Category Archives: Aviation

Air India Express has announced that it will launch flights from Sharjah to Surat from February 16, 2019. Initially, the airline will provide a twice weekly service connecting the two destinations. Shyam Sundar, CEO, Air India Express stated that this service will be the 47th non-stop direct connection of the airline between India and the Gulf Region. Flight IX–172 will depart from Sharjah at 7:35 pm and arrive in Surat at 11:45 pm on Mondays and Saturdays. Flight IX–171 from Surat to Sahrjah will depart from Surat at 12:30 am (half past midnight) with arrival into Sharjah at 02:15 am on Tuesdays and Sundays. He further reiterated that the service will be upgraded to four flights a week in the summer schedule. The Sharjah-Surat service will operate on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays and in return directions, the service will be on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays.

H E Eng Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri, UAE Minister of Economy, and Chairman, General Civil Aviation Authority, in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman, Dubai Airports; President of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority; Chairman and CEO of Emirates Group and H E Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi, Director General, General Civil Aviation Authority inaugurated the Global Investment in Aviation Summit (GIAS) on January 28. The UAE General Civil Aviation Authority and International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the ceremony to develop and expand cooperation for the establishment of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Global Aviation Award (SMBRGAA). The MoU will serve to stablish and implement joint efforts to promote the development of international civil aviation in a safe and orderly manner. The opening ceremony of the summit included a series of keynote speeches and panel discussions for the senior policy-makers and business leaders to share their knowledge and expertise, and to extrapolate the current economic situation and opportunities. In his welcome speech, Al Mansouri said, “I am honoured to welcome you all on behalf of the United Arab Emirates government at the Global Investment in Aviation Summit, under the theme ‘Linking Developed and Emerging Markets through Attractive Aviation Investment Opportunities’. This global marketplace aims to promote investment and enhance international air navigation by encouraging discussions and agreements between governments and decision-makers and investors.” He also stressed that by the year 2034, civil aviation will witness double increase in number of passengers compared to previous years. This will lead to the emergence of the need to implement modernisation and expansion of high-quality airport infrastructure, requiring more investment to match the …

Etihad Airways has renewed its partnership with Abu Dhabi Golf Club, Saadiyat Beach Golf Club and Yas Links Golf Club for another three years, reinforcing the airline’s continued commitment to golf in the nation’s capital and to establishing it as a major global sporting destination. Hareb Al Muhairy, Senior Vice President, Destination and Leisure Management; James Ibbetson, Director of Golf, Yas Links and and Ed Edwards, Group General Manager, Abu Dhabi Golf Club and Saadiyat Beach Golf Club, signed the agreement during the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship presented by EGA, for which Etihad Airways was the official airline partner. Hareb Al Muhairy, Senior Vice President, Destination and Leisure Management, Etihad Airways, said, “Etihad Airways is always proud to promote Abu Dhabi to the world, and this strategic partnership underscores our wider commitment both to the promotion of the capital as a leading global leisure destination, and to the fantastic sporting opportunities that the city has to offer our international visitors. The Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship presented by EGA is the jewel in the crown of the city’s golfing calendar, and lucky for us all, the excellent golfing facilities are available year-round and we want to showcase the quality of the courses and the clubhouses which are on offer. We look forward to welcoming lovers of golf, both young and old, to Abu Dhabi to experience all it has to offer.” The renewed partnerships highlight the wider efforts being made by Etihad Airways and its partners to build an open, efficient and globally integrated sporting business environment across Abu Dhabi, as they work with key strategic sporting partners including Etihad Airways Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the Abu Dhabi World …

Emirates Skywards celebrated the opening of its new Emirates Skywards Centre in Terminal 3 at Dubai International Airport (DXB). The centre was inaugurated by Dr Nejib Ben Khedher, Senior Vice President, Emirates Skywards and Nick Moore, Senior Vice President, Passenger Services, Emirates. The Emirates Skywards Centre at DXB will function as a one-stop customer touchpoint for all new and existing members of the Emirates Skywards loyalty programme and will provide assistance across a wide range of services including programme enrolment, profile creation and luggage tag printing. Emirates Skywards staff will also be available onsite to consult with members on all tiers- and miles-related queries including how to earn, purchase, spend miles and make optimum use of expiring miles. Khedher said, “With our new Emirates Skywards Centre, the aim is to be one step closer to our members and to help them maximise their experience and value from the programme. Members can stop by at any time for all their Skywards needs – whether it is getting information on membership tiers, finding out about our latest partners or using their Skywards miles to access special events at their destination,” he added. The Emirates Skywards Centre is now open and located at the Departures Level in Concourse B at Dubai International Airport Terminal 3. The Centre is accessible to all current and new Emirates Skywards members departing from and connecting to flights in Terminal 3. In addition to the Emirates Skywards Centre, members can get more information on the loyalty programme and linked offers to earn and spend miles through the Skywards section on the Emirates app, as well as online on the Emirates Skywards website. Members can also use any of …

Gulf Air has announced partnership with the fifth edition of ‘Shop Bahrain’. The partnership comes in line with Gulf Air’s efforts to support the Kingdom’s initiatives that contribute to boost the tourism sector. ‘Shop Bahrain’ is a 30-day event aimed at celebrating the Kingdom’s hospitality and tourism offering, reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a tourist destination – in particularly visitors coming from neighbouring GCC countries – due to its close proximity. The festival being held from January 1 to February 2, 2019 will offer a unique shopping experience with fun-filled family entertainment and valuable prizes. Commenting on this strategic partnership, Sheikh Khalid bin Humood Al Khalifa, CEO, Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority, said, “We thank Gulf Air for their ongoing support and efforts to promote the fifth edition of ‘Shop Bahrain’ through its different marketing channels. This will increase the Kingdom’s exposure on a regional and global level and encourage travellers to join the festival in the Kingdom. We are honoured by this partnership that supports BTEA’s strategy “Bahrain. Ours. Yours.” and strengthens relations between the public and private sectors to achieve the Economic Vision 2030.” Captain Waleed Al Alawi, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Gulf Air, said, “We are delighted to be amongst the festival’s partners from the very first edition. This partnership comes in line with our efforts to support events and initiatives that revitalise the Kingdom’s economy, such as Formula 1, the Bahrain International Airshow, Ironman and more.” Through its strategic partnership Gulf Air is offering 5000 discounted airline tickets for Business and Economy Class Return tickets, among the 73,000 instant prizes given to the Festival’s winners.

The Sustainable Bioenergy Research Consortium (SBRC), a non-profit entity established by Masdar Institute that is part of Khalifa University of Science and Technology, has flown the world’s first commercial flight using locally produced sustainable fuel on an Etihad Airways Boeing 787 powered by GE’s GEnx-1B engines.  The flight from Abu Dhabi to Amsterdam marked a major milestone in the development of a clean, alternative aviation fuel to reduce carbon emissions. The initiative also addresses food security in the UAE through the farming of seafood as a core element in the process. The SBRC partners have been working together to prove the concept of a comprehensive value chain that is centered around the Seawater Energy and Agriculture System (SEAS). This is a synergistic industrial platform that supports the aviation sector, the oil and gas industry, food production and the creation of a new agricultural alternative in the UAE. His Excellency Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister, Climate Change and Environment, said, “The UAE’s visionary leadership is strongly committed to positioning the country as a global hub for innovation and sustainability. In this context, productive cross-disciplinary public-private partnerships are crucial to fuelling research and development efforts and creating game-changing innovations that enable a more sustainable future. Deep decarbonisation of energy-intensive industries has a ripple effect on food security and climate action. Clean, alternative aviation fuels are an innovative and sustainable solution to significantly reducing harmful carbon emissions. The UAE is proud to be a pioneer in this domain.” Her Excellency Mariam bint Mohammed Saeed Hareb Al Mheiri, Minister of State for Food Security, said, “This proof of concept is a ground-breaking development that addresses the challenges of energy, water and food …

The strategic partnership between Emirates and flydubai continues to open up the world for travellers since its launch 14 months ago, and is set to grow even further in 2019 with new codeshare destinations to be added. The partnership, which came into effect at the end of October 2017, has since delivered a number of benefits to both airlines’ customers, such as offering greater global connectivity through more destination choices, flexibility with flight options when planning trips, one integrated loyalty programme and the convenience of travelling on a single ticket with seamless point to point baggage handling. Through the codeshare partnership, Emirates’ customers can access 67 additional destinations through flydubai’s network, while flydubai’s customers have 115 additional destinations they can travel to on Emirates’ network. “The partnership between Emirates and flydubai has not only delivered tangible benefits to our collective customers but also to both airlines in terms of the synergies that come with working closely together. For example, reducing route overlaps and the realignment of schedules to common destinations. In addition, the partnership has also helped to further strengthen Dubai’s position as a leading global aviation hub with the increase in traffic flows resulting from the two airlines’ codeshare network, and by enabling smooth and seamless connections for customers through the city’s modern and comfortable international airport,” said His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Group and Chairman, flydubai. During 2019, the network of codeshare flights will be further expanded, with the launch of new flydubai destinations like Naples and Budapest, as well as several others that will be announced in due course. flydubai flights to Chittagong will also restart from January 20, while …

The 7th edition of the Global Airport Leaders’ Forum (GALF) is set to take place in Dubai this year. One of the world’s most influential knowledge-sharing platforms for the airports industry, agenda for GALF 2019 taking place from April 29 to May 1 alongside the 19th edition of Airport Show reflects the changing aviation landscape and future technologies. Airport Show and its co-located events will be held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President, Dubai Civil Aviation Authority; Chairman, Dubai Airports and Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline and Group. The knowledge-enhancement initiative is themed ‘Leading Collaborative Sustainable Aviation Growth’, reflecting the future growth path of the industry which supports US$2.7 trillion of the world’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and carries over four billion passengers and 62 million tonnes of freight a year. At GALF, industry leaders and experts from around the world will gather to discuss common challenges, partnership opportunities and chart the way forward for the region’s aviation growth. The three-day event will feature pressing topics including smart airports and sustainability, airport privatisation models,  building non- aeronautical revenue systems and the future of blockchain in aviation, amongst other topics. Dubai has ambitious plans to be the world’s first city fully powered by blockchain by 2020 and the emirate is making persistent efforts to be a global leader in blockchain adoption. Daniyal Qureshi, Group Exhibition Director, Reed Exhibitions Middle East, organisers of Airport Show said, “The agenda for GALF 2019 undoubtedly reflects the direction the industry is going in and we are looking forward to seeing what interesting discussions take place to ensure our industry is at the forefront of digital transformation.”

Emirates has announced a number of appointments to its commercial operations team across the Middle East, GCC and Africa with effect from January 6, 2019. The appointments bring Emirati talent into key leadership positions, either being promoted from within the organisation or through portfolio rotations, underpinning the airline’s commitment to career development and progression of its UAE Nationals. Thierry Antinori, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, Emirates said, “As we continue to develop our operations in the Middle East, GCC and Africa, the unique backgrounds, experience and skills of each newly-appointed member of our commercial team will further strengthen our commercial and business operations and drive our strategic initiatives in a new year of growth. Their experience will also be instrumental as we focus on executing many of our commercial initiatives to pursue revenue opportunities, improve margin performance, as well as capture new consumer segments.” Mohammad Lootah will be taking on the role of Manager Jordan. Lootah joined Emirates in 2016 and has held commercial support management roles in Riyadh and Kuwait. Tariq Al Mutawa has been appointed as Manager Kuwait. Al Mutawa has been with Emirates for eight years, holding roles in India, Bahrain and Qatar. Hamad Al Ali, has been appointed to lead the airline’s commercial activities as Manager Bahrain. Al Ali joined Emirates in 2013 as a Commercial Support Manager and was posted in South Africa and Ethiopia. After that, he was assigned as Manager Zambia where he executed and delivered Emirates’s commercial activities in that market. Omar Al Bushlaibi, will become Manager Oman. He joined Emirates in 2014 as part of the UAE National Commercial Management Programme, training in the UAE Sales Department, Istanbul, as well as …

Set to be held from April 30 to May 1, CONNECT Middle East, India & Africa 2019 is expected to bring together airline specialists, aviation authorities, tourism boards, airports and tour operators, as well as other travel-related industry professionals. Fourteen airlines have already confirmed their participation at CONNECT Middle East, India & Africa – co-located with Arabian Travel Market 2019 and taking place at Dubai World Trade Centre. Senior network planning teams from Emirates, Etihad, flydubai, Air Arabia, Air Asia, EgyptAir, flyadeal, Ethiopian Airlines, Global Airways, Atlas Global, Germania, Mahan Air, Royal Air Maroc and Titan Airways will attend the inaugural route development forum. Throughout 2018, GCC airlines have added 58 new flight routes – focusing on areas of consistent and substantial growth – according to research from Colliers International – based on a sample of 10 airlines including Emirates, Etihad, flydubai, Salaam Air, Oman Air, Gulf Air, Saudia, flyadeal, Air Arabia and IndiGo airlines. Karin Butot, CEO, The Airport Agency, said, “2018 has been an exciting year for new flight routes both to and from the GCC, underscoring Dubai as the ideal location to bring together professionals from the aviation and tourism industry for the inaugural CONNECT Middle East, India and Africa forum. With up to 400 delegates, CONNECT Middle East, India & Africa 2019 will include unlimited one-to-one pre-scheduled appointments, a conference programme, panel discussions and airline and  industry briefings as well as an exhibition area dedicated to airports and suppliers.” Nick Pilbeam, Divisional Director, Reed Travel Exhibitions, said, “It is an ideal base for exploring some of the world’s most interesting and previously inaccessible corners of the world. And the GCC’s airlines are making it even easier with the …