Qatar Air ups Manila, London flights
QATAR AIRWAYS has introduced a third daily flight between Doha and London Heathrow as part of its expansion in the UK market, besides upgrading its Doha-Manchester route from five flights a week to a daily service.

The new schedules come into effect to mark the beginning of the Summer 2006 flying programme. The total number of weekly flights to the UK increases from 26 to 35, a 35 per cent rise in frequency. Qatar Airways has also extended its codeshare relationship with UK-based Bmi to 78 flights.
The airline has also upped frequency on the Doha – Manila route with two new weekly flights. The extra capacity takes to nine the number of weekly services on the popular route. The Doha-Manila flights operate non-stop using an Airbus A330-200 in a two-class configuration.

New flight simulator centre for Bahrain
CROWN Prince of the Kingdom of Bahrain and Commander-in-Chief of Bahrain Defence Force His Highness Shaikh Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa opened the Gulf Air Flight Simulator Centre located at Gulf Air’s headquarters in Muharraq. The BD3.5 million, state-of-the-art facility, incorporating the latest technologies, modern infrastructure and a unique design, is all set after months of planning and construction.
The project was conceived in-house by Gulf Air engineers and the aesthetic design of the building is the first of its kind in the region, says an airline spokesman.

RAK Airways wins airport contract
RAS Al Khaimah has given RAK Airways a contract to operate and develop the international airport. The announcement was made at a meeting between Shaikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Ras Al Khaimah Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler, and the chairman and board members of the Ras Al Khaimah Department of Civil Aviation. RAK Airways will soon start construction of a new hall at the airport. It will also construct a five-star hotel at the airport and develop a duty-free shop.

Gulf Air ups Kuwait flights
FROM May 1, Gulf Air fly three times daily between Bahrain and Kuwait with an additional daily flight during night. This makes it a total of 21 flights per week from its current 17 services per week. The increased services from Kuwait mean excellent onward connections to Europe and other continents from its two hubs - Bahrain and Oman, says Gulf Air vice president network Fareed Al Alawi.