Category Archives: Aviation

Qatar Airways welcomes Abidjan to its global network as its debut flight to the largest city in Côte d’Ivoire landed at Felix Houphouet Boigny International Airport today. With three weekly flights, the service between Doha and Abidjan via Accra will be operated by the airline’s state-of-the-art Boeing 787 Dreamliner featuring 22 seats in Business Class and 232 seats in Economy Class, along with capacity of up to 15 tonnes of cargo. Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Akbar Al Baker, said: “Launching flights to Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire – our fourth new destination in Africa since the start of the pandemic, after having recently launched Abuja in Nigeria; Accra in Ghana; and Luanda in Angola is a significant step in our African growth. This is testament to our commitment to the African continent where we now operate over 100 weekly flights to 25 destinations in 18 countries via our home and hub, Hamad International Airport.” He added, “At Qatar Airways, being there for our passengers, trade partners and corporate customers has been our major focus since the start of the pandemic. We thank the government of Côte d’Ivoire for their support to launch these flights, and we look forward to working closely with our partners here to grow this route and support the recovery of tourism and trade in this region. As global travel recovers in 2021, we look forward to further expanding our network and offering more connections to and from Africa.” The launch of Abidjan also supports increased demand for trade between Côte d’Ivoire and destinations on the Qatar Airways network such as Paris, Beirut and many points in the Indian subcontinent. With up to 15 tonnes of …

flydubai has announced the start of daily flights to Warsaw (WAW) from 30 September. Warsaw will become flydubai’s second destination in Poland after Krakow (KRK) which currently operates with a twice weekly service. Ghaith Al Ghaith, Chief Executive Officer at flydubai, said: “we have been flying to Krakow in Poland since 2018 and by adding Warsaw to our network we are providing our passengers with more options for travel to and from Poland. We look forward to creating travel and trade flows with our daily service.” Warsaw is Poland’s capital and is famed for its eye-catching architecture, green outdoor spaces and a wide variety of cafes and restaurants. Located on the Vistula River, Warsaw is a great option for those looking for a historical city break. Jeyhun Efendi, Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations and E-commerce at flydubai, said: “we are pleased to see our network in Europe grow further with the start of operations to Warsaw. With daily flights to Warsaw, and more countries lifting restrictions on international travel, passengers will have the opportunity to explore more destinations on the flydubainetwork.” With international travel restrictions gradually easing, flydubaihas grown its network to over 90 destinations including several seasonal summer routes such as Batumi in Georgia, Bodrum and Trabzon in Turkey, Mykonos and Santorini in Greece, Naples in Italy, Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt and Tivat in Montenegro. flydubai’s network offers passengers the chance to explore a range of cities rich in culture, heritage and activities such as Baku, Bucharest, Budapest, Istanbul, Ljubljana, Tbilisi, Tirana and Yerevan. In addition to the city breaks, flydubai also offers flights to some of the best beaches and tropical hotspots in the world including the …

Air Arabia Abu Dhabi has announced the introduction of a new service to Trabzon in Turkey with direct flights from Abu Dhabi starting on July 13, 2021. The new service offers greater connectivity and value-for-money options making it easier and more convenient for customers to travel between the two countries. Resting on the bank of the Black sea, Trabzon is a city filled with historical significance. Featuring a unique coastal backdrop, this picturesque city is known for its mystical architecture and bazaars. The new service represents the 14th route for Air Arabia Abu Dhabi since the launch of the carrier’s service from Abu Dhabi International Airport on July 14, 2020. Customers can now book their direct flights between Abu Dhabi and Trabzon by visiting Air Arabia’s website, by calling the call centre or through travel agencies. Ensuring the highest standards of safety at every step of the journey by following all health and safety protocols, Air Arabia has also added to the convenience and confidence of passengers by introducing free COVID-19 insurance coverage. The insurance is automatically included as part of the booking and no additional documents are required from passengers.  

Air Arabia Abu Dhabi has announced the introduction of a new service to Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina with direct flights from Abu Dhabi starting on July 12th, 2021. Abu Dhabi has evolved as a strong hub that connects passengers from the capital to other destinations by offering highly competitive prices, through the launch of Air Arabia Abu Dhabi, a joint venture between Air Arabia and Etihad Airways. The new service represents the 11 route for Air Arabia Abu Dhabi since the launch of the carrier’s service from Abu Dhabi International Airport in Q3 2020. Sarajevo’s booming tourism sector provides a wide range of cultural attractions, shops, restaurants and cafes that will welcome international visitors. The scenic landscape that surrounds the city ensures amazing adventure holiday experiences. Customers can now book their direct flights between Abu Dhabi and Sarajevo by visiting Air Arabia’s website, by calling the call centre, or through travel agencies. Ensuring the highest standards of safety at every step of the journey by following all health and safety protocols, Air Arabia has also added to the convenience and confidence of passengers by introducing free COVID-19 insurance coverage. The insurance is automatically included as part of the booking and no additional documents are required from passengers.

Etihad Guest has partnered with Air Arabia’s loyalty programme AirRewards, to allow members of both schemes to benefit from reciprocal points and miles transfers. These could be spent on flights with Etihad and Air Arabia, holidays, shopping and more. Kim Hardaker, Head of Loyalty & Partnerships, Etihad Airways, said, “This partnership will provide both Etihad Guest and AirRewards with the opportunity to significantly broaden the travel reach, rewards and programme benefits for our respective members. The collaboration is designed to both engage with new customers, while further improving the benefits for our existing loyalty members.” When transferring miles, Etihad Guest members will now receive 1 AirReward Point for every 2 Etihad Guest Miles. AirRewards can be transferred to Etihad Guest Miles at the conversion rate of 2 AirRewards Points for every 1 Etihad Guest Mile. In response to the pandemic, both airline’s loyalty programmes have implemented initiatives to protect member benefits and further engage with their loyal communities. Etihad Guest ensured that no member had their status downgraded by gifting monthly bonus Tier Miles, offering double Tier Miles promotions, reinstating expired miles and removing the GuestSeat change fee.

Emirates will resume flights from Dubai to Nice from 2 July and Lyon from 9 July, initially offering 4 flights a week to each city. The move is in line with France easing its entry requirements for visitors, starting tomorrow, 9 June. The lifting of entry restrictions will enable travellers based in the UAE to visit France without the need for quarantine. Emirates customers in the UAE are eligible for quarantine-free entry into France if they have completed the two week period after taking both doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech or AstraZeneca vaccine. In addition, fully vaccinated customers must also hold a negative COVID-19 PCR-RT valid for 72 hours prior to departure, or a Rapid Antigen test result no more than 48 hours old. For more details on entry requirements to France, customers can check the travel requirements page on emirates.com. Emirates will serve both Nice and Lyon with its modern and comfortable widebody Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. Emirates flight EK077 will depart Dubai to Nice on Mondays, Wednesday, Fridays and Sundays, at 0845hrs, arriving at Nice Côte d’Azur Airport at 1340hrs. The return flight, EK078, will depart Nice at 1555hrs arriving in Dubai at 0010hrs the next day. Emirates flight EK081 will depart Dubai to Lyon on Mondays, Wednesday, Fridays and Sundays, at 1435hrs, arriving at Lyon–Saint Exupéry Airport at 1930hrs. The return flight, EK082, will depart Lyon at 2145hrs arriving in Dubai at 0605hrs the next day. Emirates currently operates 14 weekly flights to/from Paris, flying its customer favourite and flagship A380, fitted with its latest premium economy product and refreshed products across every cabin. As more international destinations begin easing their entry restrictions, Emirates will expand its services to …

flydubai has announced the start of flights to Budapest and Ljubljana. The carrier will operate three weekly flights to Ljubljana from 24 September and four weekly flights to Budapest from 30 September. Ghaith Al Ghaith, Chief Executive Officer at flydubai, said, “As demand for travel continues to increase, Budapest and Ljubljana are welcome additions to our growing network. With more countries lifting restrictions on international travel, we look forward to providing passengers with more options for travel this year following the launch of our wide range of summer destinations.” Budapest is known to be a popular leisure destination offering visitors a combination of impressive architecture with numerous museums, galleries, and its famous thermal baths. Situated on both banks of the Danube river, the Hungarian capital can be explored by boat, bus, bike or by foot. Ljubljana is a young, vibrant city and is known as one of the greenest capitals in Europe. The banks of the Ljubljanica River flow along the city centre where cafes set up terrace seating, inviting pedestrians for a break during their city walks. Ljubljana also has many museums and cultural attractions to explore along with great dining options. Jeyhun Efendi, Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations and E-commerce at flydubai said, “We are pleased to see our network in Europe grow further with the start of operations to Budapest and Ljubljana. These destinations have much to offer and give travellers the chance to explore new places that will help stimulate flows of travel and tourism, particularly after a time when our customers haven’t been able to travel as much as they would have liked. Passengers travelling from these destinations will also have the opportunity to explore …

Seychelles islands will be more accessible for travellers from the Saudi Arabia as FlyNAS announced direct flights from Jeddah to Mahé starting July 1. FlyNAS will commence its nonstop flights operating three times a week from Jeddah, with fast connections to or from Riyadh and Dammam. Operating on Tuesday, Thursdays and Saturdays, the 5 hr40 minute flight will be operated on and brand new A320 Neo aircraft with a capacity of 174 seats. The new flights, which will make travelling to Seychelles easier for residents of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, was initiated in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Tourism, alongside the Seychelles Tourism Board and the Seychelles Civil Aviation Authority.  Accessible as never before, and with no visas required from any nationality, Seychelles, land of diversity and discovery is a great place to spend quality time and to reconnect with nature. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the largest outbound market in the Middle East and with many in the Kingdom looking to go overseas after the opening of borders, the Seychelles Minister of Foreign Affairs and Tourism Mr Sylvestre Radegonde said, “The destination has recorded approximately some 300 Saudi Arabian since January 2021. With the arrival of FlyNAS to our shores, the Ministry of Tourism is looking forward to see an increase in the number of visitors from the Saudi Arabian Region. The three weekly flights to Seychelles from Jeddah represent another great opportunity for our destination, as not only will Seychelles be accessible directly to Saudi Arabian nationals but also the expatriates living in the Kingdom. Speaking about the upcoming arrival of FlyNAS to its shores, Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) Chief Executive, Sherin Francis, …

flydubai has announced the resumption of its operations to Naples in Italy. The three weekly flights to Naples International Airport (NAP) will commence on 01 July and offer passengers from the UAE more options for travel this summer. From 02 June, a quarantine-free travel corridor has been established between Italy and the UAE enabling passengers to travel between the two countries with less restrictions. A negative COVID-19 test result will be required 48 hours before departure from the UAE. On arrival in Italy, all passengers over the age of two years will be required to take a rapid antigen test. The safe travel corridor with Italy is the latest in a series of agreements signed by the UAE including those with Bahrain, Greece and Serbia. Hamad Obaidalla, Chief Commercial Officer at flydubai, said, “we are pleased to see more countries opening up for safe tourism and is a step in the right direction to speed up recovery and boost travel this summer. This is a good sign that confidence in travel is returning and the efforts taken by stakeholders in the tourism industry to safeguard every step of the journey will benefit our passengers. We look forward to restarting our flights to Naples, a much-anticipated destination on the flydubainetwork.” Commenting on the announcement, Jeyhun Efendi, Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations and E-commerce at flydubai said, “we are excited to offer our passengers convenient travel options to some of the most popular holiday spots in Europe including Mykonos and Santorini. Naples is another popular destination for the summer and a great starting point to discover the beauty of the Amalfi coast. flydubai has made these European destinations more accessible for passengers …

Emirates has announced it will resume three weekly services to Malta via Larnaca, Cyprus, from 14 July 2021, further expanding its European network to 34 destinations, and offering customers worldwide more travel choices and enhanced connectivity via Dubai.  With a successful vaccination programme and an overall decrease in daily COVID-19 cases in the country, Malta has officially welcomed UAE tourists back to the Maltese Islands on 1st June. Known for its beautiful beaches and diverse archaeological sites, customers travelling from the UAE can now enjoy quarantine-free travel to one of the most exciting Mediterranean destinations. Flights to/from Malta will operate three times weekly through the airline’s existing Larnaca service on its two-class Boeing 777-300ER, offering 42 lie-flat seats in Business and 386 ergonomically designed seats in Economy class. Emirates flight EK 109 will depart Dubai (DXB) every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday at 0800hrs, arriving in Larnaca(LCA) at 1110hrs. The flight will leave Larnaca at 1220hrs, arriving in Malta (MLA) at 1405hrs. The return flight, EK 110 leaves Malta at 1535hrs, arriving in Larnaca at 1900hrs. The flight will leave Larnaca at 2010hrs, arriving 0105hrs arriving in Dubai the next day. Emirates customers also have seamless access to European cities via the airline’s codeshare agreement with Air Malta. As more international destinations begin easing their entry restrictions, Emirates will expand its services to provide more choice and convenience for customers who can now plan travel to more than 30 cities in 20 countries across the Emirates network that have opened their doors for tourism and business, quarantine free. Emirates will now operate over 280 weekly flights in July from Dubai to cities in Europe, the US, Middle East, Africa, and other …