Category Archives: Aviation

Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) announced the completion of the second phase of AlUla’s airport development project, a key component of its strategy to position the city as a major tourism destination and logistics hub. Encompassing the renovation of the airport’s main terminal building and the expansion of the apron to add 6 Code C and larger 4 Code E Aircraft Stands – an additional 150,000 metre square of taxiways with 2 additional connections to the runway – the second phase of the development project increases the airport’s annual capacity from 100,000 to 400,000 passengers. The completed Airside Works (Aprons & Taxiways) can facilitate the 15,000 aircraft movements per year required to serve the over 2,000,000 visitors to AlUla in 2035 and beyond. The development project also included the construction of a VIP lounge terminal, built using local materials and reflecting the picturesque AlUla environment, its rich heritage and includes a range of other amenities to improve passenger experience. The completion of the second phase of the airport development project is in line with RCU’s aim to continue reopen the area in readiness to receive visitors in October. Adil Jamil, Head of Infrastructure Development and Asset Management, RCU commented, “Vital infrastructure projects such as this provide the foundations for RCU’s sustainable growth strategy. The airport is continuing to create a range of employment opportunities for local residents as it emerges as a logistical hub catering to the northwest of the Kingdom.” In cooperation with Saudi Arabian Airlines, the Royal Commission for AlUla has also facilitated the resumption of flights from Riyadh to AlUla. Four flights currently run each week and it is expected that flights to AlUla from Jeddah and …

“The sterilisation programmes, safety protocols and regulations guiding airports and airlines have made it all possible for the country and Dubai, one of the world’s leading tourist destinations and hub to reopen for visitors,” said Timothy Njihia – Country Manager U.A.E – RwandAir. “As an aviation and Tourism stakeholder, this is a key milestone that signals a safe return of tourism (visitors). The re-opening also coincides with Dubai Summer Surprises 2020 a return to business and finally the elusive revenues that were lost since the cessation of flights on the 25th March. What is important are the safety protocols and precautions in place and the continuous monitoring as this is what led to informed decisions on the resumption of key sectors of business and flights. One cannot underscore the importance of tourism for Dubai and the reassuring messages that have been continuously communicated. They have been very encouraging and a big boost!” “I personally cannot wait for the July 7, 2020 to welcome incoming visitors who will come to experience the diverse attractions, as well as being amongst the first of Dubai’s residents to travel overseas whilst observing the strict new rules for safety. As an airline, we look forward to resuming our daily passenger flights to Dubai at the earliest opportunity and being a contributor and driver to Dubai’s tourism,” he concluded.

Abu Dhabi Airports announced the introduction of wellness ambassadors to Abu Dhabi International Airport. This team of specially trained service professionals are part of Abu Dhabi Airports’ commitment to protecting the health and wellbeing of passengers throughout their journey through the airport. Abu Dhabi Airports’ Wellness Ambassadors will support passengers by answering common questions relating to keeping healthy during travel, provide advice and recommendations on how to stay safe and provide additional support to passengers who need it. Mohammed Husain Ahmed, General Manager of Abu Dhabi International Airport, said, “We are pleased to introduce our Wellness Ambassadors, who are a reflection of Abu Dhabi Airports’ commitment to delivering exceptional services and prioritising health and safety. The ambassadors will ensure every traveller feels cared for and comfortable at Abu Dhabi International Airport.” “We have introduced a comprehensive range of new precautionary measures – ranging from touchless elevator systems to autonomous sterilisation robots – and are confident that passengers will find their journey through Abu Dhabi to be smooth and seamless, safe and assuring.” added Ahmed. In addition to addressing passenger needs, the Wellness Ambassadors work to ensure that the airport and its travellers continue to comply with all the relevant UAE Government regulations and guidelines issued by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).This entails encouraging social distancing amongst travellers, 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.

International Air Transport Association (IATA) urged governments in Africa and the Middle East (AME) to implement alternatives to quarantine on arrival that would allow economies to re-start while avoiding the importation of COVID-19 cases. Government-imposed quarantine measures in 36 countries across Africa and the Middle East (AME) account for 40% of all quarantine measures globally. With over 80% of travellers unwilling to travel when quarantine is required, the impact of these measures is that countries remain in lockdown even if their borders are open. “It is critical that AME governments implement alternatives to quarantine measures. AME has the highest number of countries in the world with government-imposed quarantine measures on arriving passengers. The region is effectively in complete lockdown with the travel and tourism sector shuttered. This is detrimental in a region where 8.6 million people depend on aviation for their livelihoods,” said Muhammad Albakri, Regional Vice President for Africa and the Middle East, IATA.

Air France and KLM resume services to Dubai, with ten weekly flights starting today. KLM will offer daily flights to and from Dubai. Flights will be operated with a Boeing 777-200. Air France will offer three weekly flights from Paris on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday with a return from Dubai on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday; flights will be operated with an Airbus A350-900. “Our passengers 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 profoundly thank our customers for their patience and the authorities involved in the UAE; in France and in the Netherlands for their continuous support”, said Yeshwant Pawar, General Manager, Air France KLM, Gulf, Iran and Pakistan. Prior to travelling, the Air France KLM group encourages customers to ensure that they have met all requirements to enter the country of destination including the requirements for any transit point as these requirements are subject to change as a result of the COVID-19 epidemic.

flydubai announced a partnership with its passengers as the airline prepares to return to the skies following the lifting of the flight restrictions in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Ghaith Al Ghaith, Chief Executive Officer of flydubai, said, “the effectiveness of the response to the pandemic led by the UAE Government has enabled the flight restrictions to be lifted. We appreciate that no effort has been spared as we see the precautionary measures eased.” Commenting on flydubai’s redesigned passenger journey, Al Ghaith said, “in these unprecedented times, we are very conscious of the role that we play as part of the global community in response to COVID-19. We have carefully reviewed the guidance and best practice published by a number of international organisations together with those of our regulator and our industry partners. We have further built on these which has resulted in a layering of measures by the authorities, the airport and flydubai. To realise the benefits of air travel is everyone’s responsibility. We recognise the importance of the role of the passenger in making these measures work. Together we have redefined a new way to travel which creates a partnership. It’s what we do together that will make this work.” Al Ghaith commented on the airline’s commitment to its passengers, “Our passengers have long enjoyed the benefits and convenience of air travel. As we move into this next phase, we recognise that it is our role to enable travel in a safe environment and the role of the passenger is to be prepared and ready to travel. Only by working together can the passenger make informed decisions to book their travel. They can be confident in knowing that …

Emirates will be offering scheduled flights for passengers from seven additional cities in the month of July. These include Khartoum (from July 3), Amman (from July 5), Osaka (from July 7), Narita (from July 8), Athens (from July 15), Larnaca (from July 15) and Rome (July 15). This takes the total number of destinations that Emirates is offering to 48, facilitating additional travel options through a convenient connection in Dubai for customers across the world, while undertaking extensive measures to ensure the health and safety of customers and employees. Customers from Emirates’ network will also now be able to travel to Dubai following the announcement earlier this week that the city will be open for business and leisure visitors from July 7, with new air travel protocols that facilitate travel for UAE citizens, residents and tourists while safeguarding the health and safety of visitors and communities. Customers can book to fly between destinations in the Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific and Europe or the Americas, through Dubai, as long as they meet travel and immigration entry requirements of their destination country. Health and safety first: Emirates has implemented a comprehensive set of measures at every step of the customer journey to ensure the safety of its customers and employees on the ground and in the air, including the distribution of complimentary hygiene kits containing masks, gloves, hand sanitiser and antibacterial wipes to all customers. For more information on these measures and the services available on each flight.

flydubai has announced that their flights are available for booking, initially to 24 destinations. More destinations and flight frequencies will continue to be added to the schedule over the summer. Hamad Obaidalla, Chief Commercial Officer of flydubai, said, “flights are available for booking from today and will operate from July 7. We are initially planning to operate to 24 destinations and we will continuously add destinations and flight frequencies to the network and we expect this to increase to 66 destinations over the course of the summer. This, of course, will be dependent on countries being able to open up and accept international travel.” Obaidalla added, “flydubai will be announcing details of its customer journey shortly which will outline what passengers can expect and what information they need to know the next time they need to book. Following the recent announcement we welcome a return to service in a safe and measured way. We have redesigned our passenger journey that is built upon existing high standards to minimise the risk of transmission of COVID-19 and we can now bring people together once again. This, along with the clear and simple guidelines set out by the authorities means it’s the perfect time to return to the skies.”

His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman and CEO of Emirates Airline and Group, and Chairman of flydubai said the decisions to issue new travel protocols for citizens, residents and tourists travelling through Dubai airports and welcome returning residents will strengthen the economy by boosting one of its major pillars, the tourism and travel sector; under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. The impetus received by the new announcement will enable the national carriers to reinforce their leading position in the global travel industry, he said. H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed said, “The move comes at a time when the world is preparing to resume economic activities across sectors. Travel and tourism are among the key industries at the forefront of spurring global economic recovery. Our airports and national carriers are resuming larger scale operations by stringently implementing globally benchmarked precautionary and preventive measures that protect the health and safety of travellers.” His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum confirmed that Emirates Airlines and flydubai are geared to provide the highest quality of services for passengers following implementation of the new protocols. The new protocols enable citizens and residents to travel to destinations that have started to receive flights in accordance with protocols put in place by their governments. They also allow residents to travel back to Dubai in accordance with measures implemented to prevent spread of the virus. HH Sheikh Ahmed noted that both airline companies have developed a clear set of protocols to safeguard the health and safety of all passengers …

Finnair and Sabre Corporation announced a new worldwide distribution partnership. Under the new agreement, Sabre will resume distributing competitive global Finnair content to hundreds of thousands of travel agents and thousands of corporations worldwide through its travel marketplace. Ole Orvér, Chief Commercial Officer, Finnair said, “We are delighted to promote our products and services through Sabre’s extraordinary network of travel agents worldwide as we rebuild our network and operations following the COVID-19 pandemic.” He added, “Travel agents continue to play a key role in the travel industry value chain and, together with Sabre, we will work to deliver the benefits of NDC technology. Ultimately, travel agents and their customers will enjoy more relevant and comprehensive travel solutions. As we ramp up our operations globally, it is imperative that customers have choice and flexibility in booking through their preferred direct or indirect channel. Travel agents contribute significantly to helping people regain the confidence to travel, which is absolutely essential for our industry.” “We are fortunate to enter this unprecedented period with new opportunities that will drive incremental revenue for both agencies and airlines”, said Wade Jones, President, Sabre Travel Network. “Consumers want the best offers, agencies want to present the most relevant content to their customers, and airlines want to distribute their fares and products so that travellers can access them wherever they choose to shop. Sabre remains committed to helping all parties achieve their goals. We are confident that our content serves the needs of travel agents in a truly optimal way.”