APAC Travel Headlines - July 19, 2024

IATA: Untouched Meals Account for 18% of Inflight Waste IATA has published the preliminary results of cabin waste audit trials, suggesting that the aviation sector produces more than 3.6 million tonnes of cabin and catering waste annually. In November 2023 and April of 2024, the Cabin Waste Composition Audit was trialled on 25 short-, medium- and long-haul flights at Singapore's Changi Airport. It found that food and beverage waste accounts for 65% of cabin and catering waste, with untouched meals accounting for 18% of all waste.
Qantas Starts Non-Stop Flights Between Paris & Perth Qantas has launched services between Paris and Perth—the first time the Australian airline has operated to the French capital in 20 years. The non-stop service, which was first announced in October 2023, will initially operate four times per week to coincide with the Olympics in Paris—which starts on 26 July and runs until 11 August.
Singapore Airlines (SIA)-Garuda Indonesia Joint Venture Gets Regulatory Clearance Garuda Indonesia and SIA have received the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore's (CCCS) approval of their commercial joint venture agreement. With this approval, the airlines will be able to deepen their strategic partnership on a wider range of commercial activities; these will bring greater benefits to both airlines, as well as to Indonesia and Singapore.
Fiji Airways Plans Dallas (DFW) Service Soon-to-be oneworld member, Fiji Airways has requested permission from the United States Department of Transportation to start a new nonstop service from Dallas (DFW) to its Nadi base. Fiji Airways plans to fly its Airbus A350-900 aircraft to Dallas three times a week—on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. The carrier's latest-technology A350s feature 33 business class seats in a 1-2-1 configuration, as well as 301 economy class seats in a 3-3-3 layout.
Qantas Adds New Lounge Access Membership Option Australian oneworld member, Qantas, is launching Qantas Club Flexible, a new membership option which allows customers to pay for 28-day access to its 30 Qantas-branded lounges. Currently available to purchase, the new subscription membership gives passengers flexibility and choice to access Qantas lounges on an ad hoc basis, as an alternative option to the annual Qantas Club membership.

GREEN NEWS

American Airlines Increases Investment in ZeroAvia

American Airlines has agreed to purchase 100 hydrogen-electric engines from ZeroAvia, intended to power regional jet aircraft. American has also increased its investment into the 'clean aviation' company, in which it first invested in 2022. Details of ZeroAvia's Series C financing round were not disclosed.

Business Travel Industry Responds to 'Surprise' Lufthansa Green Surcharge

Corporate travel professionals, industry associations and environmental groups have expressed mixed views following Lufthansa Group's 'surprise' move this week to impose an 'environmental cost surcharge' on flights. The European aviation giant announced an environmental surcharge between €1 and €72 would apply to all tickets issued from 26 June 2024 for departures from 1 January 2025.

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Brisbane, Australia

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