Category Archives: Aviation

Etihad Aviation Group announced a year-long programme of activities and humanitarian initiatives to mark 2018 as the Year of Zayed. Etihad Airways inaugurated its Year of Zayed activities recently by holding a flag-raising ceremony attended by employees. UAE President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan declared 2018 the Year of Zayed, a nationwide initiative, which will highlight the UAE founding father’s unparalleled role in establishing the UAE Federation, and his local, regional and international achievements as well as his values and principles. Khaled Al Mehairbi, General Manager, Etihad Airport Ground Services, said, “We are tremendously proud of the rapid growth of Abu Dhabi and the union. All the people of the UAE will always remain the most important element of our nation’s development. This was our father Sheikh Zayed’s main objective and vision. This year is a momentous one as we honour his achievements and celebrate his legacy in Abu Dhabi and around the world.” In support of the national initiative, and to reaffirm its commitment to the UAE, Etihad has launched a strategy based on the government’s four Year of Zayed pillars- wisdom, respect, sustainability and human development.

Emirates extended its popular ‘My Emirates Pass’ programme to customers flying to or through Dubai between January 1 and March 31, 2018. The programme gives Emirates’ customers exclusive offers and discounts across the city by turning the Emirates boarding pass into an exclusive membership card. Customers can take advantage of a range of offers at some of Dubai’s best known hotspots by simply showing their Emirates boarding pass and a valid form of identification. ‘My Emirates Pass’ has also expanded the programme with more partners – customers can now enjoy special discounts at over 250 world class restaurants and hotel dining outlets in Dubai. Exclusive offers are also available on a range of leisure activities including visits to championship golf courses, theme parks or luxury spas across the city. “This year, we’ve doubled the number of partners in the programme to give our customers more options and even better value on their visit. Whether it’s your first time in Dubai or a return trip, there is always something new to explore,” says Mohammad Al Hashimi, Vice President, Commercial Products Dubai, Emirates airline.

Emirates will share the legacy of the late His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan to a global audience in 2018 through its inflight magazine, Open Skies. The magazine will mark the ‘Year of Zayed’ throughout 2018 by featuring the achievements of HH Sheikh Zayed through a host of classic images and stories in honour of his memory. The magazine will dedicate pages to highlight his role in establishing the Federation as well as his local, regional and international successes. In addition, each article will also tell readers how they can explore the region and see HH Sheikh Zayed’s vision come to life. Emirates has also adorned its aircraft with a bespoke livery of the late HH Sheikh Zayed. 10 Emirates aircraft – five Airbus A380s and five Boeing 777-300ERs – will carry the special livery and travel across the Emirates network throughout 2018. The unique livery is the first time Emirates has featured a customised decal of a public figure.

The Etihad Aviation Group concluded a successful year of humanitarian initiatives to mark the year of giving. One dirham from every ticket booked was donated to charity and other noble initiatives that touched the lives of those in need around the world. 2017 was officially declared as the ‘Year of Giving’ by UAE President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan. In support of this national initiative, EAG launched a strategy based on the government’s three Year of Giving pillars: Corporate Social Responsibility, Volunteering and Serving the Nation. Ray Gammell, Interim Chief Executive Officer, EAG, said, “We are proud that the EAG family worldwide so generously supported the many initiatives throughout the year. Volunteering and giving back to our community, as well as to the communities in which we operate, is an important part of the Etihad culture.” A number of activities supported Syrian refugees, including a welfare trip to Lebanon where more than 3,550 Syrian refugees received winter clothes, shoes, mattresses, dry food parcels and blankets; and a trip to the UAE-Jordan Mrajeeb Al Fhood refugee camp in Jordan where EAG staff and senior management distributed school bags, stationery sets, blankets and garments to more than 2,500 children. In Greece, vital school and home supplies were donated to more than 1,000 Syrians at the Ritsona refugee camp near Athens. The event coincided with the United Nations Universal Children’s Day and supported the global education initiative to help underprivileged students pursue their studies. The Year of Giving drive was also visible on its flagship aircraft, the Airbus A380, with all four engines of the superjumbo displaying the official Year of Giving logo to promote the national initiative overseas in …

Emirates has carried over 59 million passengers since January 2017 to over 159 destination around the globe. The airline served over 63 million meals onboard with over 35 million pieces of baggage. Reflecting on the year, Sir Tim Clark, President, Emirates Airline, said, “Despite the ups and downs of 2017, Emirates delivered steady growth and we have come out stronger and even more resilient. Throughout the year, we challenged convention and acted nimbly to mitigate challenges and maximise opportunities. We implemented initiatives to boost revenues, trim costs, and used emerging technologies to make our business and operations more agile, without compromising on quality or service. We enter 2018 with optimism, and an unflagging drive to keep raising the bar in terms of customer experience and business performance.” They further registered over 3,600 passenger flights on average per week, or over 191,000 flights in 2017, travelling more than 886 million kilometres around the globe, which is equivalent to over 16,000 trips to Mars. Emirates grew its fleet by 21 new aircraft in 2017, with 9 A380 and 12 Boeing 777-300ER deliveries, rounding off the year with 269 aircraft, and 243 aircraft pending delivery. The airline also retired 11 aircraft over the course of the year. The airline marked 9 years of A380 operations and also celebrated its 100th A380 delivery milestone in November, strengthening Emirates’ position as the world’s largest operator of the iconic double-decker aircraft. Powering its fleet expansion and future growth, Emirates made global headlines at the Dubai Airshow when it placed a US $15.1 billion for 40 Boeing 787 Dreamliners. The order will enable the airline to maintain a young and efficient fleet, complementing its Boeing 777 and …

Launching new customer service innovations for the holiday season, Cebu Pacific (CEB) has invested over AED 4.4 million per year over the next five years by implementing customer-facing Information and Communication Technology (ICT) solutions. These solutions are set to improve airport operations and make online booking services more convenient for passengers. Cebu’s new service called Max Airport is a digital platform that allows the airline’s Philippine airport personnel to remotely check-in passengers, assign seats, facilitate payment for baggage and other ancillary services, and even print boarding passes. The MAX Airport suite, which is installed on iPads, is now being used by CEB ground staff at the NAIA Terminals 3 and 4, in time for the expected surge of passengers during the yuletide season.

Air Arabia is set to introduce flights to Sheremetyevo International Airport from February 1, 2018, boosting the flight to serve the Russian capital with a double daily frequency. The flight complements the airline’s existing daily services to Moscow’s Domodedovo International Airport. The flight will operate four times a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays, departing Sharjah International Airport (SHJ) at 09:10 hours, and arriving at Sheremetyevo International Airport (SVO) at 13:35 hours local time. The return flight will depart Sheremetyevo at 14:35 hours, landing in Sharjah at 20:45 hours local time. Air Arabia will upgrade to a daily Sheremetyevo flight from March 1, 2018, which will join the current daily flight to Domodedovo to serve Moscow with a double daily frequency.

Etihad Airways is set to launch a second daily flight between Abu Dhabi and Amman, effective March 25, 2018. The double daily year-round schedule will provide greater choice to local passengers travelling between Abu Dhabi and Amman, with attractive timings of early afternoon and evening departures from the capital cities of the UAE and Jordan, respectively. The additional flights, operated by an Airbus A320 with 16 seats in Business Class and 120 in Economy, will also improve connectivity over Abu Dhabi to a wider network of destinations across Asia and the Indian Subcontinent. Peter Baumgartner, Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Airways, said, “Increasing frequency to some of our destinations globally is a focus as it ensures more travel options for guests looking for greater flexibility. With improved schedules, we are also offering attractive timings to benefit residents in the UAE and Jordan, and create even better connections over Abu Dhabi to many markets across our network.”

Emirates is set to launch a new daily route from Dubai (DXB) to London Stansted (STN) on June 8, 2018. With its strategic position close to the tech and pharma hubs of Cambridge and Peterborough, Emirates will be the first Middle Eastern airline to operate out of the popular North East London airport. The daily route will be operated by the airline’s new three-class Boeing 777-300ER offering customers six  seats in First Class, 42 in Business Class and 306 in Economy Class. The aircraft is fitted with fully enclosed private suites in First Class, as well as refreshed Business and Economy Class cabins. Flight EK33 will depart Dubai at 09:30hrs, and will arrive in London Stansted at 14:10hrs. On its return, flight EK34 will depart London Stansted at 21:10hrs and arrive in Dubai at 07:05 on the following day. Opening the London Stansted gateway was a strategic decision by Emirates to serve the thriving business community in London’s north east and the wider 7.5 million population that fall within its catchment area. Hong Kong, Dubai, Shanghai, Singapore and Mumbai are the most popular business destinations from the East of England, which Emirates serves daily through its Dubai hub.

Kilimanjaro becomes the third point in Tanzania as flydubai became the first airline to provide direct air links to Kilimanjaro. flydubai will offer six flights a week to Kilimanjaro, three of which are via Dar es Salaam, increasing the total number of flights to Tanzania to 14 per week. As part of the inaugural programme, flydubai showcased its new Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft which it unveiled for the first time at the Dubai Airshow in November 2017. The service to Kilimanjaro sees the total number of flydubai’s destinations in Tanzania increase to three, along with Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar. With an increasing popularity among travellers from Dubai and the GCC, the carrier is seeing a steady growth in passenger numbers. Only a few international carriers operate to Kilimanjaro and flydubai will be the first airline to provide direct air links from the UAE. Emirates will codeshare on this route and as part of the Emirates-flydubai partnership, passengers will have greater choice for onward travel from Dubai to hundreds of destinations across the world.