The partnership enables single-ticket itineraries combining Air India and WestJet flights, offering smoother journeys, coordinated baggage handling, and simplified journeys for travellers.

Through this partnership, Air India guests travelling to Toronto or Vancouver can take onward connections on WestJet to 17 Canadian cities and 14 U.S. cities, namely:

• Canadian cities: Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal, Winnipeg, Halifax, Ottawa, Regina, Saskatoon, Kelowna, St. John’s, Prince George, Victoria, Fort St. John, Terrace, Cranbrook, Comox, Nanaimo
• U.S. cities: San Francisco, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Detroit, Orlando, Phoenix, Tampa, Nashville, Las Vegas, San Diego, Fort Lauderdale, Palm Springs, Santa Ana, Fort Myers.
• Halifax, Calgary and St. John’s are also accessible via Air India’s select European gateways at Amsterdam (Schiphol), Paris (Charles de Gaulle), London (Heathrow), and London (Gatwick).

Nipun Aggarwal, Chief Commercial Officer, Air India, said, “Canada continues to be a key market for Air India, driven by strong people‑to‑people ties and increasing trade between our nations. By partnering with WestJet, we are making travel across North America more accessible and effortless for our guests, with coordinated baggage handling, single‑ticket convenience, and a far wider choice of destinations.”

John Weatherill, Executive Vice-President and Chief Commercial Officer, the WestJet Group, said, “By bringing this interline agreement to life, we’re significantly expanding access between India and Canada, making it easier for our shared guests to seamlessly visit high-demand destinations across North America. This partnership aligns Air India’s long-haul strength with WestJet’s North American reach, creating meaningful new travel options and improving the end-to-end journey for travellers.”

AI currently operates 17x weekly non-stop flights to Canada, including 10x weekly services to Toronto and 7x weekly services to Vancouver.

To its European gateways that provide connections on WestJet flights to Canada, AI operates a total of 75x weekly services, including 49x weekly to London (Heathrow), 5x weekly to London (Gatwick), 14x weekly to Paris (Charles de Gaulle) and 7x weekly to Amsterdam (Schiphol).

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In line with the airline’s corporate objectives, new appointments have resulted on the Board of Directors and the CEO position

Prof. Murat Şeker, who has served for many years in critical roles such as finance, treasury, and investor relations positions as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) at the national flag carrier, has been appointed as Chairman of the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee of Turkish Airlines.

Prof. Murat Şeker, who earned his undergraduate degree in Industrial Engineering from Marmara University in 2000, received his Master’s Degree in Economics from Sabancı University and his PhD in Economics from the University of Minnesota. Continuing his career with key roles in the international arena, Prof. Şeker participated in various operational projects and was responsible for the production of policy reports and academic studies on innovation, entrepreneurship, international trade, and growth in developing countries during his tenure as an Economist at the World Bank from 2008 to 2013.

Between 2013 and 2016, Prof. Şeker worked at Ziraat Bank as Senior Vice President of Financial Institutions and Investor Relations Department where he was responsible for international funding, managing the relationship with all financial institutions and investors. During this period, Prof. Şeker also served as Board Member of Ziraat Investment, Ziraat Private Pension and Ziraat Insurance subsidiaries.

Prof. Şeker was assigned as the Chief Financial Officer of Turkish Airlines in July 2016, where he was responsible from financing, treasury operations, accounting, procurement and investor relations. He has served as Member of the Board and the Executive Committee of Turkish Airlines from March 2021. He also serves as a Board Member of Turkish Technic and SunExpress.

Prof. Şeker has been a member of the Financial Advisory Council established by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) since 2024 and has served as its Chair since 2025. This council advises the IATA Board of Directors and all related bodies on policy issues related to financial sector services.

Being actively engaged in the academic field, Prof. Şeker lectured as a part-time instructor at Boğaziçi University from 2015 to 2018 and received the Professorship title in December 2025.

He is married and has three children.

As part of this executive management change at Turkish Airlines, Ahmet Olmuştur, who has been responsible for the company’s strategic sales and marketing operations for many years as Chief Commercial Officer (CCO), has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Turkish Airlines.

Born in Istanbul in 1980, Ahmet Olmuştur completed his undergraduate studies in Business Administration at Marmara University and received his MBA through an international program conducted in collaboration with Long Island University (New York), European Business School (London), and Pôle Universitaire Léonard de Vinci (Paris).

Ahmet Olmuştur’s career journey began in 2000 as a part-time employee at Turkish Airlines Call Center. Building on his experience at one of the airline’s key contact points, he has achieved exemplary success, culminating in his rise to the executive management position at the national flag carrier.

Having begun his professional career with a part-time position at Turkish Airlines Call Centre in 2000, he continued his career at the airline as a Flight Analyst in the Directorate of Revenue Management. In the following years, Ahmet held various critical positions within the same department, including Manager of Global Distribution Systems, Manager of Revenue Management and Pricing, and Senior Vice President of Revenue Management.

Since 2014, Ahmet Olmuştur served as Chief Marketing and Sales Officer, and since 2024 he has led the company’s commercial operations as Chief Commercial Officer. 

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ITA Airways marked its entry into the Alliance during a ceremony held at the Piazza di Spagna Lounge, Rome Fiumicino Airport Terminal 3. The ceremony was presided over by ITA Airways Chief Executive Officer and General Manager Joerg Eberhart, Star Alliance Chief Executive Officer Theo Panagiotoulias, and Lufthansa Group Chief Commercial Officer Dieter Vranckx, in the presence of media and institutional guests.

Starting April 1, ITA Airways will be fully connected into the Alliance’s global network, linking its Rome Fiumicino hub and Milan Linate airport, served by 17 Star Alliance members collectively, with more than 1,150 destinations worldwide. Customers travelling across the network can now benefit from through check-in, reciprocal frequent flyer recognition and access to Star Alliance lounges, creating a more seamless customer experience, in and out of Italy.

Celebrating the milestone, Star Alliance Chief Executive Officer Theo Panagiotoulias said, “On behalf of our members, I am delighted to welcome ITA Airways as the 26th member of Star Alliance. This is the result of a focused and collaborative integration effort. With ITA Airways on board, we not only expand our network to and from Italy, but also elevate the connected experience of our customers when travelling across multiple airlines, through access to the world’s largest network of airport lounges, more comprehensive loyalty benefits, and other benefits like baggage tracking – all designed to enhance the journey at every step.”

Joerg Eberhart, CEO and General Manager of ITA Airways, said, “Joining Star Alliance marks a historic milestone for ITA Airways and a defining step in our growth. By becoming part of the world’s largest and most established global airline network, we significantly expand our international reach while offering our passengers a more seamless, consistent and high-quality travel experience, with access to over 1,150 destinations worldwide, smoother connections, integrated services and a stronger premium proposition. At the same time, we enter Star Alliance bringing with us our distinctive Italian identity, enriching the Alliance and reinforcing ITA Airways’ role in connecting Italy with the world, combining global standards of excellence with the warmth and elegance that define the Italian way of flying.”

ITA Airways’ induction into the Alliance has been mentored by the Lufthansa Group, and expert teams across the group airlines have facilitated an intense integration programme over the last several months.

Dieter Vranckx, Chief Commercial Officer of Lufthansa Group, said, “The Star Alliance membership is only possible thanks to the strong commitment and close collaboration of dedicated teams at ITA Airways, Lufthansa Group and Star Alliance. We are pleased to introduce ITA Airways as fully fledged hub airline into the Lufthansa Group and into the Alliance, expanding options for travellers across Europe and the world. Together, ITA Airways and the Lufthansa Group, are unlocking a joint value proposition that will benefit our customers, our partners, and the Star Alliance ecosystem.”

ITA Airways, which flies over 16 million customers every year, adds more than 350 daily flights to the Alliance network, supported by a strong domestic and regional footprint. The addition expands travel options across Italy and Europe, while improving connectivity between Southern Europe and key international markets.

As part of its membership, eligible customers can enjoy priority services, lounge access across the Alliance network, and reciprocal frequent flyer programme recognition, including earning and redeeming miles. Star Alliance Gold customers will also have access to ITA Airways lounges in Rome, Milan and Catania.

With the addition of ITA Airways, Star Alliance now comprises 26 member airlines, offering more than 17,500 daily flights across a global network spanning over 190 countries.

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This launch builds on  IndiGo’s recent expansion in China, including the successful reinstatement of flights from Kolkata to Guangzhou and the subsequent start of operations from Delhi. The service is being operated using  IndiGo’s state-of-the-art, fuel-efficient A320neo aircraft, offering customers a comfortable flying experience.  

With the addition of Shanghai to its network, IndiGo continues to enhance travel options and address the growing demand for trade and tourism between two of the world’s most populous nations. Now several Indian cities, including Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Pune,  Jaipur, Bhubaneswar, and more, will be able to conveniently connect to and from Shanghai via Kolkata. 

Vinay Malhotra, Head of Global Sales at IndiGo, said, “We are pleased to commence our daily, direct flights between Kolkata and Shanghai, further strengthening connectivity between India and the People’s Republic of China. Along with our existing daily connectivity from Delhi and Kolkata to Guangzhou, we now operate 21 weekly flights to mainland China. Shanghai is one of the world’s leading financial and commercial centres, and an important gateway for global trade. This new route will facilitate increased business as well as leisure travel opportunities and enable greater cultural and economic exchange between the two countries. As we continue to expand our international network, IndiGo remains  committed to building strategic air links that connect India with key global markets.” 

Schedule of Flights between Kolkata and Shanghai, Effective 29 March 2026  

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Rome is Air India’s eighth gateway in Mainland Europe and the second destination in Italy, after Milan.

Flight AI123 departed from Delhi at 1332 Hrs (IST) of 25 March, landing at Rome Fiumicino in the evening to a warm welcome from dignitaries from the Indian Embassy in Italy, Fiumicino airport officials, and Air India staff.

The first flight was welcomed by a delegation including H.E. Ms Vani Rao, Ambassador of India to Italy and San Marino; Gaurav Gandhi, Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of India in Rome; Swaminathan Krishnamoorthy, Head of Chancery, Embassy of India in Rome; and senior officials from Aeroporti Di Roma, who also inaugurated the departing flight from Rome, which landed in Delhi at 1029 Hrs (IST) on 26 March 2026. The dignitaries celebrated the occasion with a traditional Indian ceremony of lamp-lighting, cake-cutting and honouring the first passenger to board the flight.

Nipun Aggarwal, Chief Commercial Officer, Air India, said, “Demand for travel between India and Europe continues to grow across both leisure and business segments, with the two nations sharing so much in common culturally, and their increasing exchange that continues to deepen business, trade, and people-to-people ties. We are delighted to reconnect the two historic capital cities while also enabling seamless onward travels via our Delhi hub to and from destinations across the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia.”

Deepening India-Italy ties

Italy remains an important partner for India across trade, tourism and cultural exchange. Bilateral trade between the two countries surpassed USD 14 billion in 2025, supported by strong collaboration in sectors like engineering, automative, fashion and design. Italy is also home to one of the largest Indian communities in continental Europe, with more than 200,000 people of Indian origin contributing to steadily growing travel demand between the two countries.

“We are pleased to welcome Air India’s arrival in Rome,” said Ivan Bassato, Chief Aviation Officer of Aeroporti di Roma. “The new direct connection to Delhi enhances our offering to the Indian capital and meets the growing travel demand between Italy and India. This new route further strengthens Rome Fiumicino’s role as a leading international hub in the Mediterranean, increasingly central to air links with Asia.”

Flight schedule

Air India now operates between Delhi and Rome four times a week – on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays – using its B787-8 aircraft. The aircraft features a two-class cabin configuration with 18 fully flat beds in Business Class and 241 spacious seats in Economy Class, offering guests a comfortable flying experience complemented by Air India’s signature warm Indian hospitality and onboard service.

The flight schedule has been designed to enable convenient connections via Delhi to several destinations across India and Southeast Asia, including but not limited to Thailand, Sri Lanka, Malysia, Singapore, and Vietnam. This enables travellers from Italy to easily access Air India’s growing international and domestic network.

Air India now flies non-stop from India to eight points in Mainland Europe, namely Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Milan, Paris, Rome, Vienna, and Zurich.

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The airline is adding short-term capacity on these routes to meet strong demand and provide customers with greater choice and flexibility when travelling between India, the UK and beyond.

From 7 April to 31 May 2026, British Airways will operate a third daily service from Delhi to London Heathrow, building on its existing double daily presence in India’s capital. In Mumbai, the airline will add its third daily flight to London Heathrow from 15 to 31 May 2026, providing customers with more options when travelling during the peak season. 

With this additional capacity, British Airways will operate up to 63 weekly flights with more than 1000 additional seats per week between India and the UK, offering more options for customers travelling to the UK or connecting onwards across the airline’s global network.

Neil Chernoff, Chief Planning and Strategy Officer, British Airways, said, “As we continue to respond to the evolving situation in the Middle East, we’ve been able to reallocate additional capacity to meet strong demand to other destinations across our route network.

“India remains one of our most important global markets, and these additional services from Delhi and Mumbai respond to customer demand and provide greater choice and flexibility for our customers when travelling to the UK and beyond. We will continue to review our network and make adjustments based on where our customers want to fly this summer.”

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The Air India Express fleet has served as a flying showcase of the nation’s cultural and artistic legacy, with variable tail art featuring adaptations from Raja Ravi Varma’s paintings to national heritage monuments and representations of classical artforms like Kathakali, Kathak and Bharatnatyam. The airline’s refreshed brand identity in October 2023 marked the launch of the Tales of India initiative, a series under which every new aircraft tail of its rapidly expanding fleet features a unique artistic design, inspired by indigenous craft, textiles and traditions, such as Kalamkari, Bandhani, Kanjivaram, and Banarasi. The Flying Canvas is the latest extension and most innovative expression of this cultural design philosophy.

At the heart of this creative milestone is internationally recognised multidisciplinary contemporary artist Osheen Siva, known for her distinctive practice that blends heritage, identity and speculative futures. The collaboration is a result of Air India Express’ multi-year partnership with the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, India’s first and largest international exhibition of contemporary art. 

Wrapped in an original artwork created by Osheen Siva, whose work reimagines heritage as a living, evolving force, ‘The Flying Canvas’ transforms into the fastest moving cultural installation. The art livery features a Tamil figure carrying memory and heritage into the future, adorned with traditional motifs that symbolise lineage, identity and continuity. As India’s first full‑aircraft contemporary art wrap, this initiative brings a bold new dimension to Air India Express’ long‑standing commitment to celebrating India’s culture across the skies.

Commenting on the concept and campaign, Siddhartha Butalia, Chief Marketing Officer, Air India Express, said, “Art is one of the most powerful universal languages – it transcends borders, cultures, and geographies to connect people in ways few things can. With the Tales of India and its extension to The Flying Canvas project, we are literally taking that idea to the skies, transforming an aircraft into a moving expression of living cultural identity. This initiative reflects how we see travel – not just as a journey between destinations, but as an opportunity to experience, interpret, and connect with culture and communities in meaningful ways. As one of the most culturally engaged airlines globally, we are proud and delighted to create spaces where art, travel, and human connection come together.”

Thomas Varghese, CEO of the Kochi Biennale Foundation, said, “The Kochi-Muziris Biennale has always been a celebration of art transcending boundaries, bringing contemporary practice out of galleries and into the everyday lives of people. Through this association with Air India Express, that vision literally takes flight.

As this aeroplane traverses over 60 destinations, it carries with it the soul of indigenous culture and the vibrancy of contemporary art to people far beyond our shores. It is a proud moment for us to see art soaring to the skies and igniting conversations between people and cultures – a journey that reminds us that art, like flight itself, has the power to connect the world.”

During the previous edition of the Biennale, Air India Express unveiled a bespoke tail art on one of its Boeing aircraft. This association laid the foundation for deeper engagement with India’s contemporary art ecosystem and now continues with a full aircraft wrapped in art for the 2025–26 edition.

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The Airline will operate its Airbus A350-900 medium-haul aircraft, which features 303 seats in two cabin classes: 40 in Business Class and 263 in Economy Class.

The inaugural flight, SQ201, is scheduled to depart Singapore at 1130hrs (local time) on 23 November 2026 and arrive at 2220hrs (local time). The return flight, SQ202, is scheduled to depart Western Sydney International Airport on the same day at 2355hrs (local time) and arrive in Singapore at 0505hrs (local time) on 24 November 2026. Further details are in Annexe A.

Combined with SIA’s four-times-daily services to Sydney Kingsford Smith International Airport, the Airline will operate five daily flights to Sydney – Australia’s financial hub and key gateway to the country.

With the addition of Western Sydney International, SIA will serve eight destinations in Australia. Scoot, SIA’s low-cost subsidiary, serves three destinations in Australia. 

The SIA Group’s broad network of eight destinations in Australia reflect its firm commitment to this key market. 

Dai Haoyu, Senior Vice President Marketing Planning, Singapore Airlines, said, “Singapore Airlines’ services to Australia’s newest gateway at Western Sydney will deliver more choice and strengthen connectivity to this popular destination for our customers. Western Sydney’s late-night departure capacity will enable a seamless travel journey and connections through Singapore Changi Airport, to more than 130 global destinations served by the SIA Group.”

Simon Hickey, Chief Executive Officer, Western Sydney International Airport, said, “Western Sydney International Airport is thrilled to be partnering with Singapore Airlines, bringing more of its Skytrax certified 5-Star service to the people of Greater Sydney. Our 24-hour capacity, coupled with Singapore Airlines’ extensive global connectivity, will open our city to the world in new and exciting ways. From Sydney to Singapore and beyond, we are pleased to help herald this new era of aviation that will ultimately give Australian travellers more choice and flexibility on when, where, and how they choose to fly.”

Western Sydney is part of the Greater Sydney region, home to over three million residents and Australia’s third-largest economy. It is the gateway to the natural beauty of the Blue Mountains and Western New South Wales, the region’s cultural and culinary diversity, and a range of adventure experiences in the heart of Sydney’s Olympic legacy.

Tickets for SIA’s Western Sydney International services will be progressively made available for sale via the Airline’s distribution channels from 25 March 2026.

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In this role, Aloke will lead the Company’s long-term strategic planning function and drive enterprise-wide transformation initiatives focused on accelerating growth, enhancing operational efficiency and strengthening competitive positioning in a rapidly evolving global aviation landscape. He will partner closely with the leadership team on cross-functional priorities designed to improve agility, elevate customer experience and deliver sustainable shareholder value.

Aloke brings over three decades of aviation industry experience spanning Strategy, Planning, Operations and Commercial functions. He has a proven track record of leading complex operational and cultural transformation, driving rapid growth and managing large-scale expansion programmes.

More recently, Aloke served as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Air India Express, where he played a pivotal role in the airline’s transformation, delivering operational improvements and driving rapid growth. He has previously held senior leadership positions, including in the Strategy domain, at Air India and Oman Air.

Welcoming Aloke Singh, IndiGo’s Managing Director, Rahul Bhatia said, “Aloke brings an exceptional blend of strategic vision and operational depth. His comprehensive understanding of the aviation ecosystem will be invaluable as we build a more agile, resilient and future-ready organisation, and accelerate our next phase of growth. For now, Aloke will report to me. Once the next CEO assumes office, he will transition to reporting to the new Chief Executive.”

Commenting on his appointment, Aloke Singh said, “I am delighted to join IndiGo at such a pivotal moment for the airline and for Indian aviation broadly. Having redefined India’s domestic and short-haul international aviation landscape, IndiGo is taking its ambitions global. I look forward to working with colleagues across the organisation to sharpen our strategic direction, double down on operational excellence and deepen and broaden our markets.”

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With the launch of Stansted flights, which will be operated with 15 weekly frequencies, the flag carrier’s network in the United Kingdom has expanded to six destinations, following London Heathrow, London Gatwick, Birmingham, Manchester, and Edinburgh. When combined with Dublin, the flag carrier’s total weekly frequencies across the United Kingdom and Ireland will reach 168 during the summer schedule.

At the inauguration ceremony held at London Stansted Airport, executives from Turkish Airlines and London Stansted Airport highlighted the significance of the new route.

On the launch of the new route, Fuat Fırat, Vice President Sales (Middle and Northern Europe), Turkish Airlines, stated, “The United Kingdom continues to be one of the key strategic markets for Turkish Airlines. With the addition of London Stansted flights, we are pleased to expand our presence in London to a third airport, further strengthening London Stansted’s connectivity and offering our guests greater flexibility to access our unparalleled global network. We believe this new route will not only meet regional demand but also contribute to both commercial and tourism activity across the region.”

Gareth Powell, Managing Director, London Stansted Airport, said, “We’re delighted to welcome Turkish Airlines to London Stansted. This is a major milestone for the airport and a strong vote of confidence in both our operation and the vibrant, fast-growing region we serve. Istanbul is a fantastic destination in its own right, but this new service also opens the door to Turkish Airlines’ extensive global network, connecting London Stansted to over 350 destinations, offering passengers and businesses across our region greater choice and easier access to destinations across Asia, Africa, Australia and beyond. We look forward to building a strong partnership with Turkish Airlines and seeing this exciting new route grow.”

With the addition of London Stansted flights, the Airlines continues to further strengthen its presence in the United Kingdom while offering its guests seamless access to its extensive global network that covers 357 destinations in 133 countries across 6 continents.

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