Category Archives: Aviation

Qatar Airways Creates Intercontinental Play-offs Travel Packages as National Teams Compete to Qualify for the final FIFA World Cup 2022™ Spots

New travel package options have been released by Qatar Airways for fans travelling to Doha to cheer on their team during the intercontinental play-offs this June. The matches will feature four national teams competing in ‘winner-takes-all’ matches to determine the final two teams for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, which will take place in the Middle East region for the first time this November. The fight for the final two qualification spots are set to be high-octane encounters and will serve as yet another prelude to display Qatar’s preparedness ahead of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™. Fans traveling to Doha for the intercontinental play-off matches are encouraged to purchase their travel packages before tickets sell out, and to capture the sights, sounds and excitement of Doha prior to the mega event. The games will feature four teams from different global football confederations. Australia or United Arab Emirates (UAE) will face-off with Peru on 13 June 2022, followed by Costa Rica versus New Zealand on 14 June 2022 for the final spots in the tournament. The intercontinental play-offs will be preceded by an AFC Fourth Round Match between Australia and UAE on 7 June 2022, also in Doha, to determine the fourth team in the final qualifiers. The extended travel packages to Doha include round-trip flights with Qatar Airways, match tickets, and a minimum of two-nights accommodation. Fans have the option to book their hotel with Al Messila Luxury Collection, Hilton Al Rayyan Curio, or Holiday Inn Business. Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “Qatar Airways welcomes the competing nations and their fans to Qatar and wish the best of luck to the …

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Wizz Air to expand to Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Wizz Air Holdings Plc signed a Memorandum of Understanding (“the MoU”) together with the Ministry of Investment of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (“KSA” or “the Kingdom”), supported by the Saudi National Air Connectivity Programme (a Ministry of Tourism initiative to support the development of the Saudi Tourism Sector). The purpose of the MoU is to explore airline market development opportunities in the Kingdom. The Kingdom has launched a strategic and ambitious vision to triple passenger traffic in the Kingdom by 2030 as part of the Vision 2030 programme. This will provide unprecedented opportunities for airlines and the aviation supply chain. Wizz Air’s innovative and sustainable ultra-low-cost-carrier model is proven to develop markets by making air travel affordable for more people than ever before. The MoU reflects a shared vision between the parties on the potential Wizz Air could bring to the Kingdom to stimulate new demand, thereby making a significant contribution to Saudi Arabia’s planned growth. The parties will work together to enable potential investment and operating models to benefit and add to the Saudi Arabian aviation ecosystem, boosting its tourism industry and significantly increasing its connectivity.  

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KLM unveils new cabin class: Premium Comfort

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines presented its new Premium Comfort Class, an intermediate cabin offering more space, luxury, service options, comfort and privacy than Economy Class, at lower prices than World Business Class. The new Premium Comfort Class allows KLM to more closely meet the needs and wishes of leisure and business travellers. Premium Comfort is an entirely new inflight class with its own cabin, offering a new type of seats as well as distinctive service and catering concepts. Depending on the aircraft type, the capacity of Premium Comfort Class will vary from 21 to 28 seats, which will be wider than standard seats, offering more legroom, a larger screen and a footrest. Premium Comfort seats can also recline further than Economy Class seats. The reconfiguration of aircraft cabins will be carried out by specialists at KLM Engineering & Maintenance at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. Boet Kreiken, executive vice president of KLM Customer Experience: “We have great expectations for this new Premium Comfort Class, based on extensive market research. The new class will meet the wishes of business passengers as well as leisure travellers, strengthening KLM’s standing as a global network carrier offering an appealing and varied range: World Business Class, Premium Comfort and Economy Class. It also reaffirms our partnership with Delta Air Lines, Air France and Virgin Atlantic on North Atlantic routes, where we can now combine all products on all routes.” Premium Comfort also has a distinctive catering concept. On intercontinental services, one or two hot meals will be served, depending on the duration of the flight. There will always be a choice of meat, fish or vegetarian dishes. After the meal, passengers will be offered coffee, tea, liqueur …

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Malaysia Airlines’ inaugural Kuala Lumpur-Doha flight welcomed with a water cannon salute in Hamad International Airport (HIA)

Malaysia Airlines celebrated the arrival of its inaugural direct flight from Kuala Lumpur to Doha via flight MH160 at Hamad International Airport (HIA) marking a milestone in the airline’s international expansion plan and efforts to enable optimal connections to the Middle East, United States, Europe, and Africa. Upon arrival at Hamad International Airport (HIA), the Official Airport Partner of the upcoming FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ and voted the World Best Airport 2021 by SKYTRAX World Airport Awards, the A330-300 aircraft was welcomed with a water cannon salute, while passengers were given welcoming gifts upon their disembarkation. The event was co-hosted by HIA and Qatar Airways, the airline’s codeshare partner. Malaysian Ambassador in Doha, H.E. Zamshari Shaharan; Malaysia Airlines’ Group Chief Marketing and Customer Experience Officer, Lau Yin May; Hamad International Airport’s Senior Vice President of Operations, Ioannis Metsovitis and Senior Vice President Eastern Regions of Qatar Airways, Marwan Koleilat were present to greet the first 274 passengers who arrived at HIA at 11.50pm. Prior to the arrival, a sending-off event was organised in KL International Airport. Group Chief Operations Officer of MAB, Ahmad Luqman Mohd Azmi; together with senior officials from Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) distributed goodies to passengers departing on MH160 bound for Doha at 9:20pm local time. Lau Yin May of Malaysia Airlines commented, “Today marks another milestone for the national airline as we commence our new daily service from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to Doha, Qatar. We are delighted to introduce this new service, our third direct flight to the Middle East after Jeddah and Madinah, further providing greater convenience to customers and widening our global footprint for seamless connectivity. We recorded a very encouraging load …

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Emirates inks MoU with Jafza exploring joint activities to attract and incentivise new and existing businesses

Emirates and Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza), have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to explore joint cooperation and initiatives targeted at attracting more investments into Dubai by supporting new and existing businesses registered or licensed in the free zone. Under the MoU, both parties will explore opportunities to offer a number of travel-related incentives for new and existing SMEs and larger businesses, including potential enrolment in the airline’s Business Rewards programme. The MoU was signed by Dina Al Herais, Emirates’ Vice President, Commercial Products, B2B Corporate & Leisure, and Ebtesam Ahmad Alkaabi, Head of Sales, Jafza Sales. The signing ceremony was also attended by Adil Al Ghaith, Senior Vice President, Gulf, Middle East & Central Asia, and Ahmad Al Haddad, Chief Operating Officer, Parks and Zones, DP World UAE. Adnan Kazim, Chief Commercial Officer for Emirates Airline, said: “We are pleased to partner with Jafza to support Dubai’s efforts in cementing its leadership position as one of the world’s preferred investment destinations. Dubai’s vibrant business environment continues to gain momentum in attracting new companies and foreign firms, start-ups and talented entrepreneurs across a wide range of industries. Emirates has been a long-standing supporter of a number of initiatives targeted to support SMEs and innovative start-ups in our home base the UAE, and today’s signing with Jafza reinforces our commitment to help stimulate diverse economic activity in Dubai by providing companies with a range of highly competitive travel incentives so they can scale up their businesses both regionally and globally.” Ahmad Al Haddad, Chief Operating Officer, Parks and Zones, DP World UAE said: “Since its inception, Dubai has built a reputation as a global business ecosystem. It is a magnet for …

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Etihad Airways unveils new sustainability-driven economy experience

Etihad Airways unveiled its new Economy class soft furnishings and tableware which will be launched on board in the fourth quarter of the year. The new products have been designed with sustainability and improved guest experience as primary objectives. The Economy class experience will be upgraded with new soft furnishings for all guests in Economy, including a 35% larger pillow with a 200 thread-count cotton cover made locally in the UAE. This is complemented by a soft blanket made from recycled plastic for additional comfort on all flights. Etihad’s new dining experience features reusable tableware made from recycled high-quality plastic and eliminates the use of single-use plastic. The tray, serving plates and their lids are part of a closed loop recycling system. At the end of their lifecycle, they are collected, washed, ground and reused to make new replacement products. Etihad is also introducing quality stainless-steel cutlery into the Economy cabin which upgrades the experience and also reduces single-use plastic. In 2019, Etihad committed to remove 80% of single-use plastic from its operation by the end of 2022 and the introduction of this new inflight equipment ensures the airline meets this sustainability goal. Where possible, Etihad is also moving towards locally produced items which will further improve the overall environmental impact of the operation. Terry Daly, Executive Director Guest Experience, Brand and Marketing, commented: “Etihad is trailblazing when it comes to sustainability in aviation. Following extensive research and development through our eco-flights over the past few years, we’re proud to reveal the first in a series of enhancements to our inflight experience. Our commitment to sustainability doesn’t come at a compromise to the quality and thoughtfulness behind Etihad’s guest experience, …

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Etihad Airways launches seasonal route to Nice

Etihad Airways is celebrating the launch of its newest seasonal route to the French Riviera, between 15 June and 18 September 2022. The twice-weekly service will operate on Wednesdays and Sundays between Abu Dhabi and Nice Côte d’Azur Airport on a modern Boeing 787 aircraft, one of the most fuel-efficient aircraft in the world. Martin Drew, Senior Vice President Global Sales & Cargo, said: “We are delighted to be launching our services to this UNESCO World Heritage Site famous for its waterfront and its scenic seven-kilometre walkway known as the ‘Promenade des Anglais’, and we are sure that this route will attract a lot of guests wishing to spend their vacation in a luxurious setting under the Mediterranean sun. With the return of international tourism, we continue to broaden our network by adding services and frequencies across key markets and offering additional options to our guests.” Guests can show their love for the planet by offsetting their flights with the new green loyalty programme launched by the airline earlier this year. Conscious Choices rewards travellers with Tier Miles and additional benefits for carrying less baggage on board and offsetting their flights’ carbon emissions using Etihad Guest Miles. Guests travelling with Etihad can make use of the airline’s innovative service to simplify the process of authenticating travel documents. With Verified to Fly, travellers can validate their documents before arriving at the airport, giving them the confidence that they have met all essential government and airline travel requirements before travelling to the airport. Those wishing to book are advised to visit etihad.com or the Etihad app to view the latest sale fares, and to remain informed on the appropriate entry regulations at …

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Qatar Airways to operate triple daily flights from Abu Dhabi starting July 2022

Qatar Airways announces increase in flights from Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, operating triple daily flights from the Emirate to Doha, commencing 10 July 2022. The additional flights will provide passengers with more flexibility and better connectivity to Qatar Airways’ extensive global network. With this increase in its services, the airline will operate 21 weekly flights from Abu Dhabi, and a total of 56 flights from Qatar Airways’ three gateways in UAE; Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi. Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “We are pleased to offer seven additional weekly flights to Abu Dhabi, providing passengers from UAE with more connectivity and convenience. By offering these additional flights between Doha and Abu Dhabi, passengers can enjoy more of our extensive network, and increased flexibility in making their travel plans via the best airport in the world, Hamad International.” Passengers from Abu Dhabi can benefit from Qatar Airways’ expanded network in USA, Europe, Asia and Africa. They can also enjoy the airline’s newly integrated rewards currency – Avios, providing passengers even greater opportunities to accumulate points and leverage exciting innovations in redeeming and spending their rewards. In addition, Qatar Airways loyalty programme members will retain their well-earned rewards balance and will be able to continue enjoying the redemption opportunities they currently have. A multiple award-winning airline, Qatar Airways was announced as the ‘Airline of the Year’ at the 2021 World Airline Awards, managed by the international air transport rating organisation, Skytrax. It was also named ‘World’s Best Business Class’, ‘World’s Best Business Class Airline Lounge’, ‘World’s Best Business Class Airline Seat’, ‘World’s Best Business Class Onboard Catering’ and ‘Best Airline in the …

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One&Only Le Saint Géran welcomes Saudi travellers this summer

Saudia Airlines has announced the resuming of its direct flights to Mauritius this May, and One&Only Le Saint Géran welcomes Saudi travellers to discover this exclusive tropical peninsula, flanked by the warm ocean and a tranquil lagoon. Long celebrated as the iconic luxury retreat in Mauritius, One&Only Le Saint Géran retains what guests have always loved – a sense of seclusion on its own private peninsula with a beachfront and calm lagoon unlike any other resort on the island. The luxury resort’s rooms, suites and exclusive villa offer ample space for relaxation, exploration, and celebration, a haven for the perfect family holiday in Mauritius. One&Only Le Saint Géran offers a host of one-of-a-kind experiences for guests to discover, designed exclusively for One&Only and tailored to each individual guest’s preferences. Saudi guests can unearth a side of Mauritius they never knew existed with illuminating excursions and hands-on experiences; from vibrant culinary journeys through to thrilling deep-sea fishing experiences, guests can discover protected nature reserves and take advantage of privileged access to unrivalled locations and colourful local characters. The dining experience at One&Only Le Saint Géran celebrates Mauritius and its fusion of cuisines, spices and culture, delivering an exciting, world-class experience for guests. Saudi guests can choose to dine at PRIME, One&Only Le Saint Géran’s celebrated and transformed steakhouse; Tapasake, exciting pan-Asian, tapas-style fusion cuisine on the edge of the lagoon; L’Artisan, an artisanal bakery serving barista prepared coffee, tempting pastries and light bites throughout the day; La Terrasse with its stunning views and celebration of Mauritian, Indian, Chinese and Mediterranean flavours prepared live; Le Badamier, idyllically located beneath the tropical sway of the Badamier trees and overlooking the Indian Ocean, serving …

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Air Arabia Abu Dhabi launches flights to Baku

Air Arabia Abu Dhabi announced the launch of direct flights to Baku in Azerbaijan from Abu Dhabi, starting from June 28, 2022. Schedule to Heydar Aliyev International Airport, effective June 28, 2022 (all times local): Flight Departure Time Arrival Time   Aircraft Frequency 3L 730 Abu Dhabi 14:30 Baku 17:35   Airbus A320 Tues/Thurs/Sun 3L 731 Baku 18:35 Abu Dhabi 21:35   Airbus A320 Tues/Thurs/Sun     Nestled along the Caspian Sea, Baku is the capital and commercial hub of Azerbaijan. Famous for its medieval walled old city as well as modern skyscrapers, Baku combines the best of both worlds, offering travelers a unique immersive experience between the old and the new. Air Arabia Abu Dhabi is currently serving 24 routes since the launch of the carrier’s service from Abu Dhabi International Airport in July 2020. Customers can now book their direct flights between Abu Dhabi and Baku by visiting Air Arabia’s website, by calling the call centre or through travel agencies.

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