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Biman said on Tuesday it had ordered a total of eight new Boeing jets , including four of the US aviation giantââ¬â„¢s new fuel efficient 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft . The Bangladesh carrier said the order represents a major step forward in the airlineââ¬â„¢s reorganization and growth plans . Biman has tried for several years to order new aircraft but its efforts in the past were stymied by governments…
ABU DHABI ââ¬â€  Indiaââ¬â„¢s largest privately-owned airline, Jet Airways has started its services linking Delhi and Mumbai with Abu Dhabi. Mohammed Al Balooki, Director , marketing, Abu Dhabi Airport Company (ADAC), who welcomed the Indian air carrier at a ceremony held at Abu Dhabi Airport, said that this year four airlines have launched their operations to Abu Dhabi and by the year-end the total…
Emirates has signed an agreement with UK based insurer Bupa Travel Services, which will let travelers managing their flight bookings online opt for special travel insurance protection . These offers include unlimited cover in event of a medical emergency, credit and card theft, and even kennel and cattery fees. Insurance cover can be purchased by almost all nationalities for various trip durations, and for…
Muscat: Jet Airways is planning to introduce no-frills Jet-Lite operations in the GCC sector, according to Abraham Joseph, the private Indian airline's senior general manager for Gulf, Middle East and North Africa."We are in final negotiations with the respective GCC governments to operate Jet-Lite," he said while stressing that Jet-Lite will not be a low fare airline. "It will be something in-between," he…
Dubai currently leads global hotel statistics with an average room rate of $283 in 2007, according to Gerald Lawless, executive chairman of Jumeirah Group . Meanwhile, other Gulf cities also topped the $200 mark. Lawless said that the room rates will not fall as more hotels open .However, the average rates now being enjoyed may level off . He believes that occupancy rates and levels can be maintained…
Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi National Hotels (ADNH), the hotel, tourism, transport and catering group, will work on an internal five-year development plan in tandem with the plans announced by the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) to develop the sector, an official said. ADTA has recently announced that it plans to increase the number of tourists visiting Abu Dhabi to 2.7 million and double the number of hotel rooms…
Qatar Airways plans to operate scheduled flights to the southwest Indian coastal city of Kozhikode , the airline's third gateway in the state of Kerala , beginning June 15. Formerly known as Calicut, the city is Kerala's third largest with a population of almost 500,000. Its beautiful and calm beaches , historic sites , lush green scenery and renowned Ayurvedic health treatments make it a popular tourist…
The number of passengers traveling by nas air , Saudi Arabia's first budget airline has crossed the one million mark . Air officials of this service which was launched in February 2007 , marked the special occasion by offering the one millionth passenger , Yasser Mohammed Al Morshed , and his spouse one year free travel on all domestic and international routes . Morshed, a 29 year old engineer, booked and paid…
Emirates will have more than 450 aircraft in its fleet by 2020. Emirates aims to increase its fleet size from 115 to 200 by 2012 to support its widening route network and to increase frequencies. It is scheduled to take deliveries of 22 planes this year. ââ¬Å“Emirates has been doubling its size every 3 to 4 years since it started .I think we will continue that kind of growth , ââ¬Å“ said Shaikh Ahmad…
Ras Al Khaimah: RAK Airways, the fourth national airline of UAE, yesterday announced its first destination in India with daily non-stop flights to Kozhikode , Kerala, starting from Wednesday onwards. Shaikh Salem bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairman of RAK Civil Aviation and Deputy Chairman of RAK Airways, said that the launch marked a significant milestone for RAK Airways as well as Ras Al Khaimah, which…
Etihad Airways is increasing its number of weekly flights to a number of key destinations within the GCC, Middle East, Europe and India from this summer. Flights to Cairo will increase to 12 times a week. Etihad will operate a total of 728 weekly flights out of Abu Dhabi this summer, 47% higher than last year. URL : www.ameinfo.com
Saudi Arabia's first low-cost carrier, nasair arrived in Abu Dhabi on its inaugural flight to the emirate from Riyadh. nasair also flew its inaugural Abu Dhabi-Jeddah route on Sunday. The airline is flying four times a week between Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia. Welcoming nasair's Managing Director of Scheduled Airlines Husain Nalkhanday, who was on board the inaugural flight from Riyadh, Mohammed Al Bulooki,…
While US airlines have shunned the use of cell phones in flight , mainly because their passengers are not too keen to let go off one last phone-free sanctuary - some European and Middle East carriers are preparing to offer the service as early as this summer . Regulators in Brussels have given the green light to the airlines , setting up a commom licensing arrangement . Air France hopes to be among…
The Metropolitan Hotel Dubai on Shaikh Zayed Road is launching a new chill-out lounge ââ¬â€  I2. The lounge will offer guests champagnes, wines and cocktails together with an assortment of light lounge fare. There will also be daily performances by a DJ who will spin a mix of 70ââ¬â„¢s, 80ââ¬â„¢s and modern day lounge music. The Metropolitan Hotel Dubai is part of Habtoor Hotels ââ¬â€  a…
The Thai New Year, known as Songkran, was celebrated for the third year in a row , by the Thailand ââ¬â€œbased hotel group Dusit Thani ,at its Dubai property last week. Guests were invited to watch one of Thailand's most cherished traditions, the Water Ceremony, along with other captivating dance performances. Songkran, one of the most important of all the Thai holidays, marks the beginning of a…
Bahrain Airââ¬â„¢s inaugural flight to India will be to Kochi in Kerala . The first flight will take off at 10:40 am on Monday, 26th May and land at Cochin International Airport at 5:30 pm local time on the same day .The other two flights will operate on Tuesdays and Fridays departing Bahrain at 7 pm and arriving Kochi on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 02:30 am . This thrice a week service will continue…
From 2009, passengers will be able to use their equipment to send and receive text messages, emails including attachments, and to make and receive phone calls during flights. In addition, they will be able to use their laptops and the in-flight entertainment screen to access the internet, e-mail and instant messaging.
After nearly two decades in the making, Terminal 5 at London Heathrow Airport has finally been completed. It was in 1989 that Richard Rogers Partnership won the competition to design Terminal 5 at London Heathrow . Much has happened in the last 19 years. Firstly, Terminal 5 is now a Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners project, reflecting the changes that have happened to the practice. Meanwhile, the terminal…
