Category Archives: Aviation

Qatar Airways announced that it will be adopting Avios as the reward currency for all members worldwide from late March 2022. All Privilege Club members will experience a seamless transition into the loyalty programme’s new reward currency, Avios, with their existing Qmiles balances changing automatically to Avios on a 1:1 ratio basis. Privilege Club members will be provided even greater opportunities to accumulate rewards and leverage exciting new innovations in managing and spending with the change to Avios. In addition, members will retain their well-earned rewards balance and will be able to continue enjoying the redemption opportunities they currently have. Further details are available on www.qatarairways.com/Avios and more will be announced by Qatar Airways Privilege Club next month. Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, stated: “The transition from Qmiles to Avios marks a ground-breaking new era for Privilege Club, enabling our loyal members to participate in the most compelling loyalty network and the largest portfolio of partners in the industry. “As the World’s Best Airline, Qatar Airways continues to redefine loyalty through the adoption of exciting digital innovations to create unique world-class experiences for our members. We look forward to revealing more details of this exciting change over the coming weeks, as we explore even more ways to reward our valued members both on and off the ground.” IAG Loyalty owns and manages the Avios currency. CEO of IAG Loyalty, Mr. Adam Daniels, said: “Qatar Airways have recognised the power of Avios. By adopting Avios they will be able to offer their customers a wider range of benefits and support their business development ambitions. It’s an exciting step for IAG Loyalty as we extend our …

Dubai International (DXB) continues to be the world’s busiest airport by international passenger numbers for the eighth consecutive year after clocking 29.1 million in annual traffic in 2021.  DXB’s annual traffic exceeded forecasts for the year by more than half a million passengers, on the back of a strong last quarter. Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, described an eventful year which, despite the uncertainties of the global pandemic, contained many milestones that demonstrate several bold steps taken by Dubai and its aviation sector to lead the recovery of global air travel, including  the successful hosting of the Dubai Airshow 2021, the world’s first major airshow since the start of the pandemic, the return of DXB to 100% operational capacity with the reopening of Terminal 1-Concourse D and Concourse A, and the opening of the world’s largest in-house airport laboratory for fast-track processing Covid-19 PCR test samples for Dubai’s visitors. The airport also welcomed a record number of new airlines connecting Dubai to new destinations and joined the rest of the city in creating a warm welcome for millions of visitors to Expo 2020 Dubai. Describing DXB’s performance in 2021 as nothing short of impressive, Griffiths said, “Despite unprecedented turmoil affecting millions of people all over the world, we overcame many serious obstacles to the operation of the world’s largest international hub and provided smooth, comfortable and safe travel for millions of people travelling through DXB. This incredible performance by all of our staff and stakeholders was achieved in the face of abruptly changing travel regulations and concerns about new waves of infection. Despite these serious challenges to our ongoing success, we managed to exceed our own forecasts and continue …

Etihad Airways announced new flights to Greece’s largest island, Crete, set to commence on 15 June 2022 and popular routes to Malaga, Santorini and Zanzibar will also return for summer. Travellers with Etihad Airways can look forward to a new destination this summer, along with the return of popular seasonal routes to Europe and the Indian Ocean. Starting 15 June 2022, Etihad Airways will launch a seasonal twice-per-week service to Crete, the largest island in Greece. The flights are set to be operated on an Airbus A320 aircraft and will connect Abu Dhabi to the main city of Heraklion. Lying in the Aegean Sea, Crete offers travellers a rich tapestry of spectacular landscapes, cuisine and culture, with traditional villages and historic sites dating back thousands of years, such as the 4,000-year old Palace of Knossos. The airline will also return to Malaga, Santorini and Zanzibar this summer. All four destinations are set to be operated from mid-June. “Etihad Airways is delighted to provide travellers with more choice for their summer vacations in 2022,” said Martin Drew, Senior Vice President Sales & Cargo. “Crete is an ideal summer destination for travellers who are looking for a mix of beach and mountain adventures, and along with the hotspots of Malaga, Santorini and Zanzibar, makes for a perfect addition to Etihad’s summer network.”

Kuwait Airways announced that Mazyad Al-Mutairi, the Assistant Director of Ground Handling Department at Kuwait International Airport has been elected as the Chairman of the Airline Operators Committee (AOC) at Kuwait International Airport, through the voting of the members of the committee via electronic links in its regular electoral session for the year 2022. The members of the committee elected Al-Mutairi (representing Kuwait Airways) as the Chairman for a period of one year, while Dani Abi Oli was elected as first Vice-Chairman (representing Etihad Airways) and Mohammad Al-Hariri as the second Vice-Chairman (representing Saudi Airlines). In this regard the Director of Corporate Communication and Public Relations department, Wael Al-Hasawi stated, “Kuwait Airways is pleased to announce the selection of Mazyad Al-Mutairi as Chairman of the Airline Operators Committee (AOC) at Kuwait International Airport, and as representative of Kuwait Airways in the committee. Colleague Mazyad Al-Mutairi is among the national cadres who is distinguished and recognized for professional competence, having extensive experience in the Ground Handling sector and at the Kuwait International Airport in particular. He occupies a major role as representative of Kuwait Airways to develop and improve the services provided to our valued customers and for the continuous coordination with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation and in the interest of air traffic in the State of Kuwait.” Wael Al-Hasawi added that colleague Mazyad Al-Mutairi is guided with a comprehensive direction in his representation of the Company with a commitment of confirming the vision and recommendations of the Kuwait Airways Board of Directors, who have always been supportive to the functioning of the AOC Committee, since its first meeting in 2001. This is in addition to achieving the committee’s …

The Saudi Tourism Authority (STA) and Emirates have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to boost inbound tourism into Saudi Arabia and attract new segments of travelers across the airline’s extensive global network. The new agreement aims to capitalize on the airline’s global network of over 120 cities to raise awareness and amplify the Saudi Arabian experience for leisure travelers to come and visit the Kingdom’s unique attractions. The Memorandum of Understanding was signed in the presence of Mr. Fahd Hamidaddin, CEO and Board Member of the Saudi Tourism Authority and Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Chief Commercial Officer. Adil Al Ghaith, Senior Vice President Commercial Operations, Gulf, Middle East and Central Asia, and Muhammad Bassrawi, VP of the Saudi Tourism Authority were the signatories of the MoU, at a ceremony in Riyadh. Also present at the signing were other senior executives from both organisations. The MoU underscores the importance of partnerships within the travel eco-system and the role different stakeholders play to support a more resilient recovery. Under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), Emirates together with the Saudi Tourism Authority will explore opportunities to jointly collaborate on key initiatives to enhance the Kingdom’s global tourism competitiveness, including promotional activity and travel trade support across key global source markets to convert interest into bookings, sharing insights around market and customer trends, amongst other initiatives. Through the strategic partnership the airline will also explore opportunities to align its schedules from key source markets in the Emirates network to its gateways in Saudi Arabia, providing greater connectivity and convenience for its customers and further developing inbound tourism arrivals. Emirates and the Saudi Tourism Authority will also evaluate ways to enhance the travel experience that …

As part of its continuous endeavor to offer a variety of options to its valued customers, Kuwait Airways announced resuming operations of its scheduled commercial flights to the city of Najaf in the Republic of Iraq, from 5th February 2022 with two flights per week on Saturdays and Wednesdays. In this regard, KAC’s Chief Executive Officer, Engineer Maen Razouqi stated, “Kuwait Airways is pleased to announce the resumption of its direct flights to Najaf in the Republic of Iraq which is in accordance to meeting the requirements of passengers regarding expansion of Kuwait Airways’ network to various destinations and locations. This is particularly since the destination of Najaf is one among the significant destinations in demand for customers, which is popular due to its touristic sites and rich cultural history.” Razouqi added, “Kuwait Airways is keen on assisting its customers and providing them with every means of comfort while they travel onboard, in addition to offering its services in an integrated manner and to overcome all obstacles ahead of them, commencing with reservation of tickets, entry through Terminal 4, completing travel procedures, and until boarding the aircraft to enjoy a comfortable and safe travel.” Razouqi mentioned, “Kuwait Airways is dedicated to the comfort of its passengers and providing them with the best services, as it enables passengers of the Royal and First Class to carry three pieces of baggage weighing 32 kilograms per piece. Business Class passengers can carry two pieces of baggage weighing 32 kilograms per piece and passengers on Economy Class with two pieces of baggage of 23 kilograms each. Moreover, passengers travelling onboard Kuwait Airways, in all classes, can carry hand baggage that does not exceed 7 …

Gulf Air in coordination with Bahrain Authority of Culture & Antiquities (BACA) and Bahrain Tourism & Exhibition Authority (BTEA) today announced the airline’s presence in the Bahrain Pavilion at EXPO 2020 held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Beginning today and until the end of the major global event on March 31, the airline has created a space for visitors to Explore Bahrain and Explore Gulf Air with a series of videos and interactive elements to highlight the hub of the airline. Commenting at the airline’s participation at EXPO 2020, Gulf Air’s Acting Chief Executive Officer Captain Waleed AlAlawi commented: “We are delighted to collaborate with the Bahrain Authority of Culture and Antiquities and the Bahrain Tourism & Exhibition Authority to showcase our beautiful Kingdom and its national carrier at the Bahrain Pavilion. Visitors of EXPO 2020 in the United Arab Emirates are encouraged to connect with our brand, learn more about what we have to offer, and be guided on booking a trip to the Kingdom of Bahrain through gulfair.com.” Visitors are introduced to Gulf Air’s products and services along with a glimpse of the experience of flying on the national carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain, as well as being able to interact with the brand by scanning codes within the space. Additionally, content of the Kingdom of Bahrain along with codes that can be scanned by visitors to introduce them to touristic and cultural activities of Bahrain are on display, alongside exclusive footage of the Kingdom provided by the Bahrain Authority of Culture & Antiquities (BACA), Bahrain Tourism & Exhibition Authority (BTEA), and the Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB). The Bahrain Stopover, relaunched in December 2021 in collaboration …

Kuwait Airways announced the launch of 17 new destinations, in addition to the 40 existing destinations, bringing the number of destinations to 57, which will commence as of May. Kuwait Airways’ operation of new destinations from Kuwait will include to Malaga, Moscow, Sarajevo, Nice, Salalah, Sharm El Sheikh, Sohag, Alexandria, Mykonos, Bodrum, Trabzon, Vienna, Madrid, Casablanca, Manchester, Kathmandu, and Kuala Lumpur. In this regard, KAC’s Chief Executive Officer, Engineer Maen Razouqi stated, “Kuwait Airways is pleased to announce the operation of 17 new destinations to link Kuwait to the world, which comes within the framework of the Company’s preparations for the summer season that will witness a remarkable recovery in the movement of travel around the world. This is in addition to the fact that Kuwait Airways has selected a variety of destinations that are among the most important that the Company focuses on, due to its high demand for it by our customers of all segments, whether with the intentions of tourism, business or education.” Razouqi added, “This is also part of Kuwait Airways’ tireless efforts to provide passengers on its aircraft with more direct options to meet their travel requirements and to provide them better services by launching new destinations and various services.” Razouqi stressed on the Company’s keenness to attain the best levels of excellence in the services provided by the Company to its passengers, in addition to improving and developing all services to keep pace with the latest developments offered by the aviation sector around the world, as well as to achieving its desired objectives and to provide the best solutions to customers. It is worth mentioning that launch of Kuwait Airways new destinations comes as …

Dubai’s flag-carrier airline Emirates tops YouGov Travel and Tourism Rankings 2022 in the UAE, receiving the highest Impression score of +63.3 among the residents in the country. Last year, during the summer months when many destinations eased their travel restrictions, Emirates responded to the strong travel demands by ramping up its route to 90% of pre-pandemic coverage. Additionally, the continued emphasis on health and safety measures as well as making the process as contactless as possible with minimal interaction with people, together with the extension of Tier status deadlines by one year were all very well received by the public, contributing to the brand’s strong overall impression among the UAE residents. YouGov’s BrandIndex measures the public’s perception of brands on a daily basis across a range of metrics. The Rankings were compiled using the Impression score, which is a measure of whether a consumer has a positive or negative impression of a brand calculated by taking the average net score for the year 2021 (1st January 2021 – 31st December 2021). Emirates’ rival Etihad Airways is in second place with an Impression score of +40.5, while another popular airline Qatar Airways takes tenth (22.1) place in the rankings. The rest of the list is dominated by Hotels & Resort brands. Dubai’s most iconic hotel Burj Al Arab is placed third (+32.6). Last year, for the first time, the hotel opened its doors to non-guests (residents and tourists) to discover its most prestigious and inaccessible spaces, which might have helped the brand create a stronger positive impression among the people in UAE. Ocean-themed luxury resort Atlantis, the Palm is fourth (+28.7), followed by other five-star properties Hilton (+25.9), Jumeirah (+25.6), and …

Etihad Airways launched a new experience for families flying with Etihad. The airline has partnered with the award-winning theme park, Warner Bros. World™ Abu Dhabi, to launch a one-of-a-kind family friendly experience on board its fleet. Etihad’s new ‘Little VIP’ campaign recognises that young travellers are all very important people and aims to make travelling with children as easy and enjoyable as possible. The Park’s iconic Animation characters like Scooby-Doo, and Looney Tunes including Sylvester and his beloved nemesis Tweety, are emblazoned across the children’s activity packs given to guests travelling on longer flights with Etihad. The airline’s new children’s gifts are designed in three age ranges. For infants up to 2 years old, parents will be given a soft fleece blanket decorated with the faces of Tweety, Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and Sylvester for them to take home. Young flyers aged 3 to 8 years, will be given a drawstring bag featuring an activity book, crayons, memory card game and passport holder. Tweens and teens aged 9 to 13 will be delighted with a Scooby-Doo themed backpack featuring the Museum of Mysteries board game designed to promote Yas Island’s incredibly immersive indoor theme park, Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi. In addition to the Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi’s themed inflight gifts, Etihad is bringing a comprehensive family travel experience to life, through cabin crew and ground crew training to identify and support family travel needs. At Abu Dhabi International Airport, a dedicated family check-in space will be available for families with minimised queuing to make family journeys as smooth as possible. Thoughtful touches include a small set of stairs at check-in counters meaning young eyes can take a peek …