Stay informed with the latest airline and aviation industry news on Avianity. This section covers new route launches, fleet updates, airline base closures and expansions, regulatory changes, strikes and disruptions, and other developments affecting air travel worldwide.
Ryanair has extended the online check-in window for passengers who don’t pay for a seat from 24 to 72 hours before departure. But travelers report that their randomly assigned seat number now appears in the app only about three hours before the flight.
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Western Sydney International Airport (WSI), Australia’s first major new airport in more than 50 years, began passenger operations on October 25, 2026, with a Jetstar flight to the Gold Coast. Air New Zealand operated the airport’s first international service to Auckland the following day.
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Wizz Air UK will operate its last flights between Istanbul Airport (IST) and London Luton (LTN) on November 1, 2026. EasyJet plans to start flying the same route on November 25.
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From November 10, 2026, Ryanair will close airport check-in desks and bag drop 60 minutes before scheduled departure. Now they close 40 minutes before, so the cutoff moves 20 minutes earlier. The rule will apply across the airline’s airport network.
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The Portuguese government has chosen Lufthansa Group over Air France-KLM as the buyer of a stake in TAP Air Portugal. The decision was announced on October 14, 2026, as part of the privatization of the national airline.
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Southwest Airlines has launched a ChatGPT plugin that lets travelers search for flights, compare fares and refine itineraries without first going to the airline’s website. The service launched on October 6, 2026.
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American Airlines has changed its policy for oversold flights, instructing employees to keep seeking volunteers before involuntarily denying boarding to passengers.
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Wizz Air has pushed back the launch of six Abu Dhabi routes to January 10, 2027. The airline points to new EASA security guidance, the ongoing closure of Iraqi airspace and rising costs.
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New details have emerged about the incident on the Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, which made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia on September 30, 2026.
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Ethiopian Airlines will increase its flight frequency from Addis Ababa (ADD) to both Zanzibar (ZNZ) and Kilimanjaro (JRO) to three flights per day starting November 30, 2026.
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