The Week In Travel

Airlines are preparing for a busy summer in 2024, with several new routes and additional flights having been announced this week. Airlines such as Virgin Atlantic, Iberia, Royal Jordanian, Turkish Airlines, and China Southern are among those who have bolstered their summer schedules in preparation. Juha Jarvinen, Chief Commercial Officer at Virgin Atlantic has said ‘we’re excited to announce additional flying to our heartland in the USA for summer 2024’.

In the UK, British Airways has announced it will be returning to London Stansted Airport, launching its first post-Covid flights from the airport next year. The airline will begin flying to Florence, Nice, and Ibiza on weekends, offering both economy and business class seating from 18th May 2024.

In sustainability news, SAF production is expected to triple in 2024, going from 600 million litres produced in 2023 to 1.875 billion litres. While this is indeed a positive development, IATA has emphasised a growing demand, with 43 airlines pledging to use 16.25 billion litres by 2030. 94% of renewable fuel in 2024 will be allocated to sectors outside aviation, which IATA says underlines the need for increased industry efforts toward a more sustainable future.

In Africa, a new Nigerian airline has celebrated its inaugural flight, between Lagos and the country’s capital, Abuja. The airline, NG Eagle, was formed in 2019 to succeed Arik Air and initially faced challenges when AMCON’s plan to transfer assets from Arik was blocked. The airline was later sold to private investor Alhaji Abdul Ahmad and obtained an extended air operator certificate in September 2023, enabling its inaugural commercial flights. NG Eagle plans to operate 11 flights weekly between Abuja and Lagos.

And finally, a swim in a ‘secret infinity pool’ in Wales sounded like a splash of genius to one adventure, before he found out the true secret behind the water source. The pool, built by local man Wyn Mostyn Jones in 2016 as a green energy project, was once a local hidden gem, but now trends regularly on social media. However, one man dove deeper after taking a dip and discovered the water serves as the water source for Wyn’s family home. Maybe some secrets are secret for a reason!