Category Archives: Aviation

KLM will expand its network with the opening of Riyadh in Saudi Arabia. Riyadh is an entirely new destination for Schiphol. KLM Royal Dutch Airlines will adjust the flight schedule for flights between Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and the Gulf States in the Middle East. KLM is slowly and carefully expanding its European and intercontinental network. In doing so, KLM aims to offer its customers as much choice of destinations as possible. Adding Riyadh as a new destination will strengthen KLM’s network in the Middle East and help keep it robust. The opening of Riyadh means an increase in the number of destinations, but not in the number of flights to the Middle East, because Riyadh will be combined with an existing destination. The total number of flights KLM operates from Schiphol is far from the pre-corona crisis level. “Our passengers’ safety, comfort, well-being and health remain our highest priority. All of our flights are operated with additional sanitary measures to ensure our passengers safety. We are humbled to be among the first European airlines resuming flights to the Middle East, offering travel solutions to Paris, Amsterdam and beyond. We profoundly thank our customers for their patience and the authorities involved for their continuous support,” said Yeshwant Pawar, General Manager, Air France KLM, Gulf, Iran and Pakistan.

Etihad Airways has expanded its hand baggage only ‘Deal Fare’ which allows travellers to purchase lower fares in Economy Class if no checked baggage is required, to include destinations across Europe and Asia.  The ‘Deal Fare’ includes a complimentary carry-on baggage allowance of 7kg and was initially only available on flights between Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt and Azerbaijan. Throughout July and August 2020, Etihad is introducing the ‘Deal Fare’ on new routes including: Belarus, Greece, India, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Serbia, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, Sudan and Turkey. Robin Kamark, Chief Commercial Officer, Etihad Airways said, “Following its success within the GCC region, we are excited to include more destinations that are six hours or less from Abu Dhabi to our ‘Deal Fare’, giving our guests more options to pack light when travelling for business, weekend getaways or day trips. However, due to current government restrictions in place while travelling during the COVID-19 pandemic, guests are only allowed to bring 5kg of personal hand luggage on board while the complimentary 7kg carry-on baggage allowance attached to the ‘Deal Fare’ will be checked in for free until restrictions are lifted.”  Etihad Guest members who purchase the ‘Deal Fare’ can continue to enjoy an additional free checked baggage allowance (Etihad Guest Silver – 10kg, Etihad Guest Gold – 15kg and Etihad Guest Platinum – 20kg).

Etihad Airways is all set to collaborate with Mediclinic Middle East to offer its UAE-based travellers a convenient COVID-19 PCR testing service at their home, or at a Mediclinic facility, prior to their travel. This development is part of the airline’s Etihad Wellness sanitisation and safety programme, recently introduced to ensure the highest standards of hygiene are maintained at every stage of the customer journey. Some destinations may require a negative COVID-19 PCR test result before departure. Guests travelling to all Etihad Airways destinations can also make use of the Mediclinic service, as well as those crossing the Abu Dhabi border from other emirates to reach Abu Dhabi International Airport. Dr. Nadia Bastaki, Vice President Medical Services, Etihad Airways, said, “We have a paramount responsibility to ensure those who are travelling from Abu Dhabi can do so assured in the knowledge that every effort is being made to care for them at every stage of their journey. Enabling home PCR testing will remove much unnecessary stress from the travel experience during this challenging period. These measures are also a reflection of those being taken across Abu Dhabi, which has been a world-leader in its response to the current COVID-19 pandemic, including vaccine research, mass testing, and community sanitisation programmes.” David Hadley, Chief Executive Officer of Mediclinic Middle East, said: “Mediclinic is proud to partner with Etihad Airways on this new initiative which will enable their passengers to undergo COVID-19 PCR testing in the convenience of their homes prior to travel, or at one of our facilities in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain or Dubai, should they prefer. All testing is carried out by a trained professional, and our dedicated COVID-19 testing …

Etihad Airways will resume a limited number of special flights to six Indian gateways, following the partial lifting of international flight restrictions by UAE and Indian authorities on travel for eligible individuals to and from Abu Dhabi to India. The airline will operate services from Abu Dhabi to Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kochi, and Mumbai. All eligible passengers travelling from India to Abu Dhabi must possess the relevant UAE entry approvals set by the government of Abu Dhabi. Passengers travelling to India must adhere to guidelines set by the government of India, and are also requested to arrive at Abu Dhabi Airport a minimum of four hours prior to departure to undertake mandatory rapid testing in Terminal 1A before check-in. Etihad continues to follow UAE and international government, regulatory and health authority directives, and is playing its part in helping to limit the spread of COVID-19. The airline has implemented an extensive sanitisation and customer safety programme and is practicing the highest standards of hygiene at every stage of the customer journey. This includes specially trained Wellness Ambassadors, a first in the industry, who have been introduced by the airline to provide essential travel health information and care on the ground and on every flight, so guests can fly with greater ease and peace of mind.

Emirates airline has announced it will resume flights to Geneva (from July 15), Los Angeles (from July 22), Dar es Salaam (from August 1), Prague and Sao Paulo (from August 2), and Boston (from August 15), offering customers even more travel options. This will take the airline’s network to 58 cities by mid-August, including 20 points in Europe and 24 points in the Asia Pacific. Adnan Kazim, Chief Commercial Officer, Emirates said, “We’ve seen an uptick in customer interest and demand since the announcement of Dubai’s re-opening, and also with the increased travel options that we offer as we gradually re-establish our network connectivity. We continue to work closely with all stakeholders to resume flight operations while ensuring that all necessary measures to safeguard the health and safety of our customers and employees are in place.” Emirates customers travelling between the Americas, Europe, Africa, Middle East, and Asia Pacific, can enjoy safe and convenient connections via Emirates’ hub in Dubai. Customers can also stop over or travel to Dubai, as the city has re-opened for international business and leisure visitors.

Wizz Air Abu Dhabi announced that it will base two state-of-the-art brand new Airbus A321neo aircraft and start six highly anticipated routes from Abu Dhabi on 1 October 1, 2020. The joint-venture established between ADQ, one of the region’s largest holding companies, and Wizz Air Holdings Plc, has just received national carrier status from the UAE government subject to meeting regulatory standards prior to starting operations. József Váradi, Chairman of Wizz Air Abu Dhabi and CEO of Wizz Air Group said, “This announcement is the first step of a long and much awaited journey as we are dedicated to developing our presence in Abu Dhabi, contributing to Abu Dhabi’s economic diversity strategy while offering ever more affordable travel opportunities on our low fare network. We much appreciate the support we have been given by the government, its affiliated organizations and our local business partners in Abu Dhabi. He added, “Our state-of-the-art Airbus A321neo aircraft, as well as our enhanced protective measures will ensure the best possible sanitary conditions for travellers. Wizz Air is the lowest cost producer operating the youngest and economically most efficient fleet of aircraft with the lowest environmental footprint.” Shareef Al Hashmi, CEO of Abu Dhabi Airports, commented, “With the addition of the new airline, the number of destinations and connections passengers are able to access through Abu Dhabi continues to grow, demonstrating our commitment to enhancing our network and placing our customers first.” “In addition to implementing comprehensive health and safety measures across our airports, we have made a series of strategic investments to ensure our facilities and services make Abu Dhabi International Airport an optimal regional gateway for airlines from across the world,” he concluded.

Etihad Airways has partnered with Travelfusion as it continues its New Distribution Capability (NDC) strategy launched earlier this year. The venture will provide access for travel agents and corporate clients to Etihad’s content and enhance the sales distribution of tickets and ancillaries. Travelfusion will make use of the airline’s International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) certified NDC platform to provide all relevant booking information such as cabin details, fare rules, baggage allowances, as well as access to book flights. Dieter Westermann, Vice President Revenue Management, Etihad Airways, said, “The adoption of NDC is a major milestone and partnering with Travelfusion gives us the ability to connect with new-age travel technology companies, as well as forge stronger relationships with travel agents and corporate clients. Connecting through Travelfusion benefits the travel trade and reduces the investment required to build an independent IT system.” Moshe Rafiah, CEO, Travelfusion, said, “Travelfusion has been a pioneer in NDC since the birth of the programme and we are very pleased with the opportunity to bring our experience to bear in working with Etihad Airways in this exciting new dimension in their distribution strategy.”

flydubai landed in Kyiv’s Boryspil International Airport (KBP) on July 8, marking the start of scheduled services following the lifting of flight restrictions that were implemented in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. flydubai flight FZ 727 departed from Terminal 2, Dubai International (DXB) at 09:20 and landed in Kyiv’s Boryspil (KBP) at 14:10 where it was welcomed by officials from the airport. Onboard the aircraft were 12 Business Class passengers and 155 Economy Class passengers. Jeyhun Efendi, Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations for flydubai, said, “we would like to thank the authorities and members of the travel industry for their involvement in supporting the resumption of our scheduled flights to Kyiv. These combined efforts have enabled Kyiv to be one of the first destinations to open on our network and we look forward to bringing more passengers to Ukraine.” flydubai’s passenger experience has been redesigned to enable travel in a safe environment that minimises crew and passenger contact, and 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.From 07 July, Dubai is ready to receive visitors and has implemented stringent public health and safety measures to ensure that visitors feel safe when they arrive. Efendi added, “We have been hard at work to redesign our passenger journey in order to minimise the risk of transmission of COVID-19, and these efforts are to ensure that visitors feel safe when they arrive in Dubai. To realise the benefits of travel, flydubai …

Dubai Airports welcomed the resumption of scheduled operations by foreign carriers at Dubai International (DXB). A total of 13 international airlines resumed scheduled flights this week as Dubai opened its skies and arms to tourists effective July 7. Airlines resuming operations at DXB include Air Blue, Air France, Cebu Pacific, EgyptAir, Ethiopian Airlines, Gulf Air, KLM, Lufthansa, Mahan Air, Middle East Airlines, Pakistan International Airlines, Philippine Airlines and Royal Jordanian with more expected to join later. In addition to foreign carriers, DXB-based Emirates airline and flydubai have boosted their schedules. “We have ensured everything is in place to welcome airlines from around the world back to Dubai as a growing number of bilateral agreements between countries conclude to facilitate the opening of borders and the gradual return of traffic,” said Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports. “Our ability to resume passenger operations has been enabled by the significant and early steps the UAE government took to tackle the threat of the spread of the virus, together with the robust health and safety measures in place at DXB, and the excellent advanced healthcare services available here in Dubai. We remain in close discussions with government officials and airlines to support the resumption of additional services as approvals are granted in the weeks and months ahead. The message is that we are ready to welcome visitors back to Dubai and we will do our utmost to take care of them whilst they are here” As services resume passengers are being advised to always confirm their terminal of departure and arrival with their airline prior to coming to the airport as some carriers may have temporarily changed terminals.

Etihad Airways has announced a codeshare agreement with Abu Dhabi’s first low-cost airline, Air Arabia Abu Dhabi. Etihad will place its ‘EY’ code on Air Arabia Abu Dhabi’s inaugural flight from Abu Dhabi to the Egyptian city of Alexandria on July 14, followed by the Nile city of Sohag the next day. The new agreement enables guests to book Etihad flights in conjunction with Air Arabia Abu Dhabi services, connecting its global route network beyond the UAE capital to new airline’s routes. Etihad plans to add further codeshare destinations to the partnership scope as more Air Arabia Abu Dhabi destinations are announced in the coming weeks. Air Arabia Abu Dhabi was formed following an agreement by Etihad Airways and Air Arabia to establish an independent joint venture company that will operate as a low-cost passenger airline with Abu Dhabi International Airport as its hub. The airline will start its operations with two Airbus A320 aircraft based at Abu Dhabi International Airport.