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PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea, June 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — In April 2025, Air Niugini, the national airline of Papua New Guinea, launched UnionPay online acceptance, enabling UnionPay Cardholders to book and pay for tickets directly using UnionPay’s digital payment solution. This collaboration further strengthens UnionPay’s presence in airline acceptance across the South Pacific region.

UnionPay was previously accepted at Air Niugini’s offline ticketing offices. With this new collaboration, UnionPay cardholders can now book flights and make payments directly through the airline’s official website and app. By selecting UnionPay at checkout, customers enjoy a fast, convenient, and secure payment experience.

Air Niugini operates the most comprehensive domestic and international flight network in Papua New Guinea, serving 19 cities within the country and key overseas destinations including Australia, Singapore, the Philippines, Hong Kong China, and the Solomon Islands. With a fleet of 22 aircraft and multiple weekly services to regional hubs, the airline plays a vital role in connecting Papua New Guinea with the broader Asia-Pacific region.

With the country’s significant natural resource exports attracting global business interest, more travelers are seeking reliable digital payment options for booking and travel. This update addresses the growing demand for secure and convenient online payment solutions among international visitors to Papua New Guinea.

UnionPay services are widely accepted across Papua New Guinea. Around 90% of ATMs and point-of-sale terminals in the country support UnionPay, covering sectors such as hotels, supermarkets, restaurants, and tourism. The addition of UnionPay Online Payment for airline bookings extends this convenience to the travel planning stage, offering a seamless experience for users from booking to arrival.

UnionPay International will continue working with local institutions and service providers to expand payment options and support the development of inclusive, secure financial ecosystems in Papua New Guinea and beyond.

The Qantas Group has today announced a strategic restructure which supports its historic fleet renewal program and strengthens its core businesses in Australia and New Zealand.

• The closure of intra-Asia airline, Jetstar Asia, enables the Qantas Group to recycle up to $500 million in capital, supporting its historic fleet renewal program
• 13 Jetstar Asia Airbus A320 aircraft to be progressively redeployed to Australia and New Zealand bringing more low fares and more local jobs
• Only 16 intra-Asia routes will be impacted by the closure of Jetstar Asia with no changes to Jetstar Airways and Jetstar Japan services into Asia. All of Jetstar Airways international services in and out of Australia remain unchanged.

Closure of Jetstar Asia

Jetstar Asia, the Group’s Singapore-based low-cost subsidiary, has faced growing challenges in recent years and the decision has been made, together with majority shareholder Westbrook Investments, to close the airline.

Despite delivering exceptional customer service and operational reliability; Jetstar Asia has been impacted by rising supplier costs, high airport fees, and intensified competition in the region. This has fundamentally challenged the low-cost airline’s ability to deliver returns comparable to the stronger performing core markets in the Group.

The airline is expected to post a $35 million underlying EBIT loss this financial year, prior to the closure decision.

Jetstar Asia will continue to operate flights for the next seven weeks on a progressively reduced schedule, before its final day of operation on 31 July 2025.

The closure of Jetstar Asia only impacts the intra-Asia routes operated by the airline from its base in Singapore. It does not impact Jetstar Airways’ domestic and international operations in Australia and New Zealand or Jetstar Japan. Jetstar Airways will continue to fly from Australia into Asia including to all its popular destinations across Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Japan and South Korea.

Qantas Group CEO Vanessa Hudson said: “Jetstar Asia has been a pioneering force in the Asian aviation market for more than 20 years, making air travel accessible to millions of customers across Southeast Asia.”

“We are incredibly proud of the Jetstar Asia team and the work they have done to deliver low fares, strong operational performance and exceptional customer service. This is a very tough day for them. Despite their best efforts, we have seen some of Jetstar Asia’s supplier costs increase by up to 200 per cent, which has materially changed its cost base.”

“I want to sincerely thank and acknowledge our incredible Jetstar Asia team who should be very proud of the impact they have had on aviation in the region over the past two decades.”

Jetstar Asia customers with existing bookings on cancelled flights will be offered full refunds and the Group will look to reaccommodate customers onto other airlines where possible.

All affected Jetstar Asia employees will be provided redundancy benefits as well as employment support services. Qantas is also actively working to find job opportunities across the Group and with other airlines in the region.

Singapore remains a critical hub for the Qantas Group as its third largest international airport. Qantas also offers connections from Singapore through nearly 20 codeshare and interline partners to a variety of destinations across Asia.

With the support of Qantas, Jetstar Asia will continue to meet its financial obligations to suppliers, employees and customers.

Recycling of capital to drive improved returns and support fleet renewal

Disciplined allocation of capital is a key pillar in the Qantas Group’s Financial Framework. The closure of Jetstar Asia will unlock up to $500 million in fleet capital to be recycled into the Group’s core businesses and improve long-term returns.

Jetstar Asia’s 13 mid-life A320 aircraft will be progressively redeployed to core markets in Australia and New Zealand to support fleet renewal and growth and create more than 100 local jobs and more low fares, including replacing leased aircraft in Jetstar Airways’ domestic operation to reduce its cost base.  Some of the aircraft will also help accelerate fleet renewal in Qantas’ regional operations that service the critical resources sector in Western Australia.

These strategic fleet decisions come as Qantas receives its first Airbus A321XLR later this month and the first Project Sunrise A350-1000ULR in calendar year 2026.

“We are currently undertaking the most ambitious fleet renewal program in our history, with almost 200 firm aircraft orders and hundreds of millions of dollars being invested into our existing fleet,” Ms Hudson said.

“We’re making disciplined decisions which recycle capital across our business and prioritise it to stronger performing segments as well as strategic growth initiatives like Project Sunrise.”

Financial impact of the closure of Jetstar Asia

The closure of Jetstar Asia will result in one-off redundancy and restructuring costs as well as the non-cash expensing of historical foreign currency translation losses[1]  from equity reserves and asset write-downs from consequential changes in the Group’s fleet structure.

The combined impact is currently estimated to be approximately $175 million with approximately a third in FY25 and the remainder across FY26, which will be taken outside of underlying earnings.

The direct pre-tax cash impact will be approximately $160 million, predominantly in FY26, including unwinding Jetstar Asia’s working capital. This will be materially mitigated by working capital benefits from growth in Jetstar Airways utilising the redeployed aircraft, and from consequential tax adjustments impacting tax payments across the Group in FY26 and future years.

Key Group financial update for 2H25

The performance of Jetstar Asia deteriorated in the second half and is expected to post an underlying EBIT loss of $25 million.

Group Domestic capacity growth for the half is lower than previous guidance, largely due to Cyclone Alfred in March, which impacted flying across large parts of Queensland. The disruptions from the Cyclone will have a $30 million impact on earnings.

Group International capacity for the half is expected to grow by 9 per cent, 3 per cent lower than previously guided due to the impact of industrial action on Qantas’ Finnair wet lease.

The Group continues to see strong demand across Domestic and International and expects unit revenue and capex to be in line with previous guidance.

A letter to their customers posted on their website

Dear Silver Airways Customers,

We regret to inform you that we are ceasing operations as of today, June 11, 2025. In an attempt to restructure in bankruptcy, Silver entered into a transaction to sell its assets to another airline holding company, who unfortunately has determined to not continue Silver’s flight operations in Florida, the Bahamas and the Caribbean. Please do not go to the airport. All credit card purchases should be refundable through your credit card company or your travel agency. 

New partnership unlocks single connection access to Denmark, Norway and Sweden from multiple points in WestJet’s network

CALGARY, AB, June 11, 2025 /CNW/ – WestJet today announced a new interline partnership agreement with Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS), significantly enhancing seamless connectivity across the Atlantic and throughout the Nordic countries. Through this partnership, WestJet guests will gain single-ticket access to 29 destinations across Denmark, Sweden and Norway including key cities such as Copenhagen, Oslo, Stockholm, Gothenburg, Luleå and Malmö.

“We’re pleased to welcome SAS as our latest interline partner, creating new two-way travel opportunities between Canada and key destinations across Northern Europe,” said John Weatherill, WestJet Executive Vice-President and Chief Commercial Officer. “This partnership not only enhances connectivity for WestJet guests heading to Scandinavia but also opens up smoother access for Nordic travellers looking to experience the best of Canada through our growing domestic network.”

The agreement enables convenient connections through SAS’ non-stop service between Toronto Pearson (YYZ) and its global hub in Copenhagen (CPH), offering a direct link into Denmark, and beyond. In addition to Toronto Pearson, this agreement will enable WestJet guests to connect with SAS’ network through London Heathrow, Paris, Dublin, Amsterdam, Reykjavik and other European gateways.

“This partnership lays the foundation for a long-term collaboration that will benefit travelers on both sides of the Atlantic. Together with WestJet, we’re not only connecting Scandinavia with more destinations across Canada — we’re also opening up new ways to reach Europe from key Canadian cities. And with our planned codeshare, even more seamless options are just around the corner,” says Paul Verhagen, Chief Commercial Officer at SAS.

Ratified by WestJet and SAS executives at the IATA AGM in Delhi, India earlier this week, both airlines will have bookings for sale on June 26, 2025, for itineraries that connect both WestJet and SAS flights, with the convenience of single point check-in and through-checked baggage. Bookings will be available through travel agents and third-party ticketing platforms.

This interline agreement is the first phase of co-operation between the airlines. WestJet and SAS intend to expand the partnership to codeshare in the coming months.

Recognized for International Safety and Operational Excellence; Strengthening Global Competitiveness Through Strategic Cooperation

SEOUL, South Korea, June 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Air Premia, Korea’s premium hybrid airline, announced today that it has officially joined the International Air Transport Association (IATA) as a member—an achievement that follows closely on the heels of the company receiving the latest IOSA (IATA Operational Safety Audit) registration. This dual milestone positions Air Premia as a rising global player in the international aviation industry.

Achieving IATA membership immediately after obtaining registration under the ISM (IOSA Standards Manual) 16th Edition is an exceptional case in the aviation sector. The recognition affirms that Air Premia’s safety and operational systems meet the most rigorous international standards.

The airline earned its IOSA registration in May 2025, just three years after launching international operations in 2022. The registration validates compliance with more than 900 globally recognized safety and operational requirements. On June 1, Air Premia was officially registered as a member of IATA, becoming the seventh South Korean airline to receive this distinction.

IATA is the leading global trade association for the air transport industry, representing approximately 350 airlines across 120 countries. membership signifies a carrier’s alignment with the highest levels of safety, reliability, and operational capability.

With IATA membership now secured, Air Premia expects to further elevate its international credibility while expanding its global cooperation network. The airline is actively considering participation in a major international airline alliances and other global aviation platforms—an initiative expected to accelerate the enhancement of its services and global competitiveness.

“This marks a pivotal moment for Air Premia as we continue our journey toward becoming a globally recognized airline,” said Yoo Myung-sub, CEO of Air Premia. “Our IATA membership reflects our ongoing commitment to the highest safety standards and differentiated service. We will continue to pursue membership in a global airline alliance and enhance the travel experience for our customers.”

Specializing in premium service on medium- to long-haul routes, Air Premia seeks to deliver a new standard of air travel. With a foundation of international certifications and industry recognition, the airline is committed to continued growth as a global carrier.

Yearly convention in Atlanta coming soon.

MONTREAL,, June 7, 2025 /CNW/ – Air Canada’s newest international flight from Toronto took off yesterday evening and has arrived in Prague, Czech Republic.

“We are excited to return to Prague, our newest Europe destination now added to our global network,” said Mark Galardo, Executive Vice President & Chief Commercial Officer and President, Cargo. “Our flights connect two countries, facilitating travel, tourism and trade. We design routes like this one to appeal to our customers throughout our North American network, with convenient travel options at our Toronto hub. Whether people are visiting family and friends in Prague, exploring its celebrated architecture, bohemian history and rich culture, or customers from Central Europe visiting and exploring Canada from coast to coast, our flights make discovering all that our two countries offer easier than ever.”

Prague is the latest new Europe route Air Canada has launched this summer. The airline inaugurated its Montreal to Porto route earlier this week, celebrated the launch of its Naples route in May, and marked the return of the Ottawa to London LHR route in April. At the end of June, Air Canada will be inaugurating its Montreal to Edinburgh route.

Schedule

Flight	Departs	Arrives	Days of Week	2025 Operating dates
AC934	Toronto 21:40	Prague 12:10 +1 day	Tues, Fri, Sun	June 6 to Sep. 28
AC935	Prague 13:40	Toronto 16:50	Mon, Wed, Sat	June 7 to Sep. 29

The Prague flights will be operated on Air Canada’s Airbus 330-300. Customers can choose from three classes of service: Economy, Premium Economy, and Air Canada Signature Class, offering customers superior comfort and convenience in an exclusive cabin, with spacious lie-flat seating, personalized service, fine cuisine, extra baggage allowance and access to priority airport services.

Southwest Cargo nearly doubles its Denver footprint to support the airline’s long-term vision

DALLAS, June 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) celebrated the grand opening of its expanded Cargo facility at the Denver International Airport (DEN) today, marking a milestone in the airline’s continued commitment to invest in infrastructure that supports its growing operations at the airport. The nearly 30,000 square foot warehouse brings a new level of Hospitality to Southwest Airlines^® Denver-area Cargo Customers, with six loading docks enabling the Southwest Team to serve multiple Customers at the same time, large storage areas throughout the facility, and twice the amount of cooler space than previously available for refrigerated products.

“The new Southwest Airlines Cargo facility at Denver International Airport exemplifies our commitment to serve our Customers in the Denver region and beyond,” said Brian Kilburn, Vice President of Cargo, Provisioning, and Ground Support Equipment. “Southwest Cargo is more than moving freight – we are connecting Denver-area businesses to the global economy.”

As the busiest market in Southwest Airlines’ network, with nearly 300 daily flights at DEN during peak seasons to over 90 North American destinations, Southwest Cargo Customers can benefit from getting their products to and from the Denver region quickly, efficiently, and with the award-winning Hospitality of Southwest’s Relentlessly Reliable® Cargo Team.

“We’re excited to expand our important partnership with Southwest Airlines by celebrating the opening of its new Denver Cargo Facility,” said Phil Washington, CEO, Denver International Airport. “As one of DEN’s largest carriers, Southwest is a critical member of the DEN family— connecting the Mile High City to dozens of destinations. Now, beyond passenger travel, the opening of an expanded cargo facility showcases an even greater commitment and bond between Southwest Airlines and DEN. We extend our heartfelt congratulations to everyone at Southwest Airlines on this impressive achievement and continued growth.”

Twice the Points!

To celebrate the opening of the new building, Southwest Cargo is offering shippers the ability to earn up to two times Rapid Rewards® points when they ship to or from Denver between today and Dec. 31, 2025. All Rapid Rewards Cargo program terms and conditions apply. Full terms and conditions available at ship.swacargo.com/Denver2Xpromo.

“This facility represents more than growth for Southwest — it’s a boost for Colorado’s entire business community. Faster, more reliable cargo access strengthens our supply chain, empowers small businesses, and fuels economic competitiveness,” said Raymond H. Gonzales, President of the Metro Denver EDC and EVP of the Denver Metro Chamber.
“We’re proud to celebrate this milestone with a partner that understands the power of connection — both in the air and on the ground.”

The new Cargo facility joins an exciting list of Southwest infrastructure investments in the Denver area. Earlier this month, the airline celebrated the opening of a new off-airport training center as part of the Colorado Aerotropolis and, in 2022, opened a maintenance hangar to support Technical Operations in Denver and the Western half of the United States. Within a few weeks, Southwest anticipates opening a 100,000 square foot General Use Building that will house its Provisioning Team and Ground Support Equipment Team.

“The successful completion of the cargo facility at Denver International Airport represents not only a significant milestone for Southwest Airlines but a proud achievement for our entire project team,” said Ethan Walton, project director at McCarthy Building Companies. “From early earthwork to final turnover, this project showcased true collaboration—with our partners at Southwest Airlines, Woolpert, our design partners at Burns and McDonnell, and the trades who brought it all to life. We’re honored to have delivered infrastructure that directly supports one of the fastest growing hubs in the country and enables continued operational excellence at DEN.”