Category Archives: Aviation

The national airline of the UAE, Etihad has partnered with MTT, a Travelport company and provider of digital solutions to the airline industry, to launch a mobile application for iPhone users. The App enables guests to organise and manage their journey with even greater ease as the airline continues to adopt innovative technology to re-imagine the flying experience. Etihad Airways guests will enjoy 10 per cent off flights, and members of the airline’s loyalty programme Etihad Guest, will receive 250 bonus miles for every booking made through the mobile app before 30 May 2016. The Etihad Airways mobile app is simple and enjoyable to use, providing comprehensive trip management capabilities by leveraging the latest innovations in mobile technology. Guests can pay for their tickets by scanning their credit card and can also check in for their flight by using their mobile phone to simply scan their passport page. Boarding passes can be viewed from the app or downloaded directly to iOS Wallet.

World’s largest annual airport event was opened on Monday morning by His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Aviation Authority, Chairman of Dubai Airports and Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airlines Group. The Middle East’s thriving aviation sector brings together leading industry players from across the world to tap into the tremendous opportunities as they open the 16th edition of the airport show at Dubai World Trade Center. Airport Show, a B2B platform, features over 300 exhibitors from 55 countries with 150 hosted buyers from 30 countries with expectations of over 700 industry professionals to attend the event within the next three days. The airport show reflects the growth of the aviation industry especially in the region.

Boeing is set to deliver a record number of airplanes this year to Turkey’s flag-carrier, Turkish Airlines. In total, the carrier will take delivery of six 777-300ERs and 20 Next-Generation 737-800s in 2016. Ahmet Bolat, Chief Investment and Technology Officer, Turkish Airlines said: “Turkish Airlines is one of the world’s ascendant airlines and an established global network carrier. It has achieved this through various significant investments as evident in its fleet which now stands at over 310 and growing. The delivery of a further 26 Boeing aircraft this year, which forms a substantial part of our long-haul and short-haul fleets, is integral to Turkish’s continued growth and we look forward to introducing the new planes on our domestic and international network.”

In a drive to improve passenger experience and deliver increased flexibility to its airlines, Bahrain Airport Company (BAC) will this year introduce SITA’s self-service check-in kiosks across Bahrain International Airport. SITA will install and manage six new AirportConnect® S4 Kiosks at the airport, with four kiosks to be introduced in the economy check-in area and two in the first and business class check-in area. The new S4 kiosks provide a vastly improved passenger experience with large 19-inch multi-touch screens. Along with the new kiosks, SITA will provide its AirportHub™ shared connectivity platform, enabling airlines to migrate their back offices from legacy or direct connections systems to a cloud-based communication link. Mohamed Yousif Al Binfalah, Chief Executive Officer of BAC commented: “This project is the first step towards the company’s vision of implementing IATA Fast Travel Initiative which will significantly enhance the passenger experience at Bahrain International Airport. This initiative will offer benefits of self-service check-in to passengers to facilitate the passenger journey.”

The iconic Batmobile travelled from Europe to Asia by crossing the Bosphorus Strait via the new Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge which officially opens to the public this summer. This marked the longest-ever ride for the one-of-a-kind vehicle.  According to M. Ilker Aycı, Turkish Airlines’ Board Chairman, “The ride across the newest Bosphorus bridge is symbolic of how the Batmobile unites people worldwide as a pop culture icon, how Istanbul is the one and only city connecting two continents, and how Turkish Airlines bridges passengers globally to 113 countries and more than 287 destinations. This is an opportunity for us to introduce our precious city, Istanbul and our newest bridge to the world. The Batmobile is one of the most symbolic movie icons of all time, and has now connected the world with Istanbul.”

The inaugural flight to Birmingham from Doha left last week making it 73 flights per week between Doha and United Kingdom. Currently, Qatar Airways serves London Heathrow, Manchester and Edinburgh non-stop from Doha. This gateway, with direct flights between Doha and Birmingham, connects the city with more than 150 destinations worldwide. The addition of Birmingham marks the fourth U.K. gateway for Qatar Airways after London Heathrow, Manchester and Edinburgh, with the eight weekly services operated by the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft. The inaugural flight touched down on 30 March and was greeted by a traditional water salute, while Qatar Airways’ Chief Commercial Officer Dr. Hugh Dunleavy, who travelled on board the inaugural flight with UK Ambassador to Qatar, His Excellency Ajay Sharma, were greeted at the arrival gate by Birmingham Airport’s Chief Executive Officer, Paul Kehoe. Qatar Airways now operates 73 flights per week to the U.K., with 42 flights per week to London Heathrow, 16 to Manchester, seven to Edinburgh and eight to Birmingham, from its state-of-the-art hub, Hamad International Airport.