Category Archives: Aviation

flydubai celebrated its inaugural flight to Yangon in Myanmar, expanding its network to include Southeast Asia. The new daily flights are codeshared with Emirates and will operate from Terminal 3 at Dubai International (DXB). On board the inaugural flight was a delegation led by Sudhir Sreedharan, Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations (UAE, GCC, Subcontinent and Africa) at flydubai. On arrival in Yangon, the delegation was met by His Excellency U Phyo Min Thein, Chief Minister of Yangon Region, Her Excellency Daw Nilar Kyaw, Minister of Electricity, Industry, Roads and Transport along with U Htun Myint Naing, Chairman of Asia World Group of Companies and Mr. Jose Angeja, COO of Yangon Aerodrome Company Limited. Speaking at the inaugural event Sudhir Sreedharan, Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations (UAE, GCC, Subcontinent and Africa) at flydubai, said, “We are delighted to start our new daily service to Yangon, as we see flydubai’s network expand further East. We are confident that the new service will not only support the trade links between the UAE and Myanmar but also become a popular route for passengers travelling from the UAE and the GCC and for those connecting to Europe and the USA with Emirates.” During his opening remarks at the event, His Excellency U Phyo Min Thein said, “Yangon International Airport plays an essential role in the tourism development of Myanmar. The airport is a gateway to international travel. We want to extend a warm welcome to flydubai’s inaugural flight today and give thanks to developing our tourism sector, and recognising Dubai as an international transit hub.”

Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) welcomed Pegasus’ inaugural flights from Instanbul to Ras Al Khaimah on November 28. The flight departed from Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport (SAW) on November 27 at 9:50 pm and arrived at Ras Al Khaimah International Airport (RKT) at 3:20 am on November 28. The arrival of the first flight was celebrated with a water cannon salute for the aircraft and a special cake cutting ceremony attended by key figures in the aviation industry, including representatives from RAK Civil Aviation, RAK Airport, RAKTDA and Pegasus. H.E. Engr. Sheikh Salem bin Sultan bin Saqr Al Qasimi, member of the Government of Ras Al Khaimah Executive Council shared, “We are proud to announce the new route between Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport and Ras Al Khaimah International Airport. RAK is a key player in the local aviation market, and this is just one of the many developments we have planned for the airport in the coming months and years.” Raki Philips, Chief Executive Officer of Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority commented, “The new route from Istanbul to Ras Al Khaimah is a fantastic achievement for the airport. It opens up our beautiful emirate to key markets in Turkey and beyond. The new route is just in time for one of our busiest seasons, as the weather cools down, tourists are able to take full advantage of Ras Al Khaimah’s many great outdoor assets, inclusive of the beaches and mountains.” Sanjay Khanna, Chief Executive Officer of Ras Al Khaimah International Airport added, “The new route from Istanbul to Ras Al Khaimah is a fantastic achievement for our airport and I cannot wait to see the …

Etihad Airways received a special reception at Jeddah’s new Terminal 1. The inaugural flight was operated on Etihad’s Dreamliner with the distinctive Kingdom of Saudi Arabia livery. Etihad Airways flights to Jeddah have relocated from the old terminal of King Abdulaziz International Airport (KAIA) to the new terminal (Terminal 1) with effect from November 18. The reception was attended by H.E. Nasir Al Ketbi General Consular of UAE; Essam Fouad, Director General of King Abdulaziz Airport; Captain Fahd Cynndy, CEO of Saudi Ground Services; Yousef Attiah, Director General of Terminal 1, and management from Etihad Airways. Robin Kamark, Chief Commercial Officer, Etihad Aviation Group, said, “The introduction of the new terminal in Jeddah and the warm welcome we’ve received is a demonstration of our commitment to the Saudi market and it’s a reflection towards the deep relationship between the UAE and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. As Etihad Airways and Saudi Arabian Airlines continue to strengthen their partnership, the new terminal will also provide convenient travel options to our customers, boosting the codeshare connectivity on joint services.”

Saudi Arabia’s first low-cost airline, flynas has signed a firm order for 10 A321XLRs at Dubai Airshow 2019. The agreement was signed by Bandar Almohanna, Chief Executive Officer, flynas and Christian Scherer, Chief Commercial Officer, Airbus. In 2016, flynas signed an agreement for 80 A320neo Family and currently operates a fleet of 27 A320ceos and 4 A320neos. In 2018, the airline transported more than 6.6 million passengers on 60,000 domestic and international flights. The airline is currently operating over 1,200 flights weekly to 17 domestic destinations and 53 international destinations. The A321XLR is the next evolutionary step from the A321LR which responds to market needs for even more range and payload, creating more value for the airlines. The aircraft will deliver an unprecedented Xtra Long Range of up to 4,700 nm with 30 per cent lower fuel consumption per seat, compared with previous-generation competitor jets. At the end of October 2019, the A320neo Family had accumulated more than 7,000 firm orders from over 110 customers worldwide.

Emirates announced the signing of a full purchase agreement for 30 Boeing 787-9 aircraft, worth US$ 8.8 billion at list prices, at Dubai Airshow 2019. Under its agreement with Boeing, Emirates has exercised its right to substitute the B777x with B787s. This deal includes Boeing 787 Dreamliners, with deliveries commencing in May 2023 and continuing for the next five years. For the B777x, Emirates will enter into discussions with Boeing over the next few weeks on the status of deliveries, taking Emirates’ total order with Boeing to 126 aircraft. HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Emirates Chairman & Chief Executive signed the agreement with Stanley Deal, President and Chief Executive Officer for Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The latest US$ 16 billion Airbus A350 order takes the total value of Emirates’ firm aircraft commitments at the 2019 Dubai Airshow to US$ 24.8 billion. HH Sheikh Ahmed said, “This is an important investment and addition to our future fleet and network requirements, providing us with the agility, flexibility, and spread of seat segments when it comes to the overall capacity to serve a range of destinations as we develop and grow our global route network. Our Boeing fleet is the key to our business model to serve international demand for travel to and through our Dubai hub, as we continue to contribute to the UAE’s strategy to become a global destination for business and tourism by providing high-quality air connectivity.”

Travellers in Kuwait will be able to fly directly to Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, starting December 8 with a newly established flight route by Jazeera Airways. Supported by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), the independent airline announced the new direct flights to Al Ain at a travel trade event in Kuwait. The event included many DCT Abu Dhabi’s key partners in Al Ain, such as Rotana Hotels, Ayla Hotels, Al Bada Resorts, and Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting, and Golf Club. By establishing the new direct routes, DCT Abu Dhabi hopes to encourage travellers from Kuwait to visit the city of Al Ain in a move to boost tourism to the ‘heritage heartland’ of the emirate. Nabeel M. Al Zarouni, Regional Promotions Manager, Middle East, and Africa at DCT Abu Dhabi, said, “The launch of the new flight route marks a new chapter in tourism between Kuwait and Abu Dhabi. We would like to thank Jazeera Airways for their hard work and collaboration over the past months and for selecting Al Ain are their new destination in 2019, and we will be working closely with them in the future to encourage passengers from Kuwait to discover Al Ain with the help of these new routes.” Andrew Ward, Jazeera Airways Vice President-Marketing & Product, said, “We are proud to be operating our second destination in the United Arab Emirates and provide our customers with more choices to explore and enjoy the hidden gems of our region. We are committed to Jazeera Airways to connect passengers from across our network to new destinations while ensuring we continue to provide them with value fares and reliable service …

Etihad Airways and Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) have relaunched their codeshare partnership to provide their customers with greater access to both airlines’ trunk routes between the UAE and Pakistan, and on Etihad services across its global network. The codeshare flights will be open for sale on November 13, 2019, with the first travel date from November 26. The partnership will see Etihad Airways place its ‘EY’ code on PIA services to and from Abu Dhabi to the Pakistani cities of Lahore, Islamabad, and Peshawar. PIA will place its ‘PK’ code on Etihad services from Karachi, Islamabad and Lahore to Abu Dhabi and vice versa, and also onwards from the UAE capital to Amsterdam, Bahrain, Colombo Chicago, Frankfurt, Los Angeles, Madrid, Moscow, Washington D.C, and Zurich. Robin Kamark, Etihad Airways Chief Commercial Officer, said, “The UAE and Pakistan share strong historical, commercial and cultural links and this partnership with PIA is a natural progression for both carriers. It enables us to cater to the strong customer demand for both point-to-point business and VFR travel between the UAE and major cities in Pakistan.” Nausherwan Adil, Chief Commercial Officer of Pakistan International Airlines, said, “This is indeed a great opportunity for PIA to join hands with Etihad Airways connecting Pakistan to UAE and around the globe, expanding reach to more destinations for the convenience of our valued passengers.”

Emirates’ first remote check-in terminal was opened to provide seamless connections for cruise passengers. The Emirates check-in counters, located at Port Rashid, will allow passengers who are disembarking from their cruise ships to check-in for their onward Emirates flight at the same facility. The new service will further enhance Dubai’s position as a premier international cruise destination and provides greater convenience for Emirates customers. With complimentary flight check-in facilities located at the same location as their cruise disembarkation point, customers will have the convenience of exploring Dubai without their luggage before heading directly to the airport for their flight. The Emirates check-in facility at Port Rashid will have eight counters where Emirates staff will check-in customers’ luggage and issue boarding passes up to 4 hours before flight departure. The facility will be open during the sailing period from October to April. In the next 6 months, 198 cruise ships are expected to dock at Port Rashid where approximately 280,000 passengers will have onward Emirates flights. Mohammed Mattar, Divisional Senior Vice President, Emirates Airport Services said, “We are committed to providing a seamless and hassle-free travel journey for our customers. With the increasing popularity of Dubai as a cruise tourism destination, we have ensured that every touchpoint in our customer journey for this important traveller segment is thoughtfully served. Our first remote check-in facility at Port Rashid will allow cruise passengers with onward flights the freedom to explore Dubai during their short transit.”

Turkish Airlines brought in the much-anticipated Turkish Airlines World Golf Cup tournament for the seventh time on November 4–5, 2019 to Antalya. They offered corporate teams exceptional networking opportunities, tournament entrants receive first-class Turkish Airlines hospitality and golf at the finest golf courses around the world. Over eight thousand players from around the world, all VIPs invited by Turkish Airlines, have competed in more than 100 tournaments across the globe with the winners securing places in the Grand Finals in Antalya. This year the competition has been played out in 101 destinations across 70 countries. M. İlker Aycı, Chairman of the Board and the Executive Committee, Turkish Airlines said, “The Turkish Airlines World Golf Cup is an event that we are very proud of and it continues to grow and improve year on year. We are delighted to have held this event, which has already become a key date in all golfers’ diaries, in Antalya.” This year Turkish Airlines moved to its new home at Istanbul Airport, a state-of-the-art structure from which the global carrier will continue on its path of expansion. The Star Alliance member airline currently operates to 316 destinations across 126 countries, and from its hub at the center of global aviation, Turkish Airlines allows its valued guests to explore more of the world, as well as Turkey’s impressive golf courses.

Etihad Airways announced its partnership with Tourism Malaysia to attract visitors from Europe and the Middle East to Malaysia, via the airline’s Abu Dhabi hub. The agreement was signed at the World Travel Market in London, attended by representatives from both organisations and trade partners. The agreement between the two organisations will support the tourism board’s Visit Malaysia 2020 marketing campaign which has been developed to encourage tourism from Europe and the Middle East to Malaysia. Etihad Airways began flying to Kuala Lumpur in 2007 and has since flown 2.7 million passengers to the Malaysian capital. Today, Etihad Airways operates a daily flight to Kuala Lumpur which is operated by the airline’s Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Hareb Almuhairy, Senior Vice President Destination and Leisure Management, Etihad Aviation Group commented, “Tourism Malaysia has been a proud partner of Etihad for many years and Kuala Lumpur remains one of the most important destinations in our global network. The Southeast Asian country continues to be a popular choice for travellers in the UK and Europe as well as the Middle East, and visitors will benefit from the convenient connection through Abu Dhabi.” Datuk Musa HJ Yusof, Director General, Tourism Malaysia, said, “The campaign aims to welcome tourists from Europe, Middle East and beyond to Malaysia as well as to promote the Visit Malaysia 2020 initiative, which seeks to attract 30 million tourists and around RM 100 billion (GBP 18.56 Billion) in tourism receipts by the year 2020.”