Category Archives: Aviation

Vistara announced the addition of Dammam (Saudi Arabia) to its international network. The airline will be operating daily non-stop flights between Mumbai and Dammam starting 1 March 2023 using its A320neo aircraft. Bookings for the flights are being progressively opened on all channels, including Vistara’s website, mobile app, and through travel agents. Mr. Vinod Kannan, Chief Executive Officer, Vistara, said, “We are excited to expand our presence in Saudi Arabia with the addition of Dammam as the second city in the Kingdom, after Jeddah. Integral to the Saudi Vision 2030, Dammam is a key administrative destination that is home to the largest port in the Gulf and some of the major business headquarters. We are confident that customers from India and Saudi Arabia will appreciate experiencing our award winning product and services on the route as they fly India’s most loved airline.”   Sector Economy Premium Economy Business Mumbai – Dammam – Mumbai INR 26,999 INR 29,999 INR 39,999 Dammam – Mumbai – Dammam SAR 1199 SAR 1299 SAR 1699   SCHEDULE OF FLIGHTS TO/FROM DAMMAM, SAUDI ARABIA EFFECTIVE 1 MARCH 2023 Sector Flight No. Days of Operation Departure Arrival Mumbai – Dammam UK 0237 Daily 21:20 hrs 23:10 hrs Dammam – Mumbai UK 0238 Daily 23:55 hrs 06:15 hrs (+1) * All timings shown are in local time zones *+1 indicates next-day arrival Vistara also announced the resumption of operations between Mumbai and Colombo with daily flights effective 1 March 2023 after a hiatus of nearly 3 years. Bookings for the flights are open on all channels, including Vistara’s website, mobile app, OTAs (online travel agencies) and other travel agents. Vistara will accept all eligible customers meeting visa/entry requirements …

​Kuwait Airways announced achieving positive results with the operation of approximately 1450 flights to and from the State of Kuwait, carrying almost 205,000 passengers to various destinations operated by the company during the winter period from 22 December 2022 to 7 January 2023. The three major destinations travelled by customers during the winter holiday season included London, Cairo, and Dubai with a punctuality rate of arrival and departure timings reaching approximately 90%. This also follows Kuwait Airways achieving third position in operational excellence, punctuality, and on-time performance in the Middle East and Africa, recording 81.64% of the 25982 flights that arrived on time during the year 2022. In this context, Kuwait Airways CEO, Eng. Maen Razouqi stated, “We are pleased to have successfully operated 1450 flights during the winter season, carrying approximately 205,000 passengers to various destinations and in meeting the requirements of our valued customers. We have also been ranked third in the Middle East and Africa region for operational excellence, punctuality, and on-time performance for the year 2022. The Board of Directors and the Executive Management spares no effort towards the development of the company’s fleet, as we have recently received new aircraft with the latest technology present in the aviation industry, as well as numerous diverse features and services for the convenience of our valued customers. This ranges from comfortable seats and convenient services provided on board by our highly trained crew, to the speedy completion of travel procedures at Terminal 4, that are according to systematic plans and standards adopted by the company, in addition to the earnest efforts and expertise of national talents working at the company. Moreover, Kuwait Airways closely follows the requirements of …

Emirates has announced it will scale up its A380 operations with the iconic double-decker returning to Glasgow (26 March 2023), Nice (1 June 2023) and Birmingham (1 July 2023). The airline has also announced it will resume its second daily service to Stansted starting from 1 May 2023, utilising its wide-body Boeing 777-300ER aircraft fitted with its renowned ‘Game Changer’ First Class product. With the return of the second daily flight to Stansted, Emirates will ramp up  its operations to London with 11 daily flights, including six times daily to London Heathrow and three times daily to Gatwick. The airline continues to expand its global network and increase capacity in line with growing travel demand. Emirates currently deploys its flagship A380 to 40 destinations worldwide. By the end of this summer, the popular aircraft will be serving almost 50 destinations, restoring close to 90% of the airline’s pre-pandemic A380 network. Emirates is the largest operator of Airbus A380, with more than 80 aircraft currently in active service. The airline first launched A380 operations to Birmingham in 2016; Nice in 2017; and Glasgow in 2019. The first Emirates A380 to be completely refurbished under the airline’s US$ 2 billion retrofit program was deployed earlier this month on the Dubai-London Heathrow service featuring the Premium Economy cabin, and Emirates’ latest cabin interiors including lighter colour palettes in First and Business Class. The airline also plans to ramp up its four-class A380 operations featuring Premium Economy cabins to more than 35 destinations across 20 countries by March 2024. The Emirates A380 is loved by customers for its spacious and comfortable cabins, quietness, and unique on-board features such as the Onboard Lounge and First …

Wizz Air  announced resumption of its direct flights to Istanbul, Antalya and Dalaman. The routes will commence as of March 2023 connecting Türkiye with Hungary, Romania, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom.  Wizz Air returns to Istanbul after 7 years, and adds four point to point services to Budapest, London Gatwick, London Luton, and Iasi, the earliest flight departing in March already. With these services the airline will be the first ultra-low cost carrier flying from Istanbul airport, providing over 400,000 high quality, but low fare seats to cities around Europe. Wizz Air’s industry leading low emissions and highly sustainable operations will support Istanbul Airport to reach its sustainability goals by operating the modern and sustainable Airbus A321neo aircraft. Besides the new all year round routes to Istanbul, WIZZ launches seasonal point to point services to the Turkish seaside, Dalaman and Antalya, supporting the ramp up of local tourism. Over 300,000 passengers from Abu Dhabi, Bucharest, Budapest, Cluj, Debrecen and London will be able to enjoy the airline’s low fares and high quality direct connections to these amazing resorts. Together with today’s announcement Wizz Air will operate flights to four Turkish airports, providing over 800,000 low-fare seats in 2023. Evelin Jeckel,  Network Officer of Wizz Air, said: “We’re excited to be finally returning to Istanbul with our point to point services and strengthening our presence in Türkiye with the new connections to Dalaman and Antalya, while bringing sustainable, low-cost aviation to Istanbul and to the pearls of the Turkish seaside. We can’t wait to welcome our passengers back onboard our brand-new Airbus A321neo aircraft, as they travel on their long-awaited new routes connecting Türkiye with some of the …

Last weekend, Singapore Airlines and Singapore Tourism Board hosted 126 travel trade partners from the UAE for a special desert safari as their first trade engagement for the year. Travel trade partners were able to enjoy from dune bashing, sand boarding, riding the camel and other memorable experiences amidst being with so many partners whom some met after many years. The event was graced by Consul General of the Republic of Singapore in Dubai Raziff Aljunied. Addressing the trade partners HE Consul General, “first of all I would like to thank all of you for the support that you have rendered to us and for accepting the invitation to attend today’s event put together by Singapore Airlines and Singapore Tourism Board. I would also like to inform that now Singapore is fully open and we are ready for business, it was a trying time for us with covid, but now we are coming back with a vengeance and you can also capitalise with revenge travel as we say, so continue to have Singapore as the top of the mind destination for your travellers.” “It is a pleasure to be back for a trade engagement activity which is of a very unique kind, this is the first time that we are conducting a desert safari trade engagement activity for the past six years, I have never done a trade engagement activity in such a setting. First of all a big thank you to all of you for bringing travellers from the UAE to Singapore. In 2022, Singapore opened in April for international vaccinated travellers without quarantine. So overall in 2022, we have received 6.3million visitors which is above our forecast.” Ashwin …

Emirates has taken yet another significant step in the resumption of its Australia capacity by increasing its service to two major cities – Sydney and Melbourne. The airline will also restart services to Christchurch, New Zealand via Sydney, offering a new path for Australians across the trans-Tasman route. From 26 March, Melbourne will increase from two to three daily services between Emirates’ Dubai hub via Singapore, with a third direct service to also begin to Sydney from 1 May. The service increase follows the airline’s recent announcement around double daily flights to Brisbane, starting from 1 June. The huge boost comes amidst another busy period for air travel and as the airline continues to reaffirm its ongoing commitment to growing its services to and from Australia. The two services will operate on a three-class Boeing-777 300ER offering passengers Economy, Business and First Class seats. By mid-year, Emirates will be operating 63 weekly services to Australia with the capacity to transport more than 55,000 passengers per week to and from its major cities. Melbourne and Sydney will be restored to flying at pre-pandemic levels, a significant milestone in the airline’s reinstatement of Australia services. The uplift in capacity supports the revival of tourism by providing travellers with even more access to and from Australia, as well as bolstering trade and business opportunities with the large 22-tonne freight capacity offered by the Boeing 777-300ER. The newly restored third Dubai-Melbourne service means Emirates is providing a new connectivity option between Singapore and Melbourne to serve strong demand between both cities, as well as offering customers its signature, differentiated product and service experience. The Christchurch service via Sydney, beginning 26 March, will offer the …

‎Qatar Executive (QE), the private jet charter division of the Qatar Airways Group, experienced significant year-over-year (YOY) growth in flight arrivals and departures at their exclusive Premium Terminal FBO during the completion of a historic FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™. Qatar Executive’s FBO, located at Doha International Airport (DIA), saw a record-first YOY increase of 595 per cent for arrivals and 574 per cent for departures between November and December in 2022. Between 18-19 December, after the FIFA World Cup Qatar™ Final, 296 jets departed from DIA. In the lead up to the first FIFA World Cup™ in the Middle East, QE renovated the existing terminal in Doha, revitalising the FBO and thus offering customers a seamless journey both on the ground and on-board. This included upgrading their F&B and baggage handling services, training additional staff members and renovating on-site facilities. Qatar Executive also deployed the latest Wi-Fi and streaming capabilities both within the terminal and onboard their fleet, providing football fans great connectivity to stream the World Cup matches uninterrupted. Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “Qatar Executive’s operations grew significantly during the World Cup period, demonstrating the division’s robust FBO services, while offering the most advanced flying solutions to valued customers. Qatar Executive’s continuous growth trajectory reflects the trust of our clients and is also a testament to our commitment to innovation and excellence.” In addition, Qatar Executive added 3 more Gulfstream G650ER, with the aircraft type making up 15 of their 19 strong fleet resulting in a 25 per cent growth. This makes QE the world’s largest owner and single commercial operator of the G650ER. The Gulfstream G650ER features a state-of-the-art …

SAUDIA Group is continuing to implement its operational plan for 2023 by boosting its international presence and market share by increase its seating capacity by 40% on high-demand destinations. The ambitious plan aims to expand SAUDIA’s network, connect international visitors with the Kingdom, and strengthen Saudi’s tourism, Hajj, and Umrah sectors. The plan also includes an increase in domestic flights and seating capacity. SAUDIA has allocated over 25.3m seats for international flights in 2023 across almost 90,000 flights, up 40% from 2022. Similarly, seating capacity on domestic flights for 2023 has been increased by about half a million seats to reach over 17.8m seats, with the total number of domestic flights exceeding 102,100. The update to the company’s flight schedule and operations are designed to meet growing customer demand and further increase convenience in flight schedules throughout the year, and in particular during demand-peak seasons. Captain Ibrahim Koshy, CEO of SAUDIA, said: “We plan to build on SAUDIA’s operational success of last year with a strategic plan that further enhances SAUDIA’s reputation for meeting our guests’ needs and delivering performance excellence. Since the beginning of the new year, we have seen steadily increasing demand on already-popular routes. By expanding capacity and enhancing flight schedules SAUDIA is able to offer increased flexibility to customers and better manage its operational requirements in light of the significant challenges facing the aviation industry.” SAUDIA’s operational plan also features a number of new additions to its fleet. New Boeing B787 Dreamliner aircraft, with 24 business class seats and 333 economy class seats, will join SAUDIA’s fleet in 2023, along with the latest Airbus A321NX aircraft, that offer 20 business class seats and 168 economy class …

At a special gathering hosted by Singapore tourism board and Singapore Airlines recently it was shared by GB Srithar – Regional Director, India, Middle East & South Asia – Singapore Tourism Board that international visitor numbers had exceeded their own forecast. Srithar shared, “I’m happy to say that Singapore tourism board remains engaged in this market.  Singapore international visitor numbers reached 6.3 million in 2022, which is 33% of 2019, exceeding our own forecast of last year, which was between 4 to 6million. So at 6.3 million we have exceeded out own forecast. Tourism receipts estimated to have reached 13.8 to 14.3 billion dollars which is above 50 to 52% of 2019 TR. Looking at Middle East market, overall GCC, we welcomed 79,630 which is about 61% of 2019’s IVA and UAE specifically we welcomed 42,970 which is about 35% of 2019 IVA so those are the numbers and the peak months have been July and August last year which registered very strong visitor arrivals and the average length of stay was about 3 to 5 days. In terms of importance of the market, UAE is our number one source market in the region.” He further reiterated, “We continue to welcome visitors from the Middle East, the good thing is that Singapore is very much open, it is quarantine free and you can come to the country and moving around in various places like in Dubai is the same as before. My key overarching message is that Singapore is not only welcoming leisure travellers, as Singapore continues to be a family holiday destination, the Middle East travellers when they come to Singapore learn that its very easy to enjoy in …

‎Qatar Airways announced it has signed a comprehensive codeshare agreement with Air Serbia, the flag carrier of Serbia, allowing passengers seamless travel to over 40 destinations when travelling on each other’s networks effective 01 February 2023. Qatar Airways currently operates five weekly flights between its hub in Doha, Qatar and Belgrade, the Serbian capital. The codeshare agreement opens up a host of new exciting destinations for its passengers to use a single booking to continue their journey to European countries such as Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Slovenia among others served by Air Serbia. Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “This partnership will allow us to expand our footprint in the Central and Eastern European markets where we are looking forward to offering additional travel choices for our customers. We are extremely proud to unveil this partnership with Air Serbia, the leading airline in this region since it was founded in 1927 and we look forward to working effortlessly together.” From its hub at Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport, Air Serbia serves more than 70 destinations in Europe, the Mediterranean, North America, Asia and Africa. As a part of this collaboration, Air Serbia will add its marketing code on Qatar Airways direct flights between Belgrade and Doha, as well as various points beyond Doha including Adelaide, Baku, Brisbane, Tbilisi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Melbourne, Muscat, Nairobi, Perth, Seychelles, Singapore and Sydney. Additionally, subject to obtaining all necessary government approvals and once all conditions are fulfilled, Air Serbia plans to extend its coverage to Bangkok, Cape Town, Johannesburg, Phuket, Seoul, Tokyo, Yerevan, Zanzibar and many more. Air Serbia, Chief Executive Officer, Jiří Marek, said: “It …