Vietnam Airlines yesterday launched its first direct flight connecting Hanoi and Milan, making it the first carrier to operate nonstop flights between the two countries.

Virgin Atlantic has signed brand new codeshare partnerships with EL AL, Saudia and SAS Scandinavian Airlines, all launching this year.

Virgin Atlantic has formally joined the global airline alliance, SkyTeam, at a signing ceremony in London. The move – confirmed in September last year – means Virgin Atlantic becomes SkyTeam’s first and only UK member airline, enhancing the alliance’s transatlantic network and services to and from Heathrow and Manchester airports.