Etihad launches new brochures
Etihad Holidays has launched three new brochures for 2010, promoting holiday destinations to Abu Dhabi and across the UAE, the Middle East, Asia, Europe, North America, Australia and Africa.
The range of brochures features new holiday destinations in Cyprus, Turkey, Greece, Japan, Sri Lanka, Melbourne and Chicago, US. Also included are holiday offers to 72 destinations in 22 countries across the globe, including a range of offers to more than 104 hotels in Asia and Australia, 78 hotels in the Middle East and Africa and 89 hotels in Europe and North America.
The 2010 brochures encompass a variety of new concepts including a new commentary section by Etihad staff discussing personal reviews and experiences of many Etihad Holidays destinations. In addition, improved and developed classifications of holidays catering to different customer tastes and requirements have been added, such as Family Friendly, Go Explore, Honeymoon and Romance, Spa and Relaxation, Culture and History and City Breaks.
flydubai reaches Kuwait
Just two days after launching its 12th destination, Muscat in Oman, flydubai, Dubai’s first low-cost airline, took off on its inaugural flight to Kuwait, its fourth GCC destination and 13th overall.
A VIP delegation from Kuwait welcomed the flight and flydubai’s chief executive Ghaith Al Ghaith said:
“Our twice daily flights to Kuwait will open up a new low-cost option to the increasing number of people wanting to travel between the two cities, making travel more affordable and accessible.”
The twice daily flights to Kuwait leave Dubai at 7.05am and 7.15pm. The return flights, leave Kuwait at 8.40am and 8.50pm.
PAL touches down In Riyadh
Philippines Airlines (PAL) has begun operating four nonstop flights every week from Manila to Riyadh. Members of the Filipino expatriate community welcomed their national carrier’s inaugural flight to Riyadh, which marked the return of the airline to the kingdom after four years.
Kanoo Travel, the general sales agent (GSA) for Philippine Airlines in Riyadh, also welcomed the carrier’s move to restart its Middle East flight route.
Philippine Airlines will be offering customers non-stop flights four times weekly departing from Manila every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. The return flights from Riyadh will be on Wednesdays, Fridays, Sundays and Mondays. The carrier will deploy Boeing 747-400 aircraft, which can seat 50 passengers in business class and 383 in economy class.
Qatar announces launch dates
Qatar Airways is to begin daily flights to Brazil and Argentina from June 24, marking the airline’s first online operations to South America.
The airline has acquired two new Boeing 777-200 long-range aircraft in the last three months which will be deployed on the two South American routes – to the Brazilian city of Sao Paulo and the Argentine capital Buenos Aires this summer.
Flight QR921 will depart Doha International Airport daily at 7.40am, arriving in Sao Paulo at 4pm. The flight continues on to Buenos Aires, arriving at 8.05pm. Return flight QR922 departs daily from Buenos Aires at 11.05pm to Sao Paulo before continuing its journey at 3.10am the next day, arriving in Doha at 11.10pm.
Wataniya receives fifth aircraft
Wataniya Airways has announced the arrival of its fifth A320 Airbus aircraft, allowing it to further expand its schedule and launch new routes. Starting May 2, the carrier announced that it will start a regular service to Istanbul.
The new schedule will provide three flights a week on Sunday, Tuesday, and Friday from Kuwait to Istanbul.
The company is due to receive its sixth aircraft in June and is scheduled to launch a regular service to Alexandria, Egypt, beginning June 1.
Abu Dhabi-Dhaka route launched
Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC) has announced that GMG Airlines is its latest new airline.
Flying into Abu Dhabi International Airport’s Terminal 2, GMG Airlines will primarily target point-to-point passengers on its twice weekly Dhaka – Abu Dhabi (DAC-AUH) service. Abu Dhabi represents the eighth international destination for the Bangladeshi airline, established in 1998.
AnadoluJet launches new flights
AnadoluJet, the subsidiary carrier of Turkish Airlines, has announced the launch of direct international flights to Europe and the Middle East, commencing June 2010. AnadoluJet will soon operate direct flights from Ankara to Stockholm, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Dusseldorf, Vienna, Amsterdam, Brussels, Paris, London and Tehran. Flights to Damascus were launched on March 4, 2010.
Abu Dhabi and Tokyo sign MoU
Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC) and Narita International Airports Corporation (NAA) have signed an MoU to establish a sister-airport relationship between Abu Dhabi International Airport and Tokyo-Narita International Airport intended to facilitate closer co-operation and create new opportunities for the two airports.
Under the agreement, the two parties will create joint strategies for developing the routes linking the two airports, as well as promoting business development opportunities for the business communities in their respective markets. Furthermore, NAA and ADAC will be sharing best practices and exchanging valuable expertise between the two organisations in the areas of airport operations, environment, ground transportation and logistics.
N’djamena cargo service
ETIHAD Crystal Cargo, a division of Etihad Airways, has announced the launch of a weekly service from its hub at Abu Dhabi International Airport to N’djamena, the capital of the Republic of Chad.
The service commenced on March 22 and will operate every Monday to N’djamena. Etihad will be deploying an MD11 freighter with a payload of 88 tonnes on the route.
N’djamena will be Etihad’s first cargo-only destination in Chad and in the region of Central Africa.
flydubai nets another two routes
Just one week after the double announcement of flights to Assiut, Egypt and Istanbul, Turkey, flydubai, Dubai’s first low cost airline, has done it again with another double of new routes for May.
Starting on May 17, flydubai will extend its network to Kabul in Afghanistan and this will be followed two days later with flights to the ancient Egyptian city of Luxor.
Flights to the Afghan capital will be five times per week and flights to Luxor will operate three times a week.
Etihad launches Tokyo route
Etihad Airways has commenced non-stop flights from its home base in Abu Dhabi to Tokyo, becoming the first Middle Eastern airline to operate to the Japanese capital.
Etihad will operate five non-stop flights per week to Tokyo, in addition to the five flights per week it offers to Nagoya.
The flights will be operated by three-class Airbus A330-200 aircraft and will feature in-flight services dedicated to the Japanese market, including a tailored menu.