THAILAND: Thai Airways International Halts Flights

Thai Airways International will ground all services in Asia, 25 March, followed by Australia on 27 March and Europe
on 1 April, the airline announced Tuesday evening.

According to the airline’s announcement flights will remain grounded
until 31 May.

Blaming travel bans and country lockdowns that battle the Covid-19 outbreaks across Europe and Asia the airline is embarking on an unprecedented shutdown of flights that will last through to 31 May.

Starting on 25 March 2020 services are suspended to Hong Kong, Taipei, Tokyo (Narita and Haneda), Osaka, Nagoya, Seoul, Phnom Penh, Vientiane, Ho Chi Minh, Hanoi, Yangon, Singapore, Jakarta, Denpasar, Kunming, Xiamen, Chengdu, Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Karachi, Kathmandu, Lahore, Dhaka, Islamabad, and Colombo.

Domestic flights to Chiang Mai, Phuket, and Krabi will be transferred and operated by THAI Smile.

Starting on 27 March 2020 services are suspended to Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, and Perth in Australia.

Starting on 1 April 2020 THAI will cancel most of its flights to Europe serving London, Frankfurt, Paris, Brussels, Copenhagen, Oslo, Moscow
and Stockholm.

The airline had earlier suspended flights to Sendai, Sapporo, Fukuoka, Busan, Manila, Kuala Lumpur, Rome, Milan, Vienna, New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Muscat, Dubai, and Auckland.

Passengers who hold THAI and THAI Smile code-share tickets, issued before 25 March 2020 with the following travel periods, can convert unused tickets to one-year valid travel voucher without fees or surcharges:
Asian Routes 25 March to 31 May 2020; European, Australian and New Zealand Routes 1 April to 31 May 2020.

Royal Orchid Plus (ROP) members holding award tickets issued for travel during 25 March to 31 May 2020 are eligible for a full re-credit mileages, or they can opt to change the travel date without any fee or charge with expired miles extended until 30 September 2020.

Passengers can check flight schedules and make itinerary changes themselves on thaiairways.com website. For ticket adjustments or more information, ROP members can contact THAI Sales Offices or visit thaiairways.com/rop.

THAI will still operate cargo service on some routes and will operate charter flights if there are stranded passengers or government agencies that make a request.

PAKISTAN: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) Moves 85 Flight Attendants From Karachi To Islamabad

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), transferred 85 flight attendants from Karachi to Islamabad.

PIA administration, in a notification, directed concerned stewards and stewardesses to report to Base In-charge Flight Services in Islamabad for further assignment of duties within six days following the recent transfers.

The notification stated that special allowances will be given to the flight attendants for transportation as married officials will get a one-month allowance and unmarried personnel will be provided 15 days allowance besides provision of free air passage including their families, if married.

For the transportation of baggage, married officials can carry up to 273 kilograms while unmarried attendants can take away 182 kilograms if travelling by air.

The officials will be allowed to take 1119 kilograms baggage if travelling through surface transportation while unmarried personnel will be allowed to carry up to 746 kilograms.

On April 15, the Pakistan International Airline (PIA) had decided to launch action against facilitators of crew members deployed abroad in contravention of stipulated rules.


Tourism Observer

UAE: Emirates A380 One-off Flight Lands In Islamabad

Emirates’ special one-off A380 Dubai-Islamabad flight takes off from Dubai on Sunday morning with celebrities, officials and journalists on board.

The airline’s iconic double-decker will make its inaugural arrival in Islamabad on a special flight EK2524/EK2525. It will be the first time that an A380 lands in Pakistan.

Emirates’ special one-off A380 flight landed in Islamabad on Sunday with celebrities, officials, diplomats and journalists on board.

Arrival of the airline’s iconic double-decker special flight EK2524/EK2525 to Islamabad also made history in Pakistan’s aviation as it was the first A380 ever landed in Pakistan.

The special flight, was joined by a VIP delegation led by Sheikh Majid Al Mualla, Emirates’ Divisional Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations, Centre and Adil Al Ghaith, Emirates' Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations, GMEI (Gulf, Middle East and Iran).

They were joined by His Excellency Hamad Obaid Ibrahim Salem Al Zaabi, the UAE Ambassador to Pakistan and His Excellency Moazzam Ahmad Khan, Pakistan Ambassador to the UAE.

Also travelling on the flight as special guests were two Pakistani members of Emirates’ first ever team, Captain Fazle Ghani, the airline’s first Chief Pilot and Team Lead for Inaugural Operations and Captain Ejaz ul Haq, one of the pilots who operated the first ever Emirates flights from Dubai 33 years ago.

Two Emirates alumni pilots including Captain Ejazul Haq and Captain Fazle Ghani who operated the first ever Emirates flight from Dubai to Karachi on October 35, 1985 were also amongst the guests on board. Captain Ejazul Haq had operated the second Emirates flight from Dubai to Mumbai on the same day.

Though it was the one-off A380 flight between Dubai and Islamabad, the airline wants to make it a regular daily flight in future.

This is our special flight but we want to operate regular daily flight on A380 from Dubai to the new Islamabad airport which is fully equipped to receive the big aircraft, said Shaikh Majid Al Mualla, Divisional Senior Vice President Commercial Operations Centre, Emirates.

Speaking on board the A380, he said that negotiations with the authorities concerned in the Pakistan have already started in this regard. We are very hopeful that passengers on this sector would soon enjoy regular A380flights.

We came here to showcase our innovative products and will continue to work with authorities to realise our plans to increase capacity to all routes to Pakistan, he added.

The special A380 flight depart Dubai 8.15 am to arrive to arrive at the new plush Islamabad airport at 12.20 pm. The flight departed Islamabad at 1540hrs arriving in Dubai at 1745hrs on the same day.

Hamad Al Zaabi, UAE’s Ambassador to Pakistan who was also on board. It is a historical day for UAE and Pakistan. We operated the first flight to Pakistan and now brought the first A380 – the world’s largest aircraft – to Pakistan.

It reflects that we are building on our relations. We want to make it a daily flight and we are working on it.

Moazzam Ahmed Khan, Pakistan’s Ambassador to the UAE, who was amongst the special guests on board, said: It is a new chapter in the Pakistan-UAE relations.

Landing of the super jumbo in Pakistan would send positive message to business community and investors around the world that Pakistan is growing market.

He said that government of Pakistan is in discussion with the UAE authorities to finalise agreement to allow Emirates to operate A380 to Pakistan.

It is a win-win situation for both the countries. Emirates is very important to us as thousands of Pakistanis not only from UAE but from around the world use it to travel to and from Pakistan.

Speaking at the reception at Islamabad airport, Pakistan’s Aviation Minister General (retired) Naeem Khaled Lodhi said that it was a great day for Pakistan’s aviation history. “Now we have the airport which can receive all kind of aircraft and we will ask other countries as well to start flights to Islamabad.”

Regarding allowing Emirates’ A380 flights to Pakistan, he said that they were working on the plans keeping in interests of their national airlines. “We hope to reach the agreement soon,” he said.

Captian Fazle Ghani, 86, who operated the Emirates’ first flight to from Dubai to Karachi and Captain Ejazul Haq who operated the Emirates first flight from Dubai to Mumbai were especially honoured at the reception.

I am greatly honoured by the Emriates for remembering me, said Captain Ghani. He said he so proud to have the honour of operating Emirates’ first flight.

Captain Ejazul Haq who now lives in Islamabad said that he had served Emirates airline from 1987 to 2011. Emirates is always ahead of other airlines in future planning and adopting technology and equipment. I feel very proud to have worked for such a great airline, he said.

The Emirates A380 aircraft on this special one-off service is in a two-class configuration offering spacious seats in Economy Class and fully flat-bed seats in Business Class as well as Emirates’ popular Onboard Lounge.

Passengers in all classes enjoy free Wi-Fi to stay in touch with family and friends and Emirates’ multi-award winning ice inflight entertainment with up to 3,500 channels of movies, TV programmes, music and podcasts on the industry’s biggest personal screens in each class of travel.

Emirates and Pakistan have a shared history tracing back over 30 years when the airline’s flight landed in Karachi on 25 October 1985.

In the last three decades, Emirates has progressively expanded its operations and offering global connectivity and world-class services to Pakistan’s major cities including Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar, Sialkot and Multan.

Emirates Skywards, the award-winning loyalty programme, offers its more than 400,000 Pakistani members’ exclusive privileges, including earning Skywards Miles when they fly on Emirates or partner airlines, or when they use the programme’s designated hotels, car rentals, financial, leisure and lifestyle partners.

Emirates currently has 104 A380s in service and 58 pending delivery, more than any airline globally. The airline also recently announced a US$ 16 billion (AED 58.7 billion) deal for 36 additional Airbus A380 aircraft.

There are about 400,000 Pakistani travellers who are part of the airline’s loyalty programme, the Emirates Skywards.

Shaikh Majid Al Mualla, Divisional Senior Vice President Commercial Operations Centre of Emirates, presented an Emirates aircraft model to Pakistan's minister and honoured the first Pakistani pilots of Emirates first flight to Pakistan in 1985: Captain Fazle Ghani and Captain Ejazul Haq.

The flight landed smoothly at 12:20pm (Pakistan time), with a round of applause and cheers from passengers. The flight gets a warm welcome at the new Islamabad International Airport as the first A380 plane to land there.

Anoushy Ashraf, a Pakistani social media influencer, said she is loving the "wonderful flight". "I hope this would turn into a regular daily flight," she said.

The A380 flight departs Dubai at 8am to arrive in Islamabad in 3 hours and 10 minutes. The flight will depart Islamabad at 3:40pm, and arrive in Dubai at 5:45pm on the same day.

Although the flight is a one-off, it is fully booked with commercial passengers, except for a small official delegation.

Captain Fazle Ghani, who operated the first Emirates flight to Pakistan in 1985, is on board as a special guest. He is now 86.

Among the guests on board is Captain Ejazul Haq, the second pilot to operate the first Emirates flight from Dubai to Mumbai on October 26, 1985.

Also on board are Pakistan's Ambassador to the UAE, Moazzam Ahmed Khan; Shaikh Majid Al Mualla, Emirates' Divisional Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations Centre, and Raza Jafar, a prominent Pakistani businessman.

The airline said it wants to make this flight a regular daily service in the future.

“We are proud to bring our flagship A380 aircraft to Islamabad, and we look forward to showcasing our innovative products on-board this iconic aircraft with the signature Emirates service. While this is a special flight, we are very keen to launch a scheduled A380 service to Pakistan and will continue to work with authorities to realise these plans,” said Shaikh Majid Al Mualla, Divisional Senior Vice President Commercial Operations Centre of Emirates.

Shaikh Majid presents Emirates aircraft model to Pakistani minister

Shaikh Majid then honoured the first Pakistan pilots who operated the first Emirates flight from Dubai to Karachi, Captain Fazle Ghani abd captain Ejazul Haq.

Shaikh Majid then honours the first pakistan pilots who operated the first Emirates flight from Dubai to Karachi, Captain Fazle Ghani abd captain Ejazul Haq.

He says that he is greatly honored today. I am so happy that Emirates remembered me. I still cherish moments of Emirates first flight.

The Emirates A380 aircraft on this special one-off service is in a two-class configuration offering spacious seats in Economy Class and fully flat-bed seats in Business Class as well as Emirates' popular onboard lounge.


Tourism Observer

SAUDI ARABIA: Emirates To Provide Extra Flights For To Cater For Hajj Season

Emirates will be operating 45 additional flights to Jeddah and 12 additional flights to Medina from 17 August until 11 September to help serve the 2 million pilgrims expected to travel to the Holy City of Mecca during Hajj this year.

These services will run in parallel with Emirates’ regularly scheduled services to Jeddah.

The airline will also be operating its A380 to Medina which will also support the increased demand during this period.

The additional services are available to travellers holding a valid Hajj visa.

This year, top inbound destinations Emirates is expecting Hajj pilgrims to come from are Yangon, Manchester, Mauritius, Jakarta, Karachi, Lagos and Nairobi.

Adil Al Ghaith Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations, Gulf, Middle East and Iran said: Travelling for Hajj is a unique experience for Muslims around the world, and we expect over 20,000 pilgrims to travel with us this year. With a sizeable increase in demand for air travel during this period.

Emirates is helping to make the journey more seamless for the scores of pilgrims making their way to the Holy City of Mecca.

Whether it’s in the air or on the ground, Emirates aims to provide all its customers with the best experience in line with their faith, particularly at this significant time and important journey.

On the ground, Emirates has appointed a dedicated group of airport staff to seamlessly facilitate the passenger ground experience for Hajj. In addition, dedicated check-in counters have been set up for Hajj passengers in Dubai.

In the air, several initiatives have been planned in keeping with the values and traditions that pilgrims uphold when travelling for Hajj.

Extra provisions will be made to accommodate Hajj traveller needs such as performing ablutions, advising passengers about Al Miqat and Ihram (the phase when pilgrims enter a state of sanctity) and other arrangements that will help ease their journey.

Emirates’ award winning ice system will also feature a special Hajj video that covers safety, Hajj formalities and information about performing the Hajj pilgrimage.

Pilgrims will also be able to tune into the Holy Quran channel.

On flights from Jeddah, Hajj passengers can bring up to 5 litres of holy water (Zamzam) which will be placed in special areas in the cargo hold.

As with all Emirates flights, Hajj passengers will enjoy extra generous Emirates baggage allowance of up to 35kg in Economy Class, 40kg in Business Class and 50kg in First Class.


Tourism Observer

PAKISTAN:153 Killed After Oil Tanker Burns

An oil tanker crashed on a road in Pakistan on Sunday and at least 153 people, many of whom had rushed to collect leaking fuel, were killed when it exploded, apparently after someone lit a cigarette, officials said.

The tanker overturned on a sharp bend on a highway on the outskirts of the city of Bahawalpur. The driver lost control when the vehicle blew a tire, a provincial government spokesman said.

A large crowd of people gathered, many to collect fuel in containers, and the tanker exploded in a huge fireball about 45 minutes later. Rescue workers said about 80 people had been injured.

“People of the area and passers-by had started gathering fuel when it exploded, burning everybody,” provincial government spokesman Malik Muhammad Ahmed Khan said.

An estimated 20 children were among the dead, he said.

The tragedy came less than a day before Pakistan was due to begin Eid ul-Fitr celebrations marking the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, with many roads crowded as people travel home for the holidays.

The tanker carrying 40,000 litres of fuel was driving from the southern port city of Karachi to Lahore, the Punjab provincial capital, when the driver lost control.

According to initial reports, somebody tried to light a cigarette, said a spokesman for the rescue services, Jam Sajjad Hussain.

Residents could be seen walking past blackened and twisted bodies piled by the side of the road. Earlier, television footage showed shooting flames and a thick plume of smoke as firefighters battled to extinguish the blaze.

The charred wreckage of dozens of motorcycles and cars could be seen scattered on the highway, along with kitchen utensils, pots, water coolers, jerrycans and buckets which victims had brought to collect the petrol.

Punjab provincial law minister Rana Sanaullah said that DNA tests were being used to identify the dead.

He said the driver of the tanker had survived the crash and been taken into custody.

Pakistan Motorway Police spokesman Imran Shah said they received a call about the accident at around 6.30am.

Motorway police raced to the scene and tried to keep people away from the tanker, he said, adding that they were ignored as residents continued filling their containers with fuel.

The military said it was sending army helicopters to evacuate the wounded and hospitals were put on high alert. The nearest burns centre is believed to be more than 150km away.

A doctor in Ahmedpur East said more than 100 people had been brought to the local hospital with more than 80 per cent burns before they were rushed to larger hospitals in Multan and Bahawalpur.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif expressed his grief and directed the government of Punjab province, run by his brother Shabhaz Sharif, to provide “full medical assistance”.

Pakistan has an appalling record of fatal traffic accidents due to poor roads, badly maintained vehicles and reckless driving.

At least 62 people including women and children were killed in southern Pakistan in 2015 when their bus collided with an oil tanker, starting a fierce blaze that left victims burnt beyond recognition.

The country has also long struggled to contain a chronic energy crisis, with regular blackouts crippling industry and exacerbating anger against the government.

A series of deadly militant attacks across the country Friday unnerved many Pakistanis, with officials increasing the death toll Sunday to a total of 69 - 51 dead in blasts in northwestern Parachinar, 14 killed in an attack targeting police in Quetta, and four police murdered in a drive-by shooting in Karachi.

Social media users Sunday posted messages of grief and solidarity with the victims of the oil tanker crash as well as Friday’s attacks, as many prayed for a safe Eid.

SAUDI ARABIA: Flynas Celebrates New Service Connecting Riyadh And Abu Dhabi

Launch of the five-times-per-week service between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi further strengthens flynas’ codeshare agreement with Etihad Airways

Riyadh, 16 December, 2015: Marking an important milestone in its planned growth strategy, the Saudi Arabian national carrier flynas today inaugurated its new service connecting Riyadh and Abu Dhabi with non-stop flights operating five days per week.

Highlighting flynas’ success in strategically expanding its footprint in key markets across the region, the launch of the new service makes Abu Dhabi the fourth destination to be added to the airline’s GCC network after Dubai, Kuwait and Bahrain and expands the leading low-cost carrier’s reach to a total of 26 destinations within and outside of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).

Commenting on the launch of the new service, Bander Al Mohanna, NAS Holding CEO, said: “We are delighted to touch down in Abu Dhabi with the launch of this new five-times-per-week service that connects the two capitals while offering convenient and affordable air travel options to guests traveling in both directions.

Adding Abu Dhabi to our GCC route network is an important strategic step for flynas due to multiple reasons, including our codeshare agreement with Etihad Airways as well as the long-standing friendship and the strong bilateral business and economic ties shared by the two nations. Moreover, Abu Dhabi’s growing prominence as both a leading family-friendly tourism destination and a strategic business hub makes the opening of the new route a highly attractive proposition for Saudi travelers.”

“The service also takes our codeshare partnership with Etihad Airways to a whole new level, creating further opportunity for growth as we soar into the future with a renewed business strategy to continue expanding our reach into new markets with sheer confidence and optimism,” Bander Al Mohanna added.

Offering many benefits to flynas guests traveling from KSA, the new service strengthens flynas’ codeshare partnership with the UAE’s national airline Etihad Airways, which allows flynas to place its “XY” flight code on over 200 Etihad Airways’ flights between Abu Dhabi and 20 international destinations, including Amsterdam, Brussels, Casablanca, Geneva, Islamabad, Jakarta, Karachi, Kuala Lumpur, Lahore, London, Manchester, Paris, São Paulo, Seychelles, Singapore, Zurich, and subsequently on flights operating to the Indian subcontinent over the coming months, subject to regulatory approvals.

As part of the agreement, flynas flights can be sold to over 100 destinations around the world. Moreover, Etihad Airways will further promote the new service – providing additional value to flynas’ network throughout KSA.

“Our codeshare agreement with flynas was initiated over three years ago, and the partnership has developed into an outstanding commercial success. Importantly, we are providing the increasing numbers of business and leisure travelers with enhanced travel options into and out of KSA,” said Kevin Knight, Etihad Airways’ Chief Strategy and Planning Officer.

“We are delighted to build on this success by codesharing on flynas’ new flights between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, which complements Etihad Airways’ 13 weekly flights between the two cities. We congratulate flynas on the launch of this new service, which will create new value for our companies and increase travel options for our guests,” Kevin Knight added.

Welcoming flynas’ inaugural flight in Abu Dhabi, Eng. Mohamed Mubarak Al Mazrouei, CEO of Abu Dhabi Airports, said: “We are pleased to welcome flynas’ entry into the UAE capital. This new service is in line with our strategy of further developing our airline portfolio while providing passengers with a world-class travel experience whether they are traveling for business or leisure. The opening of this strategic route also successfully complements the collaborative efforts made by Abu Dhabi Airports and Abu Dhabi Tourism and Cultural Authority to further strengthen Abu Dhabi’s position as one of the leading tourist destinations regionally and internationally. From providing efficient and timely ground handling processes to smooth and easy flow of passengers at the airport, we look forward to fully cooperating with flynas to ensure the success of this new service.”

“The new service has been specifically timed to coincide with the afternoon departure of Etihad Airways’ connecting banks. This provides excellent connections to Etihad Airways’ network eastbound, specifically to Pakistan, India and Far East, increases flynas’ visibility around the world and opens up KSA to a larger number of business and religious travelers,” added Bander Al Mohanna.

In celebration of the occasion, flynas also hosted a gala dinner at Eastern Mangroves Hotel & Spa by Anantara, Abu Dhabi, which was attended by senior executives from Etihad Airways and Abu Dhabi Airports in addition to other government dignitaries and business partners.

The new route will operate every Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday – departing Riyadh at 9:35am to land in Abu Dhabi at 12:35pm local time while the return leaves Abu Dhabi at 2:45pm, arriving into Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport at 3:45pm local time.

QATAR: Qatar Airways Will Fly To Maputo

Qatar Airways announced it will upgrade its three times weekly flights between Doha and Maputo, Mozambique, to a non-stop Boeing 787 Dreamliner service effective 27 March 2016.

The new non-stop flights will be operated on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.

Qatar Airways currently serves the Doha – Maputo route three times a week via South Africa’s largest city Johannesburg.

The carrier will de-link flights from Johannesburg, Qatar Airways’ Maputo route, with commencing of the new route.

Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker, said:

“Three years ago, Qatar Airways began flights to Maputo via Johannesburg, and over that time we have seen a consistent increase in demand resulting in today’s announcement, making our Maputo-Doha flights non-stop.”

“We are very pleased that we will now be able to provide leisure and business passengers shorter, more convenient flights when travelling between Doha and Maputo.”

With the start of Qatar Airways’ new non-stop service to Maputo International Airport, passengers from Europe, the Americas, Middle East and Asia Pacific will take advantage of a seamless one-stop connection to Mozambique’s capital city via Doha, saving approximately five hours per direction from prior itineraries.

Travellers from Mozambique will have more convenient options to more than 150 destinations around the world, including popular destinations like Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Seoul, Tokyo, Karachi, Mumbai, Delhi and Dubai.

Qatar Airways’ Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft features 254 seats in a two-class configuration of 22 seats in business class and 232 in economy.

Qatar Airways fleet consists of 173 aircraft (and 169 orders), as of January 2016.

UAE: Etihad Signs Codeshare With Pakistan International Airlines

Etihad Airways and Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) have signed a codeshare agreement between the UAE, Pakistan and beyond.

Etihad will place its EY code on PIA flights between Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar and Abu Dhabi.

PIA’s PK code will be placed on Etihad flights between Abu Dhabi and Islamabad, Karachi, and Lahore and the code will also be added to Etihad’s flights from Abu Dhabi to many of its global destinations.

“There is a long and proud history of travel between Abu Dhabi and cities across Pakistan, and this new codeshare agreement – between the national airlines of the UAE and Pakistan – will make that experience, as well as travel onwards to Africa, Europe, and the United States, that much easier,” said Kevin Knight, Etihad Airways chief strategy and planning officer.