Category Archives: Aviation

Dubai Airports has finalised an agreement with Hard Rock International and their regional franchise partners that will see the former launch its first Hard Rock Cafe, opening early November in DXB’s Concourse B. The new location will feature a licensed restaurant, grab and go food, live entertainment, rock memorabilia and a Rock Shop loaded with its world-famous merchandise. Hard Rock Cafe will be located in Terminal 3 B Gates, adding to DXB’s remarkable array of leisure and entertainment offerings, which include over 100 eating options for passengers, catering to all tastes and budgets. Hard Rock International is one of the world’s most globally recognised brands, famous for its collectible fashion and music-related merchandise, memorable dining experiences and live music performances which will complement Dubai Airports’ musicDXB programme. Eugene Barry, Executive Vice President Commercial, Dubai Airports, said, “We’re thrilled to add Hard Rock Cafe to our DXB playlist. It is the perfect fit at an airport that is already world-renowned for its F&B, retail and music. Hard Rock Cafe sets the standard when it comes to combining great food and music and is a vital component of our strategy to create an airport experience that is second to none.” Anibal Fernandez Lorden, Vice President, Franchise Operations and Development of Hard Rock International, said, “Hard Rock has been looking forward to opening its second location in Dubai after many successful years of operating in this iconic city.”  “We could not have asked for a better location to provide travellers with great memories of one of the world’s top dining and entertainment brands.”

Abu Dhabi Airports, in collaboration with Emirates Red Crescent, has launched its ‘Flight of the Children of Zayed’ initiative, under which it recently organised a trip for 31 orphans to Sir Bani Yas Island. The initiative comes under the framework of Abu Dhabi Airports’ ongoing corporate social responsibility (CSR) and Year of Zayed programme. Abu Dhabi Airports is committed to organising various social initiatives and sponsoring charities in line with its vision of becoming the world’s leading airports group. As a part of the ‘Flight of the Children of Zayed’, Abu Dhabi Airports collaborated with various authorities, including the Federal Authority For Identity and Citizenship, Abu Dhabi Police GHQ, Abu Dhabi Department of Culture & Tourism, the Tourism Development & Investment Company that sponsored the recreational activities and accommodation on the island and Abu Dhabi Aviation that provided air transportation. The initiative included a safari on the island and a variety of water sports. The children also planted trees bearing their names and received souvenirs. Abu Dhabi Airports commended the staff across all the organisations involved that contributed, coordinated and implemented the ‘Flight of the Children of Zayed’ initiative.

The Executive Committee of the Arab Air Carriers’ Organization (AACO) held its 82nd meeting in Amman, which was hosted by Royal Jordanian (RJ) Airline. The meeting, held at InterContinental Hotel, was headed by Saleh Bin Nasser Al Jasser, Director General of Saudi Arabian Airlines and Chairman of AACO Executive Committee. The attendees included RJ President & CEO Stefan Pichler, AACO’s Secretary General Abdul Wahab Teffaha and the CEOs of eight Arab airlines that are members of the Executive Committee. The participants held discussion on tackling several strategic issues and development of some joint projects among AACO members. Besides, the committee discussed internal issues regarding preparation of AACO’s 51st Annual General Meeting to be held between November 5 and 7, 2018. Pichler said RJ is pleased to host the chief executives of the Arab Carriers, and he underlined the significance of these meetings that gather the Arab airlines under one umbrella to find the best solutions to the problems that the aviation industry faces in the region. Royal Jordanian has been an AACO member since 1965. Teffaha said that one of the tasks of the Executive Committee is to supervise the work of the organisation and discuss the main issues that concern the Arab Carriers in various fields, which include joint projects among members being managed by AACO, aero-political matters in the world and the region and AACO’s priorities in the upcoming days. AACO is made up of 33 Arab airlines that operate over 1,400 aircraft with an average age of 7 years, half the age of other global fleets.

Travelport has announced signing a new multi-year content agreement with Etihad Airways. The deal involves continued use of the company’s leading merchandising tools, Travelport Rich Content and Branding and Travelport Sponsored Flights, as well as its business intelligence solutions for airlines, Travelport Business Intelligence. Further, Etihad has also renewed its contract with Travelport Digital to continue to extend their digital reach and deliver innovative mobile services to its customers. Etihad, which is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year, uses Travelport Rich Content and Branding to provide Travelport’s 68,000 connected agencies with a graphically-rich experience when searching for and booking its branded fares, as well as greater access to its ancillary offers. The Travelport Sponsored Flights digital media offering is then used by the airline to further promote its flight options through highly-targeted advertising solutions. Travelport Business Intelligence is used by Etihad to arm its sales, marketing and network-planning teams with the information required to respond effectively to industry change, minimise operating costs and increase profits.

With Ukraine remaining an important market for flydubai, it has announced moving its existing operations to Boryspil International Airport (KBP) Kiev with effect from October 28, 2018. Besides, from October 02, double daily flights will be available between Kiev and Dubai. flydubai had launched its operations in Ukraine in 2013 and currently offers 17 weekly flights from Kiev and Odessa to Dubai. Ukrainian citizens travelling to Dubai can benefit from a Visa-on-Arrival, which is valid for 30-days and is free of charge. Through flydubai’s partnership with Emirates, Ukrainian passengers are offered unmatched travel options via Dubai’s aviation hub. flydubai flights FZ 728/727 and FZ 730/729 will operate daily between Boryspil International Airport (KBP) and Dubai International, Terminal 2 (DXB), effective from 28 October 2018. Jeyhun Efendi, Senior Vice President, Commercial at flydubai, said, “We welcome the start of our double daily service from Boryspil International Airport, which provides a more convenient travel experience and better connectivity via Dubai’s aviation hub to some of the most popular leisure destinations.” He further added, “Our passengers from Kiev were also one of the first on our network to enjoy our new Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft with a flat-bed in Business Class and optimized space and comfort in Economy Class.”

Oman Air will resume its flights to Maldives for the 2018-19 winter season from October 28, 2018. The service will be operated by the new Boeing 737 aircraft. Oman Air flights from Muscat to Maldives will operate on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, while the flight from Maldives to Muscat will operate on Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Well-known for its beaches, blue lagoons and extensive reefs, Maldives, which is 3.5 hours away from Oman, is a popular tourist destination with an increasing number of international visitors arriving year-on-year (YoY). Eng Abdulaziz Al Raisi, CEO, Oman Air said, “We are delighted to be resuming our Maldives route and look forward to welcoming our valued Oman Air guests on board our latest Boeing 737 aircraft. We thoroughly encourage our friends from Europe and the rest of our network, flying to Maldives to stop over and explore Oman en route. Our new Maldives service offers holidaymakers the perfect opportunity to explore Muscat, before escaping to the beautiful shores of Maldives

Air Canada is expanding its offering to Dubai with the addition of a fourth, weekly non-stop flight from Toronto, to its regular three-times weekly, year-round service. The seasonal flight will operate between November 2, 2018 and January 2019 using a Boeing 777-300, which offers a best-in-class cabin interior, featuring lie-flat Signature Class seats and a dedicated Premium Economy cabin. From Toronto, Air Canada’s global hub, customers can connect to the US destinations with the ability to pre-clear US customs at Pearson Airport. When departing from Toronto, eligible Signature Class customers can enjoy the Air Canada Signature Suite, which features a la carte dining with a menu created by celebrated Canadian Chef David Hawksworth.

In response to an increased travel demand during autumn school holidays, Emirates today has announced it will operate its A380 between Dubai and St. Petersburg, temporarily replacing the Boeing 777 aircraft, which is currently operating on the route. From October 25, 2018  to October 29, 2018, flights EK 175/176 will be operated by Emirates A380 between Dubai and St. Petersburg’s Pulkovo International Airport, offering 14 Private Suites in First Class, 76 fully flat-bed seats in Business Class and 429 seats in Economy Class. Flight EK175 will depart from Dubai at 15:45 and arrive in St. Petersburg at 20:50, while the return flight, EK176 will leave St. Petersburg at 23:55 and arrive in Dubai at 06:55 the next morning. This will be the first time an A380 has operated to St. Petersburg, demonstrating the extensive work and preparation the airport has undertaken to receive the double-decker aircraft. During this period, passengers departing from St. Petersburg will have the opportunity to experience a wide range of tourist and business destinations on the Emirates network, including Mauritius, Bangkok, Singapore, Hong Kong, Sydney, Melbourne and others. Through its partnership with flydubai, Emirates also provides customers in St. Petersburg with convenient and seamless access to a number of destinations beyond Dubai, including Zanzibar and Kathmandu.

Etihad Airways has partnered with Farelogix to enhance its merchandising and distribution capabilities. The deployment of new generation technology from Farelogix will enable Etihad to provide unique, customised offers to its guests. Etihad’s strategy will focus on broadening ancillary offerings to customers, allowing for more personalised travel options across all distribution channels.  Etihad plans to implement FLX Merchandise, a cloud-based solution from Farelogix, to create personalised product and service propositions that increase customer satisfaction. As the industry’s leading merchandising engine, FLX Merchandise will enable Etihad to showcase optional products such as preferred seats, priority boarding, and other amenities that improve customers’ travel experience. In addition, the technology will provide greater flexibility and speed-to-market by introducing innovative new ancillary offers. Robin Kamark, Etihad’s Chief Commercial Officer said: “Our vision is to provide guests with the widest choice. We are proud to partner with Farelogix, a recognised leader in airline commerce technology, to realise this vision. The new partnership will help us in the journey towards the airline’s digital transformation that focuses on delivering modern retail experiences to customers around the globe.” In the near future Etihad plans to launch a full New Distribution Capability (NDC) enabled platform which will enable customers to visualise offerings through digital media such as images and videos, whether they are booking via travel agencies, meta-search engines, or other indirect channels.

Emirates and Jetstar Pacific have announced a new codeshare agreement, expanding the existing partnership between the Dubai-based carrier and Jetstar Group. The new partnership with the Ho Chi Minh City-based carrier allows Emirates’ passengers to enjoy connectivity on domestic flights within Vietnam, in addition to flights connecting Vietnam to Singapore, Thailand as well as Australia. The new codeshare services from Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi connect Emirates passengers to 14 Vietnamese cities beyond Ho Chi Minh City and six cities beyond Hanoi. Emirates will also operate codeshare flights with Jetstar Pacific between the latter’s hub in Ho Chi Minh City and Singapore, as well as Bangkok, both of which serve as connections for Emirates passengers continuing their travel to Brisbane, Melbourne or Sydney. The Vietnamese cities that are covered by the new codeshare routes include: Ban Me Thuot, Phuquoc, Dalat, Quinhon, Tamky-Chulai, Hue, Pleiku, Nha Trang, Vinh City, Tuy Hoa, Dong Hoi, Thanh Hoa, Haiphong, and Da Nang in addition to Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. Under the agreement, Emirates’ flight number will be placed on Jetstar Pacific’s services to all codeshare destinations. The codeshare partnership will give customers the simplicity of purchasing connecting flights using one reservation, and a smooth ticketing, check-in, boarding and baggage check experience during the entire journey.  Passengers booking flights from 16 destinations in Vietnam, in addition to Hong Kong, Osaka, Taipei, Singapore, Guangzhou and Bangkok will be able to connect in Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi and fly with Emirates to many destinations worldwide.