Category Archives: Aviation

Etihad Airways has signed an agreement to be the official shirt and main sponsor and partner of the Riyadh-based, Saudi Stars League team, Al Nassr FC. Etihad Airways has built a portfolio of international sports sponsorships which includes the Formula 1™ Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Manchester City FC, and the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship. The multi-season partnership was signed at Etihad Airways’ Innovation Centre in Abu Dhabi, and was attended by senior members of both organisations’ leadership teams. Players from the football club were also in Abu Dhabi for the announcement, including Saudi national players, Mohammed Al-Sahlawi; and Ibrahim Ghaleb; and international stars Ahmed Musa and Noureddine Amrabat. Tony Douglas, Group Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Aviation Group, said, “This agreement signals the start of an exciting new partnership between Al Nassr, one of Saudi Arabia’s best-known football clubs, and Etihad Airways. We look forward to our teams working together to promote the two brands in our home markets as well as across the region.” Commenting on the partnership, Saud Al Sweilem, Chairman of Al Nassr FC said, “We are delighted to have signed with Etihad Airways, one of the world’s leading airlines and a brand that supports football in many markets. I believe that together we can deliver a mutually beneficial partnership as well as present something new and exclusive to Al Nassr fans.” In addition to appearing on players’ shirts on all home and away games, Etihad Airways will work closely with Al Nassr on areas of brand partnership, marketing, customer and loyalty initiatives, social media outreach, inflight programming and travel trade support.

Under the expanded codeshare agreement, passengers can now travel on Oman Air flights from Muscat International Airport and connect to Madrid, Brussels, Vienna and Prague from Lufthansa’s Frankfurt and Munich hubs. The agreement offers travellers even better connectivity and an extended range of services between Muscat and Europe. Guests of both airlines will benefit from the greater convenience and the agreement is the latest step in developing closer links between Oman Air and Lufthansa, both of which share a commitment to deliver excellence in customer service. Lufthansa will continue to codeshare with Oman Air on Oman Air-operated services from both Frankfurt and Munich to Muscat vice versa, allowing their guests to experience the hospitality and service of Oman Air. Oman Air guests will be spoilt for choice as they will be able to fly onwards to Brussels Airport (BRU), Vienna International Airport (VIE), Vaclav Havel Airport Prague (PRG) and Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD) and Barcelona (BCN) in Europe. Both Oman Air and Lufthansa offer outstanding choice for customers and the new codeshare between the two airlines will maximise the travel opportunities offered to passengers through their extensive networks. Engineer Abdulaziz Al Raisi, CEO, Oman Air said, “Strategic codeshares are a crucial way for us to broaden customer choice. Our continued relationship with Lufthansa is very important for Oman Air, and we are delighted to offer our valued guests even better connectivity in Europe.”

Jazeera Airways has announced a partnership with Amadeus that will open up increased fare options and availability for travel agencies. Serving more than 2.2 million passengers a year and flying to 26 destinations, Jazeera Airways strives to be the seamless connection between its customers and their sources of inspiration. By adopting Amadeus’ Global Distribution Services (GDS) solutions, the airline will be well-positioned to provide the best value to customers and agents who book through the Amadeus system, while enjoying streamlined processes throughout several aspects of its operations. This partnership adds to the airline’s agreement with Navitaire, an Amadeus company, to use its customer-centric reservation platform to help drive higher revenues.

Air Arabia has signed an agreement with SAP – a Germany-based company that makes enterprise application software, for a new cloud-based Human Resources system. The new system “SAP SuccessFactors” will provide Air Arabia with advanced capabilities across all HR functions using some of the latest technologies and cutting-edge human capital management software solutions. Through this agreement, Air Arabia will acquire advanced capabilities across all its Human Capital functions via the use of the latest technologies provided by SAP SuccessFactors scope, which include core employee management functions, the payroll system, employee self-service, recruitment and onboarding, performance and goal management, learning management, manpower planning and many additional features. Adel Al Ali, Group Chief Executive Officer, Air Arabia, said,  “Since its launch, Air Arabia has always adopted smart and cutting-edge technologies that supports that carrier’s ever growing operations with reliability and efficiency. The new agreement with SAP is in line with this strategy and we look forward to working together to make this project a success.” Julien Bertin, Managing Director, SAP said, “We have developed the SAP Model Company for Human Resources service to support digital HR transformation. We are confident that Air Arabia’S human capital function will considerably benefit from a ready-to-run, preconfigured SAP SuccessFactors solution based on leading practices for end-to-end HR business processes. We are proud to have partnered with Air Arabia and we look forward to a successful collaboration.”

Emirates SkyCargo has launched Emirates Pets – a new and improved air transportation product developed by a team of experts to offer a convenient and comfortable air transportation experience for domestic pets. The product builds on Emirates SkyCargo’s existing capabilities to transport pet animals on its flights and offers new features such as door to door transportation as well as booking return flights for pets. With Emirates Pets, the entry level solution, Emirates SkyCargo will offer airport to airport transportation for pets across the carrier’s network of over 160 destinations. The owner of the pet will be responsible for completing all the required paperwork and clearances needed for the transport of the pet from one country to another. In addition, Emirates SkyCargo has also entered into a partnership with Snoopy Pets, a leading pet relocation service provider based out of Dubai, to offer a new premium door to door transportation service, Emirates Pets Plus, across 16 markets. Under its premium service, the complete logistics of transporting the pet, including filing all the required documentation, taking the pet for any required veterinary checks and transporting the pet to and from the airport, will be managed by Snoopy Pets on behalf of the customer and Emirates SkyCargo. The markets where this service is available are Bahrain, Brazil, Cyprus, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Malaysia, Netherlands, Portugal, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, UAE and UK. With Emirates Pets and Emirates Pets Plus, owners wishing to take their pets with them on extended holidays also have the option of also booking a return flight for their pets with Emirates SkyCargo.

Sharjah Airport Travel Agency (SATA) has geared up on the online space to provide additional travel products by partnering with Tune Protect EMEIA – the online facilitator of Travel Assurance. The travel assurance plans are extremely important as they cover unplanned expenses in case of an emergency, before, during & after travel. Unforeseen events whether traveling domestic or internationally can put travelers under a financial strain. It is extremely important to have the right travel protection cover. Tune Protect offers travel protection plans for different types of travellers be it for leisure, business or visitors traveling to meet family or friends, adventure seekers, golf lovers & more. Catering to varied types of international travelers requiring products customization, SATA, in partnership with Tune Protect EMEIA, offer travel products to meet need the travelers including travel protection plans with ease. Moses Paul, Manager IT & eCommerce at SATA believes, “With 17 years of dedicated commitment and 14 branches across the UAE, SATA has kept ahead of the travel game by providing tailor-made services and enhancing existing travel products to meet the ever-growing travel needs of our customers”. Speaking on the tie up with Tune Protect EMEIA, “With regards to SATA’s digital transformation strategy, i.e. bringing our multi-faceted travel products to the travellers on a single platform with the ability to customise, it was extremely important to provide additional value-added products personalized for Travel protection plans facilitated by Tune Protect EMEIA, makes it a perfect fit to our business ethos.”

Travelport has announced the signing of a new multi-year content agreement with Cobalt Air, which includes the use of the company’s leading merchandising tool, Travelport Rich Content and Branding. From its base in Cyprus, Cobalt Air, offers regular flights to 22 destinations in Greece, UK, Ireland, France, Switzerland, Germany, Russia, Spain, Israel, Denmark, Lebanon and the UAE. Under the new agreement, its full content and inventory will be made available for the first time to over 68,000 Travelport-connected agencies servicing hundreds of millions of consumers around the world. With Cobalt Air joining over 260 airlines using Travelport Rich Content and Branding, agencies and travel bookers will also be given a graphically rich experience when searching for and booking the airline’s branded fares, as well as greater access to its ancillary offers. Through delivering these benefits, Travelport’s merchandising tool will help drive increased revenue. Philip Saunders, Vice President, Air Commerce, Europe Middle East and Africa at Travelport added, “We are delighted to welcome Cobalt Air to Travelport’s platform and look forward to supporting its growth objectives. Our Rich Content and Branding solution will help promote the airline’s brand and increase revenue by facilitating upsell of branded fares, ancillaries, and special promotions while continuing to develop Travelport’s position in the Cyprus travel industry.”

Etihad Airways will operate additional flights between Abu Dhabi and its destinations in Saudi Arabia to facilitate the movement of thousands of pilgrims for Hajj. Until August 28, Etihad will operate special charters to carry pilgrims on its additional flights to Jeddah and Medina Airport. All flights will operate alongside regular scheduled services. The top inbound destinations for the Hajj Etihad flights are the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, Pakistan, Indonesia, Korea, and Nigeria. Hareb Mubarak Al Muhairi, Etihad Airways’ Senior Vice President, said, “The Hajj pilgrimage is a very important experience for Muslims around the world and Etihad is proud to help its customers make this significant journey. This year we see a 17 per cent increase in the number of pilgrims travelling with Etihad compared the same period last year. To meet this increasing demand, Etihad Airways are adding 16 flights alongside our scheduled services to Jeddah and Medina. We are committed to providing a memorable Hajj travel experience for our customers and to helping them complete their journey with ease and peace of mind.” A dedicated group of airport staff is available to facilitate a seamless ground experience for Hajj travellers. In addition, dedicated check-in counters have been set up at Abu Dhabi international airport. Extra provisions will also be made by cabin crew to meet pilgrims’ needs and requirements and to facilitate the performing of ablutions, advising them about the entry into Al Miqat (state of sanctity), and the changing into Ihram robes.

Air Arabia has announced the introduction of its new European destination, Prague in Czech Republic, direct from Sharjah. Air Arabia’s inaugural flight to the city will commence on December 11, 2018. The 6 hour 50-minute flight will operate five times per week, every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. On Tuesdays and Sundays, the flight will depart Sharjah International Airport (SHJ) at 08:00 hours and arrive at Prague Václav Havel Airport (PRG) at 11:50 hours, and on the return leg, the flight will depart from PRG at 12:35 hours and land at SHJ at 21:40 local time. On Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, the departing flight with leave from Sharjah at 15:30 hours and arrive in Prague at 19:20 hours; the return flight will depart Prague at 21:05 and arrive in Sharjah the following morning at 06:10 hours. Adel Al Ali, Group Chief Executive Officer, Air Arabia, said, “With the launch of the Sharjah to Prague route, we aim to offer our passengers the chance to discover the colorful and historic capital city, our newest destination in Europe to be available direct from the UAE.” A historic city famed for its Old Town Square and elaborately constructed Baroque buildings, Prague is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic and one of the most popular touristic destinations in Europe.

Emirates has refreshed its premium offering with new luxury products in First and Business Class for a more comfortable travel experience. The new products stem from collaborations with BYREDO skincare, Bowers & Wilkins and Emirates’ longstanding partnership with Bulgari for its refreshed amenity kits. Emirates First Class customers will find the BYREDO travel wellness range of skincare in their private suites. The allergen-free and Chamomile collections were exclusively created for Emirates for a relaxing and hydrating experience inflight. The collection by European luxury brand, BYREDO, was first introduced in Emirates’ new fully enclosed suites on the Boeing 777 last year and is now being rolled out across the fleet. All the products in the collection are manufactured using the best raw materials with a distinct focus on craft and quality. To amplify the viewing experience on ice, Emirates’ award-winning inflight entertainment system, the airline is rolling out brand new Bowers & Wilkins Active Noise Cancelling E1 headphones in First Class. These headphones were designed by award-winning audio brand Bowers & Wilkins and created exclusively for Emirates using a unique hybrid noise cancellation technology optimised for the Emirates First Class cabins. The headphones are lightweight and made of the finest materials, including aluminium and sheepskin leather for a comfortable fit. Customers can use the headphones to view up to 3,500 channels of on-demand entertainment on a 32-inch TV screen. The entertainment selection on ice across all classes includes up to 950 movies, 400 TV channels and 2,400 music and podcast channels. The headphones’ sound quality can also be tested on The Bowers & Wilkins Superior Sound playlist, a selection of tracks selected for their acoustic excellence available on ice.