Category Archives: Aviation

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 …

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.

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 …

The Helicopter Company (THC) announced that it has signed a purchase agreement with Airbus Helicopters to purchase 10 H125 helicopters. The deal comes as part of THC’s commitment to further expand its fleet and introduce new services that fulfill market demand and support the development of the Kingdom’s wider aviation sector. Considered a multi-task aircraft, the Airbus H125 can carry up to six passengers and be easily reconfigured to suit varying requirements. THC will utilise the new additions to its fleet to roll out new services related to scenic tourism and aerial work such as filming, banner towing, and surveying. Commenting on the purchase agreement, Capt. Arnaud Martinez, CEO of THC said, “We are proud to be contributing to the advancement of Saudi Arabia’s tourism and aviation industries through our innovative air transport services that guarantee passengers a one-of-a-kind experience to relish the beauty of the Kingdom from above. I would like to thank our partners at Airbus Helicopters who have ensured we have reached an agreement that matches our requirements, and we look forward to furthering our collaboration in the near future. I would also like to extend our thanks to PIF for their enduring support since our founding as we work together to advance Saudi Arabia’s aviation industry.” “The H125 is the perfect helicopter for developing commercial operations in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as it is a powerful and truly versatile aircraft, particularly suited to hot and high environments,” said Ben Bridge, Executive Vice President of Global Business at Airbus Helicopters.

Etihad Airways announced the expansion of its partnership with AccesRail, the world’s leading provider of air-rail intermodal solutions. The partnership allows Etihad to use AccesRail’s expertise to enable its customers to book train and coach tickets in Europe in conjunction with their air fare using the airline’s online booking platform, or through their travel agency. Etihad’s guests can connect to and from their international flights to rail routes operated by major European railway companies using the airline’s ‘EY’ code, including an expanded network of seven rail routes on Germany’s Deutsche Bahn from Frankfurt Main Airport. The partnership with AccesRail has also been extended to the United Kingdom to include 16 destinations westbound from London Heathrow on Great Western Railway, and subject to final government approval, to 28 cities across Italy on the country’s primary rail operator, Trenitalia. Ali Saleh, Etihad Airways Vice President Alliances and Partnerships, said: “This is a tremendous product, which provides convenient rail or coach connections at some of our key gateways in Europe, enabling customers to commence their Etihad journey from multiple domestic points with the best fares available, all on the same itinerary and ticket. “As we aim to personalise the guest experience in-flight by providing more choice and greater customisation, we continue to source more strategic partnerships which will mirror this on the ground, giving options and benefits to the many who choose to travel with us in Europe. We soon hope to expand the partnership with AccesRail to more continents.” Andrew Popescu, Vice President Business Development, AccesRail said, “We are excited to be deepening our Etihad-AccesRail cooperation and look forward to continuing with Etihad on a global scale. Through this enhanced AccesRail partnership, …

Emirates announced it will resume passenger services to Birmingham (September 1), Cebu (August 20), and Houston (August 23). This will bring the airline’s network to 74 destinations, offering travellers convenient connections between the Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe and the Americas through its Dubai hub. Flights between Dubai and Birmingham will operate four times a week, while flights between Dubai and Cebu will operate two times a week, utilising an Emirates Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. Emirates’ flights between Dubai and Houston will operate three times a week, utilising an Emirates Boeing 777-200LR aircraft. The airline currently offers passenger services to five gateways in the United States including New York JFK, Washington DC, Boston (August 15), Chicago and Los Angeles – expanding its U.S. network to six cities, and offering 27 weekly flights to the country. Customers can book flights on emirates.com or via travel agents. Customers can stop over or travel to Dubai as the city has re-opened for international business and leisure visitors. 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.

flydubai announced the resumption of flights to Almaty and Nursultan in Kazakhstan from 18 August. Earlier this week, the carrier also resumed flights to Dhaka, Djibouti and Kuwait, bringing the total number of operational routes on its network to 24 destinations.Starting from 18 August, flydubai flight FZ 1735 to Almaty International Airport (ALA) will operate twice a week on Tuesdays and Fridays. From 19 August, flydubai flight FZ 1705 to Nursultan Nazarbayev International Airport (NQZ) will operate twice a week on Wednesdays and Saturdays. flights to Almaty and Nursultan will operate from Terminal 2, Dubai International (DXB). flydubai’s passenger experience has been redesigned to enable travel in a safe environment that minimises crew and passenger contact. Every passenger will receive a complimentary snack or meal onboard. During a flight, air is exchanged in the cabin every two to three minutes and is sterile when it enters the cabin after passing through high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters. flydubai’s aircraft are disinfected every day with manufacturer-certified cleaning products. The airline offers the flexibility to make a change to the date of travel, rebook to another flight or destination without any penalties. Any differences in fare may apply and tickets are subject to flydubai’s terms and conditions. flydubai has operated 831 repatriation flights since March, enabling more than 100,000 passengers to return home to 40 countries. flydubai continues to support government efforts to operate repatriation flights and more than 240 repatriation flights are scheduled in the upcoming weeks. Passengers are required to make sure that they are up to date with the regulations from the IATA Travel Centre for their whole journey, and follow the guidance issued by the authorities and the airline.

Air Astana will resume direct flights from Kazakhstan’s capital Nur-Sultan to Frankfurt on 18th August 2020, with services initially being operated four-times a week, increasing to a daily frequency by September. Flights will be operated using the latest Airbus A321LR aircraft, with flight times being 6h 20m outbound to Frankfurt and 5h 45m on the return to Nur-Sultan. Almaty to Dubai and Atyrau to Amsterdam services will be added on 17th August, together with Almaty to Kyiv on August 19. The flight schedule has also been updated to a morning arrival in Frankfurt, enabling maximum connectivity with partner airlines across Europe and North America. Air Astana’s fleet of A321LR aircraft boast 16 flat-bed Business Class seats and 150 economy class seats furnished with personalised inflight entertainment screens. The flight between Nur-Sultan and Frankfurt is operated in a codeshare partnership with Lufthansa. Basic Economy class fares departing Kazakhstan start from KZT 215,191 (Euro 440) and from KZT 1,065,418 (Euro 2,172) in Business Class return (inclusive of governmental taxes, airport fees and charges). Passengers with tickets for flights that had been cancelled owing to the earlier flight suspension can be re-booked onto flights from 18th August, without penalty. In accordance with German health regulations, all passengers (except those in transit) travelling to Germany from Kazakhstan must undertake a COVID-19 test at the point of departure within 48 hours of departure, or within 72 hours of entering Germany. Passengers will also be required to fill out two copies of a ‘passenger locator card’ during the flight. Passengers arriving to Kazakhstan should familiarise themselves with government health and quarantine regulations. Air Astana resumed its domestic network in May. Services to several international destinations recommenced …

As of early August, 45 airlines already connect Munich with 140 destinations, including 13 destinations in Germany, 18 destinations in Greece, 15 in Spain, 13 in Italy, 9 in Turkey, 7 in France, 5 in Croatia, 4 in Portugal, and 3 in Bulgaria. The North African destinations of Cairo (Egyptair) and Tunis (Tunis Air) are once again in Munich’s flight plan, along with two destinations in Canada, six in the USA, three in the Arabian Gulf, and three in the Far East. Air Canada, Emirates, Etihad, Lufthansa, Qatar Airways, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines have once again included Munich in their intercontinental route networks. This brings the non-European route network back to 14 destinations. The number of weekly departures in August has now reached 1,100 take-offs. Since the relaxation of travel restrictions throughout Europe, traffic at Munich Airport has been picking up again. This clearly shows peoples’ desire to travel again after the lock-down. In this context, the safety of passengers and employees is Munich Airport’s top priority. In addition to the mask mandate in effect in the passenger buildings, many measures contribute to enforcing social distancing and hygiene rules for extensive infection protection. With Lufthansa ramping up their hub operation step by step, hub traffic is also increasing again – already one in three passengers currently use Munich as a transfer airport again.

Travelport signed a new multi-year content agreement with Air New Zealand. The agreement also includes the continued use of Travelport Rich Content and Branding, the company’s leading airline merchandising tool.Under the agreement, Travelport will continue to support Air New Zealand by providing more than 68,000 Travelport-connected agencies around the world with real-time access to search, sell and book the airline’s content and inventory. With Travelport’s Rich Content and Branding solution, worldwide agencies will also be enjoying greater access and a graphically rich experience when searching and booking the branded fares and ancillary products of Air New Zealand.Commenting on the new agreement, Andrew Dale, Regional General Manager Sales & Alliances said, “We are looking to the future with this new agreement. Putting Air New Zealand’s award-winning and innovative products in front of the world’s travel agents, in a manner which does them full justice, will play a crucial role in the recovery of travel. Travelport has been a trusted partner with a proven track record for years, and we are happy to extend our partnership.” Sue Carter, Head of Asia Pacific, Air Partners at Travelport, commented: “In 2015, Air New Zealand was the 100th carrier to launch Travelport Rich Content and Branding, which is now being used by more than 300 airlines globally to differentiate their branded fares and increase upselling. Retailing excellence is more important now than it has ever been, and we are delighted to build on our partnership with Air New Zealand.”