Wataniya cuts routes
Kuwaiti carrier Wataniya Airways has stopped operating flights to Amman, Bahrain, Damascus and Jeddah and has reduced the frequency of services to Dubai.
A company spokesman told Bloomberg it had been forced to take this action due to adverse market conditions where huge excess capacity makes operating to some destinations currently uneconomic.
He continued: “Consequently, to ensure the future health and success of our airline it has been decided to adjust our current network plans and concentrate our efforts on flying to a reduced number of destinations.”
The airline has also announced the addition of a further 10 new European connections to its network allowing guests to fly to a total of 29 European destinations from Kuwait via Vienna as part of an ongoing partnership with Austrian Airlines which started in October 2010.
Execujet inks new deals
Embraer has appointed ExecuJet Aviation Group, in Dubai, UAE, as an Embraer Authorised Service Centre (EASC) for Legacy 600 and Legacy 650 executive jets. ExecuJet Dubai will provide scheduled and unscheduled maintenance services at Dubai International Airport.
ExecuJet has also announced a partnership with Al Faisal Holding, one of the leading diversified companies in Qatar, to form a new business aviation company in Doha to be named ExecuJet Qatar.
The new company has been established to secure an Air Operating Certificate (AOC) and provide aircraft management and charter solutions to clients in Qatar.
The application process for the AOC is already underway and is expected to be in place early in 2011.
ExecuJet Qatar, will be operated by ExecuJet Middle East and is expected to create a number of new jobs.
Air Arabia launches Kabul service
Low-cost carrier Air Arabia began operating flights to Kabul, Afghanistan, from its hub in Sharjah, UAE on December 16.
Air Arabia now serves 66 routes from three hubs in the UAE, Morocco and Egypt.
Roundtrip flights are operating four times per week between Kabul International Airport and Sharjah International Airport on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, departing Sharjah at 6am and arriving in Kabul at 9am and leaving Kabul at 9.45am to arrive in Sharjah at 12.05pm.
Emirates partners with JetBlue
Emirates and JetBlue Airways have announced the launch of an interline agreement offering travellers seamless connections to cities across the US via New York’s John F Kennedy (JFK) International Airport.
Under the new agreement, customers can purchase joint Emirates-JetBlue itineraries by calling their local reservations office or booking through www.emirates.com, meaning that dozens of US cities, including Boston, Chicago, Orlando and Washington are now just a smooth connection away.
Customers will be issued with a single combined ticket for Emirates and Jet Blue-operated flights and enjoy one-stop check-in and baggage transfer between the airlines.
Emirates also now offers US travellers the option to book flights with connecting service on Virgin America.
Oman Air heads to Milan
Oman Air launched a new service between Muscat and Milan in the first week of December.
The airline is operating four flights per week in each direction and CEO Peter Hill said: “We are delighted to be launching our new service to Milan; our 41st destination and the ninth we have unveiled this year.”