Category Archives: Aviation

Wizz Air Abu Dhabi has launched an exciting new route from Abu Dhabi to Mattala, Sri Lanka. The new destination provides affordable, hassle-free travel for tourists and residents in both the UAE and Sri Lanka with unique travel opportunities and a convenient WIZZ flight schedule on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Tickets are already on sale on wizzair.com and the airline’s mobile app with fares starting as low as AED 179 *. The airline introduces a new segment of travel by adding its first destination to South Asia which will allow customers from across the broader Wizz Air network to travel via Abu Dhabi to the exotic destination of Sri Lanka. Mattala, nestled in pristine natural beauty, enjoys a tropical climate with easy access to neighbouring wildlife. Ideally located with easy access to Sri Lanka’s most famous tourist attractions, including stunning coastlines and abundant nature, adventurous travellers can sample the best of the famed attractions. CNN voted Sri Lanka one of the best destinations to visit in 2020 and Mattala is the gateway to the island’s ancient, beautifully complex civilization with over 2,000 years of history. Michael Berlouis, Managing Director of Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, said: “Sri Lanka is an exciting destination that has everything; beautiful beaches, a diverse cultural heritage, historical sites dating back 1000s of years and even a UNESCO listed World Heritage Site. It is truly a must-see travel destination.  We are proud to be providing our customers ever more convenient, affordable opportunities for relaxation and adventure and look forward to seeing you on board our aircraft to the island paradise soon.” Hon. D. V. Chanaka, State Minister of Aviation and Export Zones Development, said: “It is indeed …

After signing a CFM56-7B support contract by the hour in 2016 with AFI KLM E&M, Oman Air is expanding its relationship with the MRO to perform shop visits on 9 additional engines. In order to be able to take care of these visits scheduled over the whole year 2022, AFI KLM E&M has adapted its production schedule to free up slots and take these engines into account. As a result of their established cooperation, Oman Air has developed a fruitful relationship with AFI KLM E&M and is familiar with the level of service delivered by the MRO Group, as well as its ability to deliver on its performance and TAT commitments. Beyond the trusting relationship between the two groups, AFI KLM E&M has developed a commercially and technically competitive solution to outperform its competitors at the finish line. AFI KLM E&M has also worked to ensure that the workscope meets Oman Air’s operational requirements, including deadlines, by adapting its production schedule to accommodate the engines on time. According to Captain Nasser Al Salmi, Oman Air’s Chief Operating Officer, “the quality and reliability of the services offered by AFI KLM E&M, as well as the professionalism and availability of their teams, have given our company complete satisfaction. All this know-how is once again expressed in their response to our request to take charge of these nine new engines, and AFI KLM E&M is the natural choice for us.” Pierre Teboul, SVP Commercial at AFI KLM E&M, commented: “It is always a source of pride and satisfaction to have a long-standing customer like Oman Air renew its trust in us. It illustrates the ability of our teams to develop mutually beneficial relationships …

Etihad Airways has announced a new European destination this summer with the introduction of flights to the French city of Nice from 15 June. The twice-weekly service will operate on Wednesdays and Sundays between Abu Dhabi and Nice Côte d’Azur Airport on a modern Boeing 787 aircraft, one of the most fuel efficient aircraft in the world. Situated on the southeastern coast of France, Nice is renowned for its famous waterfront, with a scenic seven-kilometre walkway known as the ‘Promenade des Anglais’. The city was proclaimed a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2021. “As one of the most popular destinations on the French Riviera, Etihad Airways is delighted to add Nice to its summer network in 2022,” said Martin Drew, Senior Vice President Global Sales & Cargo. “This is the first time Etihad will be operating flights to Nice and Etihad is confident it will appeal to a broad range of leisure travellers looking to satisfy their wanderlust this summer.” Nice is the fifth summer route to be announced by Etihad Airways for 2022 after Crete, Malaga, Santorini and Zanzibar, all set to to launch in mid-June.  

Emirates has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau recently at the Emirates Group Headquarters in Dubai. The agreement reaffirms the airline’s commitment to Sri Lanka and outlines mutually beneficial initiatives that will help revive the country’s trade and tourism industry. The MoU was signed by Ahmed Khoory, Emirates’ SVP Commercial West Asia & Indian Ocean, and Kimarli Fernando, Chairperson of Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau. The agreement was signed in the presence of H.E. Malraj De Silva, Ambassador Sri Lanka Embassy, Hon Prasanna Ranatunga, Minister of Tourism Sri Lanka, Hon D.V. Chanaka, State Minister Sri Lanka Aviation, and Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Chief Commercial Officer. Ahmed Khoory, SVP Commercial West Asia & Indian Ocean at Emirates, said: “Sri Lanka remains a very key market in Emirates’ global network and the agreement signed today underscores our unwavering commitment to the country.  We launched operations to Colombo more than 35 years ago, and our partnership continues to grow from strength to strength. We look forward to exploring mutually beneficial initiatives that will help revive the nation’s trade and tourism sectors, and provide Emirates with an opportunity to serve market demand.” Kimarli Fernando, Chairperson Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau, said: ‘Sri Lanka is a beautiful island destination and strategic partners such as Emirates is key to drive Sri Lanka’s travel and tourism industry. Therefore this partnership is vital for us to explore and capitalise opportunities that emerge and to open up     beautiful avenues to establish brand awareness and perceived quality in the global tourism market. Thus we are excited about the partnership and also grateful for all the support Emirates has extended us during the three decades of …

flydubai celebrated its inaugural service to AlUla on 02 March, becoming the first national carrier of the UAE to operate flights from Dubai. Yesterday’s inaugural flight arrived at AlUla International Airport (ULH) and was greeted with a traditional water cannon salute, marking the start of a twice-weekly service. On board the inaugural flight was a senior delegation led by Ghaith Al Ghaith, Chief Executive Officer at flydubai, members of the Royal Commission for AlUla, as well as representatives from the UAE media. The delegation was invited to a welcome reception which was followed by a press conference. Speaking at the press conference, Ghaith Al Ghaith, Chief Executive Officer at flydubai, said: “we are delighted to see the first flydubai flight land in AlUla today and we would like to take this opportunity to thank the authorities and the Royal Commission for AlUla for their support. The launch of operations to AlUla reflects our commitment to strengthening the cultural, trade and tourism ties between the UAE and Saudi Arabia and opening up new markets to more passengers.” Phillip J. Jones, Chief Destination Management and Marketing Officer at The Royal Commission for AlUla, said: “As AlUla continues to attract more visitors from around the globe, we are thrilled to have flydubai offer year-round direct flights from Dubai. The new twice-weekly flights will facilitate not only the movement of visitors from the important UAE market, but from throughout flydubai’s extensive international network into AlUla.  There is no other destination that equals AlUla for fascinating ancient history, heritage and culture combined with high-end luxury settings and experiences – and now increasingly more easily accessible for both leisure and business visitors. We still have five …

Ras Al Khaimah(RAK)  International Airport is eager to use digital technologies to provide best experience for the travelers and tourists visiting Ras Al Khaimah’s top range hotels, tourist attraction centers and RAK international Airport. TAV Technologies will provide it’ s state of the art digital technologies and knowhow to levitate passenger experience in RAK. The scope of the cooperation is to provide a digital platform for all stakeholders, institutions and the individuals. RAK International Airport CEO Mr. Atanasios Titonis stated: “ We are pleased to partner with TAV technologies to develop best in class digital technologies to the travellers visitiong Ras Al Khaimah . Our long lasting partnership will support tourism of Ras Al Khaimah to provide a user friendly digital platform for the esteemed travelers and tourists.‘’ TAV Technologies CEO M.Kerem Öztürk said: ‘’ As Tav Technologies we are aiming to implement the newest technologies for Airport operations and also create a digital ecosystem with all the stakeholder like hotels, tourism agencies, airlines and tour operators in order to provide the best experience to all the visitors of Ras Al Kaimah. So we are looking forward to a great digital transformation in Ras Al Kaimah Airport and the region.  

Emirates is streamlining check-in formalities for its customers in Ajman and the Northern Emirates with the introduction of a new check-in facility in collaboration with the Ajman Transport Authority. The new facility, located in the Ajman Central Bus Terminal,  is the first remote check-in facility outside of Dubai and is another way the airline is helping customers reap the benefits of simple and quick check-in closer to home, reducing queues and improving their overall experience across the first touchpoints of their travel journey. From 1st March, customers can easily and efficiently check-in, verify Covid-19 related medical records for their destination, receive their boarding passes and board one of the convenient Ajman Transport Authority buses to Terminal 3 at Dubai International Airport.  Once customers arrive at Terminal 3 and disembark, they can drop of their bags in a dedicated baggage area and proceed directly to immigration and security—ensuring a smoother ground journey through the airport by bypassing the check-in counter at Dubai International. Plans are underway to integrate baggage check-in at the new Ajman facility in the coming weeks. Open 24 hours a day,  the Emirates check-in facility in Ajman will have four counters and two self-service kiosks for a contactless start to the journey, allowing check-in, boarding pass collection, choosing or changing seats on board, and updating passport and Skywards information. Bus trips from the facility to Terminal 3 will run in parallel with Emirates’ peak operational periods, which include early and late morning scheduled flights as well the late night departures. Mohammed Mattar, Divisional Senior Vice President Emirates Airport Services said: “We are committed to continually enhancing every aspect of the on-ground experience for our customers and creating a …

The ninth edition of Arab Aviation Summit (AAS), the region’s leading aviation and tourism industry event, was inaugurated by His Highness Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, today at the Al Hamra International Exhibition & Conference Centre in Ras Al Khaimah. Under the theme ‘Roadmap to recovery’, hundreds of international and local industry experts as well as media representatives gathered to discuss an array of aviation and tourism topics. Since its inception, the Summit has proved to be an ideal platform to shed light on the status of the region’s aviation-tourism requirements and its prospects. This year’s edition aimed to create a post-pandemic roadmap to recovery. It also amplified the messaging that emanates from discussions on important topics and issues, including knowledge sharing that are vital to helping industry players unify their efforts towards uplifting the aviation and tourism sector. Endorsed by Arab Governments, the 2022 AAS is hosted in collaboration with Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) and supported by global industry partners such as Airbus, CFM, Air Arabia, Turkish Technic, Collins Aerospace, and others. Al Hamra International Exhibition & Conference Centre in Ras Al Khaimah, the location of the 2022 Arab Aviation Summit, offers state-of-the-art, elegantly designed meeting facilities, and is the first safe meeting facility in the world, as certified by Bureau Veritas, the international leader in testing and inspection services and the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) Safe Travel Stamp. The certification follows the implementation of stringent safety and security protocols by Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, offering hospitality and event providers access to global best practice, supportive policies and professional guidance on safety …

Emirates will operate an extra five flights to and from Kuwait, with the additional services running through 5 March. The extra flights are operating in response to a surge in demand with travelers flocking abroad for their National and Liberation Day nine day holidays after two years of missed breaks, and amid the easing of entry protocols in Kuwait and in other destinations around the world. According to booking data, Emirates customers in Kuwait are choosing Dubai for their holidays, for its accessibility as well for its commitment to always offer something new and unique to visitors. New attractions awaiting Kuwaiti travelers include Ain Dubai, Deep Dive Dubai, Hatta Dome Park and The View at The Palm, to name a few, as well as Expo 2020 Dubai, which is in its final weeks and has already attracted close to 15 million visitors. This is in addition to Dubai’s world-class hotels, shopping and iconic culinary experiences. Emirates customers travelling to Dubai anytime now or during the final month of Expo 2020, will be eligible to receive a free Emirates Expo Season Pass for every flight ticket booked with the airline, to visit the event as many times as they like until 31 March 2022. Travelers from Kuwait are also jet setting to London, Munich, Geneva and Amsterdam for winter getaways, and are also taking in the sun in the Maldives during the holiday period.   For more information to book a journey, travellers can visit www.emirates.com/kw, travel agents or contact the local Emirates Sales Office.

Kuwait Airways signed an agreement with Airbus to restructure the Company’s fleet of Airbus aircraft. The agreement was signed by the Chairman of Kuwait Airways, Captain Ali Al-Dukhan, representing Kuwait Airways and by the President of Airbus for Africa and Middle East, Mr. Mikail Houari as representative of Airbus, and in the presence of the President of Civil Aviation, Sheikh Abdullah Ali Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah, the Ambassador of Germany to the State of Kuwait, HE Stefan Mobbs, the Ambassador of the Republic of France to the State of Kuwait, HE Claire Le Flecher, Board Members of Kuwait Airways, the Chief Executive Officer, Engineer Maen Razouqi, and various senior officials and Heads of the Company. In this regard, Kuwait Airways Chairman, Mr. Ali Al-Dukhan stated, “Kuwait Airways is pleased to announce the signing of the agreement to restructure the Company’s Airbus aircraft, which aligns with the plans and strategies of the Blue Bird to develop the fleet with the addition of new models, different types, capacities and sizes appropriate to the vision of Kuwait Airways in the coming years and in line with its ambitious plan to expand its network around the world and provide the best, distinguished services to its passengers.” Al-Dukhan added, “This agreement is one of the largest agreements concluded between Kuwait Airways and Airbus, as our relationship with Airbus extends over four decades of successful and fruitful partnership, and we always strive to strengthen and develop it for the benefit and public interest of both parties. Airbus has greatly contributed to the development of the Kuwait Airways fleet, with its modern and diverse aircraft that has the best technological characteristics that keep pace with the latest and finest …