Tag Archives: Chief Commercial Officer

As Etihad Airways marks its 15th anniversary of its operations between the UAE capital, Abu Dhabi, and Manama,  Robin Kamark, Chief Commercial Officer, Etihad Aviation Group, mentions that Bahrain has evolved as a significant market for the airways. Kamark,  said: “We are delighted to celebrate the 15th anniversary of our flights to Bahrain, which was one of the first routes we served after Etihad was established in November 2003. “Bahrain has evolved as a significant market for Etihad, notably because of its strong relationships, long history and shared culture with the UAE.” Since launching services to Bahrain on August 22, 2004, Etihad has carried more than 2.5 million guests between the two capitals. Today, the airline operates 28 flights per week and carries 200,000 guests annually to and from Bahrain, using Airbus A320 aircraft. Etihad’s flights to Manama provide a vital link between Bahrain and major markets in Asia, Indian subcontinent, MENA and the United States, via the airline’s home and hub, Abu Dhabi. Earlier this year, Etihad Airways and Bahrain’s national carrier, Gulf Air, signed a codeshare agreement in which each placed their flight codes on services operated by the other between and beyond Abu Dhabi and Manama, strengthening the offering of both airlines.   The United Arab Emirates has boasted robust economic ties with the Kingdom of Bahrain throughout history. The business links between them are now stronger than ever, with the total non-oil trade volume exceeding 7.5 US billion in 2018. Etihad Airways has played a vital role in encouraging the import and export traffic between the two GCC countries, carrying goods and cargo shipments in both ways. The United Arab Emirates exports Portland cement and precious …

As part of its drive to continuously enhance customer experience, Abu Dhabi Airports is extending city check-in facilities to Indian airline IndiGo. This new service is in line with the airline’s commitment to provide courteous and hassle-free travel experience to its customers. This new feature will enable passengers flying out of Abu Dhabi airport to check-in 24 hours before reaching the airport. Maarten De Groof, Chief Commercial Officer, Abu Dhabi Airports, said, “We are delighted to welcome IndiGo passengers to stop by our easily accessible and conveniently located remote check-in facilities. Ensuring a seamless and efficient customer is one of our top priorities at Abu Dhabi Airports, and we look forward to introducing travellers to our world-class services and unique brand of Arabian hospitality. India has always been one of our most important and largest areas of operations, and we are looking forward to continuing to work closely with IndiGo passengers to meet the market’s growing demand.” William Boulter, Chief Commercial Officer, IndiGo said, “We are delighted to introduce this new check-in feature for our passengers in Abu Dhabi which will both add convenience and ease to their travel experience with us. We thank the Abu Dhabi International Airport team for extending us all the support to make this feature live. IndiGo will continue to enhance its hassle-free experience which is one of the core values that the airline stands for besides providing on-time and affordable fares to customers.”

Abu Dhabi Airports welcomed GoAir’s launch of four new flights between Kannur International Airport and Abu Dhabi International Airport, connecting the two cities with flights operating every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. GoAir’s inaugural flight from Kannur to Abu Dhabi was received with much fanfare, as the Indian subcontinent remains one of the most popular destinations for travellers departing from Abu Dhabi. Bryan Thompson, CEO, Abu Dhabi Airports commented, “India is a key travel market for Abu Dhabi International Airport, and we are always eager to strengthen our connectivity to the Indian subcontinent, enhancing further our services extended to our dear customers.” Maarten De Groof, Chief Commercial Officer, Abu Dhabi Airports, said, “India has always been one of our largest and most important areas of operations, and we look forward to ensuring GoAir’s guests enjoy a comfortable and efficient experience throughout Abu Dhabi International Airport where we continue to deploy world-class smart travel solutions, attractive retail offerings, and relaxing lounge spaces. This additional service to Abu Dhabi reflects the capital’s status as a key destination and transit hub, and forms a part of our strategy to attract new airlines to our network.” Jeh Wadia, Managing Director, GoAir, said, “This is a historic moment for GoAir as we enter the Middle East region with our maiden flight taking off from Kannur to Abu Dhabi, thereby strengthening the India-UAE relationship. GoAir is world’s fastest growing airline and Abu Dhabi is our 4th international destination after Phuket, Male and Muscat, and 28th destination sequentially speaking. GoAir is delighted to partner with Abu Dhabi Airports. I welcome aboard passengers from Kannur and Abu Dhabi on four direct flight services per week at an attractive …

Etihad Airways is set to operate Airbus A380 on its daily service linking Abu Dhabi and Seoul, effective July 1, 2019. The South Korean capital’s Incheon Airport now joins London Heathrow, Paris Charles de Gaulle, New York JFK and Sydney as a destination served by the airline’s award-winning aircraft. Robin Kamark, Chief Commercial Officer, Etihad Aviation Group, said, “Since the launch of our services to Seoul Incheon in December 2010, the route has proved tremendously successful and we have welcomed over 1.2 million guests on our flights to and from Korea since then. This reinforces the strong ties between the two countries and the importance Etihad continues to place on the Korean market. The introduction of Airbus A380 will provide guests with the most revolutionary in-flight experience. The Etihad A380 embodies our ‘Choose Well’ brand promise perfectly, offering every type of traveller a flying experience tailored to meet their requirements and to capture their imagination.” Etihad Airways’ 486-seat A380 will provide customers on the route with new in-flight experiences such as The Residence, a luxurious three-room cabin which can accommodate two guests in complete privacy and nine private First Apartments. The double-decker aircraft also boasts 70 Business Studios and 405 Economy Smart Seats. This includes 80 Economy Space seats with a seat pitch of up to 36 inches.

Etihad Airways will introduce Boeing 787-9 on its daily scheduled services from Abu Dhabi to Kuala Lumpur, effective December 20, 2018 and to Brussels, effective January 3, 2019. The new two-class 787 Dreamliner service features Etihad Airways’ next-generation Business and Economy Class cabins, configured with 299 seats – 28 Business Studios and 271 Economy Smart Seats. Etihad Airways’ modern fleet of 21 Boeing 787-9 aircraft feature innovative, award-winning cabin designs and products, complemented by the airline’s acclaimed service and hospitality offering. Flights include Food and Beverage Managers in Business Class and a Flying Nanny in Economy Class to provide specialised care for families with young children. Robin Kamark, Chief Commercial Officer, Etihad Aviation Group said, “Kuala Lumpur and Brussels are two very important destinations on the Etihad network, popular with both business and leisure customers and we are delighted to be introducing the 787-9 Dreamliner on these routes. Our customers can expect the quietest cabins and our latest in-flight products and technology, one of the world’s most technologically advanced and fuel-efficient aircraft. Our customers flying between Abu Dhabi and these capitals continue to benefit from convenient departure and arrival times at both ends, and those transiting through Abu Dhabi enjoy seamless connections onto Etihad’s global route network.”

Etihad Airways has launched a WhatsApp Business solution, allowing guests to communicate instantly with the airline via the messaging app. The new service, which is the latest element of Etihad Airways’ digital strategy, will provide an enhanced offering to premium guests when they are at Abu Dhabi International Airport, allowing them to chat with the airline’s agents about their flights in a fast, personal, and efficient way. In addition to communicating with customer service agents, the WhatsApp Business solution will be expanded in the future to enable guests to receive important messages like flight reminders by opting into WhatsApp communications on the Etihad Airways booking confirmation page. Robin Kamark, Etihad Airways Chief Commercial Officer, said, “The new WhatsApp Business solution will provide Etihad Airways’ premium guests with immediate contact with the airline, using the very latest technology. Air travellers around the world use WhatsApp in their daily lives and so it is an ideal channel for them to communicate with the airline and receive the latest information about their travel journey.” Etihad Airways offers several real-time channels for guests to contact the airline, including the @EtihadHelp and @EtihadPremium accounts on Twitter, and the airline’s Facebook page. During the initial trial phase, the Etihad Airways WhatsApp number will be exhibited in Premium check-in at Abu Dhabi Airport.

Qantas and Emirates welcome the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s (ACCC) reauthorisation of their partnership until 2023. For customers, the continuation of the joint business, announced in August 2017, will deliver expanded services, greater schedule choice, increased frequent flyer benefits and an ongoing commitment to the development of world-class products and travel experiences. Alison Webster, CEO, Qantas International states, “The ACCC’s reauthorisation of our joint business is an important milestone in helping us continue deliver benefits for travellers and Australian tourism for the next five years. With three options to get to Europe via Perth, Singapore and Dubai, and greater frequency across the Tasman, the ACCC’s decision allows us to continue to jointly provide the best network, the best service and the best frequent flyer programmes for millions of customers travelling between Australia/New Zealand and the UK and Europe.” Thierry Antinori, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, Emirates said, “We look forward to progressing on the plans that will take our successful partnership to its next phase. Together, we offer travellers access to even more destinations on our joint network, more convenient flight choices and frequent flyer benefits. Over the next five years, we will continue to work closely with our partner Qantas to deliver benefits for our customers.”

Travelport signed an agreement with Fiji Airways, a South Pacific airline where the former will provide the airline with a mobile application powered by its new Travelport Fusion product. Travelport Fusion is a quick-to-market mobile solution that helps airlines keep up with the rapid changes in mobile technology. The new mobile app will provide Fiji Airways with a robust tool, providing an engaging experience for travellers. It will allow Fiji Airways to fully maintain their brand identity with consistent brand experience. As part of the service and support from Travelport, Fiji Airways will also benefit from future product upgrades. Marc Cavaliere, Chief Commercial Officer, Fiji Airways, commented, “We recognise the importance of mobile engagement and being able to connect with our customers, bringing them highly relevant, personalised information and services they need, at every step of their journey. Travelport Fusion allows us to implement this mobile app rapidly.” A recent Travelport Global Digital Traveler Research report highlighted the need for a strong airline mobile app solution with findings indicating that 64 per cent of travellers in Asia Pacific look for a good digital experience while choosing an airline.

Emirates’ inaugural Boeing 777-300ER flight from Dubai to Zagreb touched down in the capital city of Croatia, with more than 350 passengers on board, to a water cannon salute and an exhilarating performance by traditional Croatian folk dancers. Among the dignitaries travelling on flight EK129 were Thierry Antinori, Emirates’ Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer; Thierry Aucoc, Emirates’ Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations (Europe and Russian Fed); Gari Cappelli, Minister of Tourism, Republic of Croatia; His Excellency Ali Al Ahmed, UAE Ambassador to Croatia and a contingent of partners and business leaders from Dubai, Hong Kong, India and China. This debut flight to Croatia took off from Dubai at 08.15 hours and landed in Zagreb at 12.20 hours. Thereafter, from Zagreb, the departure took place at 15.35 hours and arrival at Dubai happened at 23.05 hours. The flight carried commercial passengers from more than 16 countries in the Emirates’ network, including Taiwan, Australia, India, UAE, Korea, China, Japan, Singapore and South Africa. The new daily flight will open up access to more than 80 worldwide destinations in Emirates’ global network for Croatian travellers and vice versa. Travel from as far as Shanghai, Beijing, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur, or Sydney and Melbourne, to Croatia, is all extremely convenient now, with just one stop at Emirates’ world-class Dubai hub.

In order to strengthen its footprints in the Gulf region, IndiGo Airlines has added Sharjah to its international route, effective March 20, 2017. The airline will operate its new daily non-stop flights between Sharjah-Kozhikode-Sharjah and a second daily flight to operate non-stop between Sharjah-Thiruvananthapuram-Sharjah effective April 8, 2017. The introductory fares start as low as 243 AED for one way from Kozhikode to Sharjah. The new flights will cater to both leisure and business travellers. Sanjay Kumar, Chief Commercial Officer, IndiGo, said, “We are extremely pleased to expand our international network with Sharjah. Middle East has been an important market for IndiGo with rising business and tourism stemming from the gulf market. We are determined to provide the best travel experience to all those who wish to fly these destinations. We are looking at providing affordable fares on these new routes to our 6E travellers. We are now available on all Travelport platforms and interfaces reaching a vast number of travel agents around the globe.”