Wizz Air announced the introduction of its chatbot, ‘Amelia’. Wizz’s new virtual assistant will further raise the company’s customer experience standards and will enable customers to easily acquire information related to their flights while also providing a number of useful general information to the travelling public. Wizz Air’s new chatbot was inspired by Amelia Earhart, the American aviation pioneer who was the first female aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. Wizz Air is a company of inclusivity, diversity and of infinite career opportunities and is a fierce supporter of gender equality. Naming its chatbot after such a fantastic woman, the airline wishes to pay tribute to all women in aviation and underpin its commitment to a more gender-equal industry. Zsuzsa Poos, Chief Customer and Marketing Officer at Wizz Air, commented, “I am delighted to introduce Amelia, our virtual assistant who is a real gamechanger in Wizz Air’s customer experience solutions. Automating and digitalizing our processes is key in delivering ever-higher customer satisfaction. Wizz Air is dedicated to broadening Amelia’s expertise and to supporting our passengers with an always expanding array of self-service options to manage their travel details. Let’s welcome Amelia on board.”

Saudi Arabian Airlines (SAUDIA) and Gulf Air held talks to discuss their close commercial relationships and explore ways to build on the ties by establishing a codeshare agreement. Being the first two airlines that started operations in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region, SAUDIA and Gulf Air will cooperate to expand their footprints regionally and internationally by sharing their codes and offering guests the signature warmth of Arabian hospitality. The codeshare will further enhance seamless travel options for passengers of SAUDIA and Gulf Air, providing wider choices of domestic destinations in Saudi Arabia and other international destinations across each airline’s network. SAUDIA will place its ‘SV’ code on Gulf Air flights from Bahrain to Riyadh, Jeddah, Tbilisi, Sialkot, Faisalabad, Baku, and Multan. On the other hand, the agreement will see Gulf Air place its ‘GF’ code on SAUDIA flights from Riyadh and Jeddah to Bahrain, Abha, Jizan, Yanbu, Aljouf, Ha’il, as well as Tunis–Carthage airports. These codeshare operations will commence from the upcoming summer schedule of 2021. Commenting on the partnership, Captain Ibrahim S. Koshy, CEO SAUDIA Air Transport Company, said, “SAUDIA and Gulf Air are key partners in connecting guests on each carriers’ diverse route networks. Both airlines have a long history of partnership, in which this expanded codeshare agreement further enhances connectivity, convenience and flexibility for travelers.” For his part, Captain Waleed AlAlawi, Acting Chief Executive OfficerActing Chief Executive Officer, Gulf Air said, “The relationship between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has always been strong on many fronts, and aviation is one of them. Gulf Air and SAUDIA are the pioneer airlines in the GCC with over 70 years of legacy. We look …

Prominent tourism figures will be participating in-person at the opening session of the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) Global Stage 2021 – ‘Tourism for a brighter future’ which is being held on Sunday 16 May 2021, at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC). The line-up includes foremost speakers, such as His Excellency Helal Saeed Al Marri, Director General of Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), Dr. Taleb Rifai, former Secretary-General of the United Nations’ World Tourism Organization, Scott Livermore, Chief Economist at Oxford Economics Middle East and Thoyyib Mohamed, Managing Director of Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation. The four-day conference will address a broad range of topics, from travel and health, as well as dedicated forums on China, Saudi Arabia and India, plus a dedicated hotel summit, looking at the changing roles of hotels and the changing hospitality landscape. The Saudi Arabia Tourism Summit will discuss the Vision 2030 strategy’s positive repercussions, the ambitious megaprojects and how the country is setting new global industry benchmarks. It will feature high-level experts including Captain Ibrahim Koshy, CEO, Saudi Arabian Airlines (SAUDIA), Dr. Afnan Alshuaiby, Founder & CEO of FNN International and Chairperson of Arab international Women’s Forum, Jerry Inzerillo, CEO, Diriyah Gate Development Authority and John Pagano, CEO, Red Sea Development Company. Commenting, Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market, said: “The general theme of this year’s show is ‘A new dawn for travel and tourism’ and the opening session will get the show, off to a positive, practical and optimistic start. “Undoubtedly, discussion on the show floor will be focused on the very latest ‘COVID’ news from around the world – vaccine rollouts, social and travel restrictions and …

Air Seychelles announced that the airline will operate an additional flight between Dubai and Seychelles over the upcoming Eid holidays, to provide travellers planning a last-minute escape to a nearby destination the opportunity to visit Seychelles. Offering the best deals on Economy and Business class tickets with fares starting as low as $343 (AED1,259), the flight already on sale, is available for booking via www.airseychelles.com. With Seychelles being a visa-free destination for all nationalities, travellers are allowed to enter regardless of vaccination status.  All travellers must carry a negative PCR test certificate taken 72 hours prior to departure and complete the mandatory Health Travel Authorization at seychelles.govtas.com for entry approval into the country. With the no quarantine requirements upon arrival and ease of movement, visitors can roam free within the Seychelles exploring the exciting spots and wide choice of activities the island has to offer.

The 20th edition of Airport Show from 24 -26 May at Dubai World Trade Center contactless technology will be a key attraction at the world’s largest B2B airport show, held in Dubai annually. Daniyal Qureshi, Group Exhibitions Director at Reed Exhibitions Middle East, says the trend for a contactless passenger experience in airports has rapidly accelerated after the pandemic and several airports including Dubai International stand out. At the world’s largest annual airport event, the latest contactless innovations and airport digital transformations will be at the centre of the event experience this year. Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of Dubai Airports and Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group, the Show will take place across 12,000 square metres of exhibition space with participants expected from 90 countries as the world returns to normalcy. It will have three co-located events: Global Airport Leaders Forum (GALF), ATC Forum and Airport Security as well as two new conferences focusing on Airport Passengers’ Experience and Airport Digital Transformation. Dubai Airport, the world’s number one airport for international travellers for the seventh consecutive year, leads in terms of safety and security with the increased use of touchless technology. Airport passengers in DXB are being offered the chance to use their eyes to confirm their identity without the need to show any documents. The system helps control the spread of the new coronavirus as it does not require airport passengers to have contact with other people as it uses a biometric method.  The system takes only five to six seconds to complete the scanning process. Due to the Covid-19 …

Skyscanner announced the launch of the Arabic language on desktop and mobile web. In an effort to offer travellers in the Middle East a more localised and user-friendly experience, Skyscanner has rolled out the Arabic language offering across all domains, including UAE and Saudi Arabia. Travellers visiting Skyscanner on desktop, mobile web or via the app will now be able to select Arabic as a language option to access more localised content, including local currency and a better user experience when linking to partner sites to complete their travel bookings. According to a recent YouGov survey, commissioned by Reed Exhibitions, ahead of Arabian Travel Market 2021, the money that Middle East travellers spend on international leisure travel will begin to exceed 2019 levels in as little as three years. “We’re pleased to be able to offer travellers in the Middle East a far more relevant experience on desktop, allowing them to plan and book travel in their local language and currency,” said Gavin Harris, Director of Strategic Partnerships, Skyscanner. “Arabic is one of the 5th most spoken languages in the world and outbound travel from the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia accounts for a significant proportion of the total travel market. We previously launched the Skyscanner app in Arabic to great success, so it was a logical next step to bring the localised experience to desktop users too. We’re excited about the opportunity this will afford our partners in the region as well.”  

flydubai has added Batumi to its seasonal summer schedule. The carrier, which currently operates to Tbilisi International Airport (TBS) in Georgia, will also operate a three times weekly service to Batumi International Airport (BUS) from 12 May until 01 September. Commenting on the announcement, Jeyhun Efendi, Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations and E-commerce at flydubai, added, “we are pleased to relaunch our operations to Batumi which has been a popular summer destination for our passengers in previous years. We remain focused on adding more options for travel this summer with the expectation that international travel restrictions will have eased. Flights are available to book on flydubai.com. In addition, passengers will have the option to choose full packages from holidays by flydubai.” Batumi offers passengers wishing to travel this summer a perfect escape with popular seaside resorts, beautiful mountain vistas and a mild climate. Known as the ‘Pearl of the Black Sea’, Batumi is the second largest city in Georgia, located in the country’s southwest region. Batumi is a popular tourist destination known for its beaches, restaurants, cafés, dancing fountains and its popular Ferris Wheel.  

Guests travelling with Etihad Airways from now until May 31 from Abu Dhabi to Chicago, New York, Washington and Toronto, will be the first to trial the IATA Travel Pass app to easily manage their travel health credentials. Mohammad Al Bulooki, Chief Operating Officer, Etihad Aviation Group, said, “With the dynamically changing health requirements for travel, Etihad believes that a digital health passport solution will provide additional clarity and ease for travellers. Etihad has partnered with IATA so that together, a globally unified approach to a travel pass can be simplified to make travel easier once governments decide what regulations are required to cross borders in either direction.” To participate in the trial, guests simply download the IATA Travel Pass app from the Apple App Store and book an appointment with Life Diagnostics at Sultan Bin Zayed the First Street or BioGenix Labs at Masdar City. At the clinic, guests inform reception they are participating in the IATA Travel Pass trial and should be ready to show their passport and mobile device with the IATA Travel Pass app downloaded. Once the test result is ready, travellers will be able to view it on both the IATA Travel Pass app and through the testing clinic’s own digital platform. “Etihad Airways trial of IATA Travel Pass will help build confidence among governments and travellers that digital health apps can safely, securely and conveniently help restart aviation. The app gives travellers a one-stop-shop to help them comply with the new rules for travel, and for governments complete assurance in the identity of the passenger and the authenticity of the travel credentials being presented,” said Nick Careen, IATA Senior Vice President for Airport, Passenger, …

Accor opens a new hotel under the Swissôtel brand will be opening in Çeşme, Turkey. Swissôtel Çeşme is scheduled to open in June 2022, following the contract signed between Accor Hotel Group and Dilek Holding. Situated in Çeşme, Ilıca Bay, which is known as the Pearl of the Aegean and resembling the feeling of being in Maldives to its guests with its turquoise sea and unprecedented beach, Swissôtel Çeşme is architected by Durmuş Dilekçi. Interior architecture of the hotel is assumed by the master architect, Mustafa Toner who works for Toner Architects. “We are pleased to announce the signing of the Swissôtel Çeşme in partnership with Dilek Holding, as it joins our portfolio of managed premium properties under our  portfolio in Turkey,” said Yigit Sezgin, Chief Commercial Officer for Accor India, Middle East, Africa & Turkey. “Present in 17 countries, the Swissotel brand is the perfect reflection of Swiss tradition blended with modernity. We believe the Swissôtel brand will bring a fresh blood to Çeşme” adds Sezgin, “where guests will experience lifestyle hospitality in every corner of the hotel when opening its doors in June 2022.” Adil Dilek, president of Dilek Holding, expressed his satisfaction about the partnership formed with Accor and stated “We are bringing fresh blood to tourism overall and to Ilıca Bay, also known as the Pearl of the Aegean, where the Swissôtel Çeşme will be located. Just like we brought tourism to Çeşme 20 years ago we will introduce a concept with Swissôtel Çeşme which is promising to take tourism to a higher level. In line with our affiliation with Accor, we are aiming to take Çeşme to a more luxurious segment, positioning the city as …

Dadabhai Travel has renewed an exclusive agreement with Sabre Corporation, the leading software and technology company that powers the global travel industry, reaffirming more than a decade of partnership.   Under this multi-year agreement, Dadabhai Travel will leverage Sabre’s industry leading platform, Sabre Red 360, to deliver an intelligent and consultative service to travellers, and to create highly personalised offers for its customers across the Middle East and Asia-Pacific. “Through these uncertain times, our vision has remained – to expand our reach and enrich our travellers’ experiences,” said Aziz Gilitwala, managing director, Dadabhai Travel. “As the industry recovers, we’re relying on Sabre’s technology and global expertise to help us navigate the many challenges travel faces.  More than ever, travellers need a high level of personalisation and choice to help them travel again – Sabre’s intelligent technology will enable us to meet these expectations.” “Dadabhai has proven its resilience throughout these tough times and we are proud to continue supporting its vision during the recovery and beyond,” said Abdul-Razzaq Iyer, vice president, Sabre Travel Solutions, Middle East. “This is a critical moment for the travel industry.  Travel companies like Dadabhai are taking the right steps now to help secure their recovery, while making long-term investments in robust technology that can help position them for future growth.”