Category Archives: Aviation

Etihad Airways has launched its first-ever scheduled flights from Abu Dhabi to Barcelona. The inaugural flight recently departed Abu Dhabi with a special delegation including dignitaries, media representatives and senior members of the airline’s management team. Tony Douglas, Group Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Aviation Group, said, “There could not have been a better time to arrive here than the month when Etihad celebrates its 15th anniversary. Commercial and cultural links between the UAE and the Catalonia region are flourishing and Etihad is honoured to play a pivotal role in facilitating and enhancing the growth of trade and the strong demand for tourism. This is a breathtakingly beautiful part of the world, with something to offer the most discerning of travellers, and now for the first time, Abu Dhabi is accessible from Barcelona with regular non-stop flights. On behalf of the Etihad Aviation Group, I extend our sincere thanks to the Barcelona Air Route Development Committee for their invaluable support with the new service.” The number of visitors from the UAE to Spain has been rising rapidly, thanks in part to a successful Schengen visa waiver programme introduced for UAE nationals in 2015. The new route will initially be operated five times a week by a two-class Airbus A330-200 before becoming a daily operation from March 31, 2019.

Members of Emirates Skywards, the loyalty programme of Emirates and flydubai, can now achieve their next Emirates Skywards tier faster, with an exciting new offer to earn up to double Tier Miles on flights. The offer is valid for eligible tickets booked between November 26 and December 03, 2018 (both days inclusive) for travel on Emirates or flydubai flights between November 26, 2018 and March 31, 2019. To be eligible for the promotion, customers must be existing or new members of Emirates Skywards can register for the offer via the Emirates app or by logging into their account online at emirates.com or flydubai.com. Customers must also choose ‘Flex’ or ‘Flex Plus’ fares when flying on Emirates and ‘Free to Change’ or ‘Business Basic’ fares when travelling on flydubai to be eligible to earn bonus Tier Miles. Emirates Skywards offers four tiers of membership – Blue, Silver, Gold and Platinum – each with unique incremental benefits for members including dedicated check-in, priority boarding, lounge access, complimentary advanced seat selection and special Wi-Fi privileges. Members build up their tier status by earning Tier Miles on flights flown with Emirates or flydubai. Dr Nejib Ben Khedher, Senior Vice President, Emirates Skywards, said, “We always strive to provide greater value to our customers and offer them access to a much wider range of benefits and rewards. Through our latest offer, a first of this scale and reach, Emirates Skywards members will be able to accrue bonus Tier Miles from flights and this means that they can reach their next Emirates Skywards tier faster.”

Oman Air has taken delivery of its second three-class Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner and expects to receive it next month. Besides, the national carrier of the Sultanate of Oman is anticipated to receive a total of nine more 737 MAX 8s within the next year. The three-class Dreamliner features eight First Class Private Suites, 24 Business Class seats and 232 Economy seats. Guests travelling aboard this aircraft in First Class can enjoy unparalleled levels of comfort with one of the longest 180 degrees flat-bed seats available on any commercial airliner. Fully enclosed, the suite has 55-inch extra tall doors to ensure complete privacy. The aircraft will be equipped with leading technology and the latest-in-comfort amenities, including cutting-edge entertainment to enhance the travel experience of their guests. All classes feature ‘Aria’, a new state-of-the-art Thales Integrated In-Flight Entertainment System designed exclusively for Oman Air featuring an immersive cinematic interface design, showcasing the latest in on-demand blockbuster movies, TV programmes and audio selections. Exclusively curated content is available for visitors to Oman, who look to experience the very best of Oman culture from the moment they step onboard. Following the launch of new routes to Istanbul and Casablanca in June and July this year respectively, Oman Air recently celebrated the launch of its new service to Moscow on October 30, and the resumption of the Maldives route on October 28. With the addition of new Dreamliner, Oman Air’s fleet consists of three Boeing 787-8, five 787-9 Dreamliners, six Airbus 330-300s, four Airbus 330-200s, five Boeing 737-900s, 21 Boeing 737-800s, four Embraer 175s and five 737 MAX.

Abu Dhabi Airports has inaugurated a multi-faith prayer room in Terminal 3 at Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH). This new facility reflects on Abu Dhabi Airports’ commitment to embed the UAE’s values of respect, acceptance and diversity. The prayer room is located adjacent to the bus gates at Terminal 3, which has an annual capacity of 12 million passengers. The launch of the multi-faith prayer room comes as the result of Abu Dhabi Airports’ primary focus on customers and commitment to providing excellent services. It also reflects the values of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Founder, the UAE, who conveyed the importance of religious tolerance. Bryan Thompson, CEO, Abu Dhabi Airports, said, “At Abu Dhabi Airports, our priority is serving the needs of our passengers, and ensuring that our customers have access to all the services that they require. As a global hub, we welcome passengers and travellers from all parts of the world and all walks of life. Our new multi-faith prayer room seeks to accommodate our millions of travellers from a range of different religious backgrounds and faiths.” He added, “Abu Dhabi Airports’ new corporate values, which were launched earlier this year as part of our Year of Zayed programme, emphasise and reflect the core principles of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founding father of the UAE. As a leader who was known globally for his acceptance of others and multi-cultural outlook, this multi-faith prayer room is a representation of those values being implemented throughout our activities and operations.”

dnata has launched operations at Los Angeles International Airport and now provides quality and reliable ground handling and cargo services at 20 airports in the country. To establish operations in Los Angeles, dnata has invested $8 million in infrastructure and resources, creating more than 350 local jobs. Serving six airlines, including Austrian Airlines, Iberia, Japan Airlines, Lufthansa, Swiss International Air Lines and Qantas, dnata will initially handle 4,600 flights a year. The company commenced ground handling and cargo operations in the United States by the acquisition of industry players in 2016. Since then, it has invested more than $35 million in facilities, equipment, training and technology. Having won over 45 new contracts in the past 12 months, dnata now serves over 60 airlines in the United States. David Barker, Chief Executive Officer, dnata USA, said, “We are thrilled to be launching operations at one of the world’s leading international airports. Adding Los Angeles International Airport to our growing network underlines our strong commitment to the US market, where we have significantly expanded our operations through massive investments in our facilities and resources in the past two years. We see an opportunity to create a step change in service excellence for our customer airlines at this important gateway.” Joerg Mnich, Vice President, Commercial Airport Infrastructure, Lufthansa Group, said, “As a premium airline, the Lufthansa Group is excited to grow the North American relationship with dnata into other major hubs like Los Angeles. With our positive service experience from destinations like Boston, New York-JFK, San Diego and Tampa, we are looking forward to providing first-class service to our customers with our handling partner at Los Angeles International Airport.”

flydubai will operate flights to three points in Kazakhstan following the relaunch of its Shymkent service. The twice-a-week service will be offered from December 28, 2018. flydubai has been flying to Kazakhstan since 2014 and together with the re-launched service to Shymkent and existing flights to Almaty and Astana, the airline will operate 13 weekly flights to three points in the country. Commenting on the recommencement of flights to Shymkent, Ghaith Al Ghaith, Chief Executive Officer, flydubai, said, “We are pleased to see the strengthening of direct air links between the UAE and Kazakhstan, which provide more opportunities for the development of tourism and trade flows. flydubai has been flying to Kazakhstan since 2014 and we have seen over the years a positive demand from the region.” With flydubai, Business Class passengers can enjoy comfortable spacious seats and a variety of dining options onboard, as well as a priority check-in service and lounge access. flydubai offers its Economy Class passengers numerous features onboard including comfortable seating, a range of tasty snacks to purchase during flights and an award-winning in-flight entertainment system with more than 1,000 hours of films, television, music and an extensive range of Arabic, English and Russian content. The airline’s latest offering includes WiFi connectivity and Live TV on selected flights.

Turkish Airlines’ Miles&Smiles has launched a Frequent-Flyer Programme (FFP) partnership with Azul Brazilian Airlines. The agreement was signed between Ahmet Olmuştur,  Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), Turkish Airlines and Alexandre Wagner Malfitani, Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Azul Brazilian Airlines. With its principle to provide privileged travel experience with seamless connections, Miles&Smiles expands its partnerships to allow its members to enjoy Miles&Smiles advantages on their flights all over the world. Miles&Smiles members now will be able to earn and redeem miles on flights operated by Azul Brazilian Airlines, as of January 1, 2019. Reciprocally, Azul Brazilian Airlines’ loyalty programme TudoAzul members will also be able to earn and redeem miles on Turkish Airlines’ operated flights. Commenting on the agreement, Ahmet Olmuştur, CMO, Turkish Airlines, said, “We are delighted to expand our partnership with Azul Brazilian Airlines. We have a working codeshare cooperation which was established in December last year. And with this Frequent Flyer Programme partnership, we are glad to achieve a higher level of collaboration with Azul.”

Air Arabia has selected Thales for its new Aviobook Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) system that allows pilots to operate efficiently in the cockpit with digital manuals and charts. The signing happened at the side-lines of Bahrain International Airshow that took place this week in Bahrain. Air Arabia had already implemented the Aviobook electronic flight bag system years back that helped the airline reduce the amount of paper required to be carried on board while bringing robust efficiency into its operations. Thales Pads will now replace existing electronic devices on board ensuring latest technology is adopted. The new EFB, lighter in weight, includes enhanced features and provides highest level of reliability and performance on board. Adel Al Ali, Group Chief Executive Officer, Air Arabia, said, “Efficiency has been at the heart of Air Arabia operations since the carrier launch 15 years ago. Adopting the Thales Pads into our cockpit reflects Air Arabia’s innovative approach towards investing in technology and business intelligence to continue driving operational reliability and efficiency higher. We look forward to working with Thales to successfully implement this new project”. Roger Daix, VP-Thales, Middle East, said, “Thales is proud to have been selected by Air Arabia, and we are honoured to equip the airline with the new Aviobook electronic flight bag system. This selection represents a major win for Thales in the Middle East reinforcing our presence within the region. Thales is committed to support Air Arabia in driving innovation at the highest standards.”

Abu Dhabi Airports takes part at the Bahrain International Air Show being held from November 14 to 16 at the Sakhir Airbase so as to exhibit alongside partners at the UAE national pavilion. Commenting on Abu Dhabi Airports’ participation at the Middle East’s fastest growing airshow, Bryan Thompson, CEO, Abu Dhabi Airports, said, “Abu Dhabi now serves as a remarkable global example in providing air transport services that meet the highest international standards. Participation in the Bahrain International Air Show comes as part of our commitment to enhancing and bolstering our leading status in the air transport sector. “Our participation alongside key partners allows us to raise awareness about the astonishing developments being realised throughout Abu Dhabi in the aviation sector and related areas. Our participation here over the course of three days serves to highlight the pivotal role that the air transport and aerospace sector play in contributing to the national economy, which has been achievable. Thanks to joint cooperation and support across local authorities.” In 2017, Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) was named ‘Best Airport in the Middle East’ by the Airport Service Quality Awards for the second consecutive year. AUH has also prioritised sustainability, and last year became the first airport in the region to sign the Airports Sustainability Declaration.

Gulf Air and Etihad are set to explore deeper cooperation following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at the Bahrain International Airshow. The wide-ranging MOU covers scope to introduce joint codeshare operations between Abu Dhabi and Manama, as well as on the global flight networks beyond the two carriers’ GCC hubs. The MOU also contains plans for greater commercial cooperation in the fields of cargo, engineering, guest experience and the optimisation of pilot training facilities. It was signed by Tony Douglas, Group Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Aviation Group and Krešimir Kučko, Chief Executive Officer, Gulf Air on the first day of the ongoing show at the Sakhir Airbase. Krešimir Kučko said, “The relationship between Bahrain and the UAE is strong in many fields, including aviation and with the signing of this MOU, we enrich the relationship by cooperating with Etihad Airways. This is an example of how two airlines can work hand-in-hand for greater mutual benefits. We are happy to work with our friends and colleagues in Etihad and support each other to achieve bigger goals.” According to Tony Douglas, “The deep ties between Abu Dhabi and Manama are well-known in the aviation world and date back nearly 70 years. Therefore, the natural way to build upon those ties is to examine ways in which the two flag carriers can work more closely together to improve business operations and enhance the experience for our guests. We look forward to the Etihad and Gulf Air teams coming together during the next few months to look at how we can put that in place, whether it is in codeshare, engineering, cargo, or through our frequent flyer programmes.”