Travel Updates by DailyStraits.com

Qantas Extends Europe Push

Perth, May 1: Qantas Group has extended schedule changes across its international and domestic network from July to September as it manages the impact of Middle East conflict, higher fuel costs and strong demand for travel to Europe.
The airline will continue redeploying some aircraft to operate more flights between Australia and Europe, giving customers booked on partner airlines another option if they wish to change.
Qantas’ additional Perth-Rome flights will now run until the end of October, while Paris services will return to three return flights a week from August and continue to operate from Sydney via Singapore.
The changes will add about 2,000 seats to and from Europe each week, while Qantas and Jetstar will reduce capacity in other markets, including a temporary suspension of Qantas’ Sydney-Bengaluru service from August until late October.
The group has also extended domestic capacity reductions until the end of September, mainly affecting Qantas and Jetstar flights on major capital city routes. Customers affected by schedule changes will be contacted directly and offered alternative flights or a refund.

Malaysia Airlines Resumes Limited Doha Flights

Perth, April 30: Malaysia Airlines will resume limited services to Doha (DOH) from July 2 2026, following Qatar’s reopening of its airspace to international carriers and the gradual reinstatement of operations at Hamad International Airport.
The resumption follows the issuance of a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) by the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority confirming operational readiness, with international airline services now gradually resuming through a designated flight corridor coordinated by the authority.
Operations will initially be limited to one daily service (MH160/161), while the remaining frequencies (MH164/165 and MH168/169) will continue to be suspended until Oct 24 2026, subject to ongoing review.
The Doha service was originally suspended from February 28 2026 due to airspace closures in the region.
Amal by Malaysia Airlines, the Hajj and Umrah pilgrimage arm of Malaysia Aviation Group, will continue operating flights to Jeddah (JED) and Madinah (MED) as scheduled for the 2026 Hajj season, with a total of 110 flights across two phases transporting a combined 15,620 pilgrims.
The airline said it continues to closely monitor the situation through ongoing risk assessments and relevant NOTAMs before fully resuming operations.

Emirates Installs Starlink Wi-Fi on A380

Perth, April 27: Emirates has completed the first installation of next-generation Starlink Wi-Fi on its flagship A380, marking a significant upgrade for one of aviation’s most iconic aircraft. The first Emirates A380 equipped with Starlink returned to Dubai this week after installation and certification in Newquay, UK.
The new system uses three Starlink antennas on each A380, delivering more than 2 Gbps of total aircraft bandwidth across the cabin, a thousand-fold improvement over Emirates’ first-generation onboard internet system. The service will be complimentary for all customers across all cabin classes, allowing passengers to stream, game, browse and work on personal devices throughout their journey.
The installation marks an industry-first configuration designed for the A380’s double-decker layout and higher passenger capacity. Compared with the Emirates Boeing 777, the A380 features additional wireless access points and a third antenna to support enhanced connectivity. Future enhancements will include Live TV streaming over Starlink, initially on personal devices and later integrated into seatback screens.
More A380s are scheduled for accelerated installation throughout 2026, with installations soon beginning at Emirates Engineering facilities in Dubai. To date, 25 Boeing 777-300ER aircraft are already equipped with Starlink, and more than 650,000 Emirates customers have flown on Starlink-equipped flights.
The introduction of Starlink on the A380 builds on Emirates’ ongoing customer experience investment, including its retrofit programme that has fully refurbished 93 aircraft with upgraded Premium Economy, Business Class and First Class cabins.

Qatar Airways Resumes Bahrain, Kozhikode Flights

Perth, April 27: Qatar Airways has announced the return of daily flights to Bahrain (BAH) and Kozhikode (CCJ) from 1 May 2026, as part of the carrier’s phased restoration of its global network.
The resumptions follow recent announcements confirming the return of daily services to Dubai (DXB) and Sharjah (SHJ) from 23 April 2026, and to Damascus (DAM) from 1 May 2026, providing passengers with greater flexibility across the Middle East.
Passengers holding tickets issued by 30 April 2026 with travel dates between 28 February and 15 September 2026 are eligible for complimentary date changes to a new travel date up to 31 October 2026, subject to availability and fare seasonality, or a refund of the unused ticket value under standard fare rules.
Passengers whose flights are impacted will be eligible for additional fee-free changes until 31 October 2026 in the same cabin originally booked, or a refund of the unused ticket value without penalty. Refunds may take up to 28 working days to process.
Qatar Airways advises passengers to regularly check its official website or app and ensure their contact details are up to date.

Sydney Airport Posts Record International Quarter

Perth, April 28: Sydney Airport has delivered its strongest first quarter for international travel on record, with 4.57 million international passengers coming through its terminals in Q1 2026, representing 5.8% growth on Q1 2025.
Total passenger volumes rose 3.6% year-on-year to 10.78 million travellers through Sydney Airport during the quarter, with domestic passenger numbers up 2.1% to 6.20 million through the T2 and T3 terminals. International growth was underpinned by increased airline capacity and sustained demand across Asia-Pacific and major long-haul markets, despite ongoing geopolitical uncertainty in the Middle East.
New Zealand and China were Sydney Airport’s largest international markets during the quarter, with passenger volumes increasing by 13.5% and 14.0% respectively compared with Q1 2025. Travel to and from Hong Kong rose 21.4%, while services to and from Kuala Lumpur increased by 32.3% and Guangzhou recorded growth of 38.5%.
Operational performance also improved, with 100% of passengers clearing security within 10 minutes at the domestic terminals and 99.8% at the T1 international terminal. Inbound immigration processing improved to 90% of arriving passengers cleared within 34 minutes, down from 36 minutes in Q1 2025.
“This quarter’s record international growth is a great outcome, particularly given the disruption in the Middle East, where many airlines have faced significant operational impacts since late February. Growth across China and broader Asia is increasingly supporting travel into Europe, helping to offset softer conditions in parts of the Middle East,” said Sydney Airport CEO Scott Charlton.
Terminal upgrades also progressed during the quarter, with 15 new self-service BagTag and check-in kiosks installed at Terminal 2 alongside six automatic bag drop systems now in operation, while 24 new automatic bag drops became operational at Terminal 3.

Korean Air Partners With Weverse For Mileage Redemption

Perth, April 28: Korean Air has partnered with Weverse, the global superfan platform operated by HYBE, to expand SKYPASS mileage redemption options for members.
Weverse is a leading global fandom platform connecting artists and fans through communities, exclusive content and live broadcasts, hosting more than 180 global artists including BTS, BLACKPINK, Dua Lipa and YOASOBI, with over 12 million monthly active users worldwide.
Through the partnership, SKYPASS members can redeem miles for vouchers used to purchase Jelly, Weverse’s digital currency. A 9-Jelly voucher is available for 270 miles, while a 15-Jelly voucher can be redeemed for 450 miles. Vouchers are available through the Life/Tour section of the Korean Air Mileage Mall and, once registered on the Weverse app or website, are converted into Jellies for use on digital memberships, Weverse DM subscriptions and other platform services.
“Korean Air is committed to expanding the everyday value of SKYPASS miles by offering members more diverse and meaningful redemption opportunities beyond air travel. Through this partnership with Weverse, we are enhancing the accessibility and relevance of our loyalty program while delivering innovative experiences that reflect evolving global lifestyle trends,” said a Korean Air representative.
The initiative reflects Korean Air’s continued efforts to diversify mileage usage beyond air travel and aligns with evolving digital lifestyle trends, allowing members to redeem smaller amounts of mileage more conveniently.

Emirates’ Retrofit Push

Perth, April 30: Dubai, April 30: Emirates has released a new video offering a playful behind-the-scenes look at its US$5 billion aircraft retrofit programme, which will refurbish the interiors of 219 aircraft.
The video parodies home renovation TV gameshows, following an Emirates Captain and his family as they choose to refurbish a Boeing 777 aircraft instead of their home on a fictional show called ‘Do It Yourself Dubai’.
The airline said the campaign highlights the scale of what it describes as the world’s largest aviation retrofit project, with Emirates Engineering teams shown working on the aircraft interiors.
From May 2026, the video will be shown globally to promote Emirates’ upgraded onboard experience, including refreshed interiors, improved seating, inflight entertainment, regional cuisine, beverages and cabin crew service.
Customers can already fly on retrofitted Boeing 777-300ER and 777-200LR aircraft across 40 destinations, with 10 more routes, including Brisbane and Singapore, to be added soon.