Aviation

Aegean Airlines, Sky Express and Astra stepped in with temporary flights to bring back students from the island of Crete who were stranded there due to an ongoing strike by Greek seamen.

Adorned with an olive branch, the symbol of Cyprus, the country’s re-launched carrier Cyprus Airways is set to begin operations soon after receiving its first aircraft and securing its Air Operator Certificate (AOC) by the end of the year.

German airline Lufthansa has announced the cancellation of 912 flights scheduled for Thursday, as the Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) union has extended its strike action by another 24 hours.

Qatar Airways and Qatar Tourism Authority have announced that a new transit visa scheme, which allows passengers with layovers of five hours or more in Hamad International Airport to request a complimentary transit visa, has gone into effect as of November.

A number of new flight routes from the UK to popular destinations in Greece are expected to launch for summer 2017, according to information provided at the World Travel Market (WTM) London.

Lufthansa Group reported improved profits for the third quarter of the year despite the challenging market conditions, the company said last week.

The Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority has announced a call for interest in 10 air routes to remote areas in Greece for the April 1, 2017 – March 31, 2021 period.

German airport operator Fraport recently unveiled ambitious plans for the makeover of the Macedonia Airport in Thessaloniki.

More efficient and less intrusive security checks, enriched air travel shopping options, a single order record to include all reference numbers for the trip, accurate real-time information and single identity verification are just some of the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) plans to facilitate air travel.

Airlines have reinstated flights that were planned to be cancelled on Sunday and Monday, after the union of Greek air traffic controllers pulled its planned strike action.