Category Archives: Aviation

Emirates Airlines announced that flights to Saudi Arabia, Oman and Kuwait are now resumed. Emirates flights to and from Dammam, Jeddah and Riyadh has resume. All customers, excluding Saudi nationals, who hold a ticket to KSA and have visited Argentina, Brazil, India, South Africa or United Kingdom within the last 14 days will not be accepted for travel at their point of origin. Affected customers should contact their travel agent or Emirates contact centre for rebooking options. To receive update notifications, customers are requested to ensure their contact details are correct by visiting Manage your booking. Emirates flights to and from Oman have resumed with effect from 28 December 2020. Emirates flights to and from Kuwait has also resumed.

Turkish Airlines announced for flights to Turkey which have STD (schedule time of departure) 30 December 2020 00:00 or later with the dates and times of the countries where the flights are operated , 6 years and older passengers who will enter Turkey must submit negative PCR test documents taken 72 hours before the schedule time of departure of the flight (maximum 72 hours between the sample delivery time and the schedule time of departure of the flight). It must be nucleic acid test. Transit passengers who will not enter Turkey only should pay attention to the destination country regulations. This implementation is valid until March 1, 2021. Moreover, passengers (6 years and older) traveling from UK, Denmark or South Africa with the flights that have STD (schedule time of departure) 30 December 2020 00:00 or later with the dates and times of the countries where the flights are operated or passengers have been in these 3 countries in the last 10 days and will enter Turkey are required to submit negative PCR test documents taken 72 hours before the schedule time of departure of the flight (maximum 72 hours between the sample delivery time and the schedule time of departure of the flight). These passengers will be quarantined at their residences (if any) or in different places and they will be subjected to a PCR test 7 days later. If the test result will be negative, quarantine will be removed.

As the entry restrictions into Abu Dhabi relaxes, international tourists, residents and travellers from selected destinations, flying with Etihad Airways, will be allowed to enter the emirate without the need to self-isolate for 14 days. The list of countries eligible for entry without quarantine, referred to as ‘green’ countries, will be reviewed by the Department of Health on a two-week rolling basis. Travellers from ‘green’ countries will need to self-isolate until they receive a negative PCR test result. Those entering the Emirate from countries not on the ‘green’ list will be subject to a reduced quarantine period of 10 days. Tony Douglas, Group Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Aviation Group, said: “With Abu Dhabi at the forefront of the global response to COVID-19, the approach to managing the pandemic has positioned the capital as one of the safest cities in the world to visit. The gradual reopening of our border cements the rigorous health and safety measures we have implemented across the airline. We can proudly say Etihad has played its part, by positioning ourselves as an industry leader, ensuring guests travelling with us do so with complete peace of mind.” “As we approach the winter break and get ready to mark the end of a challenging year, the time to welcome the world to Abu Dhabi is now. We are tremendously grateful for the ongoing support of the Abu Dhabi authorities and will continue to work closely with them to ensure the highest level of safety measures are maintained,” Douglas added.

Pegasus Airlines new cabin baggage policy will be implemented from January 04, 2021 in which current 8kg hand baggage allowance will be removed and passengers will be allowed to take only 1 piece of the cabin baggage with the following rules:Passenger will be allowed to take only women’s handbag and 1 piece of cabin baggage with maximum dimension (55X40X20 cm) into the cabin – irrespective of the weight.If cabin baggage exceeds the specified dimensions or if more than one piece of cabin baggage, then the unsuitable piece or pieces shall be taken as check-in baggage. The excess baggage proceeds will be collected as piece concept payment at the boarding. If the extra piece/pieces will be taken at the check-in, then the regular excess baggage process by considering passenger baggage allowance will be collected. A Duty-free bag can be accepted together with the cabin baggage. But if it is found that there are other items in the duty-free bag, cabin baggage will be taken under the aircraft. And the guest will be able to take only a duty-free bag into the cabin. The bags with personal belongings similar to Duty-Free bags can only be accepted into the cabin if cabin baggage is none. The guest with an infant is allowed to carry a baby carriage bag additionally. – One piece of cabin baggage that fits in the baggage size will be considered as cabin baggage and will be allowed to be taken into the cabin without weight control.  PETC can be taken into the cabin together with cabin baggage. For the musical instruments, if the guest has only a musical instrument in the size of cabin baggage (55X40X20), payment will not …

Emirates is taking its signature A380 experience to the next level with the unveil of a brand new Premium Economy cabin product, together with enhancements and a refreshed look across all cabins onboard its newest A380 aircraft. Sir Tim Clark, President Emirates Airline said, “The Emirates A380 is already one of the most sought-after travel experiences in the skies, and now we’ve made it even better. While others cut back, Emirates is working hard to restore the products and services that we’ve had to suspend or adjust due to pandemic precautions, and introduce new offerings and enhancements. True to our fly better promise, Emirates continues to invest to offer our customers the best possible experience.” The airline received its newest A380 aircraft from Airbus’ Hamburg facility last week, and its remaining order of 5 A380s will also be delivered with premium economy cabins over 2021 and 2022. Emirates’ premium economy seats will also be installed on some of its Boeing 777X aircraft which are only due to join the fleet in 2023. Emirates is considering plans to retrofit its existing A380 fleet. Commenting on Emirates’ premium economy cabins, Sir Tim said, “Our Premium Economy product was carefully developed in keeping with Emirates’ brand positioning as a full-service airline of the highest quality. Our First, Business and Economy experiences reset industry standards when they were introduced, and we are confident that our Premium Economy will also make its mark as a distinct premium offering. Until we have a viable number of seats in our inventory to bring to market, we plan to offer the Emirates Premium Economy experience as a complimentary upgrade to valued customers. We’ll also deploy our newest A380 …

Wizz Air Abu Dhabi confirmed that Athens will be its inaugural destination, with flights from Abu Dhabi International Airport starting on January 15, 2021. Fares start as low as AED 129, with tickets already on sale on wizzair.com (which also has an Arabic booking website) and the airline’s mobile app. The airline is also to start flights from Abu Dhabi to Thessaloniki, starting on February 4, 2021 with fares starting at AED 149. Kees Van Schaick, Managing Director of Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, said, “The waiting is almost over for Abu Dhabi fans of our ultra-low fare airline. From January 15, 2021, a new model of air travel comes to Abu Dhabi, offering new choices and new competition, demonstrating that things are looking up for next year. Our network from Abu Dhabi will expand rapidly as destinations on our planned network are added to the ‘green countries’ list.  Thanks to the support of the government and our local business partners in Abu Dhabi, we are fully prepared. We have the aircraft, we have the crew, we have the partners, and we are ready to fly. We look forward to building a new travel segment in this important market.” Wizz Air Abu Dhabi is a joint venture established between ADQ and Wizz Air Holdings plc.  It initially announced a route network that also includes Alexandria, Kutaisi, Larnaca, Odesa and Yerevan.  Flights to these cities will launch as each destination joins the ‘green countries’ list.  Further destinations will be launched as the airline adds to its Abu Dhabi-based fleet over the coming months.

Cebu Pacific (CEB) has launched affordable COVID-19 testing options to boost confidence in air travel. Passengers traveling from Dubai to Manila with connecting or transfer flights to select provinces in the Philippines, can now avail of antigen tests through the airline’s Test Before Boarding (TBB) initiative for only AED54 (Php700).The antigen tests, which provide results within 30 minutes, are accepted for travel to General Santos City, Butuan, Dipolog, and Pagadian. For these destinations, passengers can head directly to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 just  a few hours before their estimated time of departure to get the test. Passengers will just have to register onsite and pay the fee to CEB’s diagnostic partner, Philippine Airport Diagnostic Laboratory (PADL). Only those holding negative test results will be allowed to board the flight. The airline’s price for the antigen test is considered the lowest in the industry, with its TBB testing facility at the NAIA Terminal 3 now open for walk-ins from 2 AM to 2 PM daily. Meanwhile, all of its other domestic and international flights, including travel between Manila and Dubai maintain the requirement of a negative RT-PCR test result.CEB has ensured this need is fully covered with RT-PCR tests for only AED 255 (PHP 3,300) via its three partner laboratories, namely: PADL, Health Metrics, Inc. (HMI), and Safeguard DNA Diagnostics Inc. (SDDI). Candice Iyog, CEB Vice President for Marketing and Customer Experience, said, “We remain committed to making flights affordable for everyone and seeing that testing is required by a number of destinations at the moment, we have partnered with accredited laboratories that may offer affordable testing options. We look forward to the day trust and confidence …

Turkish Airlines has resumed flights from the United Arab Emirates. As the airline that flies to more countries than any other airline in the world, flag carrier recommenced its operations from Dubai, scheduling seven flights per week with wide body aircrafts. Operations from Abu Dhabi will be resumed starting from January 2 with four weekly flights as well. Turkish Airlines will connect passengers via Istanbul Airport to more than 200 international flights, while providing its passengers peace of mind and safe travel experience with new precautions in place. Having worked with government officials and relevant national and international authorities, the flag carrier airline has implemented a number of stringent health and safety measures, adopting policies and strict mandates to deliver the world-class service the airline is renowned for. All passengers, including Turkish Airline staff, are required to wear a mask at all times, while a ‘Hygiene Kit’ (consisting of a mask, a hand sanitizer and an antiseptic tissue) will be provided to passengers on board. “Hygiene Expert” cabin crews appointed in flights will be in charge of lavatory disinfection and enforcement of all on-board hygiene and social distancing measures. During the flights, cabin air is constantly cleaned by hospital-standard HEPA filter, and the air is completely renewed about every 3 minutes. To help ease the burden of the COVID-19 pandemic on passengers, Turkish Airlines offers flexible options for customers booking new flights. Travelers can now change tickets bought until March 31, 2021 for another flight taking place by December 31, 2021. Alternatively, customers can change their ticket to an open ticket for use on another date. Passengers can also make unlimited changes for tickets booked between these dates with no …

Etihad Airways has expanded its business with the launch of charter and special flight services. Fully customisable, business and leisure guests can choose from a variety of flight options including a dedicated passenger service, cargo only flight or a combined passenger and cargo package. Alex Featherstone, Vice President Network Planning & Alliances, Etihad Airways, said, “While the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact the commercial aviation industry, charter flights provide a convenient alternative to travel, providing customers with the flexibility to choose the departure time, destination and routing.” This year, Etihad has flown over 500 charters including passenger, government and humanitarian flights. Over 3.8M tonnes of cargo has been transported for the government of Abu Dhabi as part of the national aid programme using charter services. Etihad Wellness, the airline’s health and safety programme, ensures the highest standards of hygiene are maintained on charters flights 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. As part of the Etihad Wellness programme, global COVID-19 insurance cover is included for all passengers travelling with Etihad. Etihad also charters flights for sports teams including a last-minute flight for Manchester City Football Club in 2019 to help them continue the Asia pre-season tour after they faced a delay on their initial journey.

Pegasus Airlines UAE made an announcement for all trade partners of their latest regulations. They announced that all passengers travelling to Turkey from international destinations between 30th December 2020 to 01st March 2021, are required to produce a negative PCR test made within 72 hours before arrival. Passengers who fail to fulfill this requirement will not be accepted on the flight.This applies to all persons including children aged 6 years and above at the time of entering Turkey.Passengers who do not submit the negative PCR test to the official authorities upon arrival at the border gate, will have to undergo mandatory quarantine for a period of 7 days at the declared address of residence  in Turkey (home, hotel, etc). The above requirement of negative PCR test shall be applicable to all transit and transfer passengers as well.