
Gerald R. Ford International Airport Authority has named Ghassan Abukar as its new director of information technology and telecommunications. Abukar previously served as chief information officer for the Joint Aviation Security Partnership and held senior IT roles at the Cleveland Airport System and Cleveland CPL. He will oversee airport‑wide IT and communications systems as the authority pursues growth and modernization. Abukar emphasized leveraging technology to enhance security, reliability, and passenger experience.

Spirit Airlines is selling its Free Spirit elite status for a limited time. Travelers can purchase Silver status for $79, requiring only a travel‑rewards credit card. Existing Silver members—or former Gold members—can upgrade to Gold for $199 (or $399 for...

PONANT Explorations will launch a 62‑day luxury cruise that circles Antarctica aboard the hybrid‑electric icebreaker Le Commandant Charcot in January 2028. The itinerary splits into a 30‑day western leg from Ushuaia to Hobart and a 31‑day eastern return, covering roughly...

Wendy’s is giving franchisees greater flexibility to trim or shift breakfast hours as demand wanes, a move announced by interim CEO Ken Cook during the February earnings call. The adjustment is part of the chain’s Project Fresh initiative aimed at...
Seychelles’ tourism authority announced that seasonal chikungunya and dengue cases are falling, with no hospitalisations and no travel restrictions. Health officials attribute the decline to intensified mosquito‑control programs and public‑awareness campaigns. Tourism Seychelles has proactively communicated these facts to international...

Parisian fashion entrepreneur Djamel Cheboub launched Harmony, a two‑cabin retreat on Iceland’s southern coast offering glass‑walled lodges, private saunas and hot tubs at $800 per night, emphasizing slow, nature‑focused travel. The piece also commemorates photographer Martin Parr, whose posthumous memoir...

Holland America Line commemorated a century of Caribbean cruising, recalling its inaugural Veendam II voyage on 18 February 1926 that linked New York with Havana, Kingston, Panama, Cartagena, San Juan and Bermuda. To mark the milestone the line extended its ‘Start Your Journey Sale’ through...

Travel agents reported a sharp rise in Antarctica bookings for Scenic after the six‑part series "Jane McDonald: From Pole to Pole" aired on Channel 5. Billy Rusbridge secured two bookings worth over £65,000 for the 13‑day Antarctica In‑Depth itinerary, while three...

Singapore Airlines has launched its February 2026 KrisFlyer Spontaneous Escapes promotion, offering a 30% discount on Saver‑level award tickets booked with KrisFlyer miles. Travelers must book by 28 February 2026 for travel between 1 March and 31 March 2026, with discounts covering economy, premium economy and...

Harry Styles announced a 30‑night residency at Madison Square Garden beginning Aug 26, 2026, prompting fans nationwide to plan trips to New York. Within days, Priceline reported flight searches to the city surged 1,273 percent and hotel searches jumped 414 percent. Social media platforms...

London City Airport welcomed Valentine’s weekend travelers with a poet‑in‑residence who hand‑wrote personalized verses in the terminal. The activation, led by poet Laurie Bolger, aimed to add a heartfelt, memorable touch to journeys across the airport’s European network. CEO Alison...

The U.S. hotel sector posted modest year‑over‑year gains for the week ending Feb. 7, with occupancy at 56.4% (+1.1%), ADR at $158.69 (+1.7%) and RevPAR at $89.55 (+2.8%). San Francisco led the top‑25 markets, driven by Super Bowl LX, posting occupancy of 78.7%...

First Martin Corporation and First Hospitality have opened the AC Marriott Hotel Ann Arbor Downtown, a six‑story, 81,745‑sq‑ft property featuring 139 guest rooms. The hotel showcases a "Modern Industrialist" design with local art, custom copper metalwork, and a sixth‑floor lounge...

Alaska Airlines has reinstated its policy allowing domesticated rabbits to travel in the passenger cabin on continental United States and Alaska routes, after a brief ban earlier this year. Rabbits must be placed in a soft‑sided carrier that fits under...

DSH Hotel Advisors arranged the sale of the Quality Inn & Suites Kissimmee by the Lake, originally listed at $10.9 million, though the final price remains undisclosed. The firm acted as exclusive advisor for both seller JC Investments FL LLC and...

McDonald’s leveraged a Grinch‑themed meal, boosting same‑store sales 6.8% and achieving its highest single‑day sales ever, while expanding its value menu and testing a broader beverage lineup. Burger King’s SpongeBob movie tie‑in lifted U.S. same‑store sales 2.6% with $5 and...

Turkish Airlines unveiled its 500th aircraft, dubbed “TK Family,” featuring a special livery that showcases photographs of its 100,000 employees and retirees. The ceremony at Istanbul Airport included children of martyrs, senior executives and a ceremonial flight that traced the...

Maison L’Occitane en Provence has re‑launched its Aromachologie amenities collection for premium hotels, restaurants and wellness centres. The line now features a semi‑transparent 300 ml RPET dispenser and 1‑litre recycled‑plastic refills, alongside a new matte black bracket option. All products are...

Royal Airways, Chad's emerging carrier, announced plans to launch a subsidiary in Cameroon, marking its first foray beyond national borders. The move targets the Central African market, leveraging the airline's existing ATR42‑300 fleet for regional routes. International operations are projected...

British design brand Deadgood has launched a new rug collection inspired by abstract elements such as mossy textures, sea‑edge vistas and the graphic lines of pink wafer biscuits. The range uses high‑performance digital printing to deliver bold patterns with a...

Fly Elite, a Lagos‑based aircraft management specialist, has added its first Bombardier Challenger 604 to its fleet, marking the company’s entry into the larger business‑jet segment. The 2004‑built jet, configured for up to ten passengers, completed its inaugural flight on 10 February,...

Avinor has launched a trial at its Remote Tower Centre in Bodø that lets a single AFIS representative manage multiple airports from one workstation. The pilot covers four airport pairs – Rørvik‑Namsos, Mehamn‑Hasvik, Vardø‑Berlevåg and Røst‑Svolvær – and operates under...

AirX has secured approval from Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation under the Part 129 framework, allowing the Malta‑based private jet operator to expand its charter services within the Kingdom. The company currently operates a fleet of 21 aircraft, including...

Signature Aviation introduced Signature Vision, a digital portal that consolidates reservations, service updates, and pricing for its customers. The platform offers trip management, real‑time notifications, and visibility into location‑based pricing across fuel types. It also integrates enrollment in the BRAVO...

Kelli Valade has been appointed president of the Women’s Foodservice Forum, succeeding Therese Gearhart. Valade arrives from a string of C‑suite roles, most recently as CEO of Denny’s and previously leading Red Lobster, Chili’s Bar & Grill, and analytics firm Black Box Intelligence. In her new...

Eddie Flores, co‑founder of L&L Hawaiian Barbecue and chairman of L&L Franchise, Inc., will deliver the opening keynote at the Restaurant Franchising & Innovation Summit in San Diego on March 16‑18, 2026. In his talk, “Franchising the American Dream,” he...

Railbookers Group announced the appointment of Nick Lim as Vice President for Asia, bolstering its executive team in the region. Lim brings more than 25 years of travel‑industry experience, most recently serving as CEO, Asia at The Travel Corporation. He...

Aviramp has installed a solar‑powered, step‑free boarding ramp at Ireland West Airport in Knock. The ramp offers a gentle slope, added passenger shelter, and is designed for wheelchair users, parents with prams and other travelers with reduced mobility. Airport operations...

Palisociety will launch its first Beverly Hills property, The Hôtel Lili, in April 2026. The 1939 private residence has been transformed into a 44‑room boutique hotel that fuses European‑inspired style with classic Los Angeles charm. Design highlights include soft whites,...

Visa’s latest Spending Momentum Index shows travel as the fastest‑growing consumer category in Asia‑Pacific, expanding about 2.5 times faster than overall spend in 2025. Cross‑border card use surged as tourists adopted digital wallets, while affluent consumers generated roughly three‑quarters of...

Reykjavik Keflavik International Airport is modernising its decades‑old arrivals area, with construction slated for completion in spring 2026. The project expands the arrivals lobby, upgrades the customs corridor and adds new service counters for car‑rental firms. Retail space is being enlarged,...
Shanghai welcomed 9.36 million inbound visitors in 2025, a 39.6% year‑over‑year increase, marking a robust tourism rebound. Growth was driven by diversified source markets, notably South Korea, Russia and Southeast Asia, and by improved visa policies and airline connectivity that doubled...
Emirates has signed an interline agreement with Hangzhou‑based Loong Air, instantly adding 22 Chinese domestic destinations to its network. The deal lets passengers book single‑ticket itineraries with coordinated baggage and fare rules, extending Emirates’ reach into secondary cities such as...

Birmingham Airport has launched BABS, an AI‑powered virtual assistant developed with Hello Lamp Post, as part of its Connected Personal Experiences (CPE) rollout. Passengers can access BABS via smartphones or digital kiosks for instant answers on check‑in, gate locations, dining...

The episode highlights inventory management as a critical, yet often overlooked, driver of restaurant profitability, explaining how accurate counts affect food costs, waste, labor efficiency, and customer satisfaction. It details the challenges of manual, inconsistent inventory practices and the financial...

The episode explores how rising labor costs, inflation, and the surge in grab‑and‑go have turned packaging from a backstage operational detail into a front‑line driver of profitability, efficiency, and consumer trust in foodservice. Inline Plastics explains its practical approach—expanding formats,...

AirAsia X will resume London Gatwick service with daily flights from Kuala Lumpur starting 26 June, routing through its new Bahrain hub. The airline will operate Airbus A330 aircraft offering a Premium Flatbed product that sits between economy and traditional business class....

The ACI Report 2026 reveals that workforce mobility and talent shortages remain acute in the travel, tourism and hospitality sector despite broader market stabilization. Unemployment rose to 6% from 2% last year, and 58% of respondents intend to change jobs...

Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2026, scheduled for May 4‑7 at Dubai World Trade Centre, anticipates a 13.95% compound annual growth in Asia‑Pacific exhibitor participation through 2026. The surge reflects strong GCC demand for destinations such as Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam and...

BWH Hotels is launching the BW Premier Collection soft brand in Southeast Asia with the Costamigo Phan Thiet resort in Vietnam. The beachfront property will feature 150 rooms, 34 villas, and extensive leisure amenities such as an infinity pool, Mediterranean...

British Airways cabin crew members were hospitalized after unknowingly consuming cannabis‑infused gummies presented by a passenger following a London‑Los Angeles flight. The edibles contained a high 300 mg dose of THC, causing panic, disorientation and intense anxiety before the crew recovered...

Qatar Airways Privilege Club has introduced a 30% transfer bonus for moving Avios into ALL Accor hotel points, improving the rate from 3,500 Avios per 1,000 points to 1,300 points per 3,500 Avios. The bonus lifts the effective value of...

JetBlue is rapidly expanding its presence at Fort Lauderdale‑Hollywood International Airport as Spirit Airlines enters a second Chapter 11 filing, shrinking its South Florida operations. The Florida hub, once Spirit’s growth engine, now offers JetBlue valuable slots and gate capacity. Airport...

The aviation industry is moving beyond hype as AI, cloud, biometrics and automation begin to deliver operational gains. Recent pilots in generative AI for disruption management, biometric boarding and dynamic retailing have shown tangible efficiency improvements. However, entrenched legacy systems,...

Airlines are moving beyond hype to embed AI, biometrics and cloud tools into daily operations, yet success hinges on leadership, data integration and talent. Recent pilots in disruption management, biometric boarding and dynamic retail have shown measurable efficiency gains. Persistent...

In this episode, Stratas Foods’ Joshua Tuinstra explains how cottonseed oil serves as a high‑performance, versatile cooking oil for foodservice operators. He highlights its high smoke point, natural antioxidant stability, and neutral flavor, which deliver consistent texture and taste across...

Construction broke ground on The Chambray, a 125‑key boutique hotel in historic downtown Roswell, slated to open in summer 2027. Developed by DSM Real Estate Partners and Stafford Development, the property will be operated by Indigo Road Hospitality Group and...

Princess Senses The Mangrove reopened on February 1 and Princess Grand Jamaica on March 1, restoring two all‑inclusive resorts on Jamaica’s North Coast after Hurricane Melissa. The adult‑only Mangrove offers 401 ocean‑view suites and 14 overwater villas, while the family‑friendly Grand Jamaica...

Comcast Advertising and Adara have unveiled a joint measurement platform that links Comcast’s premium video‑viewing data with Adara’s first‑party travel booking and revenue data. The solution provides advertisers with direct attribution of TV and streaming ads to actual traveler bookings,...

Hospitality Design announced the 2026 Women in Design Awards honorees, recognizing six influential leaders during a breakfast session at the HD Expo + Conference on May 5. The awardees include Grace Escaño‑Maniatis (Auberge Collection), Heather Holdridge (Lake Flato), Kavitha Iyer (global...