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Gulf Air said no passengers were in danger following a near miss midair collision with a Saudi plane. A Saudi Arabian Airlines plane came within 800 vertical feet (200 feet less than industry guidelines) of a Gulf Air flight from Bahrain carrying 180 passengers. The Saudi Arabian Airlines flight, which was carrying 377 passengers, was warned by air traffic controllers. An airport official explained the…
A new charter company based in Fujairah, Abulhoul Aviation, was launched on Sunday. The company will begin operations in January on a Cessna 206 Station Air. Its first flight will depart from Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi, and arrive in Fujairah International Airport. General Manager of Fujairah National Airport, Khalid Al Mazroui, said “We will provide assistance and services to make such operations are…
Emirates announced it will begin direct flights to Tokyo, Japan, beginning March 28th, 2010. The new flight service comes seven years after Emirates launched operations to Osaka, Japan, where the carrier currently flies daily. Tokyo currently will be Emirates 102nd destination and follows recent launch of operations to Durban and Luanda. Emirates Airline will fly five times a week, non stop between Japan and…
Chairman of the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority, Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qassimi, said Sharjah will keep working on establishing tourism projects and developments in order to attract more tourists and investors, despite the ongoing financial crisis. He said the first of the new tourism oriented projects will be announced in the first quarter of 2010. Sharjah’s participation in this…
Travel agents in Saudi Arabia say there is more demand for hotels and resorts abroad because many families prefer to spend the Eid-Al-Adha holidays outside the country, in part because it is less expensive. Dakhil Al-Ali Tayyar at Al-Tayyar Travel Agency said demand is increasing every day, especially as the Eid Al-Adha holidays approaches. Prices are a major reason Saudis are choosing to go abroad, since…
Four Seasons is currently in talks with developers about its first hotel in the UAE – in Dubai, and at the same time is reconsidering a planned project with the Al Futtaim Group. Four Seasons is also considering opportunities to expend in Abu Dhabi. Saudi Prince Al-Waleed’s Kingdom Holding and Cascade Investment, which is controlled by Bill Gates, owns Four Seasons. Four Seasons Vice President of Sales and…
A recent poll shows opinions are divided about growth in the region’s aviation industry next year, and whether the global crisis will continue to keep travelers at home. An online survey carried out on the last day of the Dubai Airshow on Thursday showed that only 15.9 percent of people believe that Middle Eastern Airlines will see significant passenger growth in 2010. 33.6 percent of respondents think carriers…
Dubai’s Jumeirah Group will open its first hotels in Brazil because demand is increasing due to rising incomes in Latin America’s biggest economy, the 2014 World Cup, and 2016 Olympic Games. Senior Vice President of development for the Americas at Dubai Group, James Erlacher, said “The time is right for us to be entering the Brazilian market.” Jumeirah plans to operate hotels first in Brazil’s biggest cities -…
The Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix event on Yas Island last month contributed to Abu Dhabi International Airport’s impressive passenger and cargo growth rates during October. The Abu Dhabi Airport Company (ADAC) released figures on Saturday showing the airport again bucked global recessionary trends recording a seven percent increase in passenger traffic in the first ten months of this year…
Saad Al-Qurashi, head of the Haj and Umrah Commission at the Makkah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said this there will be a sharp drop in the number of Saudi and non-Saudi domestic pilgrims. He said “There will be 70 percent fewer domestic pilgrims this year compared to last year.” He said about 68,000 Haj permits have so far been issued to domestic pilgrims, and this includes expatriates from neighboring…
Travel agents expect that bookings will increase for Eid al Adha, following a slow travel season this summer. The travel industry was greatly affected by the global financial crisis and swine flu fears, but many are optimistic that things are turning around for the Eid and National Day holidays, which begin on November 26 and end on December 3rd. Travel manager at Sharif Travel in Dubai said “It’s looking a…
A YouGov Siraj poll of over 1,200 leisure and business travelers showed that 31 percent of respondents who had chosen not to travel in the past are now making plans. People are now much more optimistic about making travel plans, with about 46 percent planning long haul business trips and 35 percent planning leisure trips over the next month. These numbers represent a big increase following the international…
The Middle East’s largest airline, Emirates Airline will start a fourth daily flight to Bangkok, Thailand next month. The flight, which is part of the airlines expansion in Asia-Pacific, will start on December 2. The flight will operate on four wide bodied jets, including the A380 superjumbo, capable of carrying 488 passengers. This fourth flight to Bangkok gives Emirates Airlines the biggest capacity…
STR Global Hotel Industry analysts calculate that there are currently 437 hotels under construction in the Middle East and Africa regions (MENA) representing more than 74,000 rooms. There were 634,226 hotel rooms in the MENA region in October, and another 120,000 in the planning and construction pipeline, according to the latest figures. UAE had the biggest number of hotel rooms in the active pipeline at 53,789…
Airlines are coping with the holiday rush as government offices and schools close for Eid Al-Adha holiday on Wednesday, and people depart for domestic and international destinations. A leading travel agent in Riyadh said flights to Dubai and Cairo are already fully booked, and airlines will be adding more flights in the next few days. Saudi Arabian Airlines currently has three flights to Dubai, but will add two…
Dubai Global Village announced an exciting calandar of events for its 14th edition at a press conference in yesterday. Dubai Global Village is a member of Tatweer Dubai. The 14th edition will run from November 22 to February 27, 2010 with more than 45 countries from around the world participating in the event. Project Director for Global Village, Saeed Ali Bin Redha, said “Global Village is a pioneering venue…
Dubai’s budget carrier flydubai said it will offer holiday packages, insurance, and other ancillary benefits in order to expand its business and strengthen revenues. CEO Ghaith al Ghaith said “We certainly realize the potential of the ancillary revenues and hope to extend into that market by providing holiday packages, insurance, and other services.” Ghaith said the airline does not have any immediate…
Budget carrier flydubai will expand its route further next month when it launches a twice daily flight to Bahrain. The new route will start on December 13 with a one way ticket starting at AED250. CEO of flydubai, Ghaith al Ghaith said the timing couldn’t be better for starting the new route because Bahrain is emerging as a profitable business and travel destination. Al Ghaith said flydubai will add another…
