Category Archives: Aviation

SriLankan Airlines is strengthening its presence in the North American and European markets through the expansion of its existing codeshare agreement with Qatar Airways, with additional connections to serve various cities in these regions. This codeshare would expand across 10 cities in 06 countries covering Canada, Hungary, Azerbaijan, Scotland, Ukraine, and Turkey. Vipula Gunatilleka, Chief Executive Officer of SriLankan Airlines said, “The expansion of our partnership with Qatar Airways is an important element in SriLankan’s ongoing initiatives to provide seamless connectivity for our valued passengers across a wide range of destinations, apart from increasing the number of cities that we fly to.” Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said, “The expansion of codeshare cooperation between Qatar Airways and SriLankan Airlines is a natural next step in the strengthening of our close partnership. We look forward to working closely with SriLankan Airlines to offer passengers more flexible travel options via the Best Airport in the Middle East, Hamad International Airport.”

flydubai has added two seasonal summer routes for passengers from Dubai and across the region. The carrier, which operates to Sabiha Gokcen International Airport in Turkey, will also operate to Milas-Bodrum Airport (BJV) and Trabzon Airport (TZX).  Flights to Bodrum, the main gateway to the Turkish Riviera, will operate twice a week from 04 June until 01 September. Trabzon, a popular city on the Black Sea coast of northeastern Turkey, will be served with three weekly flights from 13 May until 01 September. Commenting on the announcement, Jeyhun Efendi, Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations and E-commerce at flydubai, added, “We recognise that since the pandemic it has not been possible for our customers to travel as much as they would have liked. Adding Bodrum and Trabzon to our seasonal schedule will provide passengers with more options to travel this summer. We have steadily grown our network to more than 75 destinations and we will continue to launch flights to more destinations in the region as restrictions ease.  Flights are available to book on flydubai.com.” This summer will see the number of destinations on flydubai’s network reach 78 points. This includes seven points in Russia as well as flights to popular destinations including Baku, Bucharest, Colombo, Maldives, Minsk, Tbilisi, Tel Aviv, Tirana and Zanzibar.

Emirates is offering travellers from the UAE the chance to book their long-awaited Eid or summer getaway to the Maldives, with fares starting from AED 3,495 in Economy Class, and AED 8,555 in Business Class. The offer is valid for bookings made starting today until 25 April 2021 for travel until 31 July 2021. Travellers can also plan their ideal Maldivian getaway with Emirates Holidays, starting from AED 4,389 per person for a three night stay package at a four star hotel. Emirates currently offers 28 convenient weekly flights to the Maldives. The Maldives has become an incredibly popular destination among for UAE travelers for a long weekend break or extended holiday with convenient, short flight timings, idyllic weather, crystal blue waters and pristine beaches. Its private island resorts offer unique experiences catering to almost every type of traveler, from world-class water sports and diving, relaxing spa experiences, and much more, helping visitors create unforgettable memories. The Maldives has remained open for tourists since July of last year, and across all of its private island resorts, has implemented COVID-19 health and safety measures to ensure the safety and wellbeing of visitors. Guests travelling to the Maldives can enjoy a stress-free journey as hotels across the islands offer convenient PCR testing within the resorts ahead of their return flight. Additionally, travelers to the Maldives can enjoy privacy and seclusion through its extensive range of villa-style accommodation options with private pools. Emirates remains focused on taking the stress out of travel, and has led the industry in protecting the health of its customers to ensure a feeling of safety and confidence when deciding to fly.  Emirates customers travel with the assurance that …

Oman Air resumed flights to Riyadh KSA, operating 4 flights per week. Flights to Dammam KSA resumed on 28 March 2021, operating 4 flights per week. The airline will maintain its comprehensive safety program throughout all elements of the travel journey to ensure that guests fly confidently. Masks are required when guests are onboard the aircraft and in Oman’s airports. Distancing is maintained while guests board and exit the aircraft, which are carefully cleaned after each flight and at the end of every day. Cabin crew all wear a full set of personal protective equipment, meal service has been modified to further ensure safety, and a number of other measures have been implemented to ensure that the airline’s guests and crew are safe at all times. Guests who are planning to travel to Muscat should visit the Civil Aviation Authority website, caa.gov.om, to ensure they are prepared to comply with requirements to enter the Sultanate. Guests travelling to KSA should ensure they are aware of official requirements to enter or transit through the country. Guests departing from Oman should also ensure that they are aware of all pre-departure requirements and requirements during their flights, which are provided at omanair.com.

Oman Air announced its expanded codeshare cooperation with Qatar Airways offers Oman Air guests the flexibility to fly to 10 destinations in the USA with the ease and convenience offered by connecting flights in Doha, Qatar. Now within easier reach from Muscat are New York (JFK), Houston (IAH), Chicago (ORD), Philadelphia (PHL), Los Angeles (LAX), Miami (MIA), Dallas (DFW), Boston (BOS), San Francisco (SFO), and Washington, D.C. (IAD). Eng. Abdulaziz Al Raisi, Chief Executive Officer, Oman Air commented on Oman Air’s growing commercial cooperation with Qatar Airways as a win-win for both carriers, offering greater flexibility and seamless connectivity for business and leisure travellers flying between Muscat and the USA, adding, “Our enhanced codeshare agreement with Qatar Airways, an airline with remarkable reach and reputation around the world, facilitates travel between Oman and some of the most celebrated cities in the US while at the same time offering travellers from North America an easy way to connect to Oman’s breathtaking beauty, rich and diverse culture, and authentic hospitality.”

Cebu Pacific reaffirms its full commitment to speed up its digital transformation, in line with its staunch resolve to make travel more convenient and accessible amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. CEB has taken great strides in continuously improving overall customer experience by enhancing its online booking, check-in, manage booking, as well as CEB’s virtual assistant named ‘Charlie the chatbot’. The carrier has begun ramping-up its customer-first initiatives through digital innovation in 2017—making CEB one of the first airlines in Asia to invest in an integrated facility and technology for social intelligence and customer engagement. “We are glad to have started our digital transformation journey even before the pandemic because we have come to rely on it in this new normal environment. We continue to prioritise the safety and convenience of our passengers, that is why we have accelerated our digital efforts to support contactless and self-service processes,” said Candice Iyog, Vice President for Marketing and Customer Experience, CEB. This has spurred CEB ahead of everyone else in the Philippine aviation sector in terms of keeping pace with necessary changes when the COVID-19 pandemic struck. The vital digital transformations and systems it had adopted early on—including bolstering its social media channels manned by the CEB Customer Care Agents—helped in addressing passengers’ needs amidst the pandemic. Iyog said, “Rest assured Charlie, along with our Customer Care team, are online 24/7 to assist everyone. We continue to enhance existing processes as we remain committed to empowering customers and ensuring access to the information they need anytime, anywhere, without having to call the hotline or go to a ticketing office.”  

Emirates commenced trials of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Travel Pass– a mobile app to help passengers easily and securely manage their travel in line with any government requirements for COVID-19 testing or vaccine information. The first passengers travelling from Dubai to Barcelona on EK 185 trialled the ‘digital passport’ to verify and share their pre-travel COVID-19 test status with Emirates. The trials are a step towards making travel more convenient, enabling travellers to manage COVID-19 related documentation digitally, safely and seamlessly throughout the travel experience. In the future, travellers will also be able to share vaccination certificates with authorities and airlines to facilitate travel. Adel Al Redha, Emirates’ Chief Operating Officer said, “The ability to process passengers’ COVID-19 relevant data for travel digitally will be the way forward. We are pleased to have been pioneers and partner with IATA in trialling this initiative in real time and soon will be launching other initiatives to further enhance our customer experience.” The trial is being done on selected Emirates flights from Dubai to Barcelona and London Heathrow to Dubai; and will soon be expanded to include other routes. Eligible passengers are being personally invited to download the app and enrol for the digital travel pass ahead of their travels. In Dubai, Emirates has partnered with select Prime Health Care labs which are authorised to securely send test results to passengers via the app. Those travelling from the UK, can get their test done at select Screen4 labs. The IATA Travel Pass app will have an integrated registry of travel requirements to enable passengers to find accurate information on travel and entry requirements for all destinations regardless of their itinerary. Eventually …

Etihad Airways unveiled a year-long programme in celebration of the 50 years since the nation was established. The programme will launch in three phases, focusing on the past, the present and looking forward to the future. The airline has launched a dedicated platform at etihad.com/uae50, and aims to engage the local community in its participative programme which will be revealed in detail throughout the year. Citizens, residents and guests of the UAE will have the chance to participate and win one of 50,000 prizes that will be given away throughout the course of the year. Tony Douglas, Group Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Aviation Group, said, “This year-long initiative demonstrates Etihad’s celebration of the past, and commitment to the next 50 years of this incredible country. As one of the UAE’s leading brands, Etihad is proud to bring the world to Abu Dhabi to be part of this celebration.”  

Oman Air has launched its new service between Muscat and Sharjah, UAE, with 3 weekly flights (Wednesdays, Saturdays & Sundays), operated with Airbus 330 aircraft. Wednesday and Sunday flights from Muscat will depart at 14:25 and arrive in Sharjah at 15:40. Flights from Sharjah will depart at 17:15 and arrive in Muscat at 18:30. The Saturday flight from Muscat will depart at 20:15 and arrive in Sharjah at 21:30, while the flight from Sharjah will depart at 23:00 and arrive in Muscat at 00:15. Oman Air will maintain its comprehensive safety program throughout all elements of the travel journey to ensure that guests fly confidently. Masks are required when guests are on board the aircraft and in Oman’s airports. Distancing is maintained while guests board and exit the aircraft, which are carefully cleaned after each flight and at the end of every day. Cabin crew all wear a full set of personal protective equipment, meal service has been modified to further ensure safety, and a number of other measures have been implemented to ensure that the airline’s guests and crew are safe at all times.

Wizz Air Abu Dhabi announced three new routes connecting Abu Dhabi to Belgrade, Sohag and Luxor. The new destinations offer something for everyone – from beautiful landmarks and delicious cuisine to magnificent ancient ruins and rich history for those who have the appetite for dynamic experiences, exploring new places and culture. Tickets are on sale at wizzair.com and the airline’s mobile app, which is also available in Arabic, with fares starting as low as AED 129*. Kees Van Schaick, Managing Director of Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, said, “Today’s announcement underpins our long-term commitment to providing low fares and high-quality onboard experiences to our customers. The new connection between the capital of the United Arab Emirates and these three new cities within Europe and the Middle East will continue to stimulate air traffic demand and support the growth of Abu Dhabi’s tourism sector and economic agenda. We look forward to welcoming passengers onboard our new, green and ultra-efficient fleet.”