Dubai, UAE, August 18, 2018:  Finnair has been connecting east and west for 35 years, and Helsinki Airport has grown into a major hub for travel between Asia and Europe. Finnair and Finavia, the operator of Helsinki Airport, are celebrating this milestone with a short film that speaks of meaningful encounters that take place when people travel. To illustrate the concept of meaningful encounters, Finnair and Finavia brought together two filmmakers from opposite sides of the globe to create a short film. The end result is a 13-minute short film titled “East and West Side Story”, directed by Swedish director Johan Storm and Korean director Wookie, both celebrated directors in their respective countries. The film will be introduced during an exclusive premiere at Helsinki Airport on September 6, 2018. Each director ......read more

Abu Dhabi-based airline to be official shirt and main club sponsor of the Saudi Stars League side Multi-season agreement includes plans for joint marketing, loyalty, and in-flight initiatives  Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, August 16, 2018:  Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has signed an agreement to be the official shirt and main sponsor and partner of the Riyadh-based, Saudi Stars League team, Al Nassr FC.   The multi-season partnership was signed today at Etihad Airways’ Innovation Centre in Abu Dhabi, and was attended by senior members of both organisations’ leadership teams.   Players from the football club were also in Abu Dhabi for the announcement, including Saudi national players, Mohammed Al-Sahlawi; and Ibrahim Ghaleb; and ......read more

Dubai, UAE, 16 August 2018:   Emirates has introduced new toys from the Emirates Fly with Me collection and Lonely Planet Kids activity kit bags for children travelling in all classes. The new range of toys will come in the top four favourite characters, as voted by customers and fans in a social media competition held last year. Of the 17 characters Emirates introduced on board in the last three years, the top four characters chosen for the new products are Lewis the Lion, Peek U the Panda, Ernie the Penguin, and Savanna the Elephant. The new collection will be on board all flights and across all classes from this month. Family experience on board On short haul flights, the brand new product range includes a vibrating plush for infants up to 2 years old.  The cuddly companion can be re-used and attached ......read more

Dubai, United Arab Emirates – 15th August 2018:  Turkish Airlines, who has recently announced the results of passenger and cargo traffic in July, achieved the highest July load factor (LF) in its history with 85.3%. Despite the high base of July 2017, growth in the number of passengers, revenue per kilometer and load factor, has been an important indicator of the continued increase in global interest to Turkey and Turkish Airlines.    According to July 2018 Traffic Results;  The passenger growth trend continued in July, thus total number of passengers carried went up by 4% reaching 7.8 million passengers, and Load Factor went up to %85.  In July 2018, Total Load Factor improved by 1.5 points, with an increase of 2% in capacity (Available Seat Kilometer), while international LF increased by 1,7 ......read more

Increase of 17 per cent in the number of pilgrims booked with Etihad, compared to 2017 Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, August 14, 2018:   Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, is operating additional flights between Abu Dhabi and its destinations in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to facilitate the movement of thousands of pilgrims for Hajj. Until 28 August Etihad will operate special charters to carry pilgrims on its additional flights to Jeddah and Medina Airport. All flights will operate alongside regular scheduled services. The top inbound destinations for the Hajj Etihad flights are the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, Pakistan, Indonesia, Korea, and Nigeria. Hareb Mubarak Al Muhairi, Etihad Airways’ Senior Vice President, said: “The Hajj pilgrimage is a very ......read more

Dubai, UAE, August 12, 2018:   The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced global passenger traffic results for June showing that demand (measured in total revenue passenger kilometers or RPKs) rose by 7.8% compared to June 2017. This was up from 6.0% year-over-year growth recorded in both May and April. June capacity (available seat kilometers or ASKs) increased by 6.5%, and load factor rose 1.0 percentage point to 82.8%. The first six months of 2018 produced demand growth of 7.0%, a strong performance, but down from 8.3% growth recorded in the first half of 2017.    “The first half of 2018 concluded with another month of above-trend demand growth, which is a good indicator for the peak summer travel season in the northern hemisphere. But the looming prospect of a global trade war is ......read more

For those looking to visit the Lone Star state, Austin, Texas is a must-see city for its beautiful outdoors and Texas hill country. The great weather makes Austin a wonderful place to visit if you are a golf fan. When looking to come into the Austin area, there are many great places where you can play a round of golf. One of the top places to play a round of golf is at the Avery Ranch and Teravista Golf Courses.   There are many reasons why the Avery Ranch and Teravista Golf Courses continue to be among the best rated in the Austin area. One of the main reasons why people like to play at these courses is that they are very challenging and provide some unique features. When playing at these courses, you will be able to experience some very challenging holes that are as long as 600 yards and are full of water hazards and ......read more

Dubai, UAE, August 11, 2018:  Turkish Airlines total revenue increased significantly during the first half of the year approximately by 30 percent compared to the same period of last year, reaching USD 6 billion. Thus, having displayed a remarkable growth performance in 2017, Turkish Airlines managed to increase both passenger and cargo revenue in the first half of 2018.    During the first half of the year, Turkish Airlines managed to increase net operating profit up from USD 17 million to USD 258 million, due to the increasing demand and unit revenues despite the increasing fuel prices.    In the first half of the year, EBITDAR (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization and rent), which is used as a cash generation indicator, stood at USD 1.28 billion, with a 38 percent ......read more

Newest manual provides simple, practical and cost-effective tools to help hospitality establishments implement sustainability best practices and encourage effective resource management Dubai, UAE, 8 August 2018:   Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) has published the first interactive, web-based, manual under the Dubai Sustainable Tourism (DST) initiative to help hotels and hospitality establishments map out a sustainable journey and trigger a positive impact on the environmental performance of the tourism industry. This has been designed in line with the Department’s commitment to ensure that the emirate takes the lead in promoting sustainable best practices and green initiatives, in line with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and ......read more

Dubai, UAE, August 08, 2018:  The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released data for global air freight markets showing that demand, measured in freight tonne kilometers (FTKs), rose 2.7% in June 2018, compared to the same period the year before. This continues the slowdown in air cargo growth that began earlier in 2018. Growth for the first half of 2018 stands at 4.7%, less than half the growth rate in 2017.   Freight capacity, measured in available freight tonne kilometers (AFTKs), rose by 4.1% in June 2018. Capacity growth has now outstripped demand growth in every month since March.    There are three main factors driving the slowdown: The restocking cycle, during which businesses rapidly built up inventories to meet demand, ended in early 2018. There was a marked fall in air cargo ......read more

5 August 2018, Abu Dhabi, UAE:   Abu Dhabi Airports is hosting delegates candidates from the Royal Saudi Air Force at the Gulf Centre for Aviation Studies (GCAS) for a series of selected aviation training sessions. The trainee will benefit from knowledge-sharing exercises covering areas related to safety and security, forming part of the close cooperation between the aviation sectors and industries of both countries.  Sultan Al Mansoori, Acting General Manager GCAS said: “This training session, held at our Regional Centre of Excellence, is an important step in bolstering our aviation ties with our peers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The selection of GCAS as the training provider for the Royal Saudi Air Force demonstrates its position as a leading regional aviation training institution, and Abu Dhabi’s ......read more

A panel at São Paulo International Book Fair highlights the legacy of the UAE’s Founding Father  Dubai, UAE, August 04, 2018:  The UAE is marking the centenary of the birth of its founding father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and Sharjah was seen dedicating a panel in its cultural programme for the São Paulo International Book Fair, to celebrate the truly remarkable life and achievements of the UAE’s greatest visionary.    Titled ‘Year of Zayed’, the panel shed light on the fact that the prosperity, harmony and modern development that today characterises the UAE is due to the long-term vision and formative role played by the UAE’s founding father.  Moderated by Khalid bin Qiqa, the panel comprised Dr Hamad bin Sarai, Professor of Old History at the ......read more

Amsterdam to receive five additional flights per week Dubai, UAE, August 02, 2018:  Emirates today announced that due to strong market demand, it will introduce five additional flights per week from Dubai to Amsterdam. These additional flights will complement its existing double daily services, offer an earlier departure option from Amsterdam that is convenient for visitors to Dubai, and provide enhanced connectivity to destinations on Emirates’ global network.   Four additional weekly services will be started effective 1 December 2018 and the fifth will be added from 1 January 2019, increasing frequency to the Dutch capital city to 19 weekly flights.   Outbound, flight EK145 will depart early morning from Dubai on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and arrives at Amsterdam Airport ......read more

Dubai, UAE, August 01, 2018:  The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that it has entered into an agreement with CFM International (CFM) that will lead to increased competition in the market for maintenance, repair and overhaul services (MRO) on engines manufactured by CFM, a 50/50 partnership between GE and Safran Aircraft Engines.   “Airlines spend a tremendous amount of money on the maintenance and repair of aircraft and engines to ensure we are always operating to the highest levels of safety and reliability. This milestone agreement with CFM will lead to increased competition among the providers of parts and services related to the servicing of CFM engines. We expect increased competition will reduce airline operating costs and help to keep flying affordable. And we hope that this agreement ......read more

Dubai, UAE, 1, August 2018:   Emirates Skywards today replaced flydubai’s frequent flyer programme, OPEN, officially becoming the loyalty programme of Emirates airline and flydubai. The alignment of the loyalty programme now allows Emirates Skywards members to also earn Skywards Miles and Tier Miles when travelling on both airlines. Former OPEN members can enrol into Emirates Skywards to continue earning Miles on flydubai.   The alignment of the loyalty programme for both airlines builds on Emirates and flydubai’s close partnership which includes code-sharing on an extended global route network and several initiatives including commercial, network planning, and airport operations.   “We are pleased to announce the expansion of our loyalty programme to now include two airlines- ......read more

Global logistics firm is the 223th entity to register for free zone status at Abu Dhabi Airports 31 July 2018, Abu Dhabi, UAE:   Abu Dhabi Airports Free Zone (ADAFZ) today announced leading international logistics firm GAC Abu Dhabi as the latest addition to its cargo terminal free zone site.   As a result of its free zone status, GAC Abu Dhabi is set to enhance its customer experience, allowing cargo to be transferred to any other free zones in the UAE without having to pay customs duty.    The move to the ADAFZ free zone also brings new benefits of 100% foreign ownership and 0% corporate or personal income tax. In addition, registered free zone companies pay no import or re-export duties, have no restrictions on capital repatriation and no currency restrictions, as well as being eligible for ......read more

Number of passengers and flights as well as seat load factors all reach new record levels  Network Airlines and Eurowings grow unit revenues while significantly expanding capacity  Network Airlines’ unit cost reduction of 2.1 percent exceeds target and supports 26-percent results improvement Adjusted EBIT for the Lufthansa Group of EUR 1,008 million only just below prior-year period despite substantially higher fuel costs  Full-year revenue projection raised and earnings forecast reaffirmed:  Dubai, UAE, July 31, 2018:  Adjusted EBIT only slightly below previous year    Lufthansa Group increased its total first half-year revenues by 5.2 percent in 2018, excluding the impact of the first-time application of the IFRS 15 accounting standard. Reported total first half-year ......read more

Dubai, UAE, July 30, 2018:  Emirates today announced that it will introduce two additional flights to its Toronto (YYZ) service, complementing its existing schedule and providing even more choice and convenience to travellers.   The additional Toronto flights will be introduced on August 18 2018 and will operate on a Saturday departing Dubai as EK241 at 03:30 and arrive in Toronto at 09:30. The return flight, EK242, leaves Toronto at 14:25 and arrives in Dubai at 11:40 the next day. On Sundays, EK241 will depart at 03:30 and arrive in Toronto at 09:30. The return flight, EK242, will leave Toronto at 14:30 and arrives in Dubai at 11:25 the next day.* Both flights will be operated by the iconic Emirates A380 with private suites in First Class, lie flat seats in Business Class and spacious seats in Economy ......read more

Dubai, UAE, July 30, 2018:  In support of the United Nations World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, Airports Council International (ACI) World and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) emphasized their joint commitment and work to help combat human trafficking. Aviation connects the world, carrying more than four billion passengers a year, but this global network is also used nefariously by traffickers to transport people against their will.    Airlines and airports are determined to assist authorities by reporting suspected human trafficking cases, and making it as difficult as possible for the global air transport network to be exploited for this evil trade, which affects some 25 million people annually . The industry is committed to raising awareness, helping to train staff to recognize the signs ......read more

Five weekly Boeing 777-300ER flights between Abu Dhabi and Canada’s largest city, Toronto Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, July 30, 2018:  Effective 28 October 2018, Etihad Airways will increase its flights from Abu Dhabi to Canada’s largest city, Toronto, from three to five weekly services.    The flights will be operated by Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, featuring 40 seats in Business Class and 340 in Economy Class.   Robin Kamark, Chief Commercial Officer, Etihad Aviation Group, said: “We are thrilled to announce more flights to cosmopolitan Toronto, one of the most successful and popular destinations on our global route network. This news has been eagerly anticipated.   “We have welcomed well over a million guests on our flights to Toronto since we launched ......read more

29 July 2018, Abu Dhabi, UAE:   Abu Dhabi Airports has welcomed the resumption of Turkmenistan Airlines’ biweekly flights between Ashgabat International Airport (ASB) and Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH), connecting the two nation’s capitals with flights operating every Friday and Sunday. Saoud Al Shamsi, Acting Chief Commercial Officer (ACCO) of Abu Dhabi Airports said: “The resumption of Turkmenistan Airlines’ flights to Abu Dhabi reflects the city’s status as a key destination and transit hub for business and leisure travelers, as well as our own commitment to deploying world-class smart travel solutions, relaxing lounge spaces, and attractive retail offerings.” “This additional service is part of our strategy to attract new airlines to our network that will support ......read more

DAFZA adopts ISIC 4 – the UN classification of economic activities   29 July, 2018, Dubai, United Arab Emirates:   Dubai Airport Freezone Authority (DAFZA) has reduced business setup cost by up to 65%, as part of its aim to increase DAFZA’s regional competitiveness and activate a number of key sectors by attracting foreign direct investment (FDI). Supporting Dubai’s efforts to become an ideal destination for investment and prosperity, the decision will help achieve further stability for the operational processes of free zone companies and consequently sustain and drive investment growth.    H.E. Dr. Mohammed Al Zarooni, Director General, DAFZA, said: “This new approach falls in line with the directions of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum to boost Dubai’s ......read more

Three-class version of the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner features 8 private First Suites, 28 Business Studios and 199 Economy Smart Seats Reinforces Etihad Airways’ commitment to the Moroccan market Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE), July 25, 2018:   Effective 3 October 2018, Etihad Airways will introduce the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner on its scheduled services from Abu Dhabi to Rabat, capital of the Kingdom of Morocco, replacing the Airbus A330-300 currently serving the route.   The introduction of the technologically advanced aircraft on Rabat services is a further boost to its presence in the Moroccan market. On 1 May this year, the airline placed the 787 Dreamliner on its daily flights to the kingdom’s commercial hub, Casablanca. The move to place the aircraft on Rabat flights will provide ......read more

Dubai, UAE, July 24, 2018:  HE Saif Saeed Ghobash, Undersecretary, Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi: The choice of Yas Island as the home for the world's first indoor Warner Bros. theme park, celebrating such an iconic and beloved brand, reflects so positively on Abu Dhabi's global status and its ability to attract international tourism investments. This step is further evidence of the plans we are enacting to attract more visitors to the emirate as it moves further towards a diversified economy; indoor theme parks are a proven summer attraction for families. As tourist numbers continue to grow in light of the recent reduction in hotel and municipality fees for hotels, the launch of Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi is expected to increase family and leisure tourism numbers from both domestic and ......read more

Multi-year contract to operate and maintain baggage and air cargo systems  Model based on jointly defined key performance indicators  Improvements in system availability as well as cost and resource efficiency Dubai, UAE, July 24, 2018:  Siemens Postal, Parcel & Airport Logistics (SPPAL) has secured a major service contract for the baggage and material handling systems at the two international airports in Dubai. The operation and maintenance contract is based on key performance indicators (KPIs) defined together with airport operator Dubai Airports. Siemens is thus guaranteeing the highest standards of service at Dubai’s two large aviation hubs. The contract covers a period of six years with the option for a further extension. It is therefore the most extensive service agreement that SPPAL has ever ......read more