Category Archives: Aviation

Oman Air announced that it has updated its flight schedule for operations between Muscat (MCT) and Dubai (DXB). The updated flights are now available for booking for travel between 29th April and 30th June 2021, and guests are invited to visit the Oman Air website or contact the Oman Air Call Centre for more details. Flight schedule is as follows: 29th April to 26th June 2021: Thursday and Saturday flights from Muscat will depart at 01:55 and arrive in Dubai at 03:10. Thursday and Saturday flights from Dubai will depart at 06:05 and arrive in Muscat at 07:20. 2nd May to 30th June 2021: Wednesday and Sunday flights from Muscat will depart at 14:25 and arrive in Dubai at 15:40. Wednesday and Sunday flights from Dubai will depart at 17:15 and arrive in Muscat at 18:30 29th April to 26th June 2021: Thursday and Saturday flights from Muscat will depart at 20:15 and arrive in Dubai at 21:25. Thursday and Saturday flights from Dubai will depart at 23:00 and arrive in Muscat at 00:20.

Oman Air announces that it has signed a codeshare agreement with EGYPTAIR, the national carrier of Egypt and one of the leading carriers in the MENA region. The codeshare agreement on flights between Muscat and Cairo was signed as part of both airlines’ commitment to work toward a strong restart for air travel to overcome the effects of the spread of Covid-19 on the aviation sector and to expand their destination offering to customers. The agreement means that guests on both airlines can now benefit from a wider choice of destinations in both countries, and beyond—travellers from Muscat have easy access to EGYPTAIR domestic destinations – Sharm El-Sheikh, Luxor, Aswan, and Hurghada, as well as Casablanca (Morocco) on the airline’s international network; travellers from Cairo have easy access to popular Oman Air domestic destination Salalah as well as international destinations Karachi (Pakistan), Colombo (Sri Lanka), and Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia). Eng. Abdulaziz Al Raisi, Chief Executive Officer Oman Air said that the challenges facing all airlines since the onset of the pandemic have led to new strategic partnerships which ultimately create a stronger network ecosystem with more options for passengers. “EGYPTAIR has a remarkable, long-standing history in the MENA region and enjoys a strong international presence as a Star Alliance member. The codeshare agreement with Oman Air offers guests from Muscat more options for discovering Egypt, whether for business or leisure, and plays a vital role in the travel restart endeavours of both airlines.” On the other hand, Pilot Amr Abu El-Enein, EGYPTAIR HOLDING Chairman & CEO, said that cooperation with partners is essential for sustainability during this critical period, therefore, signing this agreement between two partners with special attributes like …

Emirates is offering travellers from the UAE the chance to book their long-awaited Eid break to popular resort hotspots or make up for the lost family time by reconnecting with loved ones. UAE travelers can also plan early and book their summer holiday with Emirates’ special fares starting from AED 1,525. Emirates Economy Class and Business Class passengers can choose to book their getaway to one of the below popular holiday destinations and to more points across the Emirates network when they visit emirates.com. The offer is valid on bookings made today until 1 May 2021, for travel until 30 September 2021. UAE Travellers can also plan a last-minute getaway with Emirates Holidays, starting from AED 1,849 per person for three-night stays, and packages are available even more destinations in the special fare offer. Emirates remains focused on taking the stress out of travel and has led the industry in protecting the health of its customers to ensure a feeling of safety and confidence when deciding to fly.  Emirates customers travel with the assurance that the latest health and safety measures are in place at every step of the journey. The airline has also recently introduced contactless technology to ease customers through Dubai airport. Knowing their safety and wellbeing is looked after, customers across all classes can enjoy more than 4,500 channels of entertainment on ice, the airline’s award-winning inflight entertainment system, along regionally inspired gourmet meals. Emirates continues to lead the industry with innovative products and services that address traveller needs during a dynamic time. Recently the airline took its customer care initiatives even further with even more generous and flexible booking policies, an extension of its multi-risk insurance …

Cathay Pacific will resume non-stop weekly flights between Dubai and Hong Kong from Friday, 21 May 2021. Flights will operate from Terminal 3 of Dubai International Airport. The service will provide UAE residents and visitors with convenient access to Hong Kong and onward connections across the carrier’s Asian network including Philippines, Indonesia, Chinese mainland, Japan and more. Cathay Pacific will deploy the Airbus A330-300 on the route, configured with a two-class cabin that features the airline’s award-winning fully-flat bed business class seats that include privacy partitions, adjustable lighting, expansive tables, power outlets and one-click sitting and sleeping settings. “Dubai has been an important route for us for more than four decades and we are extremely excited to be resuming our operations from here. We look forward to welcoming travellers from the region who will once again be able to experience our warm, thoughtful service, together with our traditional Asian hospitality. Our customers can now fly confidently with Cathay Care, our commitment towards the wellbeing of our passengers, as we endeavour to provide a safe, secure and comfortable travel experience throughout their journey.” said Vishnu Rajendran, Area Manager – Middle East, Cathay Pacific. “The resumption of this strategic route taps into the resurgent travel demand and underlines our ongoing efforts to recover our business from the impact of the pandemic. It will also provide for additional cargo space to support our scheduled freighters that have been operating through these times,” he added.

Dubai International (DXB) ended the first quarter of the year on a relatively positive note, registering a gradual but steady recovery in both customer numbers and cargo volumes. By the end of Q1 2021, DXB served 63% of the destinations in 89% of the countries on 74% of the airlines compared to before the COVID-19 pandemic. Boosted by passenger numbers breaching the 2 million mark in March, DXB’s passenger volumes for the first quarter this year reached 5.75 million. This translates to a contraction of 67.8% compared to Q1 of 2020, which was largely unaffected by the pandemic-related suspension of operations by airlines and airports worldwide towards the end of March. India, which is traditionally a strong market for the UAE, retained its position as DXB’s top destination country with traffic for Q1 reaching 1,384,448 – propelled by top city destinations New Delhi and Mumbai. Pakistan was placed second with 454,294 customers, followed by Bangladesh (221,027 customers) and Russia (196,890 customers). Other destination countries of note include Egypt and Turkey. The top three cities were New Delhi (262,035 customers), Dhaka (178,593) closely followed by Addis Ababa (169,715 customers). Commenting on DXB’s Q1 performance, Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports said, “Whilst passenger numbers for the first quarter remained significantly below the monthly volumes we handled before March 2020, in the context of the current global situation they are very encouraging and reflect the consolidation phase in our business recovery. Despite the ongoing challenges to air travel as the world continues to battle against the impact of the global pandemic, as an important hub, DXB will continue to play its role of enabling mobility and connectivity and contribute to the much …

Oman Air has extended its complimentary COVID-19 coverage until 31 December 2021. The complimentary coverage is for expenses incurred by medical treatment or quarantine related to the COVID-19 virus, and applies to tickets issued for travel after 1 October 2020 until 31 December 2021. The coverage is provided to guests who purchase tickets on omanair.com, through the airline’s Call Centre, at Oman Air’s offices or through travel agents after 1st October 2020, and is part of the airline’s expansive efforts to ensure that guests are safe at all times so they can fly confidently. Details are available at omanair.com. The coverage now includes Oman resident cardholders (expats) who are required to present medical coverage for their destination and return to Oman, if travel is completed within 31 days. Omani and GCC nationals do not require Covid-19 insurance, as per the directive issued by Oman’s Supreme Committee for COVID-19 safety. Oman Air will maintain its comprehensive safety program throughout all elements of the travel journey. Masks are required when guests are on board the aircraft and in Oman’s airports. Distancing is maintained while guests board and exit the aircraft, which are carefully cleaned after each flight and at the end of every day. Cabin crew all wear a full set of personal protective equipment, meal service has been modified to further ensure safety and a number of other steps have been taken to e­­nsure that the airline’s guests and crew are safe at all times. Guests who are planning to travel to Muscat should visit the Civil Aviation Authority website, caa.gov.om, to ensure they are prepared to comply with requirements to enter the Sultanate. Guests departing from Oman should also ensure …

Etihad Airways has launched a sale on fares to Greece, as travellers from the UAE are not required to quarantine on arrival. Fly from Abu Dhabi to Athens in Economy for just AED 995 return or AED 9,995 in Business. Fares are valid until 3 May 2021 for travel until 20 November 2021. Etihad operates twice a week to Athens with convenient departures on Thursday’s and Saturday’s, with the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner offering Business, Economy and Economy Space options. Whether travellers are staying in Athens to explore archaeological sites or connecting to the beautiful white-sand beaches of the Greek Islands, restaurants, beaches and entertainment venues are open for visitors to enjoy the ultimate break. Flying to, from, and via Abu Dhabi is supported by the airline’s fully redesigned sanitisation and safety programme, Etihad Wellness, which ensures the highest standards of hygiene are maintained at every stage of the customer journey. This includes specially trained Wellness Ambassadors, a first in the industry, who provide essential travel health information and care on the ground and on every flight, so guests can fly with greater ease and confidence. All passengers travelling with Etihad receive complimentary Covid-19 insurance, which is valid for travel until 30 September 2021. Etihad was the first airline in the world to announce it is operating with 100% of its crew on board vaccinated. To give guests peace of mind, Etihad is the only airline in the world requiring 100% of its passengers to show a negative PCR test before departure, and on arrival in Abu Dhabi.  

Emirates has announced it will resume four weekly services to Mexico City (MEX) via Barcelona (BCN) from July 2, re-opening connectivity and boosting trade and tourism while providing customers worldwide with more connectivity, convenience and choice. The BCN-MEX route will be operated with a two-class Emirates Boeing 777-200LR which offers 38 Business Class seats in a 2-2-2 configuration and 264 seats in Economy Class. The resumed service between Dubai-Barcelona-Mexico will serve Emirates’ customers in Mexico and offer more choice to travellers heading from Europe, India, South East Asia and the Middle East via Dubai or Barcelona. The service will also provide additional connectivity to global markets for Mexican exports such as avocados, berries, mangoes, automotive parts and medical supplies. Emirates SkyCargo has been flying freighters to/from Mexico City since 2014 already, marking seven years of operations to the country this month. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Emirates SkyCargo continued its cargo connectivity to Mexico City on freighter and passenger freighter flights, bringing in much-needed PPE and COVID-19 vaccines into the country while continuing to support Mexican exports.

Emirates and the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) have begun to implement full digital verification of COVID-19 medical records connected to testing and vaccination for travellers based in the UAE. Emirates customers who have undertaken a PCR test in Dubai can choose to check-in without presenting their physical COVID-19 PCR test report. Moreover, customers who have received their COVID-19 vaccination at a DHA health centre in Dubai can, together with their COVID-19 PCR test results, have their documents synchronised during flight check-in. The new streamlined verification procedures will enable secure and faster processing times for customers departing from Dubai International Airport. The information will then be matched up with the entry requirements of the destination. Emirates will only process the relevant information specifically related to the COVID-19 entry requirements of the customer’s destination. Once check-in formalities are completed, information related to COVID-19 medical records will be immediately discarded from the Emirates systems. The integration comes less than two months after the signing of the MoU between Emirates and the Dubai Health Authority and is a first-of-its-kind agreement between an airline and a government health authority. The integration also makes Dubai one of the first cities in the world to implement full digital verification of traveller medical records related to COVID-19 testing and vaccination. Adel Al Redha, Chief Operating Officer for Emirates Airline said: “The UAE government has been very supportive and is one of the leading countries in the use of technology and digital applications. This initiative is in line with the government’s vision and we are delighted to take this step within the aviation sector to cooperate with DHA in linking our systems together to enhance the customer experience by …

Qatar Airways to operate three weekly flights to Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire via Accra from 16 June 2021 becoming the fourth new destination in Africa announced by the national carrier of the State of Qatar since the start of the pandemic. The Abidjan service will be operated by the airline’s state-of-the-art Boeing 787 Dreamliner featuring 22 seats in Business Class and 232 seats in Economy Class. His Excellency Akbar Al Baker, Group Chief Executive, Qatar Airways said, “We are delighted to be launching flights to Abidjan, our fourth new destination in Africa since the start of the pandemic. At Qatar Airways, we remain committed to the African market, expanding our network across the continent and offering seamless connectivity to the largest network of destinations across Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and North America. We are thankful to the Côte d’Ivoire Government for their support to launch these flights, providing an opportunity to reunite family and friends with their loved ones across the globe.  We look forward to working closely with our partners in Côte d’Ivoire to steadily grow this route and support the recovery of tourism and trade in the region.”