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This year, Finavia celebrates the major anniversaries of two of its airports. Ivalo and Oulu airports will celebrate their 80th and 70th anniversaries, respectively.“The airports of Oulu and Ivalo have served passengers and airlines for decades and have developed into important hubs for tourism and business. Both airports ensure good connections and accessibility for the area,” says Jonna Pietilä, Finavia’s VP Northern Finland airports.
Over the past ten years, Finavia has made significant investments in the development of both Ivalo and Oulu airports. The company has invested tens of millions of euros in improving the infrastructure and services at its airports.
Ivalo Airport – the northernmost airport in Finland
“Ivalo Airport is the northernmost airport in Finavia’s airport network and in all of Finland. The Christmas season is the busiest time of the year at our airport, as tourists from all over the world come to admire the magic of Lapland,” says Jarmo Pyhäjärvi, Finavia’s Airport Manager of Ivalo Airport.
Pyhäjärvi says that the 80th anniversary is an important milestone for the airport. Ivalo Airport was originally completed in 1943 but was destroyed in the Lapland War in 1945. After the war, the airport was rebuilt. The gold rush in Lapland in particular gave an impetus to the rebuilding of the airport.ADVERTISEMENT“Over the years, we have extended Ivalo Airport several times to serve the growing number of passengers. In 2016, 1,000 square metres of extra space was added to the terminal, and in 2018, the apron was extended, which doubled the number of aircraft stands, among other things. The latest extension took place in 2019, when the arrivals hall was completed.”Year-round air traffic at Ivalo Airport began in 1975. The number of passengers travelling via Ivalo Airport increased to more than 200,000 for the first time in 2017. The Christmas season is the busiest time of the year at the airport, as tourists from all over the world come to admire the magic of Lapland.
Finavia takes advantage of the Arctic conditions and develops and tests its own maintenance equipment, among other things, at Ivalo Airport.
Oulu Airport – a hub for air traffic in Northern Finland
“Over the years, Oulu Airport has developed into a hub for air traffic in Northern Finland, offering good and regular connections for both business and leisure travellers,” says Liisa Sallinen, Finavia’s Airport Manager of Oulu Airport.
Sallinen adds that the 70-year-old Oulu Airport is the second busiest airport in Finland after Helsinki Airport in terms of passenger numbers. Oulu Airport reached one million passengers for the first time in 2012.
Oulu Airport was completed in 1953, which is also when the airline Aero began operating regular flights between Oulu and Helsinki.
The first actual airport building was completed five years later in 1958, after which Finavia has extended and developed Oulu Airport several times. This happened most recently in 2011, when Finavia extended the terminal and baggage handling facilities by a total of 6,450 square metres.
“Early this year, both airports will celebrate their anniversaries by serving anniversary coffee. It will be nice to celebrate the history of the airports with the entire airport community and the passengers,” says Jonna Pietilä.Learn more about the history of Ivalo and Oulu airports on the Finavia website.

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interCaribbean Airways announces the addition of two aircraft to its fleet and an expanded flight schedule to service Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent & The Grenadines. The introduction of another Embraer 145 Jet and an ATR42-500 series turboprop, with seating capacity of 50 and 48 seats respectively, increases interCaribbean’s fleet to 5 aircraft servicing the Barbados and Windward Islands’ routes.
With an expanded fleet, interCaribbean now offers travelers enhanced schedule options and improved intra-regional travel with greater connectivity among the Islands.
Flights to and from Barbados will double, with more flights going nonstop to St. Vincent and Grenada offering greater availability to these destinations. interCaribbean is also launching new nonstop flights between St Vincent and St Lucia to give fast connections between these two destinations.
The extended schedule now links the Eastern and Western Caribbean with a twice weekly service from Georgetown and Barbados via Antigua to Providenciales, (Turks and Caicos), connecting onwards to Nassau, Bahamas, Havana, Cuba and Kingston, Jamaica.
According to Founder and Chairman of interCaribbean Airways, Lyndon Gardiner, “We are committed to expanding our services in the Eastern Islands of the Caribbean, where travelers have been affected by the air travel void left during the pandemic. It is a privilege to serve these Islands and we will continue to work to demonstrate ourselves equal to that privilege and trust with dedication to safety, and creating an overall satisfying experience for all our passengers, we look forward to announcing more exciting news and destinations during this year.ADVERTISEMENT2023 will also see interCaribbean Airways steadily decommissioning older aircraft while adding several newer ones, continuously enhancing its customer service and schedule options, while providing greater passenger comfort and convenience.

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Delta Air Lines is contributing $100,000 to the American Red Cross in support of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies’ (IFRC) response effort in Turkey and Syria following a devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck southeast Turkey in the early hours of Feb. 6. 
According to the United States Geological Survey, the epicenter of the earthquake was 14.2 miles east of Nurdagi, Gaziantep province, with a depth of 14.9 miles. Nurdagi is located along the Turkey-Syria border, and the earthquake was felt in several countries across the region, including Syria and Lebanon.
The Turkish Red Crescent Society and Syrian Arab Red Crescent Society immediately responded to this disaster and began relief efforts, and Delta encourages customers and employees in the U.S. to get involved by contributing financially to the American Red Cross. For those outside the U.S., contributions can be made through the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies website.
Delta customers who would like to support this effort can do so through a dedicated site for public support.
Delta’s contributions – those made by Delta people, customers and others – are used for humanitarian relief efforts, including the following from the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies:  ADVERTISEMENTSupporting search and rescue operations
Providing first aid
Performing emergency medical evacuations
Transporting injured people to hospitals
Providing hot meals and basic aid items (such as tents and blankets) for those injured and evacuated
Providing psychological support
Sending blood and plasma to the affected regions
“The most important way to help is through financial giving, as the American Red Cross and the IFCRC have the resources and infrastructure to obtain and deliver goods, supplies and trained volunteers to the places and people that need it most,” said Tad Hutcheson, Delta’s Managing Director of Community Engagement. 
The current needs are tremendous, with the most critical including support to health facilities and medical care for the wounded. Other vital needs include supporting those who lost family members as well as providing food, supplies and blood, according to the American Red Cross.
The partnership with the American Red Cross, which is Delta’s longest-standing nonprofit partner, has allowed the airline, its customers and employees to help people in need worldwide since 1941. This contribution to the earthquake relief efforts in Turkey and Syria is in addition to Delta’s $1 million grant to the American Red Cross as an Annual Disaster Giving Program partner. For more information on the services of the Red Cross and how they are responding to this crisis, please visit redcross.org.

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Air Canada Cargo and Emirates SkyCargo have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to deliver more benefits to their air freight customers around the world.The MoU, which builds on the airlines’ strategic commercial partnership announced last year, was signed at Emirates Headquarters in Dubai, UAE by Nabil Sultan, Emirates Divisional Senior Vice President, Cargo and Matthieu Casey, Managing Director Commercial, Air Canada Cargo.Under the terms of the MoU, Air Canada Cargo and Emirates SkyCargo will work closely on a number of initiatives, which include expanding cargo interline options and block space agreements, pending any required regulatory approvals. These enhancements aim to offer freight customers of both airlines access to more capacity on a larger combined global network.
Air Canada Cargo will have access to Emirates SkyCargo’s high frequency distribution network through the belly-hold of Emirates scheduled passenger flights to over 140 global destinations, as well as the additional capacity offered by 11 freighters currently in the Emirates fleet. In return, SkyCargo will have access to over 60 cities in Canada and more than 150 cities across five continents through Air Canada Cargo thanks to a fleet of Boeing 767 freighters and   the belly-hold capacity of Air Canada’s scheduled passenger flights.
Both airlines bring particular experience in handling unique cargo, such as oil and gas drilling equipment, car parts and pharmaceuticals on their dedicated fleet of freighters or passenger aircraft.
“We are thrilled to be further strengthening our cargo relationship with Emirates SkyCargo. This agreement enables both carriers to work more closely to optimize our respective freighter and belly capacity throughout each of our extensive and complementing global networks. Customers will benefit from these additional synergies by having access to an even greater array of options, destinations and streamlined handling when shipping globally,” said Matthieu Casey, Managing Director, Commercial, at Air Canada Cargo.
“Emirates SkyCargo is committed to being a leading player in the global air cargo industry providing our customers with the highest standards of products and services. Cooperating with Air Canada Cargo will offer our clients added value through more rapid reach to new destinations in Canada via our Toronto and US gateways,” said Nabil Sultan, Emirates Divisional Senior Vice President, Cargo.ADVERTISEMENTSince announcing their strategic partnership in 2022, Emirates and Air Canada have implemented a passenger codeshare agreement that spans 46 destinations across North America, the Middle East, Asia and Africa, and have launched a Loyalty program partnership to allow Aeroplan and Skywards members to earn and redeem Miles and Points on all flights operated by Air Canada and Emirates, respectively.

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Six international businesses have launched a new consortium to bring zero-emission aviation to life in New Zealand. The Hydrogen Consortium’s vision is to support the country to pioneer the commercial deployment of green hydrogen-powered aircraft.  The partners are international aerospace leader Airbus, global green energy company Fortescue Future Industries (FFI), leading world airline Air New Zealand, next generation energy company Hiringa Energy, liquid hydrogen solution pioneers Fabrum and New Zealand’s Christchurch Airport.
The Hydrogen Consortium was launched at Christchurch Airport, which is developing a 400-hectare renewable energy precinct called Kowhai Park.
Speaking at the launch, Christchurch Airport chief executive Justin Watson said climate change has further strengthened the international aviation sector’s resolve to decarbonise.
“Major progress is being made,” Watson says. “There have been successful test flights of zero emission aircraft already. There are new sustainable aviation fuels that can cut emissions by up to 80% and a huge amount of research is going into how to commercialise these solutions. 
“The Hydrogen Consortium will see some of the world’s best experts collaborate on one of the most promising zero emission fuels – green hydrogen.”  ADVERTISEMENTAirbus is working to develop and put into service the world’s first hydrogen-powered commercial passenger aircraft by 2035.
In close cooperation with its partners, Airbus will factor in aviation’s requirement for hydrogen in New Zealand. Using its hydrogen hubs at airports concept, Airbus will engage with aviation and non-aviation players to perform a complete assessment of energy supply needs to enable the operation of hydrogen powered aircraft.
Airbus’ Vice President of the ZEROe Ecosystem Karine Guenan says the journey to sustainable aviation requires an entire ecosystem to be put into place – one that will involve key players from a variety of sectors.
“The consortium we are building brings together a number of pioneering partners with a common interest:  to make hydrogen-powered aviation in New Zealand a reality.”
Christchurch liquid hydrogen solutions company Fabrum recently designed the hydrogen-powered technology for the Emirates Team New Zealand chase boat (Chase Zero) and has developed lightweight liquid hydrogen fuel tank technology for aviation use.
Co-founder Christopher Boyle is in no doubt the future of clean aviation rests on the shoulders of green hydrogen. 
“The consortium pulls together some of world’s best experts in green hydrogen – having all of these organisations around the same table will turbocharge what we all learn. Together we’ll make a big difference in taking zero emission aviation forward which is good news to anyone who wants to fly sustainably in the future,” said Christopher Boyle. 
Hiringa Energy is a pioneering green hydrogen developer, producer and supplier.
It’s constructing key infrastructure to support New Zealand’s transition to green hydrogen in multiple transport sectors including aviation, marine and heavy road transport. Hiringa’s first four production and high-capacity refuelling stations are coming online in 2023, with nationwide expansion planned from 2024. 
Its chief executive Andrew Clennett said green hydrogen adoption is accelerating around the world, and New Zealand is well positioned to be a leader in this space.
“There are green hydrogen-fuelled buses, trucks, trains and boats already in service – some of them we have been refuelling here in New Zealand, including the Emirates Team New Zealand chase boat.  Aircraft are a key next step, and this consortium has formed to ensure these planes have the infrastructure and hydrogen supply they will need to take off here. Our team is very motivated to leverage our hands-on experience bringing green hydrogen to market to make this transition happen”
A focus on research; the potential for trial flights in New Zealand
Over the next six months the partners will work together to design a hydrogen ecosystem for aviation in New Zealand. 
The first phase will focus on research, which will be completed by the end of 2023.
The consortium will develop a vision for hydrogen aviation in New Zealand, examine the hydrogen supply chain and its challenges, assess the local aviation market’s projected hydrogen needs to 2050, and develop a pathway of policies, regulations and incentives to promote the development of hydrogen aviation. 
The second phase will focus on whether hydrogen aircraft test flights can be held in New Zealand. 
Air New Zealand has two ambitious goals – to fly its first commercial demonstrator flight from 2026 and begin replacing its Q300 Turboprop fleet from 2030 with low emission aircraft. 
The airline’s Chief Sustainability Officer Kiri Hannifin said the consortium’s work will be important to Air New Zealand achieving those ambitions.
“To fly hydrogen-powered aircraft in New Zealand we will need an aviation ecosystem that can support it.  The Hydrogen Consortium brings together energy, aircraft, airline operator and airport expertise with the aim of bringing this to life. We can’t wait to see what we can achieve together,” said Ms Hannifin.
Fortescue Future Industries (FFI) CEO Mark Hutchinson said the coming together of such innovative organisations marked a significant moment in the pursuit of fossil fuel-free air travel. 
“Fortescue Future Industries is a global green energy and technology business that will bring to the consortium its knowhow in mega-scale renewables and zero-emissions green hydrogen production and delivery,” Mr Hutchinson said. “We are on a mission to eliminate fossil fuels, including from the aviation industry, and green hydrogen is the key to achieving this.
“Green hydrogen and green energy is the practical, implementable solution we all need now and we must race to deliver it at scale. The consortium members all have extraordinary expertise in and commitment to the decarbonisation of air travel and together we believe we can develop a pathway to New Zealand becoming a global trailblazer in this pursuit,” concluded Mark Hutchinson.

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In the wake of the devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, Emirates is setting up an airbridge with the International Humanitarian City (IHC), to transport urgent relief supplies, medical items and equipment to support on-ground aid efforts and search and rescue activities in both countries.The first shipments are due to go out today on EK 121 and EK 117, consisting of high thermal blankets and family tents from UNHCR, followed by World Health Organisation (WHO) and World Food Programme (WFP) relief cargo of medical kits and shelter items, co-ordinated by the IHC in Dubai.
In the coming days, more consignments of blankets, tents, shelter kits, flash lights, water distribution ramps and trauma and emergency health kits will be transported on Emirates.
Emirates SkyCargo plans to dedicate cargo space for around 100 tonnes of humanitarian relief goods over the course of the next two weeks across its daily flight operations to Istanbul. The critical emergency supplies carried on Emirates will then be delivered by local organisations to affected areas in southern Turkey and northern Syria, supporting on-ground responders and providing much needed aid to the hundreds of thousands of people impacted by the earthquakes.
HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Emirates’ Chairman and Chief Executive, said: “We stand with the Turkish and Syrian people and are working with experts like the International Humanitarian City to help provide urgent relief to those affected and displaced by the earthquakes, as well as support the complex recovery efforts on the ground. Emirates has extensive experience in supporting humanitarian relief efforts, and through its three daily flights to Istanbul will offer regular and consistent widebody capacity for relief items and medical supplies. Emirates also supports the UAE’s ongoing humanitarian efforts to support Turkey and Syria, and Dubai’s unique position as the world’s largest international aid logistics hub means that we can efficiently reach disaster stricken areas and the most vulnerable people as quickly as possible.”
His Excellency Mohammed Ibrahim Al Shaibani, Chairman of the Supreme Committee for the Supervision of IHC: “The IHC remains committed to providing the people affected by the earthquakes with the humanitarian support and resources they need. We are taking urgent action by facilitating airlifts of vital medical supplies, shelter items and other relief goods from the UNHCR, World Health Organization (WHO) and World Food Programme (WFP) to address the pressing demand for aid in the affected regions.”ADVERTISEMENTThe freight division of Emirates has a long-standing partnership with the IHC, enabling the airline to nimbly and quickly lead on numerous relief missions, deploying humanitarian supplies to communities around the world impacted by natural disasters, medical emergencies, global outbreaks and other crises.
In 2020, the airline facilitated relief efforts to Lebanon in the aftermath of the Port of Beirut blasts. In 2021, Emirates set up a humanitarian airbridge between Dubai and India to transport urgent medical and relief items to support the country in containing the COVID-19 outbreak. Last year, the airline offered cargo capacity to organisations working with the IHC to transport critical equipment and supplies directly to five cities in Pakistan devastated by flooding. 
Over the years, Emirates has also supported humanitarian flights in partnership with the Airbus Foundation, and since 2013, Emirates A380 ferry flights have transported over 120 tonnes of food and vital emergency equipment to those in need.

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Saudi Arabian Airlines (SAUDIA) and Damas Saudi Arabia Company Ltd. signed an agreement to grant members of the frequent flyer program, ALFURSAN, miles added to their account for every purchase. The agreement was signed by the Vice President of Marketing and Product Management at SAUDIA, Mr. Essam Akhonbay, and the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Damas and CEO, Mr. Luc Perramond.Under the agreement, members of the Blue and Silver tiers of the Elite ALFURSAN program will receive one additional mile for every USD per purchase from Damas, while members of the Gold Level Elite Plus will receive two additional miles for every USD on each purchase from Damas.
Mr. Essam Akhonbay, VP Marketing and Product Management at SAUDIA, stated, “In line with the new program revamp, ALFURSAN is set to offer more rewards, miles, and partners to maximize the benefits to our 7.5 million ALFURSAN members. This partnership will enrich the pool of benefits to ensure our elite members receive more value for their loyalty”.
Luc Perramond, Chairman and CEO of Damas Jewellery commented: “We are proud to announce the signing of our partnership with SAUDIA, one of the most notable airlines in the region. As a leading player in the jewellery sector in the Kingdom in particular and the Gulf in general, it is essential that our products and services remain fully compatible with the changing needs of the market that is always seeking brilliance and creativity.”
Perramond added, “We will in turn strive to meet the needs of the consumer with our distinguished business and various offers. One of our goals is to offer ALFURSAN members a high-level shopping experience, where they are rewarded for their loyalty to SAUDIA. We are sure that this solid partnership will continue to meet the requirements of customers of both parties.
ALFURSAN members can enjoy many benefits and services including upgrades, free flights, free baggage allowance and priority check-in. They can also take advantage of a wide range of offers, rewards, and access to more benefits with global partnerships that include banks, hotels, car rentals, telecommunications, retail sales, services, insurance, online booking sites and more to earn more reward miles and additional benefitsADVERTISEMENT

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Malaysia Aviation Group Announces New Senior Leadership Team

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Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG) today announced the implementation of its Target Operating Model (TOM), which sees MAG operating as a full-fledged operating company (op-co) overseeing Group-level support functions and subsidiaries, which are grouped into three dedicated profit centres, namely Airlines, Loyalty & Travel Solutions, and Aviation Services. With the new organisational structure, the MAG senior leadership team has also been enhanced for better reporting across the Group and business verticals. The new operating model will enable MAG to deliver its Long-Term Business Plan 2.0 (LTBP 2.0) in a more cohesive and unified manner, with greater emphasis on transparency and accountability through a clear profit and loss (P&L) reporting structure; empower each vertical to drive business growth; and diversify the Group’s revenue streams beyond its airlines business.
Captain Izham Ismail, Group Chief Executive Officer of MAG, said, “The new set-up allows MAG to have a more dynamic reporting structure under each profit centre, including dedicated Loyalty & Travel Solutions and Aviation Services functions to drive revenue growth; promoting better synergy as the Group collectively work towards fulfilling its Long-term Business Plan 2.0 (LTBP2.0) aspirations of becoming Asia’s leading travel and aviation services group. While the existing structure has enabled us to be futureproof, we continue implementing a strong and flexible organisational structure that will set the Group up for long-term success.”

In line with the new structure, the leadership team at the op-co level will continue to lead the Group, supported by the Chief Executive Officers in the respective profit centres.
ADVERTISEMENTThe Airlines business portfolio will oversee MAG’s global, domestic and segmented airlines comprising Malaysia Airlines, Firefly, MASwings, and AMAL. Ahmad Luqman Mohd Azmi will take on the role of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Airlines, supported by the Chief Operating Officers (COO) of the respective subsidiaries: Captain Nasaruddin A. Bakar for Malaysia Airlines; Captain Hamdan Che Ismail for Firefly; Suresh Singam for MASwings; and Muhammad Najmi Mansor for AMAL.

The Loyalty & Travel Solutions portfolio covers MAG’s end-to-end travel solutions and loyalty programmes, complementing its established strength and expertise in the airline and aviation service businesses. This includes Journify, MHholidays, Firefly Holidays, and Enrich. Philip See will oversee the portfolio as CEO of Loyalty & Travel Solutions, double hatting the role of Group Chief Sustainability Officer.

The Aviation Services portfolio covers cargo, ground handling, training, and maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), comprising MABkargo, AeroDarat Services, MAB Academy and MAB Engineering. The portfolio will be overseen by Mohd Nadziruddin Mohd Basri as the CEO of Aviation Services , supported by the CEO of MABkargo, Mark Jason Thomas and COOs of other subsidiaries: Ibrahim Salleh for AeroDarat Services; Aida Salfaraz for MAB Academy (following the retirement of Captain Kamarudin Kamilin in February 2023) and Eke Nazri Rahim for MAB Engineering.

Captain Izham Ismail will continue to provide the steer on the entire MAG business support functions and operations as Group CEO of MAG, supported by Boo Hui Yee, Group Chief Financial Officer; Bryan Foong, Group Chief Strategy & Transformation Officer; Dato’ Mohd Khalis Abdul Rahim, Group Chief Human Capital Officer; Lau Yin May, Group Chief Branding & Customer Experience Officer; Philip See, Group Chief Sustainability Officer; and newly appointed Group Chief Digital & IT Officer, Clarence Lee.

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