Category Archives: Aviation

Turkish Airlines welcomes a new era of Turkish aviation with the opening of Istanbul Airport. The world’s largest international hub will be home to Turkey’s national flag carrier and establish Istanbul’s place as the centre of the globe for aviation and travel. Upon final completion, the airport will welcome 200 million passengers per year. Coinciding with the 95th anniversary of the founding of the Republic of Turkey, the Istanbul New Airport was officially opened by Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, President, Republic of Turkey. Passengers on the first Turkish Airlines flights to the new airport that was specially operated for the opening ceremony received souvenir tickets. Following the official opening of the New Istanbul Airport on October 29, 2018, Turkish Airlines is operating a limited number of domestic and international routes from the new airport, while all operations and existing flight schedule will run as usual from Istanbul Atatürk Airport. New, additional flights will be operated from Istanbul New Airport to Ankara, Antalya, Izmir, Azerbaijan (Baku) and TRNC (Ercan) until December 30. Pursuant to existing planning, on December 31, all operations will move from Istanbul Atatürk Airport, after which, all flights will operate from Istanbul New Airport. Turkish Airlines will be able to increase its network extension capacity and opportunities for new routes and timings with more slots available, allowing growth for both passenger and cargo transportation. The megaproject will be launched in four phases with the final phase set to be complete in 2028. The complex will boast six runways, four terminals and 233 aircraft parking positions, with the capacity to serve up to 200 million passengers a year with 500+ check in desks and 225,000 employees. Upon completion of the …

Amadeus has expanded its airline business unit capabilities at its Dubai regional hub covering Middle East, Turkey and Africa region. Following the regionalisation of all business units to get closer to their customers, teams in the Dubai regional hub now include those of airlines, travel agencies, airport IT, payments, mobile and legal. Sabine Hansen Peck, SVP, People & Culture, Communication and Brand, Amadeus, opened the new office of the Dubai-based Amadeus Regional Hub. Further, commenting on the occasion, she said, “The Middle East, Turkey and Africa regions are relevant and growing markets for Amadeus. This expansion reflects our commitment to the region.”

Jet Airways has launched a fourth daily service from Dubai to Delhi, and has also rescheduled the flight to Mangalore from Dubai. The new schedule provides a more convenient night flight, arriving early in the morning in Mangalore. Shakir Kantawala, Vice President, Gulf, Middle East and Africa, Jet Airways, said, “The new service will further enhance the strong economic ties between the UAE and India and support the increase in demand for tourism for both the cities. The new flight timings are also of interest for business travellers, who now have the convenience of day return flights. We look forward to providing greater convenience and choice to our guests travelling to Delhi.”

Dubai International (DXB) saw 7.2 million passengers in September as traffic rose to 67.5 million for the year. Traffic was down slightly (-0.2%) in September due to the Eid Al Adha holidays that fell in September 2017. It was the sixth time this year that DXB’s monthly traffic surpassed the 7 million mark, helping finish off the third quarter with 23.8 million customers, up 1%. A total of 7,197,866 customers were served in September (- 0.2%) and 6 million bags (+1.12%) were passed through the airport’s sophisticated 175 km long baggage system during the month. Smart Gate technology at DXB helps speed customers through immigration while state-of-the-art operations centre leverages real-time information to improve service and efficiency, leading to a reduction of 28% in wait times during September. India remained DXB’s top destination country by customer volume, with total traffic reaching 957,748 during the month. The United Kingdom was the was second with 538,199 customers, followed by Saudi Arabia with 454,929 customers. Other markets of note include Australia (256,848), the US (252,264) and China (208,822). The top three cities were London (329,778), Mumbai (199,829) and New Delhi (170,122). The fastest-growing regions were North America,(up by 15.2%,) Africa (up 10.9%) and CIS growing at 6.8%.

Reaching its milestone of 15 years, AirArabia has unveiled a new brand, including the new aircraft livery and interior through a live display of one of AirArabia’s newly-branded Airbus A320 aircraft, to attract the younger millennial travellers during a launch ceremony at the AirArabia hangar in Sharjah International Airport. Commenting on the occasion, Sheikh Abdullah Bin Mohamed Al Thani, Chairman, AirArabia said, “It was 15 years ago that AirArabia and the low-cost airline concept were just an idea in the region, an idea of connecting people at affordable cost. Today, we are gathered to celebrate the great success story that AirArabia has become, redefining air travel in the region and providing great travel experience for over 80 million passengers to date. We commemorate 15 years of success with the launch of AirArabia’s new brand identity that reflects the carrier’s successful journey and echoes the future with a fresh perspective while mirroring its ambitions and the next phase of international growth.” Since its launch on October 28, 2003, AirArabia has experienced solid and sustained growth. From the earliest days of serving just five routes with two aircraft, the airline has grown to currently serving over 155 routes from multiple hubs spreads across the UAE, Morocco and Egypt, served by a fleet of 53 aircraft, with plans for further expansion in 2019.

Emirates is gearing up to launch the world’s first “biometric path” that will offer its customers a smooth and truly seamless airport journey at the airline’s hub in Dubai International airport. Utilising the latest biometric technology – a mix of facial and iris recognition, Emirates passengers can soon check in for their flight, complete immigration formalities, enter the Emirates lounge and board their flights, simply by strolling through the airport. The latest biometric equipment has already been installed at Emirates Terminal 3, Dubai International airport. It can be found at select check-in counters, at the Emirates Lounge in Concourse B for premium passengers, and at select boarding gates. Areas where biometric equipment are installed will be clearly marked.  Adel Al Redha, Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer, Emirates, said, “Guided by our chairman His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, Emirates continuously innovates and strives to improve our day-to-day business. After extensive research and evaluation of numerous technologies and new approaches to enhance our passenger journey, we are now satisfied with the preliminary work we have carried out and are ready to commence live trials of the world’s first biometric path at Emirates Terminal 3. These ground-breaking initiatives are a result of close collaboration with our stakeholders – particularly GDRFA who have been instrumental in the programme to bring the biometric path to fruition.” Major General Mohammed Ahmed Almarri, General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA), Dubai,  said, “We are pleased to roll-out these new initiatives at Terminal 3 in collaboration with Emirates and our airport stakeholders. The Smart Tunnel tests are running smoothly, and we are now preparing to mobilise the other biometric systems at the other areas …

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.”

Emirates has signed three Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) to facilitate tourism and trade in Vietnam’s largest and most visited city. The airline will mutually collaborate with the Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Promotion Center (HTPC), Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism and Investment and Trade promotion Centre of Ho Chi Minh City (ITPC) to promote Ho Chi Minh City as a tourist destination and trade hub. HE Nguyen Thanh Phong, Chairman, People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City, led a high-level delegation and working visit to the UAE from October 22 to 25, 2018. Further, Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, Department of Tourism, Department of External Relations and Investment and Trade Promotion Centre of Ho Chi Minh City (ITPC), Embassy of Vietnam in the UAE, in cooperation with partners in Dubai, held a conference on “Trade, Investment and Tourism Promotion into Ho Chi Minh City.” At the conference, the agreements were signed by Badr Abbas, Senior Vice President – Commercial Operations for Far East, Emirates; Haitham Al Battawy, Country Manager – Vietnam, Emirates and Nabil Sultan, Divisional Senior Vice President, Emirates SkyCargo in the presence of HE Nguyen Thanh Phong, Chairman, People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City; HE Trinh Vinh Quang, Vietnam’s Ambassador to the UAE; Le Phuong, Commercial Counsellor – Head, Vietnam Trade Office, Dubai; Omar Khan, Director, International Offices, Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Aldulrahman Mohamed Al Hosani, Director, Exporter Services Department, Dubai Export. Commenting on the signing of the MoUs, Badr Abbas, SVP – Commercial Operations for Far East, Emirates said, “Vietnam is an important destination within Emirates’ network and we are pleased to collaborate on joint promotional activities that will leverage the route’s …

Etihad Airways and Saudia have announced a new codeshare partnership, providing customers with access to more than 40 leisure and business destinations in the home markets and across the world. The two carriers also announced plans for greater commercial cooperation in other fields, including frequent flyer programme benefits, cargo and engineering, and maintenance. The codeshare agreement was signed at Saudia headquarters in Jeddah by HE Eng Saleh bin Naser Al Jasser, Director General Saudi Arabian Airlines; Tony Douglas, Group Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Aviation Group. They were joined by Jaan Albercht, Chief Executive Officer, Saudia; Ahmed Al Qubaisi, Senior Vice President – Government & International Affairs, Etihad Aviation Group and Ali Saleh, Vice President Alliances & Partnerships, Etihad Aviation Group. HE Al Jasser said, “The new partnership broadens aviation and transport links with the United Arab Emirates, building on the extensive aviation investment and strong foundation in the sector. The added network coverage enables our guests to benefit from added flexibility and convenience, as well as increase the benefits for members of both airlines’ frequent flyer plans.” The codeshare agreement will see Etihad Airways place its ‘EY’ code on Saudia’s flights to Abha, Al-Baha, Alula, Arar, Bisha, Dammam, Dawadmi, Gassim, Gizan, Gurayat, Hail, Hofuf, Jeddah, Jouf, Madinah, Qaisumah, Rafha, Riyadh, Sharurah, Tabuk, Taif, Turaif, Wadi-Ad-Dawasir, Wedjh, Yanbo and Abu Dhabi. Port Sudan, Tunis, Alexandria, Sharm el-Sheikh, Multan and Peshawar are subject to government approval. At the same time, Saudia will place its ‘SV’ code on Etihad flights to Baku, Chengdu, Ahmedabad, Nagoya, Tokyo-Narita, Dammam, Jeddah, Madinah, Riyadh, Belgrade, Seychelles,  Chicago-O’Hare and Abu Dhabi.  

Oman Air has introduced a new WhatsApp service which enables its guests to communicate instantly. Clients who opt for this service can now receive their booking confirmations, check-in notifications, boarding passes, flight status updates, in addition to other requested information, directly through the messaging app. The service offers secure, efficient and personalised customer interaction between the airline and the customer, with no third-party interference. Eng Abdulaziz Al Raisi, CEO, Oman Air, said, “Oman Air is increasingly using technology to boost its operations and make the travel experience more stress-free for its guests. This move once again demonstrates our continued commitment to offer our guests with added value and an enhanced travel experience.” Dr Khalid Abdulwahab Al Balushi, Senior Manager, Call Centers, commented, “This Business solution will enable us to reach out to more passengers as it is one of the most popular messaging applications worldwide. The new service will go a long way towards enhancing the customer experience for today’s always-connected customers. Furthermore, the WhatsApp feature is in line with the Oman Air’s journey to digitalisation.”