Qatar Railways Company (Qatar Rail) has announced that its Doha Metro and Lusail Tram networks are fully prepared to welcome fans attending the 2025 FIFA Arab Cup and the FIFA Intercontinental Cup Qatar 2025 Finals, set to take place from December 1 to 18, 2025.

To accommodate the expected surge in passengers, both the Doha Metro and Lusail Tram will extend service hours on days with late matches, ensuring fans can return home conveniently after the events. The extended hours also apply to the Metrolink and MetroExpress services. Additionally, Park and Ride facilities will be available at selected stations, allowing fans to park their vehicles and continue their journey via public transport.

However, due to nearby match venues, the Park and Ride service at Education City will not be available on match days, and the Lusail QNB station Park and Ride will be closed throughout the tournament. Instead, fans can use the Park and Ride facility at Qatar University.

In response to the high demand during the tournament, Qatar Rail will deploy six-car trains on the Red Line and ensure that a full fleet of 110 trains is in operation during peak hours to maintain smooth passenger flow. Dedicated maintenance teams have been stationed across the network to address any potential issues quickly, and stations have been upgraded to accommodate the increased number of visitors.

To help guide fans during the tournament, Qatar Rail has installed additional wayfinding signage at key metro stations linked to the stadiums and deployed trained staff to assist passengers, including those with disabilities. Event teams will be stationed at high-footfall stations and stadiums, providing support and running dedicated ticketing desks to handle the expected demand.

Ajlan Eid Al Enazi, Chief of Strategy and Business Development at Qatar Rail, said, "We are excited to welcome fans aboard the Doha Metro and Lusail Tram during the 2025 FIFA Arab Cup and FIFA Intercontinental Cup Finals. In collaboration with our partners, we are committed to providing seamless and convenient journeys for fans while ensuring safety and exceptional service throughout the tournament."

The 2025 FIFA Arab Cup will be held across six stadiums: Lusail, Ahmad bin Ali, Al Bayt, Education City, Khalifa International, and Stadium 974. Five of these stadiums are within walking distance of the nearest metro station, including Lusail Stadium via Lusail QNB Station and Education City Stadium via Education City Station. Al Bayt Stadium will be connected by a dedicated shuttle bus service from Lusail QNB Station.

The FIFA Intercontinental Cup Qatar 2025 finals, scheduled for December 10, 13, and 17, will take place at Ahmad bin Ali Stadium.

For Lusail Tram services, the Orange Line will operate only between Legtaifiya and Al Wessil stations, while the Pink Line will run as usual. The Turquoise Line will be temporarily out of service due to safety requirements around Lusail Stadium and Lusail Boulevard. During the T100 Triathlon event, held from December 10 to 14, Pink Line services will operate only between Legtaifiya and Tarfat South station.

In addition, a 24/7 customer contact center will provide continuous support to residents and visitors. Fans can access information through Qatar Rail’s Customer Service Centre at 105, via WhatsApp at 44433105, or through the Qatar Rail mobile app.

To enhance fan safety and convenience, Qatar Rail advises travelers to plan their trips in advance, arrive early at stations, and follow guidance from customer service staff. Real-time service updates will be displayed on digital screens throughout the stations and trains during the tournament.

Qatar Rail is committed to ensuring smooth crowd movement, prioritizing passenger safety, and enhancing the fan experience across both the Doha Metro and Lusail Tram networks. Fans will also enjoy a range of retail services at stations, including food and beverage outlets, mini-marts, pharmacies, and sportswear shops.

For the latest updates and information, fans are encouraged to follow Qatar Rail’s official social media channels or contact the Customer Service Centre.

The Norwegian Group carried 2.9 million passengers in August 2026, including 2.5 million passengers on Norwegian and 359,000 on Widerøe.

Norwegian increased its capacity by 3% year on year, while passenger traffic climbed 4%. Its load factor improved by 0.4 percentage points to 86.3%. The airline operated an average of 94 aircraft during the month.

Regularity stood at 98.9%, rising to 99.6% when cancellations related to the Avinor air traffic controllers’ strike are excluded. The industrial action disrupted travel for more than 20,000 passengers. Norwegian’s punctuality rate, measured by departures within 15 minutes of schedule, was 80.8%.

Widerøe increased capacity by 2%, while traffic remained unchanged. Its load factor consequently declined by 1.8 percentage points to 75.8%. The regional airline recorded punctuality of 93.3%, an improvement of 1.5 percentage points, while regularity reached 97.4%.

Norwegian said booking activity for the autumn remained strong, particularly around the school holidays. Meanwhile, its Norwegian Reward loyalty programme has surpassed 10 million members and is introducing five new membership tiers.

Source: QCAA

African airlines recorded a 6.4% year-on-year increase in passenger demand in July 2026, according to the latest data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

Capacity across African carriers increased by 9.0% compared with July 2025, while the passenger load factor stood at 74.1%. Domestic revenue passenger kilometres (RPK) in the region rose 0.6% during the month.

Globally, total passenger demand, measured in revenue passenger kilometres, increased just 0.2% from July 2025. Excluding the Middle East, demand grew 1.2%, while available seat kilometres, the industry measure of capacity, increased 0.3%.

The global load factor was 85.2%. International demand declined 0.1% year on year. When the Middle East was excluded, international demand increased 1.5%, with capacity also rising 0.3% and the load factor reaching 85.2%.

Domestic passenger demand worldwide grew 0.6% compared with July 2025, while domestic capacity increased 0.2%. The domestic load factor stood at 85.3%.

Marie Owens Thomsen, IATA’s Senior Vice President Sustainability and Chief Economist, said the peak Northern Hemisphere summer travel season had produced a largely positive result despite weaker performance by carriers in North America and the Middle East.

She also noted that traffic through Gulf aviation hubs was continuing to recover.

Thomsen said airlines remained confident about demand for the final months of the year despite elevated fuel costs, economic uncertainty and geopolitical tensions. Carriers are planning to increase seat capacity by almost 3% in September, she added.

Source: Nigerian Tribune

Global air passenger demand recorded modest growth in July 2026, as strong performances in several regions helped offset declines among carriers in North America and the Middle East, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

Total revenue passenger kilometres (RPK) increased by 0.2% compared with July 2025. Excluding Middle Eastern airlines, global passenger demand rose by 1.2%.

Worldwide capacity, measured in available seat kilometres (ASK), grew by 0.3% year-on-year, while the global passenger load factor slipped by 0.1 percentage points to 85.2%.

International traffic declined by 0.1% compared with the same month last year. However, excluding Middle Eastern carriers, international demand increased by 1.5%.

Domestic passenger demand rose by 0.6%, supported by a 0.2% increase in capacity. The domestic load factor reached 85.3%.

Marie Owens Thomsen, IATA's Senior Vice President Sustainability and Chief Economist, said the peak Northern Hemisphere summer travel season had delivered an overall positive picture for aviation despite challenges in key markets.

“Overall growth of 0.2% in July was achieved despite year-on-year collective declines by carriers in North America and the Middle East,” she said, adding that traffic through Gulf hubs continued to recover.

Thomsen noted that high fuel prices, economic uncertainty and geopolitical tensions remain challenges for the industry. However, airlines remain confident about demand later in the year, with seat capacity expected to expand by almost 3% in September.

European airlines posted demand growth of 3.1%, supported in particular by a 12.1% surge in traffic between Europe and Asia.

Latin American carriers recorded a 7.1% increase in demand, while African airlines reported growth of 6.4%.

Elsewhere, Asia-Pacific demand declined by 0.7%, and North American carriers saw a 2.3% fall. Middle Eastern airlines reported the sharpest decline, with demand down 9.5%, although the pace of the downturn continued to ease.

Domestic traffic rose 0.6% worldwide, with China and Brazil reporting strong growth. In contrast, domestic markets in the United States, Australia and India recorded declines.

Source: ZAWYA

Typhoon Dolphin brought torrential rain to Shanghai on Monday, August 10, 2026, flooding roads and commercial areas and severely disrupting air travel in the city.

The weather system forced Shanghai’s two airports to cancel a combined 943 flights, while their overall passenger capacity was reduced by nearly 40%.

The disruption followed Dolphin’s landfall in Zhejiang province on Sunday evening. The typhoon struck areas south and west of Shanghai with maximum sustained winds of 151 kilometres per hour near its centre.

Dolphin later weakened into a tropical storm, but its remaining rain bands continued to bring heavy precipitation across large parts of eastern China.

Shanghai, the country’s second-most populous city, experienced widespread flooding, including in several major commercial districts.

China Eastern Airlines said it was working to gradually restore flights to Shanghai, Zhejiang and other affected destinations as weather conditions improve.

Source: Asia News Network

Thousands of WestJet cabin crew members began strike action on Aug. 2 after nearly 11 months of contract negotiations failed to result in a new labor agreement, triggering widespread disruptions across the airline's network.

The industrial action involves around 4,400 flight attendants represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 8125. The strike officially started after talks between the union and the airline ended without a new collective agreement.

The labor dispute has already forced WestJet to cancel more than 300 flights, affecting travel plans across its domestic and international routes.

Ahead of the strike, the airline had begun grounding portions of its Boeing 737 fleet as a precautionary measure to minimize operational disruption and reduce the risk of leaving passengers and aircraft stranded during the work stoppage.

Source: Aero Time