New data from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and lead research partner Chase Travel show China rapidly closing the gap with the United States in the global travel and tourism market. China’s travel and tourism economy grew 9.9% in 2025, more than twice the global rate and far outpacing the U.S. rise of 0.9%. International visitor spending in China climbed by more than 10% last year, while U.S. international arrivals fell about 5.5% and visitor outlays dropped roughly 4.6% to $176 billion. The U.S. travel sector contributed about $2.6–$2.63 trillion to GDP and supported roughly 20.4 million jobs; China contributed about $1.75–$1.8 trillion and supports nearly 85 million jobs. WTTC President Gloria Guevara warned the U.S. tourism industry is at a “crossroads,” urging investment in promotion and a more welcoming posture; she said if current trends continue China could close in within three to four years and potentially become the world’s largest tourism economy by the end of the decade. The 2026 FIFA World Cup presents a short-term opportunity to boost U.S. international arrivals.

Air New Zealand will introduce Skynest, a six-berth triple-decker pod of lie-flat beds for economy and premium-economy passengers on its ultra long-haul Boeing 787-9 services between Auckland and New York. Tickets for four-hour sessions go on sale May 18 for travel beginning in November; seats will be sold as an add-on (priced from NZ$495/roughly US$290) and passengers are limited to one session per flight. The Skynest sits between economy and premium economy in two stacked rows of three, with curtains, linens, charging outlets, ambient rest lighting, seatbelts, crew call buttons and amenity kits. Use is restricted (no children under 15, no guests), and etiquette rules require changing into provided socks, forbidding snacking, strong perfumes and bedsharing; linens are refreshed between users. ANZ plans an initial installation on two Dreamliners with a phased rollout dependent on demand and operating costs. The product traces to a 2020 patent and follows the carrier’s Skycouch offering as part of a broader push to generate ancillary revenue on ultra-long-haul routes.

Air Canada unveiled its new “Glowing Hearted” cabin interiors at the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg, Germany, announcing upgrades that will first appear on incoming Airbus A321XLR aircraft this summer and on Boeing 787-10 jets when they enter service. The redesign spans all cabins and introduces fully lie-flat Signature Class seats on the single-aisle A321XLR (14 per aircraft), larger 4K OLED screens with Bluetooth, USB-C and AC power at every seat, expanded overhead bins, ergonomic seating, and premium-economy privacy wings. The forthcoming 787-10 will feature an Air Canada Signature Plus Suite with six-foot-five beds, higher privacy walls and companion seating; the 787-10 is expected in 2028 with a reported 332-seat layout, while the A321XLR will hold about 182. Air Canada said some A320/A321 Rouge aircraft will be retrofitted to mainline standards and Boeing 737 MAX planes will transition to Rouge in 2026. The carrier plans further hospitality upgrades later in the year. Analysts noted the initial rollout is narrow — roughly 10 A321XLRs — and many long-haul workhorse types are not yet scheduled for similar refits.

Air New Zealand will begin selling sessions for its Economy “Skynest” sleeping pods on May 18, with the first commercial service scheduled from November 2026 on its Auckland–New York Boeing 787‑9 Dreamliners. The Skynest comprises six full‑length, lie‑flat bunks arranged in two stacked rows between premium economy and economy; sessions are sold in four‑hour blocks priced from about NZ$495 (roughly US$495/€248). Initially there will be two four‑hour sessions per flight and passengers may book one slot each; bedding is changed between users and pods include a mattress, blanket, pillow, privacy curtain, ambient lighting, ventilation, USB‑A/C charging, a crew call button and an amenities kit. The pods replace several economy seats (reducing seat counts on fitted 787‑9s) and were developed and user‑tested over several years after an initial patent and concept announcement in 2020. Air New Zealand says the offering targets ultra‑long haul comfort on its 16–17 hour services and follows wider industry moves such as lie‑flat “couch” products from other carriers.

Airports Council International (ACI) preliminary traffic figures for 2025 show Hartsfield‑Jackson Atlanta International remaining the world’s busiest airport with about 106.3 million passengers. Dubai International was second (95.2 million), followed by Tokyo Haneda (91.7 million), Dallas‑Fort Worth (85.7 million) and Shanghai Pudong (85.0 million). ACI estimates global passenger traffic at roughly 9.8 billion in 2025, up about 3.6% from 2024; international passengers reached around four billion. Chicago O’Hare led the ranking for aircraft movements, while Hong Kong and Shanghai Pudong topped air cargo volumes, with Anchorage and Louisville also among the busiest cargo hubs. The top‑10 passenger list also includes London Heathrow, Istanbul, Guangzhou and Denver. ACI cautioned that capacity constraints—infrastructure, slot limits, aircraft delivery backlogs and air navigation—alongside geopolitics and fuel costs remain key risks for 2026, with Middle East conflict‑related disruptions already affecting some hubs and routing decisions. The figures are preliminary; ACI will finalise tallies in July.