SAUDIA proudly launched its inaugural flight from King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah to Gatwick International Airport in London. Gatwick Airport holds the second position among the United Kingdom’s airports. This launch is part of the implementation stages of the airline’s new strategy, aimed at expanding its reach to new international destinations, and connecting the world to the Kingdom, based on marketing and operational studies. It aligns with the vision of SAUDIA Group to operate flights to 25 destinations across 3 continents. The inaugural flight of SAUDIA, SV119, departed from King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah to the city of London. The event was attended by Mrs. Cecille El Beleidi, the British Consul General in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Mr. Mohammed Baakdhah, Vice President of Ground Operations at SAUDIA. The inauguration ceremony was held at the AlFursan Lounge, signaling the departure of the first flight at the airport. Mohammad Baakdhah highlighted the importance of strengthening relations between the two countries through the launch of new destinations by SAUDIA to Gatwick Airport, and soon to Birmingham. These additions will join the existing flights to London Heathrow Airport and Manchester International Airport. He further explained that the increase in destinations is accompanied by an unprecedented development of the SAUDIA fleet, ensuring the achievement of operational targets, in addition to continuous improvement in the digital service system.

Oman Air announced the return of its popular Maldives flight, starting 24 June 2023. With four weekly direct flights to the capital and easy access to the islands, it’s the perfect opportunity to explore one of the world’s most beautiful destinations. Starting from just OMR 149 per person, guests can plan a quick weekend getaway or a relaxing summer holiday with a choice of the following times: Flight Number Date Destination Timing From To Departure Arrival WY 381   Saturday, Sunday Muscat Malé 0210 0720 WY 382 Saturday, Sunday Malé Muscat 0920 1220 WY 383 Friday, Saturday Muscat Malé 0840 1350 WY 384 Friday, Saturday Malé Muscat 1505 1805 Oman Air has increased a number of its flights for the peak summer season, including Moscow, Bangkok, Istanbul and Kuala Lumpur, offering guests excellent value, convenient timings, and seamless connectivity. Moreover, guests can have their entire trip taken care of with a range of tailored packages from Oman Air Holidays. Tickets can be purchased through omanair.com, the Oman Air app, the Call Centre, any Oman Air sales office and official travel agents.  

Qatar Airways will be resuming a scheduled non-stop service between Tokyo International Airport  (“Haneda”) and Hamad International Airport, commencing on 1 June 2023. Qatar Airways will operate its state-of-the-art Airbus A350-900 aircraft, equipped with 36 award-winning Qsuite Business Class seats and 247 Economy Class seats. In addition to the existing Narita-Doha service, the resumption of daily flights from Haneda Airport will increase the flight frequency from the greater Tokyo area from seven to 14 flights a week. Travellers from Tokyo will be able to enjoy seamless connections to over 160 destinations using the World Best Airline’s extensive global network, including popular destinations across Africa, Eurpore, the Middle East and more, through its Doha hub, Hamad International Airport, ‘Best Airport in the Middle East’ accolade for the ninth time in a row. Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “The resumption of the Tokyo Haneda-Doha service follows our major network expansion announced at ITB Berlin 2023, which will see an extra 655 weekly flights in 2023 compared to 2022. Japan remains a significant market for Qatar Airways and its passengers, and in addition to Haneda, the airline will soon be resuming flighs to Osaka this year.” Qatar Airways Regional Manager for Japan and Korea, Shinji Miyamoto, said, “We are very pleased to announce the resumption of flights to Haneda Airport due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We are also very pleased that Japanese customers will be able to experience Qatar Airways’ award-winning business class, Qsuite, which is being introduced for the first time ever in Japan. Qatar is scheduled to host various world-class events this year following the successful FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, including the coveted …

MeetChina, the business forum for travel buyers from China and tourism suppliers from the MENA region, returns to Yas Island Abu Dhabi for the first time since the pandemic. Taking place at Hilton Abu Dhabi Yas Island, the event will kick off on September 4, 2023, with two days of intensive meetings aimed at reestablishing tourism ties between China and the region. MeetChina is owned and operated by NPI Media, with the support of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT – Abu Dhabi) along with Yas Island as the Destination Partner. Now in its 10th year, the 2023 edition will welcome up to 100 top senior-level Chinese travel buyers. Playing an integral role in the resurgence of China’s outbound travel market, MeetChina guarantees tourism stakeholders from across the UAE an opportunity to secure business from China through pre-scheduled one-to-one meetings and networking sessions over the course of two days. Event registration is open to government tourism organisations, hotels, destination management companies (DMCs), attractions, excursion providers, shopping malls and luxury retail brands. In 2019, outbound travel from China contributed over US$253 billion to the global economy – the highest of any country. Chinese tourists took more than 150 million trips during the year, making them outsized contributors to the international travel market. Earlier this year, the country eased all restrictions, allowing outbound travel activity to resume. According to the China Outbound Tourism Research Institute (COTRI), Chinese travellers are projected to take around 110 million international trips in 2023, which is two-thirds of the 2019 level, while 2024 will see the country’s outbound travel figures touch the 155 million mark. During the past decade, China consistently ranked among …

The Ajman Department of Tourism Development (ADTD) has officially unveiled its latest offering, the holiday homes services, with the primary objective of invigorating the tourism sector and elevating the allure of Ajman as a premier destination for visitors. These services have been meticulously crafted under the visionary guidance of His Highness Sheikh Humaid bin Rashid Al Nuaimi, Member of UAE Supreme Council and Ruler of Ajman. An important landmark in this endeavour is the Emiri Decree No. 6 of 2023, which heralds a significant stride by introducing comprehensive regulations to govern and supervise the operations of holiday homes throughout the emirate. The implementation of these services enables property owners and hotel management companies to avail themselves of the opportunity to lease residential units for short durations, presenting a flexible and innovative alternative to conventional contracts. Moreover, ADTD offers meticulous inspection and classification services for registered units, distinguishing between criteria for touristic and luxury accommodations. This stringent oversight guarantees that owners and operators adhere to the stipulated regulations and standards governing the operation of Holiday Homes. The overarching objective is to expand the range of lodging choices available in Ajman, thereby enriching the experience of visitors and improving the quality of life for residents and tourists alike. Overseen by ADTD, the Holiday Homes services provide clear and proactive guidelines and procedures, exceeding customer expectations and fostering an environment that expedites service completion while maximizing customer, societal, and visitor happiness. The department’s service system encompasses all the necessary information and documents to simplify and streamline these procedures, catering to customer needs through the provision of forms, notifications, and accompanying decisions. The Holiday Homes services system is aligned with the strategic objectives of …

Red Sea Global (RSG), the multi-project developer behind the world’s most ambitious regenerative tourism destinations, The Red Sea and Amaala, has agreed a pilot project to lay Partanna’s carbon negative concrete pavers at its landscape nursery. Partanna is the pioneer of the world’s first carbon negative concrete, with technology that not only avoids carbon emissions, but naturally removes it from the atmosphere. RSG has agreed a pilot project for the manufacture, delivery and installation of an initial 11,000 carbon negative pavers. The pavers will be placed at RSG’s landscape nursery, the largest in the region at one million m2, which is set to grow more than 30 million plants by 2030 to landscape The Red Sea and Amaala destinations. “We believe that sustainability is no longer enough. We need to find ways to restore and regenerate the planet. That is why we have committed to increasing the net conservation benefit at our destinations by 30 percent through the enhancement of habitats that ensure biodiversity can flourish, and to being carbon neutral when we become fully operational. Green technologies such as Partanna’s carbon negative concrete could play a crucial role in helping us achieve these ambitious aims and even going one step further to become carbon negative,” said John Pagano, Group Chief Executive Officer at Red Sea Global. The product supply agreement and first pilot scheme follow a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the two organizations at COP27 in Egypt last year. Under the arrangement, both parties will scope out future pilot projects – including applications of Partanna’s ocean-resilient concrete as an infrastructure solution to coral reef restoration projects at Red Sea Global. Using recycled ocean water brine in its …

Chattan Kunjara Na Ayudhya, TAT Deputy Governor for Marketing Communications, explained about the expansion to new markets such as Jeddah, Riyadh and Dammam in Saudi Arabia, and Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates at the Thailand Product Update for buyers and media attending the Thailand Travel Mart Plus (TTM+) 2023. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) underlined quality, and experience-based tourism among key elements of Thai tourism products and services as part of its strategic move to transform Thailand’s tourism towards high-value and sustainable tourism.  He further reiterated, “TAT is illustrating Thailand as offering meaningful-driven travel to improve visitors’ experience. Encompassing discovery, transformation, fulfilment, and engagement between people, cultures, and nature, this underscores TAT’s direction to making a destination for protecting the country’s vast natural and scenic beauty and instigating a range of environmental initiatives.” Key elements of tourism products and services that reflect TAT’s overall strategies have included luxury tourism experiences, wellness tourism, and tourism towards sustainability. Highlights for luxury tourism experiences include Live the Bangkok Life and Relaxing Phangnga plus Youthfully Phuket, while for wellness tourism, Thailand’s wellness possibilities include family-friendly wellness breaks in Chiang Mai; and immunity booster vacations in Ko Samui, Surat Thani. Thailand’s tourism towards sustainability comprises a wide range of destinations and activities that deliver sustainability experiences, including exploring local community by bike at Bang Krachao, Samut Prakan; adventurer travel in Umphang, Tak; slow life at low- carbon destination on Ko Mak in Trat; and exploring the Little Amazon and surfing at the Memories beach in Takua Pa, Phangnga. TAT is also developing a national drive that encompasses the entire Thai tourism industry with the development of the …

Singapore Airlines (SIA) customers and staff will enjoy the most comprehensive free unlimited Wi-Fi access in the airline industry from 1 July 2023, when the service is extended to all travellers in all cabin classes, including Premium Economy Class and Economy Class. This enhanced Wi-Fi offering will be available virtually across the entire aircraft fleet1 and almost the entire global SIA route network. As a result, customers across all cabin classes will be able to stay connected with loved ones, work online, or keep up to date with the latest news or their social media feeds, even from 36,000 feet in the sky. To enjoy this service, customers must enter their KrisFlyer membership details at the point of booking through the Manage Booking online option, or at check-in. Non-KrisFlyer members may also sign up for their free membership online or on board their flight via the SIA digital content portal on their personal mobile devices to enjoy the complimentary in-flight Wi-Fi. Suites, First Class, and Business Class customers, as well as PPS Club members2 will continue to enjoy access to free unlimited in-flight Wi-Fi. Since February 2023, KrisFlyer members travelling in Premium Economy Class and Economy Class have enjoyed complimentary three- and two-hour Wi-Fi surf plans respectively. Mr Yeoh Phee Teik, Senior Vice President Customer Experience, Singapore Airlines, said: “In today’s increasingly hyper-connected world, high-speed in-flight Wi-Fi connectivity is one of the most important requirements for our customers. Giving them access to free unlimited Wi-Fi is yet another milestone in SIA’s continuous effort to offer an exceptional end-to-end travel experience. With this enhanced offering, our customers will be empowered to stay connected, entertained, and productive, even at 36,000 feet in …

Qatar Airways has signed a deal with Shell to source 3,000 metric tonnes of neat Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) at Amsterdam Schiphol airport. It encompasses the existing jet fuel contract with Shell at Amsterdam which will now see Qatar Airways using at least a 5 per cent SAF blend over the contract period for the fiscal year 2023-2024. The Qatar Airways bilateral agreement with Shell is part of a wider effort initiated by the oneworld alliance, which has a set target of using sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) for 10% of combined fuel volumes by 2030. Qatar Airways is the first carrier in the Middle East and Africa to procure a large SAF amount in Europe beyond government SAF mandates. SAF offers significant potential for decarbonisation as neat SAF can reduce full lifecycle emissions by up to 80% compared to conventional jet fuel.[1] This means that Qatar Airways will be reducing its emissions on flights from Amsterdam by approximately 7,500 tonnes of CO2 for the fiscal year. Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “At Qatar Airways, we are strongly committed to supporting the industry’s effort to ramp-up the use of sustainable aviation fuel, as one of the key pillars to decarbonise the aviation industry. Last year, we signed our first offtake agreement in the US, and now we are placing a multi-million US dollar SAF deal in Amsterdam to illustrate our SAF commitment and reiterate our calls for a more robust SAF supply chain across our global network”. “We remain steadfast in our ambitious target of 10 per cent SAF use by 2030 and this  announcement, establishes another landmark for Qatar Airways that underlines the positive …

The Hajj Committee at Dubai Airports convened recently to discuss comprehensive preparations to facilitate the smooth and seamless travel of Hajj pilgrims to Saudi Arabia this year. The committee, which comprises key service partners including Dubai Police, the General Directorate of Residency & Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA), Dubai Customs, Dubai Health Authority, flydubai, Emirates, Saudi Airlines, and flynas, among others, aims to deliver an exceptional airport experience for the pilgrims across all terminals at DXB. Mohammad Al Marzouqi, Head of the Hajj Committee, emphasised on the importance of collaboration among all stakeholders and service partners as the key to maintaining service quality especially during annual peak travel seasons. Dubai Airports is committed to providing world-class passenger facilities and services, to ensure the comfort, convenience, and safety of all guests arriving at and departing from DXB.