Category Archives: Aviation

Turkish Airlines announced its passenger and cargo traffic results for August. The flag carrier recorded 84.8 per cent load factor in this month despite the global shrinkage of demand in the aviation sector. Offering connections to more countries than any other airline from a single hub, the global carrier’s international-to-international transfer passenger numbers increased in record numbers with a 9.4 per cent increase compared to the same month of the last year. Continuing towards its goal of becoming one of the top five air cargo brands in the world with its Turkish Cargo brand, the flag carrier increased its Cargo / mail volume by 11.5 per cent compared to the same month of the last year. The national flag carrier maintains its two-digit growth numbers at air cargo market in its new home as well. According to August 2019 Traffic Results domestic load factor was 88.4 per cent and international load factor was 84.3 per cent. International passengers excluding the international to international transit passengers showed a decrease of 0.4 per cent in August. Main contributors to the growth in Cargo / mail volume were North America with 24.8 per cent, Far East with 12.2 per cent and Europe with 11.3 per cent increase. In August, domestic showed load factor growth of 0.6 points, while North America and Far East increased by 0.4 and 0.3 points respectively.

flydubai announced that flights to seven destinations will move from their current operating base of Terminal 2 and relocate to Terminal 3 at Dubai International (DXB). Other flydubai services will continue to operate from Terminal 2. From October 27, 2019, flights to Almaty, Basra, Dar es Salaam, Kilimanjaro, Nur-Sultan, Sofia, and Zanzibar will operate from Terminal 3. These destinations have been chosen to help improve connections between Emirates and flydubai with smooth and quick transit times. The additional 07 points will bring the number of destinations operated out of Terminal 3 at Dubai International (DXB) to 22. This move is part of the innovative partnership with Emirates that goes beyond code sharing to several initiatives spanning commercial, network planning, airport operations, the alignment of the frequent flyer programmes and an enhanced customer journey.  “As our partnership with Emirates continues to grow, the addition of these seven destinations to Terminal 3 builds on the success of last year’s move and provides more opportunities for us to optimise connectivity for our passengers,” said Alex Mackenzie, Senior Vice President, Airport Services at flydubai. The full list of flydubai flights operating from Terminal 3 includes Almaty, Basra, Belgrade, Bishkek, Bucharest, Catania, Dar es Salaam, Helsinki, Kilimanjaro, Krabi, Krakow, Mineralnye Vody, Naples, Nur-Sultan, Prague, Rostov-on-Don, Salalah, Sofia, Tashkent, Zagreb, Zanzibar and Yangon. All other flydubai flights will continue to operate from Terminal 2, Dubai International (DXB) and Dubai World Central (DWC).

Etihad Airways has re-launched etihad.com as part of its continuous commitment to improve the online customer journey, making it easier for guests to plan their trip, search for information, and manage their booking. The refreshed website is now live globally on all Etihad’s site editions in 16 languages. Redesigned from scratch, guests visiting etihad.com now enjoy faster loading pages, thanks to cleaner redesigned content, images, and graphics.  An easier-to-navigate site and a reduction in the number of pages makes it simpler for people to find the information they want. Frank Meyer, Chief Digital Officer, Etihad Aviation Group, said, “Enhancing the guest experience is at the heart of what we do. Knowing travellers increasingly turn to digital channels to manage their journey, we completely redesigned our website to provide a superior digital experience.” With a larger percentage of consumers accessing etihad.com via mobile, the new website is responsive across any device, be it a smartphone, tablet or desktop, allowing guests to access information quickly and easily, before they reach the airport. Additionally, 25 per cent more guests are now accessing self-service functionalities and checking in online thanks to the newly integrated technology which supports flight tickets booked through all channels. Previously, this was only available to those that booked directly through Etihad.

Etihad Airways announced a new partnership with Swiss luxury watchmaker Breitling. With a passion for aviation, quality, and precision, Etihad offers a perfect platform for Breitling, who will serve as the airline’s official timekeeper. The announcement was made by the airline during New York Fashion Week, where it hosted two exclusive VIP events celebrating three years as an official sponsor.  To celebrate the partnership, Breitling has introduced the Aviator 8 Etihad Limited Edition timepiece in black steel. The model, which has been co-designed by Etihad Airways and Breitling, is limited to 500 pieces and is the watchmaker’s first featuring the Arabic language. Robin Kamark, Chief Commercial Officer, Etihad Aviation Group, said, “As one of the world’s most innovative and punctual airlines, we are proud to mark the launch of this great partnership between two leading brands who are world renowned for style, quality and precision. To mark our collaboration with Breitling as Etihad’s official timekeeper, we have introduced the Aviator 8 Etihad Limited Edition, reflecting our Arabian heritage, age-old traditions and focus on the future.”  Speaking at the launch event in New York, Tim Sayler, Breitling’s Chief Marketing Officer, said, “Etihad Airways and Breitling are united by a passion for aviation, as well as by their steadfast commitment to quality and precision.”

Turkish Airlines is helping more customers to capitalise on its global network with special discounted fares to destinations across Europe, the United States and Canada. UAE passengers flying out of Dubai, Abu Dhabi or Sharjah with the carrier can avail discounts on flights to selected cities across the airline’s North American and European network.  Passengers can benefit from generous discounts on flights to Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Montreal, New York, San Francisco, Toronto and Washington as well as Amsterdam, Athens, Barcelona, Berlin, Brussels, Bucharest, Budapest, Copenhagen, Dublin, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Geneva, Hamburg, Lisbon, London, Madrid, Malaga, Manchester, Milan, Munich, Oslo, Paris, Prague, Rome, Sarajevo, Stockholm, Venice, Vienna and Zurich. Discounts also apply to the airlines’ base city, Istanbul, as well as North African destinations Casablanca and Tunis. The offer is valid for passengers booking a flight between September 5 and October 10, 2019 and is valid for a travel period of September 6, 2019 to May 15, 2020. You can book your Economy ticket and fly from the UAE at incredibly low fares — Dubai or Abu Dhabi to Europe at AED 1,600, Sharjah to Europe at AED 1,510, Dubai or Abu Dhabi to the United States or Canada at AED 3,200, Sharjah to the United States of Canada at AED 3,000 and Sharjah to Istanbul Airport at AED 1,899.

EGYPTAIR has taken delivery of its first of 12 A220-300 aircraft on order, becoming the first A220 operator based in the Middle East and North African (MENA) region, and the sixth operator worldwide. The Cairo-based airline intends to fly the aircraft on routes to and from its main Egyptian hub in Cairo in the coming days. Representatives from the airline, alongside executives from Airbus Canada Limited Partnership celebrated the aircraft handover at the A220 Mirabel final assembly line. “We are proud to welcome our very first A220 aircraft and to be the first airline in the MENA region to take delivery and launch commercial operations of the A220 – the most innovative and technologically advanced aircraft in the world,” said Capt. Ahmed Adel, Chairman and CEO, EGYPTAIR HOLDING Company. “Airbus’ A220 airliners are integral to the execution of EGYPTAIR business development strategy Horizon 2025 and fleet optimisation plan.” “We are delighted to welcome EGYPTAIR to the growing family of A220 operators and look forward to seeing their passengers enjoy the experience of travelling on board the A220‘s bright, spacious and modern cabin,” said Philippe Balducchi, CEO, Airbus Canada Limited Partnership and Airbus Head of Country Canada. EGYPTAIR’s brand new A220-300 is configured in a two-class cabin with 140-seats including 15 premium economy and 125 economy class seats, offering every passenger a greater level of comfort and space.

It was a great evening at the Kiza Restaurant & Lounge in Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), Dubai during the African Market, an event that was held to promote emerging Pan-African businesses. RwandAir took the opportunity to showcase their products and services to the local and expat community in Dubai. Timothy Njihia, Area Manager for RwandAir, stated that this was a great place to engage potential and existing RwandAir customers.  To support the event further, RwandAir had in place two return economy class tickets from Dubai to any destination in the RwandAir network to be awarded to two winners participating in the African Market, an opportunity to experience to fly the dream of Africa, as the airline’s tagline says.

Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) has welcomed over 4.5 million passengers during the summer months, demonstrating the airport’s popularity with travellers heading to and leaving Abu Dhabi, as the airport seeks to offer a wide range of attractive routes, smooth operational efficiency and high customer satisfaction. During the summer period, the top five destinations that saw the highest share of traffic through Abu Dhabi International Airport were London, Delhi, Bombay, Cairo and Cochin, which together processed 900,104 passengers between these cities and Abu Dhabi International Airport. During Eid Al Adha period, falling between July 7-17, Abu Dhabi International Airport processed 713,297 passengers arriving, departing and transiting. Commenting on the summer traffic figures, Bryan Thompson, Chief Executive Officer of Abu Dhabi Airports, said, “We are delighted to see the growth in the number of passengers travelling through Abu Dhabi International Airport. Many residents in the UAE seek to travel over the summer period to see their family and friends and explore new destinations. We have been delighted to welcome tourists arriving from countries across the world to experience Abu Dhabi and all that the city has to offer.”

Kuwait Airways, the national carrier of Kuwait, has taken delivery of its first A320neo aircraft. The delivery is a milestone in Kuwait Airways’ 65th anniversary celebrations, marking an important step in the airline’s ambitious fleet renewal and growth plans, which will phase-in 15 A320neo aircraft to its fleet in the coming years, following a purchase agreement signed in 2014. The A320neo will be a pillar of Kuwait Airways’ single aisle fleet, bringing continuity to the success delivered by its current 7 A320ceos, and ensuring a smooth transition for pilots, crews, and technical teams. The A320neo will boost the airline’s profitability with the world’s most advanced and fuel-efficient single-aisle aircraft. Kuwait Airways’ new A320neo is powered by CFM International LEAP-1A engines and is configured in a spacious two-class layout, including 12 Business Class and 122 Economy Class seats. The aircraft offers the widest single-aisle cabin in the market with unmatched comfort in all classes. It also provides the latest inflight entertainment technology. The A320neo and its derivatives are the world’s best-selling single-aisle aircraft family with over 6,600 orders from more than 100 customers all over the world. It has pioneered and incorporated the latest technologies, including an industry reference cabin and latest generation engines, delivering 20 per cent fuel savings per seat. Further to lower emissions, the A320neo also offers additional environmental benefits with nearly a 50 per cent reduction in noise footprint compared to previous generation aircraft.

Dubai International (DXB) welcomed China Eastern’s inaugural flight from the city of Xi’an, home of the world-famous Terracotta Army, in the early hours on August 29. The airline will operate three weekly flights between the two cities, on the A330-200 aircraft. This is China Eastern’s third non-stop service to DXB after Shanghai and Qingdao. China is one of DXB’s most important and among the fastest growing destination countries in terms of passenger numbers, which topped 1.8 million in the first half of 2019. Following the launch of the new service, DXB is now connected to 247 destinations by 70 international carriers.