The flag carrier will fly between London Gatwick and Entebbe four times a week, utilising its state-of-the art Airbus A330-800neo, offering convenient connections for both business and leisure travellers. 

The airport says the new route is a “significant milestone” in Gatwick’s strategy to develop routes across Africa, following the arrival of Ethiopian Airlines in November 2023, and shows the airport’s commitment to expanding its reach into high-growth markets. The flight times will also provide seamless onward connections to 14 destinations throughout sub-Sharan Africa.   

The direct link to Entebbe is expected to boost trade, tourism and investment between the UK and Uganda. In 2024, total UK trade with Uganda was valued at £606m, with UK exports to Uganda totalling £483m. With more than 200,000 Ugandans residing in the UK, the new service is poised to meet the growing demand for direct travel options, fostering closer ties between the two nations. 

Jonathan Pollard, Chief Commercial Officer, London Gatwick said: “We are delighted to welcome Uganda Airlines to London Gatwick. This new route not only strengthens our position as a key gateway to Africa but also supports our vision of fostering economic growth and connectivity, particularly among new markets across Africa, Asia and the Middle East.  

Jennifer Bamuturaki, CEO, Uganda Airlines said: “This new London route marks a major milestone in Uganda Airlines’ expansion strategy and reinforces our mission to connect Uganda to the world.  

“We are thrilled to offer UK travellers a direct, convenient path to the Pearl of Africa where they can experience unrivalled wildlife, breathtaking landscapes, and warm Ugandan hospitality. We invite the world to come and discover the magic of our country.” 

Many fliers heading from Europe to South Asia were facing longer journeys as the India-Pakistan conflict meant significant route changes.

The sudden escalation in military activity meant that Pakistan airspace was being avoided by major airlines including British Airways with a watching brief on Indian routes in case the situation deteriorated even further.

The re-routing means long journey times for passengers as well as additional fuel costs for airlines already suffering from tight margins.

Airlines avoiding Pakistan airspace include BA, Lufthansa, Air France-KLM and Emirates with approaches from the Indian Ocean necessary for important Indian destinations including Delhi and Mumbai.

A host of smaller Indian airports near the Pakistan border have been closed to comical traffic because of the simmering tensions.

The airline originally opened the route in 2019 but it was suspended shortly afterwards as the Covid pandemic took hold and it has subsequently been impacted by the military operation in Gaza which has particularly affected tourist traffic.

A statement from the airline said: “After careful consideration, our partners at Virgin Atlantic have taken the difficult decision to cancel services between London Heathrow and Tel Aviv.

“Virgin Atlantic will continue to serve Tel Aviv as the only UK airline to have a partnership with EL AL, Israel’s national carrier, on services between Tel Aviv Ben Gurion and London Heathrow.

“The codeshare partnership with EL AL offers connections between Israel, the UK and the US, specifically to Las Vegas, Miami, New York and Atlanta.

“This allows customers greater flexibility, frequencies with up to four daily flights, choice when selecting travel between Israel and the UK and reciprocal loyalty benefits.”

British Airways currently operates flights between Heathrow and Tel Aviv, while Wizz Air serves the city from Luton.

It is possible to buy flights on the Virgin website but they are operated by El-Al.

Although expected to be an important route for corporate traffic, the new service which starts on 29 March 2026 is expected to bring mainly leisure travellers attracted by the food culture and amazing shopping. Needless to say, the emerging worldwide popularity of South Korea’s pop culture, K-pop, is a perfect fit for Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin brand.

The airline also believes it will be a significant connecting point for other destinations in the region such as Japan and China. It will use Boeing 787-9 aircraft on the route with departures from Heathrow at 0945 and departures from Incheon at 0835. Flight time is usually around 12 hours.

It’s the airline’s first route to the Kingdom and it expects to capitalise on substantial growth prospects in both business and personal travel.

Riyadh is home to an important downtown business district, F1 circuit, theme park, shopping and entertainment complexes. It’s also an excellent base to explore this vast country and in partnership with Virgin’s SkyTeam partner Saudia, visitors can connect to the various UNESCO World Heritage sites of historical Jeddah plus the Red Sea resorts.

Virgin has created a ‘Riyadh core crew’ for the route who have undertaken specialist training in Saudi culture. Arabic coffee is served and halal meals are available throughout flights.

The route uses Airbus A330neo jets with summer schedule takeoffs from Heathrow at 2225 and the return takeoff at 1150.

A statement said that the second flight will initially be added on four days of the week, providing greater convenience and choice to guests, while enhancing connectivity to key onward destinations served by its oneworld Alliance partners, particularly in North America. By summer 2026, the airline will be operating 14 return flights per week from Muscat to London.

It’s the only airline to operate this route from Heathrow and it’s the first time it’s flown twice daily since the covid pandemic. Flights operate from Heathrow’s Terminal 4.

Con Korfiatis, Chief Executive Officer of Oman Air, said, “We’re proud to restore our double-daily service to meet the robust demand from our guests. London has always been a cornerstone of our international network, and the UK represents one of our largest inbound tourism markets, so this enhancement not only strengthens our presence on this key route but also supports Oman’s wider tourism ambitions. As we continue to grow, and particularly as we prepare to join oneworld, we remain focused on unlocking market potential, while consistently delivering an exceptional travel experience.”

The enhanced schedule will see two daily flights on Mondays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, offering guests increased opportunities for same-day connections to the US and other long-haul destinations. The service will be operated by the latest generation B787-9 Dreamliner aircraft featuring Oman Air’s signature three-cabin configuration: Business Studio, Business Class and Economy Class. 

For the newly added schedule, the outbound flight will depart from Muscat at 01:40 and arrive in London at 05:55, while the return flight will depart from London at 08:25 and arrive in Muscat at 19:35.

The wifi is described as Delta Sync Wi-Fi and is linked to the T-Mobile system.

In addition, Delta has begun equipping its regional aircraft, starting with the CRJ-700, with this upgraded service. The Boeing 717 fleet is also set to be retrofitted with a pioneering dual-network connectivity solution, scheduled for completion by early 2026.

Wifi is increasingly being offered by airlines particularly on long-haul routes, although most charge for it as part of the inflight service. Apart from the opportunity to while away the long hours on a computer or mobile phone, it can be crucially important for business travellers and is seen as significant option.

Jake

Delta Introduces Fast, Free Wi-Fi on Transatlantic Routes and Regional Aircraft

Delta Air Lines has expanded its on-board connectivity by launching complimentary, high-speed Wi-Fi on most transatlantic services to Europe, Israel, and West Africa – a significant step toward the airline’s ambition to provide free Wi-Fi across its full international network.

Key highlights include:

• Transatlantic Rollout: As of early April, passengers on transatlantic flights can enjoy free Delta Sync Wi-Fi, enhancing connectivity during long-haul travel.
• Regional Jet Upgrades: The CRJ-700 is the first of Delta’s regional fleet to be outfitted with free Wi-Fi, with further aircraft to follow as part of a phased rollout.
• Boeing 717 Enhancements: Delta will begin retrofitting its Boeing 717 aircraft with a first-of-its-kind dual-network connectivity system. The upgrade is set to commence in Q4 and complete by early 2026.

These enhancements reinforce Delta’s focus on elevating the customer experience and keeping travellers connected at every stage of their journey.

The inaugural flight landed in Tel Aviv (TLV) on April 5, marking the airline’s return to the route which was halted in September 2023 due to heightened security concerns in the region. Initially the airline is operating one daily service although this will increase to two daily flights from April 20, 2025.

The return of BA has been welcomed by many travellers who have struggled to find international flight options during the shut-down. Despite the reduction in tourist traffic because of the ongoing Gaza conflict, Israel remains on important business destination as well as significant for personal travel.

British Airways is not alone in its return. Several international airlines have recently re-entered the Israeli market. United Airlines restarted its flights to Tel Aviv on March 16, and Delta Air Lines followed closely behind with its own resumption on April 1, 2025.

Both routes operate from London Heathrow and have been carefully timed so customers can take advantage of onward connections across the two continents and further afield.

BA will operate daily flights to KL with return flights from London starting at £574 and to Tbilisi four times a week starting from £244 return.

The airline also recently expanded its codeshare partnership with Malaysia Airlines, giving customers more travel options and seamless onward connections to more than 17 routes from Kuala Lumpur. This includes travel to key destinations available to book as part of a single ticket, such as Australia, New Zealand, Cambodia, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam*. 

This flight resumption underpins British Airways’ continued investment in Asia Pacific, expanding travel options between the UK and Malaysia while strengthening business, tourism and cultural ties. The airline also recently resumed flights from London Gatwick to Bangkok as well as broadened its codeshare agreement with Bangkok Airways, enabling seamless connections from Bangkok to the six popular holiday destinations of Koh Samui, Phuket, Chiang Mai, Krabi, Phnom Penh and Siem Reap.

British Airways has also welcomed Tbilisi back into its route network, after its last scheduled service in 2013.

Located at the crossroads where Europe meets Asia, Georgia is known for its rich history, vibrant culture, traditional cuisine and picturesque scenery. The country proudly lays claim to being the birthplace of wine, with an 8,000-year-old history of winemaking that remains an important part of its culture today.

As part of its short-haul network, customers travelling to Tbilisi have the choice of two cabins – Club Europe (business class) and Euro Traveller (economy) – with return fares starting from £244. Euro Traveller customers enjoy a complimentary drink and snack, while Club Europe customers have lounge access, a full meal service, priority boarding and additional baggage allowance included in their ticket.

British Airways’ Chief Planning and Strategy Officer, Neil Chernoff, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Malaysia and Georgia back to our network, both of which are two key destinations that our customers know and love.

“Our teams have worked hard to bring these routes firmly back on our route map, meaning customers have more choice when it comes to travel for work or pleasure across Europe, Asia and beyond. From the birthplace of wine to one of the most connected cities in Asia, we hope our customers take advantage of exploring somewhere new and we look forward to welcoming them on board.”