South Lake Tahoe is the No. 1 trending destination in the world, Expedia says

Airlinestahoedailytribune.com19 Oct

South Lake Tahoe is the No. 1 trending destination in the world, Expedia says

The city saw a 195% jump in searches for flights and accommodations on the online travel agency’s website since last year, the most of any city in the world. The next highest increase was just 95%.

“These places might not be dominating mainstream travel content just yet, but they’re gaining attention,” Expedia’s website said to introduce the list.

Next on the list was Hyogo, Japan, with a 95% increase in searches, known for its feudal castle, hot springs and, of course, food. After that was Punta del Este, Uruguay, a coastal city with beachside art installations that saw a 65% increase.

Carol Chaplin, president and CEO of Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority, said notching the top spot on Expedia’s list is a “great honor” and speaks to the organization’s marketing efforts.

“It was very unexpected,” Chaplin said. “It just really validated what we’ve been trying to do over the years is to increase the awareness of the destination.”

She attributed the increase to a combination of potential factors: the American Century Championship, Caesars Republic outdoor concert series, events from Heavenly and other partners and the docuseries LTVA released in March, Beyond Awestruck.

Across all platforms, including social media, Beyond Awestruck content garnered 19 million views and 1.7 million viewing hours, according to spokesperson Ryn Muat. Each video prominently featured South Lake Tahoe, and the series centered on research about the awe-inspiring feelings Lake Tahoe can produce and the connection that follows.

Chaplin called Expedia a “very, very trusted brand” for travelers and said their analysis bodes well for the tourism industry going into 2027.

“It could really give us a lift, especially in this marketplace where we see that there’s some global pressures, exterior pressures on us,” she said.

Expedia named Heavenly and Sierra-at-Tahoe as major draws in the winter and said watersports on North America’s largest alpine lake keep people coming all summer long, calling South Lake Tahoe a year-round destination.

Here’s the full list of the most trending destinations worldwide, according to Expedia’s flight and accommodation searches:

Carly Heltzel is a reporter for Tahoe Daily Tribune. She is part of the 2026–28 cohort of California Local News Fellows through UC Berkeley. Learn more at https://fellowships.journalism.berkeley.edu/cafellows/.

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Airlinesyahoo.com19 Oct

Saudi airport closure disrupts life in kingdom's capital

Deadly strikes by Yemen's Houthis in recent weeks have dealt a blow to the kingdom, forcing the airport to close until further notice and a slate of events to be postponed or cancelled including its flagship investment forum dubbed "Davos in the desert".

Government agencies in the Saudi capital have also told employees to work from home starting Monday, one worker and two consultants told AFP, as has the 99-storey Kingdom Centre skyscraper in downtown Riyadh housing the regional office of the International Monetary Fund. "When people start throwing missiles directly at Riyadh airport and any other airport, you can't just continue to operate," said Captain Desmond Ross, an aviation expert based in Dubai and Ireland with decades of experience as a pilot and air traffic controller.

"An attack on an airport is something entirely different from a non-aviation target," he told AFP. "I think Riyadh has suffered that more dramatically than any other of the Gulf nations or the Arab nations," during the ongoing Middle East war. Last week, the Saudi-led coalition accused the Houthis of attacking Riyadh's airport 20 times in October alone. "The Houthis must immediately cease all terrorist operations," said coalition spokesman Turki Al-Malki.

Saudi Arabia has faced Houthi barrages targeting its airports and energy infrastructure in recent weeks, after fighting between the kingdom and the Iran-backed rebels sharply escalated. The Houthis have remained unrepentant and continued to issue warnings about flying in Saudi airspace. Saudi officials did not respond to questions from AFP about a possible timeline for the airport's reopening. According to a regional airline source, their carrier was told by Saudi authorities on Friday the airport would remain closed until further notice, with no further details provided.

A second source from another regional carrier said the airline had been told the airport would remain closed at least until October 24. - Turbulence - With the airport shuttered, Saudi Arabia has been forced to cancel or postpone high-profile events, including a star-studded tennis tournament. The move came amid other announcements concerning MDLBEAST Soundstorm music festival, Riyadh fashion week and the Red Sea Film Festival. The kingdom's flagship investment forum the Future Investment Initiative (FII) was also postponed until 2027 on Monday.

It deals another blow to the kingdom's ambitious economic transformation drive. For nearly a decade, the conference has been a showcase for Saudi Arabia's push to attract global investors, business leaders and heads of state -- and to sell its vision of an economy less dependent on oil. "Few want to visit a country under persistent deadly missile attacks. And even fewer want to invest in one," wrote Karen Elliott House, author of a recent book about the crown prince, in a Wall Street Journal op-ed.

Domestic airlines have scrambled to find alternative routes for the capital's seven million residents, with recent targeted s highlighting flights from Qassim airport three hours from Riyadh. Others have bused to airports in Bahrain and Qatar to both exit and enter the kingdom. A Dubai-based consultant said that "no employee is forced to travel to Saudi Arabia" but if a client relationship was at risk they were "encouraged to make the trip by car via Bahrain". One Riyadh resident described being re-routed mid-flight during an attack on the airport.

"We decided to land in Jeddah," said the resident on the condition of anonymity. "From Jeddah, thank God, everything worked out, and we were able to catch a flight to Qassim." With many offices moving to remote work, expatriates in Riyadh who frequently travelled to their home countries on weekends are still weighing their options. "I can cope with this situation for a month or more, but I cannot imagine it lasting much longer than that," said a resident, who flew home to a Middle Eastern country often before the closure.

Western embassies have also tightened travel advisories, with some warning against travelling to the kingdom. The moves, and the chatter among expatriates about possibly leaving Saudi Arabia, have stirred resentment among some Saudis who feel well-heeled foreigners have not stuck by their side. Saudi ministers have instead sought to reassure residents and investors. As text messages warning of an attack on the capital were sent last week, Human Resources Minister Ahmad bin Sulaiman Al Rajhi looked up from his phone at the Riyadh Economic Forum. "We are safe. With God's will," he told the crowd. "May God turn their plots back against them." bur/jfx

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Airlinespaktribune.com19 Oct

DG Khan airport expansion targets January 2028 completion , minister says

According to the official account, Leghari inspected runway-extension work and received a briefing from the project director. Civil Aviation Authority teams were working at the site. Business Recorder separately reported the minister’s inspection and the same cost and completion target.

The announcement concerns an airport upgrade in progress. It does not mean that new international services have begun or that airlines have opened bookings. The available statement does not identify operating carriers, destinations, ticket prices or a confirmed starting date for scheduled flights.

Leghari said the upgrade would improve travel facilities and create economic opportunities in South Punjab. Those are the government’s intended benefits. The inspection account does not provide an independent estimate of additional passenger demand or demonstrate that the proposed connectivity has already been delivered.

The airport is one of four major development initiatives highlighted for Dera Ghazi Khan. The others are a cancer hospital, a long-term sewerage scheme and road widening and rehabilitation. The minister discussed the projects together, but the airport’s quoted budget and deadline should not be read as a combined allocation or completion date for all four.

For travellers, the next practical milestones are the completion and commissioning of the required infrastructure and any subsequent airline announcements. Until those details are released, January 2028 remains the minister’s stated project target, rather than a promise that a particular passenger route will be available on that date.

Sources: PID official account; Business Recorder

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Airlinesmetro.co.uk19 Oct2 outlets reporting

Flight from Israel makes emergency landing over bomb threat

A passenger plane from Israel was escorted by a fighter jet during an emergency landing after suspected bomb threat.

An Austrian Airlines flight from Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport to Vienna, Austria, was forced to make an emergency landing after the alarm was raised.

Flight OS82 took off on Sunday evening and headed north, climbing to 38,000 ft cruising altitude.

But more than two hours into the flight, pilots of the Airbus A320 jet declared a general emergency on board when the aircraft had entered Romanian airspace.

Within minutes, the plane diverted to the Bulgarian capital, Sofia.

Bulgarian Air Force sent a MiG-29 fighter jet to escort the passenger plane to its destination.

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The aviation industry remains on high alert after the attempted hijacking of the Flydubai flight last month, which saw a hero pilot and passengers thwart a catastrophe.

The security alert is said to have been prompted by a suspicious object inside the plane.

One passenger told Ynet they had been told about an ‘anonymous report of a bomb on the plane.’

The plane is said to have been carrying a delegation of young people on their way to speak at the United Nations, Israeli media reports.

Austrian Airlines said the aircraft was carrying 51 passengers and six crew.

The airline confirmed that ‘a threat was made against flight OS82,’ but it didn’t give further information.

The aircraft, passengers and the crew were searched and ‘no threat was identified,’ Austrian Airlines told Metro in a statement.

It continued: ‘Later that night, after re-boarding, flight OS82 continued its journey from Sofia to Vienna with all passengers on board. The safety of our passengers and crew is always our top priority.’

Bulgaria’s ministry of transport said: ‘An A320 aircraft operating flight OS82 from Tel Aviv to Vienna was diverted to Sofia this evening following a bomb threat. According to initial information, there are 6 crew members and 51 passengers on board.

‘While over the border with Romania, the crew reported receiving a bomb threat and decided to make an emergency landing in Sofia.

‘In accordance with procedures, a Bulgarian Air Force fighter jet took off and escorted the aircraft until it landed at Sofia Airport.

‘An operational task force has been set up and the responsible institutions have started an inspection. The passengers have been disembarked from the aircraft.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

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