Here’s the latest news from across the world of travel.
SHANGHAI: A new iconic landmark is to be unveiled with the October 17 opening of the Shanghai Grand Opera House.
Designed by Norwegian architecture firm Snøhetta in partnership with the East China Architectural Design & Research Institute, the venue is expected to become a centrepiece of Shanghai’s cultural tourism offering along the Huangpu River.
The building hosts three state-of-the-art auditoriums designed to accommodate productions of varying sizes and genres. The main auditorium seats 2,000 guests and is equipped to host grand opera, ballet, musicals and symphony concerts. A 1,200-seat theatre and a 1,000-seat venue for experimental performances, chamber music and community events complement it.
With a dramatic spiral roof, it will be open 24 hours a day year-round, and visitors can walk to the rooftop for sweeping views of the Huangpu River, Lujiazui skyline and Shanghai’s rapidly evolving Expo Houtan district.
The venue’s inaugural performance season will run from October 2026 to February 2027, featuring 82 performances across 47 productions. The diverse programme, which has yet to be revealed, is expected to showcase opera, ballet, orchestral music, theatre and contemporary performing arts.
CZECHIA: Prague-based carrier Smartwings is expanding its scheduled network for the Northern Winter 2026/27 season with new routes to Portugal, Italy and Norway.
The airline is introducing nonstop flights to Lisbon, Venice Marco Polo, and Bergen to offer travellers city breaks and leisure opportunities.
A thrice-weekly Prague–Lisbon service begins on October 23, Prague–Venice Marco Polo launches on October 22, operating four times a week, while the twice-weekly Prague–Bergen will begin on October 26.
HONG KONG: Cathay Pacific is proposing to resume daily passenger flights from Hong Kong to Dubai and four times weekly passenger flights to Riyadh from September 1 2026.
The Hong Kong home carrier stated that, as it works toward resuming flights to Dubai and Riyadh, it continues to waive rebooking, rerouting, and refund charges for existing bookings to give passengers continued flexibility to adjust their journey as needed.
Various conditions apply, such as a traveller’s ticket to or from Dubai or Riyadh must be booked on a Cathay Pacific-operated flight.
THAILAND: Thai Airways International is set to increase its international network for the Winter 2026/27 season, adding flights across Europe and restoring service to Xiamen for the first time since the pandemic.
Europe plays a prominent role in the winter expansion. Paris-CDG will see a second daily nonstop flight from December 1. Munich will increase from daily to 10 weekly flights from December 16, while Zurich will expand from seven to 11 weekly flights from January 16, 2027.
Thai is actively expanding to India. The airline will increase the Bangkok–Delhi service to 28 weekly flights starting October 25, offering four daily departures. The airline will also add extra frequencies to Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad and Kolkata. It also plans to boost frequencies to Kuala Lumpur, Manila and Penang.
INDIA: India has introduced a mandatory online health declaration for all international air travellers arriving in the country following updated guidance from the Directorate General of Health Services.
Under a June 2026 travel advisory, all passengers must complete a Self-Declaration Form (SDF) through the Air Suvidha 2.0 portal before travelling to India due to the ongoing Ebola disease outbreak. Travellers should complete the form before departure and ensure all required information is accurate to facilitate smooth airport arrival procedures and enable health authorities to assist if necessary.
The measure is designed to identify travellers who have visited Ebola-affected countries within the previous 21 days, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, and South Sudan.
The new health declaration is free of charge and is in addition to India’s existing entry requirements, including, where applicable, an e-Visa and the mandatory e-Arrival Card.
Passengers are required to provide standard travel information in English, including their name, passport details, flight information, and first address in India. After verifying the submission with a confirmation code sent by email, travellers receive a document containing a QR code, which can be printed or saved on a mobile device for presentation upon arrival.
UAE: London-Gatwick has become the latest addition to Air Arabia’s new twice-daily service to Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates. The first flight, on Saturday, July 4, marked the arrival of a new airline and destination at London-Gatwick, adding to the more than 60 airlines and 230 destinations the airport is offering passengers this summer.
Operating twice daily from the airport’s North Terminal, the route provides excellent flexibility for both business and leisure travellers. With morning and evening departures available, passengers can choose flight times that best suit their travel plans while benefiting from direct access to the UAE.
Adel Al Ali, Group Chief Executive Officer, Air Arabia, said: “The introduction of our new service to London Gatwick marks a significant addition to Air Arabia’s growing international network and reinforces our dedication to offering customers greater travel choice, convenience and value.”
VIETNAM: Low-cost carrier Vietjet has set its eyes on an ambitious expansion into Australia’s domestic aviation market.
According to reporting by the Australian Financial Review, Vietjet has applied to Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) for an Air Operator Certificate (AOC) to establish a locally incorporated airline that would operate domestic services across the country.
If approved, the airline would become the first foreign-owned carrier in more than a decade to directly challenge the dominance of Qantas and Virgin Australia on Australia’s busiest domestic routes.
The proposed startup would initially operate a fleet of 10 Boeing 737 aircraft, focusing on the lucrative Sydney-Melbourne-Brisbane “Golden Triangle,” which accounts for the largest share of Australia’s domestic air travel demand.
The carrier already flies between Vietnam and Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide using Ho Chi Minh City as its primary gateway.
ITALY: A 200 Euro fine will be issued to tourists walking around topless or in swimsuits in the Italian town of Varenna, which sits on the shores of Italy's world-famous Lake Como.
Varenna, home to approximately 650 people, welcomes hundreds of thousands of tourists every year. However, due to the high volume of visitors, which is negatively impacting daily life, the municipality has introduced new regulations aimed at preserving the town's historical character and the quality of life for its residents.
Tourists will only be allowed to wear swimwear or beachwear on the lake's beaches and during boat tours. Appropriate attire will be mandatory in the town's streets, squares, restaurants, shops, and places of worship.
Under the new regulations, organised tourist groups are being limited to a maximum of 25 people, and tour guides are prohibited from using loudspeakers. The aim is to prevent overcrowding and noise in the narrow streets of the historic town.
GLOBAL: Singapore Airlines will launch a five-times weekly route to Madrid via Barcelona on October 26. It will be the carrier’s 15th European destination. Finnair will launch its first-ever flights to Australia on October 25 with a daily service from Helsinki to Melbourne via Bangkok.
Andy Probert is a British-born, Cyprus-based journalist who covers aviation, hotels, travel, and various topics for publications worldwide.
