Category Archives: Aviation

As global airports continue to evolve to meet growing passenger demand and sustainability targets, Honeywell is at the forefront of shaping that transformation. TravTalkME speaks with Nabil Cheqroun, Chief Commercial Officer, Honeywell Building Automation, on the sidelines of the Airport Show about the technologies which help achieve the seamless and smart services for the passengers. At the Airport Show this year, Honeywell showcased its suite of cutting-edge technologies designed to enhance airport efficiency, passenger experience, and environmental responsibility. “Our focus is based on three strategic pillars: delivering a seamless passenger journey, ensuring resilient operations, and accelerating the path to net zero,” said Nabil Cheqroun, Chief Commercial Officer, Honeywell Building Automation. “We’re showcasing several innovations that are already making a significant impact in airports around the world.” A Seamless Journey: Follow the Green One of Honeywell’s standout solutions is Navitas, the “Follow the Green” technology. This system enables aircraft to taxi from runway to gate in the most efficient and safe manner possible. “Navitas helps reduce downtime and fuel consumption, improving turnaround time while significantly cutting carbon emissions,” explained Cheqroun. Complementing this is Honeywell’s latest Visual Docking Guidance System (VDGS), which ensures precise docking of aircraft. “Accuracy is critical in airport operations, and VDGS provides pilots with exact guidance to reach the correct gate position,” he added. Unified Airport Intelligence Honeywell also emphasizes integration with its Command and Control Suite, a platform that connects building management systems, fire safety, and security infrastructure. This unified view streamlines airport operations both landside and airside, enabling quicker response times and optimized resource management. “Our Enterprise Building Integration (EBI) solution is built to manage complex airport environments. Whether it’s lighting, HVAC, or emergency response, EBI …

flydubai launches a new Travel Shop in the Emirate of Sharjah, featuring a City Check-in service for the first time. Partnering with Sharjah National Travel and Tourist Agency (SNTTA), flydubai’s Travel Shop in Sharjah enhances convenience and accessibility for its customers in the Northern Emirates. For the first time, the airline’s recently opened Travel Shop offers passengers the option of City Check-in, enabling them to complete their check-in process well in advance before arrival at Terminal 2, Dubai International (DXB). The new Travel Shop, located in the heart of the city, is now open to customers who can avail the new convenient service as well as other available services. Sudhir Sreedharan, Divisional Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations (UAE, GCC, Africa, South Asia and South-East Asia) at flydubai, said: “we are committed to finding the right travel partners to bring our reliable travel experience to our customers wherever they are. The new flydubai Travel Shop in Sharjah underscores our continued commitment to innovation and delivering value-driven convenience to our customers. By offering this added flexibility with the new City Check-in service, we aim to improve the overall travel experience and support our customers’ needs in a more personalised and accessible way.” Designed with convenience in mind, flydubai’s Travel Shop in Sharjah features a comfortable waiting area, designated service desks and a porter service for baggage drop to enhance the overall customer experience. Customers can expect a range of travel-related services, including booking flights, making changes to their travel plans and choosing flydubai Holidays packages. The City Check-in service marks a significant step in flydubai’s customer experience journey, enabling passengers to check in their baggage, receive their boarding pass and select their …

flyadeal announced a regional first with Saudi cabin crew to be trained as certified tour guides in support of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 to build a dynamic tourism industry. The programme will target 800 crew by 2030 for comprehensive tour guide training in which they will embrace wider learnings of Saudi Arabia’s culture and historical attractions. Upon completion, they will receive a licence as tourism ambassadors enabling them to hone their skills as official guides engaging with passengers, and with visitors in a private capacity. Over the next few weeks, the Saudi-based airline will open applications for courses specifically designed for Saudi nationals. A training institute accredited to Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Tourism will conduct the courses.  flyadeal is promoting several developments at the show including its upcoming summer season flying programme and new year-round destinations. Steven Greenway, flyadeal Chief Executive Officer, said: “flyadeal continues to push the boundaries with employee initiatives designed to enhance their personal development and professional skills. This new training programme, the first of its kind in the Middle East, will empower crew and equip them with the skills and confidence to engage with visitors as official tourism ambassadors. “As licensed tour guides, the beauty of the programme allows our crew to use their new-found skills while interacting with passengers but also harness their experience by taking tourists on guided tours around the wonderful historic sites that the Kingdom is so renowned for.” To kick-off the programme, flyadeal crew were given a guided tour of the fascinating Dirayah district – the birthplace of Saudi Arabia – in the Kingdom’s capital, Riyadh. They explored and learned more about the traditional mud-brick architecture and cultural sites being restored to …

Turkish Airlines and Icelandair announced the expansion of their existing codeshare partnership  marking a significant step in strengthening connectivity between two key regions at the crossroads of continents and oceans. Since the beginning of their partnership in June 2023, the two flag carriers have cooperated under a codeshare agreement to offer passengers more seamless travel options. Building on this foundation, Icelandair will introduce direct flights between Reykjavik and İstanbul, starting 5 September 2025, operating twice weekly during the winter season. These new flights will be incorporated into the scope of the agreement, allowing Turkish Airlines to put its marketing code on Icelandair’s operations. In return, Icelandair will place its marketing code on select Turkish Airlines flights beyond Istanbul, covering destinations across Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. This extended integration connects Icelandair’s transatlantic network with Turkish Airlines’ global reach across multiple continents, creating new opportunities for both business and leisure travel. Commenting on the expansion of the partnership, Turkish Airlines CEO, Mr. Bilal Ekşi stated: “This cooperation goes beyond a commercial partnership. It represents a strategic alignment between two trusted carriers. By launching direct flights between Reykjavik and Istanbul and integrating our networks, we are opening the door to new traffic flows and connectivity options between Iceland, Türkiye and beyond.” Bogi Nils Bogason, Icelandair CEO, also commented: “Building on the partnership with Turkish Airlines will offer travelers even greater connectivity and seamless travel options across our combined networks. The expansion of our codeshare partnership to multiple destinations in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, reflects our shared commitment to service excellence, building a stronger global network and unlocking new opportunities for growth.” This enhanced cooperation is expected to boost tourism and …

Air Arabia announced the expansion of its existing service between Sharjah and Maldives to twice daily non-stop flights starting 27 October 2025. The increase in frequency comes after a year from operating the service between Sharjah International Airport and Velana International Airport in Malé will now offer customers greater convenience and flexibility to explore the tropical paradise of the Maldives. Adel Al Ali, Group Chief Executive Officer of Air Arabia, stated, “We are glad to further strengthen our presence in the Maldives with this increased frequency, offering travellers even greater connectivity and flexibility. The step to double our flights reflects the growing demand for air travel to this popular destination. We remain committed to providing our customers with reliable, affordable, and value-driven air travel, while expanding our network to meet the evolving needs of our passengers.” Air Arabia operates a fleet of Airbus A320 and A321 aircraft, the most modern and best-selling single aisle aircraft in the world. The cabin configuration across the fleet provides added comfort with one of the most generous seat-pitch compared to any economy cabin. The aircraft is also equipped with ‘SkyTime’, a free in-flight streaming service that allows passengers to stream a wide selection of entertainment directly to their devices. Customers can also enjoy a variety of delicacies between snacks, meals, and sandwiches from the on-board ‘SkyCafe’ menu at affordable prices. Customers can now book their direct flights from Sharjah to the Maldives by visiting Air Arabia’s website, by calling the call centre, or through travel agencies.

Turkish Airlines and TAP Air Portugal announced that they are expanding their existing codeshare partnership. As part of the recently expanded agreement announced during the IATA Annual General Meeting held in New Delhi, both carriers will now provide their guests with a broader range of seamless travel options beyond their current global networks. Brazil, Morocco, Qatar, and Mauritius are new and exciting destinations entering the scope of cooperation. Additionally, Dalaman and Bodrum, Türkiye’s prominent summer destinations, have also been added to the agreement, further augmenting travel options between Türkiye and Portugal, enhancing access to sought-after leisure destinations. Commenting on the agreement, Turkish Airlines CEO Bilal Ekşi stated: “We are pleased to further strengthen our long-standing partnership with TAP Air Portugal. Enhanced scope of the new arrangement offers greater flexibility and a wider range of travel options, while contributing to the development of commercial and tourism relations between our countries. We look forward to continuing this valuable collaboration in the years ahead.” TAP Air Portugal CEO Luís Rodrigues also commented: “Because of our network structure we need to find intelligent ways to connect us to the east. Cooperating with great partners is our way forward to do that. This will provide our global passengers and our Portuguese community with increased options to visit new and exciting places using our Turkish Airlines partner.” This enriched cooperation not only enhances the network presence of both carriers but also fosters increased tourism and business traffic between Türkiye and Portugal, as well as to key destinations across South America, Africa and the Middle East.

According to RateHawk, the top 10 outbound destinations for the entire summer include Turkey, Italy, France, Thailand, Spain, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Austria, Greece, and the United States. The average transaction value for accommodation bookings is $1551, with an average stay of five nights. Although Indonesia didn’t enter the top 10 most-booked outbound destinations, it has become one of the fastest-growing travel choices, showing a remarkable two-fold increase in bookings year-over-year, according to RateHawk. Traditionally, over half (53%) of these bookings are located in Bali, particularly in popular areas such as Ubud, Kuta, and Munduk. The visa-free policy and strong air connections with the GCC region, including a newly launched Saudia flight from Jeddah to Bali, continue to boost tourism to this tropical island. European destinations, with top choices in cultural capitals such as London, Paris, Milan, Munich, and Barcelona, remain a traditional favorite among GCC travelers seeking to escape the summer heat. The steady growth of tourism to Europe continues, driven by improved connectivity through the launch of new direct routes to popular destinations, including Saudia’s flight to Venice and Flydubai’s flights to various Greek resorts, such as Corfu, Santorini, and Mykonos. Thailand, another favourite Asian destination among GCC travelers, continues to show steady growth of 48% from last year, especially in areas like Bangkok and Phuket. Travelers heading to Asia typically choose longer stays, often up to one week in just one hotel. Serkan Ozbay, Regional Director in the Middle East region, commented: “Summer season in the GCC region traditionally has two spikes in travel demand. The first peak aligns with the Eid Al-Adha holidays, which this year fall between 5 June and 9 June, with Dubai as …

Etihad Airways has released its latest traffic statistics for May 2025, highlighting continued expansion and customer demand. The airline carried 1.7 million passengers in May, representing a 19% increase compared to the same month last year. This continued growth reflects the airline’s strategic expansion and strong market positioning. Passenger load factor climbed to 87%, up from 84% in May 2024, reinforcing Etihad’s ability to optimise capacity while maintaining high demand. Etihad’s operating fleet now stands at 100 aircraft, supporting its growing network and service enhancements. In the first five months of 2025, 8.4 million travellers have flown with Etihad, a 17% rise from the same period in 2024, with the airline maintaining an impressive 87% average passenger load factor. Antonoaldo Neves, Etihad Airways CEO, said: “We saw a pleasing continued growth in our momentum, with May’s passenger numbers growing by 19% year-on-year, underlining our position as the fastest-growing Middle East airline. Our year-to-date results show more than 8 million customers have flown with us in 2025, and our rolling 12-month figure now stands at almost 20 million, a testament to the trust placed in Etihad’s service. “We reached an exciting milestone in May as our fleet number reached the 100 mark. As we continue expanding our route network and growing our fleet in the coming months, our focus remains on delivering a seamless and exceptional customer experience.”

Emirates and Bahamasair have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish an interline partnership benefitting customers travelling to The Bahamas. The partnership enables Emirates to expand its reach in the Caribbean, allowing customers to utilise the services of The Bahamas’ national flag carrier from Florida to one of three destinations on the island country. Under the unilateral agreement, customers traveling on Emirates to Miami or Orlando will be able to connect to Bahamasair flights to Nassau, Freeport or San Salvador, with the added convenience of booking itineraries with both airlines on a single ticket. Additionally, Emirates’ customers will enjoy generous baggage allowance when flying on Bahamasair to the three destinations. Commenting on the new interline partnership, Adnan Kazim, Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer said: “We are pleased to establish an interline partnership with Bahamasair to expand our reach to new and exciting destinations and offer travel options for our customers planning journeys to the Caribbean nation. The interline partnership offers customers the convenience of connecting in Florida for travel onwards to points across the islands of The Bahamas, while enjoying competitive fare pricing, the convenience of booking the entire journey on a single ticket and a generous baggage policy.” “This partnership also supports our agreement with The Bahamas’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs to promote the Caribbean destination across our network.” As part of the MoU, both carriers will also explore opportunities to enhance their cargo interline cooperation and potential partnerships under their frequent flyer programmes. Bahamasair Managing Director, Tracy Cooper said: “This partnership significantly elevates Bahamasair’s global profile and opens access to invaluable expertise and new markets. By aligning with one of the world’s most respected airlines, we strengthen our capabilities and …

Wyndham Hotels & Resorts and Pegasus Airlines launched a reward programme partnership where Wyndham Rewards members can now convert their points into Pegasus BolPoints. Once converted, points can be exchanged for Pegasus flights, seat selection, extra baggage, or even transferred to other BolBol members. Point transfer options start as low as 6,000 Wyndham Rewards points for 1,200 Pegasus BolPoints, with no limit on the number of transfers. “At Wyndham, our mission is to make hotel travel possible for all. Travel isn’t just about where you stay, it’s about how you get there, too. That’s why we’ve teamed up with Pegasus Airlines to bring even more value to Wyndham Rewards members. Whether you’re flying across Türkiye, Europe or the Middle East, Wyndham Rewards members now have access to benefits including discounted flights, upgraded seating, extra baggage and in-flight meals across 151 travel routes, making every part of the journey rewarding.” Dimitris Manikis, President, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts EMEA “We are making travel even more rewarding for our passengers. Our first loyalty partnership with a hotel group and first points conversion programme is with Wyndham, the largest international hotel brand in Türkiye. With this collaboration, we’re giving our passengers more ways to benefit from their journeys, by connecting them with trusted places to stay and making the most of their travel experience beyond the flight.” Güliz Öztürk, CEO, Pegasus Airlines. To celebrate the launch, members of Wyndham Rewards and BolBol will soon have the chance to earn triple Wyndham Rewards points from eligible stays at Wyndham hotels across EMEA from July to September 2025. This exclusive offer enables members to earn more, travel further and get rewarded. To take advantage Wyndham Rewards members …