Category Archives: Aviation

Etihad Airways is restarting services to Rabat on 23 June 2021. As Phuket prepares to reopen to international vaccinated travellers, Etihad is recommencing services to the popular holiday destination on 1 July 2021.  Fares from Abu Dhabi to Rabat and Phuket start from just AED 995 return in Economy. This fare is limited on a first come first-served basis. The sale starts today, Wednesday, 2 June 2021 and ends on Friday, 4 June 2021. Guests who book between 5 and 9 June 2021 will enjoy return fares to Rabat starting from AED 1,995 in Economy and Business fares from AED 9,495. Travellers can jet off to Phuket in Business from AED 6,995. Sale fares are valid for travel until 20 November 2021. The Rabat service will operate with an initial twice-weekly flight and Phuket will be three times a week, using a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, offering Economy Space and Neighbour-free seating options. To simplify the travel experience and provide additional peace of mind, Etihad recently launched Verified to Fly, allowing guests to validate their Covid-19 travel documents before arriving at the airport. Travellers who use Verified to Fly can enjoy fast track check-in at the airport by going to the dedicated Verified to Fly desk for a quicker and smoother experience. To use the Verified to Fly service, guests can sign-up by visiting Manage my Booking and will receive further information on how to submit their documents. For more convenient travel options, guests can also check in for their Etihad flight from the comfort of their own home by visiting etihad.com/homecheckin up to seven hours before their flight. This means passengers can check in their bags, choose their seat and …

Wizz Air Abu Dhabi has announced the launch of its latest route to Chisinau, Moldova, starting on 4 September 2021. With the launch of Chisinau, Wizz Air Abu Dhabi has now on sale 25 destinations. The flight to Chisinau will be operated two times per week on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Tickets are already on sale on wizzair.com and the airline’s mobile app (also available in Arabic), with fares starting as low as AED 179*. The connection between Abu Dhabi and the city of Chisinau is further expanding the travel opportunities for UAE residents who would like to visit friends and relatives, travel for business, as well as offer unforgettable experiences to those who would like to discover new places. Chisinau is the capital city and the major industrial centre of Moldova, situated along the Bâcu (Byk) River in the south-central part of the country. A city with a rich culture, exquisite architecture, beautiful landscapes, tasty and unique cuisine, Chisinau promises to delight and surprise all visitors. Kees Van Schaick, Managing Director of Wizz Air Abu Dhabi said: “We are happy to announce a new route from Abu Dhabi to Chisinau following the update of the green travel list which included Moldova. As restrictions ease, the demand for travel is increasing and we are committed to providing additional travel opportunities to our customers by expanding our current network with new and exciting routes.” With the recent update of the green list of countries, passengers travelling from Moldova do not need to quarantine on arrival in the UAE capital. Passengers will need to take a PCR test on arrival into the UAE, on the sixth day after arriving, and on day 12 …

flydubai starts its operations to Naples in Italy. The three weekly flights to Naples International Airport (NAP) will commence on 01 July and offer passengers from the UAE more options for travel this summer. A quarantine-free travel corridor has been established between Italy and the UAE enabling passengers to travel between the two countries with less restrictions. A negative COVID-19 test result will be required 48 hours before departure from the UAE. On arrival in Italy, all passengers over the age of two years will be required to take a rapid antigen test. The safe travel corridor with Italy is the latest in a series of agreements signed by the UAE including those with Bahrain, Greece and Serbia. Hamad Obaidalla, Chief Commercial Officer at flydubai, said, “We are pleased to see more countries opening up for safe tourism and is a step in the right direction to speed up recovery and boost travel this summer. This is a good sign that confidence in travel is returning and the efforts taken by stakeholders in the tourism industry to safeguard every step of the journey will benefit our passengers. We look forward to restarting our flights to Naples, a much-anticipated destination on the flydubai network.” Commenting on the announcement, Jeyhun Efendi, Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations and E-commerce at flydubai, said: “we are excited to offer our passengers convenient travel options to some of the most popular holiday spots in Europe including Mykonos and Santorini. Naples is another popular destination for the summer and a great starting point to discover the beauty of the Amalfi coast. flydubai has made these European destinations more accessible for passengers from the UAE and the GCC …

Air Seychelles will operate more flights from Dubai to the Indian Ocean paradise this July to provide travellers more choice and convenience when planning their Eid al-Adha holidays. The weekly flights starting from 2 July until 24 July 2021 will depart from Dubai International Airport Terminal 3 on Friday mornings, returning from Seychelles International Airport every Thursday afternoon, providing visitors a full week of adventure in the Seychelles. To offer greater connectivity over the upcoming Eid break, the national airline of the Republic of Seychelles will operate an additional flight on 19 July 2021 from Dubai. Economy Class travellers can take advantage of the attractive fares starting from USD343 (AED 1,259), whilst Business Class travellers can book their seats at the starting fares of USD1,020 (AED 3,743). All fares are inclusive of taxes. Flights are now on sale via Air Seychelles website at www.airseychelles.com and through travel agents. Travelers to the popular holiday destination, irrespective of vaccination status, must have a negative COVID 19 PCR test certificate taken within 72 hours, with completed mandatory Health Travel Authorization at seychelles.govtas.com prior to departure from Dubai. With the average temperature ranging from 25 to 27 degrees Celsius in July, visitors can look forward to a break from the Dubai summer heat. Island hopping between the main islands, Mahe, Praslin and La Digue, famous for their white sandy beaches and vibrant coral reefs, will ensure tourists experience a picturesque and memorable escape. The flight schedule from Dubai Terminal 3 to the Seychelles from 2 July until 24 July, 2021.

Qatar Airways’ resumption of four-weekly Atlanta flights on 1 June marks the full return of the airline’s pre-pandemic U.S. network increasing its gateways to 12, two more than it operated before COVID-19. The airline will also be increasing frequencies to Boston, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Seattle offering more flexible travel options for its passengers with more than 85 weekly flights across the United States. These increased services will provide enhanced connectivity to several of the airline’s global leisure destinations including Cape Town, Maldives, Seychelles and Zanzibar, along with other key traffic flows in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said, “Despite the challenges of the pandemic, Qatar Airways has remained committed to its passengers and trade partners in the United States, maintaining continuous services while rebuilding its U.S. network and launching two new destinations – San Francisco and Seattle. We have also strengthened our presence in the U.S. through strategic partnerships with Alaska Airlines, American Airlines and JetBlue that have enabled us to connect to more points in the United States than any other airline, providing U.S. travellers the most convenient way to travel internationally this summer.   “As more of our passengers return to the skies, they can take comfort knowing that they are travelling with the only airline in the world that has, together with our state-of-the-art global hub Hamad International Airport, achieved four 5-Star Skytrax ratings – including the prestigious 5-Star Airline Rating, 5-Star Airport Rating, 5-Star COVID-19 Airline Safety Rating and 5-Star COVID-19 Airport Safety Rating. We are proud to have lead the industry during this difficult period, setting the benchmark for …

The key holiday destination of Málaga returns to Qatar Airways’ route network as Spain begins to ease travel restrictions for tourists. Málaga is a firm favourite with holidaymakers around the world, and fully vaccinated travellers will soon be able to visit once again whilst also enjoying Qatar Airways’ award-winning hospitality and service. His Excellency Akbar Al Baker, Group Chief Executive, Qatar Airways said, “As the world begins to open up again, we at Qatar Airways stand ready to take the lead in supporting the global economic and social recovery as demonstrated by our support for tourism in Spain. Spain has always been a strategically important country for our airline, as reflected by our deep partnership with Iberia and steady rebuild of our Spain network. “Our global network continues to rebuild and expand even in these challenging times.  Passengers booking with Qatar Airways can do so with complete confidence that they can make changes to their booking should factor outside their control disrupt their travel plans.” Málaga is a beautiful and cosmopolitan city nestled along Spain´s Costa del Sol in the southern Spanish region of Andalusia. The city offers a wide variety of activities for visitors to enjoy, such as exploring the historic Roman fort, basking on one of Málaga’s wonderful Mediterranean beaches, or visiting one of its many museums. Many travellers also combine a trip to Malaga with a visit to the Southern Spain hotspots of Marbella and Puerto Banus. Málaga became the third Spanish destination for Qatar Airways network in June 2018 and will be served by flights on Friday and Sunday from Doha, utilising one of the airline’s modern, sustainable and young Airbus A350-900 aircraft with seating for …

20th edition of the Airport Show concluded in Dubai after three days of successful run as key decision-makers from major airports in the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia (MENASA) met reputable exhibitors at the first international event of this nature since the outbreak of COVID-19 and bid goodbye with a renewed sense of optimism and positivity about regaining the lost tempo of growth and expansion. The overwhelming response to the show simply reflected the observation of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of Dubai Airports and Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group. Soon after opening the show, His Highness Sheikh Ahmed said, “The aviation industry has a history of successfully bouncing back from crises and the COVID-19 pandemic is no different. The setback is temporary and it will again be on the tracks of transformation.  As in the past, Dubai will in the future continue to lead in the industry’s resurgence through collaborations and cooperation.” Daniyal Qureshi, Group Exhibition Director at Reed Exhibitions Middle East, which organises the trend-setting trade show, said that the exhibitors had significant meetings with representatives of various organisations from the UAE, other GCC countries as well as from the Middle East region. It was quite encouraging to note people’s zeal to return to normalcy as soon as possible and use the current period to get ready to meet the demand as the situation improves. He said, “It was challenging to organise the show at such a critical juncture when the aviation industry has just started to show signs of recovery. But several national and international companies as well as regional buyers …

Wizz Air Abu Dhabi announced its flight schedule for summer 2022. For those wanting to plan ahead and have a summer holiday to look forward to next year, tickets are available now and can be booked on wizzair.com and the airline’s mobile app. Since launching in January 2021, Wizz Air Abu Dhabi now operates to 24 destinations, which will be open to book for 2022. Among the destinations are routes to Kazakhstan, Greece, Egypt, Oman, Ukraine, Israel, Serbia, Armenia, Georgia, Cyprus, Italy, Hungary, Poland, Bulgaria and Romania. The summer time in the UAE is the perfect opportunity to escape the heat and explore one of the many enriching destinations Wizz Air Abu Dhabi offers. From relaxing beach holidays to exploring cultural and historical hubs, there is something for all who are looking to unwind. Travellers can rest assured about booking in advance with Wizz Air Abu Dhabi thanks to the airline’s WIZZ Flex. With WIZZ Flex, passengers can cancel their flight up to three hours before departure without any fee and receive 100% of the fare immediately reimbursed in airline credit. Wizz Air Abu Dhabi is committed to providing travellers with greater access and opportunity to travel safely to unique and exciting destinations at an ultra-low-fare. With this in mind, the airline has introduced a new era of sanitised travel across its network, with enhanced hygiene measures to ensure the health and safety of passengers and crew. This the airline’s effective HEPA ventilation systems that fully circulate the air in the cabin 20 times an hour.  Wizz Air Abu Dhabi has the youngest fleet composed of four brand new state-of-the-art Airbus A321neo aircraft, offering the lowest fuel burn, emissions and …

Governing Board of the oneworld global airline alliance has appointed His Excellency Akbar Al Baker as Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, to serve as its Chairman. HH Al Baker will succeed current oneworld Governing Board Chairman Mr. Alan Joyce, Group CEO of Qantas Group. As Chairman of the oneworld Governing Board, HH Al Baker will oversee the alliance’s governance, chair oneworld’s Governing Board meetings and work closely with oneworld CEO Rob Gurney and the alliance’s management team. Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “As we emerge from some of the most challenging times ever facing the global airline industry, I am honoured to be chosen by my fellow board members to lead the Governing Board for oneworld, an alliance that has continued to expand since COVID-19 emerged, with the addition of two new members in Alaska Airlines and Royal Air Maroc. “I am also proud to lead an alliance that has set the benchmark for innovation, safety and customer service throughout the pandemic with many members, including Qatar Airways, taking the lead in trialing digital health passports. Qatar Airways has also enhanced bilateral relations with fellow oneworld members in the past 18 months, further demonstrating the strength of the partnerships between member airlines.” “The pivotal role airlines and aviation play in the global economy has never been more evident than this past year, with both passenger and cargo operations in the spotlight, supporting international efforts to protect lives and livelihoods. We have collectively enabled mobilisation of aid, medical supplies and key workers and I would like to pay tribute to all the teams who have worked tirelessly across the oneworld member airlines to support …

Wizz Air Abu Dhabi will fly two times per week from the UAE capital to one of Greece’s most stunning travel destinations: the island of Santorini. With Greece and the United Arab Emirates having opened a travel corridor earlier in May, vaccinated travellers can visit the alluring Aegean archipelago without needing to quarantine. Wizz Air Abu Dhabi will fly to Santorini from 2 July 2021 twice per week, every Monday and Friday. UAE passengers can fly into Greece without needing to quarantine on arrival in the country. They must provide a negative PCR test taken by swab up to 72 hours before the arrival, or hold a certificate of vaccination in English issued by a public authority, children 5 years of age and younger are exempted. The vaccination needs to have been completed at least 14 days before arrival to Greece. The certificate should include the full name of the passenger, the type of vaccine, the number of doses taken and the dates. When returning to Abu Dhabi, UAE residents and citizens who have been vaccinated for at least 28 days, and have received a vaccine report on the Alhosn app, will be able to fly into the UAE from Greece without having to follow quarantine restrictions. Passengers will have to take a PCR test 72 hours before departure, alongside taking another PCR test on arrival into the UAE, and another on the sixth day after arriving. Children 12 years of age and younger are exempted. Kees Van Schaick, Managing Director of Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, said: “With its iconic whitewashed villages and charming blue-domed roofs, it’s no surprise that Santorini is an ever-popular destination for travellers the world over. …