Category Archives: Aviation

Oman Air and Qatar Airways have signed a reciprocal loyalty partnership where members of Oman Air Sindbad and Qatar Airways Privilege Club can earn loyalty miles for travel on both airlines between Muscat and Doha exclusively, in either direction. With this partnership Sindbad members can earn Sindbad miles on Qatar Airways flights on the sector; reciprocally, Privilege Club members can earn Qmiles on Oman Air flights. Members of both loyalty programs will be able to redeem their miles for flights on either airline between the two cities. “The strong relationship between Oman Air and Qatar Airways offers a world of exciting travel possibilities and we’re delighted that our Sindbad members can now earn and redeem Sindbad miles for travel on Qatar Airways between Muscat and Doha,” said Oman Air CEO Eng. Abdulaziz Al Raisi. “We’re equally delighted to welcome Qatar Airways Privilege Club members on board Oman Air flights on the popular sector, where they can earn and spend Qmiles.” Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker stated, “Qatar Airways is delighted to launch this new partnership with Oman Air, offering valued members flying between Qatar and Oman significant opportunities to earn and spend miles across both airlines. This new loyalty partnership cements our dedication to the Sultanate of Oman, and we will remain committed towards creating more unique opportunities to reward our members, in addition to offering various avenues to use Qmiles with our airline partners”. The reciprocal loyalty program partnership follows the strengthening of the relationship between both airlines and builds on the benefits of expanded code-sharing. In December last year, Oman Air and Qatar Airways announced greater cooperation that would allow both airlines …

Emirates announced it will launch a daily non-stop flight between Dubai and Tel Aviv, Israel, starting 6 December. The move comes as the UAE and Israel continue to develop greater economic cooperation to drive growth across a range of sectors, in addition to boosting trade flows between both nations. With the new daily flights, Israeli travellers will be able to connect safely, seamlessly and efficiently to Dubai, and through Dubai to Emirates’ global route network of over 120 destinations. The flight timings to/from Tel Aviv will offer travellers convenient access to major leisure destinations beyond Dubai like Thailand, the Indian Ocean Islands and South Africa, among others. Furthermore, the new flights introduce convenient inbound connections to Tel Aviv from close to 30 Emirates gateways across Australia, the United States, Brazil, Mexico, India and South Africa, all home to some of the largest Jewish communities in the world. Travellers from the United States looking to stop in Dubai before embarking on their onwards journey to Tel Aviv can avail the Dubai Stop Over package, which includes stays at world-class hotels, sightseeing, and other activities.   Dubai also continues to attract leisure travellers from Israel with its ever-expanding list of experiences, including hosting Expo 2020 Dubai which has drawn in more than 2 million visits in its first month. Israel is participating at Expo 2020 Dubai with its own country pavilion under the theme ‘connecting thoughts – creating the future’. Emirates’ new flights will also boost connections for business communities in both countries, creating new channels to network and forge investment opportunities across industries. With the opening of visa-free travel between both countries and the easing of restrictions across the Emirates network, …

Gulf Air announced the launch of private charter services under the title of “Boutique Charters” allowing its global clientele to book private direct charter flights with personalised itineraries. The new service is available to government and corporate delegations, group travel, destination weddings, private family holidays as well as private cargo consignments. Available on various types of aircraft from the airline’s young fleet, the private charter services can be booked on narrow body fleet, Airbus A320neo or A321neoLR, or on wide body fleet, the airline’s flagship Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. In 2019 and in line with its strategy to become the customer’s airline of choice, Gulf Air announced its boutique business model concept which would reinforce its focus on product and customer experience. Similarly with the hospitality industry, Gulf Air differentiates itself as a boutique airline that is different and unique in the way it operates comparing to the bigger airlines that are more volume driven. This new concept is derived from the airlines business model to offer its boutique services to a more niche clientele whilst highlighting the key services the airline is renowned for. The new private “Boutique Charters” will allow customers to choose from a number of in-flight services and preferences from fresh flowers, bespoke amenities, unlimited WiFi connection, selection of newest movies and TV shows, choice of food and beverage, tailor made menus with cold and hot meals that are served by expert multinational flight attendants. Commenting on the launch, Gulf Air’s Acting Chief Executive Officer Captain Waleed AlAlawi said: “This is a major milestone for the national carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain. We will now extend our boutique excellence to a new niche clientele to offer …

Oman Air will resume flights between Muscat and Bangkok from 11 November 2021. The flights will operate twice weekly on Thursday and Saturday. The Thursday flight will depart Muscat at 22:00 local time and arrive in Bangkok at 06:45 local time on Friday. The flight from Bangkok will depart at 09:15 local time on Friday and arrive in Muscat at 12:35 local time on Friday. The Saturday flight will depart Muscat at 09:00 local time and arrive in Bangkok at 17:45 local time. The Saturday flight from Bangkok will depart at 20:05 local time and arrive in Muscat at 23:25 local time. 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. 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 Thailand 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.        

As part of its continuous endeavour to gradually return to normal operation and provide a variety of options to its valued customers, Kuwait Airways announced the resumption of its scheduled commercial flights to Baku in the Republic of Azerbaijan as of 18th November 2021, with two flights per week, on Sundays and Thursdays. In this regard, the Director of Public Relations and Media Department Fayez Al-Enezi stated, “Kuwait Airways is pleased to announce the operation of its direct flights to Baku, Azerbaijan, as this comes within the framework of Kuwait Airways keenness to launch new destinations that meet the requirements of its valued passengers, and provide different options and alternatives for them, especially since Baku is one of the destinations that has been witnessing tremendous demand in recent times because of its tourist and historical attractions, rich in diverse cultures, as well as its moderate climate throughout the year.” Al-Enezi added, “Kuwait Airways is constantly striving to serve its valued customers and provide them with all means of comfort while they travel on board, in addition to providing its services to its passengers in an integrated manner and overcoming all obstacles ahead of them; commencing with the reservation of tickets, entering Terminal 4, completing travel procedures, and boarding the aircraft to enjoy a comfortable and safe travel.” Al-Enezi concluded by extending appreciation for all the tangible efforts by all government agencies operating at the Kuwait International Airport and for their best efforts to serve the country and citizens. It is worth noting that Kuwait Airways had earlier launched several permanent and summer destinations as part of its gradual return to normal operations from mid-June until now, which include London, Sarajevo, …

Emirates and TAP Air Portugal are further expanding their existing codeshare arrangement by adding 23 more destinations to the partnership from 2 November. This brings the total number of destinations where customers can enjoy seamless connectivity to over 90 points. TAP Air Portugal will place its code on popular Emirates flights to four additional Asian destinations – Hanoi and three Japanese gateways – Narita, Osaka and Haneda, subject to government approval. Emirates will place its code on TAP Air Portugal operated flights to 19 additional destinations via Lisbon. They include Belem, Brasilia, Belo Horizonte, Fortaleza, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Maceio, Natal, Porto Alegre, Recife, Salvador, Praia, Sal Island, Sao Vicente, Conakry, Ponta Delgada, Porto Santo, Terceira and Dakar. Adnan Kazim, Chief Commercial Officer, Emirates Airline said: “The further expansion of the Emirates – TAP Air Portugal partnership attests to the strong collaboration of both airlines and our shared commitment to provide customers with seamless connections to and from Portugal. By leveraging our mutual networks through codeshare flights, we enable our customers to travel to more places on a single ticket with a one baggage policy and fare conditions. We look forward to bringing more benefits to our customers through this partnership”. Silvia Mosquera, Chief Commercial & Revenue Officer of TAP Air Portugal said: “TAP Air Portugal is pleased to be able to implement this expanded partnership with Emirates, allowing our customers greater geographic access, with particular emphasis on destinations in the Middle East and Asia. TAP is eager to be able to take Emirates customers to more cities in Portugal and to our destinations in the Americas and North Africa, aboard our modern fleet of state-of-the-art aircraft, in an …

Etihad Airways recently operated its most sustainable flight ever, leveraging the learnings and efficiencies developed over the last two years of its comprehensive sustainability programme to reduce carbon emissions (CO2) by 72% in absolute terms compared to the equivalent flight operated in 2019. The London Heathrow to Abu Dhabi flight is part of the Etihad Greenliner Programme – a two-year partnership between Etihad and Boeing using Etihad’s Boeing 787 fleet as a test bed for sustainability improvements in partnership with organisations across the industry. It required huge collaboration across the aviation ecosystem to deliver a sustainable in-flight product, coordination with airspace management for optimised flight routing, new technology flight deck tools, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), contrail reduction and airport handling processes. In an industry-first, EY20 was the first commercial flight to explore contrail-avoidance. Working with UK-based SATAVIA, the team identified potential areas of ice super-saturated regions in the atmosphere where harmful contrails are likely to form, and the flight route was adjusted to avoid these areas. Based on the original and adjusted flight plan, the strategy avoided the production of approximately 64 tonnes of CO2e, with a fuel penalty of only 100kg, or 0.48 tonnes CO2. “These are noteworthy savings,” said Mohammad Al Bulooki, Chief Operating Officer, Etihad Aviation Group. “When Etihad committed to achieve net zero, it was acknowledged that it was only possible if the airline worked collaboratively and positively with our industry partners. That is exactly what Etihad has done with the Sustainable Flight. Of equal importance, Etihad, Boeing and its partners – airports, ANSP, and suppliers – used the flight to learn where further improvements could be made. Talking after the flight, Tony Douglas, Group Chief …

Emirates has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Seychelles Tourism Board at Expo 2020. The agreement reaffirms the airline’s commitment to the island-nation and outlines joint initiatives to promote trade and tourism to the country. The Memorandum of Understanding was signed by Ahmed Khoory, Emirates’ SVP Commercial West Asia & Indian Ocean, and Sherin Francis, Principal Secretary Tourism Department, Tourism Seychelles. The agreement was signed in the presence of H.E. Mr Sylvestre Radegonde, Minister for Foreign Affairs & Tourism and Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Chief Commercial Officer. The ceremony was also attended by Emirates executives: Orhan Abbas, SVP Commercial Operations Far East; Abdulla Al Olama, Regional Manager Commercial Operations Far East, West Asia & Indian Ocean; Oomar Ramtoola, Manager Indian Ocean Islands; Silvy Sebastian, Business Analysis Manager West Asia & Indian Ocean; and executives of Tourism Seychelles: Bernadette Willemin, Director General Destination Marketing Tourism Seychelles; and Noor Al Geziry, Tourism Seychelles Middle East Office. Ahmed Khoory, SVP Commercial West Asia & Indian Ocean at Emirates, said: “Emirates has shared strong ties with Seychelles since 2005 and the island nation remains a very important market for us. The agreement signed today is a strong testament to our commitment and support to the island-nation. We thank our partners for their ongoing support and we look forward to continue growing our successful partnership.” H.E. Mr Sylvestre Radegonde, Minister for Foreign Affairs & Tourism, said: “Emirates airline has been constant and steadfast with their support towards Seychelles and we are indeed grateful for that. Therefore, we would like to express our support for the coming year with the hope that it will be a better year for both Seychelles and the airline.” The …

Etihad Airways has announced the launch of flights to the holy city of Medina from 27 November 2021. Medina will be served three times weekly from Abu Dhabi using a modern two-class Airbus A321. Fatma Al Mehairi, Vice President Sales UAE at Etihad Airways, said: “We look forward to reconnecting Abu Dhabi with Medina, a city of enormous historic and religious significance for Muslims around the world. Our flights will support the growing demand for religious travel and strengthen the existing air links between the UAE and Saudi Arabia, a key travel market for Etihad Airways.” The service has been timed to provide religious, leisure and business travellers in the UAE and Saudi Arabia with convenient flight options as well as connect seamlessly to major cities in the Indian Subcontinent and Asia for those travelling to and from Medina through Abu Dhabi. Located in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia, Medina is a three-hour flight from Abu Dhabi. The city is home to Prophet Mohammed’s Mosque and burial site and an important holy place for Muslim pilgrims. The country’s two Holy Mosques in Mecca and Medina are allowing full-capacity attendance for worshippers who are fully vaccinated following an easing of restrictions earlier in October 2021. Medina will be Etihad’s fourth destination in Saudi Arabia after Dammam, Jeddah and Riyadh. The route was established in 2014 but was temporarily suspended in 2020 as a result of travel restrictions following the COVID-19 pandemic. Guests flying to Medina are not required to quarantine if they are fully vaccinated with either two doses of Pfizer, Oxford AstraZeneca or Moderna, or one dose of Johnson & Johnson, or have received two doses of Sinopharm …

With Australia’s borders set to re-open to international travellers from November, Emirates is welcoming the move by enhancing its operations to the country to meet pent up demand for travel into and out of Australia. With vaccination rates in New South Wales having reached their target, and Victoria being not far behind, the two states will allow vaccinated travellers to return to Australia without quarantine. In response to the easing of travel restrictions, from 2 November Emirates is stepping up the frequency on flights EK414/415 between Dubai and Sydney to daily operated by a Boeing 777-300ER. Flights to Melbourne will operate as a four-weekly service as EK408/409, with the potential to increase in line with demand. In another positive sign that the recovery is well underway for Australia, capacity on flights to Sydney and Melbourne will return to 100%, allowing 354 passengers across all cabins to travel on its flights. Australian citizens, permanent residents and their immediate family members will be able to enjoy unrestricted travel once again to and from the two points for the first time since the pandemic began, whether travelling abroad to global destinations for leisure or finally travelling home to visit family or friends, as long as they are vaccinated against COVID-19 with a TGA-approved vaccine. From 1 December, Emirates’ flagship A380 aircraft, will also return to the Australian skies once again, serving the Dubai-Sydney route, on a daily basis. The much-loved aircraft will offer 516 seats in a three-class configuration, with 426 seats in Economy Class, in addition to its premium cabins, with 76 and 14 seats in Business Class and First Class, respectively. Commenting on the airline’s ramp up of operations to Australia …