Southwest Airlines announced plans on Wednesday to open the first airport lounges in its history. The carrier is stepping up efforts to attract higher-spending premium passengers and diversify revenue sources. The airline has announced that it will partner with JPMorgan Chase in order to launch the first airport lounges. It is working hard to shed its low-cost reputation and boost revenue by introducing assigned seating, extra legroom seats, and other product improvements. Airport lounges are a popular attraction for travelers. They offer a place to relax or work in peace, as well as complimentary drinks and food. They help airlines...

Ethiopian Airlines has reached a 'deal to purchase up to 10 Boeing long-haul freighters, as it moves forward with plans to build a new African hub to compete with Gulf carriers. Sources said that the deal will likely include two Boeing 777F aircraft of the current generation, which would help the U.S. planemaker to bridge the gap until the new 777-8F model is ready. This is expected to be the remainder of the order. A source stated that the order will include eight to 10 aircraft, if there are no last-minute changes. Boeing refused to comment on speculation. Ethiopian Airlines...

The European Space Agency is looking at increasing the launch schedules for Ariane 6 & Vega C rockets over the next few years to overcome a possible bottleneck in satellite launches. Aschbacher, the Director General of the DG, told reporters that an immediate decision was needed if projections were correct and a surge in demand would peak by 2030. Arianespace's latest?projection? calls for nine or ten launches of Ariane-6 rockets per year starting in 2027. Aschbacher, a member of the AJPAE aerospace association, said that based on Europe's scientific missions and other missions as well as... possible further interest from...

After warnings from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, that the drones used by Russia had made its?airspace? dangerous to use, Russia promised to prevent any disruptions to civil aviation. Zelenskiy, a Russian-born Ukrainian pilot, warned insurance companies and airlines on Tuesday about the "war that Russia started" by closing their own skies. He claimed he wasn't targeting civil aviation. Andrii Sybiha, Ukrainian Foreign Minister, said that on Wednesday the Ukrainian government had officially informed the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) that Russian airspace is not safe. Other airlines, such as those from China, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and other Gulf...

The Russian Transport Minister said that despite the threat of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Russia would not allow Ukraine to disrupt civil aviation operations. Zelenskiy, a Russian aviation expert, warned Tuesday airlines and insurance firms that the presence Ukrainian drones made Russian airspace dangerous and closed it effectively. "Of Course, We are Preparing for This?and Taking into Account All These Threats. We constantly improve?flight security and airport requirements.?And we have a?solution for all of it. "We have solutions to all of the terrorist threats," Andrei Nikitin was quoted as saying by Interfax, Russia's news agency. "We work closely with the?Ministry...

German police reported that an unknown object exploded in the early morning hours of Wednesday near a train station?in the southern city of Augsburg. Two passersby, aged 17 and 18 years old, suffered minor injuries. Bavaria State Police said that the explosion occurred in a passageway of a building. They added that two Ukrainians were injured. Police?added hours later that the city's main train station had been?closed following an additional suspicious item being found. Police announced on X that "train services have been suspended." Bild, the news outlet in Germany, reported that the hand grenade was detonated early in the...

Ryanair, Europe's largest budget airline, cut its traffic target for fiscal 2027 on Wednesday in order to reduce the exposure to unhedged costs of fuel during winter. It also warned that annual profits would fall below their record-breaking level from last year. This move shows how the 'crisis' in jet fuel caused by the conflict in the Middle East has reshaped European aviation. Many'major carriers are either keeping their capacity flat or reducing it before the typically loss-making winter season. Ryanair said that if oil prices remain high through S.27 (summer of 2027), short-haul flights in Europe will 'increase materially,...

Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the Ukrainian President, warned airlines and insurance companies that the presence of Ukrainian drones had made Russian skies unsafe to fly and effectively closed. Zelenskiy warned in his "nightly video" address that the Russian sky is dangerous. He said that Ukraine does not pose a threat to civil aviation. "But there will be drones flying in the skies of?Russia and due notice must be given". "Even though Russian authorities do not announce it properly, Russian airspace is closing in effect." Zelenskiy said that the war Russia started is closing down its own skies. The Russian air force has...

Tesla's supervised autonomous driving technology has recorded 4.1 times less collisions in five European countries that allow it, according to the automaker. The company is stepping up its lobbying ahead of an EU vote about a wider deployment. In April, the Netherlands became the first European nation to give provisional approval to Tesla's Full Self-Driving System (FSD). Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, and Lithuania followed suit, ahead of an EU vote on approval. Tesla's findings are based on driving data from more than 100 million km (62 millions miles) collected between April-August in these five countries, where FSD equipped cars were involved...

Federal Aviation Administration announced on Tuesday that it is proposing special flight regulations near Trump International Airport in Palm Beach, Florida. The agency cited'security concerns regarding u.s. President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago home. The FAA proposes restrictions on flights within a radius of one nautical mile and up to 2,080 feet around Palm Beach, a residence located near the airport. FAA: The U.S. Secret Service requested the restrictions, citing negative threat intelligence. They said that the measures would "greatly enhance the ability to mitigate the persistent risk posed by unmanned aircraft and unauthorized aircraft systems." FAA places expanded restrictions on travel...

A Turkish specialist team equipped with deep-water search equipment began work on Tuesday in order to locate the wreckage of the ferry that capsized on Sunday off Northern Cyprus, leaving 20 people missing. Eight people were killed when the twin-hulled vessel began taking in water shortly after it left the port of Kyrenia. It had 267 passengers on board. The Turkish navy's rescue vessel has a remotely controlled vehicle that can search deep waters where the ferry went down, four nautical miles off the coast. This was just minutes after the ship set off to the town of Tasucu, in...

A team of specialists equipped to search in deep waters is due to arrive on Tuesday from Turkey as emergency crews continue their efforts to locate 20 people who are missing after a ferry capsized near northern Cyprus. Eight people were killed when the double-hulled ship began taking in water, and flipped over shortly after it left the port of Kyrenia with 267 passengers on board. Boats in the area picked up survivors who clung to a part of the overturned hull. However, some reports suggest that passengers could have been trapped in compartments as the boat flipped. Missing children...