United Airlines has placed the biggest aircraft order by an individual carrier in the last decade – a whopping 270 new Boeing and Airbus planes.

Amadeus and Star Alliance have partnered to offer travellers enrolled in Star Alliance Biometrics, or Amadeus Traveller ID, the benefit of accessing a growing number of airports where identity verification can be used during their journey.

Star Alliance has completed development of an interoperable biometric identity and identification platform that it says will significantly improve the travel experience for frequent flyer programme customers of Star Alliance member airlines.

Having launched its Travel Information Hub at the end of June, Star Alliance has now unveiled a series of upgrades to assist passengers plan multi-stop itineraries.

Etihad Airways’ regional head for Australia and New Zealand, Sarah Built, says partnerships have been crucial for the Gulf airline in its 15 years of operation, but questions the value of global airline alliances.

The South African Government will develop a revamped international airline with a fresh business model and direction as the demise of the country’s flag carrier, South African Airways, is compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The three major global airline alliances – oneworld, SkyTeam and Star Alliance – have sought government and stakeholder intervention on the collapsing airline industry due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lufthansa Group Airlines has announced new flights from Frankfurt, Munich and Zurich to the capital of Slovenia, Ljubljana, following the demise of Adria Airways last week.

Star Alliance has confirmed it will terminate the participation of Brazilian airline, Ocean Air Linhas éreas S/A (formerly operating as Avianca Brasil), effective 1 September 2019. Avianca Brazil joined Star Alliance in July 2015.

SWISS International Air Lines is adding Osaka, Japan and Washington DC, USA to its long-haul route network from March 2020. The new deployments come as the airline prepares to take delivery of two new Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, resulting in a shift in its operation and freeing up existing Airbus A330/340 for new options.

Air Canada is adding new, non-stop, seasonal flights between Auckland and Vancouver, Canada. Air Canada’s flights to Vancouver will operate four times weekly onboard the carrier’s state-of-the-art flagship Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft beginning 14 December, 2019 until the end of March 2020, subject to obtaining the necessary government approvals.

United Airlines has been operating flights to Australia from the US west coast more than three decades. Last week, the Star Alliance member airline revealed it would begin a new nonstop service between San Francisco and Melbourne, complementing its existing Los Angeles–Melbourne city pairing.