Category Archives: Aviation

Emirates and the South African Tourism Board have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to jointly promote tourism and boost visitor arrivals and inbound traffic to South Africa from key markets across the Emirates network. The MoU was signed on the side-lines of Arabian Travel Market by Badr Abbas, Emirates’ Senior Vice President Commercial Operations for Africa, and The South Africa Tourism Board’s Acting CEO Mr Themba Khumalo. Also present at the signing ceremony was Adnan Kazim, Emirates Chief Commercial Officer, Minister of Tourism in South Africa, Lindiwe Sisulu and a senior government delegation from the South African Consulate in Dubai, His Excellency Consul General David Magabe and members of the South African Tourism Board. Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Chief Commercial Officer said: “For more than 25 years we have invested in, and grown our operations to, South Africa. We’re working hard to restore our services to pre-pandemic levels to help generate more opportunities for travellers from around the world to experience South Africa’s unique natural experiences, world-renowned cuisine, and local culture. Emirates is well-placed to support the recovery of South Africa’s tourism sector and help raise the profile of the destination again, offering convenient connections from over 130 destinations, and providing even more links for travellers who want to explore beyond our three South African gateways through our four airline partners.” Minister of Tourism in South Africa, Lindiwe Sisulu welcomed the signing of this MoU, citing the benefits it will yield for travel between South Africa and the Middle East. “We want to continue ensuring ease of access into South Africa for Middle Eastern travellers and this collaboration will assist us in elevating our trade efforts; in terms of packaging …

Turkish Airlines, flying to more countries than any other airline highlighted the use of sustainable aviation fuel and new destinations at the Arabian Travel Market 2022 including flights to Seattle. Visitors to the Turkish Airlines stand will also enjoy a host of activities, including flight simulations to explore Istanbul attractions virtually. The flag carrier is highlighting sustainable aviation fuel at ATM prompted by the awareness of the effect the aviation sector has on climate change and hopes to help reduce the carbon footprint of its customers. Sustainable aviation fuel reduces emissions by 87 percent and comes with high energy that helps reduce harmful particles of SOx and NOx emissions due to clean burn. It is produced from sustainable raw materials and devoid of harmful heavy metals. “With the use of sustainable fuel, our global fleet, spectacular airport lounges, network expansion and our exceptional hospitality and customer service, we expect another incredible year for Turkish Airlines. During this ATM hope to showcase our best travel options in terms of new destinations and world-class amenities,” said Mehmed Zingal General Manager for Turkish Airlines in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and the Northern Emirates. Turkish Airlines sustainability initiatives will enable the carrier to further expand its route network and achieve a further growth in both passenger and cargo transport. The carrier has initiated over 100 operational optimization projects since 2008 to lessen its carbon footprint and will continue to implement techniques to decrease greenhouse gas emissions. The airline recently celebrated its 40-year anniversary of flying to the UAE in synergy with the UAE’s Golden Jubilee celebrations. Now with an advanced hub and superior facilities, Turkish Airlines’ goal remains to continue expanding globally by increasing both …

Emirates and Royal Air Maroc launched a codeshare partnership, providing more travel options and connection choices for customers of both airlines between Dubai and Casablanca, and beyond.  Effective later this month, both airlines will place their marketing codes on each other’s flights between Casablanca and Dubai to a total of 209 combined destinations. The new partnership will offer customers from both airlines more ways to book and connect their travel between the two airlines’ networks. The codeshare agreement will also provide customers with more competitive single-ticket, multi-journey fares and baggage transfers to their final destination. The new codeshare flights are available for sale through royalairmaroc.com, emirates.com, travel agents, OTAs and through retail sales offices. Emirates customers will be able to access 17 destinations in Morocco beyond Casablanca, as well as to 63 international destinations, including an extensive North, West and Central African network spanning 25 points. Royal Air Maroc customers can access Emirates’ extensive network beyond Dubai of over 130 destinations, including 60 cities across the Middle East, United States, West Asia and the Far East. Adnan Kazim, Chief Commercial Officer Emirates Airline said: “We are delighted to enhance our partnership with Royal Air Maroc to a codeshare and offer our customers an unparalleled selection of destinations across Morocco, and a huge choice of onwards points in Africa. This partnership will further help strengthen our network connectivity, providing leisure and business travellers with more choice and convenience when connecting between both of our airlines. We look forward to developing our relationship together to provide greater benefits for our customers.” “We are very pleased to conclude this important partnership with Emirates which will contribute to the reinforcement of our traffic, and …

Saudi Arabian Airlines (SAUDIA) and American Express Saudi Arabia, have further strengthened their partnership by introducing the possibility for all American Express Saudi Arabia Cardmembers to transfer two Membership Rewards® points for one AlFursan mile. The announcement comes as an extension of the ongoing successful partnership between the two parties through the existing AlFursan American Express cobranded credit card that allows American Express Saudi Arabia Cardmembers to earn miles directly using the card. Present to mark the occasion during a signing ceremony at the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai, were SAUDIA’s Vice President of Marketing and Product Management, Mr. Essam Akhonbay and American Express Saudi Arabia Chief Marketing Officer, Mr. Khalid Mohammad Kayal. Commenting on the expanded partnership, Mr. Akhonbay said: “SAUDIA is proud to be building on the successful, long-standing partnership with American Express Saudi Arabia,” “Jointly, we are committed to providing members with additional convenience to maximize earned benefits and build travel journeys with flexibility in mind.” Mr. Kayal added: “Consolidating our strategic partnership with SAUDIA for the benefit of our Cardmembers is an important priority. The relationship with SAUDIA started with the successful AlFursan American Express cobrand credit card and through signing our new agreement all American Express Saudi Arabia Cardmembers will be able to access the benefit of our strategic partnership and redeem their Memberships Rewards® points toward AlFursan miles.” SAUDIA’s vast network of flights connects to more than 95 destinations across four continents. The airline recently announced the addition of 10 new international routes: Bangkok, Thailand; Barcelona and Malaga, Spain; Marrakech, Morocco; Mykonos, Greece; Moscow, Russia; Beijing, China; Seoul, South Korea; Entebbe, Uganda; Amsterdam, the Netherlands; and Chicago, Illinois in the United States of America. …

Air Arabia Abu Dhabi announced the introduction of its City Check-in services in Abu Dhabi. The City Check-in service aims to provide passengers with added convenience and flexibility by enabling them to drop off their baggage and collect their boarding pass at a location near them before traveling with Air Arabia. The service allows passengers to select seats and receive their boarding passes and baggage claim tags. They can then immediately proceed to the flight upon arrival at Abu Dhabi International Airport. Located at the Air Arabia Sales Shop in Abu Dhabi, the centres will accept baggage from 24 up to eight hours before departure, which is then transported directly to Abu Dhabi International Airport. The sales shop is located next to Jumbo Electronics on Hamdan Street in Abu Dhabi and is open daily from 9 am to 8 pm. For more information on the new City Check-in service in Abu Dhabi customers can visit Air Arabia’s website or by calling the call centre.

SAUDIA operated the world’s longest net positive flight thanks to a partnership with Enviro-tech business CarbonClick and aviation consultancy SimpliFlying. On 12 May 2022, SAUDIA offset a total of 346 tonnes of carbon emissions, including radiative forcing impacts by a factor of two, for commercial passenger flight SV227, from Jeddah to Madrid, making the flight net-positive. Operating with a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, the flight time was 5 hours and 55 minutes. Flight SV227 departed from King Abdulaziz International airport at 1030 hrs and arrived at Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas airport at 1535 local time. This flight is SAUDIA’s entry into The Sustainable Flight Challenge, an initiative by SkyTeam, one of the world’s three major airline alliances. All SkyTeam airlines are being challenged to go above and beyond by finding the most sustainable way to operate one single flight in their existing networks. The challenge seeks inspiration from the 1934 MacRobertson Air Race from London to Melbourne. As part of that, CarbonClick’s partner SimpliFlying is working with SAUDIA to enable them to operate a net-positive flight. The flight will also see the world’s first in-flight sustainability lab, where passengers contribute ideas on how air travel can become ‘greener’, led by SimpliFlying. SAUDIA’s participation in SkyTeam’s Sustainable Flight Challenge is part of a broader commitment by the airline to continually improve its environmental performance. This is an integral part of its business strategy and commitment to becoming an industry leader in sustainability. The flight comes on the heels of the Future Aviation Forum in Riyadh, where sustainability was a key theme and SAUDIA was the strategic partner and official carrier. “The Kingdom’s Vision 2030 will see 100 million visits to Saudi Arabia by …

The 21st edition of Airport Show opened in Dubai, amidst increased confidence and indications that the aviation industry is experiencing a huge surge to return to the pre-pandemic levels and sustained growth outlook. His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of Dubai Airports, and Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group, inaugurated this morning the annual Airport Show, the world’s largest annual airport event, at the Dubai World Trade Centre, which will run from 17-19 May, 2022. After opening, His Highness toured the exhibitors’ pavilions, during which he was accompanied by a number of senior officials from the aviation sector from inside and outside the country, where he was briefed on the technologies and devices offered by more than 150 international companies from 20 countries around the world. Commenting on the Airport Show, His Highness stressed the importance of the exhibition at this particular time to give an additional boost to the global aviation sector, whose rapid return to the pre-pandemic stage began to appear with the high demand for travel and the announcement of the restart of development projects at the level of the world’s airports in anticipation of the next level of growth. His Highness said: “Thanks to the vision and support of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Dubai Ruler, Dubai has taken proactive steps and initiatives to deal with the pandemic and enable the rapid recovery of the travel and tourism sector in the emirate, and as a result, Dubai International Airport has retained its position as the busiest airport in the world for …

Saudi Arabian Airlines (SAUDIA) launched the all-new rebranded business division for the airline; SAUDIA Business, specialising in B2B travel solutions for Corporate, Agency & MICE clients recently. SAUDIA Business provides unique solutions for each travel requirement for a diverse range of beneficiaries, including corporations, travel agencies, and event organisers. The new account management department will streamline the booking process and support corporate travel through a seamless online platform with multiple functions and tools to serve SAUDIA’s business clients from A to Z. SAUDIA Business will have a dedicated meetings and events team that assists with specific corporate travel needs and event organisation worldwide. The new division will serve and support clients with busy schedules who frequently go on business trips, whether for meetings, incentive travel, conventions, or exhibitions (MICE). Hazem Sonbol, Vice President of sales at SAUDIA, said, “This is not just a new service department; it is an extension to the SAUDIA brand, a show of dedication to pursuing excellence. SAUDIA Business respects our guests’ time and understands the corporate standard with a service that will live up to it. We are looking forward to serving our business partners and taking care of their travel needs through SAUDIA Business.” Catering to corporate clients with custom solutions, SAUDIA Business will be offering new incentives exclusively for corporate clients through SAUDIA Business Loyalty. This unique rewards programme that allows for the redemption of points with every booking and spend. SAUDIA Business retains a stellar repertoire of regional and international clients from various industries, including Saudi ARAMCO, SABIC, SNB, BAE Systems, Amazon, and many more, that have put their trust in the new business department.  

Air Arabia Abu Dhabi announced the start of its seasonal fights to Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, starting from 16 June 2022. Abu Dhabi travelers will now be able to fly directly to Tbilisi International Airport with competitive prices and a frequency of three weekly flights. Schedule to Tbilisi, effective 16th June 2022 (all times local) Flight Departure Time Arrival Time Aircraft Frequency 3L 714 Abu Dhabi 11:40 Tbilisi 15:10 Airbus A320 Tues/Thurs/Sat 3L 715 Tbilisi 16:00 Abu Dhabi 19:50 Airbus A320 Tues/Thurs/Sat   Tbilisi, which harmoniously integrates both historic and modern elements, is rich in culture and scattered with impressive theatres and concert halls bustling with life each year with various colourful festivals. Air Arabia Abu Dhabi is currently serving 23 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 Tbilisi by visiting Air Arabia’s website, by calling the call center or through travel agencies.    

The 21st edition of the annual Airport Show hosted by Dubai, the world’s largest annual airport event, starting tomorrow, 17 May to 19 May, at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) is set to be the driving force for the global aviation industry to emerge even stronger after the Covid-19 pandemic and will showcase the latest solutions from around the world that will shape the future of the industry. His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of Dubai Airports, and Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group, under whose patronage the Airport Show is held, described the Airport Show as an important event timed perfectly to boost the global aviation industry, which is beginning to return to pre-pandemic levels with high demand for travel and the announcement of the resumption of development projects to keep up with the expected growth. This year’s edition is supported by Dubai Airports, Dubai Police, Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA), dnata (part of Emirates Airline and Group), Dubai Aviation Engineering Projects (DAEP), Global Air Navigation Services (GANS) and Dubai Air Navigation Services (dans). Organised by RX Global (Reed Exhibitions), the world’s largest airport industry B2B platform will have a sharp focus on sustainability to help the airport community in achieving a more sustainable airport industry that is aiming to reduce carbon foot print year on year. The Airport Show and its co-located events Airport Security Middle East, ATC Forum and the Global Airport Leaders’ Forum will debate ways to tap into new growth opportunities and overcome current challenges for airports. It will also discuss aviation industry’s efforts towards sustainable and collaborative airport infrastructure development …