Category Archives: Aviation

Dubai-based AA Al Moosa Enterprises has announced the rebranding of one of its four-star hotel properties located in a strategic area in Sharjah. Previously managed by Wyndham Hotels & Resorts under Ramada Hotel & Suites Sharjah, the property’s rebranding comes in line with AA Al Moosa Enterprises’ new strategy to strengthen its own local brand Golden Sands, which has been successfully present in the market for 30 years. Entering into force on July 1, 2019, the property’s new contract was signed during the opening of the Arabian Travel Market exhibition by Nayef Al Moosa, Director, ARENCO Real Estate, representing the owning company; and Mohammad Khoori, General Manager, Golden Sands Hotel Apartments. HE Khalid Al Midfa, Chairman, Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority, was present at the signing ceremony. He commented, “We are grateful to AA Al MOOSA for believing in Sharjah as an attractive tourism destination, and we are looking forward to support Golden Sands throughout its new venture.” “There is no doubt that the UAE hospitality industry is constantly evolving, therefore we must be flexible and adapt our strategies to meet the ever growing market needs,” Nayef Al Moosa said. “We maintain a friendly relationship with Wyndham, and are confident that Golden Sands management will achieve our aspirations for this property.” For his part, Khoori noted, “The emirate of Sharjah has recently witnessed a vast transformation in its tourism sector, and we are delighted to be here to support the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority’s vision for the emirate with a renowned local brand that is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year.” He concluded, “We are extremely pleased to be selected by the owners to manage this fine …

Etihad Airways is set to operate a daily scheduled flight between Al Ain in the UAE and Jeddah in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from May 26 to June 4 to meet increased demand during the last 10 days of Ramadan. The flights will be operated by an Airbus A330, and have been conveniently timed to offer customers in Al Ain with afternoon departures in both directions. Ahmed Al Qubaisi, Senior Vice President – Government and International Affairs, Etihad Aviation Group, said, “We are very pleased to offer these special flights from Al Ain to Jeddah during Ramadan. The flights are conveniently scheduled for the people residing in Al Ain wanting to attend Umrah during the last 10 days of the holy month.” Flight EY 335 will depart Al Ain at 1.30pm, arriving in Jeddah at 3.20pm, with return flight EY 336 departing the Saudi city at 4.20pm and arriving in the UAE city at 8.05pm.

Etihad Airways will boost its services from Abu Dhabi to London Heathrow during the summer period. The additional flights will be operated by a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, supplementing the current three daily all-Airbus A380 services between both capital cities. Four daily flights will be operated on the route between May 26 and June 22, increasing to five from June 23 to September 28, returning to four daily flights from September 29 to October 26. The extra flights are conveniently timed to provide easy connections via Abu Dhabi to and from key destinations across the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Australia. Etihad’s two-class version of the 787-9 Dreamliner features 28 Business Studios and 271 Economy Smart Seats.

Ahead of the inaugural flight to Porto on July 2, 2019, Emirates is offering discounted fares to passengers. Economy Class passengers can enjoy fares starting from AED 2,795 and Business Class passengers can enjoy fares starting from AED 14,995. The offer is valid for bookings made today until May 20 for travel until February 28, 2020. Emirates’ new service to Porto will be four times weekly and operated by a Boeing 777-300ER. The three class cabin configuration offers 8 private suites in First Class, 42 seats in Business Class and 310 seats in Economy Class. The Dubai to Porto route will operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Emirates flight EK 197 will depart Dubai at 9:15 am and arrive in Porto at 14:30 pm local time. The return flight, EK 198, will depart Porto 17:35 pm and arrive in Dubai at 4:15 am the next morning. Travellers can also book with Emirates Holidays and enjoy a five-star holiday experience starting at AED 5,799 per person, including airfare. Emirates passengers across all cabins will enjoy 4,000 channels of movies, TV shows and programmes on ice – the airline’s award winning in-flight entertainment system, regionally inspired meals, and up to 20 MB of complimentary Wi-Fi to stay connected with friends and family during the flight. Customers on-board will also enjoy complimentary beverages and the warm hospitality of Emirates’ multinational cabin crew, who come from more than 135 nationalities and speak more than 60 languages. Located along the Douro River, the coastal city is famous for its rich cultural heritage, its historic centre and delicious cuisine. Visitors will enjoy walking through the city’s narrow cobbled streets, discovering iconic bridges, local cafes and …

Dubai International (DXB) welcomed 22.2 million passengers in the first quarter of 2019, down 2.2 per cent from the same period last year due largely to reduced flights and a shift in the timing of the Easter holiday. Cargo volumes increased 4.1 per cent in the same period to reach 641,250 tonnes. A total of 22,230,810 customers were served during the first quarter of 2019 (-2.2 per cent). The average monthly volume of 7.41 million was slightly lower than the average monthly traffic of 7.42 million recorded in 2018. Cargo wise a total of 641,250 tonnes of airfreight was handled at Dubai International (DXB) during the first three months of 2019 up 4.1%. In terms of Flights the total passenger flights during the first three months of 2019 totaled 95,857, down 3% from last year partially due to the grounding of 737 Max aircraft in effect since March 13 in the UAE. In terms of top destinations, India continued to hold to its position as DXB’s top destination country by passenger numbers, with traffic for the quarter reaching 3,121,809 – propelled mainly by top city destinations Mumbai, Delhi and Cochin. Saudi Arabia was number two on the list with 1,745,750 customers, followed closely by the United Kingdom with 1,511,917customers. Other destination countries of note include Pakistan (1,159,722 customers), the U.S. (764,489 customers), Germany (690,062 customers), China (620,013) and Russia (414,445). The top three cities were London (871,180 customers), Mumbai (624,442) and Jeddah (605,628 customers). GCC was the fastest growing region with growth of 3.8%, followed by North America with 2.7% growth. Waiting times were reduced by a whopping 30%* in Q1 2019, thanks to DXB’s advanced operations centre which uses real-time information to …

Jordan Tourism Board (JTB) and The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced that the partnership with Ryanair, is already expanding its operations with the addition of four new routes to Jordan to and from Malta, Memmingen, Thessaloniki and Milan Bergamo, as part of its Jordan Winter 2019 schedule. With a total of 18 routes connecting between 12 countries, the new routes will serve over 500,000 customers annually at Amman and Aqaba airports. Majd Shweikeh, HE Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, elaborated, “Launching the world-renowned low-cost Ryanair operations has had a cascading positive effect on the sector’s dynamics, which resulted in an increase in numbers as a new segment of tourists — from Eastern Europe in particular — who have never been to Jordan before, are now exploring Jordan and its unique and diverse natural, cultural and archaeological heritage in a comprehensive touristic experience. ” Dr. Abed Al Razzaq Arabiyat, Managing Director of the Jordan Tourism Board, said, “We are very happy to see tangible results in Jordan from our partnership with Ryanair. Less than a year into its operation, this collaboration has proved its power in making Jordan an accessible and affordable destination for many with its ever-growing number of routes.” Michael O’Leary, CEO of Ryanair,  said, “Ryanair is pleased to launch its Jordan Winter 2019 schedule, with 4 new routes (18 routes in total), delivering over 500,000 customers through our two Jordanian airports. We are pleased to strengthen our cooperation with the Jordanian Tourist Board with these 18 winter routes that will further promote Jordanian tourism and will deliver visitors from 12 European countries to one of the world’s most attractive winter tourism destinations.” The new routes will operate …

Building on the success of its current daily service between the capitals of the UAE and Russia, Etihad Airways announced a new second daily flight between Abu Dhabi and Moscow’s Domodedovo airport, which will operate seasonally between October 27 and May 10, 2020. The additional flight, operated by an Airbus A320, will provide more convenient travel options between the two capital cities as passengers can now choose between a daytime and evening departure from both Abu Dhabi and Moscow. Together with the existing service, operated by an Airbus A321, travellers will also benefit from improved connectivity through Etihad’s Abu Dhabi hub to Australia, India, Sri Lanka, Seychelles, Maldives, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines. Robin Kamark,  Aviation Group Chief Commercial Officer, Etihad, said, “Since launching our first scheduled flights to Moscow in 2008, the route has proved very popular, enjoying strong point-to-point business and leisure demand. The addition of the second flight underscores the importance we place on the Russian market, by providing our customers greater flexibility, convenience and easy transit through Abu Dhabi to key points across Asia and Australia.” Russia is the second largest source market for inbound tourism to the UAE with 820,000 Russian tourists visiting the country in 2018. The trade exchange between the UAE and Russia reached US$ 3 billion last year. Etihad Airways, together with its partners, continues to promote the increase of tourism, and trade and investment opportunities between both countries. Etihad’s Airbus A321 and A320 two-class aircraft feature modern Business and Economy cabins and the airline’s award-winning service and hospitality. Abu Dhabi – Moscow (effective October 27, 2019 –  May 10, 2020) – From Abu Dhabi at 02:40 to Moscow (DME) 07:20 …

The latest partnership between Emirates and Latam Airlines will connect 17 cities increasing choice, flexibility and ease of connection for Emirates passengers travelling to/from Brazil. Passengers will now be able to connect with 17 cities in Latam’s domestic network covered by the codeshare agreement including Belo Horizonte, Brasília and Foz do Iguaçu. Passengers travelling to/from these cities will now be able to connect seamlessly in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro with Emirates’ flights to its Dubai hub, which serves over 150 destinations worldwide. The agreement will offer Emirates passengers more choice to travel to/from Brazil with minimum connection times to destinations in Emirates’ global network such as Japan, Australia and India amongst others. Codeshare routes are from/to Sao Paulo (GRU) to Belem (BEL), Belo Horizonte (CNF), Brasilia (BSB),   Campo Grande (CGR), Curitiba (CWB), Florianópolis (FLN), Fortaleza (FOR), Goiânia (GYN), Foz do Iguaçu Falls (IGU), Londrina (LDB), Manaus (MAO), Porto Alegre (POA), Recife (REC), Salvador (SSA), São Luiz (SLZ), Vitória (VIX) and from/to Rio de Janeiro (GIG):  Belém (BEL), Brasília (BSB), Curitiba (CWB),  Fortaleza (FOR), Goiânia (GYN), Iguassu Falls (IGU), Manaus (MAO), Natal (NAT) and Vitoria (VIX). “We’re pleased to establish a partnership with Latam Airlines Brazil providing our passengers with increased choice, flexibility and ease of connection to different cities within Brazil. We continuously invest in providing more benefits to our customers. With our award-winning product and strong partners in Brazil, we look forward to continue supporting the country’s growing inbound tourist numbers and business trade opportunities,” said Adnan Kazim, Divisional Senior Vice President, Strategic Planning, Revenue Optimisation and Aeropolitical Affairs, Emirates. Emirates currently serves two Brazil gateways with daily services to Dubai from Sao Paulo, operated by the …

Air Arabia, the first and largest low-cost carrier (LCC) in the Middle East and North Africa, announced the launch of its new complimentary in-flight entertainment system ‘SkyTime’ that allows passengers to live stream digital content on smartphones, tablets or laptops while travelling with the carrier. The new innovative entertainment system is now available across Air Arabia’s fleet. Customers can access ‘SkyTime’ network right after takeoff, and enjoy a wide selection of Hollywood, Bollywood, Arabic and Russian movies, television shows, music, destination tips and games as well as a special offering for younger ones. The system is app-less which makes its usage and access almost effortless. Commenting on the launch, Adel Al Ali, Group Chief Executive Officer of Air Arabia, said, “We always seek to make the best use of technology to provide added value to our customers. We are proud to launch ‘SkyTime’, our all new free in-flight entertainment system solely designed to provide customers with added value while onboard Air Arabia flights. This new launch reflects Air Arabia’s commitment to continuously apply innovative solutions aimed at providing real value and convenience to customers”. Air Arabia customers can access the new system after takeoff by enabling the Wi-Fi connection and selecting the ‘SkyTime’ network. By logging in, they can browse a wide selection of entertainment content in addition to an exclusive feature that provides customers with valuable tips about the city they are travelling to. Air Arabia is renowned for using cutting-edge technology to provide simple and efficient solutions to its customers. The carrier was also the first to introduce an online loyalty system “Airewards” providing customers with the option to earn points based on money spent rather than distance …

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 officially opened the 19th edition of Dubai Airport Show, the world’s largest airport exhibition. The three-day show took off with a grand opening with an impressive participation of 375 exhibitors from 60 countries. The exhibitors are showcasing more than 50 new technologies and innovative products over three days at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre (DICEC). His Highness Sheikh Ahmed remarked, “With passenger numbers expected to continue their growth trajectory and drive airport expansion projects to accommodate the demand, the UAE’s aviation sector remains a key driver of our economic growth. The Airport Show, with all the co-located events, offers an ideal platform to the Middle East, Africa and South Asia’s aviation authorities, companies and individuals to come together and collaborate with international experts and leaders to improve global aviation.” The co-located events are Air Traffic Control (ATC) Forum, Airport Security Middle East, Global Airport Leaders Forum (GALF), Women in Aviation (WIA) General Assembly and CAPA Middle East & Africa Aviation Summit. Daniyal Qureshi, Group Exhibition Director at Reed Exhibitions Middle East, organisers of the Airport Show, said the show has been a clear sell-out, indicating the industry’s continuing vibrancy and investment potential for expanding facilities and new technologies at airports and the aviation industry in general. Delivering the Airport Keynote address at CAPA Aviation Summit, Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports Corporation, said DWC is set to handle 240 million passengers with personalised experience in the future. “The hub model is the right and sustainable model, which is benefiting Dubai,” …