Airline News in Brief 05 April 2026

HK Express launching new route to Wuxi: HK Express Airways (HK Express) announced the launch of daily direct flights between Hong Kong and Wuxi Shuofang Airport (WUX) starting 17 July 2026, underscores our continued growth in the Chinese Mainland market. With the launch of the new direct service to Wuxi, HK Express deepens its route network in the Yangtze River Delta, offering a total of 22 return flights per week across the region. Together with the existing routes to Changzhou, Ningbo and Yiwu, we now offer seven Chinese Mainland destinations, offering travellers greater flexibility and multi-city trips for seamless travel experiences across the region. Whether exploring Suzhou’s exquisite classical gardens, discovering Changzhou’s urban charms, or enjoying Wuxi’s serene lakeside scenery and Jiangnan cuisine, travellers can easily plan a quick getaway – just over 2.5 hours by flight – to experience the rich history and modern vibrancy of the Yangtze River Delta.​ Located in southeast Jiangsu Province, Wuxi is a key hub city in the Yangtze River Delta, renowned as the “Pearl of Taihu Lake”. Travellers can visit Yuantouzhu, which is known as the best scenic area for taking in Taihu Lake’s magnificent views. TransNusa strengthens domestic network: TransNusa has announced the launch of a new direct scheduled flight connecting Jakarta and Lombok, further strengthening access to one of Indonesia’s key tourism and regional travel hubs. TransNusa Airlines Group Chief Executive Officer, Datuk Bernard Francis said that the introduction of this new route comes on the back of the airline’s focus to increase and strengthen connectivity while boosting domestic tourism. “Lombok is not only rapidly growing as a domestic and international tourist destination, but the island is also the main gateway for tourism in the West Nusa Tenggara region through its Lombok International Airport,” Datuk Francis said, adding that Lombok attracts more than 1.2 million tourists annually. Lombok is home to the diving haven Gili and Mount Rinjani National Park, one of Indonesia’s most iconic volcanic landscapes. The island offers dramatic trekking routes, cascading waterfalls and panoramic mountain views, attracting adventurers and nature lovers from around the world. Beyond its mountains, Lombok has also built a global reputation as a world-class surfing and diving destination, with pristine beaches, coral reef and consistent waves drawing surfers year-round. Air India announces new flights to Halwara: Air India announced Halwara (Ludhiana) as its newest destination in India, enhancing access for travellers from the industrial heartland of Punjab to Delhi and beyond to destinations around the world. Beginning 15 May 2026, Air India will operate two flights every day between Delhi and Halwara using its A320 Family aircraft and becoming the first airline to launch flights to Halwara. The flight schedule has been designed to offer same-day connectivity via Delhi to destinations across the United Kingdom and the rest of Europe, among others. With this, passengers from Halwara/Ludhiana and surrounding areas can conveniently travel with Air India to Delhi and take seamless, onward connections through the same terminal to destinations such as London, Birmingham, Rome, Milan, and Paris – on a single ticket with baggage through-checked to their final destinations. Nipun Aggarwal, Chief Commercial Officer, Air India, said: “We are pleased to serve the people and communities in Ludhiana and neighbouring towns and cities with the convenience of travelling across continents via Delhi. With this addition to our network, we are making international travel simpler and more seamless for more customers across Punjab.” LOT Polish Airlines added Bologna in Italy to its network: LOT Polish Airlines has added a fourth city in Italy to its growing route network: Bologna. The city in the Emilia-Romagna region is highly attractive for business travellers and tourists alike and now only a short flight away from Warsaw, LOT Polish Airlines’ global hub. In order to offer passengers a maximum of flexibility, there are two different departure times: Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday departure with LO-327 from Warsaw at 8:35h, arrival in Bologna at 10:45h; Every Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday departure with LO-329 from Warsaw at 15:15h, arrival in Bologna at 17:25h; Guests from India, who’d like to make Bologna their first stop on their European itinerary, travel for example from Delhi to Bologna via Warsaw in less than 13 hours: Departure from Delhi at 8:00h every Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday; arrival in Bologna at 17:25h local time after 12:55 hours total travel time. The new flights to Bologna are operated by modern Boeing B737MAX8 and Embraer aircrafts with two service classes onboard, LOT Business Class and LOT Economy Class. “For many years, we have been seeing a rising demand for flights to Italy,” says Amit Ray, Director India, DACH Markets, Italy + Malta and Head of Global Corporate and Strategic Sales at LOT Polish Airlines. “We are therefore delighted that, in addition to Rome, Venice and Milan, we can now offer our passengers a fourth Italian city. Bologna is a great destination combining economic strength with Italian traditions and is the gateway to Tuscany.” For Editorial Inquiries Contact: Editor Matt Driskill at [email protected] For Advertising Inquiries Contact: Head of Sales Sally Passey at [email protected]