreign tourists also showed a significant rise from the same month two years prior, with South Korea welcoming 1,408,499 international visitors in July 2024, resulting in a total 48.6% higher than that period. During July 2026, China remained South Korea’s top source of inbound tourists, with approximately 777,000 visitors.

The airline will operate five weekly flights between Sharjah International Airport and Gdansk Lech Walesa Airport. The services are scheduled for Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. This new route will facilitate direct air travel options for residents of Poland’s Pomeranian region heading to Sharjah.

Etihad Airways will introduce a seasonal nonstop route connecting Abu Dhabi and Gothenburg starting December 17, 2026. Operating four times weekly until March 21, 2027, this service will link Zayed International Airport with Göteborg Landvetter Airport during the winter travel period. Tickets are already accessible through the airline’s booking platforms. New seasonal flights will connect Abu Dhabi directly with Gothenburg from December. This new route marks Gothenburg’s first direct air link with the United Arab Emirates. Etihad describes it as Gothenburg’s inaugural nonstop connection to the Middle East and Asia. Travelers will be able to connect through Abu Dhabi to destinations across South Asia, Southeast Asia, and East Asia, including Bangkok, Phuket, Krabi, Singapore, Hanoi, Bali, Shanghai, Taipei, Bengaluru, and Colombo. Additionally, the route offers UAE travelers direct access to western Sweden. Flights will be operated using an Airbus A321LR, which accommodates up to 160 passengers. The aircraft’s cabin features two First Suites, 14 Business seats, and 144 Economy seats. First and Business class seats convert into fully flat beds with direct aisle access, while Economy passengers enjoy 13.3-inch 4K touchscreen entertainment systems. High-speed Wi-Fi is accessible throughout the aircraft, and the long-range narrow-body jet enables Etihad to provide three cabin classes on the Gothenburg route. Enhanced international connectivity for Gothenburg with

South Korea recorded a $596.6 million surplus from tourism in June 2026, marking its strongest monthly result since the COVID-19 pandemic. The figure reflects an increase of approximately $1.44 billion compared to June 2025, when the country experienced an $846.8 million deficit. According to data from the Korea Tourism Organization, June’s surplus was the second-highest monthly record ever, with only October 2008 surpassing it at $661.5 million.

Starting from midnight on Aug. 8 and scheduled to last until Sept. 7, Spain has put in place temporary border controls for passengers arriving from Italy by air and sea. These checks are being conducted on routes that normally operate without routine internal border restrictions. Authorities are examining travel and immigration documents at airports and ports, despite ongoing flights and maritime services between the two countries. The move follows Italy’s earlier decision to re-establish controls on certain travelers arriving from Spain.

Exterior view of the historic Church of San Francesco di Paola in Piazza del Plebiscito, Naples, Italy. This expanded timetable broadens flydubai’s overall reach within Italy, which already includes three weekly flights to Catania Airport in Sicily and seasonal summer flights twice-weekly to Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport in Sardinia, running through August’s end. The airline also announced operational adjustments due to scheduled infrastructure work in Southern Italy. During maintenance at Dubai International Airport, flydubai will temporarily reroute its daily flight from Dubai to Salerno Costa d’Amalfi and Cilento Airport from November 1 to November 30, 2026. Regular flights to Naples will resume on December 1, 2026, with existing bookings automatically transferred to the Salerno route during this period.