The first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner flight will depart from the new home of Turkish Airlines, Istanbul Airport, to Antalya on July 8, and its first international flight will be from Istanbul to Denpasar (Bali) on July 17, one of the new routes to be added to the network for 2019, thereafter from Dubai in September. Following those, it will continue to carry passengers on a number of medium and long-haul exotic routes through the summer. They include routes into London, Dubai, Washington DC, New York, Atlanta, Mexico City, Cancun, Bali, Amsterdam, Delhi, Panama City, and Bogota. By the end of August 2019, six 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft will be operational and servicing international routes, heralding the start of a new chapter in the growth of Turkish Airlines’ young and modern fleet. “Turkish Airlines has been committed to continuously expanding its range of services on and off-ground as it grows in reach and flies to more international destinations than any other carrier in the world. With this goal in mind, we’re thrilled to reach new horizons with the addition of the 787-9 Dreamliner to our fleet flying from our new home, Istanbul Airport,” said İlker Aycı, Chairman of the Board and the Executive Committee, Turkish Airlines. “The aircraft’s advanced technology, fuel efficiency, and passenger-centric cabin design will all help us remain the first choice for travellers and provide our loyal flyers across the globe with a best-in-class experience for years to come.” “Turkish Airlines’ growth has been remarkable in recent years, both in expanding flight options and supporting Turkey’s aviation industry. We are honoured that Turkish Airlines is embarking on its next chapter of expansion with the 787 Dreamliner,” said Ihssane Mounir, …

One of the leading travel agencies in the Kingdom of Bahrain, Al Khunaizi Travel, has signed a long-term agreement with Sabre Corporation, the leading technology provider to the global travel industry. Under this agreement, Al Khunaizi will continue to access Sabre’s marketplace of more than 400 airlines, 750,000 hotel properties, and hundreds of tour operators, rail, car and cruise providers, giving Al Khunaizi the opportunity to sell personalised travel packages from suppliers all over the world. The agency accesses the marketplace through the Sabre Red 360 platform, which features a customisable and intuitive user experience using data-driven insights to guide travel consultants. “New technology is driving changes in consumer behaviour and traveller expectations, and there’s now a greater demand for more personalised services,” said Ammar Al Khunaizi, CEO, Al Khunaizi Travel. “Sabre’s advanced technology and expertise, combined with its skilled team, have helped optimise our business, and cemented our position as a pioneer in delivering new traveller experiences. We look forward to growing with Sabre and delivering a superior personalised travel service to our customers.” “As traveller expectations evolve, so must the travel industry, and travel management companies that embrace advancements in data, online and mobile will continue to stay relevant in today’s fast-changing world,” said Abdul-Razzaq Iyer, Vice President, Sabre Travel Network Middle East. “Our advanced technology and network of travel suppliers will help Al Khunaizi to offer a wealth of choice to its travellers and provide personalised and seamless traveller experiences.”

The third property in the portfolio of Hyatt properties in the Old Dubai area opened recently as Hyatt Place Wasl District joining the two other earlier properties, Hyatt Place Dubai/Al Rigga and Hyatt Place Dubai/Baniyas Square in increasing the number of contemporary yet affordable hospitality offerings in the city. The opening of the property brings Hyatt hotels in the UAE to 10 properties. Hyatt Place Dubai/Wasl District offers 202 guestrooms, including 10 suites, with separate spaces to sleep, work and play, as well as a Cozy Corner sofa-sleeper, 105 well-appointed apartments comprising of studios, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments that feature kitchenette, modern utility services and more. Meeting spaces amassing over 300 square metres, are designed for clients hosting stylish and flexible small-scale business meetings, conferences or celebrating special occasions. “We look forward to hosting guests both local and international alike as we introduce them to the modern comforts of a Hyatt Place property. The hotel will provide travellers with a unique stay through the design, amenities and warm hospitality offered by the entire team,” shared Fathi Khogaly, Cluster General Manager, Hyatt  Corporation. “The decision to introduce a third Hyatt Place property stems from its seamless integration into the city’s contemporary appeal, prioritising consistent development,” said Kurt Straub, Vice President of Operations, Middle East, Africa and South West Asia, Hyatt Hotels Corporation. “We’re seeing an increased guest demand for our select service portfolio and as such are meeting these demands across the UAE and KSA. We plan to continue to expand our brand presence across the Middle East, as part of our pipeline of development for the region.”

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Prime Minister UAE and Ruler of Dubai announced the ‘Golden Card Visa’ a long term residency scheme for investors last month. Following this announcement a special media briefing was held at the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs few days ago to educate the media about the special criteria and eligibility for this special scheme. Major General Mohammad Al Marri, Director General of the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs, said that this scheme was implemented to create an attractive investment environment in the UAE, which further encourages business development and draws in new talent. Major General Al Marri stated that “As we celebrate the year of tolerance, there are other categories of investors such as those with 5 million AED capital visa for 3 years. Other investors are with bank deposits of 10 million AED capital with 10 years golden visa. Money should be owned by the individual investor 100 percent. Those who own 500,000 AED approved by state, doctors and specialists with certain conditions, excellent students and scientists – 95% in secondary school, executives with a Bachelor degree, five years’ work experience with 30,000 AED per month contract of state, specialists, talented people will also be authorised depending on the criteria. Inventors/innovators etc. will be awarded irrelevant of nationality, age, gender, just the criteria required equal to all.  After 10 years (the visas) are extended for another 10-year period every 10 years. There are medical insurance and other procedures that need to be done in between but it comes without any extra conditions.” He further said the visa would be renewed as long as residents continue to satisfy …

The national carrier of the United Arab Emirates, Etihad has upgraded services on three key Asian routes this week, introducing larger aircraft to accommodate growing demand. Flights between the UAE capital, Abu Dhabi, and two major Chinese cities, Shanghai and Chengdu, have been upgraded with next-generation Boeing 787 Dreamliners, while the South Korean city of Seoul has been boosted from a Dreamliner to an Airbus A380 ‘super jumbo’. “Asia-Pacific is the fastest growing air transport region in the world, and China is the fastest-growing individual market. As we continue to modernise our aircraft fleet, and as we work with tourism partners to increase visitor numbers to Abu Dhabi, we are deploying newer, larger planes to key markets throughout our network,” said Robin Kamark, Chief Commercial Officer of Etihad Airways. Chengdu, in south-central China, is a city of 7.4 million people. Etihad has upgraded its daily Abu Dhabi – Chengdu flights from 262-seat Airbus A330-200 aircraft to 299-seat Boeing 787s, a 14 per cent increase in seats. Shanghai, China’s largest city, with a population of more than 24 million, has been upgraded from Boeing 787-9 aircraft to larger Boeing 787-10 jets, seating 336 passengers, up 12 per cent. And Seoul, the capital of South Korea, with a population approaching 10 million, has been upgraded by Etihad from the Boeing 787-10 to the 494-seat Airbus A380, a massive 47 per cent increase. With the upgrades of the Shanghai and Chengdu routes, Etihad now operates Dreamliners to all four of its China gateways, having introduced these planes to Hong Kong and Beijing earlier this year.

Cebu Pacific, the Philippines’ largest carrier has partnered with Al Ansari Exchange, a UAE-based foreign exchange and worldwide money transfer company to provide easy and hassle-free payment solutions to passengers in the UAE. The agreement paves the way for customers flying with Cebu Pacific to process their payments for flight tickets at any of the 188 Al Ansari Exchange branches located across the UAE, thus, providing more convenience for their travel arrangements. Travellers who prefer to pay in cash can now do so through the over-the-counter facilities of any Al Ansari Exchange, for bookings they have made through Cebu Pacific’s website or mobile app, and phone bookings, within 24 hours. Candice Iyog, Vice President for Marketing and Distribution at Cebu Pacific, said, “We are pleased to partner with one of the largest exchange houses in the UAE, with a vast network of branches. With this partnership, we’re able to provide more options to our customers which will make it even more convenient for them to avail our trademark year-round low fares.” Passengers traveling to the Philippines on the Cebu Pacific direct Dubai-Manila flight can benefit from the airline’s domestic connectivity, the widest route network within the country. Rashed Ali Al Ansari, General Manager of Al Ansari Exchange, said, “Our collaboration with Cebu Pacific is indeed another opportunity to better serve our Filipino customers who can now conveniently pay for their Cebu Pacific’s air tickets in any of our branches and benefit from our flexible and extended working hours.”  

Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) announced it will provide Dubai hotels with an individual Hotel Emission Analysis Report, offering an overview of each establishment’s emission performance in comparison to its peers using results from the Carbon Calculator software. Providing hotels with recommendations for improvement by referring them to the ‘12 Steps Towards Sustainability’ manual, which was launched by Dubai Tourism last year, the Hotel Emission Analysis Report has been launched in line with the UAE’s 2021 National Agenda to promote sustainable growth, reinforcing Dubai’s position as the smartest city in the world and role model in energy efficiency. In 2017, Dubai Sustainable Tourism (DST), an initiative under Dubai Tourism, launched the Carbon Calculator software, a tool developed to measure the carbon footprint of Dubai’s hospitality sector. The emirate’s hotel establishments were mandated to record and submit their emission sources, across electricity, district cooling, water and waste, allowing the findings to be collated for valuable industry insights. Yousuf Lootah, Executive Director – Tourism Development & Investments, Dubai Tourism, commented, “In line with the vision of His Highness, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai, to transform the emirate into one of the world’s leading sustainable tourism destinations, the Hotel Emission Analysis Report has been developed as a targeted manual to guide hotels on the sustainability performance of their properties. Furthermore, it will provide a cohesive understanding of where they stand comparatively amongst their industry peers on an annual basis, identifying where improvements can be made to facilitate further resource management, in turn reducing the industry’s collective carbon footprint.”  

Dubai Airports and China Eastern celebrated the arrival of the carrier’s inaugural flight from Qingdao to Dubai at Dubai International (DXB) on Saturday evening. The thrice weekly service is an important addition to China Eastern’s existing flights connecting DXB to Shanghai and Kunming, and the first ever to connect DXB to Qingdao, a major port city of 9 million population located on China’s Yellow Sea coast. China Eastern will operate three flights per week between the two cities, offering customers greater connectivity and convenience. A top trading partner of the UAE, China is a major contributor to DXB’s traffic with more than 3.5 million travellers in 2018. China is also one of the fastest growing countries in terms of volume of visitors to Dubai with numbers growing 12 per cent to 857,000 in 2018. A total of five airlines, including China Eastern, connect Dubai to 10 destinations across China on 81 weekly flights.

Leading hospitality providers are implementing new and innovative ways to enhance guest and staff experiences with the help of unified communications and contact center solutions from Avaya Holdings Corp., a global leader in solutions, to enhance and simplify communications and collaboration for the global hospitality industry. According to IDG, 62% of businesses believe digital transformation success is defined by excellent customer experience as measured by customer satisfaction scores. “As a significant and growing global hospitality brand known for superior guest experiences across our 5,000 resorts and hotels worldwide, Accor chooses our vendors carefully,” said Denis Collette, Global Call Centre IT manager, Accor. “We have been an Avaya customer over the last 20 years and we look to Avaya for our continued growth in enhancing our guest journey. The Avaya IX Contact Centre solution is rock solid with a history of proven reliability and support.” Moxy Hotels, Marriott’s newest brand, focuses on providing fresh and innovative experiences to guests by combining stylish design and approachable service at an affordable price point. “To ensure we are giving our guests the finest experience we knew we needed a reliable, rich-feature solution that came in at a competitive price point,” said Lowell Beebe-Center, Director of Operations, Moxy Hotels. “Connectivity today is a critical aspect of the hospitality industry. It is essential to have proper infrastructure to provide the reliable services our guests need,” said Joseph Fayad, Corporate Director IT, TIME Hotels, a chain of four resort brands based in the UAE. “Our new Avaya contact centre and unified communications platform helps make it possible for the group to automate key guest services including wake-up calls, reservation reminders, and requests for information on hotel services …

Sam, FCM’s ground-breaking ‘Smart Assistant for Mobile’ is now available to its clients in the Middle East.  An industry first, Sam is technology that entirely enhances a traveller’s experience whilst on the go. The mobile app blends a powerful mix of Artificial Intelligence with the expertise of real FCM travel consultants to deliver personalised, relevant information to business travellers’ mobile devices through a chat-based interface. The highly interactive, travel-savvy app supports business travellers with all aspects of travel via a conversational interface to answer questions, make recommendations and perform actions before, during and post trip. As of now, two versions of Sam are available to FCM clients and business travellers in the Middle East:  A premium version exclusively for FCM customers with additional features that are configured for these customers as part of their tailored rollout. These premium features include auto-synching the traveller’s bookings, integrated self-booking tool, live chat with an FCM consultant to provide service and make or amend bookings on the move; weather, restaurants, traveller tips and the option for the user to ‘share location’ as part of a mobile duty of care feature.  A basic free version  enables any user to add their trips manually, view weather, traffic and flight alerts, and connect with local ground transport options. Ciarán Kelly, Managing Director Middle East & Africa, FCM Travel Solutions, commented, “As a leading global TMC, we are the first to offer AI to our business travellers, and our Middle Eastern clients are now using Sam’s ground-breaking interactive and supportive features while they are on the move. Sam supports the business traveller, and the Travel Arranger in an organisation, understanding and reacting to their circumstances and enhancing their …