Category Archives: Aviation

Kuwait Airways Chief Executive Officer, Eng. Maen Razouqi received the Ambassador of the United Kingdom to the State of Kuwait, H.E. Belinda Lewis, accompanied by Mr. Siraj Hatem, Senior Trade Adviser at the Embassy and Mrs. Samantha Kerry, Events Officer, and in the presence of KAC’s Chief Operations Officer, Captain Eisa Al-Haddad and the Director of Training, Captain Ali Al-Marri. The Chief Executive Officer, Eng. Maen Razouqi welcomed Ambassador Belinda Lewis at the Kuwait Airways headquarters, emphasizing on the extent of the long history of relations between the State of Kuwait and the United Kingdom. He also referred to the joint cooperation and bilateral relations between the two countries and the methods to develop them in all fields in general, and particularly to the aviation sector. Speaking to the Ambassador of the United Kingdom, Razouqi stated, “Kuwait Airways is proceeding, according to well-thought-out and effective plans in moving forward towards expanding its network of operations around the world, with the launch of new and diverse destinations that suit the preferences of its customers and meet their aspirations. Accordingly, the Company will launch its scheduled flights to Manchester in the United Kingdom from 1st May 2022, with three flights per week on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays.” Razouqi stated that Manchester as a destination is of great importance to Kuwait Airways’ customers, pointing out that the selection came after an increased demand for it as a distinct destination for tourists, especially in the summer season, which is expected to witness an unprecedented boom in the tourism, travel, and hospitality sectors. Razouqi explained that Kuwait Airways currently owns a new young fleet, supported by the latest technology that keeps pace with all the …

Oman Air Holidays, the tour operating arm of Oman Air – has launched a digital platform giving locally owned and operated SMEs in travel and tourism sector greater online presence and visibility in front of a broader range of international customers. Helping local SMEs digitize their offer is a commitment Oman Air Holidays has undertaken in recent months to help empower local tour operators, guides, hotels, and other small business and solopreneurs in Oman’s growing leisure and hospitality ecosystem. “Empowering Omani SMEs through digitization initiatives brings them out of the shadows and into the spotlight where they can truly shine as local service and product providers,” said Mundher Yaqoob Al Shaikhani, Senior Manager Oman Air Holidays. “Creating opportunities where SMEs can flourish is a key component of the tourism pillars contained in Oman Vision 2040, and Oman Air Holidays is proud to do its part to help. Our platform is connected to a truly global audience and we know it will give local SMEs a step up in the right direction as we continue our efforts to attract more inbound tourists to Oman.” The new digital platform now connects local SMEs to a larger, growing network of international partners associated with Oman Air Holidays. In 2021, Oman Air Holidays partnered with several international travel operators, including WebBeds (a division of Webjet Limited), to enhance its digital booking experience and to provide more choice, flexibility and convenience to guests in search of innovative custom holiday packages. It also introduced stopover packages offering the flexibility to discover some of the most desirable tourist spots in and around Muscat.

Air Arabia Abu Dhabi announced the introduction of a new service to Istanbul city in Turkey, starting from April 29, 2022. Abu Dhabi travelers will now be able to fly direct to Sabiha Gokcen International Airport, Istanbul at competitive prices, as of the below schedule: Schedule to Istanbul, effective April 29, 2022 (all times local) Flight Departure Time Arrival Time Aircraft Frequency 3L  361 Abu Dhabi 12:00 Istanbul 15:55 Airbus A320 Friday/Sunday 3L  362 Istanbul 17:00 Abu Dhabi 22:30 Airbus A320 Friday/Sunday Adel Al Ali, Group Chief Executive Officer, Air Arabia, said: “We are glad to add Istanbul, the largest city in Turkey, to our growing tourist hotspots with direct flights from Abu Dhabi. The new Abu Dhabi to Istanbul service offers our customers a unique opportunity to discover the historic city which straddles Europe and Asia across the Bosporus straits, the new route reflects our commitment to continuously offer our customers affordable and value driven air travel from our different hubs.” The new service represents the 17th route for Air Arabia Abu Dhabi since the launch of the carrier’s service from Abu Dhabi International Airport in July 2020. Customers can now book their direct flights between Abu Dhabi and Istanbul by visiting Air Arabia’s website, by calling the call center or through travel agencies.

Kuwait Airways announced the operation of its scheduled commercial flights to the city of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, via Bangkok, Thailand, commencing 2nd June 2022, with three flights a week on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Kuwait Airways Chief Executive Officer, Engineer Maen Razouqi stated, “Kuwait Airways is pleased to announce to its customers the operation of its flights to the capital city of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, which is one of the most important and new destinations of Kuwait Airways, selected after extensive and systematic research due to its historic and touristic attractions along with its rich, diverse culture. Moreover, Kuala Lumpur also distinguishes itself as a suitable destination for holidays throughout the year and is considered the cultural, financial, and economic center of Malaysia.” Razouqi added, “The launching of Kuala Lumpur as a destination emanates from within the framework of the Company’s strategy to expand its network to various destinations and locations that will cover most countries of the world, with an excellent reach, and meeting the requirements of the local, regional and global aviation market, especially for the summer season, during which we expect to witness recovery and tremendous demand from passengers, that will significantly encourage tourism and travel around the world in general and the State of Kuwait, in particular for the benefit of the tourism and hospitality sector. Moreover, Kuwait Airways is relentlessly striving to provide diverse and newer options that meet the requirements and aspirations of its customers to travel by providing special promotional offers for those destinations that witness great demand during the holiday season and to acquire major operating shares in the global market.” Razouqi mentioned, “Launching the Kuala Lumpur destination is in response to …

Emirates has announced the second daily flight on its Dubai-Melbourne route, served by its flagship A380 aircraft. Starting 1 May, the airline will offer customers fourteen weekly services from Dubai to Melbourne.  The expansion of services is supported by the Victorian Government to help fast-track the return of international flights to Melbourne and bring more visitors to the state. The additional daily frequency between Dubai and Melbourne will grow Emirates’ seats to over 1,000 a day totalling 700,000 a year between the airline’s global Dubai hub and Victoria, with 516 seats on each flight. Travellers can choose from 14 First Class suites, 76 lie-flat seats in Business Class and 426 ergonomically designed seats in Economy Class. Tickets can be booked on emirates.com, the Emirates App, or via both online and offline travel agents. From 1 May, Emirates’ additional daily flight will depart Dubai daily at 10:05hrs, arriving in Melbourne at 05:30hrs the next day. From Melbourne, the flight will depart at 05:15 and arrive in Dubai at 13:10hrs. The additional flight will join the existing service which flies daily from Dubai, departing at 02:40hrs and arriving at 21:50hrs in Melbourne. From Melbourne, the flight departs at 21:15hrs and is scheduled to arrive in Dubai at 05:15hrs the next day. All times are local. The addition of the second daily A380 service will also offer customers more convenience with the option of choosing a morning or evening flight, for optimal onwards connection opportunities when they stop in Dubai.   Before the pandemic, international flights brought more than 3.1 million visitors to Victoria each year and injected $8.8 billion into the economy. Emirates carried 22 per cent of the 1.3 million passengers …

The eyes of the world will be on Qatar for the Final Draw of the 22nd edition of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ on Friday 1 April, to witness the grouping of all teams for the flagship competition. The much-anticipated ceremony will be held at The Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre, starting at 19:00 (Doha time). The Final Draw will be graced by a delegation of Qatar Airways’ senior management who will be present to share the excitement amongst several former champions of the prestigious tournament in attendance. Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “What was once a dream is now a reality. Many world-class footballers will be present to play their part in deciding who will face who in this year’s FIFA World Cup™ in Qatar.” H.E. Mr. Al Baker added: “As the Official Airline Partner of FIFA, we offer fans from around the world unique travel packages, inclusive of match tickets, flights and accommodation options, guaranteeing an unforgettable experience from start to finish. We want to utilise our global network to reunite the world in Qatar for what will truly be a once-in-a-lifetime sporting event.” With 29 out of the 32 participants confirmed at the time of the Final Draw, qualified teams will be separated into four pots based on the latest FIFA Men’s World Ranking. Pot four will include three placeholders representing the two intercontinental play-off winners and the European play-off winner, who will only be determined in June. Guests attending the Final Draw event will be able to experience the World’s Best Airline’s multi-award-winning Qsuite Business Class, which will be featured in a designated area. Qatar Airways is inviting …

As part of its relentless pursuit for network expansion and within its strategic objectives to provide greater options to its valued customers, Kuwait Airways announced the operation of its scheduled commercial flights to Sharm El-Sheikh, in the Arab Republic of Egypt, where the Company will operate two flights per week on Wednesdays and Saturdays, starting from 4th May 2022. Kuwait Airways Chief Executive Officer, Eng. Maen Razouqi stated, “Kuwait Airways is pleased to announce to its valued customers the launching of one of its most important and newest destinations for the summer season, which is Sharm El-Sheikh, which is our fourth destination to the Arab Republic of Egypt, in addition to Cairo, Alexandria and Sohag. Sharm El-Sheikh is one of the destinations of great importance due to its high demand for it by our customers and because of its landmarks and touristic attractions which is an excellent option for spending the summer vacation.” Razouqi added, “Kuwait Airways is keen to launch a variety of different destinations that meet the requirements of its valued customers. In the past weeks, we had announced the launch of 17 new destinations, linking Kuwait to the world, in an effort to meet the growing demand. Therefore, Kuwait Airways renders great attention to the comfort and service provided to customers, as well as offering them with the opportunity to travel on Kuwait Airways aircraft to their preferred destination.” Furthermore, the Chief Executive Officer, Eng. Maen Razouqi received the Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt to the State of Kuwait, H.E. Osama Shaltout and his accompanying delegation at the Company’s headquarters where the two sides discussed methods to enhance cooperation between the State of Kuwait and …

Oman Air and SalamAir announced greater cooperation to align both airlines’ networks for passenger growth in and out of Oman. This new cooperation will further expand the offering of outbound destinations available to guests in the Sultanate while enhancing the choice of flight options available to international guests travelling to Oman. Commenting on the new cooperation, Eng. Abdulaziz Al Raisi, Chief Executive Officer of Oman Air, said “This is a landmark moment for aviation in Oman and signals the start of closer alignment between Oman Air and SalamAir at a time when the sector is starting to show signs of recovery. Offering passengers more convenience and connectivity is something both airlines do well, so cooperating on strategic routes makes perfect sense for us. The significance of this cooperation is further strengthened within the context of Oman’s Vision 2040 Strategy, where both airlines play a crucial role as enablers of the Strategy’s tourism pillars through enhanced travel options into Oman.”

More than 700,000 passengers are expected to depart from DXB’s Emirates Terminal 3 over the course of the next two weekends, as travellers head off for their spring break holidays. With the lifting COVID-19 related travel restrictions in 16 countries, Emirates customers will be able to swiftly check-in without the need to present Covid-19 related medical documents, and in some countries passenger locator forms are also not required.  These countries include the UK, Portugal, Italy, Jordan, Mauritius, Maldives, Austria, Bahrain, Denmark, Hungary, Ireland, Norway, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Spain and Switzerland. Travel restrictions remain in place for other destinations and Emirates customers should check that they have their documents in order ahead of their flights on www.emirates.com/travelrequirements, to ensure a smooth process at check-in. Emirates also urges passengers to arrive at the airport at least 3 hours prior to their flight departure, and ensure they have all the required documents as mandated by their destination. In addition to departures from Dubai, close to 620,000 passengers will be arriving on Emirates flights during that same period, as many make their way for their spring break holidays in Dubai, and to experience Expo 2020 before it ends on 31st March. Emirates check-in options: Check in desks, self-service kiosks: Emirates’ customers may check in as early as 24 hours before their flight departure using the 32 self-service bag drop machines and 16 check-in kiosks available at Terminal 3, or at Emirates’ check-in desks. Passengers travelling to the US can check in 12 hours before departure at Emirates’ check-in desks. Customers using the self-service kiosk will receive their boarding passes on the spot, but must still complete their immigration formalities no later than 60 minutes …

With the Airports Council International (ACI) predicting global passenger traffic recovering by end of 2023 to 2019 levels, airports, especially in the Middle East region, have started sharply focusing on their sustainability and ‘green’ goals. More vulnerable to climate changes than most regions due to limited water supplies and harsh summers, the Middle East is expected to see its aviation market reaching the US$23.07 billion mark in 2026. The region is seeing airports using environment-friendly reclaimed wood, daylighting systems and water treatment technologies. With officials becoming focused on sustainability to ensure a better future for the airport industry, Reed Exhibitions Middle East is focusing on sustainability at the world’s largest airport industry B2B platform that will be organized from May 17 to 19 at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC). The 21st edition of Airport Show, under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of Dubai Airports, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group, will provide insights about airports facing the sustainability challenge. Airport show, in partnership with dnata, will launch e-Apron zone. The e-Apron zone will provide exhibitors an opportunity to display electric and hybrid ground handling equipment and GSE. Reducing the carbon footprint is a key target for dnata as a world-leading air and travel services provider at 129 airports and we expect more exhibitors will join our efforts for more sustainable operations, said Raed Younes, Vice President, UAE and Regional Business Development at dnata. The airport operations have a sharp focus on reviewing the intensity of environmental impacts like carbon emissions, energy consumption, air and noise pollution, waste management and biodiversity. They are practising …