Category Archives: Aviation

Emirates is increasing its capacity on flights from Dubai to Brisbane commencing today (16 December), in line with the easing of local government restrictions on international travel after the state achieved its target to reach a double-dose vaccination rate of 80 per cent. From 5 February, Emirates flights to Perth will also operate at full capacity for eligible vaccinated travellers. With the return to full capacity on inbound international flights into Queensland flight EK430 from Dubai to Brisbane can carry more than 350 passengers per flight, and will be operated with a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft in a three-class configuration. Emirates is also increasing its weekly capacity on the route by boosting the frequency of flights EK430/431 between Dubai and Brisbane to five times weekly, effective 1 January 2022, with the potential to increase in line with demand. Meanwhile, frequency on flights EK420/421 on the Dubai-Perth route will also increase to five times weekly to accommodate more Australian citizens and residents returning home as well as international travellers planning to visit the Western Australian destination. To Brisbane, eligible overseas travellers will no longer have to quarantine in state facilities and can now self-isolate at home, based on a series of requirements stipulated by the Queensland government. Furthermore, vaccinated travellers arriving in Perth will not be subject to quarantine but will be required to follow Western Australia’s guidance on arriving international passengers with proof of fully vaccinated status. Tickets can be booked by visiting www.emirates.com or through preferred travel agents. “Emirates is excited to increase our inbound capacity to Brisbane and Perth as part of the continued return of international travel across the country. As the demand for international travel grows by …

Emirates announced it will operate double daily flights to Seychelles from 24 December 2021, until 9 January 2022 to serve market demand during the busy holiday season.* The added service will offer customers more travel choices, flexibility and enhanced connectivity to the island-nation. Emirates currently operates a daily flight to Seychelles utilising its Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. The second daily service will boost tourism to the popular Indian Ocean destination this winter holiday, especially from popular inbound markets including France, Germany, U.K., Russia, Italy, Switzerland, Poland, U.S., UAE, and KSA. The added flight from Dubai to Mahe will operate as Emirates flight EK707, departing Dubai at 10:20hrs and arriving in Mahe at 14:55hrs, local time. The added flight from Mahe to Dubai will operate as Emirates flight EK706, departing Mahe at 08:35hrs and arriving in Dubai at 13:10hrs, local time. From 10 January 2022, the airline will serve the country with 10 weekly flights, including a double daily service on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Tickets can be purchased on emirates.com, Emirates Sales Office or via travel agents. Earlier this year, Emirates renewed its commitment to Seychelles by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Seychelles Tourism Board at Expo 2020. The agreement reaffirms the airline’s commitment to the island-nation, and outlines various initiatives to promote trade and tourism to the country. *Excluding 29th and 30th December, 2021 *Subject to government approvals

Gulf Air and the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibition Authority announced the activation of a number of unprecedented offers for passengers of the carrier. These offers will give Gulf Air’s passengers the opportunity to stop in Bahrain, obtain hotel reservations, and use tourist facilities through various tailored packages and offers, before continuing on to their final destinations. In this regard, the Acting Chief Executive Officer of Gulf Air, Captain Waleed AlAlawi stated: “The cooperation between the airline and the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority comes within the framework of joint and integrated work to advance the tourism and travel sector as a whole in Bahrain, where Gulf Air will utilize all its capabilities and expertise to assure success of this cooperation and achieve its goals”. Captain AlAlawi added, “With the addition of more destinations on our network, these tourism packages will be promoted on a wider scale and attract more tourist travelers from various countries, especially with continuous updating and easing of restrictions on entry to Bahrain. Eligible passengers that can obtain visa on arrival for the Kingdom of Bahrain can book these packages on gulfair.com for a stopover of up to five nights whenever they fly through Bahrain International Airport”. Chief Executive Officer of the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibition Authority, Dr. Nasser Qaidi said: “The aim of launching these offers is to attract more tourists and visitors to Bahrain, and to offer them a variety of tourism and entertainment activities that they can choose from to suit their tastes, needs and budget. We are pleased to cooperate with Gulf Air in order to achieve this goal, and to implement this exciting initiative that will revitalize the tourism sector in Bahrain …

Oman Air has signed a service agreement with Paul Maxence Lounge at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport, offering complimentary access for its business class passengers. The agreement coincides with Oman Air’s route resumption between Muscat (MCT) and Paris (CDG), which took effect on 31 October 2021. Business class passengers and Sindbad Gold tier members can access the lounge for free, while economy class passengers can purchase access to the lounge for USD 70. Stylishly appointed and equipped with a full range of amenities, Paul Maxence Lounge offers welcome respite from busy airport crowds and provides passengers a quiet, private space to dine, work or freshen up before their flight. “In signing this service agreement with Paul Maxence Lounge, Oman Air business class passengers and Sindbad Gold members flying from Paris can now enjoy an enhanced travel experience that combines comfort, elegance and convenience in an exceptionally relaxing space,” said Rocio Jolivet, Oman Air Country Manager for France. “Oman Air economy class passengers can also access the lounge for a fee and elevate their travel journey with the sophistication of French hospitality.” Complimentary WI-FI, à la carte menu prepared to Halal-certified standards offering hot and cold food and beverages, shower facilities, outdoor smoking terrace, and prayer room are just some of the amenities available to lounge visitors between 06:00 am and 10:00 pm daily in Terminal 2A.

Etihad Airways and ITA Airways have signed a codeshare agreement connecting the networks of the two airlines. This new commercial partnership is designed to boost business travel and tourism between Italy and the United Arab Emirates, and will offer travellers more options and better connectivity when travelling through Rome Fiumicino, Milan Malpensa and Abu Dhabi. Available for sale today for flights from 14 December 2021, ITA Airways will apply its ‘AZ’ code on services operated by Etihad between Italy (Rome Fiumicino and Milan Malpensa) and the United Arab Emirates (Abu Dhabi). Similarly, Etihad will codeshare AZ flights connecting Italian domestic services beyond Rome Fiumicino Airport (Genova, Bari, Brindisi, Catania, Palermo) plus regional European services (Malta). The new codeshare flights are now available for sale through the airlines’ respective websites (ita-airways.com and etihad.com), reservation systems and in travel agencies. The partners are also working together to expand the scope of their cooperation over the coming months to offer customers even more seamless travel options.

With the end of school term and the start of the holiday season, Emirates is expecting over 1.1 million passengers to pass through Terminal 3 at Dubai International during this busy travel period which will run through until 21 December. This weekend will see a peak surge of close to 250,000 travellers departing from Terminal 3. Customers are encouraged to arrive at the airport at least three hours prior to their flight departure and ensure they have all the required documents for their destination before proceeding to the check-in desk. To expedite their airport experience and ensure a smoother departure, passengers can choose to avoid the rush by physically checking-in 24 hours before their flight departure, drop off their bags and collect their boarding passes, using the 32 self-service bag drop machines and 16 check-in kiosks available at Terminal 3.* Customers using the self-service kiosk must still complete their immigration formalities no later than 60 minutes before their flight departure. Customers can also opt to check in online up to 48 hours and until 90 minutes before their flight departure and download digital boarding passes on their mobile phones for select destinations. Customers who check in less than 60 minutes before departure will not be accepted for travel. To speed up the process even further, customers can also utilise Emirates’ biometric path in Terminal 3 for a contactless journey from specific check-in desks, Emirates lounges and boarding gates. The biometric path allows customers to complete immigration formalities and board their flights with virtually no document checks and queuing. Once checked in, passengers are advised to ensure they arrive to their boarding gate on time. Gates open 90 minutes before departure, …

Wizz Air announced that 90% of its crew members are now vaccinated, following its 1 December deadline requiring flight and cabin crew to be vaccinated – or get regularly tested at their own cost – unless they recently recovered from COVID-19. The requirement underpins the airline’s commitment to protecting the health and safety of its passengers and employees. Following Wizz Air’s announcement in September to introduce COVID-19 vaccines for all its flight and cabin crews, the airline can confirm that their vaccination rate is ahead of the average vaccination rate in most of its markets. The policy does not mandate vaccination, however crew members who are not vaccinated will have to cover the cost of their own testing from December 1 onwards. Unvaccinated crew members, who can provide medical proof of exemption, will be able take antigen/PCR tests on regular bases. The decision to require crew to have the COVID-19 vaccine reflects research which demonstrates the vaccine’s effectiveness as the best available form of protection against COVID-19. Wizz Air has also organised regular webinars and one-to-one consultations with virologists to educate its staff about the vaccines, and answer any questions the employees might have. Johan Eidhagen, Chief People Officer of Wizz Air Group said: “We are pleased to announce that 90% of our flight and cabin crew members are already vaccinated. At the start of the pandemic, we led the industry with our stringent health and safety measures, as we fully understand the responsibility to protect crew and passengers onboard by mitigating the risks of COVID-19, and we recognise the crucial role that the vaccine plays in this.”

Exactly 13 years after it first connected Abu Dhabi to Moscow, Etihad Airways launched its inaugural flight to the new state-of-the-art International Terminal C at Moscow Sheremetyevo Alexander S. Pushkin International Airport (SVO). Operated by a 787 Dreamliner, Flight EY63 departed Abu Dhabi International Airport at 9.35am and landed in Moscow at  2.25pm on 2 December, where it was greeted with a welcoming ceremony including and a delegation of government ministers, the UAE Ambassador to Russia and senior SVO executives. The return flight back to Abu Dhabi, EY64, departed Moscow to similar fanfare at 3.50pm. The delegation was led by H.E. Dr. Mohammed Al Jaber, UAE Ambassador to Russia, Tony Douglas, Group CEO, Etihad Aviation Group; Ali Al Shaiba, Executive Director of Tourism & Marketing at DCT; and Mikhail Vasilenko, General Director of SVO Airport. Tony Douglas, Group Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Aviation Group, said: “After 13 years connecting our two capital cities, we’re delighted to introduce the 787 on this route and move to Russia’s newest and most sophisticated airport, providing better connectivity for guests between Abu Dhabi and Moscow in support of our objective to grow trade and tourism opportunities between our two countries.” “Supported by an increased daily flight schedule providing Russian holiday makers and business travellers with even more opportunity to visit the UAE, this is the start of a new phase in relations building on the strong economic ties between Moscow and Abu Dhabi.” To complement the move to SVO, Etihad continues to work with Aeroflot to enhance and develop its partnership, including the launch of codeshare services across the respective networks, and exploring other areas of cooperation to enhance guest benefits. UAE citizens are …

Kuwait Airways launched its first scheduled commercial flight to Bangkok in the Kingdom of Thailand, operating four flights per week on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturday recently. The ceremony of resuming the first flights to Bangkok at Terminal 4, was attended by the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Thailand to the State of Kuwait, His Excellency Rooge Thammongkol and his accompanying delegation from the Embassy, who were received by the Director of Public Relations and Media department- Fayez Al-Enezi, Director of Ground Handling department- Abdullah Al-Huwailah and the Assistant Director of Ground Handling Department, Kuwait International Airport- Mazyad Al-Mutairi. The first flight to Bangkok witnessed the implementation and completion of comfortable and convenient travel procedures for passengers and meeting their requirements to the fullest, who in turn appreciated Kuwait Airways’ employees for their services from the entrance of Terminal 4, to the check-in area, until reaching the boarding gate, as well as providing them with the best services on board, in addition to KAC’s adherence to its schedule in the departure and arrival of its flights. In this regard, the Director of Public Relations and Media department, Fayez Al-Enezi stated, “Kuwait Airways is pleased to announce resuming of its direct and scheduled operations to the city of Bangkok, Thailand and we are honored by the presence of His Excellency Rooge Thammongkol, the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Thailand to celebrate the launch of the first flights after its suspension due to the Covid-19 pandemic.” His Excellency the Ambassador was also briefed on the operating procedures followed at Terminal 4, where he expressed happiness on the convenient and speedy completion of procedures extended to passengers on the flight to Bangkok as …

Oman Air has resumed with effect from 1st December 2021 direct service on its Muscat-Zurich-Muscat route. The route resumption coincides with Oman Air’s 10th anniversary flying to Zurich (ZRH) from its base in Muscat (MCT). Initially introduced on 2nd December 2011, the route was paused temporarily due to the unprecedented pandemic and subsequent downturn in global aviation and travel. Due to strong demand for the route, however, and with the reassurance of its 5-Star COVID-19 Airline Safety Rating from Skytrax, Oman Air is once again delighted to welcome its valued guests on board. In a scaled-down, socially distanced ceremony held at Zurich Airport, Lina Samman, Oman Air Country Manager for Switzerland, accompanied by several Zurich Airport officials, spoke to passengers, local press, and airline partners ahead of the departure of flight WY 154 from Zurich to Muscat. “This evening’s flight from Zurich to Muscat not only resumes scheduled passenger service, but also marks ten years of exceptional service, connecting travellers to the Sultanate of Oman’s natural beauty, its cultural richness, and the genuine kindness and openness of its people.”