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Italia Trasporto Aereo (ITA Airways) announced (25-Feb-2026) the cancellation of approximately 50% of its flights scheduled for 26-Feb-2026 due to a 24 hour national air transport strike in Italy. Affected passengers will be able to change their flight free of charge or receive a refund. [more - original PR]

Aer Lingus reported (25-Feb-2026) new travel document requirements for travel between Ireland and the UK. All customers, including Irish and British nationals, will require a passport or an Irish passport card for travel. The UK Government also introduced new travel requirements from 25-Feb-2026, with most visitors travelling to the UK requiring an approved electronic travel authorisation or eVISA. [more - original PR]

Etihad Airways announced (25-Feb-2026) plans to deploy A380 aircraft on once daily on Abu Dhabi-Bangkok Suvarnabhumi service from 25-Oct-2026. The aircraft will feature 'The Residence' cabin, nine First Apartments, 70 business class, 68 Economy Space and 337 economy class seats. Etihad Airways chief revenue and commercial officer Arik De said: "With the A380 flying to Bangkok, we're offering greater choice and significant additional capacity on one of our most popular leisure routes". [more - original PR]

Azul announced (25-Feb-2026) the completion of its voluntary financial restructuring process and emergence from Chapter 11 conducted before the US Bankruptcy Court with the following financial key achievements:

• USD850 million of new equity investments, including from existing bondholders and USD100 million from United Airlines;
• Execution of a commitment with American Airlines for an incremental USD100 million equity investment;
• USD1.375 billion of new exit notes;
• Reduction of loans and financing debt and lease liabilities by USD2.5 billion;
• Reduction of annual interest paid on loans and financing by over 50%;
• Reduction of fleet debt by 36% and aircraft leasing costs by 33.3%. [more - original PR]

Qantas Group reported (26-Feb-2026) the following fleet highlights for H1FY2026:

• Took delivery of 18 aircraft, including nine new aircraft, comprising:
  • Qantas Airways: Two A321XLRs;
  • Jetstar Airways: One A320neo and two A321LRs;
  • QantasLink: Four A220s.

Qantas Group CEO Vanessa Hudson partly attributed the Group's strong financial performance in H1FY2026 to the delivery of next generation aircraft, stating: "These new aircraft are not only improving the experience for our customers and opening up new opportunities for our people, they're also helping drive our financial performance". Ms Hudson said: "Around 60% of Jetstar's increase in profitability in the half was driven by its new aircraft, through a combination of growth, new network opportunities and the redeployment of existing aircraft onto other routes". She continued: "We've already started to see an acceleration in deliveries for Qantas, with six new aircraft arriving in the half and a further 30 arriving over the next 18 months", adding: "Some of these new aircraft will replace older aircraft, while some will support growth by opening up new routes, like the ultra long range A350s, which will operate Project Sunrise flights". Qantas Airways reported the following fleet plans for the near and medium term:

• Commence planned retirement of older Boeing 737s in late 2026, enabled by continued delivery of new aircraft, including A321XLRs;
• Deploy 787 on Melbourne-Los Angeles service, replacing A380 equipment, due to "reduced demand in economy for flights from Australia to the US";
• Deploy A380 equipment on Sydney-Singapore service;
• Refurbish 10 A330s, including new economy seats and entertainment screens;
• Resume deployment of first refurbished Jetstar 787 from Mar-2026. [more - original PR]

Qantas Airways announced (26-Feb-2026) plans to progressively implement the following changes to its frequent flyer programme in 2026, emphasising that these mark "the most significant changes to earning and retaining status since the programme's inception, giving members the ability to roll over unused Status Credits and earn them through everyday spending for the first time":

• Earning Status Credits on the ground: All members will be able to earn up to 140 additional Status Credits p/a from 10 everyday categories, following a trial in 2025 "where members embraced earning Status Credits via credit cards, retail partners, and utility providers";
• Status Credit roll over: Tiered members will be able to roll over up to 50% of their unused Status Credits into their next membership year. At present, Status Credits reset from one membership year to the next;
• More lifetime milestones: Greater recognition for Lifetime Gold members, including the ability to earn and 'bank' up to five complimentary years of Platinum Status. Launching in 2027;
• Enhanced tier benefits: Additional lounge invitation each membership year for Silver members, as well as new on-the-ground vouchers and discounts for all tiered members Silver and above;
• Removing programme complexity: Retirement of overlapping sub-programmes, including Points Club and Green Tier, in favour of one core recognition pathway, with the benefits valued most integrated into the core frequent flyer programme;
• Single Status Credit targets: Removal of separate attain and retain requirements, in favour of a single target for each tier level;
• An improved digital experience: Launch a new search tool on official website in Mar-2026 "to help members find international Classic Reward seats on Qantas and 30 partner airlines in seconds".

Qantas Group CEO Vanessa Hudson stated: "Our most frequent flyers tell us that status retention is the single most important milestone as a member, with thousands achieving or retaining their tier every day", adding: "These changes are about creating more opportunities for members to unlock status, while ensuring the programme remains as relevant and rewarding in the future as it has been for the past four decades". [more - original PR]