Category Archives: Aviation

Qatar Airways has launched additional flights to the key global destinations of London, UK; Male, the Maldives; Miami, USA; and Tokyo, Japan for the 2024-2025 season. Qatar Airways Chief Commercial Officer, Mr. Thierry Antinori, said: “As the World’s Best Airline, Qatar Airways is the best travel companion for international holiday-makers. Our increased flights during the winter holiday season comes as a response to the needs of our passengers who wish to create unforgettable travel experiences. Mr. Antinori continued: “Qatar Airways’ is also strengthening its commitment to the UK. Growing to 56 flights a week – the most of any Gulf carrier – further reinforces our long-standing relationship with London Heathrow Airport, as well as our unique strategic alliance with British Airways, which also operates two flights a day to Doha.” Qatar Airways flight to London (LHR) tarting 27 October 2024, Qatar Airways flights to London (LHR) will increase from 49 to 56 weekly flights. Following strong demand from customers, the airline will be offering more than 42,000 seats per week each way. Along with the two daily flights operated by its joint business partner, British Airways, there will be 10 daily flights between London Heathrow and Doha. New flights for this popular route are open for travellers, including travellers from Australia, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the UK. The flights will depart daily as follows: • Doha (DOH) to London (LHR) – Flight QR109: Departure 09:30; Arrival 14:05 • London (LHR) to Doha (DOH) – Flight QR110: Departure 15:30; Arrival 01:10 Qatar Airways flight to Male (MLE) Starting 13 December 2024, Qatar Airways flights to Male (MLE) will increase from 21 to 28 weekly flights. Bookings are now open for travellers …

SAUDIA continues to top the global list for on-time performance (OTP), achieving this milestone for the second time consecutively, according to a report by the independent aviation tracking site, Cirium, for July2024. The report indicates that Saudia has achieved an on-time arrival rate of 88.12% and an on-time departure rate of 88.15%, operating 16,503 flights across its network of over 100 destinations in four continents. His Excellency Engr. Ibrahim Al-Omar, Director General of Saudia Group, said: “At Saudia Group, achieving a high OTP has been a shared objective, as it directly impacts guest satisfaction. We’ve successfully maintained it during this year’s peak seasons, a testament to the collaborative efforts of the entire Saudia Group and relevant stakeholders in the aviation industry. Sustaining our leadership in this area requires continuous dedication and resilience in overcoming the numerous challenges within the aviation sector globally.” In the coming years, Saudia will take delivery of 103 new aircraft, aligning with the airline’s strategy to double seating capacity, expand to new global destinations, as well as its commitment to bring the world to the Kingdom in line with Vision 2030.

Gulf Air’s Chief Operations Officer, Captain Qasim Ismaeel, met with Dato Sri Tiong King Sing, the Minister of Tourism, Arts, and Culture in Malaysia. During the meeting, the two sides discussed aviation and tourism cooperation, strengthened the ties between Malaysia and Gulf Air, and explored new avenues for collaboration in these sectors. They also identified strategies to boost passenger traffic between the two countries. The Minister of Tourism, Arts, and Culture of Malaysia, along with his accompanying delegation, then took a tour at Gulf Aviation Academy, the training arm of Gulf Air. During the tour, the visiting delegation was briefed on the latest flight simulators housed at the academy.

flynas signed an agreement with Hayyak to provide flynas passengers with Prime membership of Nasmiles, the loyalty program of flynas, complimentary access to Hayyak airport lounges, while other flynas guests will be able to access the lounges with competitive prices. Stefan Magiera, flynas Chief Commercial Officer, said: “Through this agreement, we are pleased to expand privileges to our Nasmiles Prime status members and flynas passengers by allowing them to enjoy the high-end services and high-quality products Hayyak offers in airport lounges around the Kingdom.” “The agreement shows our solid commitment to enhancing customer experience and increasing and diversifying our rewards to Nasmiles members and flynas guests,” he added. Monther Al Humaynee, CEO of Alkhalejiah Catering, the owner and operator of the Hayyak brand, said: “The partnership between flynas and Hayyak Lounge signifies a momentous achievement in our mutual endeavor to enhance the travel experience for passengers. Leveraging our collective knowledge and assets, I am optimistic about our ability to establish a premium customer lounge that redefines standards in comfort, luxury, and tailored service for all flynas nasmiles members and travelers. Our dedication remains unwavering in collaborating closely with flynas team to guarantee that every aspect, spanning from design to service execution, mirrors the exceptional quality synonymous with both our esteemed brands.” In addition to three flynas lounges available free of charge to flynas passengers with Nasmiles Prime membership status at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, and King Fahad International Airport in Dammam, Nasmiles Prime members will now be able to avail complimentary access to 18 Hayyak lounges in different airports around the Kingdom. Meanwhile, flynas passengers with no Nasmilse membership will be able to access …

The Mohammed bin Rashid Aerospace Hub (MBRAH) at Dubai South continues to achieve outstanding private jet movements, with 8,472 movements in the first six months of 2024, a growth of 7% over the same period in 2023. This achievement reflects the growing maturity of the business aviation ecosystem and reinforces Al Maktoum International Airport’s status as the leading airport for international business aviation movements in the Middle East. The growth in private jet movements this year follows a record of 16,657 movements in 2023, with a forecast for these movements to reach 18,000 by the end of 2024. In his comments, HE Khalifa Al Zaffin, Executive Chairman of Dubai Aviation City Corporation and Dubai South, said: “We are pleased to see continuous growth of business aviation movements year after year, and we anticipate these figures to further grow as a result of the new developments of aircraft hangars and maintenance facilities in Dubai South and the hosting of MEBAA Show, the region’s leading business aviation event, in December 2024. At MBRAH, we will continue with our mandate to position Dubai as the aviation capital of the world, in alignment with the government’s vision.” MBRAH offers global aerospace players high-level connectivity and is a free-zone destination for the world’s leading airlines, private jet companies, and associated industries. Located in and developed by Dubai South, MBRAH is also home to maintenance centers and training and education campuses.

Sri Lankan Airlines announced operations to Gan International Airport in Southern Maldives, a secluded getaway with luxurious resorts via Sri Lanka especially suited for high-end travellers from the Middle East. This route will have an opportunity for Middle East travellers to explore two destinations at their convenience.  Speaking with TravTalk MiddleEast Jayantha Abeysinghe – Regional Manager Middle East shared, “we wanted to introduce a new experience to our discerning clientele from the Middle East to discover serene, secluded and tranquil areas which appeal to their requirements to enjoy a private luxurious getaway. Adding Gan to our Middle East operations will further enhance connectivity between key destinations in the region and capitalise the growing demand for travel between the Middle East and the Maldives. Our product offering is well suited for our customers from the Middle East such as United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Oman and over the years they have made Maldives their much loved destination, hence we wanted to bring in what we do best, ensuring that our customers have new and personalised luxury experiences.” Speaking on the campaign just launched Abeysinghe further reiterated, “If customers fly to Gan with Sri Lankan, their stay is complimentary for three nights. Middle East travellers can book through their travel agents in order to reap more benefits of this exclusive offer tailor made for the region. We know that our Middle East travellers constantly seek exclusive and less crowded holiday destinations, hence this will be a good fit for the entire family.” The introduction of this new direct service from key Middle Eastern cities to Gan will boost tourism between Sri Lanka, Middle East and Maldives. For Maldives this would …

Etihad Airways is hailing its long-standing connection with India by deploying its iconic Airbus A380 to Mumbai for a special four-month period, marking 20 years since its inaugural flight to the city. Starting from 1 September until 31 December 2024, the double-decker aircraft will operate three weekly flights between Abu Dhabi (AUH) and Mumbai (BOM), enhancing the travel experience on this popular route. Since its first flight to Mumbai on 26 September 2004, Etihad’s relationship with India has deepened. The airline currently offers nonstop services between Abu Dhabi and 11 Indian cities, with plans for further expansion. This supports its mission to seamlessly connect Indian guests to Abu Dhabi and its global network, enabling them to visit friends and family, pursue education, and engage in business worldwide. In a move to create a more inclusive and accessible experience for its Indian customers, Etihad recently became the first international airline operating in India to launch a Hindi website, allowing customers to access information in their preferred language. Etihad’s commitment to the Indian market is evident through its embrace of India’s love for cricket, as demonstrated by its sponsorship of the Chennai Super Kings. Additionally, its brand ambassador partnership with Bollywood superstar Katrina Kaif has further solidified its presence in the region, with a captivating series of videos shared across Etihad and Katrina’s social media channels. Arik De, Etihad’s Chief Revenue and Commercial Officer, said: “To kick off our celebrations for 20 years of service to Mumbai and India, we are thrilled to introduce our A380 on the Mumbai route. While this iconic aircraft is typically reserved for long-haul journeys, for our 20 years of celebrations of flying to India, we will …

Emirates announced plans to introduce its newly retrofitted Boeing 777s to two more cities – Zurich and Riyadh from 1 October 2024*. The airline will also layer on refurbished B777s to Geneva and Brussels operations, making them the first two cities in the airline’s network to sport refreshed B777 cabins on all flights. The airline aims to offer customers more of its highly acclaimed Premium Economy product and newly configured Business Class cabin on the Boeing 777 in the coming weeks and months. Emirates’ enhanced B777s will operate as follows: To Zurich, Emirates will operate its retrofitted Boeing 777 on EK 85 and EK 86 starting from 1 October 2024*. Emirates’ enhanced Boeing 777 featuring its latest cabins will also land in Riyadh for the first time, as EK 819 and EK 820 from 1 October 2024*. This will be the first debut of Emirates’ Premium Economy in the Middle East/GCC. From 22 September 2024*, Geneva will become the first city in the Emirates network to offer Premium Economy seats and newly refreshed Business Class cabins on all flights, with the introduction of the retrofitted B777 on EK 89 and EK 90. From 9 October 2024*, Emirates will operate its second retrofitted B777 to Brussels on EK 181 and EK 182 six times weekly. With an expanded list of cities served by both the refurbished Boeing 777 and A380 aircraft, Emirates is providing customers more choice and a better experience in the skies across every cabin class. The airline plans to serve 28 cities with Premium Economy by the end of this year. So far, 25 aircraft have been retrofitted, with 17 more aircraft to undergo a facelift by December 2024. The …

flydubai touched down in Basel becoming the first national carrier from the UAE to operate direct flights from Dubai. This marks the start of the carrier’s four-times weekly service to EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg (BSL) from Dubai International (DXB). The inaugural flight touched down at EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg (BSL) and was met with a traditional water cannon salute. Senior airport officials welcomed the delegation led by Jeyhun Efendi, Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations and E-commerce at flydubai. With the start of flights to Basel, flydubai has grown its network in Europe to 29 destinations including Budapest, Catania, Krakow, Milan-Bergamo, Prague, Salzburg and Zagreb. Speaking at the press conference, Jeyhun Efendi, Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations and E-commerce at flydubai, said: “at flydubai, we are committed to opening up underserved destinations and creating free flows of trade and tourism and we are pleased to add Basel to our network in Europe. EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg serves Switzerland, France and Germany, making it an important hub for travel, trade and tourism in the tri-border region that will benefit our customers from the UAE and beyond.” “We also look forward to welcoming more travellers from Europe to Dubai and beyond on the flydubai network. Through Dubai’s aviation hub, passengers travelling from Basel can enjoy convenient connections to holiday destinations including Kenya, the Maldives, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Thailand,” added Efendi. Located on the banks of the river Rhine, Basel is renowned as Switzerland’s cultural capital and features interesting museums and historic and modern architecture and serves as a gateway to the verdant landscapes of the Swiss countryside. Situated on the borders of northwest Switzerland, the Alsace historical region in France and Baden-Württemberg in Germany, EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg serves as a unique …

Etihad Airways announced it will start flying its A380 double-decker to Singapore (SIN) from 1 February, 2025 . The Asian-Pacific powerhouse becomes the fourth major city to enjoy the Etihad A380 experience in addition to London and New York, as well as Paris which will be served by the A380 from 1 November. It means Etihad will have its sixth A380 in operation by the start of 2025. Antonoaldo Neves, Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Airways, said: “We are thrilled to announce that our iconic A380 aircraft will begin serving the Singapore route early next year. This aircraft provides our business and leisure travellers with an exceptional flying experience and seamless connections to our Middle East, European, and North American networks. It highlights Etihad’s dedication to optimising travel to Abu Dhabi and beyond, ensuring more convenience and comfort for our guests. We will have our sixth A380 online next year as we build our capacity further to cater for the travel needs of our guests.” The A380 brings a special touch to air travel. Economy passengers enjoy a warm welcome with comfortable seating arrangements, including 68 seats offering four inches more legroom and 337 Smart seats featuring Etihad’s innovative fixed-wing headrests and large pillows. On the upper deck, Business Studios™ feature 70 private spots, complemented by The Lobby lounge area. Each Business Studio is equipped with premium amenities designed with Armani/Casa and Wi Fi connectivity, ensuring a productive and luxurious travel experience. First Apartments are luxurious with nine private spaces, designer tableware, leather chairs, and a large ottoman-bed. First-class guests also receive personal amenities and can enjoy an exclusive shower room.