Airline News in Brief 5 November 2025

Etihad adds new routes to Asia, Africa: Etihad Airways has marked another milestone in its record year of growth, launching four inaugural routes to Tunis, Hanoi, Chiang Mai, and Hong Kong within three consecutive days. The new services further strengthen Abu Dhabi’s position as a hub and gateway to the UAE, supporting inbound tourism and trade while delivering nearly 45% of the UAE’s total aviation growth this year. New routes from Abu Dhabi include: Tunis (1 November, three weekly flights): Strengthening Etihad’s North African network and supporting growing demand for travel between the UAE and Tunisia; Hanoi (2 November, six weekly flights): Linking Abu Dhabi directly to Vietnam’s capital for the first time, enhancing trade and tourism ties between the two nations; Chiang Mai (3 November, four weekly flights): Opening Northern Thailand to travellers from the Middle East and Europe through Abu Dhabi; Hong Kong (3 November, five weekly flights): Reconnecting Abu Dhabi with one of Asia’s premier business and leisure centres, alongside the relaunch of Etihad’s codeshare with Hong Kong Airlines for enhanced connectivity across Asia. Antonoaldo Neves, Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Airways, said: “Each of these destinations adds its own character to our network – from Tunis’s heritage to Hanoi’s vibrancy, Chiang Mai’s charm and Hong Kong’s global energy. Together, they expand options for our guests while bringing more visitors to discover Abu Dhabi – one of the world’s most exciting cities. As we continue to deliver almost half of the UAE’s aviation growth this year, our focus remains on connecting more people, cultures, and opportunities through our home in Abu Dhabi.” Finnair to offer a record number of flights to Thailand: Finnair, Finland’s flag carrier, will offer customers a record number of 25 weekly flights next winter between its home hub, Helsinki, and Thailand. The Nordic airline will resume direct flights to Krabi in southern Thailand and increase frequencies to Bangkok. The flag carrier will also continue to operate its popular route to Phuket, showing its commitment to the Asian market. Customers looking for winter sun can take advantage of Finnair’s 18 weekly flights to Bangkok, four more than this winter, alongside the five weekly flights to Phuket and the two weekly flights over to Krabi. With up to three daily frequencies, Bangkok is one of Finnair’s long-standing winter favourites, and the additional service has been planned to support customers travelling from the UK via Helsinki. The new night flight, operated daily from Helsinki to Bangkok will arrive in the afternoon, making it easy for customers to start their holiday in Thailand on the same day. The additional return flight arrives in Helsinki early in the morning, timed to provide suitable connection times for customers returning back to the UK. Cathay Pacific’s daily direct flights between Hong Kong and Changsha take off: Cathay Pacific welcomed the launch of its non-stop passenger flights between Hong Kong and Changsha, further expanding the Cathay Group’s Chinese Mainland network to 24 destinations served by Cathay Pacific and low-cost carrier HK Express. This new daily service provides customers from Hong Kong and across the globe with seamless access to the bustling capital of China’s Hunan Province, while those travelling from Changsha can conveniently connect to the Cathay Group’s global network of over 100 passenger destinations through its Hong Kong hub. The inaugural flight CX968 was welcomed with a special water salute at Changsha Huanghua International Airport, marking a new chapter in the enhanced connectivity between Hunan and Hong Kong. Cathay’s Arnold Cheng said: “The launch of our Changsha route marks another important step in Cathay’s strategic expansion in the Chinese Mainland, underscoring our unique position of having deep roots in Hong Kong, being proudly part of China and connecting the world. This new service reinforces our role in enhancing connectivity between key cities across the Chinese Mainland and the rest of the world, making travel between Hong Kong, Changsha and beyond more seamless for our customers, while showcasing the vibrancy and rich heritage of Hunan Province to travellers from around the globe.” HK Express Intermodal Pass connects Hong Kong, Zhuhai and Macao: HK Express Airways announced partnerships with Shun Tak-China Travel Ship Management Limited (Shun Tak-China Travel) and HK Airport Direct to create a seamless network that connects Hong Kong, Zhuhai, and Macao. Starting 28 Nov 2025, passengers from Macao can travel via cross-border coach directly to Hong Kong International Airport, where they can connect to HK Express’ extensive Asian network and fly to popular destinations such as Tokyo, Seoul, and Phu Quoc. KK Ong, Chief Commercial Officer of HK Express, said: “We are delighted to extend HK Express’ “Intermodal Pass” service to Macao, which aligns with the broader direction of supporting the Fly-Via-Zhuhai-Hong Kong initiative as outlined by Chief Executive Lee Ka-Chiu in his latest policy address, and thereby achieving a significant milestone in fully connecting Hong Kong, Zhuhai, and Macao. With this expansion to Macao’s sea and land ports, along with the existing six ferry terminals and the Zhuhai land port, our network now comprehensively covers six key Greater Bay Area cities: Macao, Zhuhai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhongshan, and Dongguan. This initiative not only strengthens Hong Kong’s position as an international aviation hub but also offers travellers greater flexibility in planning their journeys and exploring Asian destinations with HK Express.” For Editorial Inquiries Contact: Editor Matt Driskill at [email protected] For Advertising Inquiries Contact: Head of Sales Kay Rolland at [email protected]