Category Archives: Aviation

With a traditional water salute, Dubai Airports recently welcomed Badr Airlines’ inaugural flight from the capital city of Sudan, Khartoum, to Dubai International Airport Terminal 2. Badr Airlines has launched three weekly flights between Khartoum and Dubai, enhancing convenience as well as choice for the thousands of passengers travelling between the two destinations. Besides chartered VIP flights and humanitarian aid missions, Badr Airlines, formerly known as Sarit Airlines, also provides air services for passenger and cargo.

From June to September 2017, flydubai will be providing services to Batumi in Georgia, Qabala in Azerbaijan and Tivat in Montenegro, increasing its network to 93 destinations in 44 countries. Since 2015, flydubai has added 18 new destinations to its network, showing a remarkable rate of growth. “At flydubai, we remain committed to providing our passengers with a variety of destinations to travel to, especially during the summer season,” said Ghaith Al Ghaith, Chief Executive Officer, flydubai. “The decision to launch our seasonal routes to complement our existing network is a direct response to customer feedback and we hope our passengers enjoy what these hidden gems have to offer,” he added.

This summer, to adjust the growing number of holiday makers on their flights, Etihad has increased the frequency of their flights as well as the capacity of their vessels flying between Abu Dhabi and their key markets, such as Amman, Beirut, Cairo, Casablanca and Rabat. There will be a fourth new daily flight to Damman, second new daily flight to Amman, four new flights a week to Beirut with the introduction of Boeing 787, a fifth flight to Cairo, one extra flight to Rabat and an aircraft upgrade to Airbus A340 for Casablanca.

Air Arabia has increased services to Armenia’s Yerevan to four times a week as it is fast proving to be a popular holiday destination for GCC families, especially Indian citizens living in the Gulf, thanks to the latest visa-on-arrival policy that the country implemented earlier this year. Yerevan appeals to a wide spectrum of holiday goers, from thrill seeking adventurers to those looking for more family-orientated trips. Flying to Yerevan from Sharjah, Air Arabia, the Middle East and North Africa’s first and largest low-cost carrier, commenced operations to Armenia in 2013. The journey time is approximately three hours and the route is being served by an Airbus A320.

Travelex has partnered with Heathrow to provide a convenient way for VAT refund to the travellers reclaiming their tax when leaving the UK. Customers flying from Heathrow Terminal 5 can now book appointments for a fast, efficient VAT refund process at a time convenient to them. The VAT Refund by Appointment service offers one-to-one consultations at a screened desk within the VAT refund appointment office, with no waiting time – all appointments at a fixed time arranged in advance; meet-and-greet welcome at the door; help with form filling, if needed; English, Arabic and Chinese speaking hosts (subject to availability) and personal reminder by phone 24 hours before the appointed time (where possible). John Rayment, UK Commercial Director, Travelex, explains, “Tax-free shopping is one of the great benefits of coming to the UK. But we recognise that our customer’s time is precious. This new, exclusive experience will ensure customers can complete their VAT Refund in a relaxed environment, with the assurance that it will be completed in a timely fashion.”

The German airline Hahn Air announced the start of an interline partnership with Mauritania Airlines International. This agreement enables the national flag carrier of Mauritania to tap into new markets where they are not a member of the local Billing and Settlement Plan (BSP). Thereby, Mauritania Airlines International expands its commercial reach to over 100,000 travel agencies in 190 markets worldwide while its flights are now available on the HR-169 ticket in the Global Distribution Systems (GDSs) Amadeus and Galileo. Steve Knackstedt, Vice President of the Airline Business Group at Hahn Air, said, “We are proud to welcome Mauritania Airlines International into our network of partner carriers, further broadening our presence in the African market with now 49 partners connecting destinations across all 54 countries on the continent. Under the agreement, Mauritania International Airlines will benefit from additional ticket sales and our travel agent partners will have access to yet another carrier whose tickets they would normally not be able to issue.”

Dubai International Airport Terminal 3 has announced the introduction of biometric system and automated border control gates within 12-18 months to make the check-in and immigration processes there smoother and quicker. The biometric system will help the travellers register and store their biometric data using a facial recognition solution integrated with the UAE Wallet, and that data can then be utilised to ease their journey through immigration at T3 departures, and later on, at other touch-points throughout the airport. It will also help to provide automated access to Emirates’ First- and Business-Class lounges. The smart border control or immigration gates will supplement the existing e-gates and manned immigration counters and help to skip the manual checking of travellers’ passports and boarding passes as they would use the biometric data to validate all the information.

Etihad Airways and China Southern Airlines have announced a new codeshare partnership, taking the number of codeshare agreements signed by the Abu Dhabi based airline to 53. Under the new agreement, China Southern Airlines will put its ‘CZ’ code on Etihad Airways’ daily services between Beijing (PEK)/Shanghai (PVG)/Chengdu (CTU) and Abu Dhabi. The codeshare partnership will give China Southern guests the opportunity to book codeshare flights to and from Abu Dhabi, and connect on to Etihad’s network of over 100 destinations worldwide. Mohammad Al Bulooki, Etihad Airways’ Executive Vice President Commercial, said, “With this partnership, either airline can use its strengths to benefit the other and offer more choices, with enhanced connectivity, to all the guests, alongside world-class services and products offered by both the airlines.”

Gulf Air recently celebrated the launch of its thrice-a-week direct service to the Georgian capital Tbilisi. The celebration took place at Bahrain International Airport, in the presence of the Georgian Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Kingdom of Bahrain, the Sultanate of Oman, H.E. George Janjgava, along with Bahrain Civil Aviation Affairs officials, Bahrain International Airport officials and members of Gulf Air’s executive management team. Commenting on the launch of Gulf Air’s newest destination, Gulf Air Chief Executive Officer, Mr Maher Salman Al Musallam, said, “I am delighted Gulf Air is directly connecting Bahrain and Georgia; and witnessing such a high demand as we commence operations is a positive indication of what is to come. I look forward to seeing passengers from across the GCC and MENA regions fly with us.”

Now skip the queues and experience a completely relaxed exit from one of the world’s busiest airports, Dubai International Airport. The 530-key Dubai International Hotel, located at Terminal 3, invites passengers to experience a luxurious and hassle-free departure from the Airport, with Ahlan Services. Ahlan Services, DXB International’s concierge service, has now expanded its services to include ‘Deluxe’ and ‘Premium’ Departure Services for passengers looking for a luxurious exit from Dubai, from Terminals 1 and 3. Passengers need not be guests of the hotel to opt for this service. Also to be noted is that the services are not available at Terminal 2 or Dubai World Central (DWC). Priced at AED 150 per person, the Deluxe Meet and Greet Departure Service provides a Guest Services Agent and a Bellboy who meet the guest at the airport’s departure drop-off point. The guest is then fast-tracked through the Check-in Counter, towards Immigration/Passport Control, through Security Check, and finally guided to the boarding gate of their flight. This service is priced at AED 315 for a family of four, with additional AED 85 per additional member. Ahlan’s Premium Meet and Greet Departure Services, priced at AED 295 per person, offers a guest, in addition to all the features offered with the Deluxe Services, the opportunity to relax at the plush Ahlan Departures’ Lounge at Terminal 1 or 3, with complimentary refreshments (hot and cold buffet), a wide selection of beverages, access to the Business Centre facilities, and also shower facilities to freshen up. Guests can also avail a complimentary 15-minute foot massage, back massage or Indian head massage at the Timeless Spa.