Category Archives: Aviation

Saudia Group and the Ministry of Investment have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to encourage global established companies to relocate their regional headquarters to the Kingdom as part of Saudi Arabia’s Regional Headquarters Program. Under the MoU, clients of the Ministry and investors will receive exclusive benefits and access to Saudia Group’s latest offerings on domestic and international flights. Additionally, the partnership includes logistics and shipping services facilitated by Saudia Cargo, as well as premium aviation and concierge services provided by Saudia Private. The collaboration will extend to joint efforts in local and international events organized by the ministry. The partnership reflects the commitment of both parties to contribute to the economic growth and diversification of the Kingdom. The MoU, signed by Khaled Tash, Saudia Group Chief Marketing Officer, and Mohammed Aba Hussain, Deputy of Integrated Investors Services at the Ministry of Investment, aims to provide a comprehensive package of benefits tailored for global companies seeking to establish regional hubs in the Kingdom. Khaled Tash, Saudia Group Chief Marketing Officer, said:”This strategic partnership between Saudia Group and the Ministry of Investment represents a significant leap forward. It promotes our position as a comprehensive aviation system dedicated to advancing and achieving the ambitious objectives of Vision 2030. By collaborating closely, we aim to optimize travel logistics for key national projects, facilitating seamless mobility both to and within the Kingdom while offering exclusive travel benefits.” Tash continued, “Saudia Group plays a crucial role in empowering cultural and tourism programs and activities, as well as Hajj and Umrah programs and services. We are committed to strengthening the Kingdom’s position as a logistics hub connecting the three continents, thereby promoting sustainable economic development and competitiveness.” …

flynas celebrated its first direct flight between Riyadh and El-Alamein International Airport on the north coast of Egypt recently adding the Mediterranean city to its list of summer destinations with scheueled flights for the first time in the region, further expanding tourist destinations options for flynas guests through its ever-growing international network. The outbound flight departed King Khalid International Airport (KKIA) in Riyadh after an inaugural ceremony attended by representatives from flynas and KKIA. It arrived at El-Alamein International Airport (DBB) at 5:30 PM to a welcoming ceremony attended by representatives from flynas, DBB, and other stakeholders in Egypt. flynas already connects the Arab Republic of Egypt to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with more than 120 weekly direct flights, and the operation of direct flights to DBB will make El-Alamein the fifth destination in Egypt, served by direct flights from flynas. The leading LCC operates direct flights from 5 Saudi cities, namely Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, Medina, and Al-Ula, to Cairo, Sohag, Sharm El-Sheikh, and Hurghada. The Egyptian capital of Cairo is connected to the Kingdom with direct flights to Cairo International Airport and Sphinx International Airport. Passengers traveling with flynas can book their flights through all flynas booking channels: www.flynas.com, the flynas app, the call centre (920001234), or travel agents. flynas connects more than 70 domestic and international destinations with more than 1500 weekly flights and has flown more than 78 million passengers since its launch in 2007, with the aim to reach 165 domestic and international destinations, in line with the objectives of the Saudi Vision 2030.

Etihad Airways announced beginning 27 October, will increase its nonstop flight service between Boston and Abu Dhabi from four flights per week to once daily, offering North American corporate and leisure travellers more choice and flexibility when planning trips to the UAE and beyond to the Gulf region and the Indian subcontinent. The decision to increase Boston flights to daily is based on the route’s strong performance and comes just three months after Etihad Airways introduced Boston as its fourth destination in the United States. Boston joined Chicago, New York and Washington D.C., as well as Toronto, Canada, further expanding Etihad’s North American footprint. “Our Boston service continues to perform strongly, with our flights near capacity since our inaugural flight in Boston this March,” said Arik De, Chief Revenue and Commercial Officer at Etihad. “Having already experienced record passenger demand, we’re excited to invest further in the North American market by expanding our flight frequency out of Boston ahead of the peak winter travel season.” Etihad’s daily flights from Boston Logan International Airport to Abu Dhabi operate with a state-of-the-art Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, featuring the airline’s acclaimed Business Studios and Economy Smart seats. With 28 seats in Business and 262 seats in Economy, the aircraft is equipped with entertainment systems, in-seat power, and in-flight Wi-Fi connectivity, providing passengers with a comfortable and enjoyable travel experience, complemented by world-class service and hospitality. The Boston service is timed to offer convenient links to Etihad’s growing network for corporate business travellers and leisure guests connecting to destinations across the UAE, the Gulf region and the airline’s 11 nonstop routes into India. Etihad’s partnership with JetBlue ensures convenient connections to numerous cities throughout North America, …

Qatar Airways Holidays unveiled its latest offering – a curated collection of Qatar Stopover packages for travellers across the GCC region. Travellers booking their flights on Qatar Airways’ global network of over 170 destinations now have the option to transform one holiday into two by stopping over in Qatar for up to four nights. Designed to effortlessly bridge the journey and the destination, these packages will allow GCC travellers to explore the vibrant city of Doha, all while enjoying Qatar Airways’ signature hospitality and personalised world-class service, even on short stays. The new Stopover packages will remove the need for separate reservations and enable travellers in the region to streamline their travel plans through a new and improved booking process that incorporates flight and hotel bookings in one comprehensive itinerary. Discover Qatar and Qatar Airways Holidays’ Senior Vice President, Steve Reynolds, said: “We are delighted to introduce Stopover packages to our valued GCC travellers. As a world-class destination, Qatar’s offerings range from its rich cultural heritage to its modern attractions and through our new Stopover packages, we want to make it as accessible and convenient as possible for our customers to experience the beauty of this stunning country.” Enabled by Qatar Airways Holidays’ innovative booking tools, travellers can now book their flights and hotel accommodation through the Qatar Airways Holidays website, qatarairwaysholidays.com, with packages starting at just $14* per person for up to four nights. With four types of Stopover hotel categories, starting from 4-star hotels in the standard category, Qatar Airways Holidays offers options to suit every traveller’s needs. Travellers can further customise their packages by combining their hotel of choice with any flight class for a more personalised …

Geof Travel has been named the overall winner among Dubai and Northern Emirates travel agencies of the recently-concluded Philippine Airlines and Sabre Emquest’s Top Seller Campaign. Geof Travel will receive a trip for two to Palawan, Philippines, which includes two round-trip tickets and two nights of hotel accommodation.The contest ran from March 20 to May 31, 2024. “EmQuest was delighted to award Geof Travel with a voucher for a 2 night stay in Palawan. Geoffrey Salatan, CEO of Geof Travel, is a loyal EmQuest customer and Sabre user. We couldn’t be happier that the winner of Season 2 – EmQuest/Sabre & Philippines Airlines Top Seller Campaign – was won by such a good partner. Congratulations!”, Andrew Dowling, Emquest General Manager said. “Philippine Airlines is pleased to award Geof Travel with the top recognition in this year’s sales campaign. Geof has been a consistent Philippine Airlines supporter and this is yet another testament of the agency’s trust and confidence in booking their passengers to Philippine Airlines, the Heart of the Filipino”, Josh Vasquez, PAL Regional Head-EMEA quoted.

flydubai announced the launch of direct flights to two new destinations in Iran. This includes the start of a four-times weekly service to Kish Island from 07 September and a twice-weekly service to Kerman from 09 September. Hamad Obaidalla, Chief Commercial Officer at flydubai, said: “we have continued to look for opportunities to open up underserved markets and so we are pleased to offer our customers more convenient options for travel to Iran. flydubai is dedicated to creating free flows of trade and tourism and with Kerman and Kish Island as our newest destinations, we look forward to providing our passengers more opportunities to explore our extensive network.” ​ The carrier recently announced the start of its daily services to Islamabad and Lahore in Pakistan commencing from 01 July. Later this year, flydubai is also set to welcome Basel in Switzerland from 02 August, Riga in Latvia from 11 October in addition to Tallinn in Estonia and Vilnius in Lithuania from 12 October. Commenting on the launch of flights, Jeyhun Efendi, Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations and E-commerce at flydubai, said: “with the addition of these two routes, flydubai will provide customers with convenient and accessible travel services between both countries, making it easier for customers to connect to Dubai and beyond on our network. Passengers who choose to travel with flydubai can enjoy a personalised experience in Business Class or added comfort in Economy Class on our young fleet of Boeing 737 aircraft.” flydubai’s Business Class service features lie-flat or reclining seats, international menus as well as hours of immersive inflight entertainment while the carrier’s Economy Class features optimised seats for passengers to sit back and relax. flydubai operates flights …

SalamAir announced its network-wide social media engagement campaign to celebrate the enchanting Khareef season in Salalah, Oman. This campaign aims to gather travelers from around the world in a collective celebration and promotion of Salalah as a must-visit destination during the summer months, renowned for its refreshing cooler weather and stunning natural beauty. We invite all our passengers to capture and share their favorite moments from Salalah during Khareef for a chance to win a free return ticket to any of our destinations! “We are thrilled to reveal this interesting social media campaign, designed to harness the power of our vibrant community of travelers and showcase the enchanting Khareef season in Salalah. By encouraging our passengers to share their personal experiences, we highlight Salalah’s unique beauty and create a deeper connection with our audience and community. This strategic initiative aims to magnify Salalah’s appeal as a premier summer destination, leveraging user-generated content to inspire and attract more visitors to experience its refreshing cooler weather and captivating landscapes.” said Sherif Hosny, Director of Marketing and Digital Sales at SalamAir. This campaign is more than just a contest; it’s an opportunity to join a community of travelers who appreciate the unique charm of Salalah during Khareef. Salalah transforms into a verdant city with cooler temperatures, offering a refreshing escape from the summer heat. By sharing your experiences, you stand a chance to win exciting prizes and contribute to showcasing Salalah as a premier summer destination. Your photos and stories will inspire others to discover the hidden gems of this beautiful city, and promoting it as a must-visit location will aid local businesses, events, and communities to prosper. Now, SalamAir connects Salalah with …

According to the latest data shared by IATA, Middle Eastern airlines saw a 9.7% year-on-year increase in demand. Capacity increased 9.0% year-on-year and the load factor increased 0.5ppt to 80.7% compared to May 2023. Asian routes to the Middle East are particularly strong, now standing some 32% higher than in 2019. Another notable development is the Europe-Middle East route, which saw an April-May RPK increase for two years in a row, reversing the previous historic pattern of a decline between these months. In the coming months, it will become clearer to what extent these trends could be related to the Russia-Ukraine war.   Air passenger market in detail – May 2024     May 2024 (% year-on-year) World share1 RPK ASK PLF (%-pt) PLF (level) Total Market 100% 10.7% 8.5% 1.7% 83.4% Africa 2.1% 13.4% 8.5% 3.2% 72.9% Asia Pacific 31.7% 14.9% 9.2% 4.0% 81.8% Europe 27.1% 10.3% 9.7% 0.4% 85.2% Latin America 5.5% 7.9% 5.3% 2.0% 83.4% Middle East 9.4% 10.2% 8.9% 0.9% 80.8% North America 24.2% 6.5% 6.5% 0.0% 85.8%   1% of industry RPKs in 2023  

Amadeus and Vistara Airlines successfully collaborated on a joint promotion to support the travel industry during the typically slow period last Ramadan which boosted travel bookings, saw an overwhelming positive response from travel partners and resulted in healthy flight loads and increased incremental segments. As part of the highest seller incentive, six top-performing travel partners were rewarded with attractive prizes including Apple Watches, Lenovo Tablets, Vistara Premium Economy and Economy tickets, and shopping vouchers. The incentive was designed to motivate and appreciate the hard work of the travel agencies during this period. Both Vistara and Amadeus expressed their deep gratitude to their travel partners for their unwavering support. This gesture was met with enthusiasm and appreciation from the travel partners, who reaffirmed their commitment to a long-term partnership with both companies. The collaboration with travel partners has not only bolstered travel bookings has also strengthened relationships with key industry players. The positive feedback from travel partners underscores the success of the promotion. Among the top-performing travel agencies were Akbar Travels Middle East, Alhashar Travels, Bahwan Tourism LLC, Khimji’s House of Travel, Satguru Travel and Tourism Services and Zahara Travel & Service Bureau LLC. These agencies demonstrated exceptional sales performance, contributing significantly to the promotion’s success.

Qatar Airways’ first flight to Hamburg Airport (HAM) in Germany has landed marking the launch of daily non-stop flights from Hamad International Airport (DOH) in Doha, Qatar. Hamburg becomes Qatar Airways’ fifth destination in Germany, in addition to Berlin, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt and Munich, helping to meet strong demand in the market. The airline saw a 62 per cent growth in outbound passengers from Germany in 2023 compared with the previous year. The new connection further adds to the airline’s route network of more than 170 destinations worldwide, seamlessly connecting travellers from northern Germany to Doha and beyond, while also making the metropolis of Hamburg even more accessible for people from around the world. The route also supports economic and trade relations between northern Germany, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. The flights are expected to offer up to 11 per cent growth in Hamburg’s cargo sector compared to last year. The first flight was welcomed on the ground by Dr. Peter Tschentscher, First Mayor of Hamburg, Mr. Ali Al-Boainian, Charge de Affair of the Embassy of the State of Qatar in Berlin, Mr. Thierry Antinori, Chief Commercial Officer Qatar Airways, Eng. Abdulaziz Ali Al-Mawlawi, CEO Visit Qatar, H.E. Lothar Freischlader, German Ambassador to the State of Qatar, Christian Kunsch, Hamburg Airport CEO, and Dr. Malte Heyne, CEO of the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce. Hamburg Airport is the oldest commercial airport in the world and the city is a key hub for global trade and business travel. Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Officer, Engr. Badr Mohammed Al-Meer, said: “Qatar Airways extends a warm welcome to the beautiful city of Hamburg as the latest destination to join its expansive route network, and its fifth …