Tag Archives: Adel Al Ali

The 2021 Arab Aviation Summit (AAS) started at Al Hamra International Exhibition & Conference Centre in Ras Al Khaimah.  The eighth edition of the two-day summit brings together experts to discuss the impact of the pandemic on the industry, the aftermath, and the road to recovery for a stronger future, under the theme, ‘Arab Aviation in the New Normal.’ The summit will feature a number of workshops to discuss the various aspects of the region’s aviation and tourism sector. Adel Al Ali, Group Chief Executive Officer, Air Arabia, said: “We look forward to this edition of the Arab Aviation Summit, which serves as an ideal platform to discuss the status of Arab Aviation and the role the industry will play in the broader economic recovery. Through open sessions and constructive dialogues that brings both public and private sectors together, we are confident the outcome will help unify efforts in supporting a vital and resilient industry.” Raki Phillips, CEO, Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, said, “We value the immense contributions made by the aviation industry to highlight destinations such as Ras Al Khaimah and look forward to working closely to ensure all guests are extended a warm welcome, reflecting the authentic Arabian ethos of our Emirate. As the first city to be certified as safe by both Bureau Veritas and the World Travel and Tourism Council, participants at the Summit can rest assured that their health and wellbeing remains our utmost priority, as they focus on the discussions to identify strategies and set a strong roadmap for navigating the new normal.”

Ras Al Khaimah International Airport (RAK Airport) has announced that Air Arabia will be resuming a full schedule of passenger flights commencing from October 15, 2020. A major entry and exit point to the UAE and an emerging hub, the airport is slowly returning to its original capacity and resuming operations following a period of restricted services that was necessary to curtail non-essential travel in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak. Sanjay Khanna, CEO of Ras Al Khaimah International Airport, said: “Thanks to the unwavering support of His Highness Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, UAE Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, RAK Airport is scaling up its operations to return to its pre-pandemic level of activity. This will enable us to continue serving the community and to support Ras Al Khaimah’s vital tourist, business and logistics sectors, as well as contribute to the UAE’s overall economy and its socioeconomic development.” Khanna added, “The protocol that is being put in place for passengers flying from and into our airport are in alignment with national efforts to mitigate against the spread of the novel coronavirus. We have ensured that all procedures are able to be conducted swiftly, efficiently and transparently and do not represent a significant inconvenience for passengers. With Air Arabia recommencing its commercial schedule at our airport, I want to thank sincerely Air Arabia Team for the tireless efforts to get things up and running again so quickly and efficiently.” Adel Al Ali, Group Chief Executive Officer of Air Arabia, commented: “We are glad to see the gradual resumption of operations from Ras Al Khaimah International Airport. We thank RAK airport for the work done and …

Air Arabia announced free global COVID-19 cover for all passengers travelling on Air Arabia flights from Sharjah and Abu Dhabi. This cover is automatically included with the booking, no additional documents are required from customers and validity is for 31 days from the day of departure on the itinerary. It also includes medical expenses and quarantine costs. Adel Al Ali, Group Chief Executive Officer, Air Arabia commented, “The new COVID-19 global assistance cover underlines our commitment to customers in helping them travel with confidence and additional ease of mind. At Air Arabia, we always ensure that every step of our customer journey remains safe, seamless and driven by added value to customers.” Impacted passengers who has been diagnosed with Covid-19 during their travel can contact the 24/7 Air Arabia COVID-19 Global Assistance Cover Team. Since the COVID-19 outbreak, Air Arabia’s customer journey has been upgraded to include all safety measures that are in line with the highest international measures. Air Arabia’s entire fleet is fitted with HEPA cabin air filters, which help to provide a safer and healthier environment for passengers. Customers are always requested to comply with the conditions and requirements of the countries of departure and destination.

Air Arabia Abu Dhabi will take wings on July 14, 2020 with direct flights connecting Abu Dhabi with Alexandria and Sohag in Egypt. The inaugural flight will take off from Abu Dhabi to Alexandria on July 14 followed by flights to Sohag the next day. Air Arabia Abu Dhabi will start its operations with two Airbus A320 aircraft based in Abu Dhabi International Airport offering the same value-added product and services provided by Air Arabia across its hubs. The customer journey has also been upgraded adhering to all local and international guidelines set in place to ensure safety protocols and health measures are always met. Tony Douglas, Group Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Aviation Group, said, “This joint venture between Etihad and Air Arabia will offer greater convenience and direct access to the UAE’s thriving capital for new markets worldwide, beginning with two key Egyptian routes, and expanding in time. Abu Dhabi has earned itself an exceptional reputation for business and leisure travel alike, and we look forward to seeing the emirate continue to prosper as the current global situation improves and markets begin to reopen.” Adel Al Ali, Group Chief Executive Officer, Air Arabia, said, “While the global aviation sector continues to witness unprecedented challenges due to COVID-19 pandemic, this step is a testament to the strength of the UAE aviation sector and our commitment to its long-term prospects”. He continued, “Egypt is a key travel market and the launch of the first flights reflects our focus on supporting commercial and trade ties between both nations while providing our customers with a new value-for-money option to travel between both countries. Abu Dhabi is a major travel and tourism hub and …

Air Arabia Abu Dhabi announced that it has received its Air Operating Certificate (AOC), which allows it to start operating from Abu Dhabi as the fifth UAE national airline. Securing the AOC highlights that Air Arabia Abu Dhabi has all the professional capabilities, adheres to all safety regulations needed for aircraft operations and has proven fit-to-fly ability following the completion of rigorous inspections by the UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA). Air Arabia Abu Dhabi will continue to work closely with the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) to finalise the launch date as market conditions improve and skies are open again. It was formed following the agreement by Etihad Airways and Air Arabia to establish an independent joint venture company that will operate as a low-cost passenger airline with the Abu Dhabi International Airport as its hub. The new carrier will complement the services of Etihad Airways from Abu Dhabi and cater to the growing low-cost travel market segment in the region. HE Saif Al Suwaidi, Director General of GCAA, said, “The UAE is a global air travel hub, supported by state-of-the-art aviation infrastructure and we continue to provide our residents and visitors with multiple options to stay connected and explore the world. Today’s announcement serves as another testament to the investments made by the UAE in strengthening its aviation sector and we look forward to the launch of Air Arabia Abu Dhabi in due course and the future growth opportunities for the UAE Aviation Sector.” Tony Douglas, Group Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Aviation Group, said, “We are pushing ahead with our plans to resume normal flying and once we have, Air Arabia Abu Dhabi will ideally serve those who …

Etihad Aviation Group, owner of the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, and Air Arabia, the Middle East and North Africa’s first and largest low-cost carrier, announced the signing of an agreement to launch ‘Air Arabia Abu Dhabi’, the capital’s first low-cost carrier. Etihad and Air Arabia will establish an independent joint venture company that will operate as a low-cost passenger airline with its hub in Abu Dhabi International Airport. The new carrier will complement Etihad Airways’ services from Abu Dhabi and will cater to the growing low-cost travel market segment in the region. Tony Douglas, Group Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Aviation Group, said, “With the emirate’s diverse attractions and hospitality offerings, travel and tourism plays a vital role in the economic growth of the capital and the UAE. By partnering with Air Arabia and launching Abu Dhabi’s first low-cost carrier, we are serving this long-term vision”. Adel Al Ali, Group Chief Executive Officer, Air Arabia, said, “Home to the first low-cost carrier in the MENA region, the UAE has developed over the years to become a world-leading travel and tourism hub. We are thrilled to partner with Etihad to establish Air Arabia Abu Dhabi that will further serve the growing low-cost travel segment locally and regionally while capitalising on the expertise that Air Arabia and Etihad will be providing”.

Air Arabia, the Middle East and North Africa’s first and largest low-cost carrier, now offers direct flights between Sharjah and Vienna. The non-stop six-hour flight to Vienna, will operate four times a week, on Sundays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, and will be expanded to daily flight service as of mid-December. Adel Al Ali, Group Chief Executive Officer of Air Arabia and Julian Jäger, Joint CEO and COO of Vienna Airport, officially inaugurated the new route at a press briefing in Vienna. Commenting on the inaugural launch of the route, Adel Al Ali said, “We are pleased to start our direct flights connecting Sharjah and Vienna. This new service will provide our customers in the UAE and Austria with a great opportunity to discover the beauty of both countries while enjoying Air Arabia’s value-for-money offers.” “In recent years, we have seen a significant rise in number of tourists from the UAE and Vienna is a popular destination amongst Arab travellers. The city of Vienna greatly benefits from Air Arabia’s new direct flight connection to Vienna Airport. We have registered close to 13% growth on flights to the Middle East since the beginning of the year. We look forward to welcoming even more visitors from the Middle East to this beautiful city,” stated Jäger, Joint CEO and COO of Vienna Airport.

The Middle East and North Africa’s first and largest low-cost carrier (LCC), Air Arabia, inaugurated its direct flight between Kuala Lumpur and Sharjah. The seven-hour flight between the two cities is the first direct flight by a low-cost carrier connecting Malaysia with the UAE and GCC. The inaugural flight landed at KL International Airport at 08:50am local time. Flights on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays depart Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) at 03:35 hours local time arriving Sharjah International Airport at 06:50 hours local time. The return flights depart Sharjah International Airport at 14:55 hours local time arriving in Kuala Lumpur at 02:25 hours local time. Flights operating on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays depart KLIA at 09:55 hours local time arriving at Sharjah International Airport at 13:10 hours local time. The return flights depart Sharjah International Airport at 21:20 hours local time arriving in Kuala Lumpur at 08:50 hours local time. Commenting on the inaugural launch of the route, Adel Al Ali, Group Chief Executive Officer of Air Arabia, said, “We are delighted to be the first low cost airline to connect Kuala Lumpur with the UAE and GCC. We are confident this new service linking the two cities will further strengthen the trade and tourism ties between both nations.” According to YB Datuk Mohamadin Ketapi, Minister of Tourism, Arts & Culture Malaysia, “This year, our target is to have 337,100 tourists from West Asia region, and I believe that the establishment of Air Arabia’s Sharjah-Kuala Lumpur route will certainly help with increasing tourist arrivals from this region. The flight couldn’t have come at a better time as we are also aggressively promoting Malaysia in the run-up to our Visit …

Air Arabia announced the launch of direct flights between Sharjah and Vienna, capital of Austria, starting September 15, 2019. The non-stop six-hour flight to Vienna, popularly known as the ‘City of Music’, will initially operate four times a week, on Sundays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, and will increase to daily flights starting mid-December from Sunday to Saturday. Flights on Sundays, Tuesdays and Fridays will depart Sharjah International Airport at 17:35 hours local time arriving at Vienna International Airport at 21:50 hours local time. The return flights will depart Vienna International Airport at 22:40 hours arriving in Sharjah the next day at 06:20 hours local time. Flights operating on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays will depart Sharjah International Airport at 07:25 hours local time arriving at Vienna International Airport at 11:40 hours local time. The return flights will depart Vienna International Airport at 12:30 hours arriving in Sharjah at 20:10 hours local time. On Wednesdays, flights are scheduled to depart from Sharjah International Airport early in the morning at 07:15 hours local time arriving at Vienna International Airport at 11:30 hours local time. The return flights will depart Vienna International Airport at 12:20 hours arriving in Sharjah at 20:00 hours local time. Adel Al Ali, Group Chief Executive Officer, Air Arabia, said, “We are pleased to announce the new route from Sharjah to Vienna, one of Europe’s leading cultural and economic centres. This daily service linking the two cities will further strengthen the trade and tourism ties between both nations, while providing our leisure and business travellers with a new choice for value-for-money air travel.”

Air Arabia, the first and largest low-cost carrier (LCC) in the Middle East and North Africa, announced the launch of its new complimentary in-flight entertainment system ‘SkyTime’ that allows passengers to live stream digital content on smartphones, tablets or laptops while travelling with the carrier. The new innovative entertainment system is now available across Air Arabia’s fleet. Customers can access ‘SkyTime’ network right after takeoff, and enjoy a wide selection of Hollywood, Bollywood, Arabic and Russian movies, television shows, music, destination tips and games as well as a special offering for younger ones. The system is app-less which makes its usage and access almost effortless. Commenting on the launch, Adel Al Ali, Group Chief Executive Officer of Air Arabia, said, “We always seek to make the best use of technology to provide added value to our customers. We are proud to launch ‘SkyTime’, our all new free in-flight entertainment system solely designed to provide customers with added value while onboard Air Arabia flights. This new launch reflects Air Arabia’s commitment to continuously apply innovative solutions aimed at providing real value and convenience to customers”. Air Arabia customers can access the new system after takeoff by enabling the Wi-Fi connection and selecting the ‘SkyTime’ network. By logging in, they can browse a wide selection of entertainment content in addition to an exclusive feature that provides customers with valuable tips about the city they are travelling to. Air Arabia is renowned for using cutting-edge technology to provide simple and efficient solutions to its customers. The carrier was also the first to introduce an online loyalty system “Airewards” providing customers with the option to earn points based on money spent rather than distance …