This is our round-up of travel news from around the region this week.
Emirates opens massive lounge in Bangkok
Emirates has opened a new lounge at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport. At 1,454 square metres and with a capacity for 250 guests, it is large enough to accommodate all the premium passengers travelling on two simultaneous A380 departures.
The new lounge in Bangkok is Emirates’ largest lounge facility outside of Dubai. And it needs to be. Bangkok is Emirates’ second largest destination in terms of First and Business Class seat capacity. The airline operates five daily flights between Dubai and Bangkok, using a mix of Airbus A380s and Boeing 777s, as well as double daily flights to Phuket and a daily non-stop service between Bangkok and Hong Kong.
Etihad Airways go three times daily to Milan
Etihad Airways will add a third daily flight between Abu Dhabi and Milan from 1 November 2025. One of Etihad’s new A321LR aircraft will operate the extra flight. Adding the extra flight means Etihad can offer passengers the choice of morning, afternoon and evening departures in both directions.
Emirati District inaugurated at DXB
Dubai International Airport has officially inaugurated the Emirati District. The space between Concourses B and C in Terminal 3 provides a platform for young entrepreneurs to showcase their products and services. The current showcase includes:
- Amadal by Afnan Bushalat – a concept centred around creating products that offer a taste of home
- Mira Farms by FBMI – a social enterprise by FBMI that empowers underprivileged communities, particularly female farmers, by providing global market access for their natural produce
- Nuwa by Abdulaziz Al Jaberi – a brand that celebrates the UAE’s agricultural heritage by using locally sourced ingredients to produce world-class quality products
- From the Arab by Alyazi Almheiri – a luxury home fragrance brand that reintroduces Arabic scents to modern homes worldwide.