Category Archives: Aviation

With a target to attract over six million international visitors a year by 2030, Qatar Tourism (QT) has partnered with Kazunion, one of Kazakhstan’s largest tour operators, to operate four commercial charter flights a week from two cities in Kazakhstan (Almaty and Astana) to Qatar via FlyArystan from January to March 2023. Kazakhstan is one of 15 target markets identified by Qatar Tourism as a primary source for tourists looking to relax, rejuvenate and soak in Qatar’s vibrant culture. The commercial charter flights from Kazakhstan to Qatar are part of a travel package deal formed by Kazunion which include flights and beach side accommodation for travellers looking to explore Doha’s rich arts, culture, and retail offerings. Celebrating this key milestone, Chief Operating Officer of Qatar Tourism, Berthold Trenkel, said: “We are delighted to partner with Kazunion to launch Qatar’s first commercial charter flights to and from Kazakhstan. Our agreement will help sustain the growth of Qatar’s tourism sector by promoting the country as a family-friendly, cosmopolitan, and culturally rich destination for travellers from Kazakhstan.” Qatar Tourism’s 2030 strategy aims to increase the number of visitors to Qatar by threefold, increase spending by 3 to 4 times, and grow the GDP contribution of the tourism sector to 12% by 2030. Kazunion is actively promoting these travel packages among its business-to-consumer and business-to-business targets using various advertising channels across digital, broadcast, cinemas, billboards, and professional events that gather the country’s travel agents. Founded in 2009, Kazunion currently has six offices in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. In Kazakhstan, the tour operator has four offices located in Astana, Almaty, Aktau and Aktobe. Kazunion also has a wide network of partners, with 5,000 agencies in …

flydubai announced the resumption of flights to Shymkent International Airport (CIT) from 28 February with a twice-weekly service. With the start of flights to Shymkent, flydubai grows its network in Kazakhstan to three destinations including Almaty and the capital, Astana. Ghaith Al Ghaith, Chief Executive Officer at flydubai, said: “Kazakhstan has long been an important market since we first launched operations to Almaty in 2014. In 2022 we carried almost 300,000 passengers between the UAE and Kazakhstan, an increased figure of 145% compared to 2019, and we look forward to strengthening trade and cultural relations with the start of flights to Shymkent.” The UAE and Kazakhstan have a long history of trade relations in which they cooperate together in several economic sectors including mining, agriculture, oil and gas, and construction. Commenting on the start of flights, Jeyhun Efendi, Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations and E-commerce at flydubai, said: “we are excited to see our network grow in Kazakhstan with Shymkent as our third destination which will serve a total frequency of 22 weekly flights. This frequency will increase to 26 weekly flights from February and will offer our customers in Kazakhstan more convenient and reliable options to explore the UAE and beyond.” After Almaty and Astana, Shymkent is the third largest city in Kazakhstan and is a major cultural centre that features bustling bazaars, ancient architecture and natural scenery.flydubai expands its network in the Central Asian region to ten points, providing passengers from the UAE and the region with more options for travel. This includes Almaty, Ashgabat, Astana, Bishkek, Dushanbe, Namangan, Osh, Samarkand, Shymkent and Tashkent.  

Emirates will offer passengers yet another opportunity to ‘fly better’, with new high-speed, inflight broadband powered by Inmarsat’s GX Aviation, onboard 50 new Airbus A350 aircraft – scheduled to enter service in 2024. The new agreement will significantly improve the passenger experience with enhanced connectivity and greater global coverage, even on flights over the Arctic. The Airbus A350s will be the first Emirates aircraft to take advantage of Inmarsat’s Global Xpress (GX) satellite network, which powers the world’s first and only globally available broadband network, ensuring passengers can enjoy uninterrupted global connectivity, no matter their destination, including the North Pole. The advanced high-speed capabilities of the broadband will enable Emirates passengers to stay connected with family and friends, browse the internet, and enjoy social media, all from the comfort of their seat. The GX network that will power the Emirates inflight broadband currently consists of five Ka-band satellites and will be further enhanced with the addition of seven more satellite payloads as part of Inmarsat’s fully funded technology roadmap. This includes two Inmarsat-6s, the most sophisticated commercial communications satellites ever built, both of which are scheduled to enter service in 2023. These will be followed by three additional satellites in geostationary orbit – adding speed, capacity, and resilience – and two in highly elliptical orbit, to enable the world’s only commercial mobile broadband service for aircraft flying in higher elevations and across the Arctic, such as routes between the Middle East and North America. Adel al Redha, Emirates’ Chief Operating Officer, said “Delivering a world-class onboard experience has always been paramount to Emirates and we understand the importance of being connected during flights. Over the years, we have worked closely …

‎In a first-of-its-kind initiative, Qatar Airways Privilege Club, British Airways Executive Club and IndusInd Bank,  announced their partnership, to introduce the unique multi-branded credit card, with two leading international airlines powered by Visa. The multi-branded credit card is slated to be launched and made available to consumers in the first quarter of the financial year 2023 – 2024. Through this proposition, members will soon be able to collect Avios, the rewards currency for British Airways Executive Club and Qatar Airways Privilege Club, by signing up and choosing their preferred loyalty programme. This credit card will be available in the Infinite variant of Visa, and will offer best-in-class rewards and benefits to elevate the travel experience of customers. Stacked with multiple attractive benefits suiting the requirements of frequent travellers, at the time of application, this credit card will give customers the flexibility to choose their preferred airline loyalty programme and select their preferred travel destination to collect maximum Avios and enjoy a host of other benefits. Qatar Airways Chief Commercial Officer, Thierry Antinori, said: “Today Qatar Airways Privilege Club takes another step forward in providing our members with the best offerings in the industry, introducing a first-of-its-kind Visa multi-branded credit card, in India with IndusInd Bank. “When adopting Avios as our rewards currency, we promised members that new and exciting opportunities would come, this collaboration with oneworld® partner British Airways is another manifestation of this. We look forward to seeing our members in India availing the extensive benefits of this new partnership, which is designed to enhance their future travels.” Oliver Currell, Head of Financial Partnerships, IAG Loyalty, said: “We are delighted to launch the new British Airways and Qatar Airways …

The first Emirates A380 to be completely refurbished under the airline’s US$ 2 billion retrofit program has been deployed on the Dubai-London Heathrow service, operating as EK003. Sir Tim Clark, President Emirates Airline said: “Customers will notice the difference the moment they step onboard – the spacious A380 will look and feel even more impressive and comfortable. With our latest interiors and products, this newly refurbished aircraft elevates our inflight experience in all classes of travel, and enables us to offer more Premium Economy seats to meet customer demand. I’m particularly proud that this refurbishment work was designed, conducted and completed inhouse at our facilities in Dubai, to the highest standards of quality and safety. It reflects the world-class aviation capabilities and infrastructure that exists within Emirates, and here in the UAE.” The fully refreshed A380 features Emirates’ latest products and interiors across all cabins, including 56 Premium Economy class seats on the main deck, and new colour palettes evident in the carpeting and wall panels. On the upper deck, First and Business Class seats sport Emirates’ latest cream-coloured leather upholstery and lighter-toned wood finishing, similar to the airline’s ‘game changer’ product. Emirates’ signature ghaf tree motif also features prominently throughout the interiors, including hand-stencilled panels in the First Class Shower Spa. The next Emirates A380 aircraft lined up for its make-over is A6-EUW, and work is expected to be completed by the end of this month. As the program progresses, engineers will work simultaneously on 2 aircraft. This means that one aircraft in the fleet will be withdrawn from service every eight days and transferred to Emirates Engineering facilities. By 2024, all 67 A380s assigned for refurbishment will have …

Cathay Pacific welcomes the Hong Kong SAR Government’s latest measures to facilitate quarantine-free travel between Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland, as well as the lifting of transit restrictions, effective 8 January 2023. In light of today’s announcement, Cathay Pacific will more than double its flights into the Chinese Mainland, operating 61 return flights per week between Hong Kong and 13 Mainland cities from 14 January 2023. This compares to the 27 flights per week from Hong Kong to the Mainland, and 50 flights per week from the Mainland to Hong Kong that the airline is currently operating. Cathay Pacific is working actively to resume and add more flights progressively between Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland in the coming weeks, with the aim of operating over 100 return flights per week by March 2023. Vishnu Rajendran, Area Manager, Middle East for Cathay Pacific said, “The new year has welcomed us with positive developments. We have always had strong connections into the Chinese Mainland and are delighted to more than double our frequency. With the Chinese Mainland lifting its quarantine and transit requirements, we anticipate the demand to travel further grow particularly with the upcoming Chinese New Year. The increase in operations will provide travellers, particularly from the business and trade segment with more options and accessibility to travel.” From 8 January 2023, Cathay Pacific will increase its flights between Hong Kong and Beijing to 10 pairs per week, and between Hong Kong and Shanghai (Pudong) to 21 pairs per week. The airline is also resuming flights to Guangzhou with five return flights per week. Meanwhile, from 14 January 2023 the airline will increase its flights between Hong Kong and …

Etihad Airways is boosting its flights to Bangkok, Thailand by doubling its frequency. From 26 March 2023, the airline will fly twice a day on the Abu Dhabi – Bangkok route, providing a total of 14 weekly nonstop services to Bangkok Airport (BKK). The flights will offer Etihad’s award-winning service and comfort across both Business and Economy Class cabins. Arik De, Chief Revenue Officer, Etihad Airways, said: “With our convenient morning departure from Abu Dhabi, our second Bangkok flight has optimised timings for those UAE residents wishing to have a break in Thailand. Moreover, the return departure from Bangkok allows for those Thai residents to arrive in Abu Dhabi in the morning to have a head-start in exploring what the city has to offer in terms of business and pleasure. It further reaffirms our commitment to bringing more guests to enjoy Abu Dhabi.” Bangkok is a world-renowned destination in its own right as well as being the gateway to travel throughout Thailand and further across South East Asia for millions of visitors every year. The new frequency will make it even more convenient for people connecting to flights to and from Thailand through Etihad’s growing global route network. Etihad Airways has just been rated third in the list of Top 20 Safest Airlines 2023 compiled by AirlineRatings, the highest placed carrier in the Middle East. Flight schedule for Abu Dhabi – Bangkok service, effective 26 March 2023: Flt Desg Dept Arp Dept Time Arvl Arp Arrv Time Freq   EY  402 AUH 22:50 BKK 08:20 Daily   EY  403 BKK 20:15 AUH 23:30 Daily   EY  404 AUH 10:30 BKK 20:00 Daily   EY  405 BKK 02:25 AUH 06:00 Daily …

Oman Air has partnered with HSBC Oman on a unique and innovative international payments process, which will dramatically increase efficiency and security. Via a centralised treasury hub in Oman, HSBC’s Global Disbursement solution, developed as a bespoke service for Oman Air, will deliver simultaneous multiple currency payments and an improved track and trace function for every transaction. The new service enables Oman Air to process foreign currency payments through a single bank account, using HSBC’s extensive global network and transparent FX rates. This reduces dependency on other third party banks, reducing the costs of processing these payment types and the hours worked in doing so. This strengthens the relationship with HSBC as Oman Air’s bank of choice for international payments. “Oman Air continues to invest in innovative financial solutions as a crucial component of our success as a truly global airline,” said Oman Air Chief Executive Officer Eng. Abdulaziz Al Raisi. “HSBC’s Global Disbursement solution provides us with simplicity, expediency, and security. We are confident that this partnership will enable us to achieve a more streamlined international payments procedure and ultimately, enhance our guest experience,” Eng. Abdulaziz continued. “At HSBC Oman, we are committed to innovating in our technology to make banking easier, more accessible, and more secure for our clients. Our Global Disbursement solution is designed to simplify the cross border payment process by reducing costs, minimizing risk and improving transparency. Our Global Payments Solutions Team has a proven record of providing clients across the MENAT Region with a comprehensive suite of market leading, innovative solutions and products to help them do business every day,” said Melika Betley, CEO of HSBC Oman. The Global Disbursement solution will introduce significant …

Emirates has sealed an agreement with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of The Bahamas to promote tourism to the Caribbean archipelago. The airline and The Bahamas’ Ministry of Tourism will embark on joint initiatives to boost visitor traffic into the islands from key markets across Emirates’ network. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Emirates Group Chairman and Chief Executive and HE Tony Joudi, Ambassador of The Bahamas to the UAE and the State of Qatar at the Emirates Group Headquarters. Also present at the signing ceremony was Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Chief Commercial Officer and Salem Obaidalla, Emirates’ Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations for the Americas. His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Emirates Group Chairman and Chief Executive said: “We are pleased to collaborate with The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of The Bahamas in supporting its goals to boost the nation’s tourism economy. Through our partnerships with United and Air Canada, we look forward to playing a key role in promoting The Bahamas as a key leisure destination. Our global customers from across our network can enjoy Emirates’ services to our points in North America and benefit from enhanced connectivity and access to the islands.” His Excellency Tony Joudi, Ambassador of The Bahamas to the UAE and the State of Qatar said: “I would like to thank Emirates for playing a role in strengthening the connection between the two countries. Tourism is the lifeblood of our nation’s economy and, by growing visitor arrivals to our tropical island paradise, we hope to achieve our goals of stimulating the tourism economy and providing impetus to the business climate. “Emirates is a …

flydubai announced the launch of flights to six destinations as it continues to grow its network. This includes the start of flights to Cagliari, Corfu, Krabi, Milan and Pattaya from 2023 as well as the resumption of flights to Hofuf from 24 November 2022 and flights are available for booking on flydubai.com. Since the start of 2022, flydubai has launched flights to more than 20 destinations, including Pisa and Catania in Italy, Osh in Kyrgyzstan as well as Samarkand and Namangan in Uzbekistan. The addition of these six routes will see the flydubai network expand to 113 destinations in 53 countries. This represents a significant milestone as it is the largest number of destinations the carrier will serve since it began operations. Commenting on the expansion of the airline’s network, Ghaith Al Ghaith, Chief Executive Officer at flydubai, said: “I am very proud to see our network grow bigger than ever. Dubai’s aviation industry has made a swift recovery, and our agility combined with our strong business model has enabled us to grow our operations and to achieve this significant milestone. With 113 destinations now available to book, we look forward to offering our passengers more options for travel across our ever-growing network.” Milan is the second largest city in Italy and is one of the largest shopping and tourism destinations in Europe while Cagliari is the capital city of Sardinia and is well-known for its many historical monuments and beautiful beaches. The Greek island of Corfu has become popular for its stunning landscapes, rich multi-cultural heritage, crystal-clear seas and cosmopolitan Old Town. Commenting on the launch of flights to these destinations, Jeyhun Efendi, Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations and …