“Economy Prime expands TAP’s long‑haul offer, giving travellers greater choice between Economy and Business. It’s available on both the A330 and A321LR fleets. The new cabin responds to evolving travel trends by providing comfort, efficiency, and ample space, combined with a seamless customer journey,” said the airline.

“The Economy Prime cabin features 12 seats, located immediately behind Business Class, arranged in a four-seat-per-row configuration. With the side seat always left empty, this layout creates a quieter and more private environment, allowing passengers to enjoy a more relaxed and comfortable experience throughout the flight,” it added further.

Under “Economy Prime,” passengers will benefit from premium airport services designed to make the journey faster, including “Premium Check‑In,” priority baggage handling, “Fast Track Security Access,” and “Premium Boarding.” These elements, together, will contribute to a smoother travel experience from airport arrival to the final destination.

“On board, Economy Prime stands out for its personalised service and carefully selected details that elevate the travel experience. Passengers enjoy a premium main meal with two hot dish options, the possibility of pre‑selecting their meal up to 24 hours before departure, an amenity kit, and a premium pillow. Each element has been designed to provide greater comfort and a heightened sense of care. Economy Prime also offers added value for frequent travellers seeking flexibility and additional benefits. This includes earning more TAP Miles&Go miles, the ability to reschedule flights, and improved refund policies, making it an attractive option within the Economy class,” TAP Air Portugal noted.

With the launch of Economy Prime, TAP Air Portugal, the European country’s leading airline, joins a growing number of carriers upgrading the economy experience by combining comfort, well‑being and value.

TAP, also a member of Star Alliance, has its hub in Lisbon, which is located at the crossroads of Africa, North, Central, and South America. The carrier has become a popular choice for travellers, especially on the route between Europe and Brazil. TAP offers more than 1,000 weekly flights to 75 cities, which include six airports in Portugal, 10 in North America, 14 in Central and South America, 13 in Africa and 38 in Europe (including Portugal).

The Portuguese airline also operates one of the youngest fleets in the world, with all of Airbus’ next-generation NEO aircraft helping the business to maintain its operational efficiency, in addition to reducing emission levels per flight. The airline was ranked among the 20 safest in the world in 2026 (according to Airlines Ratings). TAP Air Portugal has been recognised and awarded as Europe’s Leading Airline to Africa, as well as Europe’s Leading Airline to South America by the World Travel Awards from 2014 to 2025.

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IndiGo, known for operating at least 60% of domestic flights in India, is facing one of the worst crises in the history of global aviation. The disruption has so far resulted in mass cancellations, widespread delays, and the company paying refunds amounting to 827 crore rupees. Shares of InterGlobe Aviation, IndiGo’s parent, fell nearly 9% on November 8, with the company losing nearly 18,000 crore rupees worth of market valuation.

The whole crisis started as India’s new passenger safety norms came into effect. It has put strict emphasis on the duty timings of pilots and flight crew, making sure they get a mandatory weekly rest period of 36 to 48 hours, while capping the flying hours that continue into the night to 10 hours.

While IndiGo’s rivals Air India and SpiceJet have already hired more staff to comply with the new rules, IndiGo, which runs 2,200 flights daily, has fallen short of the crew, resulting in massive flight cancellations, causing an ordeal for thousands of flyers.

While the Narendra Modi-led Indian government has relaxed the new aviation safety rules, it is in no mood to let the airline go unpunished. Apart from show-causing Pieter Elbers, the South Asian country’s civil aviation ministry is also mulling drastic moves like slashing IndiGo’s winter schedule and reducing the number of flights by 5%.

Amid the chaos, while the company’s board members anonymously expressed their views on Pieter Elbers’ future at the company to the leading Indian business daily Business Standard, no conclusion has been reached yet.

A board member said that while removing Pieter Elbers was an option, finding a new CEO who can run an airline operating around 2,300 daily flights is not easy. Expressing confidence in Elbers’ capability, a second board member said he had handled multiple crises as an aviation industry veteran, and the ongoing chaos was “another major crisis” he must manage effectively.

The first member, however, said if the Narendra Modi government puts “intense pressure,” along with a “substantial financial penalty,” the company may have to think about a leadership change. The second member highlighted that disciplinary action could instead be directed at other senior executives responsible for managing the pilot duty roster and overseeing hiring.

IndiGo has nine members on its board, chaired by Vikram Singh Mehta, a former IAS officer and ex-head of Shell India. Promoter-director Rahul Bhatia is serving as managing director. The board also includes the likes of senior lawyer Pallavi Shardul Shroff and former Indian Air Force chief BS Dhanoa, with the duo serving as independent directors. Michael Gordon Whitaker, former head of the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), is also an independent director.

Meleveetil Damodaran, former Sebi chairman, sits on the board as a non-executive director, along with finance veteran Anil Parashar and former WestJet chief executive Gregg Albert Saretsky. Amitabh Kant, former Niti Aayog CEO, is also a non-executive director.

Photo Credits: IndiGo

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After learning that the strike schedule would proceed, the airline decided to cancel the Perth and Sao Paulo routes, Khaya Buthelezi, senior manager of corporate relations for the airline, told Reuters.

“That’s the decision we took last night since we could not find partner airlines that we can transfer our customers to, it became clear that those two routes must be cancelled,” he said, as reported by Zawya.

Buthelezi further said that because the airline had prepared backup plans, there were no disruptions to domestic flights or routes throughout Africa early.

Buthelezi reported seeing some pilots picketing outside the SAA office at Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport.

However, South African Airways managed to ensure the suspension of the pilots’ strike that commenced on December 7 early morning, by effecting an agreement post the “productive discussions” between SAA’s Executive Management and the South African Airways Pilots Association (SAAPA).

As part of the resolution, management has agreed to a further 1% salary increase, bringing the total salary increase for SAA pilots to 9.47%.

Speaking to public news broadcaster SABC, SAA pilot Sibusiso Nxumalo, speaking on behalf of the National Transport Movement Pilots Forum and the SAA Pilots Association (SAAPA), stated that their demands went beyond money and focused on improved working conditions and employment conditions.

“The company has made a profit in the past couple of months. It’s not like we want a piece of that pie, we just want to have better working conditions,” Nxumalo said.

In a statement released by SAA, it was noted that the initial demand made by SAAPA in May 2024 for a 30% increase in pilot salaries was later reduced to 15%, along with related benefits.

According to a statement from SAA’s acting CEO, John Lamola, the company’s decline into bankruptcy would be triggered by the demand for a 15% pay increase.

An 8%–46% pay raise retroactive to April has been offered by the airline. Before the national carrier filed for bankruptcy protection in 2019, it was about to be liquidated.

Meanwhile, the first net profit reported by South African Airways in more than ten years marks a significant turning point in the airline’s recovery.

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The Abu Dhabi-based airline intends to increase the number of narrow- and wide-body aircraft in its fleet from about 80 to 150 over the course of the next five years. This entails adding 10 to 15 new aircraft annually.

A portion of the additional aircraft will need to be obtained from the leasing market and aircraft manufacturers, but the majority will be added through current orders for Airbus A320 and A350 family jets, along with Boeing 787.

Etihad Airways is in negotiations with lessors and aircraft manufacturers, according to CEO Antonoaldo Neves, in an effort to acquire more aircraft to complement those that will be supplied from current orders.

Speaking about delivery slots that other airlines had cancelled or rescheduled, he stated the airline was interested in purchasing new aircraft directly from manufacturers.

However, Antonoaldo Neves claimed Etihad Airways wouldn’t make a sizable order.

“I’m a big believer in fleet flexibility. I don’t like to lock in big orders,” he told Reuters in an interview at the Arabian Travel Market tourism trade exhibition in Dubai.

“I’ve learnt the best thing we can do is have an order book that is sizeable but does not define the entire future,” the official stated further.

Airline companies have placed large orders for aircraft that will not be delivered for many years, while plane makers have a massive backlog of aircraft that need attention.

On the other hand, due to problems with the supply chain, Airbus and Boeing have both had difficulty meeting delivery dates; Boeing’s production has decreased as a result of more frequent quality checks and government audits.

Boeing reorganised its leadership, following several safety-related incidents that undermined industry trust.

After visiting Boeing recently, Antonoaldo Neves stated he was impressed with the US planemaker’s initiatives for 787 delivery dates.

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Brian Kelly, “The Points Guy” and owner of ThePointsGuy.com, says several airlines now compute rewards differently. As a “revenue-based model,” it compensates travellers for their spending rather than their mileage. Therefore, frequent flyer programmes are becoming serious spender programmes.

That can be beneficial/terrible depending on the traveller. Economy class flyers may profit less. However, Kelly believes “just a couple of trips a year in a premium class of service” may add thousands of miles to your account.

Understand that frequent flyer miles can lead to free flights, upgrades, and other travel benefits. The easiest approach to gain points is to fly frequently with the same carrier. Try to sign up for a rewards credit card and purchase with programme partners to earn points without flying.

Consider Your Flight Location

Focusing on a few airlines that fly your expected routes will help you earn enough points to get something. Better to have 100,000 points with one carrier than 10,000 with 10. Only 1:1 point or mile transfers between programmes are an exception.

Remember that inactive accounts lose points after 18 months. You must monitor any account you open or risk losing miles, so keep the number low.

Consider Airline Partners

Oneworld, SkyTeam, and Star Alliance include several airlines. Joining a member airline’s frequent flyer programme lets you earn, combine, and redeem points on any partner airline.

Again, the one you join depends on which airline you fly most. Their websites mention their partners, making it easy to choose airline frequent flyer programmes.

Bonus Points Or Miles

Credit cards co-branded with airlines often give extra miles, sometimes enough for a reward, to attract customers. Their promotions say such in large type. Terms are in small print. For travel incentives, some need a minimum spend within a particular timeframe.

Most frequent flyer programmes are free, so there’s no harm in joining many. A miles credit card may offer initial bonus miles but also an annual fee and credit card interest and fees.

According to WalletHub.com research analyst Alina Comoreanu, these cards are appealing if you are planning a big trip and intend to spend a lot. They usually have high-interest rates. If you do not pay your payment monthly, you must measure your bonus against the interest.

Select Right Credit Card

Another approach to earn miles for a reward is to use a rewards credit card for everything and pay it off each month. Two main types of cards are airline-co-branded and rewards cards that give a variety of benefits, including airline miles.

Comoreanu believes the fundamental difference between the cards is that airline-affiliated cards are more beneficial when used with the said airline, while the generic one has more redemption alternatives.

General rewards cards let you utilise miles on several airlines. You can redeem miles for cash if you rarely travel. “Straight-up cashback is always more reliable. Points can devalue easily and customers may receive less than when they applied for the card,” states Comoreanu.

Dine Out

Kelly suggests linking your credit card to a frequent flyer plan’s dining programme to earn points and keep them from expiring.

A participating restaurant will give you points for charging a meal on that card.

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The airline has entered into an agreement with Lufthansa Systems to integrate a complete operational suite, including Lido Flight 4D, NetLine/Ops ++, NetLine/Crew, and NetLine/HubControl solutions.

The statement by Lufthansa Systems mentions that their operational suite runs in the Global Aviation Cloud with the highest level of reliability.

The company, in its press release, said, “Lido Flight 4D’s advanced technology computes the most efficient routes resulting in substantial savings for the airline while the next-generation operation control system NetLine/Ops ++ helps Riyadh Air to optimise the daily utilisation of their flights.”

According to Lufthansa Systems, NetLine/HubControl fully digitises the turnaround and optimises passenger connection management at the hub.

“Furthermore, Riyadh Air will benefit from the new web-based pairing application in NetLine/Crew,” it further stated.

Peter Bellew, the COO of Riyadh Air, mentioned that one of their main goals is to achieve their sustainability targets. He emphasised that Lufthansa Systems’ solutions’ unique capabilities would help them maximise fuel and carbon savings using integrated Lido and NetLine solutions.

“The design can simultaneously drive the most effective and least carbon-intense routing with the lowest cost fuel usage. Our aim is to show the wider industry how each member of the Riyadh Air family can digitally track their own carbon footprint while reducing costs. The Lufthansa Systems cloud operations suite will be a key to unlocking digital leadership in aviation sustainability,” Peter Bellew said.

“As a digitally native airline, we require effective technological solutions that allow us to run an efficient and sustainable business. This agreement with Lufthansa Systems clearly demonstrates our continued progress towards our first flight in 2025 and is a significant building block in our operational readiness,” he added.

The statement also noted that Riyadh Air can start with fully digitised solutions as a new airline, without the need to transition from legacy systems.

Lufthansa Systems CEO Thomas Wittmann said, “We are excited to support Riyadh Air during their ambitious growth in the next years. In partnering closely with Riyadh Air, we will continue to optimise our integrated operational suite and additionally strengthen our position in the Middle East.”

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Investors questioned the airline’s capacity to increase profits in light of its continually high costs after the report pushed its shares down as much as 2.5% to a one-year low.

The business, led by a new CEO, is attempting to strike a balance between ensuring customers that it is listening to their complaints about widespread service issues and assuring investors that it can control a rise in prices related to a shortage of oil.

A surge in flight cancellations and claims of misplaced luggage were caused by the airline’s handling of the post-COVID travel revival, which accounts for three out of every five domestic airfares sold in Australia.

The antitrust authority sued Qantas Airways in August 2023, accusing it of selling tickets for thousands of already-cancelled flights in 2022, compounding the airline’s problems. When the High Court ruled that Qantas’ 2020 termination of thousands of ground personnel was unlawful, the airline also lost a union complaint.

The alleged “flying kangaroo” announced that it would now spend an additional 80 million Australian Dollars (USD 52 million) on “customer improvements” in addition to the 150 million Australian Dollars previously announced.

The company stated in the trading update that the additional investment “is aimed at addressing a number of customer ‘pain points’ through improvements like better contact centre resourcing and training… more generous recovery support when operational issues arise, a review of longstanding policies for fairness, and improvements to the quality of inflight catering.”

At the same time, it warned that if the 30% increase in fuel prices it has been dealing with since May remained, its anticipated half-year fuel bill would increase by 200 million Australian Dollars (USD 129 million) to 2.8 billion Australian Dollars.

“The group will continue to absorb these higher costs, but in the weeks ahead, it will monitor fuel prices and, if current levels are sustained, will look to adjust its settings,” Qantas Airways stated.

Any modifications would aim to strike a balance between the need for inexpensive travel in a situation when tickets are already high and the recovery of increasing costs.

The firm will probably bear the higher fuel costs “until its target margins come under pressure, at which point it will seek to claw back those costs through capacity reductions and higher fares,” according to RBC Capital Markets analyst Owen Birrell.

After taking over the flagship Australian carrier’s reigns, Qantas Airways boss Vanessa Hudson addressed the venture’s customers on September 2023, as she gave her first interview since being elevated to the position two months early after the shock departure of Alan Joyce.

“We recognise Qantas Airways has not been where it needs to be for a long time,” Vanessa Hudson said, while adding, “I was a part of the leadership at the time, but clearly I wasn’t the chief executive then. I am the chief executive now and what I would say is that I would like to be judged by what we do now and how we behave going forward.”

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Alan Joyce’s early retirement will see CEO Designate Vanessa Hudson, the first woman to lead the century-old airline, take charge on September first week.

The airline also said newly appointed Chief Financial Officer Rob Marcolina will also start early alongside Hudson.

The accelerated departure comes amid Qantas apologizing for its service standards ‘falling short’ and acknowledging suffering reputational damage, less than two weeks after it reported record annual earnings underpinned by strong travel demand.

Qantas has been sued by Australia’s competition regulator for allegedly selling tickets for more than 8,000 cancelled flights between May and July 2022 without disclosing they had been cancelled.

The airline had also faced scrutiny over a decision to let nearly 500 million Australian dollars (USD 323.00 million) of COVID-era flight credits expire by the 2023 end, which it reversed shortly after the regulator filed its lawsuit.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) highlighted in the lawsuit that Qantas ticket sales for those cancelled flights went on for 16 days, apart from pointing out that “the cancellations were for reasons which were under the control of the airlines”.

Because of Qantas’s actions, customers were reportedly left with less time to make alternative bookings and may have paid higher prices to fly at a particular time, ACCC stated.

A report by the Associated Press said that in one case, Qantas sold 21 tickets for a July 29, 2022; service from Sydney to San Francisco up to 40 days after that flight was cancelled.

In its statement, the airline said that it was reviewing the ACCC’s allegations, apart from noting that the period of time referred by the ACCC was the period when the aviation industry was going through a period of “upheaval and uncertainty” which was “well-publicised”.

Qantas also talked about offering an alternative flight to customers when the original flight they were supposed to be on is cancelled, close to the original departure time, or a refund.

“The ACCC’s allegations come at a time when Qantas’ reputation has already been hit hard on several fronts. We want the community to know that we hear and understand their disappointment,” Qantas said.

Qantas also received complaints of flight cancellations and lost luggage mostly due to staff shortages when Australia opened its borders in late 2021 after the COVID pandemic.

A few other controversies involving Qantas are the granting of a premium airport lounge membership to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s son and its opposition to Qatar Airways adding additional flights to Australia.

Due to all these, the airline’s share price has also taken a battering, falling 13% since the start of August 2023 amid questions over whether the flagship carrier had maximized profits at the expense of its longer-term reputation with customers.

“In the last few weeks, the focus on Qantas and events of the past make it clear to me that the company needs to move ahead with its renewal as a priority,” said Alan Joyce, who served as the airline’s CEO for 15 years.

Chairman Richard Goyder said the executive transition came at a “challenging time” for the airline and its staff.

“We have an important job to do in restoring the public’s confidence in the kind of company we are, and that’s what the board is focused on, and what the management under Vanessa’s leadership will do,” Goyder said in a statement.

Qantas announced a raft of leadership changes in June 2023, with an aim of increasing focus on key areas as the airline completed its post-COVID recovery.

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The Qantas Domestic, Qantas International, and Jetstar Group operate passenger flights as well as expedited freight and airline cargo services. The Qantas Loyalty sector runs segments that reward customers for their loyalty. Its main business is the transportation of customers using two airline brands, which include Qantas and Jetstar. It runs businesses in the Middle East, South Pacific, Australia, and New Zealand.

Qantas Airways is also called the “flying kangaroo” of Australia. Due to stronger travel demand, the company has increased its profit projection for the six months ending September 30, 2023.

For the first half of the 2023–24 fiscal year, the company now anticipates an underlying profit before tax of A$1.35–1.45 billion (USD 900–960 million), up from its previous guidance of A$1.2–1.3 billion provided in January 2023. The increased profitability is driven by firm travel demand, allowing Qantas to charge higher fares that offset higher fuel costs.

Despite the aviation giant’s international capacity being about 30% below pre-COVID levels, fuel costs are projected to be A$5 billion in 2023–2024, which would be a record high for Qantas.

The airline has now returned to profitability, following five consecutive fiscal half-years with a cumulative A$7 billion in financial losses due to the pandemic’s effects on air travel. Qantas anticipates its net debt to drop to between A$2.3 billion to A$2.5 billion by September 2023, as revenues accelerate due to strong travel demand.

The company recently named its 53-year-old finance chief Vanessa Hudson as its next Chief Executive Officer (CEO), making her the first woman to lead the century-old airline.

Who is Vanessa Hudson?
• Born and brought up in Sydney (Australia), Vanessa Hudson completed her graduation from the University of Technology Sydney with a business degree in 1991
• The following year, she became an auditor with accounting giant Deloitte
• Vanessa Hudson joined Qantas in 1994 as an internal audit supervisor, before becoming a financial controller in the aviation giant’s commercial division
• In 1997 she was appointed the catering product manager, which kick-started her time within product services and saw her ascend to the role of executive manager of product and services in 2005
• In 2013 she moved to Los Angeles to become senior vice-president of the American airlines
• In 2016, she returned to Sydney as the executive manager of Qantas’ sales and distribution, where she was responsible to present the airline’s revenue through all sales channels
• In 2018, Vanessa Hudson was appointed Chief Customer Officer (CCO), overseeing all of Qantas’s customer service and strategy
• In 2019, she became the Qantas Group’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
• During her tenure, Vanessa Hudson’s monthly salary was over A$1 million

‘A Mother Who Wanted To Lead’

In an interview given to ABC News, Vanessa Hudson said that she is ‘incredibly proud’ to be the airline’s first female CEO, while expressing hope that the number of females leading big organisations continues to grow.

“I have two young daughters. I have always been a mother who has wanted to lead by example and getting this chance of becoming a CEO is incredibly meaningful to me,” she said.

Qantas board chairman Richard Goyder said Olivia Wirth, the CEO of the company’s loyalty program, was also in contention for the top job.

“The two outstanding candidates were the two internal female candidates,” he said.

‘I Plan To Be Myself’

Soon after taking charge, in a press conference, responding to a question about handling the unions, Vanessa Hudson began her answer, “I plan to be myself”, before talking about mutual trust and transparency.

“The resilience it takes to be an executive at Qantas is pretty significant … the last three years if I think about decisions collectively we made, it wasn’t for the faint-hearted…coming through that experience is the best training I could have had,” Vanessa Hudson told journalists.

Simon Mordant, a Qantas adviser who assisted Vanessa Hudson with her initial capital raising during the downturn in the aviation industry, believes she will be a different kind of CEO than Alan Joyce, former CEO of Qantas Airways.

“She’s very team-oriented, some leaders are very individualistic…I don’t think she will be shy about being on the front line, but it will be less about Vanessa Hudson and more about the team,” he said, adding that she had very strong communication and analytical skills.

“This is a job where you can’t turn the phone off at any time…she is so resilient, she will obviously be different to Alan,” Simon Mordant concluded.

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“We need a full complement of pilots to join our team so that we can get through the training phase and prepare for the airline’s launch,” stated Peter Bellew, chief operating officer of Riyadh Air, while adding, “I advise anyone who has experience training on the Boeing 787-9 or the Boeing 777 aircraft to look online at our opportunities.”

The Public Investment Fund (PIF), the sovereign wealth fund of the Kingdom, established the airline in April 2023 after placing a multibillion-dollar order for up to 72 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners. This includes 39 confirmed aircraft with 33 wide-body 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft readily available.

It plans to invest up to USD 11 billion in 121 787 Dreamliners, the fifth-largest commercial order in Boeing’s history, to help the nation reach its 2030 target of servicing 330 million passengers and drawing 100 million tourists.

According to Bellew, the hiring process will begin in September 2023, and full onboarding will start in the airline in January 2024.

“Over the next three years, we plan to hire 700 pilots across the airline to accommodate the arrival of 39 aircraft. We’re seeking individuals with experience on the 787 and those with prior wide-body experience,” Bellew continued.

The need for business and leisure travel worldwide has helped the aviation industry recover quickly from the COVID pandemic.

Massive job boom in the Middle East’s aviation sector

Not only Riyadh Air, but the entire Middle-East aviation industry will also see a job boom as the airlines will hire 28,000 pilots, 78,000 cabin crew and 22,000 commercial aircraft maintenance technicians in the next ten years, as per a report from the Canadian aviation training firm CAE’s ‘2023 Aviation Talent Forecast’.

The study also said that airlines around the world would need extensive recruitment until 2032 to fill vacancies, as the industry goes into an expansion mode due to the rising travel demand.

CAE estimated that the global aviation industry would be needing a further 1.3 million professionals over the next decade, amid a projected 45% demand growth for cabin crew globally, as the total number of active cabin crew will likely reach 779,000 by 2032.

In addition to the commercial sector, the business aviation industry will be requiring nearly 1,000 new workers by 2032, of which 450 will be pilots, stated CAE.

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