Category Archives: Aviation

Emirates has announced it is restarting services to Glasgow in the United Kingdom, with 4 weekly flights from 11 August 2021. From 11 August to 30 October, flights between Dubai and Glasgow will operate four times a week on Emirates’ Boeing 777-200LR, in a two-class configuration, offering premium services in Business Class and Economy Class. Emirates flight EK 27 will depart Dubai on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays at 07:50hrs, arriving at Glasgow International Airport at 12:45hrs the same day. The return flight, EK 28, will depart Glasgow at 14:35 hrs, on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, arriving in Dubai at 01:05hrs the following day (all times are local). From September, Emirates will increase its flight frequency to a daily service.   With the UAE moving onto the UK’s ‘amber’ list for travel on Sunday 8 August, travellers arriving in the UK from Dubai no longer need to quarantine in a government-approved hotel, provided they are fully vaccinated. The latest travel requirements to the UK are available here.   Adnan Kazim, Emirates Chief Commercial Officer said: “Emirates welcomes the decision to add the UAE to the UK’s ‘amber list’ for international travel, reflecting the extensive steps that have been taken to mitigate the spread of the virus in the UK and UAE.   Since the UK’s announcement, we’ve seen a huge surge in queries from customers desperate to travel to see their families, planning their kids’ return for the new school term, as well as their postponed business or holiday travel. Emirates is reviewing our operations to various points in the UK and any service restart will be announced in the usual fashion.”   Emirates has been gradually rebuilding its …

Following the United Arab Emirates being added to the UK Amber List, Etihad Airways will resume passenger flights to London and Manchester from 8 August. Unvaccinated guests travelling from the UAE will be required to have a negative PCR test 72 hours before departure and to undergo 10 days home quarantine, as well as follow up Covid-19 tests on day two and day eight. Fully vaccinated guests who had their vaccine administered in the UK, US or Europe are exempt from quarantine and the day eight test. The airline’s three daily flights to London Heathrow have been scheduled to provide guests with a choice of conveniently timed departures and arrivals, and all 28 weekly services between Abu Dhabi and the UK will be operated using state-of-the-art Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft. Those wishing to book are advised to visit www.etihad.com to view their options, and to remain informed of the appropriate entry regulations at their end destination. Flights are also available for booking through the mobile app, by calling the Etihad Airways Contact Centre on +971 600 555 666 (UAE), or through a local or online travel agency. A list of other local Etihad contact centres is available at etihad.com/contacts. Etihad continues to follow UAE and international government, regulatory and health authority directives, and is playing its part in helping to limit the spread of Covid-19. The airline has implemented an extensive sanitisation and wellness programme and is practicing the highest standards of hygiene at every part of the customer journey. This includes catering, aircraft and cabin deep-cleaning, check-in, health screening, boarding, inflight, crew interaction, meal service, disembarkation and ground transportation, among others. More information on the stringent measures being taken …

Cebu Pacific (CEB), the Philippines’ largest national flag carrier, confirms special commercial flights from Dubai to Manila this August, as well as additional flights to other key Asian destinations as it rebuilds international operations. The Bayanihan (a Filipino word that best describes uniting as a community) flights or special commercial flights from Dubai to Manila are scheduled on August 11 and 18, or two consecutive Wednesdays of the month in response to the government’s call for assistance to repatriate overseas Filipinos in the Middle East while the travel ban remains in effect. Other reinstated flights include flights to Singapore, Seoul, South Korea, Tokyo (Narita), Hongkong, Nagoya, Osaka (Kansai) and Taipei. “We remain cautiously optimistic as we gradually rebuild our international network,” said Candice Iyog, Vice President for Marketing and Customer Experience of Cebu Pacific.  “We recognize the need for non-leisure travel to these routes and we assure everyone that we are committed to keep prioritizing safety as we restore trust and confidence in air travel.” Flight schedules may be viewed, and bookings made on the website www.cebupacificair.com. Travel regulations issued by the governments of the Philippines, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea and Taiwan will be implemented. Passengers may refer to the list of travel requirements here: https://bit.ly/CEBFlightReminders. CEB has been rated 7/7 stars by airlineratings.com for its COVID-19 compliance as it continues to implement a multi-layered approach to safety, in accordance with global aviation standards. These include daily extensive cleaning and disinfection protocols for all aircraft and facilities, antigen testing before duty for all frontliners and crew members, and contactless flight procedures. These are all in accordance with global best practices and the highest safety standards. Aircraft are …

The national carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain, Gulf Air will ramp its services to the French capital to be daily. This is in line with the latest decision by the French authorities to add the Kingdom of Bahrain to their Green List as of 01st August. Being on the green list will mean that citizens and residents of Bahrain will be accepted to travel to France without the need to quarantine. Passengers aged 12 and above must present a proof of a complete vaccination which is authorised by the European Medicines Agency or a negative PCR test that is conducted within 72 hours before the flight or a certificate of recovery from COVID-19 for non-vaccinated passengers. Gulf Air began the summer season with flights to 80% of its pre-pandemic network and it continued to resume operations and restore services to cities of its original 2019 destination network. The airline has also announced that it has successfully launched all of its seasonal destinations for the summer of 2021 with direct flights to Mykonos and Santorini in Greece, Malaga in Spain and Alexandria and Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt as well as recently resuming Tbilisi in Georgia. The airline currently flies to and from Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Kuwait, Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, Medina, Muscat, Cairo, Amman, Casablanca, London, Paris, Frankfurt, Athens, Istanbul, Tbilisi, Larnaca, Bangkok, Manila, Singapore, Dhaka, Colombo, the Maldives and several destinations in India and Pakistan. Commenting on restoring daily flights to Paris, Gulf Air’s Acting Chief Executive Officer Captain Waleed AlAlawi commented: “This is wonderful news for citizens and residents of the Kingdom of Bahrain to be able to travel on Gulf Air to Paris on our newly introduced …

Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, a UAE national airline, has announced two new destinations as part of its flight network. The new destinations of Tirana in Albania and Sarajevo in Bosnia & Herzegovina bring Wizz Air Abu Dhabi to a total of 31 routes since launching earlier this year. The flights to each destination will commence on 11th of September and 3rd of October respectively. The flight to Tirana will operate twice a week on Tuesday and Saturday, while flights to Sarajevo will operate twice a week on Wednesday and Sunday. Tickets are on sale on wizzair.com and the airline’s mobile app (also available in Arabic), with fares starting as low as AED 179*. The vibrant capital of Albania, Tirana enjoys a mild Mediterranean climate nestled next to vast and beautiful mountains. A city with a stormy past now exudes culture, history and architecture set to dazzle visitors. Sarajevo in Bosnia & Herzegovina is a resilient city steeped in culture and historical significance, and has naturally become a melting pot of religion and cuisine. Visitors can soak up the city’s atmosphere by exploring the many lanes and markets throughout. Kees Van Schaick, Managing Director of Wizz Air Abu Dhabi said: “We continue to add a diverse and eclectic mix of destinations to our network to ensure that there is an appealing travel option for all. Tirana and Sarajevo are fascinating destinations, rich in culture and both set amid impressive mountainous backdrops.” “When we launched at the start of 2021, we committed to rapid expansion of our network as well as providing viable and ultra-low fare travel for UAE residents and inbound tourists. With 31 routes now on our roster, we continue …

It was announced by UAE authorities that effective 5th August 2021 eligible travelers from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nigeria, Uganda, Vietnam, South Africa, Afghanistan, Indonesia, Bangladesh and Nepal will be allowed to travel to/through UAE. Emirates spokesperson shared, “Emirates would like to thank the UAE National Crisis & Emergency Management Authority and UAE General Civil Aviation Authority for their continuous efforts and evaluation of the pandemic situation globally, and implementing protocols to ensure the safety and health of the community while maintaining a secure path for travellers. Emirates welcomes the latest announced travel exceptions and protocols, which enables travel to resume from more countries from 5 August, facilitating connections for families and businesses. Our website will be updated with the latest protocols and requirements for travel. We continue to actively engage with all relevant stakeholders and authorities on the latest health and safety regulations and look forward to welcome all passengers on our flights.” More updates to follow soon…  

Qatar Airways passengers will be able to explore even more of Africa following its new partnership with Rwanda’s flag carrier, RwandAir via their hubs at Doha and Kigali. As a part of the strategic partnership, the extensive interline agreement will give customers access to the networks of both airlines, providing a seamless travel experience and enhanced customer service including in the frequent flyers programmes.   Customers can pick and choose from over 160 destinations in the combined networks of both airlines, which are perfectly connected via their home hubs of Doha and Kigali.   This latest cooperation comes hot on the heels of the airlines’ recent loyalty partnerships announcement, giving RwandAir Dream Miles and Qatar Airways Privilege Club loyalty members, access to each other’s destinations with the opportunity to ‘earn and burn’ points across their reciprocal route networks.   His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al-Baker, Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive said: “This partnership cements our commitment to giving travellers the widest choice of destinations, while providing a seamless, high quality travel experience, which is the goal of both Qatar Airways and RwandAir.   “Africa is a hugely important market for us and this latest partnership will help support the recovery of international air travel and offer unrivalled connectivity to and from a number of new African destinations.”   Yvonne Makolo, RwandAir CEO, said: “We’re really excited to be opening up more of the world to our customers through the new interline agreement with Qatar Airways.   “Delivering excellent customer experience is key for us and we know that any travelers flying with Qatar Airways or RwandAir, as part of the agreement, will continue to receive the same unrivalled level of service …

Over 2,500 Emirates customers enhanced their travel experience by adding innovative home check-in services to their bookings in July. The airline’s popular service enables passengers departing from Dubai to quickly and efficiently complete the check-in process in the comfort of their home and enjoy a swift and smooth journey through the airport. During the peak summer travel departures from the UAE in July, Emirates’ home check-in services were typically booked for groups of four to five people, with travellers’ most popular destinations being Amman (Jordan), Beirut (Lebanon) and Male (Maldives). Thursdays and the Eid long weekend were particularly busy with up to 130 home check-ins completed and 150 pieces of baggage delivered to the airport a day across Dubai. Underscoring the popularity of the service, some 400 home check-ins were for repeat customers who had already taken advantage of the service before. During the safe and convenient home check-in process, customer-oriented agents check in travellers for their flights, issue boarding passes, weigh and tag their sanitised baggage and ensure these are delivered to the airport and loaded onto the aircraft. Each piece of baggage is disinfected with a long-lasting protective coating that lasts for up to 72 hours. Emirates customers can easily book their home check-in service on emirates.com up to 24 hours before their flight and receive the service up to 8 hours before scheduled departure time. Customers also have the option to book fast-track marhaba services to help whisk them through airport immigration for an even more contactless on ground experience. In addition, travellers can also book pre-travel COVID-19 testing. A qualified medical professional performs the swab test ahead of the home check-in process, and results are shared …

Following successful trials, Etihad Airways has expanded IATA Travel Pass on flights between Abu Dhabi and seven destinations across its network as it continues to implement digital solutions to simplify the travel experience in the wake of the pandemic. IATA Travel Pass is available for guests on all Etihad flights between Abu Dhabi and Bangkok, Barcelona, Geneva, Madrid, Milan, New York and Singapore and offers the convenience of a one-stop platform for managing COVID-19 documentation.   Mohammad Al Bulooki, Chief Operating Officer at Etihad Aviation Group, said: “The feedback from the IATA Travel Pass trial has been positive, with Etihad’s guests appreciating its ease-of-use and data security. Etihad is pleased to now make IATA Travel Pass available on flights to and from seven major global cities, providing more guests with the option of simplifying their journey and airport experience.”   Nick Careen, IATA’s Senior Vice President for Operations, Safety and Security, said: “Etihad’s decision to expand IATA Travel Pass based on positive customer feedback is a strong endorsement of the solution. IATA Travel pass was designed to provide a one-stop-shop solution for travellers to safely and efficiently manage their COVID-19 documentation and generate an ‘OK to Travel’ which airlines can trust. It’s great to see the app in use facilitating the restart of international travel.”   Etihad Airways was one of the first airlines globally to begin testing IATA Travel Pass in April 2021 in support of a global, standardised solution for travellers to validate their documents and navigate COVID-19 travel requirements.   To access the IATA Travel Pass, guests simply need to download the IATA Travel Pass app for Android or iOS, where they can add their Etihad Airways …

flydubai, the Dubai-based airline, announced the start of its three-times weekly service to Hargeisa Egal International Airport (HGA) from 10 August. This will bring the number of destinations flydubai operates to in Africa to 12 points in nine countries including Sohag International Airport (HMB) and Sharm El Sheikh International Airport (SSH) which started earlier this summer. Commenting on the relaunch of the route, Ghaith Al Ghaith, Chief Executive Officer of flydubai, said: “we are committed to provide underserved markets with direct air links to Dubai. We are pleased to restart our operations to Hargeisa which will provide the Somali diaspora with a convenient option to visit their families and friends in their home country. With the codeshare agreement with Emirates and the interline agreements we have in place more than 200 destinations can now be reached through Dubai’s aviation hub.” Sudhir Sreedharan, Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations (UAE, GCC, Africa and the Indian Subcontinent) at flydubai, said: “flydubai is committed to creating free flows of trade and tourism between the regions we fly to and we believe that our reliable and convenient passenger and cargo services will help to open up the trade opportunities between Hargeisa and Dubai and onward destinations. We are sure that both our Economy Class and Business Class will exceed the passengers’ expectations and we look forward to welcoming passengers from Hargeisa on board again soon.” flydubai will become the first carrier to operate to Hargeisa, Somaliland from Dubai. The carrier continues to open up underserved markets and expand its network in Africa. flydubai also has plans to relaunch its operations to Uganda in the coming few weeks. flydubai currently operates to 12 points in …