Category Archives: Aviation

This Hajj season, Emirates is geared up to serve the large volume of pilgrims making their way from the airline’s global network through Dubai, to Jeddah and Medina to perform the once in a lifetime Muslim pilgrimage. Emirates has deployed 10 additional flights between 7 Jun and 10 June, and between 21 June and 26 June to carry pilgrims to Jeddah and Medina. These flights have been carefully timed to meet the flight schedules from key markets for Hajj, including Indonesia, Thailand, Côte d’Ivoire, Mauritius, South Africa, Senegal and Pakistan. Emirates has been working hard throughout every travel touchpoint of the journey to ensure comfortable experience, both in the air and on the ground for pilgrims heading to Makkah for this significant trip. The additional flights are operated alongside Emirates’ scheduled services to the two Saudi gateways, and provide increased choice and options for thousands of travellers from across the airline’s global network to carry out one of the key pillars of Islam. The airline has further deployed 19 flights to cities including Amman, Dammam, Kuwait Beirut among others to meet high demand during Eid Al-Adha in mid-June. From arriving to Dubai International, to stopping over in the city and connecting onwards to Jeddah and Medina, Emirates has extended its onboard hospitality to the ground through a carefully planned airport experience. Emirates’ dedicated teams will guide pilgrims during their airport journey to ensure a seamless process of connecting to their onwards flights. Airport Service teams have been tasked with meeting, greeting and escorting all pilgrims from arrival to departure. Travellers are welcomed at the arrival gate by dedicated Emirates Airport Service personnel, holding signs with special greetings for pilgrims, where they are escorted …

Air Tanzania has launched its inaugural flights from Dar es Salaam to the United Arab Emirates. Air Tanzania’s latest route to Dubai International Airport, Terminal 1, features four weekly flights, connecting Tanzania with the UAE and Beyond. A testament to the tireless endeavors of the carrier’s Corporate Planning Unit in Dar es Salaam, the new route marks a significant milestone for the company, highlighting its vision to expansion through new operations and markets; both domestically and internationally. AVIAREPS Middle East, renowned as a global leader in international representation, marketing, and communications within the aviation, tourism, and hospitality sectors, has been selected as the General Sales Agent (GSA) for Air Tanzania in the UAE. With a worldwide presence spanning 68 offices across 65 countries, AVIAREPS, including its Middle East arm, AVIAREPS Middle East, will be supporting Tanzania’s flag carrier airline with a full spectrum of sales and ticketing services in UAE, extending its services and impact to the Gulf Corporation Council (GCC) countries and beyond. Flight Details: DAR-DXB: Flight Number: TC 404 Operates on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sunday. Departure from DAR at 20:00 (local time) Arrival at DXB at 02:30 am (local time) the following day. DXB-DAR Flight Number: TC 405 Operates on Mondays, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturdays. Departure from DXB at 04:00 (local time) Arrival at DAR at 08:30 (local time) Eng. Ladislaus Matindi, CEO and Managing Director, Air Tanzania, said: “We are delighted to join the ranks of global airlines in launching the Dubai route, fulfilling a longstanding aspiration to enhance connectivity and enrich the travel experience for our passengers. Our direct flights to Dubai, operated four times weekly with our state-of-the-art aircraft B737-9 MAX, promise exceptional comfort …

Etihad Airways and Egyptair have signalled their intent to strengthen their partnership by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), to enhance commercial and operational ties to provide travellers with wider choices, higher quality services and increased value.* Antonoaldo Neves, Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Airways, said: “This agreement will help further deepen our codeshare with EGYPTAIR opening up seamless travel for guests of both airlines across our networks. It also lays the tracks for co-operation across both our frequent flyer programs and will enable us to explore collaboration on joint-marketing campaigns and promotions designed to stimulate and reward our customers.” Yehia Zakaria, Chairman & CEO at EGYPTAIR, said: “This MoU strengthens our strategic partnership with Etihad Airways, and underscores our commitment to providing our valued customers with a seamless travel experience and access to a wider network. “I am confident that this partnership with Etihad Airways will not only benefit our passengers but also foster a stronger relationship between Egypt and United Arab Emirates. We look forward to a successful collaboration, soaring to new heights together.” The existing codeshare agreement gives customers of both airlines enhanced connectivity to destinations across each other’s networks, between Egypt and the UAE as well beyond Cairo into Africa and beyond Abu Dhabi into Asia. The agreement enables guests to book their entire journey on a single ticket and have their baggage checked through seamlessly to their end destination. This MoU will see codeshares between the two airlines extended, giving one-stop access for EGYPTAIR travellers to more of Etihad’s network in addition to several destinations in Asia and Australia that already exist. Equally it gives Etihad customers seamless access to further destinations on EGYPTAIR Network, …

KlasJet, an exclusive private and corporate flight charter company and a part of the world’s largest ACMI providers, the Avia Solutions Group family, is pleased to announce that it has successfully achieved the IOSA (IATA Operational Safety Audit) registration. This registration is an acknowledgment of KlasJet’s strict adherence to the highest operational and safety standards in the aviation industry. Administered by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the IOSA program is designed to assess the management and control systems of airlines. KlasJet’s acquisition of the IOSA registration highlights its ongoing efforts to uphold globally recognized safety and quality benchmarks. Justinas Bulka, CEO of KlasJet, commented on this achievement: “Receiving the IOSA registration marks an important step for our company. It reflects our dedication to safety and our ongoing work to enhance the quality of our operations. I am immensely proud of our team, whose expertise and continuous hard work have enabled us to meet IOSA’s detailed requirements.” This registration assures partners and passengers of KlasJet’s focus on providing a reliable and secure flying environment, enhancing the airline’s appeal as a cooperative partner for international carriers. “With the IOSA registration, we look forward to new growth and collaboration opportunities in the international aviation sector. Our priority continues to be offering outstanding service and ensuring the safety of all our passengers,” said Justinas Bulka. KlasJet is part of the Avia Solutions Group family, the world’s largest ACMI providers (Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance, and Insurance), operating a fleet of 213 aircraft. The group also provides a range of aviation services including, MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul), pilot and crew training, ground handling, as well as a variety of associated services.

Kuwait Airways new rail service agreement with Flex flight operated by Deutsche Bahn will connect German cities such as Munich, Bremen, Munster, Hannover, Cologne, Duesseldorf, Stuttgart, Dresden, Leipzig, Berlin, Hamburg, and Nuremberg via Frankfurt, and rail routes: German Rail (QYG) via Frankfurt or Munich or Amsterdam. The company added that Kuwait Airways passengers could book rail services directly through the company’s website or electronic application or the various reservation channels of travel agents. As part of Kuwait Airways’ efforts to develop and include new services for its esteemed customers, the company announces the signing of an agreement with Flex Flight (W2), which will enable the Blue Bird customers to book German Rail Services operated by Deutsche Bahn AG (DB) and number of cities that Kuwait Airways operates starting from June 2024. In this regard Kuwait Airways stated, “As part of its relentless endeavours to provide exceptional and diverse services to its valued customers, Kuwait Airways is pleased to announce that it has signed this important agreement with Flex Flight to book on the German Rail Services operated Deutsche Bahn AG (DB). This agreement will enhance the tourism and commercial relations between the State of Kuwait and the Republic of Germany.” Kuwait Airways reaffirms its keenness to provide the best services to its valued passengers and to enhance their experiences to reach the highest-level of qualitative services provided to them.

Turkish Airlines and KM Malta Airlines signed a code-sharing agreement to operate joint flights, effective as of June 15 2024. The codeshare agreement will provide passengers of both flag carrier airlines more flexible travel options on direct flights between Istanbul and Malta. Within the scope of the cooperation, KM Malta Airlines will place their marketing flight numbers on Turkish Airlines flights between Istanbul – Malta and vice versa. On the codeshare agreement, Turkish Airlines CEO Bilal Ekşi stated: “We are pleased that the codeshare agreement with KM Malta Airlines will re-foster cooperation between the two countries and provide seamless journeys for passengers flying from Malta and Türkiye. Not only does this partnership enable Maltese travelers to benefit from the wide network of Turkish Airlines on a global scale, but also promotes more visitors from Malta to visit our unique country, Türkiye. Likewise, Malta, the fascinating island nation of the Mediterranean, will attract more visitors. We look forwards to a successful, long-standing collaboration together.” KM Malta Airlines Executive Chairman David G. Curmi noted that: “We are very pleased to count Turkish Airlines among our codeshare partners. Istanbul is a major hub connected with Malta twice every day, offering our Maltese customers a large choice of destinations. It also allows our international customers enhanced connectivity through Malta International Airport, linking both our networks. It also shows that KM Malta Airlines is recognized by large carriers as a partner of choice.” The codeshare flights will be available for purchase through the airlines’ sales channels such as turkishairlines.com and kmmaltairlines.com websites.

SAUDIA and Virgin Atlantic have signed a codeshare agreement effective June 2024 to provide a range of benefits to SAUDIA’s guests and Virgin Atlantic’s passengers, enriching their travel experience and expanding route networks for both airlines to serve the tourism and business sectors. The codeshare agreement offers a range of benefits for travelers on both airlines. Guests will enjoy a smooth and hassle-free travel experience with the ability to book connecting flights on both SAUDIA and Virgin Atlantic under a single ticket. This simplifies the booking process and ensures seamless baggage handling to their destination. Additionally, frequent flyers can leverage their existing membership benefits and accrue mileage towards status upgrades on both airlines. Notably, SAUDIA’s AlFursan members can specifically earn and redeem miles on Virgin Atlantic flights. Under this new codeshare agreement, SAUDIA guests will be able to seamlessly travel from Jeddah and Riyadh to ten destinations across the United States and the Caribbean Islands via Heathrow and Manchester airports in the United Kingdom utilizing Virgin Atlantic’s extensive flight network. Furthermore, the Virgin Atlantic passengers traveling from the United States will be able to conveniently book flights via London Heathrow and Manchester airports, connecting them to SAUDIA’s services in Jeddah and Riyadh.

Emirates and Condor have signed a reciprocal codeshare partnership that will start from October 2024, subject to government approvals. The new agreement will offer seamless connections and expanded choices for Emirates customers connecting on Condor-operated flights via Germany to popular destinations in Majorca and the Canary Islands as well as international points in North, Central and South America and the Caribbean. The expanded partnership will see Condor place their marketing code “DE” on Emirates-operated flights beyond Dubai to some of the most attractive global tourism hotspots, offering new travel options for Condor customers to many unique destinations across the Middle East, Africa, Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent. The codeshare activation coincides with Condor’s Berlin-Dubai route launch this October. The agreement was signed by Adnan Kazim, Emirates Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer, and Peter Gerber, CEO of Condor, at the IATA Annual General Meeting in Dubai. The signing ceremony was also attended by members of each airline’s executive management teams. Adnan Kazim commented: “We are pleased to further strengthen our partnership with Condor, one of the most popular leisure airlines in Germany, to offer their customers greater access and strong connection opportunities to unique destinations in our network, complemented by Emirates’ signature in-flight service and hospitality throughout their journey from Dubai. Emirates currently has commercial cooperation agreements in place with 161 interline, codeshare and intermodal partners expanding its network reach to over 1650 cities.” Peter Gerber, said: “To partner up with Emirates, one of the world’s leading airlines, is an important strategic milestone for Condor and our customers. We are happy to offer seamless and even better connectivity by intensifying our existing interline partnership to a codeshare. Our guests will …

Oman Air and SalamAir leadership met recently to mark the launch of the airlines’ latest codeshare partnership, which offers passengers an expanded range of travel options within the Sultanate of Oman and beyond. During the meeting, the airlines discussed their future prospects as national carriers and their common commitment to supporting the country’s tourism goals as part of Oman’s 2040 Vison. Con Korfiatis, Chief Executive Officer of Oman Air, said, “We are excited about this expanded codeshare partnership between Oman Air and SalamAir and the strengthening of our collaboration. This latest development enables us to jointly offer even more choice and schedule options, which both benefits our customers and serves the broader tourism ambitions of the country.” “We are thrilled to further strengthen our partnership with Oman Air,” said Adrian Hamilton-Manns, Chief Executive Officer of SalamAir. “This extended codeshare agreement reflects our shared commitment to providing passengers with unparalleled travel options and superior service. Together, we eagerly anticipate aligning ourselves with the Ministry of Transport, Communication and Information Technology’s sentiments and the overarching vision of Oman 2040; thus, reinforcing our commitment to driving excellence in the aviation sector and promoting Oman as a premier travel destination.” During the first phase, effective 4 July 2024, passengers can book their travel on a selection of SalamAir’s routes connecting to Oman Air’s network, with more destinations to be added post successful implementation.

Emirates will launch flights to Madagascar from 3 September 2024, offering more choice and connectivity for travellers, and driving inbound leisure and business travel to the country. The four-weekly flights between Dubai (DXB) and Antananarivo (TNR), will operate via a linked service with the Seychelles. Boosting international travel to and from Madagascar, the flight times have been scheduled to optimise connections to and from key points in Europe, the Far East, West Asia and the Middle East/GCC. EK707 will depart from Dubai to the Seychelles at 0855hrs, arriving in Mahe at 1335hrs*, and will continue on to Antananarivo to land at 1650hrs. The return flight EK708 departs Antananarivo at 1835hrs, landing in Mahe at 2220hrs. The flight then takes off from Mahe at 2350hrs to Dubai, landing at 0420hrs the next day. Flights will operate on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. Travellers wanting to combine two holidays in one also have the option to conveniently fly between the Seychelles and Madagascar in style and comfort. Tourism is a key pillar in Madagascar’s economy, contributing to the creation of thousands of employment opportunities that support the country’s goal to serve one million tourists by 2028. Emirates’ new route will provide connectivity from over 140 points in its global network, supporting the Ministry of Tourism’s strategy to diversify target markets and introduce international travellers to the island’s many natural attractions. Emirates is also in discussion with Air Madagascar to offer further global connectivity to promote tourism and trade. Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer said, “Madagascar has historically been underserved, despite growing appetite from travellers for authentic ecotourism experiences. Emirates understands the importance of offering customers efficient connectivity and premium …