Category Archives: Aviation

Saudia, the official airline partner of the all-electric Formula E series, will bring car racing fans from around the globe to the Diriyah E-Prix on 26 and 27 January, in the nation’s capital of Riyadh. The race was first held as part of the 2018–19 season and was the first Formula E race to be held in the Middle East. Diriyah plays host to a pair of night races as Formula E illuminates the historic desert surroundings of the UNESCO World Heritage site on the 26th and 27th of January. Season ten of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship gets into gear with 21 twists and turns across the 2.495km Diriyah Circuit. Visitors to the race weekend will be treated to a fusion of the old and new, as the extraordinary destination acts as the backdrop against which cutting-edge all-electric racing cars will compete for victory – including the DS Penske DS E-Tense FE23 driven by former Formula E World Champion, Stoffel Vandoorne, whose position as Global Ambassador for Saudia has been continued for 2024. During the race weekend, fans will have access to an expansive E-Village, wherein Saudia will have a dedicated, newly developed Discover-E Zone. The E-Zone features a variety of interactive experiences designed to educate and excite fans in new and innovative ways including the revamped ‘Evolution in Your Hands’ virtual quiz and the enhanced ‘ReGen3rate’ game that allows fans to experience the exhilaration of racing on the Diriyah racetrack whilst controlling the battery levels in their car as they steer to pole position. For the first time ever, fans unable to attend the Diriyah E-Prix will be able to visit Saudia’s Discover-E Zone in an …

Riyadh Air and Almosafer announced a partnership during the Saudi Tourism Forum in Riyadh, to further accelerate the growth of an internationally competitive tourism sector in the Kingdom. The newly signed agreement makes Almosafer the first travel partner of Riyadh Air in the Kingdom. The digital airline and the global travel agency will work together to test and innovate tech solutions to further support and boost business efficiency, as Riyadh Air prepares for take-off in 2025. Almosafer will also integrate Riyadh Air’s flight offerings across its B2B and B2C platforms to offer its domestic and international customers comprehensive connectivity options across geographies and a choice of tailored packages to make travel within and beyond the Kingdom more accessible and seamless. Almosafer customers will further enjoy a hassle-free travel experience and enhanced connectivity through exclusive deals and packages on Riyadh Air’s extensive network. As a catalyst for Saudi Arabia’s National Transport and Logistics Strategy, Riyadh Air targets to connect travellers to over 100 destinations by 2030, marking a new era of growth in the Kingdom’s aviation history. The launch of the new carrier will fuel the tourism goals of the ambitious Saudi Vision 2030 which aims to attract more than 100 million visitors to the Kingdom and raise the sector’s contributions to the GDP by more than 10% at the end of the decade. Muzzammil Ahussain, CEO, Almosafer, said, “As a digital-first company, Almosafer develops and incorporates industry-leading digital solutions to redefine superior travel experiences for customers everywhere. We are excited to partner with Riyadh Air to further scale up innovations and best-in-class services for domestic and international travellers and guests. Riyadh Air is a digitally native airline and by harnessing …

Jazeera Airways recently introduced upgrades to Jazeera Terminal 5 (T5) at the Kuwait International Airport. In line with the airline’s continuous efforts to enhance passenger experience, these improvements include both infrastructure and operational changes. Speaking about the Terminal, Rohit Ramachandran, Chief Executive Officer, Jazeera Airways said: “At Jazeera Airways Terminal 5, we currently serve close to 4 million passengers annually, and aim to provide a smooth passenger experience from end to end. This starts from the time passengers park their vehicle or enter the Terminal till they board their flights. As part of our ongoing efforts to ensure this, we have invested millions of Kuwaiti dinars to implement a number of new enhancements and upgrades at the Terminal.” Infrastructure and Operational Upgrades Most of the key improvements at Jazeera Terminal 5 cater to passenger ease and comfort. These include: 1. Faster Check-in: Check-in has been made faster with extra check-in desks, as well as new, improved self-check-in kiosks that will be coming soon. The Early Check-in service at Jazeera Park and Fly allows passengers to get their boarding pass from nine up to 36 hours prior to departure. 2. One Security Check: The Terminal has only one centralized security check prior to departures. This helps passengers reduce the stress of having to go through additional security checks at the boarding gate. 3. Additional Boarding Gates: Three additional boarding gates with seating areas have been introduced to help accommodate more passengers. 4. Changing Rooms: New changing rooms have been built to benefit Umrah travelers. 5. Food and Beverage Outlets: Expanded food and beverage outlets both landside and airside including Costa Coffee, Pizza Hut, Subway, D’light, and Burger King, offer passengers a wider …

Travelport and Iberia announced the launch of Iberia’s NDC content and servicing capabilities on the Travelport+ platform. Agents using Travelport+ will be able to view and compare NDC fares and ancillaries from Iberia all in one place, making it easier to identify and book the best options for their travelers.  “The addition of Travelport to our NDC program is a milestone in the travel industry’s transformation. With this alliance, we provide a wider range of options for travel agencies using Travelport+ and at the same time, customers will benefit from a greater number of options and an improved experience. Travelport is a trusted technology provider for the travel industry as it evolves into the next generation of travel retailing. It is important for Iberia to partner with technology providers that have proven expertise and can meet our demands for customer-centric innovation,” explained Celia Muñoz Espín, Commercial Strategy and Distribution Director at Iberia. Travelport is also providing its agency customers the capabilities needed to service travelers directly, enabling agents to modify, exchange or cancel Iberia NDC bookings when needed. Travelport’s agency customers in Portugal, the first country where this content is available, can access the complete Iberia NDC solution in Travelport+, with all other markets expected to gain access in the coming weeks. “Available from today, we’re delivering Iberia NDC content and servicing through Travelport+ so that our agency users can shop and manage their clients’ flights seamlessly with access to all of Iberia’s dynamic product offerings and ancillaries in one place,” said Jason Clarke, Chief Commercial Officer, Travel Partners at Travelport. “We’re accelerating the delivery of complete NDC solutions for our air partners, like Iberia, so that the source of content is …

The Mohammed bin Rashid Aerospace Hub (MBRAH) at Dubai South continues to achieve outstanding private jet movements, with a record 16,657 movements in 2023, a growth of 8% over 2022, marking the highest-ever movements achieved in Dubai. The growth of movements is attributed to several factors, including the hosting of the Dubai Airshow, COP28, and the soft opening of the new ExecuJet FBO and hangar. The impressive milestone reaffirms Al Maktoum International Airport’s position as the busiest airport for international business aviation movements in the Middle East. 2023 was also a successful year at MBRAH, witnessing several agreements with new partners seeking to set up their facilities across different zones to provide different MRO services, including manufacturing aircraft parts and structures, sealing and painting, AOG and aircraft parts supply, sourcing engine assets, and refurbishing private jet interiors. Additionally, the MRO trade from MBRAH’s Aerospace Supply Chain, which includes import, export and re-export, has increased and is expected to reach over AED 8 billion over the next few years, emphasising the growth of MRO activities. In his comments, Tahnoon Saif, CEO of MBRAH, said: “Last year marked an extraordinary milestone for us at MBRAH; not only did we record the highest-ever business aviation movements, but we also enriched our portfolio with new companies and announced the expansion of facilities. These achievements underscore the trust and immense value we offer through our cutting-edge infrastructure and world-class facilities, all within Dubai’s strategic embrace of the sector’s global growth. At MBRAH, our commitment persists, in perfect harmony with our visionary leadership’s strategy, to cement Dubai’s position as an aviation capital.” MBRAH offers global aerospace players high-level connectivity and is a free-zone destination for the …

Emirates announced a fifth frequency on its Dubai – Rio de Janeiro route, starting 7 December 2024. The additional weekly flight on Saturdays will provide increased capacity on its service to the Brazilian city and will support the growing demand for travel on the route. Additionally, the linked service allows travellers to conveniently travel onwards to the Argentinian capital, Buenos Aires. Emirates’ increase of capacity on its Dubai/Rio de Janeiro/Buenos Aires route will help the airline to meet market demand and offer customers greater flexibility, choice, and connectivity. With the fifth scheduled service, customers will now have more choice when selecting flights to suit their travel plans. The additional weekly frequency between Dubai, Brazil and Argentina will operate as EK247 and EK248 in a 2-class configuration. Tickets can be booked immediately on emirates.com, the Emirates App, and travel agencies. EK247 and EK248 is scheduled to operate with timings as follows (all times are local): Flight Departure  Arrival EK247 (DXB/GIG) 08:05 15:55 EK247 (GIG/EZE) 17:30 20:55 EK248 (EZE/GIG) 22:30 01:15 (next day) EK248 (GIG/DXB) 02:55 00:30 (next day) The added flights to be deployed in December will offer 302 seats on each flight in Economy Class and Business Class. Customers can enjoy the spaciousness and privacy of the aircraft’s configuration in Business Class, in the coveted 2-2-2 layout. The airline’s boosted services to Brazil and Argentina are expected to facilitate additional connectivity for passengers travelling between these countries and other popular destinations in Emirates’ network including the UAE, Japan, Thailand, Maldives, Egypt, mainland China and Hong Kong, Turkey, South Korea, India, Australia and Indonesia. With Brazil and Argentina being home to the two largest Lebanese communities in Latin America, Emirates regularly serves …

Emirates will introduce an additional Premium Economy service between Melbourne and Dubai, available from the 1 February 2024 on EK408 and EK409. The additional service follows the debut of Emirates’ Premium Economy service from Melbourne in April 2023, when the new cabin was made available on the daily EK406 and EK407 services. This latest development means Emirates now offers close to 800 weekly Premium Economy seats between Melbourne and its Dubai hub. The Premium Economy cabin offers a signature experience unmatched in the industry, offering plush cream leather seats and a wood veneer, a generous baggage allowance and an exceptional dining experience, staffed by a team of Cabin Crew dedicated to Premium Economy passengers. The added Premium Economy service means that the airline will be serving Australia with close to 3200 seats, including two daily services from Sydney and two daily services from Melbourne, maintaining Australia’s position as one of the key markets served with the airline’s best-in-class Premium Economy cabins. Since tickets for the Emirates Premium Economy service went on sale in Sydney in August 2022 and in Melbourne in April 2023, the new cabin class has exceeded expectations and forecasts with more than 90,000 passengers flying to and from Australia opting for the new cabin experience. Premium Economy seats from Sydney and Melbourne have averaged over 80 per cent load factors and the airline continues to anticipate consistently high demand for the new cabin class in Melbourne as consumer confidence and travel demand continue to accelerate in the new year. Barry Brown, Divisional Vice President Australasia at Emirates, says “As one of the most important markets in our global network, we are committed to offering Australians not only greater connectivity but also more …

Saudi Arabia, represented by the General Authority of Civil Aviation, successfully concluded its participation in the Wings India 2024 exhibition conference. This event was organized by the Ministry of Civil Aviation of the Republic of India in cooperation with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). The conference also witnessed the presence of leaders and heads of civil aviation organizations and bodies worldwide and took place from January 18 to 21, 2024, at Begumpet Airport, Hyderabad. During Saudi Arabia’s participation, a delegation led by the President of the General Authority of Civil Aviation, Mr. Abdulaziz Al-Duailej, highlighted the vital role of the civil aviation sector in the Kingdom’s national economy. He also emphasized the promising investment opportunities offered by this sector, aligning with the Saudi Aviation Strategy’s objectives. Under this strategy, the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) aims to position Saudi Arabia as a leading player in civil aviation in the Middle East. Their goals include doubling passenger capacity to 330 million annually, serving more than 250 destinations worldwide, and increasing cargo capacity to 5.4 million tons. On the sidelines of the conference, the President of GACA participated in a ministerial session with leaders of civil aviation from around the world. This session focused on reviewing the national aviation strategy’s role in supporting economic development in Saudi Arabia. It also discussed the various opportunities for global investors based on the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030. The aim is for Saudi Arabia to become a regional aviation hub and a global logistics platform connecting three continents. The Saudi Aviation Strategy aims to emphasize the Kingdom’s pioneering role in the in the field of civil aviation in the …

Abdulaziz Al-Duailej, President of the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), announced that under the Saudi Aviation Strategy, the Kingdom expects 330 million passengers annually by 2030 and it aims only 10 percent of them to be transit passengers. This strategy is a part of Saudi Vision 2030, which aims to position the Kingdom as a leading regional hub and a global logistics platform connecting three continents. Al-Duailej shared these insights at a ministerial session on the sidelines of Wings India 2024, an exhibition and conference organized by the Indian Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), from January 18 to 21, 2024, at Begumpet Airport in Hyderabad. (Saudi Gazette report) Al-Duailej emphasized the critical role of civil aviation in supporting Saudi Arabia’s economic growth and sustainable development. The Kingdom is redefining the future of its aviation sector, aiming to attract $100 billion in investments and create an unparalleled travel experience. The focus on sustainable and integrated growth is evident in the aim to have only a fraction of passengers as transit passengers. The Saudi Aviation Strategy includes a comprehensive plan to upgrade and develop airports, airlines, aircraft, and facilities, including shipping and logistics services. It aims to expand the Kingdom’s air connectivity to over 250 destinations worldwide through 29 airports. Additionally, the strategy plans to establish a network of airports with unique capabilities, led by two global connectivity centers in Riyadh and Jeddah. Al-Duailej also highlighted the strategy’s ambition to transform air freight and logistics services, increasing air freight capacity from 0.8 million tons to 4.5 million tons by 2030. This initiative is expected to attract global air carriers, logistics service providers, …

Emirates and Azul Linhas Aereas Brasileiras S.A (Azul) have taken their partnership to new heights with the launch of a reciprocal loyalty programme offering. Emirates Skywards and TudoAzul frequent flyer members can now earn and redeem Miles across a joint network of more than 290 destinations worldwide. The two carriers launched a codeshare partnership in 2021 to provide customers enhanced connectivity to/from eight cities in Brazil to Emirates’ global network via Sao Paulo. Dr. Nejib Ben Khedher, Divisional Senior Vice President Emirates Skywards, said: “We’re very pleased to be announcing a new partnership with Azul, the largest airline in Brazil. Skywards members can now rack up even more Miles while discovering hundreds of cities across Brazil and South America. Azul members can also look forward to earning and redeeming Miles on more than 130 destinations across Emirates’ global network. We look forward to the start of a great partnership and to unlocking fantastic benefits for our frequent flyer members.” Cristina Yoshida, Director of Loyalty Program & Ancillary Revenue at Azul, added: “Our partnership with Emirates, a company globally recognized for its excellence in service, means a significant progress in our mission to provide memorable experiences to the customers. We are expanding Azul’s destinations and portfolio, reinforcing our commitment to a loyalty program that offers the best options to the members.” More opportunities to “earn and burn” Miles Under the agreement, Emirates Skywards members can earn Miles while traveling across Azul’s network of more than 150 destinations. Skywards members earn up to 1 Skywards Mile per mile flown in Economy class, and up to 1.5 Skywards Miles per mile flown in Business Class. Members can also redeem flight rewards on Azul …