Category Archives: Aviation

Emirates achieved a remarkable milestone in its operations in the Czech Republic, having carried three million passengers between Prague and Dubai from 2010 and to date. The airline’s three millionth passenger is a loyal customer who had flown with Emirates regularly over the years. The milestone traveller had booked Economy class tickets for his trip with his partner from Prague to Sydney via Emirates’ Dubai hub for Valentine’s Day, and were both surprised at the Václav Havel Airport Prague (PRG) on the departure day with a complimentary upgrade to Business Class for their entire journey, in addition to iconic gifts from Emirates’ official store and exclusive vouchers for various products and services. “As an internationally renowned airline with a global network of over 140 destinations, Emirates has played a crucial role in facilitating air connectivity for Czech travellers with young and modern fleet, and by offering award-winning products and industry-leading services. We’re very proud to reach a new milestone in our operations in the Czech Republic by carrying three million passengers in the 14 years we’ve been operating to Prague, demonstrating the popularity of the Emirates brand and our customers’ loyalty. In a true Emirates hospitality and keeping our fly better promise, we wanted to make the flying experience for our three millionth passenger even more special, explains Bořivoj Trejbal, Czech Republic Country Manager at Emirates. “Congratulations to Emirates for carrying milestone three million passengers on the Prague-Dubai route. For nearly 14 years, Czech travellers have enjoyed Emirates’ excellent service, not only on journeys to Dubai, but also on connecting flights to other destinations across its extensive global network. We wish Emirates many satisfied customers on its flights to Dubai and …

flydubai announced the launch of four new services, growing its network in Europe to 43 destinations in 21 countries. flydubai becomes the first UAE national carrier to operate direct flights to EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg (BSL) from 02 August 2024. The announcement also marks the carrier’s first entry into the Baltic region with direct flights to Riga International Airport (RIX) in Latvia commencing on 11 October as well as Tallinn Airport (TLL) in Estonia and Vilnius International Airport (VNO) in Lithuania from 12 October 2024. Ghaith Al Ghaith, Chief Executive Officer at flydubai, said: “we are proud to see our network grow bigger than ever with the new route launches. We have created a diverse network of 126 destinations, 60% of which previously had very limited or no connections to Dubai. Our new services to the Baltic region and Basel will enable more people to travel conveniently through Dubai’s aviation hub, whether they are visiting Dubai or connecting conveniently onto the flydubai network or further afield with our codeshare partner Emirates.” Commenting on the launch of flights, Jeyhun Efendi, Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations and E-commerce at flydubai, said: “Europe is an important market for flydubai and we remain committed to offering more passengers a convenient, reliable service with a great onboard product and experience. With the addition of Basel, Riga, Tallinn and Vilnius, we look forward to welcoming more travellers from Europe to Dubai and onwards to other points on our network including Malaysia, the Maldives, Mombasa, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Zanzibar.” Situated on the borders of northwest Switzerland, the Alsace historical region in France and Baden-Württemberg in Germany, EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg is a unique gateway to a wide variety of tourist attractions …

Etihad Airways achieved another key milestone in pilot training and flight operations. After successfully obtaining rigorous regulatory approvals and completing thorough pilot training, Etihad has achieved the qualification for its pilots to seamlessly operate both Airbus A350 and A380 aircraft interchangeably. This milestone positions Etihad as one of the pioneering airlines globally to attain such versatility in its pilot capabilities. Airline pilots are typically restricted to flying only one aircraft type. However, under certain conditions such as high similarity of flight deck, pilot procedures, and the implementation of special training, pilots may be enabled to operate two similar aircraft types through a dedicated programme approved by the aircraft manufacturer and the Civil Aviation Authority, known as ‘Mixed Fleet Flying’ or ‘MFF’. Mohammad Al Bulooki, Chief Operating Officer at Etihad Airways said: “Etihad Airways is proud to be the one of the very first airlines to qualify its pilots to fly both the Airbus A350 and A380. “This achievement will enhance the resilience and flexibility of the airline’s network and is testament to our commitment to continuously push the boundaries of efficiency, innovation, and customer satisfaction, and at all times ensuring safety is Etihad’s number one priority.” Over the past decade, Etihad has obtained similar approvals to qualify its Airbus pilots to interchangeably fly the A320 and A330 types, A330 and A340 types, and its Boeing pilots to fly the 777 and 787 types, setting new standards for fleet commonality. Building on this legacy, the latest approval to fly both the Airbus A350 and A380 will further enhance the efficiency and flexibility of Etihad’s widebody network.

As a transit gateway for international flights, the Middle East continues to witness significant growth across its aviation industry. Driven by the increasing demand for new aircraft as part of fleet expansion plans and modernisation programmes, the Middle Eastern MRO market is projected to account for more than 11.5% of worldwide demand over the next ten years, resulting in $137 billion of MRO demand generated in the region . Meanwhile, the Middle East’s commercial aircraft cabin interior market is predicted to increase from an estimated USD $0.93 billion in 2024 to USD $1.26 billion by 2030 , driven by the need to enhance passenger experience and growing demand for premium economy. Taking place from 5-6 March 2024 at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), MRO Middle East and Aircraft Interiors Middle East (AIME) 2024 are set to make waves in the industry with a comprehensive agenda at the Go Live! Theater. More than 50 global and regional leaders will take to the stage to discuss the trends propelling this industry growth and provide critical learning opportunities. Confirmed speakers include Justin O’Donnell, Director Technical Operations at Riyadh Air; Jeffrey Wilkinson, CEO of DAE Engineering; Salman Iqbal, Senior Manager, Technical Sourcing & Contracts at Etihad Airways; and Andrii Kusyi, Technical Manager at Wizz Air. The two day agenda, which is free to attend and live on the show floor, will cover key themes across the MRO industry, including workforce and supply chain challenges, sustainability, fleet management optimisation and the benefits of new technology, as well as regional market insights for India and on the cargo market. During the panel ‘MRO: Sustainability – Where are we now?’, OEMs will discuss sustainability initiatives in the …

Air Arabia announced record financial results for the full year ending December 31, 2023. The airline has achieved double-digit growth in profitability and passenger numbers, showcasing its commitment to growth plans and exceptional financial and operational performance. Air Arabia has reported a record net profit of AED 1.5 billion for the full year ending December 31, 2023; representing a 27 per cent increase compared to the AED 1.2 billion recorded in 2022. Moreover, the airline’s turnover for the same period reached AED 6 billion, reflecting a 14 per cent increase compared to the AED 5.2 billion registered in 2022. Full Year 2023 Performance: AED FY 2023 FY 2022 % Revenue AED 6 billion AED 5.2 billion 14% Passenger Numbers*all hubs* 16.7 million 12.8 million 31% Seat Load Factor 80% 80% – Net Profit AED 1.54 billion AED 1.2 billion 27%   Air Arabia’s Board of Directors proposed a dividend distribution of 20 per cent of share capital, which is equivalent to 20 fils per share. This proposal was made following a meeting of the board of directors of Air Arabia and is subject to ratification by Air Arabia’s shareholders at the company’s upcoming Annual General Meeting.   Sheikh Abdullah Bin Mohamed Al Thani, Chairman of Air Arabia, said: “2023 has been a remarkable year for the airline. Air Arabia has successfully maintained its growth momentum from the previous record-breaking year and achieved exceptional financial and operational results. The significant milestones attained in terms of growth, revenue, and profitability serve as a testament to Air Arabia’s robust business model, competent management team, and effective growth strategy.” He continued: “Despite the numerous geopolitical and economic challenges faced by the global aviation industry, the …

Riyadh Air announced a fundamental collaboration with Sabre Corporation to underscore Riyadh Air’s commitment to enhancing operational efficiency and driving incremental revenue gains through Sabre’s end-to-end Network Planning and Optimization solutions. Sabre Network Planning and Optimization solutions empower collaborative and intelligent decision-making, ensuring airlines can optimally design their networks, accurately forecast demand, and profitably schedule and allocate available capacity. Under this groundbreaking deal, Riyadh Air has chosen Sabre’s comprehensive suite of solutions, including Sabre Schedule Manager, Sabre Slot Manager, Sabre Profit Manager, and Sabre Market Intelligence – Global Demand Data (GDD) to achieve its strategic goals and drive its vision. “Sabre’s technology provides a new level of insight that will enable Riyadh Air to make informed network planning and commercial decisions, ensuring greater revenue returns, allowing us to invest more in enhancing the overall passenger experience,” said Vincent Coste, Chief Commercial Officer, Riyadh Air. “We have carefully selected a stable of world class technical suppliers to power Riyadh Air towards its maiden flight in 2025, and this collaboration is a key milestone in our journey to achieve operational excellence and scale our business efficiently.” Sabre Schedule Manager is an industry-leading scheduling solution that increases aircraft utilization by optimizing the schedule development process from planning to distribution, thereby increasing revenue potential. This solution seamlessly integrates with a wide range of third-party solutions and has globally assisted airlines in achieving incremental operating margins and increases in productivity, while maintaining robust and operationally feasible schedules. Sabre Slot Manager is another integral component of Sabre’s suite that automates the slot process and efficiently manages an airline’s critical slot portfolio with improved asset utilization. It stands out as the industry’s most comprehensive slot management solution …

Etihad Airways published its preliminary traffic statistics for January 2024 where the carrier welcomed more than 1.4 million guests onboard and saw its load factor average out at 86.04 per cent across the month. “In January 2024 we saw a 35 per cent year-on-year growth in customer numbers and were flying to five more destinations than the same period in 2023, making us one of the fastest growing airlines in the world,” said Antonoaldo Neves, CEO of Etihad Airways. “We are meeting customer demand by adding more flights to key destinations, and Etihad is now offering almost 27% per cent more weekly departures for Summer 24 compared to last summer. “We began the year by launching daily flights from Abu Dhabi (AUH) to Kozhikode (CCJ) and Thiruvananthapuram (TRV) in the Kerala region of India taking our total number of Indian gateways to 10. “We are proud to have welcomed 1.4 million guests to our new home, Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International Airport, and we eagerly anticipate introducing more of the world to both the new airport and the onboard Etihad experience throughout 2024, as our network and frequencies continue to expand.”

Qatar Airways and gategroup announced a new catering partnership to elevate inflight dining, structured through a Business Management Agreement that will see collaboration on passenger dining experiences, sourcing and procurement, healthy eating, as well as sustainability. Qatar Airways’ commitment to global aviation excellence will be reinforced by gategroup’s expertise in menu design, culinary concepts and operational excellence. This partnership with gategroup will amplify the Qatar Airways brand by delivering refined culinary experiences for our guests, inflight and on the ground in our world class lounges at Hamad International Airport. Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Officer, Engr. Badr Mohammed Al-Meer, said: “This partnership with gategroup will amplify the Qatar Airways brand by delivering refined culinary experiences for our guests, inflight and on the ground in our world class lounges at Hamad International Airport.” Chief Executive Officer of gategroup Mr. Christoph Schmitz said: “We are genuinely honoured to walk this path alongside Qatar Airways. It is a journey of discovery, growth, and immense potential, and we firmly believe in the transformative power of collaboration, where two companies come together with shared visions and values to craft something truly outstanding.” gategroup’s culinary team will be based in Doha and will contribute to the development of a dedicated culinary studio for Qatar Airways, which will facilitate innovation, co-creation and efficient menu design. The new culinary creations will focus on high quality ingredients, health and nutrition, incorporating local produce with a view to sustainable sourcing, authenticity and supporting local businesses. The elevation of culinary quality will be underpinned by robust processes around menu development, efficiency in production and systematic monitoring of food quality, taste and appearance. Through this collaboration, the airline will explore additional revenue …

Visit Qatar and Qatar Airways have announced the launch of Doha stopover packages as part of their efforts to promote Qatar as a leading tourist destination to be added to final passenger journeys, at a press conference held by His Excellency Saad bin Ali Al Kharji, President of Qatar Tourism, and Eng. Badr Mohammed Al Meer, Group Chief Executive Officer, Qatar Airways, in the presence of a group of international media representatives on an extensive familiarization trip to Doha, at Msheireb, Downtown Doha. Visit Qatar plays a key role in strengthening partnerships with government entities and encouraging investments, as well as supporting private sector engagement to ensure the growth of the hospitality and tourism sectors. It works to strengthen Qatar’s position as a leading tourism destination while preserving its rich cultural heritage. Visit Qatar’s efforts are focused on strengthening the country’s tourism infrastructure, promoting sustainable development and promoting cultural exchange, in line with Qatar ‘s vision.National 2030 Commenting on the press conference, His Excellency Mr. Saad bin Ali Al Kharji, President of Qatar Tourism, said: “The launch of the Qatar Stopover packages is a testament to the continued fruitful cooperation between Qatar Tourism and Qatar Airways, which gives passengers a great opportunity to expand their travel experience by visiting Qatar. Recognising the richness and diversity of Qatar’s tourism experiences, we believe that Qatar’s ‘Stopover’ packages will resonate with visitors.” “It is essential that 2023 saw more than double the number of passengers and hotel nights associated with stopovers in Qatar compared to 2022, thanks to Qatar Airways’ growing network of more than 177 international destinations. January 2024 also saw another remarkable achievement, with the number of incoming visitors exceeding 700,000. …

Etihad Airways is celebrating the renaming of its home airport to Zayed International Airport today. The naming of the airport follows the opening of Terminal A in November 2023, which is the airline’s new state-of-the-art home terminal. Arik De, Chief Revenue and Commercial Officer, Etihad Airways, said: “We take immense pride in our home, Abu Dhabi, which is the perfect hub from which to explore the world. We’re forever grateful to the vision of the UAE’s Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and proudly join in these celebrations as our home airport is renamed in his honour.” To celebrate the historic occasion, Etihad Airways has launched a special offer for guests departing from Abu Dhabi to select destinations. The limited time offer is available between 9 and 14 February 2024 for guests travelling between 19 February and 15 June 2024. Guests traveling to Bangkok can book special fares starting at AED 2,490 in Economy class and AED 7,990 in Etihad’s award-winning Business class. While guests can say ‘konnichiwa’ when they jet off to Osaka, from AED 4,490 and AED 14,990 in Economy and Business respectively. Etihad will launch flights to its new destination Boston, from 31 March, meaning guests can be amongst the first to fly to the popular US city and enjoy its rich cultural vibes at fantastic sale fares starting from AED 3,490. Those wishing to tour Europe can book to Copenhagen, Munich, and Lisbon with fares starting at AED 2,490 in Economy and AED 11,990 in Business. Over the celebratory weekend, guests will be warmly welcomed at Zayed International Airport, with gifts, special activities and live entertainment. The Terminal provides dedicated check-in desks for Etihad’s Economy guests …