VietJet to Hire More Than 5,000 New Thai Staff for Expansion
VietJet Thailand, the Vietnamese airline's Thai unit, this year will start new direct flights to major Asian cities to tap regional air travel growth, according to its statement late Wednesday. The new markets include Japan, South Korea and India, it said.
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Forbes
22 minutes ago
- Forbes
How FotMob App Went From A Honeymoon Idea To 20 Million Monthly Users
Golden rays of sunlight warmed his face as he lounged in a beachside shack in Thailand. Christer Nordvik was on his honeymoon with his wife, Linda. It was the perfect tropical escape. But after a week, the sound of the seawaves had lost its charm, leaving Nordvik dreaming not of sunsets, but scorelines. 'I wanted to follow my local team SK Brann,' he recalls. 'But it was impossible.' It was 2004. Mobile phones were around, but the internet was patchy at best. Keeping up with live scores, especially from 5,000 miles away, was more fantasy than reality. But for Nordvik, it was a challenge he was ready to accept. After returning home to Bergen on Norway's southwestern coast, he teamed up with his brother Tommy to create the first version of FotMob – now one of the world's leading football platforms with more than 20 million monthly active users. From live scores and stats to player ratings and personalized insights, FotMob has become a go-to for fans of the world's most popular sport. A father of four, Nordvik worked part-time on the app for nine years, spending his evenings and weekends coding. During the 2010 FIFA World Cup, a shoutout from The New York Times, which called FotMob the go-to Android app for 'simple scores and stats', helped the platform welcome a flurry of new users. Three years on from that, Nordvik decided to go full-time with his venture. But it wasn't until 2022 that the app 'really took off', as the Norwegian describes. 'We went from nine million users to 15 million users,' he said. 'There were a lot of reasons for it: Apple had launched their 'Live Activities', where the lock screen widget gave you scores without having to open the app. 'We were working with Apple at the time as part of the Beta program. They launched Live Activities at the same time as the World Cup in Qatar, and FotMob went viral on TikTok as the app to use during the tournament. 'Jack Dorsey, co-founder of Twitter, tweeted that the FotMob app is amazing for the World Cup. That was kind of a 'wow' [moment].' The bootstrapped company, run by a small team of 30, has notched over 100 million downloads. From Niche To Mainstream As the English Premier League returns in the upcoming week, FotMob has big plans for the 2025-26 season. For the first time, physical data collected by Opta, such as top speed and total distance covered, is available for every Premier League player, and fans can access it freely on FotMob. 'I think those things are what people care about, but it's never been possible to find the numbers anywhere. You couldn't find who was the fastest runner in the Premier League or who's the fastest running center-back. But now you can,' Nordvik said. 'We have a huge belief that this season it will make its rounds on TikTok and Instagram. People will talk about FotMob a lot.' Nordvik says FotMob aims to strike a balance between serving the so-called football nerds and the casual fan who checks in now and then. One of the most popular metrics to emerge over the past decade is 'expected goals,' or 'xG' – a measure of how likely a shot is to result in a goal. Once considered niche, it has now become part of football conversations, both online and offline. 'We were the first app to introduce xG,' the FotMob CEO said. 'At that time, we were a bit hesitant because I always thought that xG might be over the top. 'But then, suddenly, especially in the UK and here in Norway, people started talking about the xG. Journalists spoke about it, commentators used it during live matches, and I think Jose Mourinho and a couple of other coaches, as well, in the Premier League, started quoting xG numbers in interviews. So it kind of matured a lot over time.' Women's Football Rises In The Ranks Owing to its global appeal, the Premier League is unsurprisingly the most-followed league on FotMob. But there also exists an interesting trend in some countries. Women's football is widely followed in countries such as England and Germany, two European powerhouses. The Lionesses' triumphant run at the Women's Euro 2025 was among the most-followed on FotMob. 'In July, I thought the FIFA Club World Cup would be among the most-visited matches on our app in the UK, but the two most popular matches were from the Women's Euros: England vs Spain (the final) and England vs Italy (the semifinals),' he said. Together, those two matches garnered a total of 2.3 million views. The Lionesses were the fifth-most followed team – behind England (men), Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal – in the UK. 'In the U.S., it was Vissel Kobe vs Barcelona, followed by PSG vs Real Madrid. England vs Spain in the Women's Euros was fourth on the list, and Chelsea vs PSG was down in sixth place,' he added. All Eyes On 2026 World Cup A lot of FotMob's planning these days is centered around the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be held in the United States, Mexico and Canada, featuring 48 teams for the first time. With the U.S. as its fastest-growing market, FotMob aims to tap into a new wave of fans, just as it did during the Qatar World Cup four years ago. 'We don't have concrete plans at the moment, but we are hoping to get similar physical metrics – that the Premier League has just launched – for the World Cup,' Nordvik said. 'A lot of focus is on making the same thing we made in 2022, making it perfect for a casual fan coming in – just understanding and immediately knowing how to follow the World Cup in an easy, accessible way. 'I think often the main problem is between tailoring for the casual fan and the one who wants everything. So, we at FotMob, are kind of aiming at both, like expanding to have more features for the World Cup, but also tailoring it for a casual fan coming in for the first time.'
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Edinburgh-bound passenger flight declares onboard emergency on approach to capital
A passenger flight from Istanbul declared a mid-air emergency on approach to Edinburgh. Turkish Airlines flight TK1345 landed in the capital shortly before 4pm on Friday, August 8, after squawking a 7700 code - signalling a general emergency onboard. According to flight tracking website FlightRadar24, the aircraft declared the emergency during its descent into Edinburgh, just above Midlothian. READ MORE: Edinburgh city centre roads closed for Orange walk as buses diverted during Fringe READ MORE: Edinburgh man lies 'poleaxed' on pavement in 30-minute West End 'street fight' A Turkish aviation site also posted about the emergency on X, adding: "THY's Airbus 321 passenger plane, operating the Istanbul-Edinburgh flight today, declared an emergency. "The pilots of THY flight TK1345 set the transponder system to 7700 to indicate the emergency. It is not yet known why the cockpit crew declared an emergency in Scottish airspace." Further information on FlightRadar24 appeared to show the flight having landed safely in the capital. Turkish Airlines have been approached for comment. Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages
CNN
2 hours ago
- CNN
Which country flies the most? Where are people going? And in which planes? 2024 aviation stats revealed
Sign up for Unlocking the World, CNN Travel's weekly newsletter. Get news about destinations, plus the latest in aviation, food and drink, and where to stay. In our roundup of travel news this week: the secret tunnel city underneath Rome, China's '8D city' where trains pass through walls, plus a new report reveals the world's busiest flight routes, biggest aviation markets and most popular planes. Isn't data just delicious? The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has released its 2024 World Air Transport Statistics report, and it's filled with fascinating nuggets. Here are a few to wow your avgeek friends. The United States is the world's biggest aviation market, with 876 million passengers per year in 2024, mostly flying domestic. That's four times more than India, which is the world's most populous nation and the fifth biggest aviation market. China is hot on the States' heels at No. 2, however, with 741 million passengers in 2024 and a whopping 18.7% growth year-on-year, compared to America's modest 5.2%. The United Kingdom is but a 94,000-square-mile island nation, but it's the world's No.3 aviation market, with 261 million passengers scooting above land and sea in 2024. A lot of those Brits will have been heading to vacation hot spot Spain, which is the No. 4 aviation market, with 241 million passengers last year. Let's continue with more tidbits from the IATA report. Nine out of 10 of the world's busiest flight routes are in the Asia-Pacific region. However, the world's No.1 is a South Korean domestic flight: the 1 hour and 15 minute trip between the island resort city of Jeju (CJU) and the capital, Seoul (GMP). More than 13 million passengers flew the route in 2024. The busiest route in North America is an airport pairing as classic as ketchup and hot dog. It's JFK to LAX (or New York to Los Angeles, as if you didn't know), and 2.2 million passengers made the voyage last year. The most popular European route is the hour-long flight between Spanish vacation hot spots Barcelona (BCN) and Palma de Mallorca (PMI), with 2 million passengers in 2024. Want a less busy flight? Take a look at our guide to the parts of Spain that aren't sick of tourists. The busiest route in Latin America (with 3.8 million passengers) is the one-hour flight between Bogotá (BOG), the Colombian capital, and Medellín (MDE), Colombia's second-largest city. Africa's most popular route, with 3.3 million passengers, is the two-hour domestic South African flight between Cape Town (CPT) and Johannesburg (JNB). Finally, while the Boeing 737 Max has had a calamitous history, the Boeing 737 (including all variants), remains the world's most-used aircraft, making 10 million flights in 2024. The No. 2 and No. 3 planes are also narrowbody aircraft, made by Boeing's European rival Airbus. The A320 flew 7.9 million flights and the A321 flew 3.4 million. Enough about the journeys, let's talk destinations. Here are three to consider for your next big trip. Halfeti, in southeastern Turkey, was one of several towns and cities to be intentionally flooded when the Birecik Dam was built in 2000. But residents still live in the half-submerged town — while dark roses grow in the mineral-rich lands. Angola, in southern Africa, is twice the size of Texas and boasts spectacular natural wonders that few tourists have seen. After decades largely cut off from the world, the country is opening up, infrastructure is improving, and discovery awaits. Chongqing, in a mountainous area of southwestern China, is attracting younger travelers thanks to its mindbending, Instagram-friendly terrain that's so multilayered some are calling it the country's '8D city.' To see what we mean, check out this train passing right through a residential building. A network of ancient caves and tunnels lies some 75 feet under the city of Rome, hidden from the world for more than a century. Now this subterranean labyrinth is being uncovered once more. Here's what 21st-century visitors can see. One of a cave explorer's most essential items is, of course, a headlamp. Our partners at CNN Underscored a product reviews and recommendations guide owned by CNN, have this guide to the best headlamps for 2025. France is being forced to confront its toxic kitchen culture. Whistleblowers are calling for change. Italy has given the go-ahead for a landmark Sicily bridge project. It could be the world's longest single-span bridge. A flying phobia affects more than 25 million Americans. Here's how to manage it. It's not too late for a summer getaway. Check out America's best underrated islands.
