Category Archives: Aviation

20th edition of the Airport Show concluded in Dubai after three days of successful run as key decision-makers from major airports in the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia (MENASA) met reputable exhibitors at the first international event of this nature since the outbreak of COVID-19 and bid goodbye with a renewed sense of optimism and positivity about regaining the lost tempo of growth and expansion. The overwhelming response to the show simply reflected the observation of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of Dubai Airports and Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group. Soon after opening the show, His Highness Sheikh Ahmed said, “The aviation industry has a history of successfully bouncing back from crises and the COVID-19 pandemic is no different. The setback is temporary and it will again be on the tracks of transformation.  As in the past, Dubai will in the future continue to lead in the industry’s resurgence through collaborations and cooperation.” Daniyal Qureshi, Group Exhibition Director at Reed Exhibitions Middle East, which organises the trend-setting trade show, said that the exhibitors had significant meetings with representatives of various organisations from the UAE, other GCC countries as well as from the Middle East region. It was quite encouraging to note people’s zeal to return to normalcy as soon as possible and use the current period to get ready to meet the demand as the situation improves. He said, “It was challenging to organise the show at such a critical juncture when the aviation industry has just started to show signs of recovery. But several national and international companies as well as regional buyers …

Wizz Air Abu Dhabi announced its flight schedule for summer 2022. For those wanting to plan ahead and have a summer holiday to look forward to next year, tickets are available now and can be booked on wizzair.com and the airline’s mobile app. Since launching in January 2021, Wizz Air Abu Dhabi now operates to 24 destinations, which will be open to book for 2022. Among the destinations are routes to Kazakhstan, Greece, Egypt, Oman, Ukraine, Israel, Serbia, Armenia, Georgia, Cyprus, Italy, Hungary, Poland, Bulgaria and Romania. The summer time in the UAE is the perfect opportunity to escape the heat and explore one of the many enriching destinations Wizz Air Abu Dhabi offers. From relaxing beach holidays to exploring cultural and historical hubs, there is something for all who are looking to unwind. Travellers can rest assured about booking in advance with Wizz Air Abu Dhabi thanks to the airline’s WIZZ Flex. With WIZZ Flex, passengers can cancel their flight up to three hours before departure without any fee and receive 100% of the fare immediately reimbursed in airline credit. Wizz Air Abu Dhabi is committed to providing travellers with greater access and opportunity to travel safely to unique and exciting destinations at an ultra-low-fare. With this in mind, the airline has introduced a new era of sanitised travel across its network, with enhanced hygiene measures to ensure the health and safety of passengers and crew. This the airline’s effective HEPA ventilation systems that fully circulate the air in the cabin 20 times an hour.  Wizz Air Abu Dhabi has the youngest fleet composed of four brand new state-of-the-art Airbus A321neo aircraft, offering the lowest fuel burn, emissions and …

Governing Board of the oneworld global airline alliance has appointed His Excellency Akbar Al Baker as Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, to serve as its Chairman. HH Al Baker will succeed current oneworld Governing Board Chairman Mr. Alan Joyce, Group CEO of Qantas Group. As Chairman of the oneworld Governing Board, HH Al Baker will oversee the alliance’s governance, chair oneworld’s Governing Board meetings and work closely with oneworld CEO Rob Gurney and the alliance’s management team. Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “As we emerge from some of the most challenging times ever facing the global airline industry, I am honoured to be chosen by my fellow board members to lead the Governing Board for oneworld, an alliance that has continued to expand since COVID-19 emerged, with the addition of two new members in Alaska Airlines and Royal Air Maroc. “I am also proud to lead an alliance that has set the benchmark for innovation, safety and customer service throughout the pandemic with many members, including Qatar Airways, taking the lead in trialing digital health passports. Qatar Airways has also enhanced bilateral relations with fellow oneworld members in the past 18 months, further demonstrating the strength of the partnerships between member airlines.” “The pivotal role airlines and aviation play in the global economy has never been more evident than this past year, with both passenger and cargo operations in the spotlight, supporting international efforts to protect lives and livelihoods. We have collectively enabled mobilisation of aid, medical supplies and key workers and I would like to pay tribute to all the teams who have worked tirelessly across the oneworld member airlines to support …

Wizz Air Abu Dhabi will fly two times per week from the UAE capital to one of Greece’s most stunning travel destinations: the island of Santorini. With Greece and the United Arab Emirates having opened a travel corridor earlier in May, vaccinated travellers can visit the alluring Aegean archipelago without needing to quarantine. Wizz Air Abu Dhabi will fly to Santorini from 2 July 2021 twice per week, every Monday and Friday. UAE passengers can fly into Greece without needing to quarantine on arrival in the country. They must provide a negative PCR test taken by swab up to 72 hours before the arrival, or hold a certificate of vaccination in English issued by a public authority, children 5 years of age and younger are exempted. The vaccination needs to have been completed at least 14 days before arrival to Greece. The certificate should include the full name of the passenger, the type of vaccine, the number of doses taken and the dates. When returning to Abu Dhabi, UAE residents and citizens who have been vaccinated for at least 28 days, and have received a vaccine report on the Alhosn app, will be able to fly into the UAE from Greece without having to follow quarantine restrictions. Passengers will have to take a PCR test 72 hours before departure, alongside taking another PCR test on arrival into the UAE, and another on the sixth day after arriving. Children 12 years of age and younger are exempted. Kees Van Schaick, Managing Director of Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, said: “With its iconic whitewashed villages and charming blue-domed roofs, it’s no surprise that Santorini is an ever-popular destination for travellers the world over. …

flydubai announced the launch of flights to Sharm El Sheikh. The carrier will operate three weekly flights to Sharm El Sheikh International Airport (SSH) from 15 June. The route will become flydubai’s second destination in Egypt alongside Alexandria Borg El Arab International Airport (HBE). The launch of flights to the popular resort city follows the launch of several holiday destinations brings the number of seasonal routes served by flydubai to seven destinations including Bodrum and Trabzon in Turkey, Batumi in Georgia, Mykonos and Santorini in Greece and Tivat in Montenegro. Ghaith Al Ghaith, Chief Executive Officer at flydubai, said, “As more countries gradually lift restrictions on international travel, we are excited to grow our network and give passengers more options to travel this summer. Sharm El Sheikh has been a popular holiday destination for many years and we expect to see strong demand for travel from the UAE and GCC.” Commenting on the announcement, Sudhir Sreedharan, Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations (UAE, GCC, Africa and the Indian Subcontinent) at flydubai said, “With demand for travel returning we can see from the enquiries that we are receiving that our customers are keen to travel again and are starting to make their travel plans. Sharm El Sheikh is another exciting destination for our passengers to visit for their summer holidays.”

His Excellency Eng. Khalifa Al Zaffin, Executive Chairman of Dubai Aviation City Corporation (DACC) and Dubai South that has been working towards consolidating the emirate’s position as a global aviation and logistics hub, has asserted Dubai’s leading-from–the-front role in resuscitating the aviation, recovering the lost momentum and restoring the confidence in line with the insightful vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai. The H1 2021, he says, will witness unprecedented growth in travel demand with the Covid-19 vaccination getting accelerated globally and more destinations coming back on the air connectivity network with safe and healthy environs. He said, “Dubai has been one of the first cities that took several decisive measures to enhance public confidence and provide travellers with the best model services through upgrading facilities, processes and procedures to deal with the challenges of containing the coronavirus pandemic. A positive message to the world has gone from the city-emirate that hosts the rescheduled Expo 2020 for six months from October, of all its authorities, institutions and facilities being fully prepared to energetically receive millions of visitors and sufficiently provide them with the opportunity to safely and securely enjoy the sights and sounds of the charming city while following the Covid-19 precautions.” Speaking at the 20th edition of the Airport Show where the Dubai Aviation Engineering Projects (DAEP) is strongly participating to showcase its visionary projects and their energetic execution, he said, “As airports and airlines are ready to provide a smooth and safe travel experience for travellers, it is imperative for the key players in the aviation industry too look at the situation differently by …

Home Check-in and Home PCR Testing services offered by dnata, through its off-airport wing DUBZ, have brought huge relief to passengers travelling from the UAE amid the ongoing pandemic caused by Covid-19. The first-of-its-kind service being showcased at the Airport Show, opened at Dubai World Trade Centre on Monday, is getting great attention. A mobile check-in van equipped with the latest technology is integral to the success of the Off-Airport check-in procedures. A team of DUBZ’s well-trained staff visits the passenger’s home, receives the baggage, issues the boarding pass and transports it to the airport to ensure a hassle-free travel experience for the passengers who avoid the airport queues, baggage transportation, and other travel related inconveniences. They ensure complete safety with step-by-step baggage imaging, 360-degree CCTV and GPS tracking. Samer Sobh, COO & Co-Founder of DUBZ, said, “We are the first to bring the airport services to the city with complete safety and security. With nationwide coverage, passengers can streamline their travel journey by embarking on the first and most critical step, from the comfort and safety of their own homes,” he said. DUBZ also offers a similar facility to arriving passengers, who can go home soon after completing immigration control. The company will collect their baggage, get it cleared by the customs and deliver it to their doorstep. Currently dnata is offering the services to passengers of 13 airlines including UAE national carriers Emirates, Etihad and flydubai. Saudia and Qatar Airways passengers can also avail their services. Samer Sobh said, “In the current scenario, our services have become even more significant as it ensures minimum contact with people during the journey. Since we also issue the boarding pass at …

Major General Mohammed Ahmed Al Marri, Director General, General Directorate of Residency & Foreign Affairs – Dubai (GDRFA-D), said the department was able to continue its work to translate the visions of the wise leadership in developing government services and their service channels in a way that contributes to enhancing the quality of life and achieving happiness for the customer. In his welcome address at the Airport Security Forum at the Dubai Airport Show 2021, Gen Al Marri said, “Recently, we launched a new fast-track passport control service that uses face and iris-recognition technologies.  The new biometric systems deployed at 122 smart gates at arrival and departure terminals in Dubai airports enable passengers to complete passport control procedures between 5 and 9 seconds depending on the movement and steps of the passenger. This system contributed to enhancing travellers’ confidence in the emirate, as such precautionary measures in light of the pandemic formed a safety umbrella for them.” He highlighted the UAE’s efforts in protecting and security of its ports and providing an exceptional experience for the travellers. The UAE has provided a unique model to be emulated in various fields until it becomes the most wanted living, residency, and work destination, in addition to the list of competitive indicators including safety and security index. “Without the determination of the UAE’s wise leadership and its continuous endeavor to establish the country’s leadership in providing happiness and security for all, it would not have been possible. Today’s aviation sector is considered one of the most critical sectors that achieved a quantum leap over the past years, as it is considered a major engine for economic growth in the world. The country’s efforts …

Cathay Pacific has announced the continuation of its recently relaunched flights between Dubai and its hub, Hong Kong, following its first flight which took off on 21 May 2021. The first resumed flight was positively received by customers and the trade alike. Departing Dubai International Airport at 16:25 on Friday (21 May), passengers were welcomed on-board by a vaccinated cabin crew. The airline also received an overwhelming response for cargo with a full load on the flight. The weekly flight, operated by an Airbus A330-300, will continue to follow the same schedule as May, providing UAE residents and visitors with convenient connections to Hong Kong and onwards across Cathay Pacific’s network. “On announcing the resumption of our passenger services from Dubai, we received a favourable response from the passengers and trade partners. Not only was it humbling to welcome back our guests as we took to the skies again, but also extremely encouraging as we look to scale up our global network operations” said Vishnu Rajendran, Area Manager – Middle East, Cathay Pacific.

RAKTDA announces a strategic partnership with national carrier Ukraine International Airlines (UIA) that will activate direct commercial flights from Ukraine to the Emirate from 25 June 2021. The move will see Ras Al Khaimah welcome twice weekly flights from capital city Kyiv to Ras Al Khaimah International Airport, opening up the Emirate to another key international market – the largest all-European country – as travel restrictions continue to ease. With flight frequency set to increase in the near future, UIA will be the first airline from Ukraine to fly into Ras Al Khaimah and the latest in a series of strategic aviation partnerships established by RAKTDA to drive growth into a dynamic and developing destination. Raki Phillips, Chief Executive Officer of Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, commented, “Ukraine has emerged as a growing market for Ras Al Khaimah, with our partnership with Ukraine International Airlines demonstrating our resolve to restart tourism by re-energising our aviation collaborations.  Our relationship with UIA is a particularly special one as it is not only the second commercial airline to fly into our Emirate but it also marks the first airline from Ukraine and its national carrier. It marks a key step in the recovery of international tourism and aligns with our wider strategy to investigate new routes across core, secondary and emerging markets and to diversify our portfolio with both charter and commercial flights.” “We invite our Ukrainian visitors to experience the authentic Arabian hospitality of our Emirate, in addition to the wealth of unique attractions – from beach and adventure to culture, retail to nature – that offer the ideal international getaway appealing in one way or another to each and every …