Category Archives: Aviation

Korean Air extends multi-year content agreement with Travelport

Travelport announced the renewal of a multi-year content agreement with Korean Air, the country’s largest airline and national carrier.Under the agreement, Travelport will continue to provide Korean Air’s content and inventory to more than 68,000 Travelport-connected agencies around the world, enabling them to search, sell and book the airline’s fares. Kenneth Chang, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Korean Air, commented, “As travel recovers, Korean Air fully intends to be leading the way. Our partnership with Travelport has proven itself many times over, and its global network remains a cornerstone of our plans for international growth.” Sue Carter, Head of Asia Pacific, Air Partners at Travelport, added, “We’re extremely pleased to continue supporting Korean Air’s ambitions to be a global aviation leader with our technology solutions. Taking advantage of cutting-edge advancements like New Distribution Capability will be crucial for airlines to lead in a world of heightened traveller expectations, and we look forward to further extending our support with Korean Air in time to come.” In addition to providing Korean Air content to travel agencies around the world, Travelport is also supporting Korean Air’s organization-wide digital transformation with its Data and Business Intelligence, as well as Airline Insight solutions. These tools provide timely analysis and insights which help airlines recognise and respond to market trends swiftly. A founding member of the SkyTeam airline alliance, Korean Air was recently rated one of the top three airlines in the world in the 2020 Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice Awards for Airlines.

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Amman to rejoin Emirates network from today

Emirates

Emirates will resume passenger services to Amman, Jordan from today. The resumption of flights to the Jordanian capital takes the number of destinations Emirates serves in the Gulf and Middle East to eight cities, as the airline gradually resumes operations with the safety of its customers, crew and communities as its top priority.Flights from Dubai to Amman will operate as a daily service on the Emirates Boeing 777-300ER and can be booked on emirates.com or via travel agents. Emirates flight EK903 will depart Dubai at 1500hrs, arriving in Amman at 1655hrs. EK 904 will depart Amman at 1900hrs, arriving in Dubai at 2300hrs. Passengers travelling between the Americas, Europe, Africa, and Asia Pacific can enjoy safe and convenient connections via Dubai, and customers can stop over or travel to Dubai as the city has re-opened for international business and leisure visitors. Ensuring the safety of travellers, visitors, and the community, COVID-19 PCR tests are mandatory for all inbound and transit passengers arriving to Dubai (and the UAE), including UAE citizens, residents and tourists, irrespective of the country they are coming from.

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Lufthansa to increase weekly flights on Frankfurt-Dubai route starting September

Lufthansa has announced that it will ramp up flight operations on its Frankfurt-Dubai route in September by 30 per cent, an increase of eight flights compared to the month of August. The addition of new flights follows the airline’s resumption of scheduled services from the UAE in early July in view of the steady growth in demand for intercontinental travel. There will be a total of five flights a week from 3 to 13 September and four weekly services as of September 14, 2020. Heinrich Lange, Senior Director Sales, Gulf, Afghanistan and Pakistan, Lufthansa Group, commented, “As an unparalleled mode of transportation that provides speedy connections between people, places and goods, aviation has become an integral part of modern life. The suspension of air travel due to border closures and mobility restrictions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic had caused significant inconvenience to people around the world. At Lufthansa Group, we are working towards resuming regular operations to all our destinations to meet the needs of our customers.” “We are pleased with increasing weekly flight operations on our Frankfurt-Dubai route. Our decision to increase services is in response to strong demand for flights between the two major cities and to the growing number of destinations offered via our hub. The recent revelation by the authorities in Dubai that the emirate’s main airport has been witnessing a massive increase in passenger numbers, with more than 20,000 travellers daily, is truly encouraging and underscores the need and importance of our flight services for the UAE,” Lange added.

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flydubai offers passengers free global cover for COVID-19

flydubai

flydubai has announced that passengers booking with flydubai for travel between 01 September and 30 November 2020 will automatically receive free global cover for COVID-19.The new service covers passengers’ health expenses and quarantine costs if diagnosed with COVID-19 during their trip and is valid for 31 days from the time they take their first flight on their itinerary. The service enables passengers to benefit from coverage for their medical expenses up to EUR 150,000 and quarantine costs up to EUR 100 per day for 14 days. Hamad Obaidalla, Chief Commercial Officer at flydubai said, “The safety of our passengers and crew remains our highest priority. The new COVID-19 cover we are offering to our passengers will encourage more people to travel with ease of mind knowing that they will be looked after at every step of their journey. We see the demand for travel starting to increase as more countries gradually lift restrictions on international travel. Safeguarding the passenger journey with added precautions and enhanced procedures will help to stimulate the flow of trade and tourism globally.”

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Tajawal and MediClinic introduce travel guidelines for international travellers

Tajawal has entered a strategic partnership with Mediclinic to offer UAE based travellers planning their international trips a 20% discount on their pre-travel PCR tests, which are considered a mandatory requirement at a number of destinations across the world. Upon making a flight or hotel booking through tajawal, travellers will receive their booking confirmation emails which they can present at select Mediclinic establishments in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Al Ain to avail the discount on their PCR tests. Muzzammil Ahussain – EVP, tajawal commented, “With International travel slowly returning, our customers will expect more from us when booking their flights and accommodation, prioritising the need to know crucial information such as the safety guidelines for airports, hotels and in destination procedures. We understand that obtaining the latest travel safety and destination updates when planning an International trip can be confusing during these times, therefore have created a dedicated online portal comprising all the necessary safety information travellers would need to come to a travel decision. Our team of experts aggregate and maintain data from over 100 sources, through which the safety guidelines content is carefully vetted and updated to ensure accuracy, offering travellers access to the latest developments on travel guidelines from key destinations across the globe”. “We have also partnered with Mediclinic to ensure that our travellers have access to highest-quality testing facilities when undergoing pre-travel PCR tests. Through this partnership, we hope to offer our customers more flexibility and confidence to travel all the while armed with a valid PCR test health assurance that will encourage them to revive their delayed travel plans and explore the world” Ahussain added.

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Etihad Airways enhances its mobile App to provide added benefits

etihad

Etihad Airways has extended its digital reach with an update to its mobile application for Android, Apple and Huawei smartphones, enabling guests to manage their journey with even greater ease. New key features allow guests to purchase upgrades or other extras, use Etihad Guest Miles as a form of payment or choose from 10 other payment options, including Travel Bank, which have been added to the booking flow. Frank Meyer, Chief Digital Officer, Etihad Airways said, “To increase flexibility during the coronavirus pandemic, we established Travel Bank, an account which guests can use for future redemption on flights. With the new app, guests are now able to book their next flight with travel credits they have saved while being unable to fly due to travel restrictions. As we strive to make travel as convenient as possible, this is a step forward in our innovation strategy.” The refreshed mobile app is simple to use and allows guests to manage their details, book flights with voice search and enrol into the airlines loyalty programme, Etihad Guest. Uber and Google Maps are now also integrated into the app to direct travellers to and around the airport. If the status of a flight should change, an update is automatically pushed to guests through the app.

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Texel Air welcomes arrival of Boeing 737-700 Flexcombi in Bahrain

Texel Air announces the arrival of the latest addition to its fleet, the Boeing 737-700 FlexCombi, a first of a kind aircraft conversion developed to provide the most versatile third party cargo charter solution available in the market today. The aircraft arrived at the Company’s private hangar at the Bahrain International Airport where it was greeted by H.E Engineer Kamal bin Ahmed Mohamed, Minister of Transportation & Telecommunications alongside other VIPs and the management and Board members of Texel Air. George Chisholm, Chief Executive Officer for Texel Air’s parent company Chisholm Enterprises, added, “From our strategic position in Bahrain, a growing regional hub for aviation and logistics, we will operate this versatile aircraft, serving an international roster of clients that have long awaited a solution that provides them with unmatched levels of flexibility.” He continued, “We would also like to thank the Ministry of Transportation & Telecommunications’ Civil Aviation Affairs for the support we have received throughout the development process, which has been excellent. The supportive ecosystem and infrastructure found in Bahrain’s aviation sector has been instrumental in allowing us to achieve the kind of innovations like the FlexCombi. Among the factors setting Bahrain’s aviation sector apart, and fostering our success, are the benefits of its investment strategies including its Free Trade agreements and open approach to start ups from outside, the Kingdom’s strategic geographic location, which makes it very well placed to serve the broader region, the Civil Aviation’s many strong bi-lateral ties and the deep experience and specialist expertise in its aviation services industry that has enabled us to bring in a unique aircraft that is more complicated than a standard passenger or cargo aircraft to be based …

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Abu Dhabi Airports welcomes passengers travelling aboard Middle East Airlines

Abu Dhabi Airports has welcomed Lebanese travellers arriving at Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) with special gifts upon their disembarkation from Middle East Airlines (MEA) flight ME418. The arriving travellers were greeted by AUH’s Wellness Ambassadors, in celebration of the arrival of the first MEA flight since March 2020. In line with the gradual resumption of commercial flights at Abu Dhabi International Airport, Middle East Airlines has resumed its flights between Beirut, Lebanon and the UAE capital. Abu Dhabi International Airport has implemented a range of health and safety measures including a team of specially trained Wellness Ambassadors to support passengers by answering common questions relating to keeping healthy during travel, encouraging social distancing, monitoring the regular sanitisation of surfaces, communicating testing and isolation procedures, and providing hand sanitiser and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as masks and gloves to passengers. Abu Dhabi International Airport has also introduced touch-less elevator technology as well as Sterix Gatesterilisation booths designed to safely disinfect a person within as little as three seconds. Other new technologies and precautionary measures deployed at the airport include thermal scanning cameras that incorporate the latest Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology and cameras with facial recognition capabilities and heat motion sensors.

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Etihad Guest unveils new deals and offers

Etihad Guest has launched exciting new offers for members to enjoy, from points transfers to discounted redemptions and more.Members who convert a minimum of 5,000 Etihad Guest Miles from other loyalty programmes between now and August 31, 2020 will receive one Tier Mile for every mile transferred, encouraging guests to help maintain or even upgrade their Tier status which will enable them to enjoy additional benefits. Points can be transferred from other loyalty programmes including, Air Miles, Citibank, Emirates NBD, Etisalat and First Abu Dhabi Bank. Robin Kamark, Chief Commercial Officer, Etihad Aviation Group said, “In addition to the many deals that Etihad Guest is unveiling, we are currently offering a massive sale on miles redemption with a 30% discount on Guest Seats, hotel stays and car rentals when booking with Travel Rewards, valid for travel until 31 May 2021. Selected items on the Reward Shop are also discounted by 30%. We hope our members will enjoy taking part in these summer prizes”. UAE members who have the Etihad Guest mobile app will also save 30% when they redeem their miles through the app at Aldar malls across Abu Dhabi and Al Ain (WTC, Yas Mall, Al Jimi Mall) until 27 August 2020.In partnership with the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, members can take advantage of unbeatable brand discounts of up to 80% until 31 August 2020 across 21 malls participating in the summer-long Unbox Amazing promotion in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Al Dhafra. Additionally, 1,000,000 Etihad Guest Miles, among other prizes are up for grabs as part of a series of Shop & Win prize draws. Members who spend more than AED 200 at any …

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