Category Archives: Aviation

British Airways is set to fly from Dammam to London Heathrow from December 1, 2019. The route is the first ever direct flight from Dammam to London Heathrow, with flights departing daily. The service will launch as a daily ‘tag’ service via Bahrain. Flights will be operated by a four-class Boeing 777-200 departing year-round from Dammam’s King Fahd International Airport and landing in Terminal 5 at London Heathrow. Dammam will be the third city in Saudi Arabia that British Airways flies to, with the airline already serving Riyadh and Jeddah with non-stop daily flights. This daily direct flight between Dammam and London Heathrow will cut journey times by three hours or more because passengers will no longer need to either drive to Bahrain or transit through Riyadh for a connecting flight. Moran Birger, Head of Sales for The Middle East and Asia Pacific, said, “This new link between Dammam and London underlines the importance of the Eastern province and the need for smooth onward connections to Europe and the United States. Direct flights will hugely benefit executives travelling between the Eastern Province and Europe’s premier financial capital and business hub, while also bringing London within an even easier reach for an extended weekend getaway.” Return fares start from SR2,480 for World Traveller, SR3,000 for World Traveller Plus, SR11,310 for Club World and SR18,900 in First. Dammam is one of five long-haul routes being launched by British Airways in 2019, its centenary year. The airline is also launching non-stop flights to Pittsburgh and Charleston in the US, Osaka in Japan and Islamabad in Pakistan, alongside several short-haul routes.  

Travelport has reached a full content agreement with Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) under which the former will expand availability of PIA’s content to Travelport-connected agencies in the Americas and Asia Pacific, as well as continue to provide access across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. In doing so, over 68,000 agencies globally servicing hundreds of millions of travellers will now have real-time access to search, sell, and book the airlines’ full content and inventory. As the first global distribution system (GDS) to manage the live booking of flights using the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) New Distribution Capability (NDC) technical standard, Travelport will soon further help PIA by giving it the opportunity to create NDC connections and display NDC-based airline content on its platform. Commenting on the new deal, Ali Tahir, Chief Commercial Officer at Pakistan International Airlines, said, “Travelport has been a valued partner to PIA for a number of years. By expanding our relationship with the company to cover the Americas and Asia-Pacific, two strategically important regions for us, we will provide our loyal customers with greater access to our flights and open up significant new growth opportunities for our business.” David Gomes, Head of Middle East, Africa, Turkey and Pakistan, Air – Travel Partners, Travelport, added, “PIA is highly valued by travel agencies in all corners of the world due it its vast international network, high quality service and large customer base. We are delighted the airline has chosen to expand its partnership with us. We are fully committed to supporting the company in achieving its international growth objectives and look forward to continuing to work with its world-class team.”

Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) welcomed Himalaya Airlines’ inaugural flight from Tribhuvan International Airport (KTM), an international airport in Kathmandu, Nepal on March 31, 2019. Maarten De Groof, Chief Commercial Officer, Abu Dhabi Airports, said, “We are delighted to add Himalaya Airlines to our growing list of carriers operating at Abu Dhabi International Airport. Nepal has always been a sought-after destination for UAE residents, and the UAE is also home to many Nepali expatriates. We look forward to ensuring passengers departing for or arriving from Nepal enjoy a seamless travel experience. We are eager to introduce new flights and routes to and from Abu Dhabi International Airport, in line with our efforts to expand Abu Dhabi’s connectivity and support commerce and tourism within the UAE.” Himalaya Airlines will operate the route using its Airbus 320 aircraft, which includes eight Premium Economy seats and 150 Economy Class seats in its current configuration. On Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, flights are scheduled to depart from Kathmandu at 20:45 and arrive at Abu Dhabi at 23:45. Returning flights to Kathmandu are scheduled to depart from Abu Dhabi on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 01:45 and arrive at Kathmandu at 08:00. “Commercial and cultural links between the UAE and Nepal are flourishing and Himalaya is honoured to play a pivotal role in facilitating and enhancing the growth of trade and tourism between the two countries. We hope this new connectivity will further boost traffic from the UAE. Himalaya Airlines is on the verge of completing its third year of successful commercial operations soon and we are pleased to add Abu Dhabi into our network,” said Vijay Shrestha, Vice President – Administration, Himalaya Airlines.

Emirates has resumed its operations to Zagreb for summer, serving the route until October 26, 2019. Its partner airline, flydubai will then begin to operate during the winter season. The strategic partnership between both airlines ensures capacity is deployed to best serve customer demand. Flight EK 129 will depart Dubai at 8:30 and arrive in Zagreb at 12:35 local time, utilising a Boeing 777-300ER. The return flight, EK 130 will depart Zagreb at 15:25 and arrive in Dubai at 23:00 local time. Due to the planned upgrade works on the southern runway at DXB from April 16 until May 30, 2019, Emirates’ flights to Zagreb will operate four times weekly on Saturday, Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. From May 31, 2019 onwards, the route will be operated as a daily service. Emirates’ daily service to Zagreb will operate in a three-class configuration with eight lie-flat seats in First Class, 42 seats in Business Class and 304 spacious seats in Economy Class. Passengers across all cabins can enjoy the airline’s 4,000 channels of in-flight entertainment, complimentary beverages and regionally inspired meals. They can also stay connected to family and friends during the flight with up to 20MB of complementary Wi-Fi. Known for its impressive 18th century architecture, Zagreb is a city with an extremely rich history and culture. Located in the northwest of the country – visitors can discover the upper and lower town areas that hold some of the world’s most iconic cathedrals and museums. Travellers can also discover popular Croatian cities located on the Dalmatian Coast, such as Split and Dubrovnik. Emirates’ partner airline, flydubai, offers travellers flight options to Dubrovnik twice a week on Sunday and Thursday. Flight FZ 719 …

Emirates has launched a pan-African brand campaign that celebrates the talent and achievements of young Africans, taking the message of ‘New Africa’ to the world. The campaign also features an original music video produced by Kenyan musician and DJ Blinky Bill, inspired by contemporary African electronic club music. Paying tribute to a new generation of African disrupters who are making their mark globally across music, fashion, literature and the arts, the campaign celebrates the cultural renaissance taking over Africa. The short films produced by the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) for Emirates, tells the stories of unique individuals from different parts of the continent. Poised to become cultural ambassadors for Africa to the world, they share a common passion to bring their global exposure and influences to their own local journeys, as they discover what it means to be ‘home’. “It is impossible to ignore the energy and talent coming out of Africa today, whether in music, fashion, sport or art. We’re seeing a greater awareness of a strong, proud African identity – while being very connected to a broad, global culture. We wanted to join the conversation and celebrate amazing, inspiring stories of people constantly pushing boundaries and challenging African stereotypes. To us, that is what travel is about, to find a common ground that helps us connect, to question, to be curious, and I believe this campaign does just that in taking Emirates closer to the heart of our audience in a way that is authentic,” said Boutros Boutros, Divisional Senior Vice President – Corporate Communications, Marketing and Brand, Emirates.      

dnata continues to increase its global footprint and launches operations in Belgium by opening a new cargo centre at Brussels Airport. dnata’s expansion into the Belgian capital represents an investment of EUR 8 million and creates up to 100 local jobs with the company. dnata’s new facility, which covers an area of 14,000 m², substantially increases the cargo capacity in the Benelux states allowing airline customers to enhance their operations in the region. The state-of-the-art facility includes 4,500 m² warehouse space and is capable of processing 125,000 tonnes of cargo annually. dnata has been already providing cargo and ground handling services to 25 cargo and eight passenger airlines at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. dnata will ensure a close cooperation between its Amsterdam and Brussels teams to leverage synergies and deliver the highest possible value for its customers at both airports. Erik de Goeij, Chief Executive Officer, dnata The Netherlands and Belgium, said, “We are thrilled to establish operations at another important cargo hub. Our best-in-class facility at Brussels Airport significantly increases our cargo handling capacity in the region, which we expect to stimulate the local cargo industry.” “We are most pleased to welcome dnata at Brussels Airport as our third cargo handler”, said Arnaud Feist, CEO of Brussels Airport Company. “dnata has already positioned itself as a key cargo player at our airport with a dedicated infrastructure for pharmaceuticals and an active participation in our cargo community Air Cargo Belgium, consistent with Brussels Airport’s strategy to provide specialised infrastructure for vital sectors in our country, and to work towards mutual goals through collaboration.”

Travelport announced a multi-year contract renewal with travel agency, First Diana Travel. The agreement with Travelport will see First Diana Travel continue to benefit from intelligent, fast, and accurate searching and booking of travel content from more than 400 airlines, including low cost and network carriers, more than 650,000 hotel properties and more than 37,000 car rental locations around the world. Consultants at the leading leisure and corporate travel agency will continue to use Travelport Smartpoint as their desktop tool to search beyond rate and availability, enabling them to create and deliver personalised and tailored travel itineraries. Solidifying the fruitful relationship between First Diana Travel and Travelport, Elcheikh Mohamed Ghouzayel, President and Owner of First Diana Travel, said, “We are thrilled to extend our long-term agreement with Travelport. Using its innovative technology has enabled us to exceed our annual targets ahead of time, while delivering an exceptional service to our customers. Our collaboration with Travelport will continue to play an essential role in enabling us to push the boundaries of success for our business.” Kerry Koutsikos, Managing Director, Middle East and Africa at Travelport, said, “As a key customer in Lebanon, we are delighted that First Diana Travel has extended its agreement with Travelport. We look forward to continuing to support its success and evolving needs in today’s highly competitive environment.”

Emirates anticipates high passenger traffic this spring break weekend with visitors travelling to and from Dubai. The busiest time for departures in Terminal 3 will be on  March 29 with more than 42,000 passengers travelling abroad. Customers are reminded to arrive at the airport at least three hours before their flight departure to avoid any delays. Peak travel is expected to continue until April 2, 2019 with more than 205,000 Emirates passengers travelling from Dubai to destinations beyond. During this time, Emirates will also be welcoming more than 160,000 passengers to and through Dubai. With road works continuing to cause delays around main airport highways and roads during this time, Emirates urges customers to build in extra time for their journeys to avoid potential delays. Passengers can physically check in at the airport as early as 24 hours before flight departure, and are requested to check in no later than two hours prior to departure, regardless of class of travel. Customers who check in less than 60 minutes prior to their scheduled flight departure will not be accepted for travel. Customers can also check in online on both their desktops and mobile devices from 48 hours to 90 minutes before flight departure. After checking in, passengers are also advised to make sure they get to their boarding gate on time. Gates open 90 minutes before departure, boarding starts 45 minutes before each flight and gates close 20 minutes before departure. If passengers report late Emirates will not be able to accept them for travel.

In an aim to cement the longstanding relationship between the two companies, Travelport has renewed a multi-year contract with its Kuwait operator, Travel Technology Services (TTS). TTS will continue to distribute Travelport’s industry-leading products and services in Kuwait as well as content from over 400 airlines, 650,000 hotel properties, 37,000 car rental locations and 14 rail networks worldwide. Raj Krishnan, General Manager, TTS, said, “We are pleased to extend our agreement with Travelport as distributors of its exceptional and innovative technology solutions. We have a highly successful 10-year collaboration with the company and look forward to reaching new heights in the future, which not only benefit both our businesses but the local travel industry in Kuwait.” Kerry Koutsikos, Managing Director, Middle East and Africa at Travelport, said, “We are delighted to extend our highly successful, long-term agreement with TTS. We look forward to continuing to work closely together over the coming years to ensure we not only meet but exceed the expectations of the travel industry in Kuwait, as well as travellers in the country.”

Etihad Airways and Gulf Air have signed a codeshare partnership for travel commencing with the summer schedule. The announcement follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the two carriers at the Bahrain International Airshow in November last year and will further strengthen the strong ties between the two countries and carriers. The agreement will see Etihad place its ‘EY’ code on Gulf Air flights from Bahrain to and from Abu Dhabi, Baghdad, Casablanca, Dhaka, Faisalabad, Larnaca, Malaga, Multan, Najaf, Peshawar, Sailkot and Tbilisi. Gulf Air will place its ‘GF’ code on Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi to and from Bahrain, Brisbane, Chicago O’Hare, Jakarta, Lagos, Los Angeles, Melbourne, New York JFK, Sydney and Washington. The announcement was made at a signing ceremony held at Etihad Airways Headquarters in Abu Dhabi, attended by Tony Douglas, Group Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Aviation Group, and Krešimir Kučko, Chief Executive Officer of Gulf Air. Douglas said, “We are thrilled to be signing this codeshare agreement today with our long-time partner, Gulf Air. The signing today is a great example of how two flag carriers can enhance the experience of our guests by providing a greater choice of destinations and world-leading inflight service and Arabian hospitality.” Kučko added, “This is a remarkable event for both Gulf Air and Etihad Airways and we take pride in elevating this relationship further with the signing of this codeshare agreement.”