To cater to shifting demand and in line with global consumer trends, Oman Air has announced its new Business Studio. The new cabin, which will replace the airline’s First Class product, will retain its spacious cabin layout, classic lie-flat seats, and Wi-Fi connectivity, but with more affordable fares and a redefined service approach that is tailored to the needs of modern travellers. Featuring predominantly on its London and Bangkok services, the new higher-tier Business experience offers all the features of premium flying along with Oman Air’s award-winning service and hospitality, giving guests the room to work, connect and rest like never before, whether traveling for business or premium leisure. “Inspired by valuable guest feedback and to adapt and evolve in line with global market trends, we have strategically refined our premium offering to deliver greater value and appeal. The traditional First Class experience has seen diminished demand, and after careful analysis and benchmarking against industry standards, we decided to retire the product. This decision allows us to focus on delivering an exceptional Business Class experience that better meets modern traveller expectations and is more closely aligned with the demographics targeted by the national tourism objectives, such as such as wellness, adventure and MICE. Moreover, we’re offering it all at a more competitive price point,” said Con Korfiatis, Chief Executive Officer of Oman Air. Oman Air’s new Business Studio offers the best Business Class available anywhere in the region with one of the world’s most generous pitches at 82”, privacy walls for every seat, 23-inch personal screen, free Wi-Fi connectivity, and à la carte dining to stay nourished on-the-go. Guests will be able to book Business Studio from 9 September 2024 at …

Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority Advisor Turki Alalshikh has announced the much-anticipated fight at the fifth edition of Riyadh Season 2024 opening ceremony. This time, the season is to kick off with sports events. Boxing fans from around the world are eagerly awaiting the major event titled “IV Crown Showdown,” which will take place in Riyadh on 12 October . This event will serve as the launching point for a season filled with activities and entertainment that will put Riyadh at the forefront of the global event scene. The IV Crown Showdown will be a special occasion for boxing fans. It will feature a clash between two light heavyweight titans: Russia’s Artur Beterbiev, known for his overwhelming power and a record filled with knockout victories, and his fellow Russian Dmitry Bivol, regarded as one of the most tactical and intelligent boxers in this weight class. This confrontation is not just a title fight; it is a battle to prove supremacy in the light heavyweight division at the global level. In addition to this main event, the audience will witness a series of thrilling matches featuring top international champions across various weight classes. US Shakur Stevenson will face Welshman Joe Cordina in the super featherweight category. In the middleweight division, British fighter Chris Eubank Jr., who has 18 knockouts, will challenge Polish boxer Kamil Szeremeta in what promises to be an exciting round. In the heavyweight category, the audience will enjoy a British showdown between Fabio Wardley and Frazer Clarke, both aiming to prove their worth in the Riyadh ring. In the cruiserweight division, Australian Jai Opetaia, who previously won by knockout in the “Ring of Fire” clash last December, …

As part of its long-standing commitment to promote Khareef Dhofar and support national interests, Oman Air has implemented several strategic measures to boost connectivity to Salalah. Deploying maximum capacity with as many as 11 flights per day during peak times, the airline has also upgraded a number of flights to wide-body aircraft, leading to an addition of nearly 4,500 seats over the season. In July alone, Oman Air flew almost 50,000 guests into the city, with over 70% using fixed national fare tickets. “Salalah, especially during khareef season, is one of Oman’s most treasured touristic assets. As one of our key sectors, we are committed to supporting and promoting it as a destination in line with the national objectives. This khareef, we’ve deployed maximum capacity to meet demand and offer more frequencies than any other airline,” said Mike Rutter, Oman Air’s Chief Commercial Officer. “Furthermore, to support Omani citizens and ensure that travel between Muscat and Salalah remains both affordable and accessible, we are providing consistent and transparent pricing with our year-round fixed fares, enabling more people to reconnect with loved ones or explore the beauty of the country without the burden of fluctuating fares.” Priced at OMR 54 return during the khareef season and OMR 64 for the rest of the year, the fixed national fare is offered exclusively through the airline’s website and mobile app. While there is no limit on the allocation of Omani national fares, seats are selling fast and guests are encouraged to book in advance to avoid disappointment. The airline also offers affordable fares for non-Omanis.

Etihad Airways proudly welcomed the UAE Paralympics team on board this week as they embark on their ambitious journey. The UAE’s national airline showed its support for the team of 22 athletes, coaches, medical staff and personnel with a celebratory send off at Zayed International Airport on Wednesday. The airline will also display a giant billboard across its Abu Dhabi headquarters building, featuring the slogan ‘Unstoppable passion. Unforgettable journey’ in a show of support for the competing athletes’ mission. In a video posted on Etihad’s social media channels, the team received a warm welcome at the airport by Etihad staff and a team of volunteers, before enjoying the delights of the Etihad Lounge ahead of their flight. Antonoaldo Neves, Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Airways, said: “We are hugely proud of the UAE athletes, and we extend our heartfelt best wishes ahead of their forthcoming competitions. “At Etihad it is our purpose to give flight to ambition, and there is no better way we can showcase this than by flying this team of ambitious and talented athletes.” Known for its award-winning service and hospitality, Etihad welcomes and caters for the needs of people of determination from booking to arrival at their destination. Etihad’s highly trained cabin crew are happy to assist travellers with any additional needs during their flight. This includes supporting guests with visual impairment to move around the aircraft, make menu selections and enjoy their dining experience. The cabin crew will also update guests with a hearing impairment of announcements made during the flight, while they may also enjoy the extensive entertainment on E-Box with subtitles in multiple languages. With Etihad, guests can bring their own wheelchair or mobility …

Travelport announced that agency customers can now access content from Greater Bay Airlines (GBA), Hong Kong’s newest carrier, through the Travelport+ platform. This new collaboration will support GBA’s aggressive expansion plans as Travelport+ connects the Hong Kong-based carrier to Travelport’s global network of travel retailers. With this multi-year agreement, Travelport is providing agents the ability to easily search, compare and book GBA’s fares and ancillary services. The agreement also includes GBA’s use of Travelport’s rich content and branding merchandizing solutions for ease of use and driving incremental sales. “We have partnered with Travelport to support our growth strategy and connect with more travel retailers, so that we can make it easy for agents and travelers to shop and book with GBA,” said Stephen Loh, Chief Operating Officer at Greater Bay Airlines. “We are impressed with Travelport’s vision to enhance traveler experiences by modernizing the retailing process and making it easier for agencies to consume our dynamic content and sell our product offerings and ancillaries.” “We’ve enhanced the multi-source content that our agency customers can search, sell and service in Travelport+ with this new partner agreement that will also support GBA in reaching more travel retailers and customers as GBA expands into additional markets,” said Damian Hickey, Global Head of Travel Partners at Travelport. “Our ability to make it easy for agencies to access and compare multi-source content from brands like GBA alongside other carriers is essential to modern travel retailing, so that travelers know they are presented with the best options and book with confidence.” GBA operates in seven destinations across the Asia-Pacific region, including Chinese Mainland, North and Southeast Asia.

Sabre Corporation has initiated a hiring plan in response to new customer wins and increased demand in the Europe, Middle East, and Africa region. This expansion focuses on strengthening Sales, Strategy, and Customer Support departments to enhance service delivery and support for Sabre’s strategic initiatives. Sabre is focused on its strategic initiatives and efforts to leverage next-generation technology across the travel ecosystem. To support these actions, Sabre is expanding its team in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Spain, and Portugal, among other countries in the region. Richard Addey, Senior Regional Director for Western Europe and Africa, said “We have a growing customer base in France, and our expansion efforts will help ensure we continue to meet and exceed their expectations. By strengthening our team, we are reinforcing our commitment to delivering top-tier service and innovative solutions to our valued customers in the region.” Andreas Syrigos, Senior Regional Director for Southern Europe & Nordics, commented: “Countries like Spain and Portugal are rapidly expanding for Sabre, while others, such as Italy, show consistent progress. Our teams are being reinforced with positions covering Technology Consultancy, Product Support, and Sales & Account Management.” “With our commitment and new expansion plans, this is an exciting time for Sabre, particularly in the Middle East,” stated Ramzi Al-Qassab, Managing Director of Sabre Middle East. “We are expanding our highly specialized, customer-focused teams, advancing innovative technology, and providing impactful travel solutions in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Oman.” “These expansion plans support our ongoing focus on our strategic initiatives,” said Sean McDonald, Managing Director and Vice President of Sabre in EMEA. “The recent launch of various Sabre solutions marks a new era for the industry, …

Riyadh Air selects Saudi Ground Services Company through competitive bidding process in line with the airline’s preparations to commence operations by 2025. SGS will handle ramp and passenger terminal services for Riyadh Air’s domestic and international flights at King Khalid International Airport. Saudi Arabia’s new digitally native airline Riyadh Air, a PIF company, has appointed Saudi Ground Services Company (SGS), to provide ground-handling services and handle its passengers and ramp operations at King Khalid International Airport (KKIA) in the capital city. The Riyadh Air contract includes ramp and passenger terminal services for all its domestic and international flights at King Khalid International Airport (KKIA) in the city of Riyadh. The SGS contract will commence on the 1st of September 2024 and operate for 4.5 years (55 months), with an option to extend it for another two years. The full tender value, including the extension period, will be around SAR 1.5 billion (USD 400 million). The signing ceremony for the contract took place on 14 August 2024 at Riyadh Air office and was attended by Peter Bellew, COO of Riyadh Air, and Mohammed Mazi, acting CEO of Saudi Ground Services, along with key executives of the two entities. Peter Bellew, COO of Riyadh Air, said: Every day, we are entering into agreements which will keep us on course to becoming operational by 2025. The ground handling services are an important part of delivering our world-class premium services, which we know will set new benchmarks in the global aviation industry. We were impressed with SGS Company and are confident this will deliver what Riyadh Air needs at the KKIA. Commenting on the partnership, Raed H. Al-ldrissi, CEO of the Saudi Ground Services Company, said: I extend my …

Air Astana and Japan Airlines announced the signing of a codeshare agreement. The agreement will allow both airlines to place their respective codes on a new Almaty to Tokyo service scheduled to be launched in spring of 2026. This agreement enhances connectivity between Kazakhstan and Japan for both business and leisure travelers, as well as more widely fostering greater movement of people and goods between the two countries. Diplomatic relations between Japan and Kazakhstan were established in 1992. Air Astana Group CEO Peter Foster remarked, “Our collaboration with Japan Airlines is an exciting development that will enrich our international network and offer more travel options for our customers. We look forward to delivering a seamless travel experience for passengers between Kazakhstan and Japan.” Japan Airlines Group CEO Mitsuko Tottori stated, “We are delighted to enter into cooperation with such a distinguished partner as Air Astana. We will contribute to further enhancement of over 30 years of diplomatic relationship between Japan and Kazakhstan, through developing passenger and cargo traffic.” More details about routes and schedules will be announced following the integration of both airlines’ scheduling and ticketing systems.

At a recent interview with TravelTV, Tara Naidu, Vice President International Business, Air India Express she explained that travel agents are most important as 80% of their business come from them and they are looking at a new way to incentivise travel agents. “Travel agents are the most important source for us, about 80% of our bookings are through travel agents and within that what we see is that the segment of online travel agents is growing so online travel agents could be B2B or B2C, they could be operating through a network of sub agents or they could be operating directly to consumers. We offer commissions to them which are called transaction fees, but we have been looking at the models operated by the airlines and have seen that transaction fees are not very popular and agents may prefer to get some incentives.”

Cathay Pacific announced the launch of direct passenger flights to Riyadh  from 28 October 2024, further enhancing connectivity, trade and cultural exchange between its home hub, Hong Kong, and countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative. Cathay Pacific marked the announcement with a signing ceremony in Hong Kong, attended and witnessed by Secretary for Transport and Logistics Lam Sai-hung, Consul General of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Hong Kong SAR, Hamad Aljebreen, Cathay Group Chief Executive Officer Ronald Lam and Saudi Air Connectivity Program Chief Executive Officer Majid Khan. The agreement was signed by Cathay Chief Customer and Commercial Officer Lavinia Lau, and Saudi Air Connectivity Program Aviation Development Vice President Rashed Alshammari in the presence of distinguished guests from Hong Kong and Saudi Arabia. Secretary for Transport and Logistics Lam Sai-hung said: “The signing of the cooperation agreement marks a significant milestone for the already prospering aviation partnership between Hong Kong and Saudi Arabia developed for almost two decades. I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to Cathay Pacific for their unfaltering support to the Government’s policies and for considering Hong Kong’s strategic development needs in their network planning. “The Hong Kong SAR Government is committed to strengthening aviation services on current major routes and routes along the Belt and Road with potential. Following Cathay Pacific’s initiative to commence services to Riyadh, we will be able to expand Hong Kong’s aviation network and enhance air connectivity between us and the Middle East, which further consolidates Hong Kong’s status as an international aviation hub.” Consul General of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Hong Kong SAR Hamad Aljebreen said: “The inauguration of this route is a …