The Week In Travel

Virgin Atlantic has secured approval this week to conduct the first transatlantic flight using 100% SAF. The company has been granted permission by the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to test the viability of long-haul SAF flights with a flight from London Heathrow to New York JFK on 28th November. Virgin Atlantic will now need to apply for permission from the Federal Aviation Administration for its arrival in the US.

Over in Australia, Adelaide International Airport has unveiled a $1 billion investment plan for major aviation projects and upgrades over the next five years. The initiative will see $500 million allocated to vital aviation infrastructure to meet rising demand. The plan also includes refurbishments for terminals, check-in, and parking services, along with enhanced security services featuring new screening equipment, and is expected to be fully implemented by late 2025.

In technology news, IATA has partnered with British Airways to trial what it calls the ‘first integrated shopping to travel journey using digital identity’. Passengers on a BA flight between London Heathrow and Rome Fiumicino experienced seamless travel using digital passports, biometric gates, and digital wallets. The Proof of Concept trial included pre-flight digital passport checks, Ready-to-Fly confirmations, and personalised offers through shared loyalty card data.

Staying in Europe, ACI EUROPE’s latest air traffic report reveals European airports are inching ever closer to pre-pandemic levels. Almost half of airports on the continent (48%) of airports have reclaimed 2019 traffic volumes, with Heathrow reporting record September figures and Istanbul Airport seeing a 14.1% increase in Q3 passenger traffic compared to 2019. Overall, European airport passenger traffic is up 12.1% in Q3 compared to 2022 and down just 3.1% from 2019.

And finally, travellers at Melbourne Airport were treated to a guest appearance from a kangaroo making its way through the drop-off zone. Onlookers were jumping for joy as they cheered for the lost animal to find its way out of the airport safely. Their ‘hop-timism’ was rewarded, as after a couple of laps of the area, the kangaroo was able to leave the airport space.