Category Archives: Aviation

‎Qatar Airways’ inaugural flight from Doha to Düsseldorf in Germany landed at Düsseldorf International Airport recently marking the launch of the airline’s latest German destination. The flight was welcomed with a water canon salute upon arrival. Operated by a Boeing 787 aircraft, flight QR085 was welcomed with an opening ceremony attended by Qatar Airways VP Sales, Europe, Mr. Eric Odone and Düsseldorf International Airport’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Thomas Schnalke. Qatar Airways currently offers services to Munich, Frankfurt and Berlin, making Düsseldorf its fourth destination in Germany. In July 2022, the award-winning airline increased its flight frequency from Frankfurt to three times a day. The move into Düsseldorf further demonstrates Qatar Airways’ commitment to the German market. Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “We are delighted to launch direct services to Düsseldorf, expanding our services in Germany, and marking our entry to the Ruhr region – just in time for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™. With this new service, not only will German passengers enjoy daily flights from a new location, but customers in the nearby countries of Belgium and the Netherlands will also have access to over 150 destinations across Africa, Asia and the Middle East.” “As of today, Düsseldorf Airport has one more great long-haul flight connection,” explained Thomas Schnalke, Chairman of the Airport Management Board. “Qatar Airways is one of the most renowned airlines worldwide. Their decision to include Düsseldorf in their route portfolio is a confirmation for our location. For business travellers as well as for vacationers, the new route is an asset. We look forward to many years of successful cooperation.” The new direct services to Düsseldorf will …

Emirates has announced plans to add an additional daily direct flight between Dubai and Colombo, starting from 1 December 2022, to cater to the seasonal increase in the demand for travel. The additional service, operating as EK648/EK649, will increase the number of daily flights between the two cities to three, including two direct flights and one operating via the Maldivian capital, Male. Emirates’ second daily flight will operate direct between Dubai and Colombo, except during 16 to 30 December, when the service from Dubai to Colombo will stop over in Male. From 1 to 15 December and from 31 December to 26 March, EK648 will depart Dubai at 16:10hrs daily and arrive in Colombo at 21:55hrs, all times local. Flight EK648 will be routed via Male from 16th to 30th December, and will during that period, depart Dubai at 10.30hrs and arrive in Male at 14.45hrs. It will then depart from Male  at 17.15hrs and arrive in Colombo at 19.15hrs. Throughout the period from 1 December to 26 March, flight EK649 is scheduled to depart Colombo at 02:55hrs and arrive in Dubai at 05:55hrs. *All times are local. Emirates operates its modern Boeing 777-300ER aircraft in a three-class configuration on flights to Colombo, offering private suites in First Class, lie flat seats in Business Class and spacious seats in Economy Class.  Travellers to and from Sri Lanka benefit from Emirates’ award-winning service and industry-leading products in the air and on the ground across all classes, with regionally-inspired dishes and complimentary beverages and the airline’s ice inflight entertainment system which offers up to 5,000 channels of on-demand entertainment in over 40 languages, including movies, TV shows, and an extensive musical library …

Kuwait Airways and Etihad Airways are pleased to announce the expansion of their codeshare partnership, established in 2019. The carriers will evaluate opportunities to expand the scope of their strategic partnership across all destinations in both carriers’ networks. The Kuwait national carrier’s code will shortly be added to additional Etihad Airways flights between Kuwait and Abu Dhabi and onwards to destinations in Asia, Africa, the Americas, and Australia. In addition, the airlines are exploring opportunities to add the United Arab Emirates national carrier’s code to Kuwait Airways flights on destinations not operated by Etihad Airways such as in Saudi Arabia and Turkey, subject to regulatory approvals. The airlines are also exploring loyalty cooperation so passengers can be rewarded with the benefits of the respective loyalty programs, Etihad Guest, and Oasis Club. The expansion of Etihad Airways’ and Kuwait Airways’ partnership will provide customers with greater choice in their travel options and will take their relationship to new heights. Offering alternative connections to the passengers of the two airlines beyond their respective hubs of Kuwait and Abu Dhabi will further contribute to the development of the traffic and commercial relations between the two brotherly countries of Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates. Mr. Maen Razouqi, the Chief Executive Officer of Kuwait Airways expressed his excitement over the expansion of the codeshare agreement, “which will strengthen the commercial relationship between the airlines, while benefiting our guests travelling to/from the Far East, Australia, Europe and the Middle East. This partnership will be a win-win for both airlines in our matching DNA growth journeys while committing to sustainability and the best in customer experiences.” Mr. Antonoaldo Neves, Group Chief Executive Officer at Etihad Airways …

In a boost to Dubai’s proposition as the place to be this winter season, some 5,500 athletes from 32 countries will soon arrive to compete in 28 Emirates Dubai 7s invitational tournaments over the long UAE national day weekend starting 1st December. Emirates has been a steadfast supporter of the Dubai 7s since its beginnings, which today has become the highlight of the Dubai event calendar, and the biggest and most popular sports and social gathering among the hundreds of other events hosted in the UAE every year. Over 420 sports teams will play in high-powered competitions spanning rugby 7’s, cricket, netball, and the annual festival’s newest addition, a fitness competition, WODON3, geared for both elite and amateur athletes looking to push their limits. The HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series usually kicks off its season at the Emirates Dubai 7s with some of the world’s best male and female pro-rugby players from 28 countries with top-ranking and Olympic winning teams participating, including Australia & Fiji as well as Dubai fan favourites South Africa, Ireland & Great Britain, all set to compete on the pitch. At the Emirates Dubai 7s, rugby action isn’t be limited to professional players. The truly inclusive event will also host International Invitational and Open Tournaments for Men & Women as well as Social, Vets for the over 35s and Under 19 Boys competitions while the best teams from across the Gulf Region will battle it out for the Gulf Men’s League, Open, Social, Vets, Women, U19 Boys and Girls, and the UAE National Development Cup, created exclusively for Emirati players. These 16 additional events will be played across the three days at The Sevens Stadium. On …

As the region busies itself with winter visitors, iconic sporting events, UAE National Day and the upcoming festive season, Emirates is highlighting a busy travel period for both inbound and outbound travel through Dubai for the next month, and recommending passengers arrive to the airport 3 hours in advance of their flight, as well as taking advantage of multiple services that enhance seamless travel. From the 19th of November onwards, Dubai will begin to see a surge in inbound traffic, including visitors for the myriad of winter events like those attending the 2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix this weekend, travellers headed to Doha for football matches, and those arriving for the Emirates Dubai 7s which is set to welcome 5,500 athletes from 32 countries. UAE National Day will also see a high level of outbound travel as UAE residents enjoy the long weekend, and from December 16 onwards, Emirates is expecting the seasonal super outbound peak for the festive period. In addition to arriving to the airport up to 3 hours before a flight, passengers are advised to take advantage of digital check-in, home and remote check-in options, smart gates and handy luggage drop services. Passengers are encouraged to download the Emirates app on their mobile phone to get all their flight details at their fingertips. Users can book and change flights, download a digital boarding pass for most destinations, check what meals will be served onboard, book their chauffeur drive service and even pre-select and plan movies to watch via the ice inflight entertainment. All passengers can check-in online 48 hours ahead of their flight using the online check-in option on www.emirates.com. In a few clicks, they can select …

Saudi Arabian Airlines (SAUDIA), with the Royal Commission for AlUla and the French Agency for the Development of AlUla (AFALULA) has announced the resumption of a weekly direct flight between Paris CDG airport and AlUla international airport every Sunday from December 4, 2022 to March 12, 2023. The route will allow French travelers to reach AlUla in only 5 hours, with all the comfort provided by the Boeing 787 “Dreamliner”. Announced as part of AlUla’s participating in the World Travel Market, London this week, the route represents an incomparable opportunity for French travelers to immerse themselves in the desert city of AlUla, an ancient oasis located on the incense route with 7000 years of successive civilisations. AlUla is a unique site that was home to some of the most important civilisations of the region – the Dadanites, the Lihyanites, the Nabataeans, and the Romans. Among the must-see, UNESCO World Heritage Site of Hegra, the southern capital of the Nabatean Empire, are many other archaeological sites dating back to the first millennium BCE. Beyond its rich heritage, AlUla also offers stunning natural landscapes, ochre sandstone canyons and amazing rock formations, basaltic plateaus and golden sands, and a lush green oasis stretching for miles running through the city. French connections to AlUla are strong. The Dominican fathers and exploders Antonin Jaussen and Raphaël Savignac produced some of the earliest pictures of the region in 1909. Today teams of French archaeologists are working to uncover more AlUla’s mysteries. French artists and musicians have also left their marks in the region in recent years with exceptional concerts and performances or unique art projects. AFALULA was set up as an inter-governmental partnership to support the …

As part of Kuwait Airways’ strategic objectives and in an effort to provide various options to its valued customers, the company announced the commencement of its scheduled flights to the cities of Kathmandu and Maldives. Operations to these destinations includes four flights a week to Kathmandu on Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 30 October 2022, and two flights a week to Maldives on Monday and Thursday, commencing from 31 October 2022.​ Speaking on this occasion, the Director of KAC’s Network Planning and Distribution department, Mrs Shorouk Al-Awadhi stated, “Kuwait Airways is pleased to announce the launch of its operations to Kathmandu and Maldives, which are among the latest destinations to be introduced and is within the company’s strategic objectives to expand its network to new and diverse destinations, thereby linking Kuwait to the world. The selection of these destinations is a result of systematic and detailed research of the feasibility of these two routes and the extent of the demand for them from passengers. In addition, both these destinations are popular among tourists due to their historical and touristic attractions, as well as their rich and diverse cultures.” Al-Awadhi added, “The launch of these two destinations comes within the framework of Kuwait Airways’ plans to expand its network and operate to new destinations as part of its winter schedule. Moreover, the company had recently launched various new destinations such as Medina, Taif, Hyderabad and Kuala Lumpur. Furthermore, Kuwait Airways continues to operate to Madrid and Izmir throughout the year as permanent destinations, which had been previously launched as part of its summer schedule of 2022, due to the increasing requirements for these two destinations and their significance to our …

Emirates has announced an exclusive partnership with Uplift, the leading enterprise Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) solution serving the world’s top travel and retail brands, to benefit its U.S. and Canadian customers. Passengers booking flights on Emirates can now spread the cost of their travel over time with simple, affordable monthly installments through Uplift. The Emirates story started in 1985 offering customers the comforts of the latest and most efficient wide-body aircraft in the skies. Emirates inspires travelers around the world with its growing network of worldwide destinations, industry leading inflight entertainment, regionally inspired cuisine, and world-class service. Connecting the world to its global hub in Dubai, Emirates offers award-winning service to customers across six continents every day. Available now, Emirates passengers can make their getaway dreams a reality by utilizing Uplift’s pay over time monthly installments, rather than paying in full at booking.  Customers will see the total cost of their trip upfront allowing customers to see how an upgraded travel experience in Emirates’ Business class, for example, can be accessible for only a slight increase to the monthly payment. With Uplift there are no fees including no late fees or prepayment penalties and travel can happen before customers complete their payments. “As the world’s largest international airline, we are thrilled to offer flexible payment solutions, making worldwide travel available to more customers. Providing convenient payment options is one of the ways we are delivering on our customer-centric approach in everything we do,” said Essa Sulaiman Ahmad, Emirates’ Divisional Vice President for USA and Canada. “Through our research and discovery, we selected Uplift as our BNPL solution provider in North America due to their deep knowledge of travel and …

As visitors begin flying for the winter break and the many spectacular events taking place in Abu Dhabi, Etihad Airways looks forward to welcoming over 1.5 million travellers at Abu Dhabi International Airport. Shaeb Al Najjar, General Manager Hub Operations, Etihad Airways, said “There has never been a better time to experience Abu Dhabi, with the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix taking place this weekend and many more attractions to be enjoyed over the winter season. Football fans from around the world will also be flocking to the region ahead of the most exciting football event of the year. As a result, Etihad with its partners, is geared up and ready to host 1.5 million expected guests over the next six weeks. Visitors flying via Abu Dhabi will enjoy the experience from the moment they take off with Etihad’s award-winning Cabin Crew and hospitality.” Guests flying with Etihad Airways can expect to fly with total peace of mind with services like its quick self-service bag drop facility. The service provides a faster check-in experience and can accommodate a greater number of guests who will then be able to skip the queues. Once checked-in online, the self-service facilities allow travellers to seamlessly retrieve their booking, print the bag-tag and process their bags in less than two minutes. Etihad Airways, has been awarded Best Airline Staff Service in the Middle East by the international air transport rating organisation, Skytrax. The accolade recognises the care and attention to detail the airline’s teams give to customers’ needs throughout their journeys. The airline is preparing to welcome over 1.5 million passengers at Abu Dhabi International Airport between 21 November and 08 January …

Air Arabia Abu Dhabi announced the launch of its new route from Abu Dhabi to Tashkent, Uzbekistan’s capital. The new direct flights will connect Abu Dhabi International Airport to Islam Karimov Tashkent International Airport with a frequency of two flights weekly, starting from December 7, 2022. Schedule to Tashkent, effective December 7, 2022 (all times local): Flight Departure Time Arrival Time Aircraft Frequency 3L 763 Abu Dhabi 08:15 Tashkent 12:45 Airbus 320 Wednesday/Saturday 3L 764 Tashkent 14:05 Abu Dhabi 17:00 Airbus 320 Wednesday/Saturday Adel Al Ali, Group Chief Executive Officer, Air Arabia, said: “We are glad to add Tashkent to our growing network with direct flights from Abu Dhabi. Air Arabia Abu Dhabi continues its expansion strategy to further strengthen the connectivity of UAE’s capital with many destinations while contributing to the growth of both travel and tourism of the UAE. The new route allows our customers the opportunity to discover the historic city and reflects our commitment to continuously offer our customers affordable and value driven air travel from our different hubs.” As part of its ongoing expansion plan, Air Arabia Abu Dhabi continues to add more connectivity to and from the capital city. The new route to Tashkent is considered the 26th destination after Alexandria, Sohag, Cairo, Dhaka, Khartoum, Chittagong, Kathmandu, Muscat, Salalah, Sarajevo, Trabzon, Tbilisi, Faisalabad, Multan, Cochin, Calicut, Trivandrum, Sabiha, Chennai, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Bahrain, Beirut, Kuwait, and Moscow. Air Arabia operates a fleet of Airbus A320 and A321 neo-LR aircraft, the most modern and best-selling single aisle aircraft in the world. The cabin configuration across Air Arabia’s fleet provides added comfort with one of the most generous seat-pitch of any economy cabin. The aircraft is also …