Category Archives: Aviation

Saudi Arabian Airlines (SAUDIA) and Saudi insurance company, Al-Rajhi Takaful have signed an agreement ensuring that guests traveling from the Kingdom have access to a comprehensive travel insurance policy which they can secure online. This partnership highlights SAUDIA’s commitment to expanding its after-sales services while enhancing passengers travel experience. The signing took place at SAUDIA’s Headquarters, in the presence of Captain Ibrahim Al-Koshy, CEO of SAUDIA, and Mr. Saud Ghonem Bin Ghonem, CEO of Takaful Al-Rajhi Insurance Company. Under this agreement, SAUDIA guests traveling from the Kingdom to various parts of the world will be equipped with a comprehensive travel insurance. SAUDIA guests will receive special prices on the travel insurance. The service can be used digitally during the completion of travel procedures through SAUDIA’s website (www.saudia.com) and smart phone application, the link will then direct users to the Al-Rajhi Takaful system to complete the process and benefit from a range of services, including cases of emergencies and claims. Captain Ibrahim Koshy, CEO of SAUDIA said: “At SAUDIA enhancing guest experience and providing them with the best services is one of our main priorities. This includes our partnership with introducing Al Rajhi Takaful as we are witnessing increasing demand, indicating that what distinguishes this service is the ease of transition between SAUDIA and Al Rajhi Takaful systems. This agreement ensures the facilitation of the travel insurance purchasing process, while providing direct support to our guests to ensure their comfort and guarantee a travel experience worth repeating. These services, among others, are constantly reviewed and evaluated, while utilizing guests’ feedback to undertake developments that meet their expectations”. Saud Ghonem Bin Ghonem, CEO of Takaful Al-Rajhi said: “This agreement aligns with the …

SAUDIA has signed an agreement with global professional services firm Accenture paving the way for a digital transformation program that will make the airline’s guest experience seamless and highly personalized while improving operational efficiency. His Excellency the Director General of SAUDIA Group, Eng. Ibrahim bin Abdul Rahman Al-Omar and the Chief Executive Officer of Accenture, Julie Sweet, during a meeting to announce the new collaboration. Through this agreement, SAUDIA will use artificial intelligence technologies to significantly enhance its digital infrastructure and build more than 260 new digital and electronic services in two years. SAUDIA’s guests will be able to enjoy more personalized services and a smooth travel experience possible across the entire travel cycle, from ticket search and booking to check-in, and from in-flight services to post-sale support. All the digital systems developed by Accenture will be designed specifically for SAUDIA, increasing operational efficiency and reducing operational costs, thanks to a new enterprise-wide cloud-based data foundation. This agreement will include several tracks to enhance SAUDIA’s guest value and help deliver the company’s strategic objectives. Specific initiatives will include a digital experience studio, digital infrastructure decoupling that accelerates and de-risks digital transformation processes, modernization of technical systems, creation of a cloud data lake, and development of a smart guest care center. “SAUDIA is looking to reimagine how our guests can choose, buy and enjoy leisure, business, and religious experiences,” said Dr. Khaled Alhazmi, Chief Information Officer, SAUDIA. “With Accenture’s support, we will create seamless and curated journeys with hyper-relevant experiences across digital and human-driven interactions. Guests will be able to modify flights, purchase transit eVisas, and enjoy new self-service features across all digital channels.” “Through this strategic collaboration, our primary aim …

A recent enhancement to Emirates’ inflight connectivity means that all Emirates passengers in every class of travel can enjoy some form of free connectivity once they sign up to Emirates Skywards. The development has resulted in an additional 30,000 Economy Class passengers connecting to complimentary onboard Wi-Fi every week. Emirates has constantly been at the forefront of inflight Wi-Fi developments and has to date invested more than US$ 300 million dollars into onboard connectivity. All Emirates Skywards members in every class of travel can now enjoy some form of free connectivity. Skywards members, whether Blue, Silver, Gold, or Platinum tier, travelling in any class, whether Economy, Premium Economy, Business or First Class will enjoy free app messaging. Additionally, First Class passengers will have unlimited free internet if they are Skywards members, enabling them to shop or work online while inflight, as will Silver, Gold and Platinum Skywards members travelling in Business Class. Platinum Skywards members have complimentary internet access in all classes. The increase in free connectivity has been very well received by Emirates’ passengers following changes in January 2023 and the airline today sees an average of 450,000 users per month. This represents a 30% increase of passenger use in 2023 versus the same period last year. Currently almost 10% of all passengers are utilising the complimentary onboard Wi-Fi. On routes through the Americas, almost 20% of passengers connect to Wi-Fi onboard, and on European and Africa routes the usage is over 11% of all passengers. Patrick Brannelly, SVP Retail, IFE & Connectivity commented: “Emirates has persistently worked with our service providers to optimise and improve the connectivity experience. In March we delivered about 55% more data per customer …

flydubai announced a new partnership with Air Canada to give customers flying between Canada, the Middle East, East Africa, Indian Subcontinent and Southern Asia more convenient travel options. Pending final regulatory approval, Air Canada’s marketing code will be placed on nine routes operated from Dubai by flydubai, giving customers the ability to travel to these markets with the issuance of a single ticket. The nine routes include Bahrain, Dammam, Jeddah, Madinah and Muscat in the GCC as well as to Colombo and Karachi in the Indian Subcontinent. Additionally, through an interline arrangement, customers will be able to seamlessly connect in Dubai to more than 60 destinations that flydubai flies to in the Middle East, East Africa and Southern Asia – including Djibouti, Kathmandu and the Maldives. Of these destinations, more than 30 are unique to flydubai and not flown by other partners of Air Canada. Commenting on the codeshare announcement, Hamad Obaidalla, Chief Commercial Officer at flydubai, said: “we are very pleased to be adding Air Canada to our list of partners and to offer their passengers a seamless travel experience on the flydubai network. We look forward to growing this partnership that offers passengers the benefits and the convenience of connecting via the Dubai aviation hub and we look forward to welcoming them on board soon.” Mark Galardo, Executive Vice President, Revenue and Network Planning at Air Canada, said: “Air Canada is very pleased to partner with flydubai, further expanding our connectivity to the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent, a growing source of immigration and travel to Canada. This new partnership is a perfect complement to Air Canada’s nonstop service to Dubai from Toronto and Vancouver, and growing …

In the presence of H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, and Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group, two significant agreements have been signed. The first agreement was a partnership focused on the integrated link between the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and Dubai Aviation City Corporation, and the latter was signed for the same purpose between the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and the Dubai Integrated Economic Zones Authority. These agreements aim to foster enhanced cooperation and integrated link using ‘Web Service’ technology for issuing commercial activity permits in the aviation sector, thereby enabling immediate approvals from DCAA for commercial licensing transactions in the Al Maktoum International Airport and Dubai Airport Freezone. It also strengthens institutional information and data management cooperation, facilitating systematic integration. On this remarkable milestone, His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum said: “This MoU is a strategic milestone in reshaping Dubai’s aviation industry and consolidates the emirate’s position as a global leader in digital transformation in the aviation industry. Integrating cutting-edge technology and digital solutions into Dubai’s aviation operations is not just a business strategy but a fundamental dedication to customers, partners, and the city’s future. By creating an environment that encourages the synergy of technology and human ingenuity, Dubai strives to achieve unprecedented efficiency and customer satisfaction.” The signing of the MoU outlined crucial objectives, including implementing Dubai’s paperless strategy through advanced technologies, establishing an integrated system for paperless governmental operations, and securing data exchange between entities. The MoU also seeks to automate the DACC’s verification of commercial licenses, providing customers with a seamless and streamlined experience via a single integrated link portal. The partnership agreement …

Saudi Arabian Airlines (SAUDIA) and Kuwait Airways announced a codeshare agreement, which provides enhanced connections and convenience to guests of both airlines, in a signing ceremony that took place in SAUDIA’s headquarter in Jeddah. As part of its codeshare cooperation, each airline will place the other airline’s marketing code on its flights operated between Saudi Arabia and Kuwait and other routes with the alliance; the agreement will come into effect after obtaining all approvals. Both airlines agreed to expand all kinds of Interline Cooperation and the implementation is expected during the Summer Season 2023. The codeshare will further promote bilateral and strategic partnership for the benefit of both airlines, enabling them to offer more competitive and cost-effective services that will allow their guests to enjoy a better travelling experience. The new Codeshare partnership will strengthen and take to new heights the cordial commercial long-standing relationship existing between SAUDIA and Kuwait Airways. SAUDIA has been carrying guests between Saudi Arabia and Kuwait by operating four daily flights. Similarly, Kuwait Airways has been serving passengers on this route and operating six daily flights between Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. Guests may expect to gain all the benefits of codeshare flights including seamless connectivity, baggage transfer and the convenience of having their entire journey managed by one airline from the purchasing of tickets to the arrival at their final destination. Furthermore, guests of both airlines will enjoy increased alternative flight options across each other’s network. SAUDIA CEO, Captain Ibrahim Koshy said: “We are delighted to partner with Kuwait Airways and give their guests the opportunity to experience SAUDIA’s world-renowned hospitality onboard. We look forward to further growing our relationship with this important partner and …

Qatar Airways is re-introducing a direct Doha to Auckland flight, which commences on 1 September 2023 and will operate seven times a week/departing daily at 01:50 local time. Qatar Airways will be operating an Airbus A350-1000 on the route with 46 Business Class and 281 Economy Class seats. A key feature of the service is the Qsuite, which is available to Business Class passengers.  Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “The direct Doha to Auckland service augments a number of new routes announced in recent weeks and enables passengers in key European markets including the UK and Ireland to save time with this direct connection. Business Class passengers on board our Auckland flights can also enjoy the enhanced privacy of Qsuite, which has been awarded the Best Business Class Seat in the World.” Travellers can begin booking flights from today for the resumption on 1 September 2023 and those previously booked for after 1 September travel will be re-accommodated, due to their tickets being via Adelaide to Auckland. With the largest global network in the region and the Best Airport in the Middle East offering seamless and efficient connectivity to destinations across the world, Qatar Airways continues to lead the recovery of international air travel with the airline rebuilding its network to more than 160 destinations worldwide. Daily Flight Schedule: Doha (DOH) to Auckland (AKL) QR920 departs at 01:50 and arrives at 02:45 (+1) local time. Auckland (AKL) to Doha (DOH) QR921 departs at 15:00 and arrives at 23:15 local time. From 24 September, due to daylight saving time changes in Auckland, both QR920 and QR921 will arrive and depart one hour later, respectively.

Wego announced its partnership with flyadeal to offer its users the chance to directly book flights on flyadeal through its platform. The new partnership includes all flyadeal flights to Wego’s marketplace where users can book directly with the airline. Wego is looking to provide its users with a wider choice of airlines to book from, by adding such a renowned airline to its portfolio. Con Korfiatis, flyadeal Chief Executive Officer, said: “We are delighted to partner with Wego, the biggest and renowned online travel marketplace in the MENA region. This collaboration will allow our customers to directly book flyadeal’s wide choice and growing number of flights through Wego’s platform, giving us the opportunity to distribute our products to a bigger audience, and showcase our competitive everyday fares. This partnership will further enhance our customers’ travel experience and help us to better serve them.” Additionally, Wego’s users will benefit from flyadeal fares which will be promoted across all Wego’s marketing channels and will be able to search and book the most competitive deals online. Ross Veitch, CEO and Co-founder of Wego, said: “As the largest online travel marketplace in MENA we are delighted to announce our partnership with flyadeal, the fastest growing airline in KSA. We look forward to offering flyadeal’s attractively priced fares to Wego’s audience both in The Kingdom and also across our regional points of sale as flyadeal opens new international routes.” MENA is a key market for Wego, and always tops the searches from this region. flyadeal, one of the youngest and fastest growing low-cost airlines in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Middle East, continues its expansion to the region. flyadeal currently operates scheduled flights to 17 …

SAUDIA and Lumi, announce a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore the provision of an array of benefits for members of SAUDIA’s ALFURSAN loyalty program. With a fleet of around 25,000 cars, Lumi is one of the Kingdom’s top-performing rental companies with a commitment to embracing digitisation and innovative technology for a highly personalised and intuitive service. SAUDIA has recently announced several new partnerships to further bolster its ALFURSAN loyalty program to provide a range of unprecedented benefits to members. This included the opportunity to redeem more miles through the introduction of the “Reward” and “Reward Plus” categories. Essam Akhonbay, VP Marketing & Product Management at SAUDIA, commented: “Our partnership with Lumi is further testament to our dedication to working with best-in-class partners to deliver a truly seamless traveller experience. The collaboration also forms a vital part of the complete transformation of the ALFURSAN loyalty program and we hope that this latest MoU will further support our aim to grant more exclusive benefits than ever before whilst rewarding our highly valued guests for their continued loyalty.” Azfar Shakeel, Chief Executive officer of Lumi, commented: “We are delighted to announce this MoU with SAUDIA, and we are excited to be offering the opportunity for our car rental customers to participate in and benefit from the ALFURSAN loyalty program. This is another important step in our ambitious growth journey, as we build our network of blue-chip partners across the Kingdom – spurring the expansion of our business and widening the opportunity set for our customers. We look forward to working closely with the SAUDIA team on what we are sure will be a long and fruitful collaboration.”

Taking a step forward in its drive to offer customers the convenience and assurance of digitally enabled travel journeys, Emirates will require most passengers departing Dubai to use a mobile boarding pass instead of a printed paper version, from 15 May onwards. Passengers checking in at Terminal 3 will receive their mobile boarding pass via email or SMS. Passengers who check in online can load their boarding pass into their Apple Wallet or Google Wallet, or retrieve their boarding pass on the user-friendly Emirates App. The checked-in baggage receipt is also emailed directly to passengers, or available in the Emirates App. This initiative will significantly reduce paper waste while simultaneously offering a convenient and speedy digitised check in experience for passengers departing Dubai. It reduces the risk of lost or misplaced boarding passes, giving passengers peace of mind when travelling. The mobile boarding pass can be used throughout the travel journey – in Dubai Duty Free, at security and for boarding, simply by showing the boarding pass on the phone. Emirates agents and airport staff will simply scan the QR code on the mobile boarding pass as passengers move through the airport and onto the aircraft. Some passengers may still require a physical boarding pass to be printed – for instance when travelling with infants, unaccompanied minors, passengers requiring special assistance, passengers with onwards flights on other airlines, and all passengers travelling on flights to the US. The option to print a boarding pass is available by request to Emirates agents at check-in counters, if passengers do not have a mobile device, or if they are unable to access the information on their devices for reasons such as: running out …