Category Archives: Aviation

ITA Airways is expanding its presence in Saudi Arabia launching its second destination in the country with the direct Rome- Jeddah roundtrip flight, operating with three weekly frequencies. “We are delighted to inaugurate our first nonstop flight between Jeddah and Rome, strengthening our presence in Saudi Arabia, a rapidly growing market”, said Emiliana Limosani, Chief Commercial Officer of ITA Airways and CEO of Volare. “This new opening follows the launch of the nonstop connection to Riyadh in June and is part of our ongoing summer network expansion, which boasts excellent booking results. Operated with the state-of-the-art A321neo, this new flight will expand the medium-haul network and enhance commercial and cultural exchanges between the Arabian Peninsula and Italy, while also providing connections with our array of destinations accessible via our Rome Fiumicino hub”. “We are delighted to see ITA Airways commencing the route between Rome and our coastal and historical city of Jeddah, which will further enhance our air connectivity to KSA. Travelers from ITA Airways’ network in Italy, Europe, and the Americas will enjoy a more seamless journey to explore the untapped potential of Jeddah. We look forward to further strengthening our collaboration with a great partner, ITA Airways”, said Mazin Johar, CEO of Jeddah Airports (JEDCO) and Majid Khan, CEO of Air Connectivity Program (ACP). “As a representative of the Italian Consulate, I am thrilled to be part of the strengthening partnership between Italy and Saudi Arabia through the launch of the new roundtrip Rome-Jeddah flight. It truly is a testimony of the friendship between the two countries, which not only is rooted in a deep historic relationship, but is further developing the commercial friendship with expanding opportunities”, said …

Emirates has become the airline of choice for thousands of Korean passengers seeking to explore new and exciting destinations. Last summer season Emirates carried over 35,000 passengers between Incheon and Dubai, as well as beyond. The airline provides a seamless travel experience for Koreans between Incheon and top travel destinations in its worldwide network via Dubai. Emirates unveiled the top five summer travel destinations that have been gaining popularity among Korean travellers – Zurich, Barcelona, Rome, Venice, and Prague. With its extensive global network and world-class products and services, Emirates continues to be the airline of choice for thousands of Korean passengers seeking to explore new and exciting destinations, having carried over 35,000 passengers last summer season alone between Incheon and Dubai, as well as beyond. 1. Zurich, Switzerland Zurich is known for its unique mixture of metropolitan charm with the vibrant beauty of nature. Visitors can soak up the sunshine while exploring the scenic Old Town, take a refreshing Lake Zurich cruise, or indulge in shopping along the Bahnhofstrasse, one of the world’s most exclusive shopping streets. For those seeking summer adventures, the city provides easy access to thrilling alpine activities like Mt. Titlis and Jungfraujoch, providing a perfect escape from the heat. Emirates operates double daily flights between Dubai and Zurich, using a mix of A380 and Boeing 777 aircraft. 2. Barcelona, Spain Barcelona bursts with energy and charm during the summer. While in the city, people can enjoy the lively Barceloneta Beach with its surf-friendly waves and beachfront restaurants. Visitors can also dive into the city’s buzzing nightlife at Chiringuitos, which is always full of live music and festive atmosphere. Don’t forget to explore Central Barcelona at …

Philippine Airlines announced the successful conclusion of its inaugural regional sales conference in the Middle East, held in Dubai. This landmark event brought together dynamic sales teams from Riyadh, Dammam, and Doha for a productive session of idea-sharing and brainstorming. Under the theme “Unite to Soar: Driving Success Through Teamwork and Collaboration,” the conference focused on strategies to achieve sales objectives and foster greater collaboration among the teams. The event underscored Philippine Airlines’ commitment to excellence and growth in the Middle East market. By uniting their strengths and insights, the sales teams are poised to drive remarkable success and elevate the airline’s presence in the region.

SAUDIA announced the addition of Medan to its scheduled and regular flight network, making it the second destination in the Republic of Indonesia after the capital, Jakarta. The airline has allocated four weekly flights in both directions between Medan and both Jeddah and Medina, with operations starting on August 31. This step is part of its expansion efforts to connect the world with the Kingdom and to serve diverse guest segments. A meeting was recently held between Saudia and officials from Kualanamu International Airport in Medan to arrange for the operations and ensure readiness of services. The goal is to provide the best solutions to ensure smooth airport traffic and procedures. By adding Medina as a second destination in the Kingdom after Jeddah for the new Medan route, Saudia seeks to capitalize on the increasing demand. This move follows a recent agreement with Tibah Airports to increase operations and enhance the transport and service of Umrah and Hajj pilgrims, as well as visitors to the Prophet’s Mosque and Islamic historical sites. Saudia is committed to increasing its market share in the Hajj and Umrah sector, recognizing Indonesia as one of the largest Islamic markets for travel. These efforts also contribute to achieving the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030, aiming to host 30 million Umrah pilgrims by 2030. The expansion of Saudia’s destinations aligns with its largest fleet modernization and growth program. The fleet currently includes 144 aircraft, with plans to add 103 more in the coming years. This is complemented by numerous other initiatives aimed at enhancing the guest travel experience using the latest advancements in aviation.

SriLankan Airlines, in collaboration with Travel Portfolio from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Aitken Spence Travels from Sri Lanka, recently concluded a successful familiarization (FAM) tour of Thailand and Sri Lanka for top travel and tour operators in Dubai. The FAM tour was designed to raise awareness about the new seamless connections from the Middle East, including Dubai and Abu Dhabi, to Bangkok via Colombo on flight UL 404, and to showcase Sri Lanka as a captivating holiday destination to UAE tour operators. SriLankan Airlines currently offers daily services from Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Riyadh, and Kuwait City, along with five weekly flights from Dammam to Colombo. Between Colombo and Bangkok, the airline operates 11 flights per week including UL 404. The schedule of flight UL 404 facilitates seamless connections via Colombo, allowing for quick transfers for passengers heading to Bangkok from the Middle East. Moreover, the scheduled arrival time of UL 404 at 12:50hrs in Bangkok and the departure time of the corresponding return flight UL 405 at 13:55hrs perfectly align with standard hotel check-in and check-out times, offering convenience to holiday travellers. Additionally, passengers traveling from the Middle East can enjoy a free stopover in Colombo when flying to Bangkok on SriLankan Airlines, offering the opportunity for a dual-country vacation in one trip. SriLankan Airlines also offers convenient connections via Colombo between nine key Indian cities and Bangkok. The travel and tour operators discovered the best of both worlds during the FAM tour. They explored the vibrant street life and shopping that capture the essence of Bangkok, as well as the bustling melting pot of Colombo, sun-kissed southern beaches, and the historic city of Galle, all deeply …

Dubai Airports has introduced a new facility combining Left Luggage and Mishandled Baggage services, to enhance the guest experience at Dubai International’s (DXB) Terminal 2. Now open, the Baggage Service Centre is a one-stop shop for all baggage-related services conveniently located to ensure guests can easily store and reclaim their bags around the clock. The new facility seamlessly and securely connects publicly accessible areas with the secured areas of the terminal, allowing guests to claim their luggage without the need to go through additional screening processes. This improvement enhances safety and reduces waiting times for guests, making the overall airport experience smoother and more efficient. The launch of this service exemplifies the strong collaboration between Dubai Airports and its service partners, including Dubai Police, Dubai Customs, and dnata.

According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA)  data for June 2024 the total demand, measured in revenue passenger kilometers (RPK), was up 9.1% compared to June 2023. Total capacity, measured in available seat kilometers (ASK), was up 8.5% year-on-year. The June load factor was 85.0% (+0.5 percentage points (ppt) compared to June 2023). International demand rose 12.3% compared to June 2023. Capacity was up 12.7% year-on-year and the load factor improved to 85.0% (-0.3ppt on June 2023). Domestic demand rose 4.3% compared to June 2023; capacity was up 2.1% year-on-year and the load factor was 85.0% (+1.7ppt compared to June 2023). “Demand grew across all regions as the peak Northern summer travel season began in June. And with overall capacity growth lagging demand we saw a very strong average load factor of 85% achieved in both domestic and international operations. Operating with such high load factors is both good and challenging. It makes it even more important for all the stakeholders to operate with equal levels of efficiency to minimize delays and get travelers to their destinations on schedule,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General. “As the Olympic Games unfold in Paris there is pride across the aviation industry for its continuing role in supporting the Olympic story by bringing many of the athletes, fans, and officials together. It is a great reminder of how aviation transforms our very big world into a global community. We wish France every success as the host of the games and cheer all the athletes who will demonstrate the best of human endeavor over the next weeks,” said Walsh. Air passenger market in detail – June 2024 June 2024 (% year-on-year) World share1 …

Emirates has announced that it will operate a second daily A380 service between Dubai and Bali, starting 1 September and until 26 October, to meet the surge in travel demand to the island during the upcoming peak season. From 1 September to 26 October 2024, Emirates’ flight EK398/399 between Dubai (DXB) and Bali (DPS) will be upgraded to an Airbus A380, replacing the current Boeing 777 service. The upgraded service will build upon the success of Emirates’ first-ever A380 service to Indonesia, launched on 1 June 2023, while also driving more inbound traffic to Bali during one of the busiest times of the year and seamlessly connecting travelers from Indonesia to Dubai and beyond through Emirates’ extensive global network. Emirates continues to reinforce its long-standing commitment to providing world-class travel experiences and supporting Indonesia’s growing travel and tourism sector. By serving Bali with double A380 flights, the airline will offer more than 2,600 additional weekly seats to and from the island to help accommodate the growing demand during the peak travel season. With this additional service, more passengers to and from Indonesia can enjoy the iconic double-decker’s best-in-class products and services, including its spacious cabins, the exclusive Onboard Lounge, and ice, Emirates’ award-winning inflight entertainment system offering over 6,500 channels of on-demand entertainment. Emirates launched a non-stop daily service from Dubai to Bali in 2015, adding to its scheduled flights to Jakarta which began in 1992. Emirates flies to more than 144 destinations across six continents and currently offers double daily flights to Jakarta and Bali. Tickets can be purchased on emirates.com, Emirates Sales Office or contact centre, or via travel agents. For more information on entry requirements for international visitors to …

flyadeal announced that during the first six months of 2024, they posted over 5 million seats marking a 9% increase when compared with the same time last year. In terms of new routes, at present they operate 75 routes, representing 8% rise, with 33 aircraft, an increase of 12% and on-time performance which peaked at 91% and ordering a record 51 narrowbody aircraft. In terms of training, the 50th batch of cabin crew was inducted into flyadeal’s training with graduation of first pilots under flyadeal’s new cadet training programme. Key milestones included a landmark order for 51 Airbus narrowbody aircraft, including 12 further A320neos – the model being the backbone of flyadeal’s current fleet – and first-time customer of 39 bigger A321neos with deliveries scheduled from 2026. In anticipation of continued growth, flyadeal has been busy hiring more flight crew. During the first half of 2024, flyadeal inducted its 50th batch of cabin crew and also launched a cadet programme for aspiring Saudi pilots with the first group having successfully completing their training. flyadeal was also recognised for its pioneering work in the development and adoption of digital technology being named Saudi Arabia’s Ecommerce Innovator of the Year at the Middle East Retail and Ecommerce Summit. Steven Greenway, flyadeal Chief Executive Officer, said: “flyadeal’s first half performance in 2024 underscores our ongoing commitment to develop as the airline of choice in the Kingdom and beyond with a focus on service excellence and introducing more digitally enabled products to improve the customer experience. Our on-time performance which measures punctuality peaked at 91 per cent, an incredible achievement and among the highest in the industry. “These impressive accomplishments were only possible with the …

SAUDIA has topped the list of global airlines for on-time performance, according to a report by the independent aviation tracking site Cirium for June 2024. The report indicates that Saudia achieved an on-time arrival rate of 88.22% and an on-time departure rate of 88.73%, operating 16,133 flights across its network of over 100 destinations on four continents. This achievement is particularly notable given that June is a peak travel month due to the Hajj and summer travel seasons. His Excellency Engr. Ibrahim Al-Omar, Director General of Saudia Group, highlighted, “This accomplishment is a realization of our strategic goals to enhance operational efficiency and quality through continuous improvements in flight scheduling and the implementation of the best digital solutions and systems for operations management. Maintaining a high level of on-time performance requires significant effort, as it involves overcoming numerous operational challenges in the aviation industry, such as weather conditions, high temperatures, technical issues, and other airport-related factors. I express my gratitude to all Saudia employees for their diligent work in maintaining the national flag carrier’s operational excellence.” Saudia has consistently been among the top ten global airlines for on-time performance since last year, demonstrating its commitment to providing the highest standards of quality and air safety. Its operations are managed through the largest Integrated Operation Control Center (IOCC) of its kind in the Middle East, which operates within a comprehensive system involving all sectors and group companies. Additionally, the center utilizes the latest technologies for aircraft communications, ensuring smooth operations by monitoring all procedures related to aircraft takeoff and landing in real time at all domestic and international stations.