Wizz Air Abu Dhabi celebrates the arrival of its first state-of-the-art new Airbus A321neo aircraft to Abu Dhabi International Airport. Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, the joint-venture established between ADQ, one of the region’s largest holding companies, and Wizz Air Holdings Plc, has recently received national carrier status from the UAE government subject to meeting regulatory standards prior to starting operations. The arrival of the first Airbus A321neo aircraft will enable the airline to have the lowest environmental footprint and the lowest cost base among its competitors in the region. Kees Van Schaick, Managing Director of Wizz Air Abu Dhabi said, “We contribute to the local economic diversity while offering ever more affordable travel opportunities on our low fare network. Wizz Air Abu Dhabi’s new state-of-the-art Airbus A321neo aircraft, as well as our enhanced protective measures, will ensure the best possible sanitary conditions for travellers.” Mohammed Husain Ahmed, General Manager of Abu Dhabi International Airport, commented, “The establishment of Wizz Air Abu Dhabi and its commencement of operations is a milestone in the growth and development of the LCC market in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. It is also a reflection of the success of our implementation of comprehensive health and safety measures across our airports, as well as our investments in transforming Abu Dhabi International Airport into a strategically positioned global hub for airlines from across the world.” Saeed Rashed Al Saeed, Destination Marketing Director at the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), said, “Abu Dhabi’s status as a destination of choice for business and leisure travellers from around the world will be well served by the arrival of Wizz Air Abu Dhabi’s first aircraft. …

The 16th edition of the Arabian Hotel Investment Conference (AHIC), will take place in a brand new format over three days from 29 September – 01 October 2020 with an exciting programme filled with critical insights from industry leaders, and networking opportunities designed for the new world. AHIC will be ‘on the road’ for the three-day programme, broadcasting live from pop-up studios across hotels in Dubai with select audiences, shared simultaneously on a virtual platform with the AHIC online community worldwide. During the three days attendees will be able to create their personalised schedules, choosing the sessions and activities they would like to attend either virtually or on-site in Dubai. Commenting on the new format of AHIC, Jonathan Worsley – Chairman of Bench Events and Founder of AHIC, said, “We have had to start from scratch and imagine what bringing the hotel investment industry together looks like in September 2020. It’s a very different scenario to what we have done in the past as the industry has changed, our community’s needs have changed and the regulations governing events have changed. However, what remains constant and more pressing than ever, is the need for the industry to come together, connect, share information, challenges and solutions and be inspired. AHIC is an important opportunity for the industry to demonstrate its resilience and how it is evolving to bounce back stronger.”

Travelport announced the renewal of a multi-year content agreement with Korean Air, the country’s largest airline and national carrier.Under the agreement, Travelport will continue to provide Korean Air’s content and inventory to more than 68,000 Travelport-connected agencies around the world, enabling them to search, sell and book the airline’s fares. Kenneth Chang, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Korean Air, commented, “As travel recovers, Korean Air fully intends to be leading the way. Our partnership with Travelport has proven itself many times over, and its global network remains a cornerstone of our plans for international growth.” Sue Carter, Head of Asia Pacific, Air Partners at Travelport, added, “We’re extremely pleased to continue supporting Korean Air’s ambitions to be a global aviation leader with our technology solutions. Taking advantage of cutting-edge advancements like New Distribution Capability will be crucial for airlines to lead in a world of heightened traveller expectations, and we look forward to further extending our support with Korean Air in time to come.” In addition to providing Korean Air content to travel agencies around the world, Travelport is also supporting Korean Air’s organization-wide digital transformation with its Data and Business Intelligence, as well as Airline Insight solutions. These tools provide timely analysis and insights which help airlines recognise and respond to market trends swiftly. A founding member of the SkyTeam airline alliance, Korean Air was recently rated one of the top three airlines in the world in the 2020 Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice Awards for Airlines.

The countdown has begun for the Biggest Virtual Roadshow kicking off in the GCC region with 48 Thai Sellers, 48 meeting slots and 2304 appointments. Already most of the slots are being filled in, so register today on https://halathailandvirtualmart.comThe tourism stakeholders from Thailand will represent a variety of regions and major city across the Kingdom including Bangkok, Pattaya, Krabi, Koh Samui, Phuket and more. ‘Amazing Thailand Virtual Road Show’ will take place on 9th September 2020 from 10am to 6pm UAE time with 48 tourism stakeholders from Thailand, including hotels & resorts, health & wellness, shopping establishments & attractions and tour operators & DMCs. Thai sellers with GCC buyers will do one-on-one meetings via VDO call. The first session will comprise GCC Buyers Group A, while the second session will have participants from GCC Buyers Group B. For both groups, 10 minutes will be allotted per appointment. They will highlight their new products & services in all major cities in Thailand including nearby cities such as Bangkok & Beyond, Phuket & Beyond, Chiang Mai & Beyond, Pattaya & Beyond, etc… as well as to highlight their SHA Certificate that has been given to all qualified Thai private sectors.

Emirates will resume passenger services to Amman, Jordan from today. The resumption of flights to the Jordanian capital takes the number of destinations Emirates serves in the Gulf and Middle East to eight cities, as the airline gradually resumes operations with the safety of its customers, crew and communities as its top priority.Flights from Dubai to Amman will operate as a daily service on the Emirates Boeing 777-300ER and can be booked on emirates.com or via travel agents. Emirates flight EK903 will depart Dubai at 1500hrs, arriving in Amman at 1655hrs. EK 904 will depart Amman at 1900hrs, arriving in Dubai at 2300hrs. Passengers travelling between the Americas, Europe, Africa, and Asia Pacific can enjoy safe and convenient connections via Dubai, and customers can stop over or travel to Dubai as the city has re-opened for international business and leisure visitors. Ensuring the safety of travellers, visitors, and the community, COVID-19 PCR tests are mandatory for all inbound and transit passengers arriving to Dubai (and the UAE), including UAE citizens, residents and tourists, irrespective of the country they are coming from.

Dubai has maintained its top position as the leading Arab destination for medical travellers for the second year in a row, based on the Global Medical Tourism Index, which was recently released by the International Healthcare Research Center (IHRC). Worldwide, the emirate, one of the globe’s most preferred tourist hubs, ranked sixth on the list of 46 unique destinations, reflecting anew its competitiveness in providing advanced healthcare services to foreign health travellers and success in building advanced medical infrastructures and facilities. Commenting on this, Dr. Marwan Al Mulla, CEO – Health Regulation Sector, Dubai Health Authority, said, “This achievement is the result of our response to the directives of our wise leadership to enhance the regulatory framework within our medical system and build a world-class healthcare infrastructure and capabilities that meet the needs of healthier and happier communities in the country. Dubai positions itself as a destination where medical and wellness tourists from all over the world can avail of safe, reliable, and innovative services that will help improve their health and, consequently, the quality of their life. We have placed all the necessary precautionary measures recommended by local and global health authorities to ensure the safety of our local and international patients.” Mohamed Al Mehri, Director, Health Tourism Department, said, “Many of our DXH Group member healthcare facilities are providing second medical opinions and tele consultations. We encourage health tourists to start planning their treatments that have been put on hold because of the current situation. Amid the COVID-19, Dubai continues to offer its remarkable healthcare services. Thanks to its efforts to safeguard the health of all patients, medical personnel and the members of the wider local community, Dubai …

Lufthansa has announced that it will ramp up flight operations on its Frankfurt-Dubai route in September by 30 per cent, an increase of eight flights compared to the month of August. The addition of new flights follows the airline’s resumption of scheduled services from the UAE in early July in view of the steady growth in demand for intercontinental travel. There will be a total of five flights a week from 3 to 13 September and four weekly services as of September 14, 2020. Heinrich Lange, Senior Director Sales, Gulf, Afghanistan and Pakistan, Lufthansa Group, commented, “As an unparalleled mode of transportation that provides speedy connections between people, places and goods, aviation has become an integral part of modern life. The suspension of air travel due to border closures and mobility restrictions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic had caused significant inconvenience to people around the world. At Lufthansa Group, we are working towards resuming regular operations to all our destinations to meet the needs of our customers.” “We are pleased with increasing weekly flight operations on our Frankfurt-Dubai route. Our decision to increase services is in response to strong demand for flights between the two major cities and to the growing number of destinations offered via our hub. The recent revelation by the authorities in Dubai that the emirate’s main airport has been witnessing a massive increase in passenger numbers, with more than 20,000 travellers daily, is truly encouraging and underscores the need and importance of our flight services for the UAE,” Lange added.

We are just two days away from the Biggest Virtual Roadshow kicking off in the GCC region with 48 Thai Sellers, 48 meeting slots and 2304 appointments. Al ready most of the slots are being filled in, so register today on https://halathailandvirtualmart.com. The maiden ‘Amazing Thailand Virtual Roadshow’ will take place on September 9, 2020 from 10am to 6pm UAE time with 48 tourism stakeholders from Thailand, including hotels & resorts, health & wellness, shopping establishments & attractions and tour operators & DMCs. Thai sellers with GCC buyers will do one-on-one meetings via VDO call. The first session will comprise GCC Buyers Group A, while the second session will have participants from GCC Buyers Group B. For both groups, 10 minutes will be allotted per appointment. The tourism stakeholders from Thailand will represent a variety of regions and major city across the Kingdom including Bangkok, Pattaya, Krabi, Koh Samui, Phuket and more. They will highlight their new products & services in all major cities in Thailand including nearby cities such as Bangkok & Beyond, Phuket & Beyond, Chiang Mai & Beyond, Pattaya& Beyond, etc… as well as to highlight their SHA Certificate that has been given to all qualified Thai private sectors.

Atlantis, The Palm announced that it will be offering international guests who stay five nights or more in resort free COVID-19 PCR tests for all international bookings until December 18, 2020. Additionally, the all-encompassing resort has partnered with one of the emirate’s leading hospitals in order to be able to conduct the tests in the resort. This means that guests can maximise their leisure time without the need to disrupt their vacation with a visit to a hospital or clinic. All passengers travelling back from Dubai to UK, Europe and other mandated destinations are now required to take a COVID-19 PCR test no more than 96 hours before departure and present the printed test result certificate at check-in. (Children under the age of 12 and passengers who have a moderate or severe disability are exempt from this test.) However, guests checking into Atlantis, The Palm can rest assured that the team at Atlantis will make all the necessary arrangements for a seamless and safe departure with each guest staying five nights or more receiving free testing from an authorised medical facility and test results returned within 24 hours. Speaking about this latest development, Timothy Kelly, Executive Vice President and Managing Director, Atlantis Dubai said, “We are continuously evolving to meet the needs of our customers during this challenging time. Using our on-site medical centre, the new PCR tests will help to reduce any travel inconveniences and encourage more international guests to visit Dubai’s premier entertainment destination.” Kelly added, “We look forward to our guests relishing every moment of their time spent at Atlantis, The Palm as we strive to implement innovative ways to serve them in a socially responsible way. …