Qatar Airways has announced a major expansion in its international network by adding 18 new routes in the United States and South America, enhancing connectivity through expanded codeshare partnerships with International Airlines Group (IAG) members Aer Lingus and LEVEL. This move significantly broadens options for travelers by integrating flights from Dublin and Barcelona airports, allowing seamless access to key cities across North America and Latin America through Qatar Airways’ Doha hub.

The expanded partnership with Aer Lingus now includes codeshare flights from Dublin to 11 U.S. cities, including Boston, Bradley International in Connecticut, Cleveland, Indianapolis, Minneapolis, Nashville, Newark, Orlando, Philadelphia, Washington Dulles, and shortly, Las Vegas. Aer Lingus has been growing its North American network in recent years, operating several transatlantic routes with new Airbus A321XLR aircraft, which offer enhanced passenger comfort and operational efficiency.

Additionally, Aer Lingus passengers benefit from Dublin Airport’s U.S. pre-clearance program, enabling them to complete U.S. immigration formalities before departure, thereby simplifying their arrival experience in the U.S.

Qatar Airways has also reintroduced its codeshare with LEVEL, the long-haul carrier based at Barcelona-El Prat Airport, to include flights to Boston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco, Buenos Aires, and soon Santiago de Chile. This partnership strengthens Barcelona's role as a gateway connecting Europe with the Americas and the Middle East. LEVEL, being a key part of IAG's airline group, focuses on delivering competitive, seamless long-haul service with a modern fleet and customer-centric experience.

Thierry Antinori, Qatar Airways Chief Commercial Officer, stated that the expanded codeshare agreements represent a commitment to offering passengers greater choices and convenience across global destinations. With over 170 destinations accessible through Hamad International Airport in Doha, recently named the best airport in the Middle East by Skytrax for the eleventh consecutive year, Qatar Airways offers a premium global travel experience.

The airline also plans to enhance its presence in the U.S. by opening its first dedicated lounge in 2026 at New York’s JFK Airport for Business Class passengers, signaling its focus on high-quality service in a vital market.

Aer Lingus Chief Customer Officer Susanne Carberry highlighted the growth of Aer Lingus' transatlantic operations and expressed enthusiasm about welcoming more travelers through this partnership with Qatar Airways, emphasizing their modern fleet and the unique U.S. pre-clearance facility at Dublin.

Meanwhile, LEVEL’s Chief Commercial and Network Officer, Lucía Adrover, underscored their commitment to expanding Barcelona’s connectivity and delivering a seamless customer experience that ties the Middle East, Asia, and the Americas.

This strategic expansion aligns with Qatar Airways' broader efforts to strengthen its codeshare portfolio with IAG carriers, which also include British Airways, Iberia, and Vueling, creating a robust network that spans Europe, the Americas, and the Middle East. Frequent flyers on these new routes can earn Avios points via Qatar Airways’ Privilege Club, adding loyalty benefits to their enhanced travel options.

Overall, these developments reinforce Qatar Airways’ status as a leader in global aviation, offering customers more destinations, flexibility, and high-quality service through its extensive and well-integrated network.

flydubai has announced the launch of a new double-daily service to Bangkok, further strengthening its footprint in Thailand and increasing its total operations to the country to 28 weekly flights.

The new route will commence on 15 September 2026, operating from Terminal 3 at Dubai International Airport (DXB) to Don Mueang International Airport (DMK). The addition of Bangkok marks the airline’s second destination in Thailand, complementing its existing service to Krabi.

With this expansion, flydubai continues to enhance its network in Southeast Asia, which also includes destinations such as Langkawi and Penang in Malaysia. The carrier’s growing regional presence reflects sustained passenger demand for travel between Dubai and key leisure and business markets across Asia.

Don Mueang International Airport, located north of central Bangkok, serves as one of the Thai capital’s two international gateways. Its strategic location provides convenient access for both corporate and leisure travellers visiting Bangkok and surrounding provinces.

Commenting on the launch, Hamad Obaidalla, Chief Commercial Officer at flydubai, said:

“Thailand continues to be a highly popular destination for both leisure and business travel. The introduction of our double-daily Bangkok service reflects strong and consistent demand across our network. Operating from Terminal 3 at Dubai International and under our codeshare partnership with Emirates, passengers will benefit from seamless connections via Dubai to destinations across the GCC, Europe and other international markets.”

The new service further reinforces Dubai’s position as a leading global aviation hub. flydubai’s network now extends to more than 135 destinations, offering customers expanded travel options and convenient one-stop connectivity.

Sudhir Sreedharan, Divisional Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations at flydubai, added:

“We are pleased to expand our presence in Thailand with the launch of double-daily flights to Bangkok. We look forward to welcoming passengers on board and providing a comfortable and reliable travel experience in both Economy and Business Class.”

As part of its continued investment in customer experience, flydubai offers thoughtfully designed cabins across both classes. Passengers can enjoy comfortable seating, internationally inspired dining options and a wide selection of inflight entertainment available through the airline’s onboard system.

Flight Schedule (All Times Local)

From 15 September 2026, flydubai will operate the following services between Dubai and Bangkok:

• FZ1335: DXB 11:00 – DMK 20:45

• FZ1336: DMK 23:50 – DXB 03:20

• FZ1345: DXB 01:20 – DMK 11:10

• FZ1346: DMK 12:10 – DXB 15:40

Fares

• Return Business Class fares from DXB to DMK start from AED 9,000, while Economy Class Lite fares start from AED 2,500.

• From DMK to DXB, return Business Class fares start from THB 64,000, and Economy Class Lite fares from THB 22,000.

Flights are available for booking via flydubai.com, the official flydubai mobile application, the UAE Contact Centre, flydubai travel shops and authorised travel partners.

Xiamen Airlines will resume its direct flights between Quanzhou Jinjiang International Airport in Fujian and Mactan–Cebu International Airport in the Philippines starting 29 March 2026. The twice-weekly service will operate every Tuesday and Saturday using Boeing 737-800 aircraft, featuring eight business-class and 162 economy seats. The flight takes just under three hours.

The move, announced on 14 February, follows recent bilateral talks that granted new traffic rights and improved ground-handling support ahead of the summer season. The reinstated route reconnects Quanzhou—a major manufacturing hub for shoes, garments, and stone products—with Cebu, the commercial heart of the Visayas region. It’s expected to make business travel and supply-chain visits much easier for companies that previously relied on indirect routes via Xiamen or Manila.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. welcomed the restart, calling it a “new chapter” in people-to-people exchange. The Chinese Embassy in Manila also confirmed that Xiamen Airlines plans to increase flights on its Xiamen–Manila route to meet stronger demand. The announcement comes after the Philippines introduced a one-year visa-free entry scheme allowing Chinese citizens to stay up to 14 days for tourism or business.

For corporate travelers, the renewed direct link offers a more convenient route between Fujian’s export clusters and Cebu’s logistics, repair, and electronics sectors. It also supports greater accessibility to Mindanao, where several Chinese companies are currently involved in infrastructure projects. Filipino travelers should note that China has yet to introduce a reciprocal visa-free policy, so visas remain required except for short transits of up to 24 hours.

The service will also provide around five tonnes of cargo space per flight, which is expected to benefit e-commerce and high-value shipments like electronics and fashion samples. Freight forwarders are advised to secure space early, as the route typically maintains load factors above 80% during peak export periods.

Oman Air is set to introduce a new nonstop service linking Dubai with Salalah, beginning on July 3, 2026. The route will operate three times weekly throughout the year, further enhancing air connectivity to the Dhofar Governorate and offering greater travel convenience for both residents and international tourists ahead of the much-anticipated khareef season.

The addition of the new service reflects the growing demand for travel between Salalah and Dubai, while reinforcing Oman Air’s ongoing efforts to expand its domestic network and strengthen regional air corridors within the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

Oman Air Chief Executive Officer Con Korfiatis described the new route as a strategic step in advancing the airline’s role in national development. “Launching the Dubai–Salalah service highlights our continuous investment in enhancing regional connectivity in line with Oman’s broader economic and tourism ambitions,” he said.

“We’re responding to strong market demand by increasing capacity and creating more travel opportunities that support tourism and business growth across Dhofar. Oman Air remains a key enabler of connectivity and economic diversification under Oman Vision 2040.”

Consistent with its growth strategy, Oman Air continues to scale up operations on key domestic routes. Seat capacity to Salalah has increased by 20% in January 2026 compared to the same period last year, following a 15% expansion during the 2025 khareef season to handle the surge in visitors. The airline also launched its first direct charter between Moscow and Salalah, expected to attract over 7,000 travelers from Russia and contribute strongly to Dhofar’s tourism and hospitality sectors.

In addition, Oman Air plans further network and schedule enhancements, including expanded services during Ramadan, to provide passengers with even more flexibility and travel options throughout the year.

Tickets for the new Dubai–Salalah route will be available from Monday, February 16, 2026, through www.omanair.com and the Oman Air mobile application.

Emirates has launched a fourth daily flight to London Gatwick, marking the debut of the Airbus A350 on the route and bringing its popular Premium Economy cabin to Gatwick for the first time. The new service joins the airline’s three existing daily A380 flights between Dubai and Gatwick, expanding travel options for passengers on one of its busiest routes.

With this latest addition, Emirates now operates 146 weekly flights to the UK—90 of them to London across Heathrow, Stansted, and Gatwick—offering travellers more flexibility and choice than ever before.

Flight EK069 departs Dubai at 17:05, arriving in London Gatwick at 20:50. The return flight, EK070, leaves Gatwick at 23:55 and lands in Dubai at 11:00 the next morning. The new evening schedule gives passengers another convenient option for both business and leisure travel between the two cities.

A New Experience on the A350

The new daily service is operated by the Airbus A350-900 in a three-class layout, featuring 32 lie-flat Business Class seats, 28 Premium Economy seats, and 238 in Economy Class. Passengers can look forward to the latest Emirates cabin experience with thoughtful design touches like wireless charging in Business Class, electric window blinds with the airline’s Ghaf tree design, and digital menus on Emirates’ ‘ice’ entertainment screens.

The A350 also introduces Emirates’ next-generation inflight entertainment system, with ultra-responsive 4K and HDR touchscreens that deliver a cinema-quality experience. Onboard Wi-Fi is powered by ViaSat’s Global Xpress satellite network, offering stronger, faster connections and enough bandwidth for more passengers to stay connected throughout their journey.

Strengthening the London Connection

Gatwick now becomes the second UK destination served by Emirates’ A350, following the aircraft’s launch in Edinburgh in early 2025. London joins a growing list of cities to welcome the airline’s latest addition, including Montreal, Oslo, Mumbai, and Istanbul. Later in 2026, more destinations—such as Rome, Copenhagen, Taipei, Phuket, Cape Town, and Helsinki—will also see the new A350 join their routes.

Customers can book flights and learn more through emirates.com, the Emirates App, Emirates retail outlets, contact centres, or travel agents.

Kuwait’s leading low-cost carrier, Jazeera Airways, operated its inaugural flight to Amman City Airport (ADJ) on February 1, officially becoming the first airline to offer direct scheduled commercial services between Kuwait and the city airport.

The new route marks a significant step in enhancing air connectivity between Jordan and Kuwait, expanding travel options for passengers and providing a faster, more convenient gateway into the Jordanian capital. Situated just 10 kilometers from downtown Amman, the airport offers shorter transfer times and a smoother travel experience for visitors.

Ahmed Azzam, CEO of Jordan Airport Company, described the event as a milestone in the airport’s reopening and operational revival.

“Welcoming Jazeera Airways’ first flight to Amman City Airport represents a major step forward in expanding connectivity and supporting the sustainable growth of Jordan’s aviation sector. We look forward to a long-term partnership with Jazeera Airways that will help boost economic activity and reinforce Jordan’s position as a regional hub,” he said.

Barathan Pasupathi, CEO of Jazeera Airways, expressed his enthusiasm for the launch.

“This is a proud moment for Jazeera Airways as we become the first Kuwaiti carrier to operate scheduled flights into Amman City Airport. The new service underlines our commitment to improving regional connectivity through more accessible and efficient airports. Operating closer to the city allows us to offer passengers greater convenience, lower travel costs, and a more seamless journey,” he added.