Saving aircraft fuel during the climb and cruise phases of a flight is a major opportunity to reduce aviation CO2 emissions   United Arab Emirates,  September 24, 2020:  SITA, the global IT provider for the air transport industry, is partnering with start-up Safety Line to help pilots and airlines limit carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and operational costs by reducing fuel consumption of aircraft at key flight stages. A flight can be roughly divided into three phases: climb, cruise and descent. Safety Line, a young French company that specializes in predictive big data solutions for airlines and airports, has made it its mission to help save aircraft fuel and reduce CO2 emissions during all these flight phases with a software suite called OptiFlight. The focus currently lies on the climb-out – the most ......read more

• Etihad to resume flights to three destinations in Saudi Arabia in October 2020 • The ‘Choose Saudi Arabia’ Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner flew to 46 destinations since 23 September 2019   September 23, 2020:  Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, is honoured to celebrate the leadership and people of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on the 90th National Day of the Kingdom.   To mark the occasion, the airline created an infographic to showcase the flight path of the special liveried “Choose Saudi Arabia” Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner since its first flight to Riyadh on 23 September 2019.    Ahmed Al Qubaisi, Senior Vice President Government, International and Communications, Etihad Aviation Group said: “The Saudi Arabian-inspired livery ......read more

Read Alexandre de Juniac’s remarks   United Arab Emirates,  September 23, 2020:   The International Air Transport Association (IATA) called for the development and deployment of rapid, accurate, affordable, easy-to-operate, scalable and systematic COVID-19 testing for all passengers before departure as an alternative to quarantine measures in order to re-establish global air connectivity. IATA will work through the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and with health authorities to implement this solution quickly.   International travel is 92% down on 2019 levels. Over half a year has passed since global connectivity was destroyed as countries closed their borders to fight COVID-19. Some governments have cautiously re-opened borders since then, but there has been limited uptake ......read more

Under the new partnership, Emirati astronauts Hazzaa AlMansoori and Sultan AlNeyadi will undergo specialised training at the Johnson Space Center Two astronauts from the second batch of the UAE Astronaut Programme will also join the 2021 NASA Astronaut Candidate Class Agreement paves the way for Emirati astronauts to play a major role in future space exploration missions   United Arab Emirates,  September 22, 2020:  The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) today announced that they have signed a strategic agreement to train Emirati astronauts in NASA. This partnership aims to prepare Emirati astronauts for advanced space missions by providing them with the highest level of expertise and knowledge.   Under the agreement, four Emirati ......read more

#zeroe #zeroemissionsday #decarbonisation #sustainability #hydrogen     United Arab Emirates,  September 21, 2020:  Airbus has revealed three concepts for the world’s first zero-emission commercial aircraft which could enter service by 2035. These concepts each represent a different approach to achieving zero-emission flight, exploring various technology pathways and aerodynamic configurations in order to support the Company’s ambition of leading the way in the decarbonisation of the entire aviation industry.   All of these concepts rely on hydrogen as a primary power source - an option which Airbus believes holds exceptional promise as a clean aviation fuel and is likely to be a solution for aerospace and many other industries to meet their climate-neutral ......read more

The aim of the new initiative at Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) is to increase the speed of transferring through the airport by 27%, reduce missed connections, and enable a seamless passenger experience It is implemented in collaboration with the General Civil Aviation Authority, the Department of Municipalities and Transport, the General Administration of Customs, Abu Dhabi Airports, Etihad Airways and international airport partners. Abu Dhabi, UAE – 19 September 2020:  Abu Dhabi International Airport has launched a new initiative for international transfer passengers, facilitating shorter connection times by increasing the speed of transiting through the airport by 27%, delivering an enhanced and seamless passenger experience. The Fast Track Flight Connections initiative enables transfer passengers ......read more

Dubai, UAE, September 17, 2020:  As many know, the tourism and aviation industries have been among the worst hit by COVID-19 and currently, Cebu Pacific is only able to operate 10% of its pre-COVID network.   Since the start of this pandemic, we have received an unprecedented number of refund requests due to the flight cancellations brought about by the lockdown. Our refund process then was originally not designed to handle this volume of requests, and this resulted to a backlog. We have since then revamped our procedures in order to address this.    To date, we have refunded over PHP 2.4 billion booking cancellations related to COVID-19, equivalent to 50% of refund requests received. We remain committed to our customers to complete pending refunds, and will update them once these have been processed. We are ......read more

Dubai, UAE, 14 September 2020:  A travel survey of thousands of people across the UAE conducted by dnata Travel, the country's longest-standing travel provider, has revealed that almost 100% of domestic travellers want to experience more of the UAE throughout the next year.   A total 91% of respondents replied positively to considering more domestic travel in 2020/2021, whilst the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah proved most popular, with 55% of respondents stating they would like to explore more of the emirate in the next year. Fujairah and Dubai followed respectively, making up the top three most popular emirates for domestic travel at this time.    The results are revealed as dnata Travel confirms a busy summer of UAE staycations, with its travel experts predicting more travel across the country throughout ......read more

• 50,000 U.S. gallons of 50/50 blend used on Boeing ecoDemonstrator 787-10 flight • A longstanding manufacturer-airline partnership to make flying more sustainable     ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates, Sept. 14, 2020:  Boeing [NYSE:BA] and Etihad Airways concluded testing on the aerospace company’s 2020 ecoDemonstrator programme last week with a cross-country flight using a 50/50 blend of sustainable and traditional jet fuel.   Flying from Seattle to Boeing’s manufacturing site in South Carolina, Etihad’s newest 787-10 Dreamliner used the maximum sustainable fuel blend permitted for commercial aviation. The transcontinental flight also demonstrated a new way for pilots, air traffic controllers and airline operations centers to communicate simultaneously and optimize ......read more

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates - September 13, 2020: Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has partnered with Singapore food technology startup Lumitics to trial the use of computer vision and machine learning in order to reduce food wastage on Etihad flights. The partnership will see Etihad and Lumitics track unconsumed Economy class meals from Etihad’s flights, with the collated data used to highlight food consumption and wastage patterns across the network. Analysis of the results will help to reduce food waste, improve meal planning and reduce operating costs. Mohammad Al Bulooki, Chief Operating Officer, Etihad Aviation Group, said: “Etihad Airways started the pilot with Lumitics earlier this year before global flying was impacted by COVID-19, and as the airline scales up the flight ......read more

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates - September 12, 2020:   Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE will resume passenger flights from Abu Dhabi, UAE, to Casablanca and Rabat, in the Kingdom of Morocco.   Effective 19 September, the airline will operate returning flights three times a week from Abu Dhabi to Casablanca. This service will be followed by direct flights between the two capitals, Abu Dhabi and Rabat, on 28 October.

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Latest RFIDAeroTrack seat cover tracking solution by leading Irish company allows the airline to monitor cleaning cycles of individual seat covers     United Arab Emirates,  September 10, 2020:   Dubai-based airline flydubai has begun using the latest version of a cutting-edge technology that tracks the cleaning cycles of each seat cover to help maintain the highest standards of in-flight hygiene and safety. The latest RFIDAeroTrack software by Irish company, Aerospace Software Developments (ASD), enhances efficiency by monitoring the cleaning of aircraft seat covers through technologically advanced RFID tags that are attached to individual seat covers to provide a unique identification, enabling the airline to keep track of the seat covers at every stage of the cleaning cycle and life span via RFID ......read more

United Arab Emirates,  September 10, 2020:  The International Air Transport Association (IATA) urged governments to begin careful planning with industry stakeholders to ensure full preparedness when vaccines for COVID-19 are approved and available for distribution. The association also warned of potentially severe capacity constraints in transporting vaccines by air.  Preparedness Air cargo plays a key role in the distribution of vaccines in normal times through well-established global time- and temperature-sensitive distribution systems. This capability will be crucial to the quick and efficient transport and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines when they are available, and it will not happen without careful planning, led by governments and supported by industry stakeholders.  “Safely delivering ......read more

United Arab Emirates,  September 10, 2020:  The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has launched IATA ONE Source, an online platform which helps the air cargo industry match shipping needs with the availability of infrastructure capabilities and certifications of service providers across the value chain.  This is particularly timely amid the COVID-19 crisis when shippers of medical supplies and pharmaceuticals need accurate information for time- and temperature-sensitive shipments. ONE Source lists the latest operational information on airlines, airports, cargo handling facilities, freight forwarders, ground handlers, shippers, and trucking companies. All critical information contained on ONE Source has been verified by IATA to help ensure its accuracy. IATA ONE Source is free for all service providers across ......read more

During the Global Aerospace Summit webinar, industry specialists highlighted the need for continual investment in talent, systems and policies in order to ease and stimulate future advancement    09 September, 2020 – Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates:  Industry leaders from aerospace and defence discussed the challenges and opportunities brought by rapid advances in technology during a webinar - hosted by organisers of the Global Aerospace Summit 2020 in collaboration with the Defense Services Marketing Council. The sector specialists analysed how people, processes and systems intertwine across the aerospace and defence industries both in the Middle East region and globally.    Matthew Cochran, Chairman and CEO, Defense Services Marketing Council moderated the session. He put forward to the ......read more

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates - September 07, 2020:  Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, is introducing COVID-19 global wellness insurance cover as part of Etihad Wellness, the airlines new health and hygiene programme.  Guests who are diagnosed with COVID-19 during their trip won’t have to worry about medical expenses or quarantine costs when they fly with Etihad.  Duncan Bureau, Senior Vice President Sales and Distribution, Etihad Airways, said: “The safety, health, and wellbeing of our guests and employees is our top priority, during and beyond the flight. The introduction of global COVID-19 insurance, in partnership with AXA, builds on stringent measures already in place as part of our Etihad Wellness programme, championed by our Wellness Ambassadors. “This additional cover ......read more

Abu Dhabi  - 6, September 2020:  Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, the new national airline of the United Arab Emirates celebrates the arrival of its first state-of-the-art new Airbus A321neo aircraft to Abu Dhabi International Airport.   Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, the joint-venture established between ADQ, one of the region’s largest holding companies, and Wizz Air Holdings Plc, has recently received national carrier status from the UAE government subject to meeting regulatory standards prior to starting operations.  The arrival of the first Airbus A321neo aircraft will enable the airline to have the lowest environmental footprint and the lowest cost base among its competitors in the region.  The A321neo aircraft has pioneered and incorporated the latest technologies, including its new generation engines and the ......read more

• Health precautions introduced throughout the visa application system, including the doorstep ‘On Demand Mobile Visa’ service available for student visa customers.  • UK Visas and Immigration has introduced greater flexibility in visa rules, allowing students to apply for visas when they are able to travel to the UK, rather than at the start of their studies. • Students completing courses online will still be eligible to apply for the Graduate Route, provided they are in the UK by 06 April 2021.    September 02, 2020:  As part of its commitment to enhance the visa system experience for students, United Kingdom Visas and Immigration (UKVI) has introduced flexibility in visa rules, with health precautions throughout the visa system along with visa services partner VFS Global, to ......read more

- Read Alexandre de Juniac's remarks - View the COVID-19 Slow expansion of air travel in July presentation    United Arab Emirates,  September 01, 2020:  The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is calling on governments to work together to urgently find ways to re-establish global connectivity by re-opening borders and to continue with relief measures to sustain airlines during the COVID-19 crisis.    IATA’s call reflects deep industry frustration as government policies such as closed borders, travel restrictions and quarantines continue to annihilate travel demand. This was evident in a disappointing “peak (Northern Hemisphere) summer travel season” that saw minimal improvements compared to the May-June period, as four in five potential travelers stayed home, ......read more

United Arab Emirates,  September 01, 2020:  The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that passenger demand in July (measured in revenue passenger kilometers or RPKs), continued at critically low levels--79.8% below July 2019 levels. This was somewhat better than the 86.6% year-over-year decline recorded in June, primarily driven by domestic markets, most notably Russia and China. Market reopening in the Schengen Area helped to boost international demand in Europe, but other international markets showed little change from June. Capacity was 70.1% below 2019 levels and load factor sagged to a record low for July, at 57.9%. “The crisis in demand continued with little respite in July. With essentially four in five air travelers staying home, the industry remains largely paralyzed. Governments reopening ......read more

The Dubai-based carrier’s new service covers COVID-19 health expenses and quarantine costs and offers passengers more confidence and peace of mind on their travel journey United Arab Emirates,  September 01, 2020:  Dubai-based airline flydubai has announced today that passengers booking with flydubai for travel between 01 September and 30 November 2020 will automatically receive free global cover for COVID-19. The new service covers passengers’ health expenses and quarantine costs if diagnosed with COVID-19 during their trip and is valid for 31 days from the time they take their first flight on their itinerary. The service enables passengers to benefit from coverage for their medical expenses up to EUR 150,000 and quarantine costs up to EUR 100 per day for 14 days. Hamad Obaidalla, Chief Commercial ......read more

United Arab Emirates,  September 01, 2020:  The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released data for global air freight markets in July showing air cargo demand is stable but at lower levels than 2019. While there is some month-to-month improvement, it is at a slower pace than some of the traditional leading indicators would suggest. This is due to the capacity constraint from the loss of available belly cargo space as passenger aircraft remain parked.     • Global demand, measured in cargo tonne-kilometers (CTKs*), fell by 13.5% in July (-15.5% for international operations) compared to the previous year. That is a modest improvement from the 16.6% year-on-year drop recorded in June. Seasonally-adjusted demand grew by 2.6% month-on-month in July. • Global capacity, measured in ......read more

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates - August 31, 2020:  Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, and Emirates Red Crescent (ERC), a humanitarian organisation that supports official authorities, launched initiatives to support Lebanon after the Beirut explosion.  Etihad organised aid to support residents who had been injured or displaced from their homes in Beirut and gathered donations including medical equipment, clothes, and amenity bags, masks, shoes and blankets. In addition, Etihad and ERC supplied tents to provide shelter for those who had lost their homes and five medical tents to act as an on-field clinic for anyone requiring emergency medical assistance. Dr Nadia Bastaki, Vice President Medical Services, Etihad Aviation Group, said, “Our main focus of this campaign is to alleviate suffering for the ......read more

the wildfires burning through Northern and Central California in the United States of America     Dubai, UAE, 27 August 2020: The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) released an image captured from space by KhalifaSat, which shows the wildfires burning through Northern and Central California in the United States of America.  These are some of the largest wildfires in the history of California with firefighters and crews trying their best to bring it under control. KhalifaSat was fully developed at MBRSC facilities by Emirati engineers and was launched to space in October 2018. It has 5 patents and seven space innovations making it the most advanced satellite of its category in the world. KhalifaSat provides images with specifications that meet the highest international standards in space ......read more

• Airbus selected to build ‘Thuraya 4-NGS,’ the next generation L-band mobile telecommunication system   • Future system will expand coverage, boost speeds, and transform products and solutions   • Investment will reinforce Yahsat’s and Thuraya’s leadership in the industry for commercial and government solutions across the EMEA and APAC regions     Abu Dhabi / United Arab Emirates, August 27, 2020:  Airbus has been selected by Al Yah Satellite Communications Company (Yahsat), the UAE’s leading global satellite operator, to build Thuraya 4-NGS, the next generation mobile telecommunications system that will drive the continued advancement of Thuraya’s L-band business. Thuraya 4-NGS will deliver higher capabilities and flexibility while ......read more