As the second half of 2026 rolls in, so does major news from airlines around the world that could affect Wise Travellers everywhere. So, settle in for a flyby of what's happening on your favourite airline.
Emirates
Emirates has become the first airline to introduce comprehensive travel insurance, providing up to $ 25,000 in medical expenses and support for conflict-related disruptions.
The innovative travel insurance product has been developed in partnership with Travel Guard, a subsidiary of Zurich Insurance Group. It is backed up by airline-managed hotel accommodation and extended-stay support across a range of disruption scenarios.
The Comprehensive Travel Cover caters to a wide array of potential issues, such as trip cancellations and baggage delays. It also includes an option for a complimentary trip extension of up to 30 days, ensuring that insurance does not hinge on government advisories.
Sir Tim Clark, President, Emirates Airline, said: "Listening to customer feedback, we realised that travel demand remains strong but there was a gap in the market regarding travel insurance cover. Therefore, we acted to address our customers' needs.
"Together with Travel Guard, Emirates is pleased to offer an enhanced travel insurance product that is as comprehensive as it is reassuring for a wider range of situations. With strong demand for travel in summer, we are proud to offer our customers added confidence in planning their journeys to and through Dubai when they book with Emirates."
When itineraries include connecting on other airlines or Emirates services are unavailable, Emirates will also rebook disrupted customers to their destination at no additional cost as part of the cover.
Russel Antonio, Travel Guard's Head of Global Business & Partnerships, added: "Our long-standing collaboration with Emirates is grounded in a shared commitment to elevating the customer experience. This new comprehensive travel product offers enhanced protection that sets a new benchmark in the industry."
Emirates Comprehensive Travel Cover can be purchased on emirates.com.
Qantas Airways
Qantas Airways has confirmed plans to launch the world's longest direct flight, a service of up to 22 hours nonstop between London and Sydney, from October 2027.
Under the Project Sunrise banner, Qantas is looking to make travel to Australia from long-haul destinations like London easier and eliminate the need for a stopover.
The Sydney airline said the flight would be operated by the first of its specially-modified Airbus A350-1000 jets, which will regularly make the 10,573-mile journey. The customised craft will carry 238 people, with 140 of those in economy.
The current longest regularly scheduled direct flight is Singapore Airlines’ route between its city-state base and New York City. The distance of 9,537 miles takes just under 19 hours.
Qantas Group CEO Vanessa Hudson said confirmation of the launch route marks a new dawn of travel for customers around the world. She said: "Qantas was built on the belief that Australia's distance from the rest of the world should never stand in the way. The pioneering spirit of generations of our people has forged that path ever since, and today is the most significant step in that mission in our 105-year history.
"Since we first flew the Kangaroo Route in 1947, where we stopped seven times on the way to London, every generation of aircraft has taken a stop out of the journey. Today, we're taking out the last one.
"We made a commitment in 2017 that Qantas would conquer the final frontier of long-haul aviation and connect Australia's east coast directly to London, something that has never before been possible. From October 2027 that promise becomes reality."
Singapore Airlines
Singapore Airlines has announced plans to increase route frequencies to Amsterdam, with up to 10 weekly flights between August and October 2026.
The additional Amsterdam flights will build on the launch of a new Madrid service and increased frequencies to Manchester, Munich, Milan, and London Gatwick. These flights enable the group to meet strong demand for more seamless travel options between the Asia-Pacific region and Europe.
Subject to approvals, flight SQ334 will depart Singapore for Amsterdam on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. The return flight will depart on the same days.
Mr Dai Haoyu, Senior Vice President Marketing Planning, Singapore Airlines, said: "Amsterdam has an important role in our broader European network. Through our Singapore hub, we connect travellers from the Asia-Pacific and beyond seamlessly, helping to meet the strong demand on this route."
Turkish Airlines
Turkish Airlines has received the 2026 APEX Best Food & Beverage in Europe award for the fifth time, reinforcing its position as the continent's leading airline for in-flight dining.
APEX Awards are determined through anonymous ratings from passengers. During the 2026 evaluation period, passengers rated more than one million flights operated by over 600 airlines worldwide across five categories: seat comfort, cabin service, food and beverage, in-flight entertainment, and Wi-Fi.
"We are very glad to be recognised by APEX as the Best Food & Beverage airline in Europe for the fifth time. This award speaks to the passion and craftsmanship our teams pour into every meal we serve above the clouds," said Ahmet Olmuştur, CEO of Turkish Airlines.
The airline attributes its consistent recognition to its Flying Chef program, diverse and evolving menu offerings, and a focus on combining Turkish culinary tradition with quality and authenticity.
Dr Joe Leader, CEO of APEX Group, said the award reflects an airline that has transformed in-flight dining into an expression of culture, hospitality, and national identity, describing Turkish Airlines as proving that "airline scale and aviation soul can ascend together."
Qatar Airways
Qatar Airways has unveiled plans to add 26 destinations to its network, expanding its global route map to more than 160 gateways.
In Africa, the airline resumes flights to Kigali, Rwanda; Seychelles; and Marrakesh, Morocco, alongside its previously announced Port Sudan route. In the Americas, Qatar is reinstating service to Caracas and Bogotá from July 22, returning to Philadelphia from August 1, and adding four weekly flights to Boston.
Across Asia and the Asia-Pacific, the airline returns to Adelaide, Almaty, Auckland, Baku, Osaka, Tashkent, Tbilisi, Tokyo Haneda, and Yerevan. In Europe, new and resumed services include Belgrade, Brussels, Budapest, Düsseldorf, Helsinki, Lisbon, Oslo, Prague, and Zagreb.
Qatar Airways was named World's Best Airline by Skytrax for the ninth time in 2025 and recorded an on-time performance of 84.42 per cent last year, earning a Platinum Award for Operational Excellence from aviation analytics firm Cirium.
Vietnam Airlines
Vietnam Airlines has launched a nonstop service between Hanoi and Amsterdam, becoming the first Vietnamese carrier to operate a direct route between Vietnam and the Netherlands.
The new service marks a significant milestone in the airline's international network expansion strategy and further strengthens air links between Vietnam and Europe. The inaugural flight departed Noi Bai International Airport on June 16, carrying nearly 300 passengers aboard an Airbus A350 wide-body aircraft.
Vietnam Airlines will operate three round-trip flights per week on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
Fly Beirut
Lebanon is set to launch a new low-cost airline, Fly Beirut, in 2027 with plans to expand capacity between the Gulf and Europe. The carrier's inaugural network will connect Beirut with Dubai, Istanbul, and European destinations including Paris, Copenhagen, Berlin, Amsterdam and Düsseldorf.
The carrier will operate as a low-cost subsidiary of Lebanon's national carrier, Middle East Airlines (MEA), with a fleet of five Airbus A320 aircraft. The launch forms part of MEA's broader expansion strategy, which currently serves more than 30 destinations across Europe, the Middle East and Africa from its Beirut hub.
Andy Probert is a freelance journalist whose work about global travel news, aviation, business and human-interest features has appeared internationally in print and digital formats.
