Category Archives: Aviation

Qatar Airways landed its inaugural flight to the Turkish city of Trabzon. The non-stop service is operating with the Airbus A320 aircraft three times weekly on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. The new route expands Qatar Airways’ footprint in Türkiye and strengthens its global network of more than 160 destinations. Trabzon is Qatar Airways’ seventh destination in Türkiye, with the airline also operating to Adana, Ankara, Antalya, Bodrum, Istanbul, and Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen. Located in the Northeast of Turkey, Trabzon is celebrated for its rich history, cultural offerings, and beautiful Black Sea coastline. The city boasts an array of natural and historic wonders, including the Sumela Monastery, Uzungol Lake, and the stunning Trabzon Hagia Sophia Museum. Onboard QR319, the flight was celebrated by the attendance of the Ambassador of The Republic of Türkiye in Qatar, His Excellency Dr. Mustafa Goksu. Special celebrations took place in Premium and Economy Cabins, where passengers were welcomed with special Turkish desserts, and experienced a bespoke menu in addition to being presented with unique giveaways that embrace the Turkish culture. The aircraft was welcomed with a water cannon salute upon landing, where a short airport ceremony took place which was attended by the Governor of Trabzon, Mr. İsmail Ustaoğlu. Passengers were handed red roses and Turkish baklava and enjoyed a dance performance by a traditional folk group. With this new route, Qatar Airways passengers will have the opportunity to explore Trabzon’s diverse offerings with ease and convenience. From sports activities, to hiking mountains and family getaways, Trabzon presents something unique to all travellers. Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “Trabzon is an exciting and important new route for Qatar Airways, …

SAUDIA launched its first flight from King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh to Nice Côte d’Azur International Airport in Nice, France. This marks SAUDIA’s second destination in France as part of its phased implementation strategy aimed at expanding its international network. It is also the newest Summer seasonal destination SAUDIA introduced this year. Baakdah emphasized the significance of strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries through the introduction of SAUDIA’s flights to Nice Airport and connecting the existing flights to Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris. This was part of the plan announced at the beginning of this year to expand the airline’s existing flight network. As part of the plan, SAUDIA aims to increase the number of destinations and expand the aircraft fleet to achieve operational goals. Additionally, SAUDIA has been focusing on developing its digital service ecosystem to enhance the guest experience. The inaugural SAUDIA flight, SV129, departed from King Khalid International Airport to the city of Nice, in the presence of Mr. Mohammad Baakdah, the Vice President of Ground Operations at SAUDIA, and Mr. Mohammed Alshammari, the Chief Operations Officer at Riyadh Airports Company, along with several operations and management officials. To commemorate the flight’s launch, a ribbon-cutting ceremony took place at the airport at AlFursan International Lounge.

Air Arabia announced the launch of their newest City Check-in facility in Muweilah, opposite Al Madinah Shopping Centre in Sharjah. Aiming at providing passengers with enhanced convenience and flexibility in their travel experience, the city check-in service will allow travellers to drop off their bags and collect their boarding pass at a location near them across the Emirates. This service is designed to simplify the pre-flight process, save time and avoid queues at the airport allowing passengers to proceed directly to their flight upon arrival at the airport. The Muweilah facility operates daily from 10 am to 10 pm. Passengers have the convenience of checking in and dropping off their luggage within 24 hours up until 8 hours prior to flight departure. Similar to airport amenities, passengers can also access services such as purchasing additional baggage allowance, selecting preferred seats, or making changes to their flight arrangements. Passengers flying from Sharjah International Airport can visit any of the 6 City Check-in facilities located in Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah, Ajman and Al Ain. Air Arabia remains dedicated to delivering exceptional customer service and innovative solutions to its passengers. The launch of the new City Check-In facility aligns with the airline’s commitment to provide affordable and value-added offerings that cater to the evolving needs of its customers.

Etihad Airways is increasing its flight frequency between Abu Dhabi and Rome from seven to 11 times per week. The four extra services will commence on 4 November 2023, providing business and leisure travellers with better access and convenience through double-daily connections between the Italian and UAE capitals on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. “We’re delighted to announce the expansion of our Rome service, which underscores our commitment to providing more flexibility and better travel options to our guests in Italy, the UAE and across our network,” said Arik De, Chief Revenue Officer at Etihad Airways. “Rome is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, and with over two millennia of history and culture, and countless attractions from the Colosseum to the Vatican City and the Roman Forum, it’s easy to see why. “With Etihad Airways increasing its Rome flight frequency, visitors from the UAE will now have even more opportunities to get a taste of la dolce vita or connect onwards to one of 45 Italian, European or Americas destinations with our codeshare partner ITA Airways. “Our second Rome service has also been timed to provide optimised local flight times for those visiting Abu Dhabi, with an evening departure and a convenient morning arrival that allows for maximised time in the capital.” Travellers can enjoy world-class service and comfort onboard Etihad’s flights between Rome and Abu Dhabi, operated on a fleet of state-of-the-art Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft with 28 seats in Business and 262 seats in Economy. With this increase in frequency, Etihad Airways is creating more opportunities for Italian travellers to explore the Emirati capital and connect on to other exciting destinations in East Asia, …

Emirates announced  that premium economy offering will be available to and from Mumbai and Bengaluru, starting 29 October. Emirates will operate its newly retrofitted flagship A380 aircraft to these two popular Indian points, featuring the new premium economy seats, as well as refreshed interiors that provide an elevated experience in all other cabin classes. Travellers flying on the Dubai-Mumbai route can book Emirates’ Premium Economy seats on EK500/501, while customers flying between Dubai and Bengaluru can book their flights on EK568/569 to enjoy the industry’s latest premium economy product with luxurious seats, more legroom, and an elevated dining experience. Seats can be booked immediately via emirates.com, Emirates sales offices and travel agencies, for travel from 29 October. Emirates’ daily flights offering the Premium Economy experience to/ from Bengaluru and Mumbai will operate as follows: Dates Flight Departure  Arrival Aircraft type From 29 October EK500 (DXB/BOM) 21:50 02:15 (next day) A380 EK568 (DXB/BLR) 21:25 02:30 (next day) From 30 October EK501 (BOM/DXB) 04:15 06:05 EK569 (BLR/DXB) 04:30 07:10 *All times are local. As the roll out of the retrofitted and enhanced Emirates A380s featuring a four-class configuration picks up pace, Premium Economy will be deployed on flights to more global destinations. Premium Economy already features on flights to nine destinations globally, including US points New York JFK, San Francisco and Houston, in addition to London Heathrow, Sydney, Auckland, Christchurch, Melbourne and Singapore. Premium Economy cabins will also make their debut to Los Angeles in July, bringing the number of routes offering the distinctive product to 12 by the end of 2023. In addition to the introduction of Premium Economy on the retrofitted aircraft, customers across all cabins can enjoy the refreshed …

American Express announced that Kuwait’s low-cost carrier Jazeera Airways, now accepts American Express card payments. American Express Cardmembers now have greater payment choice and are able to use their American Express Cards with Jazeera, which operates a robust network spanning 66 destinations across the Middle East, Europe, Central and South Asia as well as Africa. “We are thrilled to be working with Jazeera Airways, increasing our range of accepted payment methods and adding value to our Cardmembers,” said Rasheed Khuzam, Kuwait Country Manager, American Express Middle East. “As our network of airline partners continues to grow, we are committed to offering our members added convenience and accessibility, as well as the very best of travel options and experiences.” With the addition of Jazeera Airways, American Express Cardmembers will be able to use their American Express Card when booking flights on jazeeraairways.com or via the Jazeera app making it easier than ever to explore the world. Jazeera Airways has seen year-on-year growth, serving 3.58 million passengers in 2022 and is expected to reach 10 million by 2028. The airline’s steady expansion of routes has made it a popular choice for travelers seeking value flights and excellent service. Bharathan Ravindran, Vice President – Commercial, Jazeera Airways said “At Jazeera Airways we strive to offer the best customer experience for all our passengers. This includes a large variety of destinations, comfortable flights and great value add services. The Jazeera website and mobile application, ranked the no. 1 travel app in Kuwait, are the most popular and rewarding channels to book our flights. By accepting American Express payments, we aim to provide customers even greater payment choice.” The partnership will offer American Express Cardmembers …

The new national airline of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh Air flew will make its public debut on June 19th at the 54th Paris Air Show as part of Riyadh Air’s first appearance to global audiences. A new chapter in air travel is taking the skies with the world class, digitally native airline “Riyadh Air”. The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner painted aircraft with the modern and striking livery was revealed in Riyadh at King Khaled International Airport on June 12th marking a national celebration of the new carrier. The historical moment and ceremony were attended by highnesses, excellencies, and official dignitaries. The new airline will elevate the way the world travels with a new level of guest experience and technology that will pioneer the future of the travel industry. The brand identity of Riyadh Air reflects the modern and forward-thinking theme from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It is inspired by the warmth and hospitality of the Kingdom and the vibrant lavender colors that carpet the desert in the spring, the beautiful livery is one of a series which will continue to push boundaries in aviation. It has been designed to incorporate visual references to the Kingdom and the city which include the sweeping curves of Arabic script with the global campaign tagline ‘The Future Takes Flight’. Riyadh Air will build connectivity from the capital city to over 100 destinations around the world due to its convenient location with over 60 per cent of the world’s population within eight hours flying time. The airline aims to be significantly innovative in providing travel services in the sector, while being instrumental in delivering the Kingdom’s National Transport and Logistics Strategy and the …

Emirates and Kenya Airways (KQ) have announced an interline partnership that will allow customers of both airlines access to new destinations on the two airlines’ networks within a single itinerary. The agreement will provide customers with increased travel options as well as seamless baggage check-in to their final destination. Emirates customers will now be able to fly to 28 destinations on the Kenya Airways network using Nairobi as the gateway to destinations such as Nampula, Bangui, Bujumbara, Kigali, Dzaoudzi, Lubumbashi, Kinshasa, Kilimanjaro, Juba, Zanzibar, among many other regional points across Africa. Additionally, as part of a bilateral interline arrangement, Emirates passengers travelling via Dubai can also book a single ticket itinerary from or to Mombasa, one of the most popular leisure destinations in Kenya. Similarly, Kenya Airways passengers travelling from Nairobi and Mombasa will now be able to access the Emirates’ network and seamlessly connect through Dubai to 23 destinations across West and South Asia, the Far East, the Indian Ocean and Middle East such as Singapore, Tokyo, Bangkok, Ahmedabad, Beirut, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Seoul among others. Adnan Kazim, Chief Commercial Officer, Emirates said, “We are pleased to ink our first partnership with Kenya’s flag carrier. Kenya is a strategic gateway in our Africa network, and this new interline agreement will enhance connectivity for Emirates’ customers and provide them more travel choices across the continent. We look forward to deepening our relationship with Kenya Airways, offering greater network opportunities and improving connections for both of our customers.” Speaking on the agreement Julius Thairu, Chief Commercial and Customer Officer Kenya Airways said, “This partnership will provide the ideal gateway for our customers as we seek to increase our connectivity between Africa …

Oman Air has announced the expansion of its flight services to Bahrain and Doha, offering passengers increased convenience and flexibility. As of this month, the airline is operating 11 flights per week between Muscat and Bahrain, while flights between Muscat and Doha will increase from 21 to 35 a week on 24 June. Part of its summer schedule, the airline is offering a range of convenient timings, from early in the morning to late at night, enabling guests to seamlessly plan business trips, weekend getaways and even daytrips. Connecting Muscat to major cities across the GCC, Oman Air also offers 35 flights a week to Dubai, 21 flights a week to Riyadh and Jeddah, and 14 flights a week to Kuwait. Meanwhile, it continues to cater to the increasing number of Muscat-based travellers who are choosing to holiday in the region. Wherever the destination, the enhanced flight schedule allows travelers to optimise their plans and enjoy a smooth and seamless travel experience.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that Emirates will host the 80th IATA Annual General Meeting (AGM) and World Air Transport Summit in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on 2-4 June 2024. “We look forward to gathering the aviation industry in Dubai for the 80th IATA AGM in 2024. Dubai is a dynamic city and a major aviation hub connecting the world. The UAE’s positive approach to aviation has built a strong airline with a strong hub airport. Together, these make an enormously powerful and positive contribution to the society and economy of the UAE. Holding the AGM in Dubai will be a showcase of what can be achieved by aviation with supportive government policies and decisions,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General. “Emirates is delighted to host the 80th IATA AGM and World Air Transport Summit. We look forward to welcoming all our aviation industry colleagues to Dubai in 2024,” said Sir Tim Clark, President Emirates Airline. The decision to host the 80th IATA AGM was made by the 79th AGM in Istanbul.  This will be the first time the UAE and Dubai will host the global gathering of aviation’s top leaders.