READ our weekly roundup of the airline news stories, which this week includes the latest on Cathay Pacific's new online magazine, airberlin's special North Pole flight and Finnair's engine maintenance agreement with Rossiya Airlines.
LEADING global loyalty agency ICLP has launched the new Marco Polo Club Magazine on website and iPad on behalf of CATHAY PACIFIC.
The application has been developed by ICLP's digital team based in Hong Kong in close collaboration with the airline.
The digital magazine will replaces the Club's previous printed edition and will help serve Cathay Pacific's Marco Polo Club members, providing them with access to the latest news and offers.
Cathay Pacific's Grace Poon said: "The launch of our magazine application for The Marco Polo Club represents the next step in our evolution to better engage with, and deliver additional value to our Club members."
SCANDINAVIAN AIRLINES (SAS) was the world's most punctual airline in July, with 91.48 per cent of all flights arriving on time.
For the past three years SAS has been Europe's most punctual airline in the major airlines category, which includes airlines with at least 30,000 flights a year.
SAS' Norwegian subsidiary Wideroe, considered a minor airline, was Europe's most punctual airline overall, with 91.5 per cent - the first time two SAS Group airlines have claimed the two top spots at the same time.
SAS Group CEO Rickard Gustafson said: "We know how important it is for our customers to arrive on time, and we will continue to work hard with our punctuality work."
British Airways was Europe's 32nd most punctual airline with 76.42 per cent.
AIRBERLIN has joined forces with specialist travel company Deutsche Polarflug to offer customers the first flight to the North Pole from Berlin.
The flight, on May 5, 2012, will be the first round trip from Berlin-Tegel airport to the Arctic and the North Pole.
The twelve-hour trip is the only one of its kind worldwide and will give passengers a bird's eye view of one of the most spectacular landscapes on earth, including ice floes and fjords near Spitzbergen.
The trip then continues across the Arctic Ocean towards the North Pole where the Airbus A330 circles the earth twice by crossing all degrees of longitude in just a few minutes.
The plane will repeatedly descend from its cruising altitude to give passengers a good view of the Arctic landscapes and experts on the Arctic region will provide a commentary.
FLYBE NORDIC AB, the airline jointly owned by FLYBE and FINNAIR, has completed the acquisition of FINNISH COMMUTER AIRLINES.
Flybe owns 60 per cent of Flybe Nordic with Finnair holding the other 40 per cent. Flybe will be in charge of the operative management of the new company.
The joint vision of Flybe and Finnair is to build Flybe Nordic into the leading regional airline of the Nordic countries and the Baltic area.
In addition to operating in Finland, the intention is to extend the new airline's network into Sweden, Denmark, Estonia and Latvia.
UNITED AIRLINES has announced that the first of its Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft has entered the assembly phase at Boeing's facility in Washington.
United will be the first North American carrier to take delivery of the aircraft, marking the first of 50 Dreamliners for the airline.
United president and CEO Jeff Smisek said: "We are proud to be the first North American airline to receive the 787, which will be a game changer for the new United and the industry.
"The 787 will be a very comfortable, customer pleasing aircraft, and with its range, fuel efficiency and superb operating economics, the 787 will allow us to enter new long-haul markets and also replace older, less-efficient widebody aircraft."
CARIBBEAN AIRLINES has joined a list of carriers that will no longer transport monkeys for research.
The airline confirmed in writing to campaign group BUAV that its last shipment of primates took place in 2010.
BUAV chief executive Michelle Thew said: "We want to thank all our supporters who have taken the time to contact Caribbean Airlines, and the airline itself for making the right decision and ceasing involvement in the cruel trade in primates for research.
"The BUAV will continue its campaign to push for all airlines to prohibit the carriage of primates for this purpose."
British Airways, British Midland International and Virgin Atlantic are already on the BUAV list.
QATAR AIRWAYS has announced plans to extend its presence in China with the launch of flights to a fifth gateway, the western city of Chongqing.
The new route will launch on November 28, 2011, and will operate three times a week on a non-stop basis from the airline's hub in Doha.
The airline already operates daily non-stop flights from Doha to Hong Kong, Shanghai and Guangzhou and four flights a week to Beijing.
Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker said: "China is clearly one of the world's most important countries on the international stage, being a pacesetter in manufacturing and helping transform the global economic landscape.
"It is this dynamism of a country that we at Qatar Airways have been monitoring closely and delighted to be part of China's burgeoning economic growth."
FINNAIR Engine Services has signed a four-year engine maintenance and repair agreement with ROSSIYA AIRLINES.
The agreement covers the CFM56-5B engines used in Rossiya's A319/320 aircraft.
Finnair Technical Services sales manager Jari Soukka said: "Finnair Technical Services has serviced Rossiya's aircraft and engines since 2007, and this agreement extends our excellent working relationship."
Rossiya Airlines, based in St Petersburg, is Northeast Russia's leading airline and has 35 destinations in Russia and 85 destinations in Europe and Asia.
Rossiya's fleet consists of Airbus A319, Airbus A320, Boeing 767-300, Boeing 737-500 and Antonov 148 aircraft.