Category Archives: Aviation

As part of its network expansion plans, Air Arabia has announced the introduction of a new service to Phuket, Thailand, with direct flights from Sharjah International Airport starting on July 2, 2021. Air Arabia is the first low-cost carrier in the region to launch a direct route to Phuket. The Tourism Authority of Thailand has confirmed that travelers who have been vaccinated against Covid-19 from low-risk countries will be allowed to fly direct to the popular holiday destination without having to quarantine from July 1. Visitors will only need to stay in the area they landed for seven days before they can visit other destinations in the country. Air Arabia is offering its customers a competitive fare to Phuket, starting from AED 1799 return per value fare booking. Located in the south of Thailand, Phuket is the largest and one of the most fun of all islands. Phuket has it all: diverse entertainment options, top-class shopping venues and some of the most gorgeous beaches. Customers can now book their direct flights between Sharjah and Phuket by visiting Air Arabia’s website, by calling the call centre or through travel agencies. Ensuring the highest standards of safety at every step of the journey by following all health and safety protocols, Air Arabia has also added to the convenience and confidence of passengers by introducing free COVID-19 insurance coverage. The insurance is automatically included as part of the booking and no additional documents are required from passengers.

SCAT Airlines and Sabre Corporation, the leading software and technology company that powers the global travel industry, today announced a new strategic partnership, building on Sabre’s other achievements in the central Asian region. Under the new agreement, SCAT Airlines will migrate to Sabre’s passenger reservations system, SabreSonic.  It will also leverage Sabre’s industry-first Commercial Platform to help maximize revenue and create a differentiated brand experience for travelers. By delivering real-time, customer-centric offers to the airline’s customers, Sabre’s technology will help SCAT achieve its ambitious plans to lead the recovery and future growth of travel in Kazakhstan. “As we navigate the new travel environment, it’s very important for us to be agile and able to deliver personalized offers to our customers at the right time and through the right channels”, said Vladimir Denisov, president, SCAT Airlines.  “Our new agreement with Sabre is an essential pillar in our strategy, providing us with modern reservations technology, intelligent revenue management and scalable platform capabilities, which will help enable us to unlock new opportunities, provide best-in-class customer experience and maximize profitability.” “Given the current environment and pressure on the travel industry, it is more important than ever for airlines to use robust and intelligent technologies to forecast, analyze and optimize operations and revenue streams”, said Dino Gelmetti, Vice President EMEA, Sabre Travel Solutions.  “Sabre plans to enhance its presence in Kazakhstan and provide SCAT Airlines with the capabilities to achieve profitable growth and to pioneer the future of travel.  Today’s announcement demonstrates SCAT’s forward-looking approach and Sabre’s deep commitment to supporting the global aviation industry”.

Emirates will be ramping up operations to Jordan during the summer with the introduction of double daily A380 services during the months of July and August. The airline will operate a second daily A380 service to Amman, from 15-20 July 2021 ahead of the Eid Al Adha period. Emirates will also operate double daily A380 services from 10-31 August. The move to boost capacity by introducing a second A380 service between Dubai and Amman during these periods was driven by high forecasted passenger demand. The double daily A380 services to Amman also demonstrate the airline’s commitment to adapting its operations to better serve customers. Emirates will also increase flights between Dubai and Amman from 12 to 14 weekly, from 1 July. Mohammad Lootah, Emirates’ Area Manager for Jordan said, “The introduction of a second A380 service to Amman during the Eid Al Adha period and in August means more of our customers will have the opportunity to experience our industry-leading products onboard, and will also enhance choice and travel preferences as they plan their journeys to and from Dubai, and beyond to popular destinations for Jordanian travellers. Jordan is an important destination for Emirates, and we will continue to look at ways to grow our operations in the market to serve our customers better.” From 15-20 July 2021, and from 10-31 August 2021, Emirates flights EK 905 and 906 will be operated with an Airbus A380 in a three class configuration, featuring 14 luxurious First Class suites, 76 lie flat Business Class seats and 420 generously pitched Economy Class seats. Passengers in all classes will enjoy over 4,500 channels of films, TV shows, music and games, with an impressive selection …

Qatar Airways launched its new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner passenger aircraft, featuring its eagerly awaited new Business Class Suite, on a number of key routes to Europe and Asia, starting with its Doha to Milan service on Friday 25 June 2021. The ultramodern aircraft is scheduled for services from Doha to Athens, Barcelona, Dammam, Karachi, Kuala Lumpur, Madrid and Milan and has a total passenger capacity of 311 seats – 30 Business Class Suites and 281 seats in Economy Class. Crafted with the unique Qatar Airways design DNA and appealing to the most discerning of travellers, the new Adient Ascent Business Class Suite embodies a contemporary design that is truly personal, spacious and functional, allowing you to relax in your own private sanctuary. Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al-Baker, said: “In-line with our commitment to offering our passengers an unparalleled travel experience, we are pleased to introduce this much-anticipated Business Class Suite on Qatar Airways’ newest wide-body aircraft, the Boeing 787-9 which will debut onto a number of key routes within our network. “The new Business Class Suite sets yet another industry standard with a uniquely private experience for premium passengers travelling with us, which is becoming increasingly valuable during this pandemic, while showcasing Qatar Airways’ 5-star standards of excellence and Qatari hospitality that are quintessential on all of our flights.” “Our passengers deserve the best and I am confident that they will appreciate the larger Dreamliner variant for its unmatched comfort in the sky. Passengers can rest assured that its responsible impact on the environment fully aligns with our ambition to achieve the highest levels of sustainability.” Arranged in a herringbone pattern, in a 1-2-1 configuration, …

flydubai has announced the start of a twice-weekly service to Ankara Esenboga International Airport (ESB) from 29th July, 2021, its second destination in Turkey after Istanbul (IST) which is currently served with a daily flight. The carrier also added two destinations in Turkey to its seasonal summer schedule. It operates two weekly flights from Terminal 2, Dubai International (DXB) to Milas-Bodrum Airport (BJV) and to Trabzon Airport (TZX) between June and September. Hamad Obaidalla, Chief Commercial Officer at flydubai, said, “flydubai’s first flight to Turkey landed exactly 11 years ago in Istanbul. We have since grown our network to four unique destinations offering our passengers from the UAE and the region greater choice for the summer and around the year. We look forward to doubling the frequency of our operations to Ankara for the winter schedule as demand for travel continues to gradually grow.” flydubai will increase its operations to Ankara Esenboga International Airport (ESB) to a four-weekly service from 2nd October, 2021. Jeyhun Efendi, Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations and E-commerce at flydubai, said, “flydubai remains committed to opening up underserved markets and we have grown our network to 97 destinations. The launch of operations to Ankra will provide passengers from the UAE with direct airlinks to the Turkish capital for the first time. We look forward to seeing the demand for travel grow over the summer as more countries open up for international travel. The feedback and demand for both Bodrum and Trabzon have been very positive and we look forward to giving our passengers more options to discover Turkey with the start of flights to Ankara from the end of June.”

Etihad Airways will launch flights to Vienna this summer with fares from AED 1,995. The service will operate twice weekly using a Boeing 787 Dreamliner from 18 July 2021. The new service has been conveniently timed to arrive early morning in Vienna to provide travellers between the UAE and Austria an ideal weekend getaway. Travellers visiting Vienna will enjoy centuries old culture and breathtaking scenery. The Austrian capital has been consistently voted the world’s most livable city. For Etihad Guest Members wanting to redeem their well-earned miles, Vienna is the ideal destination. Members have access to best value seats with their miles, plus countless hotel and car partners to suit their travel needs. Austria is currently open to nationals and residents of Austria, residents of Schengen-member states and Switzerland, business travellers and students. To simplify the travel experience and provide additional peace of mind, Etihad recently launched Verified to Fly, allowing guests to validate their Covid-19 travel documents before arriving at the airport. Travellers who use Verified to Fly can enjoy fast track check-in at the airport by going to the dedicated Verified to Fly desk for a quicker and smoother experience. To use the Verified to Fly service, guests can sign-up by visiting Manage my Booking and will receive further information on how to submit their documents.

Zambia and Zimbabwe are being added to Qatar Airways expanding list of destinations in Africa from early August, bringing its award-winning service to two important southern African destinations. The new service to Lusaka and onwards to Harare is scheduled to be operated with a Boeing 787 Dreamliner. It will connect passengers in Zambia and Zimbabwe with Qatar Airways’ global network of more than 140 destinations. With the addition of these two new routes the carrier will operate over 100 weekly flights to 27 destinations in Africa. Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Akbar Al Baker said, “Africa continues to be an area of strong growth for Qatar Airways and launching this service will support the development of the economy and tourism sector in both countries. “Not only do we continue to rebuild our network after the pandemic, but we are actively expanding it with the addition of these two key destinations. These are the fifth and sixth new destinations in Africa added to our network since the start of the pandemic, taking our total new destinations added across the globe to 10.” The launch of Lusaka and Harare also supports increased demand for trade between Zambia and Zimbabwe and destinations on the Qatar Airways network such as London, Frankfurt and New York and from multiple points in China. With a total of 30 tonnes of cargo capacity on the aircraft per flight, Qatar Airways Cargo will play a key role in facilitating key exports from Zambia and Zimbabwe. As travellers return to the skies with Qatar Airways, they can take comfort knowing that they are travelling with the only airline in the world that has, together with its state-of-the-art …

Emirates announced it will launch a four times weekly service between Florida’s second largest city, Miami, and Dubai, from 22 July, 2021, expanding its US network to 12 destinations. The new service will provide Emirates’ global travellers with another access point into Florida after Orlando (effective July), serving the Southern Florida area while offering convenient connections for travellers headed towards the Middle East, West Asia, and Indian Ocean via Dubai. With the addition of Miami, Emirates will now serve the US with over 70 weekly flights, offering over 26,000 seats across 12 gateways including Boston, Chicago, New York (JFK and Newark), Houston, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Washington DC and Orlando. A cultural mecca, famous for its proprietary take on nightlife, art, music, architecture and cuisine, the City of Miami is one of America’s most exciting destinations. As travel demand and consumer confidence continues to grow with all the multi-faceted health measures in place, the new route will cater to Emirates’ leisure and business travellers, boosting tourism and trade opportunities both inbound and outbound. His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Emirates Chairman and Chief Executive said: “Launching a non-stop service to Miami at this time signals our confidence in travel recovery as countries progress on their vaccination programmes and implement protocols for the safe resumption of flight and travel activity, particularly in the US and the UAE. It also underscores our strong commitment to the US market which Emirates now serves with over 70 weekly flights across 12 gateways. “There is a clear demand for this service from both leisure and business travellers and we anticipate that our new route will be warmly received across our global …

Wizz Air announces the launch of its new Electronic Flight Bag (EFB), a technical solution that will replace all printed onboard manuals and materials with iPads for pilots. The new system brings increased efficiency to all aspects of flight planning. It builds on the airline’s broader sustainability commitments by significantly reducing paper use and fuel consumption.  Under the new EFB system, every Wizz Air pilot will receive an iPad. The devices will be equipped with the relevant documents, charting- and performance applications needed to prepare for a flight. It offers real-time information and revisions to mission briefings throughout the journey.  The switch to using the new EFB will also positively impact Wizz Air’s broader commitment to reducing its environmental footprint, in line with its aim to cut carbon emissions further. Not only will the new system save around six million sheets of paper a year, equivalent to saving over six hundred trees, but it will also reduce fuel consumption through more accurate flight planning and weight savings. The availability of recalculated flight plans before each flight and in-flight optimisation will save over 4,500 tons of fuel per year, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by well over 14,000 tons. This weight translates to the equivalent of 180,000, 80-kilogram passengers a year, which is the same as the weight of 750 full 239-seater A321neo aircraft. Wizz Air will offer e-trainings to the pilot community to ensure a smooth transition to the new system. The target date to go live and remove all paper from the flight deck is the end of this year. Gerben Bondt, Line Training Captain, EFB Solution Architect, Wizz Air, said, “At WIZZ, we strive to be the greenest airline …

Dubai Airports has announced that it will reopen Dubai’s International’s Terminal 1 and Concourse D on June 24. The facilities were closed on March 25, 2020 following the partial suspension of operations at DXB as part of the strategy to control the spread of Covid-19. Welcoming the reopening of Terminal 1 as an important step in preparing to accommodate the anticipated growth in travel demand in the coming weeks and months, His Highness Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Airports said,  “Dubai’s aviation sector has been at the forefront of a global campaign to restore vital international air services with the opening of quarantine-free travel corridors between the UAE and multiple countries around the world. This move signals our confidence that the outlook for the rest of the year and beyond is one of optimism, as well as being a clear indication of Dubai’s intent to lead the aviation industry in its efforts to enable social and economic recovery of the world. This reopening is a collaborative effort of the many stakeholders involved in the operation of the world’s largest international airport and we are delighted to be able to make this important step towards the restoration of full airport operations.” The reopening of the facilities will enable the gradual return of 40 plus international carriers that are currently operating at Terminals 2 and 3 back to their home terminal at DXB. Dubai Airports has advised passengers to confirm their terminal of departure and arrival with their airline prior to coming to the airport as the transition will be managed in several stages, with the plan for the relocation to be completed by the end of June. …