Category Archives: Aviation

Prince Sultan Aviation Academy (PSAA), a subsidiary of SAUDIA Group, has signed an MoU with the Colleges of Excellence Company in order to establish a general framework aimed at exchanging experiences, information, and launching numerous initiatives in the field of training and development. The agreement outlines the best ways to share information and experiences in the training and education sectors, in addition to organizing many workshops and joint training courses to help achieve common goals. His Excellency Eng. Ibrahim Al-Omar said: “This partnership highlights one of our main objectives, which is enhancing our employee experiences by providing them with training and qualifications which also extends to various government and private sector employees in order to contribute to the localization of jobs. The trainings will be available to industries and services related to aviation or by providing qualitative training programs for other parties to serve their development and localization plans.” His Excellency Dr. Ahmed bin Fahad Al-Fahaid said: “The Technical and Vocational Training Corporation is committed to foster the partnerships between public and private sectors due to their positive impact in providing qualified national cadres armed with the highest levels of advanced training. These partnerships also contribute to supporting the Kingdom’s localization plan by providing training solutions to Saudis. We appreciate The Colleges of Excellence Company’s efforts in qualifying national competencies and its role in providing job opportunities for graduates across all fields.” Prince Sultan Aviation Academy is one of the leading entities specialized in technical and administrative training within the aviation industry. PSAA is equipped with all the qualities required for success including training facilities, equipment, and qualified employees which allows the academy to hold a variety of intensive training …

Kuwait Airways announced the launch of its destinations that will be operated for the 2023 season, following the success that was achieved by introducing various new destinations in the previous year, to meet the requirements of its valued customers with greater travel options to various countries of the world. The launch of the new destinations is also based on the directives of the Board of Directors to expand KAC’s network of routes to destinations witnessing a high demand from customers. The Director of Distribution and Network Planning at Kuwait Airways, Mrs Shorouk Al-Awadhi stated, “Kuwait Airways is steadily progressing towards diversifying its network of routes around the world and launching new destinations that meet the preferences of customers. The company is preparing accurate studies on the feasibility of these markets and destinations, as well as the extent of customer demand for them. At the same time, various destinations in the past year have received widespread popularity from customers and were successful, among them Madrid, Casablanca, Tbilisi and so on.” Al-Awadhi added, “The year 2023 will witness the launch of 20 destinations around the world, as Kuwait Airways will operate its flights, starting in June to Budapest in Hungary with two flights per week on Tuesdays and Saturdays, to Malaga in Spain with three flights per week on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays, to Sarajevo in Bosnia with two flights per week on Thursdays and Sundays, and to Mykonos in Greece with two flights per week on Sundays and Wednesdays. This is in addition to its flights to Athens in Greece with one flight per week on Fridays, to Vienna in Austria with three flights per week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays …

Faced with increased disruptions, baggage mountains, and staff shortages, airports and airlines are ramping up their investment in technology to digitalize their operations and speed up the passenger journey by offering more self-service options. SITA’s 2022 Air Transport IT Insights report, published reveals that with the post-pandemic recovery CIOs want to ensure operations are as agile and resilient as they are efficient, with IT solutions seen as central to their success. This has spurred an acceleration of digitalization, with airlines and airports looking to key technology solutions to fortify their operations against disruption while automating the passenger experience. The industry’s IT spend is projected to continue its steady year-on-year growth trend since 2020 to support this push for digitalization, with a full 96% of airlines and 93% of airports expecting their IT spend to stay the same or increase in 2023 compared to 2022. Last year airline and airport IT spend rose to an estimated 37 billion USD and 6.8 billion USD respectively. David Lavorel, CEO, SITA, said: “Air travel has recovered faster from the pandemic than anyone in the industry had initially expected, particularly in Europe and the US. While the recovery is welcome, airports and airlines have found themselves on the back foot with staff and resource shortages. This has put strain on operations, resulting in an increased risk of congestion, delays, cancellations and mishandled baggage. Digitalization is seen as key to addressing these challenges, providing more scalability and flexibility.” Airlines are placing great emphasis on IT tools to manage irregular operations and provide the best passenger experience possible even amid staff shortages. Over the next three years, 90% or more of airlines are investing in IT service …

Singapore Airlines (SIA) launched its latest global brand campaign, which will run on television, print, digital, out-of-home, and social media platforms. Titled Welcome to World Class, the campaign reflects the Airline’s commitment to deliver an exceptional customer experience across the end-to-end travel journey. This is epitomised by SIA’s iconic cabin crew in the 90-second campaign video, which highlights their varied and personal experiences with people and cultures from around the world. The inimitable connection that they have with the Airline’s customers, along with their distinctive combination of empathy and confidence, enable SIA to deliver its world-class in-flight service on a daily basis. Mr Lee Lik Hsin, Executive Vice President Commercial, Singapore Airlines, said: “At Singapore Airlines, service excellence is deeply ingrained in our DNA and our customers are at the heart of everything we do. This campaign highlights our unwavering commitment to deliver a world-class travel experience, no matter the duration of the journey. Our award-winning cabin crew are central to this promise, with their rich and diverse experiences, as well as their dedication to customer service, having a positive impact on everyone around them.” Directed by filmmaker Liz Murphy, the uplifting video was filmed in Singapore, Auckland in New Zealand, Barcelona in Spain, Mumbai in India, and Shanghai in China. The Airline conducted in-depth research to measure its global brand perception, and used the findings to create a campaign that aims to resonate with customers around the world. SIA’s Welcome to World Class campaign video  and brand advertisements are available at https://bit.ly/3XU6kdJ.

As part of Kuwait Airways’ continuous endeavours to expand its network and in preparation for the upcoming summer season of 2023, the company announced the operation of its scheduled commercial flights to the Republic of Greece with two flights per week, consisting of one to Athens and the other to Mykonos from 14 June 2023. Kuwait Airways customers can make their reservations to Greece from 18 January 2023. Kuwait Airways Chief Executive Officer, Eng. Maen Razouqi stated, “Kuwait Airways is pleased to announce the launch of its scheduled commercial flights to the Republic of Greece, specifically to the destinations of Athens and Mykonos, in preparation for the 2023 summer season. These two destinations are among the important destinations for our valued customers based on their choice and because of its touristic attractions, diverse ancient heritage, as well as historical and cultural sites.” Razouqi pointed out, “Selecting the destinations of Athens and Mykonos coincides with the plans established by Kuwait Airways under the directives of the Board of Directors to expand its network of routes around the world to new and sought-after markets that meet the requirements of its valued customers. These two destinations were selected after systematic research of their feasibility, profitability, and their impact, in addition to the popularity of these routes.” Razouqi indicated that Kuwait Airways has a young fleet of diverse types of aircraft with the latest technology and features. Moreover, the Airbus A320neo aircraft with its advanced characteristics has been designated for passengers travelling to and from Athens and Mykonos, so that customers enjoy a comfortable journey. He added that Kuwait Airways was steadily progressing towards digital transformation and reaching beyond excellence. Moreover, he explained that …

Etihad Airways is showing it means business by increasing services to Frankfurt, Germany. From 1 May, the airline will add an extra four services a week to its current daily frequency, bringing the total number of flights to Frankfurt up to 11 weekly. The additional flights will be operated by one of Etihad’s ultra-modern Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, designed with customer comfort in mind, boasting 28 seats in Business and 262 in Economy. The jump in flights underlines Etihad’s commitment to the important German market and comes days after it announced the start of flights to Düsseldorf from 1 October.  Arik De, Chief Revenue Officer of Etihad Airways, said: “We are pleased to offer our guests more flights to Frankfurt, one of Europe’s most important airports. The increase in frequency also means greater connectivity to our growing network and the opportunity to welcome more visitors to Abu Dhabi where they can enjoy our world-renowned hospitality, culture, leisure activities and cuisine.” Although famed for its financial activities, Frankfurt has a rich cultural history too and the old town with its half-timbered houses, the cathedral, the museum embankment and the Goethe House are popular with the thousands of tourists the city welcomes each year. Customers flying to or from Frankfurt with Etihad can use the airline’s Rail & Fly service to travel by train from any station on the Deutsche Bahn or SNCF network. Tickets are currently on sale on Etihad.com and the airline’s mobile app.

flynas, the Saudi air carrier and the leading low-cost airline in the Middle East celebrated the opening of its office in Doha on January 30, 2023, after operating daily flights between Saudi Arabia and Qatar, to be the first low-cost operator linking the two brotherly countries. flynas held a press conference and a dinner party in Doha, in the presence of the Ambassador of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to Qatar, HH Prince Mansour bin Khalid bin Farhan Al-Saud, and the officials of the Qatar Tourism, and the General Authority of Civil Aviation in Qatar. flynas is the first low-cost carrier linking the Kingdom and Qatar with daily flights to Doha from Riyadh and Jeddah, within the expansion strategy it launched early last year under the slogan “We Connect the World to the Kingdom”, and in line with the objectives of the Saudi civil aviation strategy to reach 330 million passengers and increase the international destinations connected with the Kingdom to more than 250 destinations by 2030. The Saudi carrier started last November operating up to 6 daily flights from King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah to Doha, providing its guests with multiple options with the launch of the FIFA World Cup 2022 hosted by Qatar. It is noteworthy that Flynas has reported double annual growth in operation and performance in 2022, with increasing passengers by 91% to 8.7 million, flights by 45% to 66,000, and seat capacity by 46%, in addition to launching 16 destinations and 30 routes as fleet upscaled to 43 aircraft. The success of flynas was recognised with many international awards, including Skytrax International Award as the …

Air Arabia Abu Dhabi, the capital’s first low-cost carrier, has announced the launch of its new route from Abu Dhabi to Amman, Jordan. The new direct flights will connect Abu Dhabi International Airport to Queen Alia International Airport with a frequency of three flights weekly, starting from March 12, 2023. Schedule to Amman, effective March 12, 2023 (all times local): Flight Departure Time Arrival Time Aircraft Frequency 3L 032 Abu Dhabi 13:20 Amman 15:55 Airbus 320 Tuesday/Friday/Sunday 3L 033 Amman 16:45 Abu Dhabi 20:25 Airbus 320 Tuesday/Friday/Sunday   Adel Al Ali, Group Chief Executive Officer, Air Arabia, said: “We are very excited to announce the launch of our new route to the capital city, Amman as a gateway to explore the historic country of Jordan. We remain confident that the new route will provide access to a beautiful city which will best serve business and leisure travellers. We are constantly working on expanding our network from UAE’s capital, Abu Dhabi to further meet our customers’ travel needs through offering reliable, affordable, and value-driven air travel”. Air Arabia Abu Dhabi continues to add more connectivity to and from the capital city. The new route to Amman is considered the 27th destination after Tashkent, Alexandria, Sohag, Cairo, Dhaka, Khartoum, Chittagong, Kathmandu, Muscat, Salalah, Trabzon, Tbilisi, Faisalabad, Multan, Cochin, Calicut, Trivandrum, Istanbul Sabiha, Chennai, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Bahrain, Beirut, Kuwait, Moscow, and Kazan. Air Arabia operates a fleet of Airbus A320 and A321 neo-LR aircraft, the most modern and best-selling single aisle aircraft in the world. The cabin configuration across Air Arabia’s fleet provides added comfort with one of the most generous seat-pitch of any economy cabin. The aircraft is also equipped with ‘SkyTime’, …

SAUDIA, the national flag carrier of Saudi Arabia, has announced the launch of “Your Ticket Your Visa”. The first-of-its-kind service provides guests with even easier access to the Kingdom through a digital integration system that links transit visas with flight tickets. “Your Ticket Your Visa” service is introduced in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, the Pilgrims Service Program, and the Saudi Tourism Authority. The new service, which covers all international airports in the Kingdom, will allow guests to stay in the Kingdom for up to 96 hours, during which they can travel around the Kingdom and perform Umrah. The digital integration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs facilitates the issuing of the transit visa and links it to the flight ticket within three minutes. Captain Ibrahim Koshy, CEO of SAUDIA, said: “The launch of this innovative and seamless Stopover Visa is the first of its kind in the aviation industry and a significant milestone in our digital transformation program. It is a testament to SAUDIA’s commitment to supporting the Kingdom’s strategic goal of reaching 100 million visits by 2030 and we are confident it will positively impact the growing number of transit passengers while enhancing our position as a hub that connects East and West. The new service will also encourage passengers to perform Umrah, visit key destinations and attend events and Saudi seasons.” The launch of the new service comes in line with SAUDIA’s commitment to promote King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah and strengthen its role in the region by configuring SAUDIA’s flights coming from the east and departing to the west, facilitating travel procedures by …

Emirates has operated its first milestone demonstration flight on a Boeing 777-300ER, powering one of its engines with 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). The flight took off from Dubai International Airport (DXB), and was commanded by Captain Fali Vajifdar and Captain Khalid Nasser Akram, flying for more than one hour over the Dubai coastline. The flight deck crew were accompanied by Adel Al Redha, Emirates’ Chief Operating Officer, and Captain Hassan Hammadi, Divisional Senior Vice President, Emirates Flight Operations. The demonstration flight powered by SAF holds particular significance as the UAE declares 2023 the ‘Year of Sustainability’. The year will showcase the UAE’s commitment to seek innovative solutions to challenges such as energy, climate change and other issues related to sustainability. The flight supports collective industry efforts to enable a future of 100% SAF flying and help advance the UAE’s sustainability objectives. Emirates’ demonstration flight, the first in the Middle East and North Africa to be powered by 100% SAF, supports broader efforts to reduce lifecycle CO2 emissions as the industry looks to scale up its use of SAF. The flights will also help to refine the playbook for future SAF demonstrations, and  support future certification where 100% drop-in SAF fuel is approved for aircraft. Currently, SAF is approved for use in all aircraft, but only in blends of up to 50% with conventional jet fuel. Emirates worked alongside partners GE Aerospace, Boeing, Honeywell, Neste and Virent to procure and develop a blend of SAF that closely replicates the properties of conventional jet fuel. At each blend ratio, a host of chemical and physical fuel property measurements were carried out.  After multiple lab tests and rigorous trials, they arrived at …