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Emirates recently opened its third lounge in Germany as part of a multi-million dollar push to offer pre-departure convenience and comfort at important airports around the world. The new lounge at 700 square feet is its biggest, and is located in Dusseldorf International Airport. It is similar to other luxury travel lounges in Frankfurt and Munich. It includes complimentary broadband access, Business…
Jazeera Airways will cancel direct flight services to four destinations and discontinue operations for two other destinations. This has caused thousands of vacationers to change their travel plans. The airline recently announced that beginning in June they will not fly directly to New Delhi, Mumbai, Sana’s, and Salalah. Except for Bahrain and Kuwait, non-stop services will be continued only via Kuwait, and…
Chief Executive of Dubai Airports said the biggest challenge ahead will be to keep the entire system from becoming totally gridlocked. Paul Griffiths, speaking at the airport show in Dubai on Sunday said airport movements are projected to increase from 53 per hour today to 169 per hour over the next few years. He said this will create difficulties because there are several no-fly zones around the…
Four senior management of Kingdom Holding Company bought 4 million shares in Kingdom Holding Company (KHC). The four management people are KHC Board and Investment Committee members. They are Eng. Talal Al Maiman, Mr. P. Shoucair, and Eng Ahmed Halawani. Their titles are respectively, Executive Director for International Investments, Executive Director for Private Equity, and CFO. KHC Kingdom Holding Company…
An emirati decree was issued to restructure Etihad Airway’s Board of Directors by President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan in his capacity as Ruler of Dubai. The new board will be chaired by Shaikh Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and its tenure will be for three years.
Flydubai CEO said they are looking beyond the recession this year and expect to achieve 70% in their bookings by year end. Ghaith Al Ghaith said they are not concerned about slower than expected air travel transportation. He said flydubai’s vision, and the vision of the Dubai government and His Highness Shaikh Mohammed is to look beyond the current economic recession the world is suffering from. Regarding…
Flydubai is setting itself apart from other airlines with its recent push to promote simpler ways to travel during these economically difficult times. They will be the first carrier in the region to discontinue check-in counters and also charge for all luggage as it is checked in. The change will begin on 1 June when flydubai launches its first flight to Berlin using preprinted boarding passes. Flydubai will…
Chairman of flydubai unveiled the first of its Boeing 737-800 Next Generation aircraft yesterday in Dubai. Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum called it a tremendous moment for flydubai and the development of aviation in the region. Sheikh Ahmed said Dubai is one step closer now to providing a low cost carrier because of the vision and leadership of the UAE Vice President Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al…
Following a three year absence, wireless internet service is now returning to air flight service, allowing passenger to surf the web, check their email, and log-on to their corporate network during their flight. Boeing at one time had a very expensive, multibillion dollar plan to equip planes with a satellite based system, but the idea was shelved. However, several small internet companies have now developed…
Emirates Airlines is disputing a report by the European Commission’s Consumer Affairs Division which charges that the airline is one of 12 to consistently mislead consumers regarding airfares on their website. During the commission’s 18 month long investigation these carriers, including Aeroflot, Northwest, and Olympic, did not adequately respond to charges of misleading fare advertising. Initially, 137…
Luxury air carrier Saraya Skies has made several high level appointments coinciding with its participation in the European Business Aviation Convention (EBAC), the world’s largest aviation exhibition. Bilal Yousaf was appointed Managing Director and Ivan Tehaghapsao were appointed Sales and Marketing Director. Prior to joining Saraya Skies, Yousaf held management positions with several leading aviation…
Middle East air bookings were 1% higher in the first quarter of 2009, and the region as a whole registered positive growth. However, Europe and Asia registered double digit drops in growth during this period according to industry data. Bookings through travel agents in the UAE between January and March 2009 fell 3.2% compared to the same period in 2008. Europe air bookings fell 12.95% and Asia fell 15.12%…
Emirates Airlines dismissed recent criticisms about its promotion offering free air fare, hotel stays, and meals to children of two traveling parents. The airline explained it is quite normal to offer special promotions during the summer season, and the aim of this promotion is to give families a chance for an affordable holiday. Recent statements imply that the offer is being made because of falling demand for…
Emirates Airlines clarified on Wednsesay that its “Best Offer” promotion applies only to Emirates services and not those of other airlines. The airline announced their "Best Offer“ promotion earlier this week, which gives refunds to passengers if they find a better deal elsewhere. However the airline did not specify that the offer refers only to its own services. An Emirates spokesman explained that some…
British Telecom (BT) has signed a contract to provide the technology link to Emirates Airlines worldwide call centers. Under the five year contract BT will connect Emirates call centers to a single globally managed platform. The call centers are in Mumbai, Melbourne, Manchester, Dubai, and New York and also nine town office locations. BT said operating costs will decrease and efficiency will improve with the…
EAD, the parent of Airbus, registered a 70% dive in operating profits during the first quarter, following a new charge for its postponed A400 military plane. They also cut their forecast for civil plane order, which caused their share price to slide. EAD results reflect the challenges faced by aerospace firms because airlines avoid expanding their fleets while funds are scarce. Backstop accounting measures…
Kuwaiti premium class carrier Wataniya Airline slammed rumors that its Cairo flights were in jeopardy because of failure to comply with regulatory requirements. Recent reports suggested Wataniya did not meet Directorate General for Civil Aviation rules. The airline says there is no truth to the rumors. In a company statement they assured its stakeholders and guests that “it has complied with all regulatory…
Airlines have been restructuring their assets because of decreased traffic and high cost of operations, caused by the impact of the global financial crisis and turbulent fuel costs. Managing Director of British Airlines bmi, Peter Spencer, said some legacy airlines have resorted to using smaller aircraft, carrying fewer passengers, and using some part of their fleet for charter services. Spencer said legacy…
