Category Archives: Aviation

EL AL Israel Airlines are set to explore deeper cooperation following the signing of a virtual Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).The wide-ranging MOU covers scope to introduce joint codeshare services between Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv, as well as on the global flight networks beyond the two carriers’ hubs. The MOU also contains plans for greater commercial cooperation in the fields of cargo, engineering, loyalty, destination management and the optimal use of pilot and cabin crew training facilities. Etihad Airways announced its intention this week to commence daily services between Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv from 28 March 2021. The MOU was signed ‘virtually’ by Tony Douglas, Group Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Aviation Group, and Gonen Usishkin, Chief Executive Officer of EL AL Israel Airlines. Tony Douglas said, “Following EL AL’s historic flight to Abu Dhabi, the first ever flight between Israel and the UAE, this MOU is the foundation of what we envision will be a strong ongoing relationship between Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv. We look forward to examining ways in which the two flag carriers – Etihad and EL AL – can work more closely together to improve business operations and enhance the experience for our guests. Gonen Usishkin said, “Following the normalisation of diplomatic relations between Israel and the UAE, we have been provided a great opportunity to examine the possibility of cooperation with Etihad Airways. This MOU is only the start and we believe that together, the two flag carriers will be able to provide our mutual customers with the best possible product and service. Already, the common goals we have outlined speak for the success of our future cooperation.”

Emirates announced plans to operate its popular A380 aircraft four times a day to London Heathrow from November 27 and six times a week to Manchester from 2 December, and to deploy additional A380 services to Moscow from the current two-a-week, to a daily service from 25 November.Emirates will also increase flights to Birmingham and Glasgow from the current four-a-week to daily services at both cities, from 27 November and 1 December respectively. Emirates’ services to Manchester will increase from the current eight-a-week to 10 flights per week from 1 December, of which six will be served by an Emirates A380 and four with a Boeing 777-300ER. At London Heathrow, Emirates’ current twice daily A380 and once daily Boeing 777 flights will become four daily A380 services from November 27. These represent a significant expansion of Emirates services to the UK, following the recent establishment of the UK-UAE air travel corridor which has led to increased demand. Under the air travel corridor, travellers entering the UK from the UAE will not longer be required to quarantine, which is a boon for travellers, and speaks to the UAE’s rigorous and effective pandemic response. In the other direction, UK travellers heading to Dubai can opt to do their COVID-19 PCR tests 96 hours in advance of their flight, or to do the test on arrival in Dubai, adding to the ease of travel. Emirates’ enhanced services to Moscow will also meet increased demand from travellers seeking to holiday in Dubai, or at popular island destinations within easy reach through Dubai, such as the Maldives. Dubai is open for international business and leisure visitors. From sun-soaked beaches and heritage activities to world class …

Etihad Airways will launch daily scheduled year-round flights to Tel Aviv, the economic and technological centre of Israel. The launch of flights follows the normalisation of diplomatic ties between the two nations, and the signing of the Abraham Accords between the UAE and Israel in Washington D.C. on 15 September. Only a month later, Etihad became the first GCC carrier to operate a commercial passenger flight to and from Tel Aviv on 19 October 2020. Mohammad Al Bulooki, Chief Operating Officer, Etihad Aviation Group, said: “Following the signing of the new bilateral agreement, Etihad is delighted to announce a direct link between these important cities.“The commencement of scheduled flights is a historic moment and as an airline, cements Etihad’s commitment to growing opportunities for trade and tourism not just between the two countries but also within the region and beyond.” The new service effective from March 28, 2021 will provide greater choice and convenience for point-to-point business and leisure travellers between the UAE and Israel. It will not only promote direct inbound tourism to Abu Dhabi, but will also give Emiratis and UAE residents the opportunity to discover Israel’s historical sites, beaches, restaurants and nightlife. Departures will be conveniently timed to connect via Abu Dhabi to key gateways across the Etihad network including China, India, Thailand and Australia.

Etihad Airways is encouraging residents to get away and try something new with the launch of its 49-Hour National Day Sale. And for the first time, you can book your break with a AED 49 deposit and pay nothing until 21 days before your trip. Travellers can jet off any time before 30 September 2021 for less, and lay back and relax at a luxury resort, explore ancient architecture or spend the weekend discovering a new city.Fares from Abu Dhabi to Beirut start from just AED 1,249, Athens from AED 2,449 and Maldives from AED 3,049. The sale extends across all of Etihad’s cabins, with return Business fares starting from AED 5,349 out of Abu Dhabi to Cairo.With Etihad Holidays, travellers can enjoy three-night package deals including Etihad Airways’ flights and accommodation in a four or five-star hotel in Cairo, Athens and Maldives. Those wanting to stay closer to home can choose from an enticing range of staycation deals across the UAE. One night offers are available from as little as AED 149, including breakfast, at a wide range of hotels across Abu Dhabi and Dubai.To give travellers peace of mind when booking, complimentary date or destination changes are permitted. The sale starts at 9am on Wednesday, 11 November 2020 and ends at 10am on Friday, 13 November 2020 at etihad.com. Deposits cannot be refunded. Holiday packages terms and conditions apply.

Emirates’ airline iconic flagship A380 landed at Queen Alia International (AMM) as the airline resumed the operations of its popular aircraft to Amman. Customers can fly the Emirates A380 between Dubai and Amman three times a week on Wednesdays, Thursday and Fridays as part of the airline’s newly introduced expanded schedule of 10 weekly flights. The expanded schedule also includes flights EK 905 and EK 906. Emirates flight EK 905 departs Dubai at 22:15 and arrives in Amman at 23:40 local time. The return flight, EK 906 departs Amman at 01:45 and arrives in Dubai at 06:40 local time. Timings have been scheduled to facilitate more effective onward connections to destinations in the United States such as well as vital connections to European points popular with Jordanian travellers.

Air France KLM Group has formally inaugurated its new regional headquarters at Dubai Airport Freezone. The Air France KLM team relocated to the new offices in Dubai Airport Freezone. The entire regional team is now based at the new offices, including General Management, HR, Finance, Commercial, UAE Country Management and Regional Sales Support. In addition, Air France Industries management team have also relocated with the team, from the former offices at the Al Shoala Complex in Deira, to the new DAFZA location which is designed to support the group’s sustainability goals. His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Airport Freezone Authority (DAFZA), President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority said, “This strategy has helped ensure business continuity and growth and accelerate recovery to the next stage, especially within the aviation sector, which has been affected by the global restrictions and measures that were applied at the beginning of the pandemic. With this opening, DAFZA has continued its process of developing business opportunities and attracting new global partners who put their confidence in the emirate of Dubai.” His Excellency Dr. Mohammed Al Zarooni, Director General of Dubai Airport Freezone Authority (DAFZA) said, “The group’s selection of DAFZA is important as it will yield positive results for both sides. It will contribute to the growth of business and strengthen its operations in the region and abroad. DAFZA will continue to provide innovative services and develop a base of operations that serve the future expansion of all companies and businesses. This will help in building a new start-up base that meets its ambitions.” Commenting on the opening, Yeshwant Pawar, General Manager, Air France KLM, Gulf, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Pakistan …

flydubai announced the start of flights between Dubai and Tel Aviv from November 26, 2020. The carrier will operate 14 flights a week offering a double daily service between Dubai International (DXB) and Tel Aviv Ben Gurion (TLV) and flights are now available to be booked on flydubai.com. This announcement follows the air transport agreement that was recently signed by both countries as well as the start of passenger and cargo operations by other national carriers. In addition, there have been a number of bilateral visits as travel and tourism opportunities open-up. Ghaith Al Ghaith, Chief Executive Officer at flydubai, said, “Since the launch of flydubai 11 years ago, we have been committed to removing barriers to travel, creating free flows of trade and tourism and enhancing connectivity between different cultures across our network. Following the recent bilateral agreement, the start of scheduled flights will contribute to economic development and create further opportunities for investment in pursuit of our shared interests and values. With the start of services there will be the option for increased accessibility to the UAE as well as onwards to the Indian Ocean, Far East and Africa reducing total journey times by several hours.”

Emirates airline reveals that it has returned over AED 5 billion (US$ 1.4 billion) in COVID-19 related travel refunds to date, making strong and steady progress on its commitment to customers to complete pending refunds.More than 1.4 million refunds requests have been completed since March, representing 90% of the airline’s backlog. This includes all requests received from customers around the world up until the end of June, save for a few cases which require further manual review. Since the pandemic hit, Emirates has invested additional resources to ramp up its processing capability. The airline also continues to work with industry partners to facilitate refunds for those who have booked their Emirates flights through travel agents, this includes enabling direct refunds processing via global booking systems (GDS). Sir Tim Clark, President Emirates Airline said, “We understand that from our customers’ standpoint, each pending refund request is one too many. We are committed to honouring refunds and are trying our utmost to clear the massive and unprecedented backlog that was caused by the pandemic. Most cases are straightforward, and these we will process quickly. But there are cases which will take a bit more time for our customer teams to manually review and complete. We are grateful to our customers for their patience and understanding.”

flydubai is marking the start of an up to four-times weekly service. Since the airline announced the new route, it has seen growing demand for flights to the Maldives and as a result it will operate daily flights, during the peak seasonal holiday period, from December 17 2020 until January 18, 2021. In addition, the four-hour flight from Dubai arrives in Male’ at a convenient time to provide improved connectivity for onward travel by seaplane. The Maldives is a popular destination which offers breath-taking beaches for those looking for a quiet secluded break and beautiful turquoise waters for those looking to be more active. In line with the comprehensive COVID-19 safe tourism guidelines and hygiene certification programme issued by the Maldivian Ministry of Tourism, all 156 resorts situated in the island nation are following the protective measures, ensuring the safety of tourists and staff. Commenting on flydubai’s growing network, Hamad Obaidalla, Chief Commercial Officer at flydubai, said, “we initially saw our passengers travelling to see their family and friends. As more countries have opened up for tourism we are now seeing more passengers travel for leisure to enjoy their first holiday of the year. Whilst the pandemic has changed the way we travel we can be reassured that the safety measures taken at the airport, on board our flights and at the destination provide a safe environment to travel again with peace of mind.” flydubai has recently introduced a new COVID-19 cover to encourage more people to travel with ease of mind knowing that they will be looked after at every step of their journey. Passengers booking with flydubai for travel until 30 November 2020 will automatically receive free global …

Etihad Airways has launched the world’s first Transition Sukuk and the first Sustainability-Linked financing in global aviation, under a Transition Finance Framework. This follows the first aviation financing linked to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals raised in December 2019, further confirming Etihad’s role as an industry leader in sustainable finance. The US$ 600 million transaction will support Etihad’s drive for sustainable aviation by linking the sukuk terms to Etihad’s carbon reduction targets: a commitment to Net Zero Carbon emissions by 2050; a 50% reduction in net emissions by 2035; and a 20% reduction in emissions intensity in the airline’s passenger fleet by 2025. Adam Boukadida, Chief Financial Officer, Etihad Aviation Group, said: “Sustainability and responsible climate action are the most significant challenges facing the aviation industry. As the UAE’s flag carrier, Etihad is committed to sustainable development in aviation in line with Abu Dhabi’s vision. “By issuing a Sustainability-Linked Sukuk, Etihad is voluntarily adding to its existing commitments under CORSIA, and also committing to reduce carbon emissions intensity by over 20% from the 2017 baseline,” added Boukadida.