Asia-Pacific air passenger demand grows 8.6%
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released data for February 2026 global passenger demand with the following highlights:
Total demand, measured in revenue passenger kilometers (RPK), was up 6.1% compared to February 2025. Total capacity, measured in available seat kilometers ( [...]
Capital A signals growth and diversified future amid oil volatility
Speaking at a press conference held at The Chow Kit in Kuala Lumpur, Capital A CEO Tony Fernandes balanced the news of increased travel costs with the appointment of a new Deputy CEO and, with this being the final stage of its solidification, a rundown of Capital A’s portfolio.
The aviation vet [...]
When the sky tilts: How the Middle East is rewriting aviation’s flight paths
There are moments in aviation when the map doesn’t just shift – it tilts.
Routes that once felt permanent suddenly look provisional. Hubs that defined global connectivity can no longer be taken for granted. And airlines, accustomed to operating within finely tuned systems, find themselves navig [...]
South Africa’s $2.5b online travel market attracts new wave of homegrown tech
Is South Africa the world's quiet travel tech powerhouse?
South Africa's online travel market, valued at $2.54 billion in 2024, is on a trajectory toward nearly $6 billion by 2033. But the more interesting story isn't the size of the prize, but who's showing up to claim it. South Africa has quietl [...]
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Lobby raises $2.2m to automate group bookings with AI
Swiss startup Lobby has secured USD 2.2 million from venture capital firm Founderful, whose co-founder Pascal Mathis, also a GetYourGuide co-founder, will join the board, to scale its AI platform for processing group travel bookings. The platfor [...]
Fliggy launches open-source travel skill and adds AI bookings
Chinese online travel platform Fliggy, an Alibaba Group subsidiary, has made two moves in quick succession: opening up its travel inventory to AI agent developers via a new open-source skill, and enabling actual travel bookings through an AI interface for the first time.
Fliggy, the travel divisio [...]
Almost half of Southeast Asian travel businesses see worse prospects in Q2 due to war in Iran
A recent survey has revealed that 48% of Southeast Asian travel businesses believe that the prospects for their business in Q2 2026 are worse than they had originally anticipated at the start of the year, due to the Iran War impact.
The report conducted by the ASEAN Tourism Association (ASEANTA) an [...]
From Autobahn dreams to AI travel: Saad Saeed’s bet on escaping travel’s startup graveyard
Growing up in Pakistan, Saad Saeed dreamt of fast cars and soccer, and it was those two things that brought him to Berlin to study.
Germany’s Autobahn fascinated him. “It’s crazy,” he says. “Out of all the countries, the one with no speed limit has to be Germany – with all the rules.� [...]
Middle East conflict could cost regional tourism $56 billion, but travel is resilient
The Bench, organisers of Future Hospitality Summit Saudi Arabia, hosted a webinar on March 18 as part of its commitment to keeping the hospitality investment community informed during a period of regional uncertainty. David Goodger, Managing Director of Tourism Economics EMEA, laid out a data-driven [...]
WiT Phocuswright Middle East rescheduled to August 14, 2026
WiT and Phocuswright, part of the Northstar Travel Group, wish to announce that WiT Phocuswright Middle East has been rescheduled. The event, originally planned for May 1, 2026, will now take place on August 14, 2026.
This decision has been made in consideration of the ongoing conflict in the regio [...]
