EgyptAir has received its first Airbus A350-900, marking a major milestone in the airline’s fleet modernization program. The new aircraft, registered as SU-GGE, completed its four-hour delivery flight from Toulouse and touched down in Cairo just before 4 p.m. local time. After a technical inspection by EgyptAir’s maintenance team, the jet will begin service on routes to London and Paris for crew training and familiarization.

This arrival signals the start of EgyptAir’s next phase of long-haul expansion. The state-owned carrier plans to deploy the A350 on new routes to North America later this year as it continues to align with the country’s fast-growing tourism industry. The airline’s growth dovetails with a $4.5 billion upgrade program at Cairo International Airport — a key part of Egypt’s broader vision to transform itself into a global travel hub.

New Aircraft for a New Era

EgyptAir first announced an order for 10 A350-900s at the 2023 Dubai Airshow, selecting the type to anchor its North American growth plans. Airbus later confirmed that the airline increased its total order to 16 aircraft. Deliveries will be split into two stages — up to six arriving this year, ten by the end of 2027, and the remaining six from 2030 onward.

The A350s will gradually replace EgyptAir’s Boeing 777-300ERs, which currently serve most of its North American destinations. These include:

• New York (JFK): Daily with Boeing 777-300ERs

• Newark (EWR): Three times weekly with Boeing 787-9s, increasing to daily in 2027

• Washington Dulles (IAD): Twice weekly using 777s and 787s, expanding to daily by 2027

• Toronto (YYZ): Five times weekly with 777-300ERs

Speaking at the 2025 Paris Air Show, EgyptAir CEO Captain Ahmed Adel said this year’s focus will be on integrating the new A350s and phasing out the older 777s starting in November. The airline will then shift its attention to launching new destinations, with Los Angeles (LAX) at the top of the list.

“The first seven A350s will work alongside our 787s on the long-haul network,” Adel explained. “Once we have around eight in service, we’ll start opening new routes — Los Angeles is one we’re really excited about because the numbers are very promising.”

According to OAG data, around 73,000 people traveled between Cairo and Los Angeles in 2025, making it Cairo’s largest unserved route in North America.

Reinventing the Long-Haul Fleet

The A350 is a key element in EgyptAir’s plan to build a younger, more efficient widebody fleet. As of February 2026, the airline’s long-haul aircraft lineup includes:

With room for 350 passengers in a two-class layout, the A350 is well-suited to replace the aging 777-300ERs and to operate new long-range routes such as Cairo–Los Angeles. Some of EgyptAir’s older A330s are also being converted into freighters as the airline expands its cargo operations.

Egypt’s Ministry of Civil Aviation aims to grow the national carrier’s fleet to 125 aircraft by 2030. With 16 A350s and 18 Boeing 737 MAX 8s already on order, EgyptAir is expected to reach nearly 100 aircraft within the decade, with additional widebody orders likely to follow.

Growth Tied to Tourism and Infrastructure

EgyptAir’s expansion mirrors the country’s tourism boom. The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities reported that Egypt hosted 19 million visitors in 2025 — a 21% increase from the year before. Captain Adel noted that the airline’s performance closely follows tourism trends:

“When tourism grows, we grow with it,” he said. “The government’s ambitious tourism plans have a direct positive impact on our operations.”

Still, Cairo International Airport faces capacity challenges. Designed to handle 20 million passengers annually, it now manages more than 30 million. To address this, the government has approved a major $4.5 billion expansion project that will reshape the airport by 2030.

The plan includes the construction of a new Terminal 4 capable of handling 30 million passengers at launch — expandable to 40 million — along with a new runway and upgraded cargo facilities supporting up to one million tons per year.

Together, EgyptAir’s modern fleet and Cairo Airport’s expansion underscore Egypt’s ambitions to become Africa’s leading aviation gateway and a major player in global air travel.

Malaysia Aviation Group, the parent company of Malaysia Airlines, is considering whether to introduce a green tax on passengers to help cover the rising cost of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), potentially adding to airfares.

Group chief Capt. Nasaruddin A. Bakar said Monday that the company was examining different options as airlines worldwide seek to reduce carbon emissions while facing high SAF prices and limited supplies.

“We are looking at all options,” Nasaruddin told The Associated Press on the sidelines of an aviation sustainability conference. He stressed that both passengers and airlines needed to be able to afford the transition to cleaner fuel.

Singapore, Malaysia’s neighbour, has already announced a government-mandated green aviation levy set to take effect in January 2027. Charges will vary according to destination and cabin class, making Singapore the first country to announce such a measure.

The aviation sector faces growing pressure to address its environmental impact as global air travel demand increases. The International Energy Agency estimates that aviation accounts for about 2.5% of annual global carbon emissions, while the UN-backed International Civil Aviation Organization has established a goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

According to the aviation organisation, sustainable aviation fuel could reduce the industry's emissions by around 65%.

SAF is typically made from renewable materials, including used cooking oil, waste fats and agricultural residues. It can be blended with conventional jet fuel and used in existing aircraft without requiring changes to their engines.

However, its widespread adoption remains constrained by higher production costs, limited manufacturing capacity and restricted access to sustainable raw materials.

The International Air Transport Association estimates that SAF currently represents less than 1% of global jet fuel consumption, highlighting the scale of the challenge facing airlines as they work towards their emissions targets.

Source: Associated Press

SalamAir has entered into a distribution agreement with travel technology company Amadeus as the Omani low-cost airline steps up efforts to expand its international presence and reach new customer segments.

Under the agreement, travel sellers connected to the Amadeus Travel Platform will gain access to SalamAir's fares and services, allowing the airline to expand its distribution network and improve the availability of its products across global markets.

Steven Allen, chief commercial officer of SalamAir, said the partnership would support the airline's growth ambitions by strengthening its international market presence and making its services more accessible to travellers seeking affordable air travel.

The agreement forms part of SalamAir's broader strategy to diversify its sales channels, increase its global visibility and respond to rising travel demand across its expanding network.

Maher Koubaa, executive vice-president of the Travel Unit and managing director for Europe, the Middle East and Africa at Amadeus, said the partnership reflected the company's commitment to supporting the low-cost airline sector. He added that Amadeus' technology solutions were designed to help low-cost carriers expand and compete in international markets.

Source: Oman Daily Observer

Emirates is expanding its Dubai-Durban schedule with 14 additional flights during the 2026-27 festive season, offering travellers more options during one of the busiest periods of the year.

The additional services will operate as a second daily flight between December 17 and 23, 2026, and January 2 and 8, 2027. The airline will deploy a three-class Boeing 777 on the route.

Flight EK2535 will depart Dubai at 04:00 and arrive in Durban at 10:30. The return service, EK2536, will leave Durban at 12:15 and land in Dubai at 22:30.

Emirates' existing daily flights, EK775 and EK776, will continue to operate according to their regular schedules.

The airline is also providing flexible booking options to help passengers manage changes to their travel plans. Customers booking flights to Dubai can change their travel dates an unlimited number of times without fees across all cabin classes. For tickets to other destinations, passengers are entitled to one complimentary date change.

Emirates' Hold My Fare service allows customers to reserve a ticket price for 24 hours at no additional cost. The airline has also reduced its refund fees.

Source: TradeArabia

Lufthansa has increased fuel loading on flights bound for Frankfurt Airport as a precautionary measure amid tighter jet fuel supplies caused by reduced pipeline capacity.

The airline said on Thursday that the move was intended to manage potential supply constraints at Germany’s largest aviation hub. Airport operator Fraport confirmed that routine maintenance was under way on a pipeline supplying jet fuel to the airport.

Fraport said the maintenance had been factored into its operational planning and was not expected to cause a fuel supply bottleneck. Alternative supply routes and sufficient storage capacity were helping to mitigate potential disruption.

“The airport's operational capability is therefore not affected,” Fraport said.

Lufthansa said it was not currently anticipating any flight cancellations as a result of the situation.

German newspaper Bild first reported the additional fuelling measures, citing internal instructions reportedly issued to Lufthansa pilots on selected routes. The practice, known as “tankering”, involves carrying more fuel than required for a flight so that an aircraft needs less or no refuelling at its destination.

According to Bild, the additional fuel carried by Airbus A320-family aircraft is limited to eight tonnes to ensure the planes can still be towed on the ground. The measures primarily affect short-haul services, although some long-haul flights are increasingly being included.

The precautionary steps are intended to give Lufthansa greater flexibility in managing its fuel requirements while pipeline maintenance continues at Frankfurt Airport.

Source: Reuters

Turkish Airlines has signed a strategic agreement with CFM International to strengthen engine maintenance capabilities and support the expansion of its Boeing 737 MAX fleet.

The long-term services agreement will cover the airline group's entire LEAP-1B engine fleet, including engines already ordered and delivered, spare engines, units installed on leased aircraft and potential future options. The combined total exceeds 600 engines operated by Turkish Airlines and its subsidiary, AJet.

The memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed during a ceremony in Istanbul by Turkish Airlines Chairman of the Board and the Executive Committee, Prof. Murat Şeker; Turkish Technic CEO and Board Member, Mikail Akbulut; and Safran CEO Olivier Andriès. Safran is one of the two parent companies of CFM International.

The agreement also includes a material services arrangement to support the development of an engine maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility in Türkiye.

Şeker said the partnership would help Turkish Airlines accommodate fleet and network growth while improving operational efficiency. He added that the expanded services agreement would provide the technical expertise and long-term support required to develop LEAP engine maintenance capabilities.

Akbulut said the agreement would enable Turkish Technic to undertake comprehensive LEAP engine maintenance. He also reaffirmed the company's commitment to investing in engine services alongside its existing aircraft and component maintenance operations.

Andriès described the MoU as another milestone in a relationship with Turkish Airlines that has lasted nearly four decades. He said the agreement reflected both companies' ambitions to support the airline's growth and fleet expansion, while promoting an open MRO ecosystem offering flexible, competitive services to improve operational performance and control costs.

GE Aerospace Chairman and CEO H. Lawrence Culp Jr. also welcomed the agreement, highlighting Turkish Airlines' extensive international network and its confidence in CFM engines. He said the partnership would build on the companies' established relationship as the airline expands its Istanbul operations and engine maintenance capabilities.

Turkish Airlines currently operates 96 Boeing 737 Next Generation aircraft powered by CFM56-7B engines and 79 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft equipped with LEAP-1B engines.

CFM said it had delivered more than 10,000 LEAP engines during the 10 years since the engine entered service, with the fleet accumulating over 100 million flight hours. The manufacturer continues to introduce upgrades, including a high-pressure turbine durability kit designed to extend time on wing and a reverse bleed system (RBS).

The agreement is expected to strengthen Turkish Airlines' long-standing relationship with CFM International and support the integration of newly ordered Boeing 737 MAX aircraft into its expanding fleet. The planned engine MRO facility will also enhance Turkish Technic's ability to provide comprehensive maintenance services.

Source: Turkish Airlines