Category Archives: Aviation

Etihad Airways and China Southern Airlines are set to explore deeper and broader cooperation opportunities following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to provide passengers with an enhanced travel experience. Following Etihad’s move to Beijing Daxing International Airport (PKX), which is also China Southern Airlines’ hub, the MOU provides scope for expansion of the current codeshare co-operation and allows the partners to explore extending global flight networks beyond the two carriers’ hubs, providing passengers with a more valuable, convenient and high-quality travel experience. This is further enhanced by Etihad services to China Southern’s home hub at Guangzhou Baiyuan, introduced in October 2022. The MOU also contains plans for mutual procurement opportunities across ground handling, cargo handling, bonded warehousing, catering, and maintenance, repair and overhaul in either Guangzhou, Beijing or Abu Dhabi, broadening cooperation opportunities in the airline supply chain. Mr. Arik De, Chief Revenue Officer of Etihad Airways, said: “This MOU will serve as a platform for a stronger ongoing relationship between the two airlines. Etihad looks forward to working with China Southern Airlines to explore comprehensive and pragmatic ways in which the two carriers can work more closely together, to drive greater value through our unique strengths at Beijing Daxing International Airport and Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport and further extend the reach of our joint network . Advanced cooperation between the two airlines sends a very strong signal to the industry and brings further hope of recovery for the global aviation and travel markets.” Zhang Dongsheng, Deputy Director General, Commercial Steering Committee of China Southern Airlines, said: “The signing of the MOU opens a new chapter of win-win cooperation between the two carriers, which will further strengthen our …

Etihad Airways began its first scheduled flight between Abu Dhabi and Beijing Daxing Airport, the inaugural flight EY888, operated using a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, marked the move of regular flights from Abu Dhabi to Beijing Daxing International Airport (PKX). Previously Etihad operated to Beijing Capital International Airport. Arik De, Chief Revenue Officer of Etihad Airways, said: “With China’s reopening and the restart of the aviation and tourism industries, we are very glad to see the long overdue move of our scheduled services to Beijing Daxing International Airport, which will further strengthen our commitment to the country’s aviation market development and Chinese travellers.” “The integrated transportation facilities at Beijing Daxing International Airport will give Etihad Airways access to a huge catchment area around Beijing West Rail Station. We will be working closely with local partners to transfer Etihad’s rich experience in Europe working with intermodal rail service operators to Daxing to allow greater choice at a competitive fare on a single connecting ticket through air-rail modality.” 2023 also marks the 15th anniversary of Etihad Airways’ services in China and its Abu Dhabi-Beijing route. With the continuous consolidation and strengthening of the comprehensive strategic partnership between the UAE and China, political, economic, trade and cultural exchanges between the two countries have become more frequent. Etihad Airways maintains its unwavering support for and commitment to its Chinese partners and the China market, and its contribution to the growing bilateral relationship. Mr. Wang Yaqi, General Manager of Aviation Business at Beijing Daxing International Airport, said: “Abu Dhabi Airports Company signed an MoU to build a sister-airport relationship with Beijing Daxing International Airport in 2019, which strengthened the capital-to-capital link. Etihad Airways is one of …

With concerted efforts to further enhance support services for travellers with hidden disabilities including Autism, Emirates has rolled out specialised training to more than 24,000 global cabin crew and ground staff, collaborated with Dubai Airport on a useful travel planner and autism friendly route to make the pre-boarding experience more seamless, and implemented additional thoughtful measures to ensure passenger comfort onboard. More than 24,000 cabin crew and ground staff globally have completed Emirates ‘Introduction to Autism and Hidden Disabilities’ training. The online course was first launched in 2022 and covers a range of topics from the UAE National Policy for People of Determination, recognising autism, practical tips on how to assist passengers with hidden disabilities, responding with empathy, and information on the official support systems to help passengers in the airport. Categorised as a hidden disability, autism spectrum disorder is a neurological and developmental disorder that affects how people interact with others, communicate, learn, and behave. Known as a spectrum disorder because there are wide variations in the types and severity of symptoms people experience, a range of sensory needs can occur. For some travellers, the airport and aircraft experience may feel too noisy, too bright, too unfamiliar, or too busy – and these are some of the areas in which Emirates is striving to facilitate planned and positive travel experiences, for customers with autism. Emirates supports passengers with hidden disabilities by providing as much information in advance as possible, so that families can plan, rehearse, and be reassured about their upcoming travel. Passengers can check the Accessible Travel page on Emirates.com for information and contact their Emirates local office with queries. Passengers who declare a hidden disability will be …

Jazeera Airways is gearing up for the 2023 summer season by restarting its flights to Prague, Czech Republic and Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Flight bookings for all these exciting destinations are now open on the airline’s website (www.jazeeraairways.com), or on the Jazeera App. With the new cities added to Jazeera’s network, the airline now serves 62 destinations across Europe, the Middle East, Central & South Asia and Africa. Rohit Ramachandran, Chief Executive Officer, Jazeera Airways said: “At Jazeera we always endeavor to expand our network and offer passengers more affordable choices for direct flights from Kuwait. This summer, we have these great destinations in Europe on offer for the leisure market in Kuwait, as well as connecting passengers from around our network. We expect there will be a strong demand for all of them.” Munich, the Bavarian capital is a very popular leisure and business destination in Germany and offers a variety of activities for different interests – both outdoors or indoors. One of Europe’s oldest cities, Belgrade is centrally located and one of the easiest places to reach in the Balkans. Tirana, the Albanian capital is also the country’s largest city. Known for its colorful architecture, Tirana extends at the Plain of Tirana in the center of Albania between a mountain in the east, hills in the south, and a valley to the north overlooking the Adriatic Sea. “The City of a Hundred Spires”, beautiful Prague lies at the heart of Europe and is full of great places to visit and delicious food to try. Sarajevo, a prominent center of culture in the Balkans, influences entertainment, media, fashion and the arts region-wide. Flights to Sarajevo will restart on 20 …

Travelport and Saudia Airlines announced that they have signed a new multi-year distribution agreement. Arved von zur Muehlen, Chief Commercial Officer at Saudia Airlines, commented, “We are pleased with the recent multi-year extension of our distribution agreement with Travelport. The company’s new  Travelport+ retailing platform will be a valuable asset in helping us expand our reach among the travel agency community while Saudi Arabia continues to develop as a top destination for tourism. Travel distribution is under rapid transformation and we are working to widen our network and product offerings. Travelport is an established partner to support Saudia’s growth and product differentiation and personalization strategy.” As part of the agreement, Travelport will continue to provide travel agencies around the world real-time access to Saudia Airlines’ wide selection of travel content, products and services. Travelport will also continue to collaborate closely with Saudia Airlines to execute Travelport Rich Content and Branding initiatives, streamlining service procedures, and delivering a world-class, modern travel retail experience. David Gomes, Head of Commercial, Air Partners EMEA at Travelport, said, “We are delighted to extend our decades-long partnership with Saudia Airlines. This deal is a testament to the strong relationship between Saudia Airlines and Travelport. With our Travelport+ platform, we are committed to work closely with partners like Saudia Airlines to deliver a superior, modern travel retailing experience with a wider range of choice and richer content for our customers.”    

Emirates’ flagship A380 made a landmark touchdown at Christchurch Airport, marking the resumption of its daily service from Dubai to Christchurch via Sydney after more than three years. The special service was greeted by a crowd of spectators at the Christchurch Airport boundary, who watched as the iconic aircraft taxied through a ceremonial water canon salute, before parking in view of trade, media, and VIP guests at the international terminal. Outbound EK412 left Dubai at 10:15 local time, stopping briefly in Sydney before arriving in Christchurch at 13:55 hours the next day, New Zealand time. On board the first flight back to Christchurch, Barry Brown, Divisional Vice President Australasia, Emirates, said: “Seeing the water cannon salute after we touched down in the first Emirates A380 flight in more than three years is a reminder of how special the aircraft is to Christchurch, since its first arrival in 2016. The significance of the occasion was also clear on the faces of the other passengers on board, who understood what this service means for Christchurch and connecting it to the world.” “Not only has Christchurch again become the smallest city on Emirates’ A380 network, but New Zealand is now the first country on our network to exclusively carry our four cabin A380 and our best product yet. The phenomenal customer response from the moment tickets went on sale, both in and out of Christchurch, speak to a city in high demand.” Phil Mauger Christchurch Mayor said: “The return of the Emirates A380 service is a great boost for Christchurch and the wider South Island. It shows we’re open for business and welcoming travellers after several years of Covid restrictions. I wish the …

United Airlines has launched a new nonstop daily service between its New York/Newark hub and Dubai International (DXB). United is the only U.S. airline to offer non-stop flights between Dubai and the United States, flying to more destinations in the Middle East than any other U.S. airline. The new service marks United’s return to Dubai, which the airline previously served up until 2016. The launch of the new service is part of United’s historic commercial agreement with Emirates, announced in 2022, enhancing each airline’s network and giving customers easier access to hundreds of destinations within the United States and around the world. Customers from the U.S. flying to Dubai can travel onwards with Emirates or its sister airline flydubai to more than 100 different cities, providing more options to connect across the Middle East than ever before, whilst customers flying from Dubai to New York can take advantage of onward connections with United to over 80 destinations across the Americas. The agreement between United and Emirates also provides loyalty programme members of both airlines additional opportunities for more rewards: United MileagePlusSM members flying on United’s Newark/New York to Dubai flight can earn and redeem miles when connecting beyond to select Emirates destinations in Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia, whilst Emirates Skywards members will be able to earn miles when they travel on United operated flights. Customers booked to fly in United PolarisSM can also take advantage of access to Emirates lounges when travelling on, or connecting to and from, United’s new Dubai service. “At United, we’re committed to expanding and enhancing our network to give our customers the best access to destinations around the world – all while …

Etihad Airways touched down in Kolkata as the airline made its much-anticipated return to the city. With a total of seven weekly nonstop services, the airline will once again connect India’s financial capital, Kolkata, with the world through Abu Dhabi. The first flight on the new service, EY256, departed Abu Dhabi with a full load of passengers at 1:50pm local time on 26 March and touched down at Kolkata’s Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Airport last night at 8:10pm local time. Upon arrival in Kolkata, passengers were welcomed with a cake cutting ceremony and a celebration attended by Etihad and Kolkata Airport Executives. The return flight, EY257, departed Kolkata at 9:05pm local time on 26 March, landing in Abu Dhabi shortly after midnight. Arik De, Chief Revenue Officer, said, Etihad Airways, said: “Riding on the resurgence of outbound travel from India, we’re delighted to resume daily flights to Kolkata, a key cultural and commercial hub in the Indian subcontinent. Re-establishing this vital air link with East India will support the growing demand from travelers in and around the region, offering them easy access to Abu Dhabi and connectivity to our global network alongside a world-class flying experience. We have been very impressed with our initial demand, which reaffirms our strategy to return to this key market.” The flights will be operated with an Airbus A320 aircraft, offering Etihad’s award-winning service to guests in 8 seats in Business Class and 150 in Economy, convenient flight timings to the UAE’s capital city and seamless connections to destinations across the airline’s growing global network of 67 destinations. From dune bashing in the desert to relaxing on its pristine beaches, soaking up rich UAE heritage …

Oman Air has increased the frequency of flights to Moscow as part of its summer schedule. Offering maximum comfort and convenience to its guests, the airline will be flying daily using its popular Airbus A330 wide-body aircraft. The non-stop flight from Muscat will depart at 15:35 and arrive in Moscow at 20:55, while the return sector will depart from Moscow at 23:20 and arrive in Muscat at 06:30. Guests travelling to Muscat or Moscow should ensure they are aware of official requirements to enter or transit through the country. Those wishing to enhance their stay can also book a customised Moscow holiday package through Oman Air Holidays by visiting holidays.omanair.com. To book a flight or for more information, visit omanair.com.

SAUDIA launched its first direct flight to Dar es Salaam in the United Republic of Tanzania, days after announcing the Group’s operational plans to fly to 25 new international destinations in three continents around the world. This announcement is part of SAUDIA’s strategic plans of bringing the world to the Kingdom, while making optimal use of the new aircraft that will be added to SAUDIA’s operations. The inaugural SAUDIA flight SV 463,from Jeddah to Dar es Salaam departed this morning at 1:15 AM from King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held at the departure gate to commemorate this occasions and souvenirs were distributed to the departing guests. A celebration took place at the Alfursan International Lounge in the presence of the Consul General of the Republic of Tanzania in Jeddah, Mr. Habibu Awesi Mohamed and the Chief Commercial Officer of SAUDIA, Mr. Arved Nikolaus Von Zur Muhlen, as well as representatives from the government authorities operating at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah. SAUDIA’s Airbus A320 landed at Julius Nyerere International Airport at 6:15 AM and was greeted with a water salute. Meanwhile, another celebration was held at Julius Nyerere International Airport to mark the departure of the first flight, SV 462, from Dar es Salaam to Jeddah in the presence of the Minister of Work and Transport in Tanzania, MHE. Prof. Makame Mnyaa Mbarawa, the Saudi Deputy Ambassador for Tanzania, Mr. Fahad Alharbi, the Ambassador of the United Republic of Tanzania in Riyadh, H.E. Ali Jabir Mwadini, and SAUDIA Tanzania Manager, H.E. Mr. Khalid Alharbi. Mr. Arved Muhlen stated: “The expansion of SAUDIA’s operations and the launch of new direct flights to Dar es Salaam …