Category Archives: Aviation

Emirates will deploy its Airbus A350 across all seven weekly flights to Baghdad starting 1 January 2026. The A350 will replace the current Boeing 777 operating flights EK 943/944 four times weekly, offering customers it’s latest cabins for a more consistent travel experience on every flight. The introduction of the A350 across the full weekly schedule to/from Baghdad is part of Emirates’ commitment to delivering on its ‘Fly Better’ promise. Configured in three classes, the Emirates A350 offers 32 Business Class lie-flat seats in a 1-2-1 layout, 21 Premium Economy seats in a 2-3-2 configuration, and 259 spacious Economy Class seats in a 3-3-3 layout. Passengers can enjoy an elevated cinematic experience with the airline’s award-winning inflight entertainment system – ice, wider aisles, quieter cabins, and advanced lighting designed to reduce jet lag. The exclusive deployment of the A350 to Baghdad underscores Emirates’ long-standing commitment to Iraq and the wider region. The Airbus A350 was first deployed to Baghdad in August this year on flights EK941/942.

Qatar Airways has increased capacity to Kuala Lumpur, Lagos, Shanghai, and Singapore this winter season to meet the global demand on these routes. This increase in flight frequency is part of the airline’s broader winter schedule enhancements, which have already introduced additional frequencies to more than 15 major destinations, including Cape Town, Dublin, London, Phuket, and Toronto. The World’s Best Airline, as voted by Skytrax in 2025 for a record ninth time, continues to offer greater choice and connectivity through its Doha hub, the award-winning Hamad International Airport. The growing demand for Qatar Airways’ travel experience resulted in the airline offering nearly 3,000 additional flights this year. Qatar Airways service to Kuala Lumpur (KUL) Starting 17 December 2025, Qatar Airways flights to Kuala Lumpur (KUL) will increase from 14 to 17 weekly flights. The additional services will offer seamless connections between Southeast Asia and Jeddah, London, and Paris through Doha. Qatar Airways service to Lagos (LOS) Effective 15 December 2025 until 28 March 2026, Qatar Airways’ services to Lagos (LOS) will increase from 10 to 14 weekly. The increased frequency enhances connectivity between the Nigeria and Qatar Airways’ extensive global network of over 170 destinations, facilitating smoother travel for both business and leisure passengers to Delhi, Guangzhou, and London. Qatar Airways service to Shanghai (PVG) Effective 01 January to 28 March 2026, services will rise from 7 to 10 weekly flights to meet growing inbound and outbound demand from China. This frequency increase will further enhance connectivity between Asia and Qatar Airways’ key destinations across Algiers, São Paulo, and Warsaw.   Qatar Airways service to Singapore (SIN) From 12 January 2026, Qatar Airways will deploy the Airbus A380 on select flights …

The renowned double-decker will begin operating between Zayed Abu Dhabi International (AUH) and Narita International (NRT) on 16 June 2026, in time for the busy summer travel season. The world’s only three-room suite in the sky, delivering Etihad’s legendary flying experience, is on its way to Japan. Arik De, Chief Revenue and Commercial Officer, Etihad Airways, said: “As we bring our latest A380 back into service, we’re delighted to introduce our remarkable aircraft to Japan. Our guests consistently tell us they love the onboard experience. Our attentive cabin crew delivers dedicated service to every passenger, whether they’re travelling in Economy, Business, First or The Residence, our three-room suite in the sky. “We’ve seen strong demand from customers for more seats to Japan, and the A380 allows us to deliver that. The aircraft is particularly well-suited to this route, given the importance of business travel between the UAE and Japan, two nations with deep economic and cultural ties. Japan has always been a favourite destination for our guests, and this move reinforces our commitment to the market.” The increased capacity opens up the UAE’s capital to more Japanese travellers, whether as a stopover or a destination to explore. Tokyo joins Etihad’s A380 network alongside London, Paris, Toronto and Singapore, and flights on are available to book now. Step into a world of luxury on Etihad’s A380, where every guest is treated to a unique and elevated experience. First Class takes luxury to new heights with the First Apartments. These nine private spaces are equipped with designer tableware, a spacious leather lounge chair, and a separate ottoman that transforms into an 80″ lie-flat bed. First-class guests also have access to personal vanity units and the exclusive …

Emirates and OpenAI have entered into a strategic collaboration to advance AI adoption and innovation across the airline. The collaboration will entail enterprise-wide deployment of ChatGPT Enterprise, supported by tailored AI literacy programmes, technical exploration, and executive strategic alignment designed to embed AI capabilities across the organisation. Ali Serdar Yakut, Executive Vice President IT said: “We see enormous potential for AI technology to support our business requirements, helping us tackle complex commercial challenges, strengthening our operations, and enhancing the customer experience. Closely working with OpenAI will make our technology investments both strategic and scalable, enabling us to deliver enhanced value to our employees and customers, fundamentally changing how we innovate, deliver value, and maintain our competitive edge in the industry.” Rod Solaimani, Regional Director, MENA & Central Asia at OpenAI said: “Emirates Group has laid out a bold vision for how AI can transform the future of aviation. With this collaboration, we’re proud to help them bring that vision to life – embedding intelligence across their operations, empowering teams with powerful new tools, and reimagining the travel experience for millions of customers.” As part of their work together, Emirates and OpenAI will explore opportunities to introduce practical use cases, develop an internal AI champion network, and establish an AI Centre of Excellence. This collaboration will identify key areas for enhancing and expanding AI capabilities across the organisation, covering critical skills, processes and technology needed to power Emirates into the next era. Emirates stands to gain early access to cutting-edge AI research and emerging breakthroughs, as well as collaboration on government-led innovation projects and accelerators. Additionally, Emirates and OpenAI will jointly run dedicated leadership sessions to explore practical applications, build sponsorship and advocacy for AI initiatives, …

Etihad Airways and Vietnam Airlines are strengthening travel ties between the UAE and Vietnam with the launch of a new codeshare partnership. The agreement enhances Etihad’s recently launched service between Abu Dhabi and Hanoi. Etihad guests can now access key domestic Vietnamese destinations as well as popular destinations across Asia, with the convenience of a single ticket for the entire journey, one check-in, and automatic baggage transfer throughout. Abu Dhabi becomes the effortless bridge linking Vietnam to the Middle East, Europe, and Africa. Arik De, Chief Revenue and Commercial Officer, Etihad Airways, said: “This partnership with Vietnam Airlines delivers significant value to our guests by unlocking access to some of Asia’s most dynamic and popular destinations. Our new Abu Dhabi-Hanoi service has been warmly received, and this codeshare agreement transforms it into a gateway to Vietnam’s most exciting cities. “Combined with our frequent flyer partnership, which enables loyalty members of both airlines to earn and redeem miles across our combined global networks, this collaboration underscores our commitment to providing our guests with greater flexibility, broader reach, and superior travel experiences.” Nguyen Quang Trung, Director of Corporate Planning and Development, Vietnam Airlines, said: “Vietnam Airlines is pleased to advance our partnership with Etihad Airways through this new codeshare agreement, following the Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2024. The collaboration offers seamless access to Etihad’s network across the Middle East, Europe, and Africa, while allowing more travellers to experience Vietnam Airlines’ signature warmth and hospitality. Together with our expanded frequent-flyer partnership, this agreement enhances convenience, broadens destination choices, and strengthens tourism and economic ties between Vietnam and the UAE.” The codeshare will be implemented gradually, and Vietnam Airlines passengers will gain access to six …

Dubai Airports and flydubai have entered a new chapter in their collaboration with the signing of a Service Level Agreement (SLA), at the Dubai Airshow 2025, strengthening operational and financial efficiency across the aviation ecosystem. The new integration means Dubai Airports has successfully linked flydubai’s systems with its operational database (ODMP) and billing platform (VEOVO) resulting in a fully automated, auditable billing process that replaces manual, workflow with a more efficient, consistent, and standardised approach. What once took thousands of PDF pages and lengthy OCR checks is now handled instantly through the standard iXML format. Dubai Airports can now send invoices directly to flydubai in digital form, allowing the airline to import and verify them immediately, a task that previously took weeks. The new system greatly improves audit and compliance across all passenger charges. Historically, passenger billing for major carriers like flydubai was complicated by large data volumes and difficult verification, but this integration has effectively solved those challenges. Adil Al Fahim, Chief Financial Officer, Dubai Airports, said: “The Dubai Airshow is where the future of aviation takes flight, and today’s signing reflects that spirit. Our integration with flydubai transforms what was previously a long, manual, process into a fully automated, auditable system, strengthening trust, efficiency, and operational excellence across the UAE’s aviation landscape. By integrating our systems, we’ve not only enhanced transparency and efficiency but also set a new benchmark for how financial processes can evolve to support aviation excellence. This project supports the scalability for the DWC expansion, brings agility in decision making, strengthens financial resilience, improves liquidity, aligns with best practices, and the risk of human error.” The project, delivered within eight months, brought together teams from Dubai Airports …

Emirates and Air Canada announced a commitment to expand and extend their strategic partnership, building on the success of a three-year-old agreement between two of the world’s leading airlines. The renewed agreement will deepen their cooperation, lead to enhanced services for customers and cargo shippers, and create the potential for new gateways within Canada in the codeshare network. Since launching their strategic partnership in 2022, the airlines have already served more than 550,000 customers, connecting travellers across 56 codeshare routes linking Canada, the U.S., Dubai and key destinations around the globe. The carriers have signed a memorandum of understanding to extend the reciprocal codeshare and loyalty partnership until December 31, 2032. “Air Canada’s partnership with Emirates has been highly successful, and we are proud to renew it early, expanding its scope and extending its duration through 2032. This agreement strengthens our international strategy by supporting our daily, year-round service between Toronto and Dubai and providing customers and shippers seamless connections to destinations across the Indian subcontinent, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. Renewing this partnership is great news, not just for our customers – many of whom have family, cultural or business ties to these regions – but also for Canada, as it enhances our ability to connect the country to the world amid evolving trade and travel patterns,” said Mark Galardo, Executive Vice President & Chief Commercial Officer and President, Cargo at Air Canada. “Our strategic partnership with Air Canada has delivered exceptional results, and we are pleased to extend this collaboration through 2032. This agreement strengthens our passenger and cargo capabilities, enabling us to enhance customer experiences on codeshare flights while expanding network connectivity for travellers across both markets,” said …

The Jamaica Tourist Board continues with its “Discover Jamaica” webinar series for GCC-based travel professionals. Tune in today  19 November at 13:00 UAE Time. Designed exclusively for travel agents in the Gulf region, this session provides a comprehensive overview of Jamaica as a viable destination, equipping agents with the knowledge they need to confidently sell the island. The webinar will cover essential facts about Jamaica, including its key resort areas – Montego Bay, Ocho Rios, Negril, Kingston, Port Antonio, and the South Coast, highlighting their unique selling points, top hotels and resorts, and must-see attractions, from Dunn’s River Falls to the Blue Mountains. This webinar is a valuable resource to help travel agents design unforgettable Caribbean itineraries for their clients.

flyadeal announced the Holy City of Madinah as its fourth and newest base in the Kingdom. Two aircraft will be permanently positioned at Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport from 1 January 2026. flyadeal currently has operational bases in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam. Domestic scheduled flights from Madinah will be launched to four cities across the Kingdom – the southwest coastal city of Jazan; Tabuk in the northwest; Al Hofuf in the country’s Eastern Province; and Abha in the southwestern mountainous region of Aseer province.  Sabiha Gökçen International Airport in Istanbul will become the second international destination to be introduced direct from Madinah, with plans for further expansion beyond Saudia Arabia over the next few months. The additional flights will increase flyadeal’s existing capacity from Madinah by 30 per cent to 84 scheduled domestic and international services a week. flyadeal’s current Madinah operations cover domestic services to Dammam and Riyadh, plus international flights to the Egyptian capital, Cairo. The carrier also operates year-round Umrah services from several countries direct to Madinah, north of the Saudi port city of Jeddah. Steven Greenway, flyadeal Chief Executive Officer, said: “With scale comes opportunities. flyadeal has progressively increased its fleet size to 43 which allows us to now position aircraft across principal cities including Madinah where passenger demand simply demands our resources to be spread out. Madinah was a natural addition as a base given its prominence as the second holiest city in the Islamic world that draws pilgrims from all parts of the globe throughout the year.” Almost 70 per cent of flyadeal’s 43-strong narrowbody fleet of Airbus A320s is based at King Khalid International Airport in the Saudi capital Riyadh; 11 aircraft are positioned …

The largest ever edition of Dubai Airshow has opened at Dubai World Central (DWC) – Dubai Airshow Site. During day one, significant orders and deals were announced, including a multi-billion-dollar commercial order from Emirates, reaffirming the strong demand for air travel. Emirates announced an order for 65 Boeing 777-9 aircraft, powered by GE 9X engines, worth US$ 38 billion. In addition, Ethiopian Airlines committed to purchase 11 additional 737 MAX jets, which will enable the airline to grow its regional and international networks and expand its Addis Ababa hub. Boeing and TAAG Angola Airlines also announced an agreement to extend training programs for pilots. The pilot training programs will focus on competency and data-informed scenarios for both new student pilots and experienced professional pilots. Furthermore, Embraer signed an agreement with Airlink to support its new fleet of 10 Azorra leased E195-E2 jets. Further news from day one includes Airbus Helicopters welcoming Bristow Group, a global leader in innovative and sustainable vertical flight solutions, as the newest operator of the Airbus H160. It will introduce up to five H160s into its fleet for offshore energy missions across Africa. The UAE’s Tawazun council also announced eight deals totalling AED 3.766 billion, including contracts signed with Global Air Navigation Services (GANS), GAL, International Golden Group (IGG), Maximus Air, and Abu Dhabi Shipping Agency LLC (ADSA). flydubai placed a new order for 60 GEnx-1B engines from GE Aerospace to support its upcoming fleet of 30 Boeing 787-9 aircraft. The agreement also covers spare engines and a long-term service package that will support the airline as it prepares to begin long-haul operations. Tim Hawes, Managing Director of Informa Markets said: “Dubai Airshow 2025 opened with …