Category Archives: Aviation

Qabala will be the second destination in Azerbaijan to be served by Air Arabia from June 27, 2018. Air Arabia currently serves Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan with daily flights. The flight will operate three times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, departing Sharjah International Airport (SHJ) at 13:00 hours and arriving at Qabala International Airport (GBB) at 16:10 hours local time. The return flight will depart Qabala at 17:15 hours, landing in Sharjah at 19:50 hours local time. Featuring a moderate climate and a mountainous landscape, Qabala is a destination of choice for travellers looking to spend their summer closer to nature. The city caters to all, offering everything from entertainment at amusement parks to guided walks, through the heart of its untouched forest lands.  Air Arabia currently operates flights to 133 routes across the globe from five hubs located in the Middle East and North Africa.

Etihad Guest and Visa, the world’s leader in digital payments, have given 11 lucky members of Etihad Guest a New Year gift of one million Etihad Guest Miles each in a Miles Millionaire competition. Members of the airline’s loyalty programme who registered for the promotion and booked a flight with Etihad Airways using their Visa card before October 21, had the chance to win one of 11 one million Etihad Guest Miles prizes. Yasser al Yousef, Managing Director, Etihad Guest, congratulated the Miles Millionaire winners at a presentation ceremony at Etihad Airways’ head office in Abu Dhabi. He said, “We are delighted to have our members win these miles – giving them the opportunity to live the high life with Etihad Guest and Visa.” One million miles can buy a host of products, including seven Etihad Airways flights with a friend; or four iPhone 7s, four Go-Pros, four sets of Bose headphones or 87 grams of gold. Etihad Guest Miles can be used to purchase flights, upgrades and thousands of products from the online Reward Shop.

Passenger traffic at the Dubai International Airport (DXB) reached 6,953,596 in November compared to 6,581,805 recorded in the corresponding month in 2016, an increase of 5.6 per cent, as per a latest report. Year to date, passenger numbers at DXB have risen 5.8 per cent to 80,387,442 compared to 75,947,899 recorded during the same period in 2016. This upward trend in passenger traffic has been continuing during the past year at Dubai Airports. Once again, the most significant contribution to passenger numbers came from the Indian Subcontinent and Western Europe. The two regions were up 7.5 per cent and 8 per cent respectively, and more than 1.5 million passengers travelled through DXB from each region in November. These figures were reflected in the top cities, where London (310,551) and Mumbai (217,279) were the highest. For the first time in four months, Saudi Arabia (534,906) climbed to the second spot in terms of passenger numbers by country, moving in front of the UK (507,796). India (999,625) remained the top destination country for Dubai International. November’s flight movement figures at DXB totalled 33,421 down 3.7 per cent on 2016, however the average number of passengers per flight during the month remained high at 215, up 7.3 per cent year on year.

Emirates airline will operate a special A380 flight to Kuwait for UAE supporters to attend the finals of the Arabian Gulf Cup, as announced by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, and HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chief Executive Officer, Emirates. The UAE team will face Oman in the final match which is set to be held this Friday on January 5. Details of the special flight will be made available as soon as possible.

Etihad Aviation Group announced a year-long programme of activities and humanitarian initiatives to mark 2018 as the Year of Zayed. Etihad Airways inaugurated its Year of Zayed activities recently by holding a flag-raising ceremony attended by employees. UAE President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan declared 2018 the Year of Zayed, a nationwide initiative, which will highlight the UAE founding father’s unparalleled role in establishing the UAE Federation, and his local, regional and international achievements as well as his values and principles. Khaled Al Mehairbi, General Manager, Etihad Airport Ground Services, said, “We are tremendously proud of the rapid growth of Abu Dhabi and the union. All the people of the UAE will always remain the most important element of our nation’s development. This was our father Sheikh Zayed’s main objective and vision. This year is a momentous one as we honour his achievements and celebrate his legacy in Abu Dhabi and around the world.” In support of the national initiative, and to reaffirm its commitment to the UAE, Etihad has launched a strategy based on the government’s four Year of Zayed pillars- wisdom, respect, sustainability and human development.

Emirates extended its popular ‘My Emirates Pass’ programme to customers flying to or through Dubai between January 1 and March 31, 2018. The programme gives Emirates’ customers exclusive offers and discounts across the city by turning the Emirates boarding pass into an exclusive membership card. Customers can take advantage of a range of offers at some of Dubai’s best known hotspots by simply showing their Emirates boarding pass and a valid form of identification. ‘My Emirates Pass’ has also expanded the programme with more partners – customers can now enjoy special discounts at over 250 world class restaurants and hotel dining outlets in Dubai. Exclusive offers are also available on a range of leisure activities including visits to championship golf courses, theme parks or luxury spas across the city. “This year, we’ve doubled the number of partners in the programme to give our customers more options and even better value on their visit. Whether it’s your first time in Dubai or a return trip, there is always something new to explore,” says Mohammad Al Hashimi, Vice President, Commercial Products Dubai, Emirates airline.

Emirates will share the legacy of the late His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan to a global audience in 2018 through its inflight magazine, Open Skies. The magazine will mark the ‘Year of Zayed’ throughout 2018 by featuring the achievements of HH Sheikh Zayed through a host of classic images and stories in honour of his memory. The magazine will dedicate pages to highlight his role in establishing the Federation as well as his local, regional and international successes. In addition, each article will also tell readers how they can explore the region and see HH Sheikh Zayed’s vision come to life. Emirates has also adorned its aircraft with a bespoke livery of the late HH Sheikh Zayed. 10 Emirates aircraft – five Airbus A380s and five Boeing 777-300ERs – will carry the special livery and travel across the Emirates network throughout 2018. The unique livery is the first time Emirates has featured a customised decal of a public figure.

The Etihad Aviation Group concluded a successful year of humanitarian initiatives to mark the year of giving. One dirham from every ticket booked was donated to charity and other noble initiatives that touched the lives of those in need around the world. 2017 was officially declared as the ‘Year of Giving’ by UAE President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan. In support of this national initiative, EAG launched a strategy based on the government’s three Year of Giving pillars: Corporate Social Responsibility, Volunteering and Serving the Nation. Ray Gammell, Interim Chief Executive Officer, EAG, said, “We are proud that the EAG family worldwide so generously supported the many initiatives throughout the year. Volunteering and giving back to our community, as well as to the communities in which we operate, is an important part of the Etihad culture.” A number of activities supported Syrian refugees, including a welfare trip to Lebanon where more than 3,550 Syrian refugees received winter clothes, shoes, mattresses, dry food parcels and blankets; and a trip to the UAE-Jordan Mrajeeb Al Fhood refugee camp in Jordan where EAG staff and senior management distributed school bags, stationery sets, blankets and garments to more than 2,500 children. In Greece, vital school and home supplies were donated to more than 1,000 Syrians at the Ritsona refugee camp near Athens. The event coincided with the United Nations Universal Children’s Day and supported the global education initiative to help underprivileged students pursue their studies. The Year of Giving drive was also visible on its flagship aircraft, the Airbus A380, with all four engines of the superjumbo displaying the official Year of Giving logo to promote the national initiative overseas in …

Emirates has carried over 59 million passengers since January 2017 to over 159 destination around the globe. The airline served over 63 million meals onboard with over 35 million pieces of baggage. Reflecting on the year, Sir Tim Clark, President, Emirates Airline, said, “Despite the ups and downs of 2017, Emirates delivered steady growth and we have come out stronger and even more resilient. Throughout the year, we challenged convention and acted nimbly to mitigate challenges and maximise opportunities. We implemented initiatives to boost revenues, trim costs, and used emerging technologies to make our business and operations more agile, without compromising on quality or service. We enter 2018 with optimism, and an unflagging drive to keep raising the bar in terms of customer experience and business performance.” They further registered over 3,600 passenger flights on average per week, or over 191,000 flights in 2017, travelling more than 886 million kilometres around the globe, which is equivalent to over 16,000 trips to Mars. Emirates grew its fleet by 21 new aircraft in 2017, with 9 A380 and 12 Boeing 777-300ER deliveries, rounding off the year with 269 aircraft, and 243 aircraft pending delivery. The airline also retired 11 aircraft over the course of the year. The airline marked 9 years of A380 operations and also celebrated its 100th A380 delivery milestone in November, strengthening Emirates’ position as the world’s largest operator of the iconic double-decker aircraft. Powering its fleet expansion and future growth, Emirates made global headlines at the Dubai Airshow when it placed a US $15.1 billion for 40 Boeing 787 Dreamliners. The order will enable the airline to maintain a young and efficient fleet, complementing its Boeing 777 and …

Launching new customer service innovations for the holiday season, Cebu Pacific (CEB) has invested over AED 4.4 million per year over the next five years by implementing customer-facing Information and Communication Technology (ICT) solutions. These solutions are set to improve airport operations and make online booking services more convenient for passengers. Cebu’s new service called Max Airport is a digital platform that allows the airline’s Philippine airport personnel to remotely check-in passengers, assign seats, facilitate payment for baggage and other ancillary services, and even print boarding passes. The MAX Airport suite, which is installed on iPads, is now being used by CEB ground staff at the NAIA Terminals 3 and 4, in time for the expected surge of passengers during the yuletide season.