Airports and the air connectivity they facilitate supported 23.3 million jobs and contributed $244 billion to the economies of ASEAN member states in 2025, according to a new study by Airports Council International Asia-Pacific & Middle East (ACI APAC & MID).

The report, titled Strengthening the ASEAN Single Aviation Market (ASAM) for Greater Connectivity within and beyond ASEAN, provides a comprehensive assessment of the economic contribution of airports across the region. It examines aviation’s role in supporting trade, tourism, investment and employment, while identifying infrastructure, policy and connectivity challenges that could constrain the development of the ASEAN Single Aviation Market.

Airport-related activity alone generated $55 billion in GDP and supported 1.6 million jobs across ASEAN in 2025. This figure includes direct airport operations, supply-chain activity and household spending linked to the sector.

The aviation ecosystem also generated an estimated $36 billion in government tax revenues, including $8 billion directly from airport activity and another $28 billion through its wider economic impact across the 11 ASEAN states.

The study highlights the substantial expansion of regional air connectivity since ASAM was introduced. Direct connectivity between ASEAN countries increased by 358% from 2004 to 2025, with the resulting expansion associated with approximately $50.6 billion in GDP and six million jobs.

Almost every ASEAN member state recorded at least a doubling of scheduled seat capacity over the same period. Much of the intra-ASEAN expansion occurred between 2010 and 2015, coinciding with the signing of several protocols linked to ASAM.

Low-cost carriers have also become increasingly important to regional connectivity. They accounted for 51% of intra-ASEAN seats in 2025, compared with 29% in 2008, helping make air travel more accessible across the region.

Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia recorded the largest employment impacts from airport-related activity, with approximately 368,000, 335,000 and 282,000 jobs respectively. Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand recorded the largest GDP impacts, at around $22 billion, $11 billion and $7.7 billion.

Tourism was another major beneficiary of expanded connectivity. An estimated 84.8 million international tourists arrived in ASEAN by air in 2025, generating approximately $127 billion in tourism spending, equivalent to about two-thirds of the region’s total international tourism expenditure.

ASEAN airports handled more than 700 million passengers and nearly nine million tonnes of cargo during the year.

The report also identifies significant additional economic gains that could result from full implementation of ASAM. Under an unconstrained scenario, the policy could generate nearly six million additional intra-ASEAN passengers, representing an 11.6% increase over 2025 traffic.

That growth could support an additional 15,000 aviation-sector jobs and generate $600 million in GDP, while tourism, trade, investment and other wider economic effects could add another 434,000 jobs and $3.7 billion in GDP. Combined, the potential benefit could approach 450,000 additional jobs and $4.3 billion in GDP.

Stefano Baronci, Director General of ACI Asia-Pacific & Middle East, said ASAM had delivered significant progress but that further measures were needed to unlock its full potential. He called for greater market access and traffic rights, including expanded connectivity to secondary cities so that more local economies can benefit from increased aviation activity.

The study cautions that liberalisation alone will not be enough to achieve the projected gains. Airport and airspace capacity, infrastructure investment and supportive regulatory frameworks will also be necessary as passenger demand continues to rise.

Baronci said limited airport infrastructure development remains a key constraint on liberalisation in Southeast Asia, restricting airlines’ ability to take full advantage of opportunities created by ASAM.

ACI Asia-Pacific & Middle East estimates that ASEAN airports will require around $108 billion in investment by 2036 to accommodate expected traffic growth. A further $233 billion could be needed between 2037 and 2056 as regional passenger traffic is projected to reach 2.9 billion.

That would put the estimated 30-year airport investment requirement at approximately $341 billion.

Baronci said meeting future demand would require airports to mobilise substantial capital to expand capacity, modernise infrastructure and remain competitive. He also urged ASEAN members to accelerate the implementation of existing air services agreements and address remaining capacity, regulatory and operational barriers to support sustainable aviation growth.

Source: TradeArabia

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

Oman Air has entered into a codeshare agreement with Finland’s Finnair, expanding travel options for passengers flying between Oman, Europe and Australia.

The deal represents the airline’s first partnership of this nature since it officially joined the Oneworld global airline alliance in June 2025.

Under the agreement, passengers will be able to reach Helsinki via London Heathrow Airport, where Oman Air operates 11 weekly flights from its main hub in Muscat.

The partnership will also cover Finnair-operated services connecting Helsinki with Paris, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Munich, Zurich, Milan and Rome, providing passengers with additional options for travelling between major European cities and the Finnish capital.

The agreement extends beyond Europe to Australia, with connections to Melbourne available via Bangkok. Oman Air operates two daily flights to the Thai capital, creating further opportunities for passengers travelling between the Middle East and Australia.

Rohan Patel, Head of Partnerships and Alliances at Oman Air, described the agreement as a significant strategic move towards maximising the benefits of the airline’s Oneworld membership.

He said the partnership had helped Oman Air broaden its customers’ travel options, making it easier for them to reach Helsinki and connect with destinations across Finnair’s wider network.

Source: Oman News Agency