We shine the spotlight on the route development success of Sydney Airport, a milestone for Emirates and a number of new services launching across the region in 2025.
HONG KONG AND ISTANBUL SUCCESS FOR SYDNEY AIRPORT
Sydney Airport’s route network is being boosted by a second Hong Kong carrier and the news that Turkish Airlines plans ramping up services on its new Sydney-Istanbul route throughout 2025, utlimately moving to daily services early next year.
Hong Kong Airlines will become SYD’s second Hong Kong carrier when it inaugurates daily services to Sydney on June 20, 2025, raising the number of daily flights between the two cities from five to six and increasing seat capacity on the route by nearly 20%.
Its addition follows the recent expansion of bilateral air traffic rights between Hong Kong and Australia, the first in nearly two decades.
Sydney Airport CEO, Scott Charlton, noted: “The support of the NSW government and Destination NSW was critical in securing this new service, and it’s a great example of how our strong and productive partnership is delivering for Sydney and NSW.
“I would also like to thank and recognise the Albanese government for their recent work in delivering the expansion of bilateral air traffic rights between Hong Kong and Australia. The new services are a direct consequence of these efforts and will boost trade, economic growth, and job creation.”
Hong Kong is a priority international market for Sydney, with incoming travellers contributing A$290 million to the NSW visitor economy over the last year.
And the good news doesn’t stop there, as despite only launching its SYD-IST route in November 2024, Turkish Airlines is upping the current four-weekly services to five-weekly from mid-June, and six-weekly from the end of October.
The route will be flown using the Airbus A350-900 via Kuala Lumpur, with the plan to provide non-stop service from January 12, 2026, subject to aircraft deliveries.
In the first year alone, the route will deliver an additional 68,620 inbound seats to Sydney Airport, support more than 290 jobs and generate an estimated A$53 million for the NSW visitor economy.
Greg Botham, Sydney Airport’s group executive for aviation growth and group strategy, said: “Turkish Airlines’ decision to ramp up to daily services so soon after launching in Sydney is a tremendous vote of confidence in the strength of the market.
“This expansion will provide even greater connectivity between Australia and Turkey, benefiting both business and leisure travellers.
“It confirms Sydney Airport as Turkish Airlines’ leading gateway in Australia, reinforcing our position as the country’s premier international hub.
“We’re also excited by the prospect of a future non-stop service to Istanbul, which will make travel between our two countries even more seamless.”
SCOOTING ALONG NICELY
Following the launch of flights to Padang (Indonesia) and Shantou (China) in January 2025, Singapore Changi based Scoot has announced that it will launch twice-weekly services to Iloilo City (the Philippines) from April 14 and introduce three weekly direct services to Vienna (Austria) on June 3 using a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner.
Leslie Thng, CEO of the low-cost subsidiary of Singapore Airlines (SIA), said: “We remain committed to expanding our network and connecting travellers to new destinations around the world at a great value.
“As the only airline offering direct flights between Singapore and Vienna, we are thrilled to introduce this new service from June, just in time for the holidays. With the launch of direct flights to lloilo City, we also hope to inspire our customers to explore more cities within South East Asia and embark on new travel experiences.”
Parent company SIA notes that it will ramp up services to Brisbane (Australia), Colombo (Sri Lanka), and Johannesburg (South Africa) during the Northern Summer 2025 operating season (March 30, 2025 to October 25, 2025).
BUSY TIMES IN SAUDI ARABIA
Saudia, the national flag carrier of Saudi Arabia, has announced a significant expansion of its global flight network, adding more than ten new destinations for 2025.
The new destinations across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia include Venice (Italy), Larnaca (Cyprus), Athens (Greece), Bali (Indonesia), Antalya (Turkey), El Alamein (Egypt) and Salalah (Oman).
His Excellency Ibrahim Al-Omar, director general of Saudia Group, said: “Following last year’s operational success, we’ve implemented a strategic plan for 2025 to ensure continued excellence and meet rising international travel demand.
“Our destination selection is based on comprehensive feasibility studies and guest preferences. We are committed to providing our international guests with exceptional travel experiences that combine comfort, efficiency, and authentic Saudi hospitality.”
Operating more than 530 flights a day, the airline notes that its ongoing international expansion plans – primarily from its main Jeddah and Riyadh hubs – aim to increase its global market share and strengthen connectivity between the Kingdom and the world.
In other news from the Kingdom, the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) of Saudi Arabia has announced that it is opening the domestic private aviation market to international operators, removing cabotage restrictions for foreign on-demand charter flights within the Kingdom.
The new policy, effective May 1, 2025, will allow foreign charter operators to apply for permission to operate domestic flights, following specific requirements set by GACA.
“GACA is unlocking new opportunities for the global aviation industry, by removing restrictions on charter flight businesses to operate domestically in the Kingdom,” said GACA’s general manager for general aviation, Imtiyaz Manzary.
GACA’s General Aviation Roadmap involves a comprehensive transformation programme to develop the general aviation sector into a $2 billion industry by 2030, supporting 35,000 jobs.
The roadmap aligns infrastructure planning and regulations across the sector, delivering six dedicated business aviation airports and a further nine dedicated business aviation terminals.
NEW GUANGZHOU SERVICE FOR TRANSNUSA
Indonesian carrier TransNusa’s new service between Bali and Guangzhou in China is expected to boost traffic between Australia and China.
For the service commencing on April 13 will enable passengers travelling from Guangzhou Baiyun to Bali’s Denpasar International Airport to connect to a new flight to Perth commencing on March 20.
Bali-Perth flights will initially operate three times per week before rising to daily from June 1. The service will become TransNusa’s only Australian route.
TransNusa Group’s CEO and aviation veteran, Datuk Bernard Francis, said: “We are always looking at developing new routes to benefit our passengers.
“While traditional routes such as Bali to Perth and Bali to Guangzhou are important, we also strive to go the extra mile to provide fast as well as seamless connectivity to our passengers.
“With the launch of our new Bali-Guangzhou route, our passengers can now enjoy one of the fastest scheduled connecting flights to either Guangzhou or Perth via Bali, with a transit duration of either one hour and 30 minutes or two hours and 35 minutes, depending on the day and time of the scheduled flights.”
EMIRATES CELEBRATES BAHRAIN MILESTONE
Dubai-based Emirates is celebrating 25 years of service to Bahrain International Airport in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
More than 7.86 million passengers have travelled on close to 49,000 flights operated on the route over the last 25 years. Freight volumes are also rising, with 146,000 tonnes of cargo handled in the bellyhold of its aircraft in the last five years alone.
Emirates’ executive vice president for passenger sales and country management, Nabil Sultan, said: “As we celebrate 25 years of flying to Bahrain, we thank our partners and customers for their ongoing support.
Bahrain is a key destination in our network, and we look forward to continuing our collaboration to support trade and tourism.”
FLIGHTS SET TO RESUME BETWEEN INDIA AND CHINA
Direct commercial flights between India and mainland China are set to resume for the first time in five years following a warming of the relationship between the government’s of the world’s most populated countries.
Both countries have agreed in principal to a reintroduction of services orignally halted by the COVID pandemic, with flights between Beijing and New Delhi expected to be the first to return.
At the moment, people wishing to travel between the two capitals are required to transit at destinations such as Hong Kong, Bangkok, and Kuala Lumpur.
According to Indian media outlet MoneyControl, about 500 direct flights a month operated between China and India before the pandemic, with China Southern and China Eastern being the market leaders.
Air India was the dominant Indian carrier operating between the two countries, although IndiGo was gaining popularity prior to the suspension of flights.
INDONESIA AIRASIA RETURNS TO DARWIN
Indonesia AirAsia is set to reconnect the Northern Territory with Asia, resuming three direct flights per week between Darwin and Bali from March 22, 2025.
The new services will bring over 1,000 visitor seats weekly through Darwin International Airport (DRW) and Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport, providing a significant boost to tourism and the local economy.
According to the airline, these flights also open seamless and affordable connectivity to and from Darwin via Bali, making travel to other Asian destinations more accessible than ever.
Sandra de Kock, executive general manager of people, culture and community at DRW operator, Airport Development Group, said: “Territorians have been calling for more options to fly to Bali, so we’re excited to deliver with the return of AirAsia.
“Bali has long been the number one holiday destination for Darwin residents and these flights will undoubtedly see a surge of travellers embarking on their Indonesian adventures.”
Indonesia AirAsia CEO, Veranita Yosephine, notes: “Bali is now our largest hub in terms of flight capacity, driven by strong demand. These direct flights will cater to the enduring popularity of Bali as a destination for Australians and offer great low fare connections to over 130 destinations across the AirAsia Group network.
“We thank Airport Development Group and the Northern Territory Government for their support in making these services a reality.”
ANA ADDS ISTANBUL AND STOCKHOLM TO ITS NETWORK
Japanese carrier All Nippon Airways (ANA) has launched non-stop scheduled services to Swedish capital, Stockholm, and Istanbul in Turkey from Tokyo’s Haneda Airport (HND).
Speaking after the inaugural flight, Swedavia president and CEO, Jonas Abrahamsson (pictured above), said:“ANA’s investment strengthens Sweden’s connectivity and further improves our range of destinations at the airport for those travelling for business or to visit friends and family.
“The relationship between Japan and Sweden has a long-standing history and we have a mutual interest in the connectivity between our countries being excellent.”
The new between service to IGA Istanbul Airport (IST) is operated three weekly by widebody Boeing 787-800s, which also offer around 60 tons of cargo uplift a week, with shipments expected to largely be made up of fish and other seafood products, a significant volume of automotive parts, and general cargo.
GULF AIR LAUNCHES LONDON GATWICK SERVICE
Gulf Air, the national carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain, is to launch direct flights to London Gatwick Airport, strengthening its presence in the UK market.
Starting March 30, 2025, the airline will offer three weekly flights on Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday, using its flagship Boeing 789 Dreamliner aircraft. It says that the new service reflects the growing demand for travel between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the United Kingdom, and will provide passengers with greater choice and convenience on the route.
A Gulf Air spokesperson stated: “This new route to London Gatwick is a significant step in Gulf Air’s wider vision to expand the carrier’s network and further strengthen the vital links between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the United Kingdom.
“We are confident this service will not only provide greater travel options for Gulf Air’s passengers but also boost trade and tourism opportunities between the two countries.”
NEW TRIPOLI SERVICE FOR AMMAN AIRPORT
On Wednesday February 26, Amman’s Queen Alia International Airport (AMM) welcomed the inaugural flight of Libyan Wings’ new twice weekly from Tripoli’s Mitiga International Airport.
The inaugural flight was greeted with the customary water arch salute, attended by representatives from Libyan Wings, Airport International Group and the Jordan Tourism Board.
Airport International Group (AIG), which operates Queen international Airport, believes that the addition of Libyan Wings to AMM’s airline network underscores its commitment to enhancing Jordan’s connectivity and providing passengers with diversified non-stop travel options.
“This is a positive start to 2025” enthused AIG CEO, Nicolas Deviller. “We are steadfast in further expanding our airline network this year to meet the evolving demands of our passengers while continuing to shape a welcoming experience that feels like home at the Kingdom’s prime gateway to the world”.