Dubai, United Arab Emirates - 25 June 2019:  Etihad Airways is preparing to launch seasonal summer flights from Abu Dhabi to the beautiful and historic Egyptian city of Alexandria, one of oldest continuously-inhabited locations in the world and home to the Great Library of Alexandria and one of the ancient world wonders, the Pharos Lighthouse.  This famous coastal city is also a convenient gateway for many of the Egyptian expatriates living in the UAE and planning to return home during the summer holidays. Between 2 July and 31 August, the Airbus A320 flights will depart Abu Dhabi at 2.15pm every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, arriving in Alexandria at 4:00 pm. Return flights will depart Alexandria at 4:50pm, arriving back in Abu Dhabi at 10:40. Robin Kamark, Chief Commercial Officer, Etihad Aviation Group, ......read more

Dubai, United Arab Emirates - 25 June 2019:  Turkish Airlines and LOT Polish Airlines, the largest airlines and flag carriers of their countries, Turkey and Poland, announced today the enhancement of their current codeshare agreement with additional destinations both from Turkish Airlines’ and LOT’s flight network. Through this enhanced partnership, Turkish Airlines and LOT will reciprocally add their flight codes on below flights in addition to Istanbul-Warsaw:   From Warsaw                       From Istanbul Krakow                       ......read more

Dubai, United Arab Emirates - 25 June 2019:  As the mercury soars this summer, beat the heat at MOTIONGATE™ Dubai, the Middle East’s largest Hollywood-inspired theme park. MOTIONGATE™ Dubai is offering a limited time promotion to upgrade your one-day park ticket to a Summer Pass for free, with unrestricted entry to the park till 14th September.  This is an unbeatable one-time offer for fans of MOTIONGATE™ Dubai who will be able to visit the park as many times as they wish to at no additional cost. Visitors can book tickets online or purchase them at the gate and exchange them for the Summer Pass at Guest Services on the day of their visit. Get ready to meet your favourite movie characters this summer, including Shrek and Kung Fu Panda, to name a few! You can also escape to the fantasy world of The ......read more

Dubai, United Arab Emirates - 24 June 2019:   BOLLYWOOD PARKS™ Dubai, the premier Bollywood-themed park, part of Dubai Parks and Resorts, the largest integrated theme park destination in the region, is hosting famous Indian stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra on July 12th. Kunal is known for his outstanding sense of humour and popular comedy podcast Shut Up Ya Kunal! He will perform inside the Rajmahal Theatre – an opulent and state-of-the-art theatre at BOLLYWOOD PARKS™ Dubai spread across two levels, including a private upper box area. After eight years working in advertising, Kunal started doing stand-up in 2013 and has now become one of India’s best-known comedians. Kunal is now a regular at all the big comedy venues and has a huge fan following. BOLLYWOOD PARKS™ Dubai, the world’s ......read more

Air transport IT and communications provider achieves success through continuous and collaborative innovation  Dubai, UAE – 23 June 2019 – More than 100 of the world’s airlines and airports gathered in Belgium this week as SITA, the air transport IT provider, celebrated its 70th anniversary. The organization, which has been at the heart of the airline industry since 1949, marked the occasion by announcing record revenues of US$1.7 billion in 2018. As SITA recorded a significant turning point in its business, it also showcased its commitment to continuous and collaborative innovation. At the company’s Annual General Assembly, SITA’s CEO, Barbara Dalibard outlined its path of growth noting how SITA has remained a vital part of the industry over the past 70 years by continually evolving. Along with ......read more

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates - June 22, 2019:   Following the decision yesterday of the US Federal Aviation Administration to restrict US airline operations in Iranian-controlled airspace, Etihad Airways consulted closely with the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority and other UAE airlines to evaluate the US action. Etihad Airways has subsequently suspended operations through Iranian airspace over the Straits of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman, and will use alternative flight paths on a number of routes to and from Abu Dhabi until further notice.   These changes will cause delays on some departures from Abu Dhabi, due to increased congestion in available airspace, and will increase journey times on some routes. The safety of our passengers and staff is the highest priority for Etihad Airways, and we are ......read more

Dubai, United Arab Emirates - 18 June 2019:   Emirates will be expanding its services to Jeddah and Medina with an additional 46 flights to help facilitate travel for Hajj pilgrims heading to and from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The flights will be operated between 27 July and 22 August to support the Hajj journey to the Holy City of Mecca. The services will run in parallel with Emirates’ regularly scheduled services to Jeddah and Medina, and will be available to travellers holding a valid Hajj visa. This year, Emirates expects thousands of pilgrims to travel on its services for Hajj, coming from top inbound destinations such as Pakistan, the United States, Senegal, the UK, Nigeria, Indonesia, South Africa and Ivory Coast. Adil Al Ghaith, Emirates’ Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations, Gulf, Middle ......read more

Dubai, United Arab Emirates - 18 June 2019:  Middle East Airlines (MEA), the flag carrier of Lebanon, has signed a firm order for four A321XLRs, making it the launch airline customer of Airbus latest evolution of the winning A321neo family. The agreement takes Middle East Airlines’ cumulative single aisle orders with Airbus to 15 A321neo family aircraft, including 11 A321neos and 4 A321XLRs with deliveries starting in 2020.  MEA will use the A321XLR to strengthen its network in Africa and Asia. The A321XLR is the next evolutionary step from the A321LR which responds to market needs for even more range and payload, creating more value for the airlines. From 2023, it will deliver an unprecedented Xtra Long Range of up to 4,700nm – 15% more than the A321LR and with 30% lower fuel burn per seat compared with ......read more

Eco-friendly paper straws have been introduced this month   Dubai, United Arab Emirates - 17 June 2019:   Emirates has made a network-wide commitment to reduce single-use plastics on board its aircraft. As of June 1st, eco-friendly paper straws have been introduced and all Emirates flights will soon be plastic straw-free.   The airline has been working on various long-term sustainability initiatives. In addition to plastic straws, plastic swizzle sticks and stirrers will also be replaced with eco-friendly alternatives by the end of the year. From August, plastic bags used for Inflight Retail purchases will also be replaced with paper bags. These initiatives will remove an estimated 81.7 million single-use plastic items from landfill each year.   Trials have been conducted on Emirates flights to ......read more

Dubai, United Arab Emirates 17 June 2019:   One of the world's leading independent organizations in brand valuation and strategy consulting, Brand Finance announced the results of its 2019 evaluation. According to the results, Turkish Airlines was declared as the "Most Valuable Brand" of Turkey in all sectors. The national flag carrier, who repeatedly assumed this title before, reinforces its leading position in Turkey with recent results. Commenting on the results, M. İlker Aycı, Turkish Airlines Chairman of the Board and the Executive Committee; “We are proud of our achievements crowning our strategy to become the best airline company in the world. Continuing the last years’ success indicates that our performance is sustainable. It shows that we are on the right track. We know the ......read more

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates - 15 June 2019:  As the UAE and Germany intensify bilateral cooperation following the visit of H.H. Sheikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi to Germany this week, Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, is celebrating 15 years of service to Germany. The airline launched daily flights between Abu Dhabi and Munich in June 2004. Munich and the Swiss city of Geneva both received their first Etihad flights in that month, making them the first two destinations served by the airline in continental Europe. One year later, in June 2005, Etihad commenced daily flights between Abu Dhabi and Frankfurt. Then in December 2011, it commenced flights to Dusseldorf. Today, Etihad Airways operates five times a day between Abu Dhabi and Germany – twice-daily to ......read more

Airbus is showcasing its latest developments in situational awareness solutions, combining tactical management, intelligent user experience, and app developer partners at booth G114, hall 11   Dubai, United Arab Emirates - 12 June 2019:   Airbus, a leading provider of secure communications and collaboration solutions, will be showcasing its next-generation communication developments for mission and business critical use at the Critical Communications World (CCW) 2019, taking place in Kuala Lumpur from 18 to 20 June.   This year, no fewer than six distinctive demo spots will be present at the Airbus booth (G114, hall 11) at the MITEC exhibition centre in Kuala Lumpur. The spotlight is put on an array of new Airbus developments designed to ensure mission critical services and enhanced situational awareness. ......read more

Flexible, passenger-friendly technology to boost capacity Dubai, United Arab Emirates - 11 June 2019:   Melbourne Airport today announced that it has chosen to extend its contract with leading technology partner SITA for flexible and passenger-friendly technology to ready the airport for forecast passenger growth. The technology is part of the airport’s multi-billion dollar pipeline of investment that will see it welcome almost 70 million passengers annually by 2038. The passenger-friendly technologies will help the airport ensure a high-quality traveler experience as passenger numbers rise, supporting increasingly busy operations for its airline customers. SITA is a trusted partner of Melbourne Airport and already supplies a variety of flexible services for passenger check-in and bag drop in the International ......read more

Dubai, United Arab Emirates - 10 June 2019:   The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced the winners of the inaugural IATA Diversity & Inclusion Awards in three categories:    Inspirational Role Model: Christine Ourmičres-Widener, CEO, Flybe  High Flyer Award: Fadimatou Noutchemo Simo, Founder and President, Young African Aviation Professional Association (YAAPA)   Diversity & Inclusion Team: Air New Zealand    Nominations for the awards were adjudicated by a panel of four judges: Angela Gittens, Director General, Airports Council International; Gloria Guevara, President and CEO, World Travel and Tourism Council; Mark Pilling, Vice President Publishing and Conferences, FlightGlobal; and Karen Walker, Editor-in-Chief, Air Transport ......read more

National flag carrier added Strasbourg again to its flight network that covers 124 countries of the world. Dubai, United Arab Emirates - 09 June 2019:   Turkish Airlines, flying to more countries than any other airline in the world, has launched direct flights again to Strasbourg, starting from May 31st, 2019, as four weekly flights between Istanbul Airport and Strasbourg Entzheim Airport. Strasbourg is the seventh destination of Turkish Airlines in France and it became the third international destination added to the flight network of the flag carrier this year after Sharjah in United Arab Emirates and Marrakech in Morocco. Turkish Airlines’ Southern Europe Vice President for Sales, Ömer Faruk Sönmez attended the inauguration ceremony held in Strasbourg. Istanbul – Strasbourg – Istanbul ......read more

SriLankan Airlines, the National Carrier of Sri Lanka and member of the oneworld alliance, is making a concerted push to propel itself back into sustained growth, with a strategic turnaround plan that will return the airline into profit.  The airline also underlined its determination to recover from the setbacks caused by slumping passenger numbers due to the terror strike in the country. Recently, passengers on the airline travelling to, from or transiting at Colombo's Bandaranaike International Airport during the festive season, were treated to traditional delicacies and cultural performances that included traditional songs and musical performances from renowned artistes  as a welcoming gesture. Passengers who became part of the festivities, expressed their joy to be in Sri Lanka and how they felt safe and welcomed ......read more

Dubai, United Arab Emirates - 08 June 2019:  The International Air Transport Association (IATA) 75th Annual General Meeting (AGM) unanimously approved a resolution on slot policy, to reaffirm the importance of a harmonized global airport slot system and called upon governments to urgently address capacity shortages. More than 200 airports worldwide are Level-3 slot coordinated, meaning that they have insufficient capacity to meet current demand.   This number is set to rise substantially over the coming decades because airport construction is failing to keep pace with increased demand for aircraft movements. Globally applied rules for the use of available capacity at constrained airports will therefore become increasingly important.   The AGM reaffirmed that the Worldwide Slot Guidelines (WSG) is the ......read more

June 08 2019 (Dubai, UAE) – The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that KLM Royal Dutch Airlines will host the 76th IATA Annual General Meeting (AGM) and World Air Transport Summit in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, on 22-23 June 2020.  This will be the third time that the Netherlands will host the global gathering of aviation's top leaders (Following events held in the Hague in 1949 and Amsterdam in 1969). KLM is a founding member of IATA and is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. “It is absolutely wonderful that Amsterdam was chosen for the IATA gathering in 2020 and that we as KLM can host IATA in 2020. This year in October 2019 KLM celebrates our 100th anniversary. A very special moment for all KLM colleagues. We are ready and fit for the next century and—as one of the ......read more

Dubai, United Arab Emirates - 08 June 2019:  The International Air Transport Association (IATA) 75th Annual General Meeting (AGM) overwhelmingly approved a resolution calling on governments to continue important work for full implementation of the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) agreed through the UN’s International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).   CORSIA is the first global carbon pricing instrument for an industry sector. It will cap net CO2 emissions from international aviation at 2020 levels (carbon-neutral growth, or CNG).    “Airlines know that effective plans to cut emissions are critical to earning their license to meet the growing demands for air connectivity. In fact the strongest demand growth is in the developing world, reflective ......read more

June 08 2019 (Dubai, UAE) – The International Air Transport Association (IATA) 75th Annual General Meeting (AGM) unanimously resolved to accelerate the global implementation of the One ID initiative, which uses a single biometric identifier to move passengers through the airport, without the need for paper travel documents.    “Biometric recognition using the One ID concept modernizes the airport experience for passengers and improves the efficiency and security of identification processes. Using global standards for digital identity and data exchange will move us a big step closer to a hassle-free airport experience for passengers. Every traveler will appreciate the convenience of getting from the curb to the gate without ever having to show a paper passport or boarding pass,” said Alexandre de Juniac, ......read more

8 June 2019 (Dubai, UAE) – The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that five resolutions have been passed by the 75th Annual General Meeting. These are:   Environment: The overwhelmingly passed AGM resolution called on Governments to implement the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) as agreed through the UN’s International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). CORSIA is the first global carbon pricing instrument for an industry sector. It will cap net CO2 emissions from international aviation at 2020 levels (carbon-neutral growth, or CNG). The AGM looked beyond CORSIA to the next climate action commitment—cutting net emissions to half 2005 levels by 2050. Airlines were urged to implement all available fuel efficiency measures and to participate fully ......read more

June 08 2019 (Dubai, UAE) – The International Air Transport Association (IATA) 75th Annual General Meeting (AGM) unanimously resolved to support the global deployment of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) for baggage tracking. The AGM also called for the implementation of modern baggage messaging standards to more accurately track passengers’ baggage in real time across key points in the journey.    In 2018, less than 0.06% of the estimated 4.3 billion bags carried by airlines were mishandled, according to the latest figures from SITA. Since 2007 baggage mishandling has fallen by 70% and today 99.9% of mishandled bags are reunited with their owners within two days.    RFID read rates are 99.98% accurate which is significantly better than that of bar codes. And modern messaging standards will ......read more

June 08, 2019 (Dubai, UAE) - The International Air Transport Association (IATA) 75th Annual General Meeting (AGM) unanimously approved a resolution to improve the air travel experience for the estimated one billion people living with disabilities worldwide. The AGM confirms the commitment of airlines to ensuring that passengers with disabilities have access to safe, reliable and dignified travel, and calls upon governments to use IATA’s core principles for accommodating passengers with disabilities.   These principles aim to change the focus from disability to accessibility and inclusion by bringing the travel sector together with governments to harmonize regulations and provide the clarity and global consistency that passengers expect.  “Airlines were ahead of their time when, 50 years ago, we set out ......read more

Dubai, United Arab Emirates - 01 June 2019:    Beat the heat this summer and spend a memorable Eid Al Fitr with your family and friends at the world’s largest indoor theme park, IMG Worlds of Adventure. IMG present 360 degree experience, allowing guests of all ages to relax and enjoy special festivities in a cool and comfortable environment.    All set in a festive environment to the moves, sounds and beats of the IMG Dance team with opening number along with all IMG character parade, guests can partake in the action by joining the dancers as they perform interactive routines throughout the day. Guests will be treated to hours of entertainment for the entire family beginning with special appearances and meet and greets by everyone’s favourite Marvel Super Heroes and Cartoon Network characters along ......read more

• Families can enjoy an entire brick-tastic summer at LEGOLAND Dubai and LEGOLAND Water Park with a special ‘Summer Play Pass’, for just the price of a 1 Day Pass • 90 Days of Summer to feature a variety of daily indoor activities at a summer-themed MINILAND including LEGO® Bingo and a giant LEGOLAND-themed Snakes & Ladders    Dubai, United Arab Emirates - 01 June 2019:   LEGOLAND® Dubai, part of Dubai Parks and Resorts, the largest integrated theme park destination in the region, has a recipe for AWESOME fun for the entire summer! From 16th June to 14th September, LEGOLAND Dubai will celebrate “90 Days of Summer” an exciting promotion with an array of events and activities at the park.   GCC residents looking to make the most of the season will be sure ......read more