World Cup 2026 ticket holders can now book priority visa appointments to travel to the United States following the launch of the new FIFA Prioritised Appointment Scheduling System, known as FIFA Pass. However, questions remain over whether fans from all qualifying nations will ultimately be allowed entry.

The program, announced in November by US President Donald Trump, became operational on Tuesday. It was introduced partly to address concerns that citizens of certain countries whose teams have qualified might face delays securing visa appointments before the tournament.

According to the US State Department, receiving a FIFA Pass appointment does not guarantee visa approval. All applicants will still be required to undergo comprehensive security screening and vetting before any travel authorization is granted.

Citizens of countries covered by the US Visa Waiver Program, including most of Europe, the United Kingdom, Japan, and Australia, can travel to the US for up to 90 days without a visa and therefore do not need to use the FIFA Pass system. Instead, they must obtain electronic clearance through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA).

A senior State Department official said the new scheduling system would significantly reduce waiting times, noting that applicants in more than 80 percent of participating countries should be able to secure an appointment within 60 days.

“The appointment allows fans to demonstrate eligibility for a visa and confirm their intent to abide by US laws, including departing after the tournament,” the official said. “The safety of Americans and the integrity of our borders remain our top priorities.”

What about countries under the visa suspension?

Football supporters from nations affected by the recent suspension of immigrant visa processing will still be able to apply for temporary visitor visas for the World Cup.

Washington announced last week that it is halting the issuance of immigrant visas from 75 countries, 15 of which have already qualified for the 2026 tournament, including five-time champions Brazil. Another seven nations from the list remain in contention for qualification.

The State Department clarified that the suspension applies only to the issuance of immigrant visas and does not extend to non-immigrant categories such as visas for tourists, athletes, family members, or accredited media representatives.

The 15 qualified nations under the suspension include Algeria, Brazil, Cape Verde, Colombia, Egypt, Ghana, Haiti, Iran, Ivory Coast, Jordan, Morocco, Senegal, Tunisia, Uruguay, and Uzbekistan.
Countries still competing for qualification include Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, DR Congo, Iraq, Jamaica, Kosovo, and North Macedonia.

What about countries under the travel ban?

The halt on immigrant visa processing from the 75 countries officially took effect on January 21, following the expansion of the travel ban introduced earlier this month. The order bars nationals from affected states from entering the United States altogether.

Among those impacted are Haiti and Iran, both of which have qualified for the 2026 World Cup and remain under full entry restrictions. Ivory Coast and Senegal, also qualified, are subject to partial restrictions.

The State Department emphasized that a FIFA Pass appointment does not permit individuals who are otherwise ineligible to receive a visa, suggesting fans from those nations are unlikely to attend matches in the US.

However, exceptions to the travel ban remain in place for athletes, coaches, essential support staff, and immediate family members participating in official tournament activities. Spectators are not included in these exceptions and may still apply individually, though their visa eligibility remains subject to denial or entry inadmissibility.

The United States will host 78 of the 104 World Cup matches across 11 cities, with the final set to take place at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

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