Category Archives: Aviation

Etihad Airways is introducing its A380 on the Abu Dhabi-Paris route this summer as part of seasonal adjustments to the airline’s fleet deployment plan. Etihad Airways’ approximate one-way fare, including taxes and surcharges, in The Residence from Paris to Abu Dhabi is US$ 10,750; and Paris to Sydney or Melbourne is US$ 16,800. Featuring the carrier’s revolutionary The Residence – the world’s first three-room suite on a commercial airliner – the aircraft will operate on one of its twice-daily services to the French capital between July 1 and October 28. Paris becomes the airline’s latest A380 long haul destination following London, Sydney, New York and Melbourne. With the aircraft upgrade from a 328-seat Boeing 777, Etihad Airways is able to offer an all-A380 daily service from Paris to both Melbourne and Sydney via the airline’s Abu Dhabi hub. It will also support the strong connecting traffic to and from many cities across Asia and Australia including Brisbane, Perth, Bangkok, Chengdu, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Manila, Shanghai, Seychelles, Chennai, Delhi and Mumbai, together with destinations across the GCC such as Bahrain, Doha, Jeddah and Muscat. Flight EY31 has a scheduled departure time from Abu Dhabi International Airport of 0215 hrs, arriving at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport at 0750 hrs, with the return flight EY32 leaving the French capital at 1040 hrs, arriving in Abu Dhabi at 1930 hrs. (all times listed are local). Peter Baumgartner, Etihad Airways Chief Executive Officer, said: “Flying our flagship product to France with additional seat capacity helps fulfil growing demand and meet our guests’ expectations for an even greater travel experience with unmatched luxury, comfort and service. “Paris is one of our …

In order to strengthen its footprints in the Gulf region, IndiGo Airlines has added Sharjah to its international route, effective March 20, 2017. The airline will operate its new daily non-stop flights between Sharjah-Kozhikode-Sharjah and a second daily flight to operate non-stop between Sharjah-Thiruvananthapuram-Sharjah effective April 8, 2017. The introductory fares start as low as 243 AED for one way from Kozhikode to Sharjah. The new flights will cater to both leisure and business travellers. Sanjay Kumar, Chief Commercial Officer, IndiGo, said, “We are extremely pleased to expand our international network with Sharjah. Middle East has been an important market for IndiGo with rising business and tourism stemming from the gulf market. We are determined to provide the best travel experience to all those who wish to fly these destinations. We are looking at providing affordable fares on these new routes to our 6E travellers. We are now available on all Travelport platforms and interfaces reaching a vast number of travel agents around the globe.”

Dubai-based flydubai’s inaugural flight to Sylhet landed on March 15 and was greeted by a traditional water cannon salute. The flight marks the start of a four times weekly direct service between Dubai and flydubai’s third destination in Bangladesh, which will increase to six flights a week from May 16, 2017. Upon arrival, a flydubai delegation led by Sudhir Sreedharan, Senior Vice President Commercial for GCC, Subcontinent and Africa, was met by H.E. Rashed Khan Menon, Minister of Civil Aviation and Tourism, along with local officials from the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism, the Civil Aviation Authority and local members of Parliament. A traditional ceremony took place as the delegation disembarked the aircraft.The operation to Sylhet Osmani International Airport is in partnership with Bangladesh carrier Regent Airways. Sreedharan said: “We would like to take this opportunity to thank the Bangladeshi authorities for their support. We began operations to Dhaka and Chittagong in 2011 and have seen a strong demand for flights since. We are confident that our passengers from Sylhet will benefit from our direct and convenient flights to Dubai and beyond, via Dubai’s efficient aviation hub connecting over 200 destinations worldwide.” “We thank Regent Airways for their cooperation, and we look forward to the start of this partnership,” he added. Since it began flights to Bangladesh, flydubai has carried more than 1.5 million passengers between the two countries. The new service will see flydubai provide up to 27 flights a week to Bangladesh.

Turkish Airlines has added two new destinations in Russia — Voronezh and Samara. The national carrier is going to increase capacity in Russia by operating 3 flights per week between Istanbul–Samara and Istanbul-Voronezh instead of Astrakhan and Novosibirsk which are currently operated as two flights per week.  Istanbul-Voronezh v.v. flights will be launched on 4th April 2017 and Istanbul-Samara v.v. flights will also be launched on 11th April 2017. Special round-trip fares are available for Istanbul-Samara starting from $159 and for Istanbul-Voronej starting from $189 (including taxes).

Under the aegis of H.H. Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and CEO and Chairman of the Emirates Group, Dubai Heli Conference 2017 will take place from April 17 to 18, at the Al Maktoum International Airport, planned to be the world’s largest airport located in Dubai World Central, the venue for World Expo 2020. Dubai Airports, Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA), and the UAE Airforce and Air Defence and Dubai South support the inaugural event. The new symposium is also backed by the Dubai Helishow, the biennial Helicopter Technology and Operations Exhibition held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. The key agenda for the first day of the symposium includes ‘Partnering with Industry and Enhancing Helicopter Life Cycle Management’ and ‘Meeting Safety Levels for Helicopter Operators.’ The topics to be discussed during the first session are ‘Key Considerations in Planning Life-Cycle Usage of New Acquisitions;’ ‘Ensuring Helicopters Meet Flight Time Requirements Through Securing the Spare Parts Supply chain;’ and ‘Enhancing Information Flow Between MRO and Users During Operations to Enhance Faster Turnaround Times.’Ahmad Abulhoul, Managing Director, Domus Group, said: “The pioneering Dubai HeliConference is the only dedicated event to focus on the helicopter segment of the Middle East’s aviation industry. The event format has been designed to provide an engaging and interactive platform for industry stakeholders, including government entities, private companies, and leading professionals, to address current challenges and discuss ways for further advancement. We are upbeat that Dubai HeliConference will enable regional and international companies to explore partnership opportunities for the dynamic growth of …

Qatar Airways unveiled its highly anticipated new Business Class experience to travel trade leaders at ITB Berlin. The customizable private suites, named QSuite, introduce a host of firsts to Premium Class travel, reshaping expectations for global business travellers. The new seat design was first unveiled by Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Akbar Al Baker on the opening day of the ITB Berlin exhibition, at the Qatar Airways stand. It was attended by His Excellency Sheikh Saoud Bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, Ambassador of the State of Qatar in Germany, with the Mayor of Berlin, Michael Müller, as special guest of honour. QSuite features the industry’s first-ever double bed available in Business Class, with privacy panels that stow away, allowing passengers in adjoining seats to create their own private room. Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Akbar Al Baker, said, “With these innovations, Qatar Airways has revolutionised the way we serve our Business Class travellers, enabling our passengers to enjoy a First Class experience in Business Class. This is truly Business Class as never seen before and is entirely in keeping with our Premium product and service philosophy.”

Phnom Penh in Cambodia will be the latest destination Emirates will serve from July this year. The launch of daily services from Dubai to Phnom Penh will coincide with the introduction of a direct, non-stop route between Dubai and Hanoi. From July 1, Emirates passengers travelling to Hanoi will no longer stop in Yangon before reaching the Vietnamese capital. The new Dubai-Yangon-Phnom Penh route will also enable passengers from Yangon to travel to Phnom Penh and vice versa. Emirates will be the only airline with a direct service between these two cities. Outbound, flight EK388 will depart Dubai at 0915 hours, and will arrive in Yangon at 1725hrs. It will then depart Yangon at 1855hrs, before arriving at Phnom Penh at 2125 hours. The departure time of flight EK388 from Dubai seamlessly connects with a number of European services such as Paris, London, and Frankfurt. On the return segment, flight EK389 will depart Phnom Penh at 2310hrs, and will arrive in Dubai at 0540hrs the next day, after a short stop in Yangon (All times are local). Phnom Penh, located in the south-central region of Cambodia, is the most populous city in Cambodia and is a gateway to World Heritage Site Angkor Wat, near Siem Reap. Recent growth and infrastructure development has led to Phnom Penh becoming a significant economic and tourism destination. There were more than 4.7 million foreign tourist arrivals to Cambodia in 2015 and this is forecast to rise to 8 million by 2020.

A code-share agreement between Ethiopian and Air Namibia covers thrice weekly services to Windhoek and the services of both airlines beyond their respective hubs. Under the agreement, ET will place its code on SW flights from Windhoek to Gaborone, Luanda, Victoria Falls, and Cape Town, while SW will place its code on ET flights between Addis Ababa and Windhoek, Beijing, Lagos, Los Angeles, and São Paulo. Ethiopian Airlines operates the youngest fleet in the continent with an average age of less than five years.  The airline currently serves more than 90 global destinations across five continents with over 240 daily departures. Girma Shiferaw, Acting Vice President, Strategic Planning and Alliances said, “We are glad to partner with Air Namibia. It is my sincere belief that such strategic collaboration among African airlines is one of the necessities to see African aviation thrive and grow faster in line with the economic development of the continent. Now, customers of Air Namibia will enjoy seamless connection on Ethiopian ever expanding global network across five continents with a minimum layover in Addis Ababa; conversely, our passengers will be able to access destinations beyond Windhoek on Air Namibia flights.” Acting Managing Director, Advocate Ellaine Priscilla Samson said, “We are very pleased with the signing of the codeshare agreement with Ethiopia Airlines, an airline which achieved amazing accomplishments in the global arena. This will be an opportunity for the liberalization of intra-Africa air transport in furtherance of the Yamoussoukro Decision as two African carriers. In addition, this will assist Air Namibia to expand its network via the global reach and stature of Ethiopia Airlines. Hence the teaming of our two airlines is the consummate endeavor of our …

Ethiopian Airlines will host the ICAO Global Aviation Training and TRAINAIR PLUS Symposium with the theme: “Together, Enhancing Training to Build Capacity” at the seat of the African Union, Addis Ababa from April 11-13, 2017. Group CEO Ethiopian Airlines, Tewolde GebreMariam, said: “It is a profound honour for all of us at Ethiopian Airlines to host the ICAO Global Aviation Training and TRAINAIR PLUS Symposium which brings major industry players together, to exchange best practices and experiences in human resources development and aviation training, and more specifically on the TRAINAIR PLUS Program for the advancement of the Global aviation. I believe this symposium will also be an opportunity for us to showcase our hospitality, the state-of-the-art Aviation Training facilities at our Aviation Academy and the key role Ethiopian is playing in the development of the African Aviation industry. “While attending the symposium in this beautiful country, I would like to remind you all that you are coming back home because this is the land where it all began which is the land of Lucy, the 3.2 million-years-old Grandmother of humanity and the most complete skeleton of an early human ancestor ever discovered. Wishing you all a successful deliberation in the symposium, I recommend you to visit Lalibela; the beautiful rock-hewn churches well known throughout the world or Axum; the single granite stone of the Axum Obelisk or others of the mesmerizing tourist sites in the country if you may wish to take a side trip. Whatever your choice, I’m sure you will enjoy the unparalleled hospitality and the friendly people of, Ethiopia.” An estimated 400-500 expected participants will be taking part in the Symposium, including the ICAO council President and …

SalamAir has introduced Dubai as its first international destination. The double daily service will operate from Muscat International Airport (MCT) to Dubai World Central (DWC) before moving to Dubai International Airport (DXB) starting March 26, 2017. SalamAir’s growing destination network was made possible with the arrival of the second A320 to its fleet, named “Fateh Al Khair” and will introduce a third daily flight to Salalah. “It has been an exciting start to the year for SalamAir with the introduction of our two destinations, Salalah and Dubai, which reinforces our commitment to strongly support and further trade and economic opportunities for Oman,” said Khalid Al Yahmadi, Chairman of SalamAir. “For a newly launched airline, our figures are already showing very promising results. The response from our guests has been very positive which demonstrates our capabilities in offering a redefined travel experience that never compromises on quality, safety and security.” With fares from Dubai to Muscat as low as AED 122, guests can now book their flights on the website and can choose between three easy fare options: Light, Friendly & Flexi. Delivering on its promise to offer value for money, SalamAir will provide the option of ‘through flights’ on the 17:35 flight from Salalah to Dubai, meaning that guests can fly to Dubai without having to disembark in Muscat. The service includes a 50-minute stopover. Built on the philosophy of ‘Always Welcome’, SalamAir ensures that Omani hospitality is reflected in all aspects of its services, whether on-ground or in-flight. An affordable menu of additional services is also available to guests, which includes extra luggage allowance, seat selection, and priority check-in.