As summer begins, customers are given the opportunity to plan ahead for their winter vacations with enhanced options to explore the Caribbean and Latin America via American Airlines. In the winter of 2024, American Airlines is set to expand its leading position in the short-haul international sector with the introduction of eight new routes and increased frequencies, surpassing any other U.S. airline in service offerings to these regions.

“American provides more incentives than ever for travelers seeking direct access to tropical enjoyment this year,” stated Brian Znotins, American’s Senior Vice President of Network and Schedule Planning. “We are thrilled to be expanding our service to these destinations, offering more winter flights to the Caribbean and Latin America than any other U.S. airline has before.”

The winter schedule of American Airlines will see an 11% increase in departures and a 10% increase in seating capacity compared to its record-high winter schedule of 2023. Starting May 20, tickets for these routes will be on sale through American’s website and mobile app.

Introducing new routes for beach-bound adventures
This winter, American Airlines will introduce services to one new destination and seven additional routes, opening up a mix of well-known and lesser-known locales for travelers. American stands out as the sole major U.S. airline to serve St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVD) and will become the exclusive U.S. carrier to offer flights to La Romana, Dominican Republic (LRM). These destinations are among over 20 others in the region where American provides unique nonstop services from the U.S.

Expanded services on favorite routes
American Airlines will also prolong the availability of many routes to the Caribbean and Latin America, ensuring that over 98% of its peak seasonal schedule is available throughout the entire winter season. Starting in December, the airline will also increase its services on 16 well-traveled routes.

Today, Margaritaville, the global lifestyle brand, and Grupo Los Pueblos, a leading developer in the Republic of Panama, announced a new beachfront condo destination in Playa Caracol. Set to debut in mid-2027, Margaritaville Beach Resort & Residences Playa Caracol will blend local cultural and architectural traditions to offer a distinctive experience in design and food & beverage while embracing classic Margaritaville amenities such as the 5 o’Clock Somewhere Bar and License to Chill Bar & Grill. Designed by The McBride Company, the location will offer both full-time living and rental opportunities, marking a new lodging option within the Margaritaville portfolio.

Travel experts note that Panama City is attracting tourists, digital nomads, and expats, and is poised to be a top destination in 2024, according to Forbes.

Located 1 hour and 10 minutes from Panama City in the Chame District, Playa Caracol is a growing tourist and residential area, offering beautiful views of the Gulf of Panama and glimpses of Otoque and Bona Islands. The district features miles of pristine beaches, diverse cultural offerings, traditional festivals, local culinary experiences, water sports, and more. Nearby Coronado offers shopping, golf, and other recreational activities. Panama also boasts excellent accessibility with numerous direct flights from international hubs, including major cities in the United States such as New York, Miami, Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, and Dallas.

“At Margaritaville, we’re always looking for locations that are diverse and multifaceted, so Playa Caracol was the perfect destination to introduce this new way to live. In addition to its growing popularity as a retirement destination, Panama is a bright and inspirational country that brings together elements of fast-paced business with a relaxing lifestyle, similar to Margaritaville’s ethos,” said Tamara Baldanza-Dekker, Chief Marketing Officer at Margaritaville. “Honoring the historic elements of the area and its vibrant future, Margaritaville Beach Resort & Residences Playa Caracol will feature thoughtful design inspired by the country’s energy as a global hub as well as its dynamic landscapes.”

Developed by Grupo Los Pueblos, Margaritaville Beach Resort & Residences Playa Caracol will feature a total of 261 residences, including 80 cottages and 181 high-rise multi-family units, available for full-time living or rental. With resort-style amenities and a modern feel, the units will feature contemporary, island-inspired design elements and range from 750 sq. ft. to 1,500 sq. ft., with prices starting in the $300,000s.

“We are thrilled to bring the Margaritaville lifestyle to a destination as distinct as Panama,” said Alfredo Alemán, CEO of Grupo Los Pueblos. “As a modern metropolis and regional hub, Panama City offers world-class services, including international banks, malls, hospitals, cruise terminals, convention centers, and the region’s best-interconnected airport. Our beachfront location boasts a comprehensive amenities program designed to guarantee an unforgettable living experience.”

The destination’s beach club will serve as an anchor with offerings and amenities for residents. With direct access to white sand beaches, the location will feature a Margaritaville restaurant concept and pool area. Additionally, the surrounding complex will include a racket club with paddle tennis and pickleball courts.

Punta Pacifica Realty is the exclusive sales agent for Margaritaville Beach Resort & Residences Playa Caracol.

Amadeus partners with Navan, propelling global travel management expansion through innovative technology solutions.

Amadeus has strengthened its collaboration with Navan, a rapidly expanding global travel management company (TMC). As a premier global travel technology provider, Amadeus will support Navan in expanding its content offerings, improving customer services, and accelerating its rapid growth.

Navan is integrating a wide array of solutions powered by Amadeus Web Services across its global operations. These API-powered solutions seamlessly integrate Amadeus’ extensive content, including robust airline NDC content, and provide end-to-end workflow capabilities within Navan’s travel management applications.

“Navan is the next generation of user-centric travel management software, and we see Amadeus as an important partner to best support our global operations,” said Fred Stratford, Executive Vice President at Navan Group and CEO of Reed & Mackay. “Our expanded relationship with Amadeus will accelerate our growth, not just in the United States, but worldwide.” 

Navan has solidified its position in the TMC market through the acquisitions of Reed & Mackay, Resia, Comtravo, Atlanta Events, and Tripeur in recent years. With a presence in 19 countries and inventory and travel support in over 100 countries, Navan is now shifting its focus to organic growth.

As a global technology leader in the travel ecosystem, Amadeus is ideally suited to support this goal. Amadeus’ open systems and cloud-enabled technology provide Navan with high performance, security, reliability, and stability, which are essential for sustaining its rapid growth and ongoing global expansion.

Rajiv Rajian, EVP and Chief Commercial Officer, Americas, Travel Unit, Amadeus, said, “There is a great deal of synergy between Amadeus and rapidly growing Navan. We both work to enable human connections by building end-to-end journeys that make the travel experience better. Our extensive end-to-end workflow solutions are designed to help our customers increase efficiency, drive revenue, and deliver an exceptional level of service.  We are pleased to expand our relationship with Navan to support its continued success.” 

Marking its 35th year, the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) will highlight the future of regional aviation at Caribbean Week, which will take place from June 16-21, 2024, at the InterContinental Times Square, located in midtown Manhattan.

The event, themed “Connecting the Globe, Celebrating Diversity,” will offer a range of activities focused on innovation and enhancing connections.

One of the central highlights is the Caribbean Airlift Forum, a vital platform for travel industry professionals, journalists, and members of the Caribbean Diaspora to explore air transportation challenges and prospects in the Caribbean.

Rosa Harris, CTO Board of Directors Chairman and the spokesperson for the event, will lead the forum. She pointed out the significance of the discussions, which will delve into topics such as new air routes, competitiveness in aviation, collaborative partnerships, investment in infrastructure, regulatory policies, and strategies for market demand. These discussions aim to improve dialogues between airlines, airports, tourism authorities, and aviation ministries, thereby increasing connectivity and access to Caribbean destinations.

“In the wake of the pandemic, Caribbean aviation has shown remarkable resilience and adaptability, rebounding strongly in key areas. However, as we celebrate these gains during our Caribbean Week in New York, it’s crucial that we don’t become complacent,” stated Harris.

“We must continue to innovate and address the persistent challenges within intra-regional tourism, which, while recovering, remains a challenge for many of our destinations,” she continued. “Our focus at the Caribbean Airlift Forum is not only on celebrating our successes but also on critically analyzing our challenges to strengthen and diversify our connections to, from and across the region, ensuring a more robust and connected Caribbean.”

Additionally, the week will feature a Business and Tourism Marketing Symposium, the Caribbean Media Awards, and sessions that will address topics like artificial intelligence, crisis communications, and multicultural marketing.

Supported by main sponsor the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation, along with gold sponsors the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism and the United States Virgin Islands Department of Tourism, and with contributions from Diamonds International and the Caribbean Media Exchange, Caribbean Week in New York 2024 is set to be an essential gathering for tourism experts and stakeholders from the region and the Diaspora.

Freightos (NASDAQ: CRGO), the vendor-neutral booking and payment platform for the international freight industry, is excited to announce an expanded collaboration between WebCargo by Freightos and United Cargo (NASDAQ: UAL). In an industry that remains largely offline, WebCargo is proud to be a key technology partner in developing United Cargo’s state-of-the-art self-service online cargo portal and to further extend this partnership.

Recently, United Cargo has deepened its relationship with WebCargo by joining its digital cargo booking platform. By offering services on the WebCargo platform, United Cargo can now provide customers with an additional online booking option. This new channel complements its existing website capabilities, giving customers more flexibility in accessing and booking United Cargo’s available capacity. United Cargo is currently active on the platform for customers in Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom, with plans to extend availability to U.S. and Canadian customers later in May.

“Our customers are seeking new ways to communicate and book with us. The enhanced booking functionality on our website, along with our participation in the WebCargo marketplace, are two new booking options for our customers. It’s another step forward in delivering an even better customer experience,” said Jan Krems, United Cargo President. “We are excited about these advancements and our collaboration with the WebCargo team spanning both our portal and the WebCargo platform,” Krems added.

WebCargo has secured an active role in United Cargo’s digital journey. Per Manuel Galindo, Chief Revenue Officer at Freightos, “We’re thrilled to have partnered with United Cargo in support of its mission to deliver a world-class customer digital experience. It’s no secret, there is a rapid adoption of eBookings, particularly across Europe and the Americas. By combining United Cargo’s booking portal with the thousands of forwarders on the WebCargo and 7LFreight booking platform, forwarders large and small can now access United Cargo services 24/7, wherever they choose.”

Passengers on a Garuda Indonesia flight faced terror as an engine caught fire after takeoff from Makassar, en route to Madinah, Saudi Arabia.

An Indonesian national airline’s passenger plane made an emergency landing after one of its engines caught fire shortly after takeoff.

The Garuda Indonesia flight was en route from Makassar to Madinah, Saudi Arabia, with 468 passengers on board when the incident occurred on Wednesday.

The Boeing 747-400 returned to Makassar airport immediately after flames were seen coming from one of its engines, according to Garuda Indonesia.

All 450 passengers, including those traveling for the Hajj pilgrimage, and 18 crew members were safely evacuated without any injuries.

Videos shared by the plane crash data evaluation firm JACDEC on social media showed the engine ablaze just after takeoff.

The aircraft was grounded for an investigation into the incident.

Passengers were provided accommodation before boarding a replacement flight later that day.

This incident is the latest in a series of challenges for Indonesian airlines, which faced bans from the US and the EU from 2007. The US lifted the ban in 2016, followed by the EU in 2018.

According to the Aviation Safety Network, Indonesia has recorded 106 civilian airline accidents since 1945, resulting in 2,305 fatalities.

Earlier this year, on January 25, two Batik Air pilots allegedly fell asleep mid-flight for 28 minutes. The flight, with 153 passengers from Sulawesi to Jakarta, veered off course.

In 2021, a Sriwijaya Air flight crashed into the Java Sea after taking off from Soekarno-Hatta Airport, killing all 62 passengers and crew members on board.