Qatar Airways to Launch New International Flight From Doha to Benghazi

Qatar Airways announced new international flight to Benghazi, the newest route will take the number of destination launches by the airline to 15 during 2011, the airline said in a statement.

It said Benghazi was a destination which is underserved and will benefit from new international flights.

Benghazi, Libya’s north eastern Mediterranean port city and major economic centre, is a key destination for trade and exports.

Many industries including oil refining, food processing, cement production and tuna fishing, reside in the surrounding region of Cyrenaica, of which Benghazi is the capital, the carrier said.

Qatar Airways initially operated services to the capital Tripoli eight years ago. Flights are currently suspended due to the political situation, but are expected to resume soon, it added.

Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker said: “Almost a year ago in Nice, I spoke about the possibility of expanding our Libyan operations, and I am delighted that we are now, within this short of a period, set to start flights to Benghazi, another key city in the country.

“We identified Benghazi as an underserved, primarily business destination, and now have the opportunity to bring this city into our fold.”

Benghazi will be the airline’s 13th route of the year, and precedes two other new route launches – Entebbe and Chongqing – starting on November 2 and November 28, respectively.

Etihad Airways announced last week that it would soon begin flights to Tripoli once it has been given security clearance.

The Libyan capital will become the fifth North African destination for the carrier, the Abu Dhabi carrier said in a statement.

James Hogan, CEO, said the airline was planning three flights a week to Tripoli as soon as the NATO no-fly zone is lifted and the airport is declared safe.

Etihad Airways Plans to Buy 25 percent hold Ireland Flag Airlines, Aer Lingus

Etihad Airways, a quickly growing Middle Eastern carrier, has contacted the Irish government about buying its 25% hold in Aer Lingus, Ireland’s flag airline. This follows the debt-burdened Irish administration saying last month that it’s going to sell its stake in the airline. Transport Minister Leo Varadkar said that he wouldn’t take less than €1 per share for the carrier, which would value Aer Lingus at €529.6 million and the 25% stake at €132.4 million. However, at market close on Friday, the airline’s shares valued the company at €338.94 million and the stake at €84.7 million.

In June, an Irish government report recommended that Aer Lingus and its ports and power stations be sold as part of plans to ease the nation’s debt by €5 billion. The carrier’s large pension deficit, which is estimated to be €400 million, has proven to be a stumbling block for the sale of the stake, but a new actuarial valuation is due by the end of the year. Chief executive Christoph Mueller has welcomed a change in ownership for the airline.

Etihad Airways was founded in 2003 and is based in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. The carrier has close ties to Manchester City, as chairman Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s half-brother, Sheikh Mansour, is the owner of the football club.

It hasn’t been made clear how far Etihad Airways and the Irish government have progressed in their talks, which may not even turn out a deal. Etihad chief executive James Hogan met Irish prime minister Enda Kenny at a Dublin-based investment event – the global Irish Economic Forum – last week. Hogan has announced that they will add 100 new jobs in Ireland for cabin crew. The two sides have declined to comment on the matter as well.

Meanwhile, experts think that International Airlines Group (IAG), which is the parent of British Airways and Spanish carrier Iberia, would be the most likely buyer for Aer Lingus. This comes despite Ryanair having tried twice to take over the carrier, which failed due to objections by the Irish government and European competition regulators. The airline has now ruled itself out of the bidding war.

At the same time, Etihad Airways and Virgin Atlantic have been in talks about a possible partnership to bid for bmi, an unprofitable subsidiary of German carrier Lufthansa. IAG has launched a preliminary offer for bmi, which has valuable takeoff and landing slots at London’s Heathrow Airport. Since British Airways already has a dominant share of the airport’s slots, other carriers want to get in on the action. Etihad wants to use the slots to expand its own long-haul network.

Etihad Crystal Cargo Adds New Freighter Operation From Abu Dhabi to Almaty

Etihad Crystal Cargo today announced a new dedicated freighter operation from Abu Dhabi to Almaty in Kazakhstan. Etihad Crystal Cargo is the fast growing cargo division of Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates.

The service will commence operations on July 28, 2011, using the airline’s Airbus A330-200F freighter with a payload of 59 metric tonnes on the route.

Roy Kinnear, Senior Vice President of Etihad Crystal Cargo, said: “We are delighted to announce our first dedicated freighter service to Almaty.

“Our operations to Almaty will reinforce Etihad’s position in the Kazakh market, adding to our three weekly passenger services between Abu Dhabi and Almaty. We look forward to strengthening the trade ties between the UAE and Kazakhstan through this new cargo route.”

Etihad Crystal Cargo operates to a total of 84 destinations internationally, 13 of which are freighter only. The airline operates dedicated cargo freighter aircraft to 27 of these 84 destinations. The Crystal Cargo fleet consists of one Boeing 777 Freighter, two Airbus A330-200F, two Airbus A300-600F aircraft and two McDonnell Douglas MD11s.

Etihad Airways Plans Double Flights Services to Iraq

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, will double its flights from Abu Dhabi to Erbil, Iraq at the beginning of September.

The current twice-weekly service will increase to four services per week, complementing Etihad’s daily operation to its other Iraqi destination, Baghdad, which both connect seamlessly to Etihad Airways daily flights from Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad and twice weely from Peshawar.

Etihad commenced two-class Airbus A320 operations to Erbil in June 2010, and the load factor on the route surpassed 80 per cent by May 2011. This additional capacity is aimed at meeting continuing high demand on Etihad’s Erbil flights.

James Hogan, Etihad Airways Chief Executive Officer, said: “We are committed to building and strengthening ties in our region. With these additional flights, Etihad will offer air travellers from around the world significantly improved connection opportunities through our Abu Dhabi hub as we continue to add breadth and depth through additional frequencies on key routes across our expanding global network. We expect to see continuing strong demand on these routes, particularly from government and business travellers, as well as people from Iraq visiting family and friends around the world.”

Etihad Airways Expand Flight Service, Personal Chef Onboard in Flight Dining Program

Passengers traveling in Etihad Airways first-class section will get their own personalized chefs onboard in an in-flight dining program designed to be a “five-star restaurant” in the sky.

The national carrier of the United Arab Emirates plans to launch its new first-class menu on select routes in October and give passengers their own onboard chef who can customize meals according to their preferences.

The introduction of professional onboard chefs has become a growing trend among airlines which are constantly trying to up the ante in in-flight dining.

Turkish Airlines, for instance, provides a “Flying Chef” service on some of its international routes like Hong Kong-Istanbul and Istanbul-New York.

BusinessFirst passengers on Continental Airlines flights from Mumbai to New York also dined on meals prepared by a top Indian chef in 2009.

Etihad is currently on an international hiring spree for the new program first unveiled in May and is planning to build a team of a hundred professional chefs from starred hotels, restaurants and culinary institutions around the world.

Chefs will work under the direction of Thomas Ulherr, a three-time gold medal winner of the IKA Culinary Olympics.

According to industry trade publication Big Hospitality, the new menu will also emphasize the use of fresh ingredients and encourage chefs to be more adventurous in developing the revamped in-flight service.

Last month, Spanish airline Iberia also announced a new Mediterranean-themed in-flight catering service developed by some of the country’s top Michelin-starred chefs like Paco Roncero of Madrid’s La Terraza del Casin; Ramón Freixa of Ramón Freixa Madrid; Caceres chef Toño Pérez of Atrio; and Malaga’s Dani García, chef at Calima restaurant in Marbella.

Air France has also tapped into its domestic culinary talent pool, recruiting celebrity chefs like Alain Ducasse and Joel Robuchon to help promote its in-flight dining program.

Etihad Airways Launches Cheap Flight Price For Summer Family Fares

Etihad Airways, the national carrier of the United Arab Emirates, will match the First or Business Class fare of any other airline over the summer months for families flying together on almost all of the routes it operates from the UAE.

The Family Fares promotion, which is launched on Thursday, June 2nd, will also see twenty percent discounts offered to families making outbound journeys in all classes – including Economy – from Abu Dhabi before June 24, and returning before September 15.

A minimum of two family members must fly together to take advantage of the deal, one of whom must be an adult.

Peter Baumgartner, Etihad Airways Chief Commercial Officer, said: “Etihad Airways is committed to offering our Guests the very best quality service at the right price – unbeatable value. We are always looking for ways to tailor our product to guests’ needs. The summer months are an extremely popular time for families to fly together, and we are happy to be able to offer them a deal with the Family Fares promotion that potentially reduces the expense of a holiday.”

Under the Family Fares promotion, Etihad Airways will only match the published ticket price of airlines which operate non-stop to destinations served by the Abu Dhabi-based carrier.

Etihad currently serves 68 destinations in Europe, the Americas, Africa, the Middle East and the Asia Pacific region.

Emirates Airline Plans to Increase flights to Australia to 100 Flight Weekly

Dubai flag carrier Emirates Airline hopes to increases its flights to Australia to 100 a week, after seeing a 52 percent rise in profit for the year to $1.5bn.

The Arab world’s largest airline currently operates 70 flights a week to Australia but sees opportunity for further expansion, said chairman Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed al-Maktoum.

“We are entitled to operate about 85 flights to Australia under the bilateral, When we meet that I am sure that we try to bring it to 100,” he said.

Emirates would require permission from Australian travel authorities to increase capacity.

“I hope Australia will not mind because it is good business for both of us,” Sheikh Ahmed said.

Emirates, which saw off surging oil prices and political unrest to post a 25 percent rise in revenues for 2010 of $14.8bn, has drawn fire for its ambitious expansion plans. Rival western carriers claim Gulf airlines use unfair subsidies and state funding to finance aircraft deals and draw long-haul traffic into their hubs.

Canada’s refusal to grant new landing rights to Emirates and Etihad spiralled into a diplomatic row between the two countries last year.

In Germany, national carrier Lufthansa has lobbied its government to deny Emirate’s additional landing slots at Berlin’s new airport, while British Airways has also criticized the Dubai carrier’s expansion plans.

Emirates took delivery of eight new aircraft during the year, including seven of its flagship A380s. The airline has a further $13.4bn worth of aircraft on order and plans to increase its fleet to eventually include 120 A380s superjumbos.

Capacity between the UAE and Australia has surged over the last decade, with Emirates operating just four flights a week to Australia when it launched the route in 1996.

In February Australia’s competition watchdog cleared the way for the country’s no.2 airline Virgin Blue to tie-up with Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Airways for five years, giving Virgin Blue a firmer footing in its plans to expand on international routes.

Emirates said it carried 31.4 million passengers in 2010 and its passenger load factor stood at 80 percent for the 12 month period.

UAE Airlines Cut Fares to Ensure Summer Traffic

UAE Airlines based to cut fares in a bid to ensure summer traffic is not affected.

Dubai-based Emirates, the largest airline in the region, has removed a fuel surcharge on its tickets with immediate effect “In line with the recent decrease in fuel prices, Emirates has removed its fuel surcharge on all tickets,” said Tim Clark, President Emirates Airline.

Meanwhile, Etihad Airways has launched a new sales promotion for UAE and GCC based travellers, offering return Coral Economy class air fares with up to 40 per cent discount off regular fare prices during the month of May, for travel to be completed by the end of the May.

Hareb Al Muhairi, Etihad Airways’ Vice-President Sales, UAE, said: “Last week we were recognised as the Middle East’s Leading Airline at the region’s World Travel Awards, so we are very excited to offer these sale fares to complement the win, designed to help all our UAE based customers choose their perfect holiday or short break during May.”

Emirates had introduced a new fuel surcharge on April 18, citing soaring international fuel prices. Its surcharge made an economy class ticket dearer by between Dh40 and Dh640, depending on the sector of travel.
“The removal of this surcharge reflects our longstanding commitment to our customers. We promised our customers from the outset that we would eliminate the surcharge as soon as it was commercially viable and this has now been done. We continue to closely monitor the situation.”

However, not all airlines are likely to follow suit. Travel and tourism operators are expecting an overall 15 to 20 per cent hike in air fares this summer as demand from UAE holidaymakers rises.

Riyad al-Faisal Director General of Al Majed Travel and Tourism Agency pointed out that “travelers have realised the importance of early booking to ensure the best prices and best seats on the aircraft which helps airlines to prepare well and explore the next stage in advance.”

He also noted that there are airlines which are deliberately cancelling the budget flights to take advantage of the peak travel season and compensate for the period of winter hibernation.

Al Faisal explained that the number of the budget flights has seen a drastic growth, especially in light of the growing demand by large groups of travelers in the UAE.
“Cheaper fare is the main reason behind the success of low-cost airlines,” he said, adding that competition between airlines remains very healthy and in the interest of passengers in particular and the aviation sector in the UAE in general.

Malaysia and Turkey have come out as the two most preferred destinations of the UAE vacationers and tickets to these places are expected rise by more than 10 per cent during peak summer.

Crude oil prices fell 15 per cent last week, the steepest decline in two-and-a-half years, and a barrel of crude Brent is trading around $109 this morning, down from last week’s high of over $127.

Travellers have welcomed the move by the Dubai-based airline. “Emirates is a true leader. I like their service, and now I love their prices even more,” said Ian Lewis, a sales executive with a Dubai-based IT reseller. He, like thousands of expatriates, is getting ready for his annual family trip back home during the forthcoming school holidays, and said the reduction came just in time for him.

Bindu S, another Dubai resident, said that although she tries to minimize her payouts by using her Air Miles and Skyward miles, she nevertheless was happy with the announcement.

Duleep Singh, a Sharjah resident, too is happy with the decision, and says he’d “prefer flying with Emirates than with [a low-fare] airline, especially with my family.”
The latest Emirates surcharge was valid for just three weeks. “Due to the current volatility of oil prices, Emirates is introducing a fuel surcharge to reflect the substantial recent increases in our fuel costs,” an Emirates spokesperson had said on April 18.

“Emirates has already incurred substantial costs by absorbing the recent price rises, but the surcharge gives us the ability to respond faster to market conditions, rather than a lengthier process of incorporating them into fares,” the spokesperson had said in a statement.

“The changes will also give us the ability to decrease prices quickly, where appropriate. We will review the level of the surcharge on an on-going basis, while remaining committed to providing our customers with excellent service and a strong value-for-money proposition,” the spokesperson had said.

Emirates Airlines and Etihad Airways to Begin Flights to the Southeast Asian Country

Both parties agree to allow unrestricted non-scheduled operations between two countries.

The UAE, represented by the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), signed an air services memorandum of understanding with Vietnam in Dubai last Wednesday.

The agreement was signed by Laila Ali Bin Hareb, Executive Director of Strategy and International Affairs of the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority and Vo Huy Cuong, Director of Vietnam’s Air Transport Department of the Civil Aviation Administration.

Representatives of the Abu Dhabi Department of Transport, Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Sharjah Department of Civil Aviation, Ras Al Khaimah Department of Civil Aviation, Etihad Airways, Emirates airline and RAK Airways attended the negotiations.

The move will allow UAE-based airlines Emirates and Etihad to begin flights to the Southeast Asian country.

It will also help Vietnamese businesses enter the UAE market in a bigger way.

Full flexibility

The two delegations agreed that any number of designated airlines of both parties will have the right to perform scheduled air services.

The UAE delegation designated Emirates, Etihad Airways, Air Arabia, RAK Airways and flydubai as UAE national airlines under the agreement.

The Vietnamese delegation designated Vietnam Airline as its designated carrier.

The deal allows full flexibility on the routes, capacity, number of frequencies and types of aircraft, in any type of service (passenger or cargo).

The memorandum also includes the exercise of Fifth Freedom traffic rights.

In addition, both parties agreed to allow unrestricted non-scheduled operations between the two countries.

Commenting on this agreement, Laila Hareb said: “The signed deal between the UAE and Vietnam considered the most open air services MoU signed by the Vietnam government.

Common interests

It followed a recent high ranking official visit by UAE officials to Vietnam to strengthen the bonds of cooperation and communication with Vietnam to achieve common interests, and expand the horizons of joint trade and investment, especially in infrastructure and energy, tourism and aviation,” she added.

Bin Hareb said: “The UAE is considered one of the biggest investors in Vietnam with the total capital in ongoing projects amounting to $3 billion.”

Emirates Airlines, Etihad Airways and Oman Air Propel Global Flight Capacity to Record

Propelled by Emirates, Etihad Airways and Oman Air, global flight capacity is poised to soar to “unprecedented” levels in April, according to new figures released by a key data and analysis provider for the aviation industry.

The three carriers operating from the Middle East — the fastest growing market in terms of capacity — are due to deliver an 11 per cent increase in capacity for the region in April, said the UK-based Official Airlines Guide, or OAG, in its monthly snapshot of airline activity.

Other carriers driving the region’s capacity growth are Qatar Airways and low-cost carriers Air Arabia and flyDubai.

The capacity growth forecast for the Middle East far exceeds the five per cent global flight capacity growth expected in April.

The unprecedented capacity surge comes at a time when world’s airlines continue to adjust their schedules and capacity daily to meet fluctuating demand in the wake of Japan’s devastating earthquakes and tsunami.

The report showed that airlines around the world will provide 317.4 million seats to passengers during the month of April in 2011. “This figure is five per cent higher than at the same time in 2010, or 13.9 million more seats, and represents the highest capacity ever provided by the industry,” the OAG said in its April Frequency and Capacity Trend Statistics report.

Frequencies have also been rising, up three per cent, or 80,653 more flights scheduled to operate worldwide in April 2011 compared to April 2010.

The Asia-Pacific region will be served with an extra 6.2 million seats by airlines during the month of April this year. Europe will see a three per cent increase in the number of seats offered by budget carriers in April, compared with the same month last year.

“The fastest-growing market by volume of seats is to and from the Middle East, with an 11 per cent increase in capacity year on year. However, political events in the region will likely have an effect on sustaining this level of scheduled capacity,” the report observed.

Giovanni Bisignani, director general of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), said air passenger traffic was picking up in the Middle East after the region was torn by instability but warned airlines would have to wait until after the summer for a recovery in Japan.

IATA, which represents the majority of world airlines, said the industry was also reeling from a $30 billion rise in its fuel bill this year due to the Arab unrest. IATA had previously said the March 11 Japanese earthquake and subsequent nuclear crisis would cause a major slowdown from which airlines would not recover before the second half.

“We will have to see the numbers for April because March is not a big indicator, but there will be a big effect,” Bisignani said.

The Association of British Travel Agents, or ABTA, said Dubai and Florida holidays are among the popular travel destinations along with Spain, the most popular destination for Britons, with the ever-popular Costa del Sol and the Canary Islands attracting large throngs of holidaymakers.

ABTA said travellers in the UK are taking advantage of the extra bank holiday provided for the royal wedding, with workers only needing to take three days off to enjoy an 11-day holiday. Two million holidaymakers in the UK will be heading for holidays abroad over the Easter period.

OAG said in terms of absolute growth, the intra-Asia Pacific region is the clear leader with more than 6.2 million additional seats and 40,203 more published flights this month against April 2010.

Over the last five years, figures within the Asia Pacific region have shown average capacity growth of seven per cent compared to the global average of four per cent.

Analysis of the European market reveals marginal growth of 0.3 per cent in frequencies and two per cent in capacity for services within the region.

Next Page »