Category Archives: Aviation

As part of its continuous endeavour to gradually return to normal operation and provide a variety of options to its valued customers, Kuwait Airways announced the resumption of its scheduled commercial flights to Baku in the Republic of Azerbaijan as of 18th November 2021, with two flights per week, on Sundays and Thursdays. In this regard, the Director of Public Relations and Media Department Fayez Al-Enezi stated, “Kuwait Airways is pleased to announce the operation of its direct flights to Baku, Azerbaijan, as this comes within the framework of Kuwait Airways keenness to launch new destinations that meet the requirements of its valued passengers, and provide different options and alternatives for them, especially since Baku is one of the destinations that has been witnessing tremendous demand in recent times because of its tourist and historical attractions, rich in diverse cultures, as well as its moderate climate throughout the year.” Al-Enezi added, “Kuwait Airways is constantly striving to serve its valued customers and provide them with all means of comfort while they travel on board, in addition to providing its services to its passengers in an integrated manner and overcoming all obstacles ahead of them; commencing with the reservation of tickets, entering Terminal 4, completing travel procedures, and boarding the aircraft to enjoy a comfortable and safe travel.” Al-Enezi concluded by extending appreciation for all the tangible efforts by all government agencies operating at the Kuwait International Airport and for their best efforts to serve the country and citizens. It is worth noting that Kuwait Airways had earlier launched several permanent and summer destinations as part of its gradual return to normal operations from mid-June until now, which include London, Sarajevo, …

Emirates and TAP Air Portugal are further expanding their existing codeshare arrangement by adding 23 more destinations to the partnership from 2 November. This brings the total number of destinations where customers can enjoy seamless connectivity to over 90 points. TAP Air Portugal will place its code on popular Emirates flights to four additional Asian destinations – Hanoi and three Japanese gateways – Narita, Osaka and Haneda, subject to government approval. Emirates will place its code on TAP Air Portugal operated flights to 19 additional destinations via Lisbon. They include Belem, Brasilia, Belo Horizonte, Fortaleza, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Maceio, Natal, Porto Alegre, Recife, Salvador, Praia, Sal Island, Sao Vicente, Conakry, Ponta Delgada, Porto Santo, Terceira and Dakar. Adnan Kazim, Chief Commercial Officer, Emirates Airline said: “The further expansion of the Emirates – TAP Air Portugal partnership attests to the strong collaboration of both airlines and our shared commitment to provide customers with seamless connections to and from Portugal. By leveraging our mutual networks through codeshare flights, we enable our customers to travel to more places on a single ticket with a one baggage policy and fare conditions. We look forward to bringing more benefits to our customers through this partnership”. Silvia Mosquera, Chief Commercial & Revenue Officer of TAP Air Portugal said: “TAP Air Portugal is pleased to be able to implement this expanded partnership with Emirates, allowing our customers greater geographic access, with particular emphasis on destinations in the Middle East and Asia. TAP is eager to be able to take Emirates customers to more cities in Portugal and to our destinations in the Americas and North Africa, aboard our modern fleet of state-of-the-art aircraft, in an …

Etihad Airways recently operated its most sustainable flight ever, leveraging the learnings and efficiencies developed over the last two years of its comprehensive sustainability programme to reduce carbon emissions (CO2) by 72% in absolute terms compared to the equivalent flight operated in 2019. The London Heathrow to Abu Dhabi flight is part of the Etihad Greenliner Programme – a two-year partnership between Etihad and Boeing using Etihad’s Boeing 787 fleet as a test bed for sustainability improvements in partnership with organisations across the industry. It required huge collaboration across the aviation ecosystem to deliver a sustainable in-flight product, coordination with airspace management for optimised flight routing, new technology flight deck tools, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), contrail reduction and airport handling processes. In an industry-first, EY20 was the first commercial flight to explore contrail-avoidance. Working with UK-based SATAVIA, the team identified potential areas of ice super-saturated regions in the atmosphere where harmful contrails are likely to form, and the flight route was adjusted to avoid these areas. Based on the original and adjusted flight plan, the strategy avoided the production of approximately 64 tonnes of CO2e, with a fuel penalty of only 100kg, or 0.48 tonnes CO2. “These are noteworthy savings,” said Mohammad Al Bulooki, Chief Operating Officer, Etihad Aviation Group. “When Etihad committed to achieve net zero, it was acknowledged that it was only possible if the airline worked collaboratively and positively with our industry partners. That is exactly what Etihad has done with the Sustainable Flight. Of equal importance, Etihad, Boeing and its partners – airports, ANSP, and suppliers – used the flight to learn where further improvements could be made. Talking after the flight, Tony Douglas, Group Chief …

Emirates has signed 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 joint initiatives to promote trade and tourism to the country. The Memorandum of Understanding was signed by Ahmed Khoory, Emirates’ SVP Commercial West Asia & Indian Ocean, and Sherin Francis, Principal Secretary Tourism Department, Tourism Seychelles. The agreement was signed in the presence of H.E. Mr Sylvestre Radegonde, Minister for Foreign Affairs & Tourism and Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Chief Commercial Officer. The ceremony was also attended by Emirates executives: Orhan Abbas, SVP Commercial Operations Far East; Abdulla Al Olama, Regional Manager Commercial Operations Far East, West Asia & Indian Ocean; Oomar Ramtoola, Manager Indian Ocean Islands; Silvy Sebastian, Business Analysis Manager West Asia & Indian Ocean; and executives of Tourism Seychelles: Bernadette Willemin, Director General Destination Marketing Tourism Seychelles; and Noor Al Geziry, Tourism Seychelles Middle East Office. Ahmed Khoory, SVP Commercial West Asia & Indian Ocean at Emirates, said: “Emirates has shared strong ties with Seychelles since 2005 and the island nation remains a very important market for us. The agreement signed today is a strong testament to our commitment and support to the island-nation. We thank our partners for their ongoing support and we look forward to continue growing our successful partnership.” H.E. Mr Sylvestre Radegonde, Minister for Foreign Affairs & Tourism, said: “Emirates airline has been constant and steadfast with their support towards Seychelles and we are indeed grateful for that. Therefore, we would like to express our support for the coming year with the hope that it will be a better year for both Seychelles and the airline.” The …

Etihad Airways has announced the launch of flights to the holy city of Medina from 27 November 2021. Medina will be served three times weekly from Abu Dhabi using a modern two-class Airbus A321. Fatma Al Mehairi, Vice President Sales UAE at Etihad Airways, said: “We look forward to reconnecting Abu Dhabi with Medina, a city of enormous historic and religious significance for Muslims around the world. Our flights will support the growing demand for religious travel and strengthen the existing air links between the UAE and Saudi Arabia, a key travel market for Etihad Airways.” The service has been timed to provide religious, leisure and business travellers in the UAE and Saudi Arabia with convenient flight options as well as connect seamlessly to major cities in the Indian Subcontinent and Asia for those travelling to and from Medina through Abu Dhabi. Located in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia, Medina is a three-hour flight from Abu Dhabi. The city is home to Prophet Mohammed’s Mosque and burial site and an important holy place for Muslim pilgrims. The country’s two Holy Mosques in Mecca and Medina are allowing full-capacity attendance for worshippers who are fully vaccinated following an easing of restrictions earlier in October 2021. Medina will be Etihad’s fourth destination in Saudi Arabia after Dammam, Jeddah and Riyadh. The route was established in 2014 but was temporarily suspended in 2020 as a result of travel restrictions following the COVID-19 pandemic. Guests flying to Medina are not required to quarantine if they are fully vaccinated with either two doses of Pfizer, Oxford AstraZeneca or Moderna, or one dose of Johnson & Johnson, or have received two doses of Sinopharm …

With Australia’s borders set to re-open to international travellers from November, Emirates is welcoming the move by enhancing its operations to the country to meet pent up demand for travel into and out of Australia. With vaccination rates in New South Wales having reached their target, and Victoria being not far behind, the two states will allow vaccinated travellers to return to Australia without quarantine. In response to the easing of travel restrictions, from 2 November Emirates is stepping up the frequency on flights EK414/415 between Dubai and Sydney to daily operated by a Boeing 777-300ER. Flights to Melbourne will operate as a four-weekly service as EK408/409, with the potential to increase in line with demand. In another positive sign that the recovery is well underway for Australia, capacity on flights to Sydney and Melbourne will return to 100%, allowing 354 passengers across all cabins to travel on its flights. Australian citizens, permanent residents and their immediate family members will be able to enjoy unrestricted travel once again to and from the two points for the first time since the pandemic began, whether travelling abroad to global destinations for leisure or finally travelling home to visit family or friends, as long as they are vaccinated against COVID-19 with a TGA-approved vaccine. From 1 December, Emirates’ flagship A380 aircraft, will also return to the Australian skies once again, serving the Dubai-Sydney route, on a daily basis. The much-loved aircraft will offer 516 seats in a three-class configuration, with 426 seats in Economy Class, in addition to its premium cabins, with 76 and 14 seats in Business Class and First Class, respectively. Commenting on the airline’s ramp up of operations to Australia …

Emirates has reaffirmed its long-standing partnership with the Maldives by extending a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Tourism. His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline and Group met His Excellency Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, President of the Republic of the Maldives, at the Emirates Pavilion in Expo 2020. The Memorandum of Understanding was signed by Ahmed Khoory, SVP Commercial West Asia & Indian Ocean at Emirates and Dr Abdulla Mausoom, Minister of Tourism Maldives, and Mr Thoyyib Mohamed, CEO and Managing Director, Maldives Marketing and PR Corporation. The ceremony was also attended by: Adnan Kazim, Chief Commercial Officer at Emirates; Abdulla Al Olama, Regional Manager Commercial Operations Far East, West Asia & Indian Ocean at Emirates; Chandana De Silva, Manager Sri Lanka and Maldives at Emirates; Hamad Ustadi, Business Analysis Manager at Emirates; Fathimath Nilfa, Permanent Secretary Ministry of Tourism Maldives; Mohamed Khussan, Senior Policy Director Ministry of Tourism Maldives; and Fazeela Ali, Executive Director Ministry of Tourism Maldives. Ahmed Khoory, SVP Commercial West Asia & Indian Ocean at Emirates said: “Maldives is a very integral market in Emirates’ network and we are very pleased to be renewing our commitment to the island-nation today. Emirates has proudly served the country for more than 34 years and we look forward to continue strengthening our long-standing partnership, and to boosting the country’s trade and tourism industry.” Dr Abdulla Mausoom, Minister of Tourism Maldives, said: “With over 1,000 flights and visits from 170,000 passenger arrivals to the Maldives this year, Emirates Airline continues to be a very important partner in Maldives Tourism success story. Ministry of Tourism is confident that this tri-party MOU between …

Oman Air will resume flights between Muscat and Paris from 31st October 2021. The flights will operate three times weekly on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, departing Muscat at 14:45 local time and arriving in Paris at 19:25 local time. Flights from Paris will depart at 21:10 local time and arrive in Muscat at 07:10 local time on Monday, Thursday and Saturday. All flights are scheduled to operate with Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Oman Air will maintain its comprehensive safety program throughout all elements of the travel journey to ensure that guests fly confidently. Masks are required when guests are on board the aircraft and in Oman’s airports. Distancing is maintained while guests board and exit the aircraft, which are carefully cleaned after each flight and at the end of every day. Cabin crew all wear a full set of personal protective equipment, meal service has been modified to further ensure safety, and a number of other measures have been implemented to ensure that the airline’s guests and crew are safe at all times. Guests who are planning to travel to Muscat should visit the Civil Aviation Authority website, caa.gov.om, to ensure they are prepared to comply with requirements to enter the Sultanate. Guests travelling to Paris should ensure they are aware of official requirements to enter or transit through the country. Guests departing from Oman should also ensure that they are aware of all pre-departure requirements and requirements during their flights, which are provided at omanair.com      

Qatar Airways has announced it will operate flights three times a week to Odesa, Ukraine from 9 December 2021, becoming the second destination to be served in Ukraine by the national carrier of the State of Qatar. The service will be operated by the airline’s state-of-the-art Airbus A320 featuring 12 seats in Business Class and 120 seats in Economy Class. Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “We have been operating to the Ukraine since August 2017 and our launch to Odesa marks a milestone in our history with the country. Odesa is rightly known as the pearl of the Black Sea and we look forward to bringing visitors from around the world to explore its rich cultural history as well as further afield along the coast and inland in the south west of Ukraine. “Equally we are excited to offer leisure travellers from Ukraine access to our expanding network such as our Indian Ocean winter sun destinations including the Maldives, the Seychelles and Zanzibar. The route will also connect Ukrainians with friends and family across the globe from Sydney, Dubai and Bangkok.” With flights to more than 85 destinations in Asia-Pacific, Africa and the Middle East passengers wanting to travel to or from Odesa can now enjoy seamless connectivity via the ‘Best Airport in the World’, Hamad International Airport. Equally, passengers can look forward to great hospitality onboard delivered by our much admired cabin crew serving award-winning cuisine, and entertained with a huge variety of movies, TV shows and music on Oryx One, Qatar Airways’ in-flight entertainment system. Environmental concerns are of huge importance to Ukrainian customers, and Qatar Airways’ strategic investment in a …

Qatar Airways Holidays has launched extensive travel packages for the inaugural FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2021™ welcoming global football fans to enjoy the finest Qatari hospitality and follow their favourite team in person. The region’s showpiece tournament will take place from 30 November to 18 December, 2021. As Privilege Club is the Official Frequent Flyer Programme of the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2021™, members can earn double Qmiles when they purchase a travel package, including a hotel stay of three nights or more by 31 October 2021. New members who join Privilege Club can also enjoy a sign-up bonus of 1,500 Qmiles when using the enrolment code JOINMEPC21. Fans will be offered the flexibility to build their own package for the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2021™ which includes flights with Qatar Airways, the Official Airline Partner of FIFA. The ‘Build Your Own’ feature will give them the functionality to choose their preferred travel dates, hotel accommodation and match tickets. Customers can secure access to bookings by visiting https://www.qatarairwaysholidays.com/qa-en/fifa-arab-cup-2021/overview. Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker said: “Not only will this tournament showcase the country’s readiness for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, but it will help us unite football fans from the Middle East and North Africa. With over 140 destinations to choose from, our network will provide them seamless connectivity across the globe. It is time for us to kick off with these unique travel packages and give people a memorable taste of Qatari hospitality, and reignite the region’s collective passion for football.” The tournament will take place exactly a year before the much-awaited FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ inaugurates and will serve as an opportunity to …