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Travelers to Bangkok Gain More Flight Options as Air Arabia Expands Sharjah Service to 28 Weekly Flights SHARJAH / RankWire.AI / – Low-cost airline Air Arabia revealed plans to grow its Southeast Asian routes on Friday, increasing flight frequency between the United Arab Emirates and Thailand. Starting October 25, 2026, the airline will add a fourth daily non-stop flight linking Sharjah International Airport with Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok. This change raises the carrier’s weekly non-stop flights on the Sharjah-Bangkok route to 28, offering more scheduling choices for leisure and business travelers. Air Arabia increases Bangkok flights to four per day from Sharjah to meet rising regional travel demand across key corridors.

South Korea welcomed 2,093,223 foreign visitors in July 2026, extending a strong recovery in international tourism. The monthly total increased 20.8% from 1,733,199 arrivals recorded in July 2025. It also stood 44.6% above the level reached in July 2019, before the pandemic disrupted global travel. The Korea Tourism Organization reported the latest monthly tourism figures on August 25.

Air Arabia will begin nonstop flights connecting Sharjah and Gdansk starting December 14, 2026. This new route creates a direct link between the UAE and northern Poland. The airline will operate five flights weekly between Sharjah International Airport and Gdansk Lech Walesa Airport. Flights will operate on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. This route offers travelers in Poland’s Pomeranian region a direct air connection to Sharjah.

Etihad Airways is launching a seasonal nonstop route connecting Abu Dhabi and Gothenburg starting on December 17, 2026. The service will operate four times weekly until March 21, 2027. Flights will link Zayed International Airport with Göteborg Landvetter Airport during the winter season. This new route creates a direct connection between the UAE capital and Sweden’s second-largest city. Tickets are already available through the airline’s booking channels.

South Korea achieved a $596.6 million tourism surplus in June 2026, marking its best monthly performance since the COVID-19 crisis began. The surplus improved by approximately $1.44 billion compared to June 2025, when the country faced an $846.8 million deficit. Data from the Korea Tourism Organization shows June was the second-highest month for tourism surplus on record. The only month with a larger surplus was October 2008, when it hit $661.5 million.

Travelers from Italy face temporary passport checks at Spanish airports and seaports. On the first day, Spain’s Interior Ministry reported checks on 199 passengers traveling on 12 flights from Italy. Border officers conducted inspections at airports in Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Bilbao, Alicante, and Valencia. These checks include passport, nationality, and visa status verification where needed. Despite the new controls, flights and maritime services between Spain and Italy continue operating normally.

This move enhances direct connections between the United Arab Emirates and Southern Europe. Starting July 31, 2026, flydubai will operate double-daily services between Dubai International Airport and Milan-Bergamo Airport. At the same time, the airline has raised its services to Naples International Airport to a daily schedule, strengthening its presence in Italy’s key urban centers.

Emirates, the flag carrier, announced the launch of a new digital payment option on Tuesday. This allows eligible passengers to pay for flights using cryptocurrencies via the airline’s website and mobile app. Official statements from Emirates News Agency confirmed that Emirates and Crypto.com now provide customers with an alternative payment method. This marks the implementation of a strategic memorandum of understanding signed between the two companies in July 2025. The digital payment system is accessible to residents of the United Arab Emirates for both international and domestic flight bookings, settled in Emirati Dirhams. Transactions are processed through Crypto.com’s checkout portal, giving travelers direct access to their digital wallets during the ticket purchase process.

Guggenheim Abu Dhabi will open its doors on 11th December 2026 on Saadiyat Island. Designed by the late architect Frank Gehry, the facility spans 80,000 square metres of built-up area, making it the largest physical venue within the international network managed by the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation. The museum features 30 indoor galleries providing 11,600 square metres of exhibition space alongside 23,000 square metres of outdoor display areas, with architectural cones designed to capture natural breezes and provide shading. The collection reflects the historical position of the UAE at the intersection of global trade and cultural exchange.

South Korea’s foreign tourist numbers exceeded 10 million in H1, driven by consistent double-digit growth in major regional markets. Incoming travel data shows China remained the largest source of international visitors. Japan was the second-largest source market, with 350,000 visitors in June. Its six-month total was 1.95 million. Taiwan kept its position as the third-largest origin, with 220,000 arrivals in June and a total of 1.15 million for the first half of the year. North American arrivals reached 220,000 in June, with the U.S. accounting for 177,744 travelers.