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Riyadh Air established (27-Aug-2026) a connection with Saudia's passenger service system (PSS), enabling the airlines to commence codesharing. Riyadh Air will codeshare on Saudia services connecting Riyadh to Abha, Qassim, Dammam, Jeddah, Madinah and Tabuk. Saudia plans to codeshare on Riyadh Air services "to destinations that offer additional connectivity and schedule option choices for Saudia's guests". In the coming months, the airlines plan to introduce reciprocal accrual and redemption opportunities for Sfeer and Alfursan loyalty programme members, and a lounge access agreement for eligible guests at key airports in Saudi Arabia. [more - original PR]
TAP Air Portugal announced (30-Aug-2026) the appointment of José Eduardo Moreira as chief operating officer (COO), effective 01-Sep-2026. Mr Moreira previously served as general manager of maintenance and engineering, and succeeds Mário Chaves, who resigned from the role. TAP's board also includes chairman Carlos Nuno Alves de Oliveira, CEO Luis Manuel da Silva Rodrigues, Ana Teresa Cunha de Pinho Tavares Lehmann, João Pedro da Conceição Duarte, José Eduardo Russo Moreira, José Mario Cruz Henriquez, Maria João Santos Gomes Cardoso, Patrício Ramos Castro, Renato Teobaldo Rodrigues Inácio and Sofia Norton dos Reis Lufinha de Mello Franco. [more - original PR] [more - original PR - Portuguese]
Flughafen Zurich AG reported (28-Aug-2026) investments of CHF268.7 million (EUR286.65 million) in property, equipment, projects in progress, investment property and airport operator projects in 1H2026. The company allocated CHF202.3 million (EUR215.82 million) to Zurich Airport for infrastructure projects, including Dock A development, landside passenger zone enhancements and baggage sorting system refurbishment and expansion. Zurich Airport expects to handle 33 million passengers in 2026, up 3% year-on-year. Investments at the Zurich site are expected to reach approximately CHF400 million (EUR426.73 million) in 2026, with CHF100 million (EUR106.68 million) expected at subsidiaries abroad. Flughafen Zurich aims to generate revenues of over CHF3 billion (EUR3.20 billion) by 2040, corresponding to a compound annual growth rate of over 5%. [more - original PR]
Saudia and Garuda Indonesia signed (27-Aug-2026) a joint business framework agreement, expanding a MoU signed in Jul-2026. The planned joint business will create a broader travel corridor connecting Indonesia and Australia with Saudi Arabia, the Middle East, Europe and Africa. The airlines' networks currently provide access to more than 120 destinations across these markets, with potential to expand connectivity through new routes and direct services to additional destinations. The partnership is expected to include full fare combinability, joint commercial initiatives, and closer cooperation across frequent flyer programmes, technology and airport services. The partnership will also prioritise Hajj and Umrah travel from Indonesia. The airlines will commence the regulatory approval process and proceed with the development of the remaining agreements required ahead of the planned launch of the joint business in 2027. [more - original PR]
Background ✨
Saudia and Garuda Indonesia previously signed an MoU to progress a joint business, building on existing codeshare cooperation and SkyTeam membership, and covering single-ticket travel, coordination of schedules and wider collaboration across loyalty, technology, airport services and Hajj/Umrah travel.1 Garuda also entered new and expanded partnership arrangements, including a codeshare with SAS from winter 2026/27 with reciprocal frequent flyer earning and redemption.2
IATA stated (28-Aug-2026) global jet fuel prices rose by 121% between Apr-2025 and Apr-2026, but not all airlines faced the same increase in their fuel costs. Details include:
Jet fuel is priced predominantly in US dollars, while many airlines earn most their revenue in a range of other currencies, so exchange rate movements "either amplified or mitigated the impact". Differences in regional jet fuel benchmarks meant that fuel prices did not rise by the same amount everywhere. As a result, the same global jet fuel shock translated into different outcomes across airline markets;
The largest jet fuel cost increases were recorded in markets where the regional jet fuel prices rose strongly, and where currencies weakened against the US dollar. Japan was among the most severely impacted, with an increase of 173% in the local currency price of jet fuel, driven by a 148% rise in the regional jet fuel price and a 10% depreciation of the yen. The local jet fuel price jumped by 170% in India, also due to an above average local jet fuel price and currency depreciation;
Several markets were partially shielded from the shock due to currency appreciation. The Brazilian real and the Mexican peso appreciated by approximately 15% against the US dollar, which, together with a "less severe" increase in the regional jet fuel price, limited the rise in the local currency price of jet fuel to 86%;
In the euro area, the stronger euro helped reduce the increase to 118%;
China was an exception, despite a stronger renminbi against the dollar, above average regional fuel price increases left airlines facing a local currency fuel price increase of 132%. [more - original PR]
Capital A CEO Tony Fernandes stated (27-Aug-2026) "Despite an extremely challenging operating environment, we continue to trek in the right direction financially, and we have a clear mandate to aggressively expand our businesses and third-party customer base, directly reducing reliance on our related airline group". Mr Fernandes said "strong business momentum" was led by Teleport and Asia Digital Engineering, which "continue to anchor the group's growth", noting: "Operational resilience across these core units successfully absorbed temporary top-line headwinds in consumer verticals, preserving solid underlying earnings and bottom-line profitability". He stated the company expects operating conditions in 2H2026 to require "continued agility as broader global and movement trends evolve", adding 3Q2026 is "generally a lean travel season; and management are actively prioritising our capital deployment and business plans to reflect that". Mr Fernandes concluded: "Overall, while geopolitical issues remain ongoing, we are doing everything possible to keep our full-year performance close to last year's results. Once these global tensions resolve, we expect operations to normalise and we are confident we will deliver the strong growth we typically achieve". [more - original PR]
Thailand's Government and New Zealand's Government signed (21-Aug-2026) a joint declaration to launch a strategic partnership between the two countries. Thailand's Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul announced: "Thai Airways plans to resume direct flights between Bangkok and Auckland, targeted for Mar-2027", adding: "This renewed connectivity will support tourism, trade, business, education and people-to-people exchanges". New Zealand's Prime Minister Christopher Luxon commented: "Thai Airways served Auckland for more than 30 years before the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted the service. Its return is great news for tourism and trade - making it easier to connect, restoring an important air-freight link and strengthening connections through Bangkok to wider Asia". There are no operators on the Bangkok-Auckland route at present, according to OAG. [more - original PR] [more - original PR - II]
Background ✨
Thailand and New Zealand’s leaders previously agreed to upgrade bilateral ties to a strategic partnership by 2026, while also backing the resumption of direct air services and visa facilitation, targeting 100,000 New Zealand visitors to Thailand and 40,000 Thai tourists to New Zealand by 2025.1
ACI Asia-Pacific and Middle East later confirmed Thai Airways’ intention to resume daily Bangkok Suvarnabhumi-Auckland services from 2H2026, noting the route supported about 50,000 New Zealand visitors in 2019 from markets including Thailand, India and Europe.2
Jin Air signed (24-Aug-2026) an agreement with Air Busan and Air Seoul to merge all three LCCs into a single low cost airline under the Jin Air brand, expected to launch on 17-Mar-2027. The three airlines plan to seek final approval from shareholders in Dec-2026 and Jin Air will subsequently apply to South Korea's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) for approval for required modifications to its air operator's certificate. Under the merger agreement, Jin Air will assume all of Air Busan and Air Seoul's assets, liabilities, rights and obligations and employees. The merger ratio is set as one Jin Air share to 0.29 shares of Air Busan and 0.75 shares of Air Seoul. Jin Air stated: "Through this merger, the three companies plan to efficiently combine their respective routes, fleets, and human and material capabilities to secure economies of scale and further enhance their networks and service quality", adding: "In addition, they intend to increase the competitiveness of key hubs and develop new demand to expand the range of destinations and flight schedules available to customers". As previously reported by CAPA, Korean Air plans to complete its acquisition of and merger with Asiana Airlines and launch as an integrated airline under Korean Air's air operator certificate on 17-Dec-2026. [more - original PR - Korean]
Background ✨
Korean Air and Asiana Airlines secured board and shareholder approvals for their merger agreement, with an integrated airline scheduled to launch on 17-Dec-2026, and it accelerated systems integration and joint training ahead of that date1. Jin Air reportedly planned KRW708 billion of aircraft lease agreements with Korean Air and Asiana Airlines covering 10 A321neos, one A321ceo and three 737-900s, with deliveries from Sep-2026 through Dec-20352. Jin Air also introduced an A320neo full flight simulator in May-2026 to prepare for Airbus deliveries in 2H2026 and the planned LCC consolidation in 1Q20273.
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