Category Archives: Aviation

Emirates airline has announced it will resume flights to Geneva (from July 15), Los Angeles (from July 22), Dar es Salaam (from August 1), Prague and Sao Paulo (from August 2), and Boston (from August 15), offering customers even more travel options. This will take the airline’s network to 58 cities by mid-August, including 20 points in Europe and 24 points in the Asia Pacific. Adnan Kazim, Chief Commercial Officer, Emirates said, “We’ve seen an uptick in customer interest and demand since the announcement of Dubai’s re-opening, and also with the increased travel options that we offer as we gradually re-establish our network connectivity. We continue to work closely with all stakeholders to resume flight operations while ensuring that all necessary measures to safeguard the health and safety of our customers and employees are in place.” Emirates customers travelling between the Americas, Europe, Africa, Middle East, and Asia Pacific, can enjoy safe and convenient connections via Emirates’ hub in Dubai. Customers can also stop over or travel to Dubai, as the city has re-opened for international business and leisure visitors.

Wizz Air Abu Dhabi announced that it will base two state-of-the-art brand new Airbus A321neo aircraft and start six highly anticipated routes from Abu Dhabi on 1 October 1, 2020. The joint-venture established between ADQ, one of the region’s largest holding companies, and Wizz Air Holdings Plc, has just received national carrier status from the UAE government subject to meeting regulatory standards prior to starting operations. József Váradi, Chairman of Wizz Air Abu Dhabi and CEO of Wizz Air Group said, “This announcement is the first step of a long and much awaited journey as we are dedicated to developing our presence in Abu Dhabi, contributing to Abu Dhabi’s economic diversity strategy while offering ever more affordable travel opportunities on our low fare network. We much appreciate the support we have been given by the government, its affiliated organizations and our local business partners in Abu Dhabi. He added, “Our state-of-the-art Airbus A321neo aircraft, as well as our enhanced protective measures will ensure the best possible sanitary conditions for travellers. Wizz Air is the lowest cost producer operating the youngest and economically most efficient fleet of aircraft with the lowest environmental footprint.” Shareef Al Hashmi, CEO of Abu Dhabi Airports, commented, “With the addition of the new airline, the number of destinations and connections passengers are able to access through Abu Dhabi continues to grow, demonstrating our commitment to enhancing our network and placing our customers first.” “In addition to implementing comprehensive health and safety measures across our airports, we have made a series of strategic investments to ensure our facilities and services make Abu Dhabi International Airport an optimal regional gateway for airlines from across the world,” he concluded.

Etihad Airways has partnered with Travelfusion as it continues its New Distribution Capability (NDC) strategy launched earlier this year. The venture will provide access for travel agents and corporate clients to Etihad’s content and enhance the sales distribution of tickets and ancillaries. Travelfusion will make use of the airline’s International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) certified NDC platform to provide all relevant booking information such as cabin details, fare rules, baggage allowances, as well as access to book flights. Dieter Westermann, Vice President Revenue Management, Etihad Airways, said, “The adoption of NDC is a major milestone and partnering with Travelfusion gives us the ability to connect with new-age travel technology companies, as well as forge stronger relationships with travel agents and corporate clients. Connecting through Travelfusion benefits the travel trade and reduces the investment required to build an independent IT system.” Moshe Rafiah, CEO, Travelfusion, said, “Travelfusion has been a pioneer in NDC since the birth of the programme and we are very pleased with the opportunity to bring our experience to bear in working with Etihad Airways in this exciting new dimension in their distribution strategy.”

flydubai landed in Kyiv’s Boryspil International Airport (KBP) on July 8, marking the start of scheduled services following the lifting of flight restrictions that were implemented in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. flydubai flight FZ 727 departed from Terminal 2, Dubai International (DXB) at 09:20 and landed in Kyiv’s Boryspil (KBP) at 14:10 where it was welcomed by officials from the airport. Onboard the aircraft were 12 Business Class passengers and 155 Economy Class passengers. Jeyhun Efendi, Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations for flydubai, said, “we would like to thank the authorities and members of the travel industry for their involvement in supporting the resumption of our scheduled flights to Kyiv. These combined efforts have enabled Kyiv to be one of the first destinations to open on our network and we look forward to bringing more passengers to Ukraine.” flydubai’s passenger experience has been redesigned to enable travel in a safe environment that minimises crew and passenger contact, and every passenger will receive a complimentary snack or meal onboard. During a flight, air is exchanged in the cabin every two to three minutes and is sterile when it enters the cabin after passing through high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters. flydubai’s aircraft are disinfected every day with manufacturer-certified cleaning products.From 07 July, Dubai is ready to receive visitors and has implemented stringent public health and safety measures to ensure that visitors feel safe when they arrive. Efendi added, “We have been hard at work to redesign our passenger journey in order to minimise the risk of transmission of COVID-19, and these efforts are to ensure that visitors feel safe when they arrive in Dubai. To realise the benefits of travel, flydubai …

Dubai Airports welcomed the resumption of scheduled operations by foreign carriers at Dubai International (DXB). A total of 13 international airlines resumed scheduled flights this week as Dubai opened its skies and arms to tourists effective July 7. Airlines resuming operations at DXB include Air Blue, Air France, Cebu Pacific, EgyptAir, Ethiopian Airlines, Gulf Air, KLM, Lufthansa, Mahan Air, Middle East Airlines, Pakistan International Airlines, Philippine Airlines and Royal Jordanian with more expected to join later. In addition to foreign carriers, DXB-based Emirates airline and flydubai have boosted their schedules. “We have ensured everything is in place to welcome airlines from around the world back to Dubai as a growing number of bilateral agreements between countries conclude to facilitate the opening of borders and the gradual return of traffic,” said Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports. “Our ability to resume passenger operations has been enabled by the significant and early steps the UAE government took to tackle the threat of the spread of the virus, together with the robust health and safety measures in place at DXB, and the excellent advanced healthcare services available here in Dubai. We remain in close discussions with government officials and airlines to support the resumption of additional services as approvals are granted in the weeks and months ahead. The message is that we are ready to welcome visitors back to Dubai and we will do our utmost to take care of them whilst they are here” As services resume passengers are being advised to always confirm their terminal of departure and arrival with their airline prior to coming to the airport as some carriers may have temporarily changed terminals.

Etihad Airways has announced a codeshare agreement with Abu Dhabi’s first low-cost airline, Air Arabia Abu Dhabi. Etihad will place its ‘EY’ code on Air Arabia Abu Dhabi’s inaugural flight from Abu Dhabi to the Egyptian city of Alexandria on July 14, followed by the Nile city of Sohag the next day. The new agreement enables guests to book Etihad flights in conjunction with Air Arabia Abu Dhabi services, connecting its global route network beyond the UAE capital to new airline’s routes. Etihad plans to add further codeshare destinations to the partnership scope as more Air Arabia Abu Dhabi destinations are announced in the coming weeks. Air Arabia Abu Dhabi was formed following an agreement by Etihad Airways and Air Arabia to establish an independent joint venture company that will operate as a low-cost passenger airline with Abu Dhabi International Airport as its hub. The airline will start its operations with two Airbus A320 aircraft based at Abu Dhabi International Airport.

flydubai has begun welcoming tourists to Dubai following the lifting of flight restrictions that were put in place in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. On July 8, flydubai flight FZ 728 from Kiev’s Boryspil International Airport (KBP) arrived at Terminal 2, Dubai International (DXB) at 21:45. Onboard the flight were 07 Business Class passengers and 159 Economy Class passengers who were welcomed on arrival from representatives from the airline, Dubai Airports, Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM) and other key stakeholders. Amongst the passengers were 25 tourists who chose Dubai as their first holiday destination. Hamad Obaidalla, Chief Commercial Officer of flydubai, said, “As more airports around our network begin to lift flight restrictions, we look forward to seeing our network grow to 66 destinations over the summer period. We have been hard at work to redesign our passenger journey in order to minimise the risk of transmission of COVID-19. These efforts are aligned to the stringent public health and safety measures that are in place to ensure that visitors feel safe when they arrive in Dubai.” Issam Kazim, CEO of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM), said, “The overall destination experience is our top-most priority, and together with flydubai, are ensuring that the health and safety of visitors is present at every step of the travel process. As Dubai continues to feature as a must-visit destination, we want to assure our visitors that the city is safe and we are very excited to welcome international visitors back.” “All of the staff at Dubai Airports have been eagerly awaiting the restart of operations of our home-based airlines and therefore it is a welcome milestone to see people coming back …

Rwanda’s airports will reopen for scheduled commercial flight operations on August 1, 2020 stated the Ministry of Infrastructure in an official statement released. To ensure the safety and health of passengers, crews and staff, airport operations will adhere to guidelines developed by the ministry of health and recommendations of the ICAO Council on aviation recovery taskforce. All passengers including those in transit will be required to show proof of a COVID -19 PCR negative test from a certified laboratory taken within 72 hours of arriving in Rwanda. For passengers entering Rwanda, a second PCR test will be conducted upon arrival with results delivered within 24 hours during which time they will remain in designated hotels at own cost.

Air Arabia Abu Dhabi will take wings on July 14, 2020 with direct flights connecting Abu Dhabi with Alexandria and Sohag in Egypt. The inaugural flight will take off from Abu Dhabi to Alexandria on July 14 followed by flights to Sohag the next day. Air Arabia Abu Dhabi will start its operations with two Airbus A320 aircraft based in Abu Dhabi International Airport offering the same value-added product and services provided by Air Arabia across its hubs. The customer journey has also been upgraded adhering to all local and international guidelines set in place to ensure safety protocols and health measures are always met. Tony Douglas, Group Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Aviation Group, said, “This joint venture between Etihad and Air Arabia will offer greater convenience and direct access to the UAE’s thriving capital for new markets worldwide, beginning with two key Egyptian routes, and expanding in time. Abu Dhabi has earned itself an exceptional reputation for business and leisure travel alike, and we look forward to seeing the emirate continue to prosper as the current global situation improves and markets begin to reopen.” Adel Al Ali, Group Chief Executive Officer, Air Arabia, said, “While the global aviation sector continues to witness unprecedented challenges due to COVID-19 pandemic, this step is a testament to the strength of the UAE aviation sector and our commitment to its long-term prospects”. He continued, “Egypt is a key travel market and the launch of the first flights reflects our focus on supporting commercial and trade ties between both nations while providing our customers with a new value-for-money option to travel between both countries. Abu Dhabi is a major travel and tourism hub and …

Saudi Ground Services announced that its digital transformation with SAP is boosting the aviation sector’s USD 37 billion contribution to GDP. Saudi Vision 2030 is rapidly developing international business and tourism connections, underpinned by the aviation sector, which supports 594,000 jobs and USD 37 billion to GDP in the Kingdom, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA). As the Kingdom’s aviation market grows, Saudi Ground Services, which serves 670,000 flights per year for more than 90 airlines and 100 million passengers, needed to operate in real-time. Saudi Ground Services implemented the S/4HANA real-time business suite and Success Factors human experience management suite for over 12,000 employees. Now, Saudi Ground Services has access to customised airline invoices, integrated flight schedules to automate sales orders, as well as localised payroll solutions. “The Saudi Ground Services Company is asserting its market position within Saudi Arabia, in 2020 and beyond, through operational excellence capabilities,” said Capt. Fahd Cynndy, CEO, Saudi Ground Services. “Technology is positioned as a core enabler moving forward our strategy, and SAP facilitated the transformation journey by automating human resources processes, flight data, sales orders, sourcing and contracting for over 200 tenders per year.” Saudi Ground Services is also embracing its customer centric approach through augmented reality and mobility solutions, on-flight live services, strategic sourcing, automated financial postings, and predictive analytics. Remarking on the success, Saudi Ground Services has won an SAP MENA Quality Award, which recognise the region’s top digital transformation initiatives, in the “Business Transformation” category. “Saudi Arabia’s aviation sector is evolving with traveller demands, technology advancements, and global growth,” said Taha Al Madani, Head of Customer Office, SAP Middle East North. “Saudi Ground Services shows how aviation …