Category Archives: Aviation

Latvian airline airBaltic has launched direct flights between Dubai and Riga, Latvia. airBaltic now links the both cities with four weekly flights, offering a wide variety of convenient connections to travellers coming from Dubai to further destinations in Europe. Martin Gauss, Chief Executive Officer of airBaltic: “We see a great potential in strengthening the business ties between UAE and Latvia. airBaltic team is glad to launch this new route to Riga which is a vibrant and dynamic city in the Baltic States. The new route will play an integral role connecting the two countries and will be of a significant benefit to travellers both in the United Arab Emirates and Latvia.”   Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports: “We are delighted to welcome airBaltic to the DXB family with the launch of their services between Dubai and Riga. Creating this additional connectivity during the year of EXPO adds to the growing strength of the DXB hub, and we are confident that it will boost the number of visitors travelling between Latvia and the UAE.”   Flights between Dubai and Riga are operated by the Airbus A220-300 aircraft. A complete schedule of airBaltic flights and tickets for the new destinations are available on the company’s homepage at www.airbaltic.com.

Emirates will restart flights to London Gatwick Airport (LGW) from 10 December, responding to the easing of international travel restrictions and an upsurge in passenger demand for winter sun. The world’s largest international airline will resume services to its second London gateway with a daily flight operated by a B777 aircraft, across First, Business and Economy class. Flight EK015, will depart Dubai International (DXB) at 0740 and arrive in London Gatwick (LGW) at 1140, while flight EK016 will depart London Gatwick at 1335 and arrive in Dubai at 0040 the following day (all times are local). The addition of London Gatwick Airport to flight schedules in December will restore Emirates’ UK operations to six gateways, alongside the six times daily A380 London Heathrow service; double daily A380 flights to Manchester, ten weekly service to Birmingham, daily service to Glasgow, and four weekly service to Newcastle. By the end of December, the airline will offer 84 weekly flights to the UK, making it easier for UK customers to access Emirates’ growing global network of over 120 destinations – close to 90% of Emirates’ pre-pandemic network, and for international travellers to visit the UK. Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Chief Commercial Officer commented, “We’re very pleased to resume Emirates flights to and from London Gatwick, offering more ways for people and businesses to connect with our ever growing global network. With the UK simplifying travel and accepting international vaccination certificates, we’ve seen a big surge in demand as people have been a lot more confident in booking trips for the coming months and further ahead, be it for business, a winter sun escape or to visit family and friends. Gatwick has long been a …

flydubai became the first airline to operate direct air links to the Slovenian capital, Ljubljana from the United Arab Emirates. The inaugural flight FZ 1789 from Dubai International (DXB) to Ljubljana Joze Pucnik Airport (LJU) touched down just after 14:00 to a water cannon salute and a warm welcome from the airport and government officials. flydubai and Fraport Slovenija, the operator of Ljubljana Airport (LJU), held a press conference at the airport prior to the arrival of the carrier’s inaugural flight. The press conference was attended by local media, travel agents and representatives of government bodies. Speaking at the press conference, Ghaith Al Ghaith, Chief Executive Officer at flydubai, said: “we are excited to see our network in Europe grow to 20 points in 17 countries, many of which had very few or no direct links to the UAE. flydubai’s direct flights to Ljubljana will strengthen the ties between our two countries and help stimulate tourism, trade and investment opportunities in the future. We look forward to welcoming on board our passengers from Slovenia, especially as our city gets ready to welcome the world as Expo 2020 Dubai opens its doors to visitors from beginning of October.” Slovenia will be among the 191 participating nations taking part at the anticipated Expo 2020 Dubai. The Slovenian pavilion is designed to be a floating green oasis that inspires sustainable solutions. His Excellency Oto Pungartnik, Ambassador of the Republic of Slovenia to the United Arab Emirates, said: “The new flydubai route between Dubai and Ljubljana will have a positive impact on the growth of tourism in both countries. We are convinced that the tourists from UAE will enjoy the hospitality of our people …

Etihad Airways will be operating more flights to Seychelles from October to provide leisure holidaymakers and families with convenient travel options to the tropical paradise. The national airline of the UAE will upgrade its Seychelles service from four to five weekly flights from 7 October, as well as operate seven additional services between 15 and 24 October to coincide with the half-term holidays. These additional flights have been scheduled to provide families with younger children with more travel options during the school break. Martin Drew, Etihad’s Senior Vice President Sales and Cargo, said: “This is the perfect time to discover the beauty of Seychelles, with balmy temperatures and calm waters ideal for snorkelling, diving and enjoying its picture-perfect beaches. “Seychelles is a one-of-a-kind destination, and with vaccinated travellers in the UAE being able to fly there and back without quarantine, it is the perfect destination for a short getaway or a longer family holiday.” Etihad Airways has launched a sale on fares to Seychelles, valid only on etihad.com until midnight on 2 October. Available on a first come, first served basis, guests can enjoy return fares starting from AED 1,795 in Economy, for travel in October and November 2021. Located in the middle of the Indian Ocean, Seychelles is a short 4 hours and 35 minutes flight from Abu Dhabi.  Etihad Airways flies to the largest island of Mahé which is home to the capital of Victoria. Travellers will need to present a negative PCR test before boarding Etihad Airways flights. For up-to-date travel guidelines, visit etihad.com. Flight schedule between UAE and Seychelles effective 7 October. Subject to change.    

Qatar Airways announced that it will launch scheduled passenger services to Almaty, Kazakhstan starting from 19 November 2021. The new service will be operated by an Airbus A320 aircraft, featuring 12 seats in Business Class and 132 seats in Economy Class. This service will enable passengers flying to and from Almaty to enjoy seamless connectivity to over 140 destinations, via the World’s Best Airport, Hamad International Airport in Doha, the State of Qatar. Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “We are proud to bring our award-winning services to Kazakhstan, adding this unique destination to our growing network. This new service reinforces the warm relations between the State of Qatar and the Republic of Kazakhstan, and reaffirms our commitment to further developing trade and tourism between our two great countries.” Kazakhstan is the economic powerhouse of the Central Asia region. It is an adventurer’s paradise, with landscapes varying from snow-capped mountains to expansive deserts, rocky canyons, coniferous forests, and untouched river deltas. Visitors can also admire historical landmarks including the bright-yellow towers of the famous Zenkov Cathedral in Almaty. The national carrier of the State of Qatar continues to rebuild its network, which currently stands at over 140 destinations. Qatar Airways also features flexible booking policies that offer unlimited changes in travel dates and destinations, and fee-free refunds for all tickets issued for travel completed by 31 May 2022. A multiple award-winning airline, Qatar Airways was named ‘World’s Best Airline’ in the latest World Airline Awards, managed by the international air transport rating organisation Skytrax. The airline’s hub, Hamad International Airport (HIA), was recently recognised as the ‘Best Airport in the World 2021’, by the Skytrax World Airport Awards …

flydubai announced that it has resumed its operations to Prague and Zagreb. The carrier will operate up to five weekly flights from Dubai International (DXB) to Prague International Airport (PRG) and twice weekly flights to Franjo Tuđman Airport Zagreb (ZAG). flydubai will increase the frequency of its operations to Franjo Tuđman Airport Zagreb (ZAG) to four weekly flights from December this year. Emirates will codeshare on these routes offering travellers more seamless connections through Dubai’s international aviation hub. Commenting on the resumption of flights to Prague and Zagreb, Hamad Obaidalla, Chief Commercial Officer at flydubai, said: “we are excited to resume operations to Croatia and the Czech Republic which are two popular destinations on the flydubai network. We are confident that passengers will enjoy flydubai’s convenient and reliable service and the comfortable cabin of our Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, which offers a flatbed in Business Class, and is scheduled to operate on these routes.” With international travel restrictions gradually easing, flydubai has grown its network to over 95 destinations 50 countries across Africa, Central Asia, the Caucasus, Central and South-East Europe, the GCC and the Middle East, and the Indian Subcontinent. The restart of flydubai’s operations to the Czech and Croatian markets will enable more people to travel to Dubai as Expo 2020 Dubai opens its doors to visitors from beginning of October. Complimentary 1-Day Ticket to visit Expo 2020 Passengers booking a flydubai flight to Dubai will enjoy a complimentary 1-Day Ticket to visit Expo 2020 Dubai, taking place from 01 October 2021 to 31 March 2022. The initiative is valid for all bookings made from 01 September for travel during the event dates. Passenger experience Passengers travelling on a Boeing …

Oman Air unveiled its brand discovery pop-up store in the recently opened Mall of Oman. Located on the third floor, the combined pop-up store and visitor centre offers the public an opportunity to ‘Get to Know Oman Air’ with a sampling of on-board products including amenity kits, kids’ soft toys, Wings of Oman in-flight magazine, among others, and features a dedicated Oman Air Holidays counter with the option to book a getaway package in store. Weekly activities are also planned to introduce the public to Oman Air pilots and cabin crew, showcase new add-on products, and highlight the variety of in-flight dining options available on board. The official unveiling was led by Oman Air Chief Operating Officer Captain Nasser Al Salmi accompanied by several key members from the airline’s senior management. In an official ribbon cutting ceremony, Captain Al Salmi commented on the importance of creating a venue where visitors can learn more about the airline: “Our purpose in opening this store is to provide a space where locals and tourists alike can learn more about our multi-award-winning products and services and discover some of the authentic Omani hospitality we’re so proud to fly around the world. We’ve also created a dedicated space to book customized getaway packages through Oman Air Holidays. I invite everyone in Oman to visit this exciting, interactive store to learn more about what makes Oman Air such a premium flying experience.” Fully customizable Fly & Stay packages are a leading focus of the airline’s growing products, and the store offers residents in Oman an opportunity to create personalized holiday itineraries on the spot. The walk-in location complements Oman Air Holidays’ recently revamped travel platform with …

Oman Air will resume flights between Muscat and London (Heathrow) starting 22 September, 2021. The flights will operate three times weekly on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, departing Muscat at 14:25 local time and arriving in London at 19:10 local time. Flights from London will depart at 20:50 local time and arrive in Muscat at 07:15 local time on Monday, Thursday and Saturday. All flights are scheduled to operate with Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Oman Air will maintain its comprehensive safety program throughout all elements of the travel journey to ensure that guests fly confidently. Masks are required when guests are on board the aircraft and in Oman’s airports. Distancing is maintained while guests board and exit the aircraft, which are carefully cleaned after each flight and at the end of every day. Cabin crew all wear a full set of personal protective equipment, meal service has been modified to further ensure safety, and a number of other measures have been implemented to ensure that the airline’s guests and crew are safe at all times. Guests who are planning to travel to Muscat should visit the Civil Aviation Authority website, caa.gov.om, to ensure they are prepared to comply with requirements to enter the Sultanate. Guests travelling to the UK should ensure they are aware of official requirements to enter or transit through the country. Guests departing from Oman should also ensure that they are aware of all pre-departure requirements and requirements during their flights, which are provided at omanair.com.

flydubai announced the new dates for the launch of flights to Cluj-Napoca in Romania. The airline will operate twice-weekly flights between Dubai International (DXB) and Avram Iancu International Airport Cluj (CLJ) starting from 03 November 2021. flydubai operates a daily service between Dubai International (DXB) and Bucharest Henri Coanda International Airport (OTP), the service will increase to a double daily operation from November. With the start of flights to Cluj-Napoca in November, the carrier will serve the Romanian market with a total of 16 weekly flights. Ghaith Al Ghaith, Chief Executive Officer at flydubai, said: “we first started operating to Bucharest with four flights a week in 2012. Since then, flydubai has more than tripled its operations to the market as demand has grown for commercial and cargo traffic between Romania and the UAE. We are excited to offer more options for convenient direct airlinks to the market with the start of our flights to Cluj-Napoca and we look forward to further stimulating travel and trade flows in both directions.” Cluj-Napoca is the second largest city in Romania with one of the most dynamic economies in the country and is the largest centre for innovation and business opportunities in Transylvania. Avram Iancu International Airport Cluj (CLJ) is considered an important gateway to the north-western region of Romania. Located 10 kilometres east from Cluj-Napoca’s city centre, the airport is close to the most important attractions of the city; also known as “The heart of Transylvania.” Jeyhun Efendi, Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations and E-commerce at flydubai, added: “flydubai’s new service will offer more than 3.5 million people, living within few hours drive from the airport, the convenience of direct airlinks to Dubai. There …

Qatar Airways is pleased to announce its participation on the Global Coalition for Sustainable Aviation of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), becoming the first airline in the Middle East to join the global coalition, reaffirming its commitment to work together with the relevant industry stakeholders, such as manufacturers, academia, governments and non-government organisations towards aviation decarbonisation and promoting sustainable air transport. The ICAO Global Coalition promotes sustainable international aviation, acting as a forum through which stakeholders can develop new ideas and accelerate innovative solutions that reduce greenhouse gas emissions at the source. It also aims to provide input into the development and implementation of a basket of measures and the exploration of a long-term environmental objective related to international aviation. Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “It is innovation that will drive the industry forward for a sustainable future. I strongly believe that the ICAO Global Coalition for Sustainable Aviation will allow industry-leading partners to pursue collaborative creation and drive innovation together. Qatar Airways is looking forward to being a strategic collaborator in the coalition. We expect to work together with other members in developing ideas and strategies to facilitate a further acceleration of innovative green technologies, taking us a step closer towards net zero emissions.” The coalition includes stakeholders working on a broad array of topics related to sustainable aviation, including sustainable aviation fuels, infrastructure, operations, and technology, and it looks for trendsetters when identifying new potential members. Its focus areas include, raising awareness of the continuing progress made towards in-sector CO2 emissions reduction from international aviation, building on existing leaderships and champions, as well as strengthening current partnerships and innovations. Qatar Airways will to be …