Cathay Pacific connects Hong Kong and Seattle: Cathay Pacific officially launched its non-stop passenger flights between Hong Kong and Seattle, providing customers with the only direct connection between the airline’s home city and Washington State’s vibrant cultural and tech capital. Operating five times per week, the new service extends the airline’s passenger network in North America to a total of nine destinations. As part of Cathay’s 80th anniversary celebrations, the inaugural Hong Kong-Seattle flight was operated by the airline’s special-edition Airbus A350 aircraft featuring its iconic “lettuce leaf sandwich” livery, honouring eight decades of moving its home city, people and customers forward since 1946. Cathay Chief Customer and Commercial Officer Lavinia Lau said: “As we celebrate ‘80 Years Together’ connecting Hong Kong with the world, the launch of our Seattle service highlights the deepening ties between two global centres of innovation, culture, and commerce. Seattle’s spirit of creativity and entrepreneurship mirrors Hong Kong’s own energy, making this route especially meaningful for us. Through the Cathay Group’s investment of well over HK$100 billion into our fleet, cabin products, lounges and digital innovation, we are committed to offering customers a seamless and elevated travel experience whether they are travelling to Hong Kong or connecting to onward destinations through our global network covering more than 100 destinations worldwide. This new service not only enhances connectivity for business and leisure travellers but also reinforces our role in supporting Hong Kong’s position as a leading international aviation hub.”

Leon Software Welcomes Himalaya Airlines to Its Growing Global Community: Leon Software announced that Himalaya Airlines has officially joined the expanding Leon community. Based in Kathmandu, Himalaya Airlines is an international carrier established in 2014 as a Nepal-China joint venture, with a mission to enhance global connectivity while supporting tourism and trade development in Nepal. By adopting Leon’s cloud-based operational platform, Himalaya Airlines aims to strengthen its fleet and crew management capabilities while optimizing daily flight operations. The integration will support the airline in improving efficiency, enhancing operational transparency, and enabling data-driven decision-making across its organisation. Himalaya Airlines currently operates a fleet of four aircraft, including three Airbus A320-214 and one Airbus A319-115. With Leon Software’s advanced scheduling and operational tools, the airline is well-positioned to streamline workflows and scale its operations effectively in a competitive international market.

New uniforms for flyadeal cabin crew: Flyadeal in Saudi Arabia has unveiled a newly designed cabin crew uniform which debuted across its four operational bases during Eid Al Fitr. Representing flyadeal’s continued evolution as a modern Saudi airline, combining style, inclusivity and practicality, the new-look reflects the airline’s youthful and vibrant identity – from flyadeal’s signature ‘equal sign’ logo subtly woven into the design, to the flexible comfort offered to crew. Designed with both cultural considerations and practicality in mind, the uniform respects traditional modesty preferences. Crew have flexible styling options, allowing personalisation within brand guidelines to suit them in a working environment, both in the air and on the ground. A distinctive feature is the necktie, scarf and hijab, decoratively complementing flyadeal’s logo and core purple brand colours. This subtle design element reinforces the airline’s philosophy of equality in travel, also serving to distinguish levels of seniority among crew, now totalling over 700. A collaborative effort between flyadeal’s inhouse design team and Saudi company Al-Harithy Tailoring, the refined design, look and feel also involved the crew department for feedback along the journey from creation to execution.

ITA Airways joins Star Alliance: Star Alliance officially welcomed ITA Airways as its newest member, marking the completion of the Italian carrier’s integration into the world’s largest airline alliance. ITA Airways marked its entry into the Alliance during a ceremony held at the Piazza di Spagna Lounge, Rome Fiumicino Airport Terminal 3. The ceremony was presided over by ITA Airways Chief Executive Officer and General Manager Joerg Eberhart, Star Alliance Chief Executive Officer Theo Panagiotoulias, and Lufthansa Group Chief Commercial Officer Dieter Vranckx, in the presence of media and institutional guests. Starting April 1, ITA Airways will be fully connected into the Alliance’s global network, linking its Rome Fiumicino hub and Milan Linate airport, served by 17 Star Alliance members collectively, with more than 1,150 destinations worldwide. Customers travelling across the network can now benefit from through check-in, reciprocal frequent flyer recognition and access to Star Alliance lounges, creating a more seamless customer experience, in and out of Italy. Celebrating the milestone, Star Alliance Chief Executive Officer Theo Panagiotoulias said: “On behalf of our members, I am delighted to welcome ITA Airways as the 26th member of Star Alliance. This is the result of a focused and collaborative integration effort. With ITA Airways on board, we not only expand our network to and from Italy, but also elevate the connected experience of our customers when travelling across multiple airlines, through access to the world’s largest network of airport lounges, more comprehensive loyalty benefits, and other benefits like baggage tracking – all designed to enhance the journey at every step.”

Gategroup and KLM announce strategic partnership: Gategroup and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines have reached an agreement for gategroup to acquire a majority stake in KLM Catering Services (KCS). This landmark transaction establishes a long-term strategic partnership designed to redefine the future of inflight catering for KLM airlines at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. Upon completion of the transaction, gategroup will acquire a 75% stake in KCS, with KLM retaining a 25% share. This structure ensures a shared commitment to the long-term success of the business while allowing KLM to focus on its core airline operations. The partnership merges gategroup’s global culinary expertise and operational scale with KCS’s deep-rooted heritage and local experience. To support the partnership’s ambitious goals, gategroup will invest in a flagship catering facility at Amsterdam Schiphol. This facility is designed to set a new global benchmark for the industry by integrating advanced automation, the highest environmental sustainability standards, and a modern work environment dedicated to employee wellbeing. This partnership allows KLM to sharpen its strategic focus on core airline operations while leveraging gategroup’s specialised global expertise to elevate its catering services. Together, the partners are dedicated to delivering a distinctive onboard experience for KLM passengers, defined by operational reliability, culinary innovation, and a shared commitment to sustainability.

Credits: Airlines

The post Airline Industry Newsletter – April 1, 2026 first appeared on AircrewNews.com.

Rome’s Fiumicino International Airport has sought to streamline the process by opening one of the first on-site hotels at a major European airport, following a similar initiative in Frankfurt. Dog Relais’ workers even retrieve pups from the terminal so travelers can proceed straight to their flight.

“This project is fitting into a strategy to provide a very immersive experience to passengers,” said Marilena Blasi, chief commercial officer at Aeroporti di Roma, the company that manages Italian capital’s two airports. “In this case, we provide services to dogs and the owners of the dogs.”

Basic rooms at the dog hotel cost about €40 ($47) and feature temperature-controlled floors and private gardens. More timid or solitary dogs can be placed in kennels at the edge of the facility, where they interact with staff rather than other dogs in the common grass pens. At night, ambient music that has a frequency with a low, soft tone — 432 hertz — designed for relaxation is piped in through the rooms’ speakers.

There are optional extras that range from the usual grooming, bathing and cleaning teeth services, to the more indulgent, such as aromatherapy with lavender or peppermint scents to help induce calm, or arnica cream rubbed into aching muscles and joints.

Owners unsatisfied with standard-issue webcams for checking in on their canines from afar can spring for a €60 (about $70) premium room equipped with a screen for round-the-clock videocalls. They can even pamper their pet by tossing a treat via an application connected to a dispenser.

The facility not only provides its services to travelers, but also to dog owners who need daycare.

Working in human resources for Aeroporti di Roma, Alessandra Morelli regularly leaves her 2-year-old, chocolate-colored Labrador Retriever there.

“Since I’ve been able to bring Nina to this dog hotel, my life, and the balance between my personal and professional life have changed because it allows me to enjoy my working day and my personal travels in total peace and tranquility,” said Morelli, 47.

Dario Chiassarini, 32, said he started bringing his Rottweiler puppy, Athena, to Dog Relais for training, another service on offer, because it’s clean, well-organized and its location was easily accessible. And he said he plans to check his beloved pup into the hotel whenever he and his girlfriend need to travel.

“We will rely on them without hesitation and without doubt — both because we got to know the people who work here, which for us is essential, and because of the love they have for animals and the peace of mind of knowing who we are entrusting Athena to,” said Chiassarini, who works in car sales. “It is certainly a service that, if we should need it, we will make use of.”

The dog hotel has proved popular so far. All 40 rooms were occupied in August, when Italians take their customary summer vacation and millions of passengers come through Fiumicino. Occupancy averaged almost 2/3 since doors opened in May, said Blasi.

The same month the dog hotel opened, Italy’s commercial aviation authority changed rules to allow large dogs to fly inside plane cabins for domestic flights, provided they are inside secured crates. The first such flight will take off on Sept. 23, according to transport minister, Matteo Salvini.

Salvini admits that while many are happy with having their pups on the plane, others may feel annoyed. However, at a pet conference on Sept. 16, he said: “We always have to use judgment, but … for me it’s a source of pride, as well as a step forward from the point of view of civilization.”

Credits: Rome Airport

The post Rome’s airport opens luxurious dog hotel with pampering services first appeared on AircrewNews.com.