SalamAir, Oman’s prominent low-cost airline, has introduced a new WhatsApp service designed to enhance the passenger experience by delivering flight tickets and boarding passes directly through the popular messaging app. This convenient feature allows travelers to bypass the traditional hassle of sifting through emails or printing documents, making the check-in process smoother and more efficient.

For a nominal fee of 0.250 OMR per booking, customers who provide their WhatsApp number during reservation will receive automated notifications with their booking confirmation and boarding passes, although the service currently supports only one-way communication from the airline to the passenger.

This innovative move is part of SalamAir’s ongoing digital transformation efforts aimed at offering more flexible and customer-friendly travel solutions. The airline, which operates a fleet of 13 Airbus A320 and A321 aircraft and conducts over 80 daily flights, plans to expand its fleet with a new A321neo arriving in early 2025 and an additional 10 Airbus A320s by 2028, supporting its growth strategy aligned with Oman’s Vision 2040.

SalamAir’s leadership, including Chief Commercial Officer Steven Allen, has emphasized the airline’s commitment to leveraging technology to provide travelers with seamless, personalized services.

Alongside the WhatsApp ticketing service, SalamAir has recently introduced other enhancements such as Express Bag and Priority services, further improving the overall travel experience. While the WhatsApp service improves convenience, passengers are responsible for ensuring their devices have adequate connectivity to receive messages.

The airline also maintains strict privacy policies to protect customer data and limits third-party sharing to essential service functions. This latest development reinforces SalamAir’s position as a trusted and innovative carrier in the Gulf region, continuing to prioritize customer satisfaction and operational excellence.

Qatar Airways is rapidly advancing its Starlink satellite internet rollout, achieving significant milestones ahead of schedule. As of February 2025, the airline has equipped 30 Boeing 777 aircraft—over 50% of its fleet—with Starlink’s high-speed, low-latency internet. This progress comes just four months after launching the world’s first Starlink-enabled Boeing 777 flight in October 2024.

Originally planned to take two years, the retrofit process has been optimized to just 9.5 hours per aircraft, allowing installations to be completed overnight without disrupting operations or flight schedules. The entire Boeing 777 fleet is now expected to be fully upgraded by mid-2025, nearly a year ahead of initial projections.

Following the completion of the Boeing 777 upgrades, Qatar Airways will begin outfitting its Airbus A350 fleet with Starlink by summer 2025. The airline operates one of the largest A350 fleets globally, with 58 aircraft (A350-900s and A350-1000s), and plans to complete this phase within an accelerated timeline as well.

Additionally, Qatar Airways has announced plans to extend Starlink installations to its Boeing 787 Dreamliners and other wide-body aircraft by the end of 2025.

The service offers passengers complimentary high-speed internet from gate to gate, enabling seamless streaming, gaming, and work capabilities at cruising altitudes. Qatar Airways Group CEO Engr. Badr Mohammed Al-Meer described Starlink as a "game-changer," emphasizing the airline’s commitment to redefining in-flight connectivity standards.

The installations are being conducted at the airline’s Qatar Airways Technic MRO facility in Doha Hamad International Airport, ensuring adherence to safety and efficiency standards.

Beyond Starlink, Qatar Airways is also enhancing its inflight entertainment systems through a partnership with Thales, establishing a maintenance hub in Doha for quick repairs and support. By the end of 2025, all wide-body aircraft in Qatar Airways’ fleet are expected to feature Starlink connectivity, reinforcing its position as a pioneer in aviation technology and passenger experience innovation.

Shradha Dabral, a junior aircraft maintenance technician at Delhi Airport, is challenging long-standing stereotypes in the aviation industry by excelling in a field traditionally dominated by men. As part of Air India’s workforce, where women account for an impressive 46% of employees, Shradha’s role involves ensuring aircraft safety and operational readiness through meticulous pre-flight inspections, troubleshooting mechanical issues, and performing routine maintenance checks.

Her work is critical to ensuring passenger safety and maintaining the reliability of Air India’s fleet—a responsibility that demands technical expertise, problem-solving skills, and unwavering attention to detail.

Aircraft maintenance is one of the most demanding areas in aviation, requiring technicians to work under high-pressure conditions and adhere to strict deadlines. The job often involves physically intensive tasks such as inspecting engines, repairing landing gear systems, and handling heavy equipment.

Despite these challenges, Shradha has embraced her role with determination and passion. She shares that one of the most rewarding aspects of her work is witnessing the planes she has serviced take off successfully, knowing her contributions play a vital role in the aviation ecosystem.

Shradha also reflects on societal perceptions that often associate technical roles like aircraft maintenance with men due to the physical demands and complexity involved. However, she firmly believes that gender should never be a barrier to pursuing one’s dreams.

She credits Air India for fostering an inclusive environment that values merit over stereotypes, allowing her to grow professionally without bias or discrimination. Her story is a shining example of how organizations can empower women by providing equal opportunities and support.

Beyond her technical expertise, Shradha cherishes the personal connections her career has enabled her to make. One particularly memorable moment was booking a flight for her grandmother, who had never traveled by air before. Watching her grandmother experience flying for the first time was a deeply fulfilling experience that underscored the personal impact of her professional achievements.

For aspiring women looking to enter aviation maintenance or other technical fields, Shradha offers valuable advice: focus on building your skills, stay resilient in the face of challenges, and don’t let societal expectations define your path. She emphasizes that the growing presence of women in aviation is gradually breaking barriers and inspiring change across the industry. 

Programs like mentorship initiatives, scholarships for women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), and targeted recruitment campaigns are also helping pave the way for more female representation in technical roles.

Shradha’s journey highlights not only her personal triumphs but also broader shifts within the aviation sector. As more women step into roles traditionally dominated by men—such as pilots, engineers, and technicians—they are reshaping perceptions and proving that success knows no gender.

Her story serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of inclusivity and equal opportunities in empowering individuals to achieve their full potential in challenging yet rewarding careers like aircraft maintenance.

In a groundbreaking move to enhance its technological infrastructure and sustainability efforts, the Emirates Group has partnered with Moro Hub, a subsidiary of Digital DEWA, to relocate its data center operations to the world’s largest solar-powered data facility at the Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park.

This facility, certified by Guinness World Records™, operates entirely on clean energy generated by the solar park, which has a capacity of 3,000 megawatts annually. The relocation is expected to begin in mid-2026, with Moro Hub providing comprehensive services such as rack space, power, cooling, equipment supply, and other essential co-location services.

This strategic move is part of Emirates' broader strategy to reduce its carbon footprint and enhance operational efficiency.

This collaboration aligns with Dubai’s Clean Energy Strategy 2050 and Net Zero Carbon Emissions Strategy 2050, reinforcing the city’s position as a global leader in sustainable innovation. HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA, highlighted that this partnership demonstrates Dubai's commitment to digital transformation and sustainable aviation while driving economic growth through innovation.

Michael Doersam, Emirates Group’s Chief Financial & Group Services Officer, emphasized that the transition to Moro Hub will bolster operational resilience and scalability while significantly reducing the Group’s environmental footprint. The partnership will also enable Emirates to leverage advanced data analytics and AI technologies, enhancing its customer experience and operational efficiency.

The Emirates Group views this move as pivotal for its next phase of growth and expansion. It underscores its dedication to adopting green technologies and advancing its sustainability agenda. Moro Hub’s state-of-the-art facility spans over 16,031 square meters and represents a significant step toward integrating clean energy solutions into large-scale digital operations.

This partnership not only strengthens Dubai’s reputation as a hub for technological excellence but also positions the Emirates Group as a leader in environmentally conscious business practices. Furthermore, the use of solar power will help Emirates reduce its reliance on traditional energy sources, contributing to a more sustainable aviation industry.

The collaboration is also expected to foster innovation in data management and cloud services, supporting Emirates' ongoing digital transformation efforts.

Turkish Technic and IndiGo have significantly expanded their partnership through a major agreement signed at MRO Middle East 2025, further solidifying their collaboration in the aviation maintenance sector. This agreement focuses on redelivery checks for more than 10 Airbus A320neo aircraft from IndiGo's fleet, showcasing the Indian carrier's trust in Turkish Technic's expertise.

The redelivery checks will be conducted at Turkish Technic's state-of-the-art facilities located at Istanbul Ataturk and Sabiha Gokcen airports. These advanced maintenance centers are equipped with cutting-edge technology and staffed by highly skilled engineers, ensuring a comprehensive and efficient inspection process for IndiGo's aircraft.

The redelivery process typically involves several key steps, including assembling definitive aircraft records, creating a "redelivery book/binder" with up-to-date status sheets, verifying compliance files for Airworthiness Directives, modifications, repairs, and components, sharing draft maintenance check packs and work scopes with stakeholders, conducting final acceptance/test flights and engine high-powered assurance runs, and completing and auditing the final technical aircraft return data package.

This meticulous approach ensures that all aircraft meet the highest standards of safety and performance before being returned to service.

Beyond the redelivery checks, Turkish Technic and IndiGo are in advanced discussions regarding an additional agreement for the Landing Gear Overhaul operations of IndiGo's Airbus A320neo fleet. This potential expansion of their partnership would further enhance IndiGo's maintenance strategy by leveraging Turkish Technic's expertise in high-quality component repairs and overhauls. 

Such collaborations not only strengthen the operational efficiency of IndiGo but also underscore Turkish Technic's growing presence in the Indian aviation sector, as demonstrated by similar agreements with other major Indian carriers.

This strengthened partnership is expected to significantly improve IndiGo's operational efficiency and maintain the highest standards of aircraft performance and regulatory compliance. It also reflects Turkish Technic's growing influence in the global MRO market, with substantial growth in external sales and an expanding workforce to support its increasing customer base.

Turkish Technic experienced a 27% increase in external sales in the first half of 2024 and over 25% growth in 2023, leading to a workforce expansion of more than 10% to 10,500 staff in 2023. This collaboration between Turkish Technic and IndiGo not only strengthens their existing relationship but also contributes to the overall advancement of the Indian aviation industry by ensuring world-class maintenance standards for one of its largest carriers.

iGA Istanbul Airport has introduced the iGA WiFi and Turkish Airlines (TK) WiFi networks, enhancing internet services for travelers. Now, all passengers traveling from iGA Istanbul Airport can enjoy free and unlimited internet access through two distinct methods. This advanced system not only caters to Turkish Airlines passengers but also ensures easy connectivity for all other travelers.

Collaborative Free WiFi Service

In collaboration with Turkish Airlines, iGA aims to provide a seamless and user-friendly internet experience. As part of this partnership, passengers flying with Turkish Airlines can connect to the TK WiFi network before and during their flights.

TK WiFi Access for Turkish Airlines Travelers

Turkish Airlines passengers can enjoy unlimited internet access at iGA Istanbul Airport by connecting to the TK WiFi network using one of two methods:

1. SMS Login: After selecting the TK WiFi network, passengers can opt for “Login via SMS.” They simply enter their phone number and receive a password via SMS to gain internet access through the portal.

2. Ticket Number Login: Passengers who have completed check-in can activate their internet access by entering their ticket number, seat number, and surname on the portal opened after selecting the TK WiFi network.

iGA WiFi Access for All Guests

Guests not flying with Turkish Airlines can also enjoy free internet by connecting to the iGA WiFi network through the following options:

1. Mobile Phone Login: After selecting the iGA WiFi network, guests can choose the “login via mobile phone” option. By entering their phone number, they will receive an access password via SMS, which they can then use to connect.

2. Access Code Login: Passengers who wish to use the iGA WiFi network can scan their passports or IDs at kiosks located throughout the terminal. After scanning, they will receive an access code to enter on the portal and connect to the iGA WiFi network.

iGA Istanbul Airport is committed to enhancing travel experiences by providing free internet access. With tailored options for Turkish Airlines passengers and convenient methods for all guests, accessing the internet at iGA Istanbul Airport has never been easier.