SRI LANKA: SriLankan Airlines Traffic Went Down In 2018

SriLankan Airlines commenced operations between Colombo and Melbourne on 29 October 2017, with the latter airport giving the inaugural flight a water arch salute.

Data from the Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka shows that during the first 12 months of operation, the oneworld member carried 157,342 passengers on the route. This service was also the last route that was introduced to the carrier’s network, with no new routes planned for 2019 so far either.

SriLankan Airlines is the flag carrier of Sri Lanka and a member of oneworld. It currently operates a fleet of 27 aircraft, made-up of seven A320s of which two are neos, seven A321s three neos, six A330-200s and seven A330-300s.

It’s home base is Colombo’s Bandaranaike Airport, where in 2018 the carrier occupied 50% of seat capacity. According to data obtained from Sri Lanka’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the airline flew just under 1.42 million passengers during Q3 2018, with this down 3.3% versus the 1.46 million that it flew within the same quarter of 2017.

Between November 2017 and October 2018, the carrier flew just under six million passengers according to Sri Lanka’s CAA.

SriLankan Airlines’ leading route from Colombo is Chennai, with the airline having transported over half a million passengers on the route between January and October last year, accounting for 10% of the carrier’s total passengers flown within the 10-month period analysed.

The airline currently serves the 647-kilometre route four times daily, using a mixture of its narrow- and wide-body fleet.

India is the airline’s largest market, with it serving 13 destinations in India on either a seasonal or year-round basis during the time frame analysed, with six Indian cities placing in the airline’s top 15 destinations for passengers carried.

Between January and October, 33% of the airline’s passengers flew on services to/from India.

After India, the airline’s second biggest market is the Middle East, with this region accounting for 24% or 1.16 million passengers of the the carrier’s customers between January and October last year.

Presently the airline serves nine destinations in the Middle East from Colombo, with Doha, Dubai, Riyadh and Kuwait City all making it into the airline’s top 15 destinations with regards to passengers carried.

One route which just missed out on a place in the top 15 is the airline’s newest destination Melbourne, a route that the airline launched on 29 October 2017.

Placing 16th in the airline’s top routes relating to passengers carried, the link to Australia transported 129,110 passengers within the first 10 months of last year, while during its first full 12 months of operation November 2017 – October 2018, the route carried 157,342 passengers.

The airline’s other routes to carry over 100,000 passengers within a 12-month time frame Nov 2017 – Oct 2018, were Jakarta, Guangzhou, Jeddah, Abu Dhabi, Thiruvananthapuram, Dhaka, Shanghai Pudong, Tokyo Narita, Bahrain and Beijing.

While SriLankan Airlines added its last new route in October 2017, it has since cut three routes from Colombo, namely to Hong Kong which ended 27 October 2018, Visakhapatnam 27 October and Kunming 28 February.

The loss of these routes means that in S19, the carrier is poised to offer a network of 38 destinations, with no new routes being planned or announced by the airline for this year.

Male was the leading destination for SriLankan Airlines’ connecting traffic between July 2017 and June 2018, with it accounting for 9.0% of one-way connecting passengers during this 12-month period, while Chennai was second, responsible for 7.6% of connecting traffic.

With these routes being the airline’s top routes for total passenger numbers from Colombo, and having multi-daily frequencies, it is not surprising to see them top the list of connecting destinations as well.

What is interesting to note is that, of the airline’s leading connections, all of them, bar Jeddah, are within a distance of 4,500 kilometres of Colombo.

Of the airline’s top 15 routes for total passenger numbers, only Male, Chennai, Kochi, Riyadh, Singapore, Tiruchirappalli, Kuwait City, Bangkok Suvarnabhumi, Kuala Lumpur, Doha and Dubai were included in the top 15 connecting routes, with Delhi, London Heathrow, Bengaluru and Mumbai not making the connections cut.

This suggests that the latter four destinations are more dominant for O&D traffic to/from Colombo then they are for connecting services via SriLankan’s hub.

During the past decade, SriLankan Airlines had a number of routes into Europe, however these we cut as a result of cost cutting measures for the airline as it re-focused its strategy in recent years.

However, if it was to return to expansion in the long-haul market, OAG Traffic Analyser data indicates that strong destinations for the airline, regarding O&D traffic from Colombo, would be Paris CDG 70,000 one-way indirect passengers between July 2017 and June 2018, Frankfurt 58,100, Milan Malpensa 45,300, Rome Fiumicino 40,400 and Munich 35,900.


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QATAR: Qatar Airways Commences Doha To Da Nang, Vietnam

Qatar Airways has inaugurated its first flight to Da Nang, the airline’s third destination in Vietnam. The Doha carrier deployed its Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner on this new route.

Qatar Airways CEO, Akbar Al Baker who was pleased to extend the airline’s reach into Vietnam by launching its third gateway into this beautiful country.

The addition of Da Nang to our global network further demonstrates our commitment to the Far East region, a highly important market for Qatar Airways.

And we are excited for passengers traveling to and from central Vietnam to experience our award-winning service and product for themselves, he added.

There are up to 56 weekly flights to and from Vietnam with Qatar Airways, offering significant connectivity through its Doha mega-hub.

The route also coincided with the 25th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Vietnam and Qatar. Al Baker noted that through this expansion into Vietnam, it will make ties between both countries even stronger.

The airline’s relationship with Vietnam has stemmed since 2007, which is less than between the 25 years of diplomatic ties of the countries.

Services to Ho Chi Minh City began in 2007 and launched services to Hanoi three years later.

In order to extend its presence in the Vietnamese market, October 2017 saw the airline sign an interline partnership with VietJet Air, allowing QR passengers to travel to and from points in Vietnam not served directly by Qatar Airways using a single reservation across both networks.

This is the 14th route launch from the carrier this year, earmarking significant growth for 2018 overall. 2019 will see the airline launching services into the likes of Valletta, Malta as well as Isfahan, Iran.


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INDIA: IndiGo To Commence Flights To UK

IndiGo airline is likely to expand its wings into Europe with flights to Gatwick airport near London this winter, according to a source.

The airline has bagged a slot at Gatwick airport for the upcoming winter schedule and may start flights, said an aviation industry insider on the condition of anonymity.

The winter schedule starts from the last Sunday of October and continues till the last Saturday of March.

The flight to London Gatwick airport will include a stop mid-way. The move is part of the airline’s plan to expand into Europe and add at least nine destinations.

The airline will also be adding flights to China’s Hong Kong and talks to connect Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh are at an advanced stage.

IndiGo had said in a statement earlier that it would be adding flights to Male and Jeddah.

For its operations to Gatwick the airline is expected to deploy its new A321 neo, which it is likely to induct in November.

This plane will have one auxiliary fuel tank, enabling it to fly for eight to nine hours.

Currently, the airline flies to nine destinations in neighbouring countries, which include Bangkok, Colombo, Kathmandu, Dhaka, Doha, Dubai, Muscat, Sharjah and Singapore.

It has already announced flights to Kuwait and Abu Dhabi, effective next month.


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QATAR: Qatar Airways To Commence Doha To Cardiff Flights

Qatar Airways has announced that it is to launch Doha-Cardiff route on May 1st.

This is the first time that Qatar will be directly linked to Wales, and more importantly, the Welsh capital, offering passenger and cargo opportunities for those in the catchment area.

After the inaugural flight, the route will then be operated by the 787 Dreamliner that the carrier has in their fleet.

The launch of the new service to Cardiff will be a major milestone for Qatar Airways.

It makes sense that the inaugural flight that welcomes Qatar Airways to Wales is on the A350-900, as the wings of this very plane are built at the Airbus plant in Broughton, North Wales.

The new service will connect the Welsh people with more destinations globally and provide them with the opportunity to experience our unparalleled five-star service.

Qatar Airways forward to flying its new passengers on board and to connect them to Doha and points beyond.

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner that will operate on this route will have 22 seats in Business Class, offering a 1-2-1 configuration followed by 232 seats in Economy which will run under a 3-3-3 configuration.

The flight schedule is as follows:

- Doha (DOH) to Cardiff (CWL) QR 321 departs 07:25 arrives 12:50 (Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat)

- Cardiff (CWL) to Doha (DOH) QR 322 departs 15:55 arrives 00:45 (+1) (Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat)

- Doha (DOH) to Cardiff (CWL) QR 323 departs 01:15 arrives 06:40 (Tue, Thu, Sun)

- Cardiff (CWL) to Doha (DOH) QR 324 departs 08:10 arrives 17:00 (Tue, Thu, Sun)

On top of this new route addition in May, the airline will also be operating services to London Gatwick on May 22nd.

This means that by the end of May, Qatar Airways’ UK portfolio will consist of destinations being Heathrow, Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Cardiff, and Gatwick, offering an even spread across the UK to connect passengers to the State of Qatar as well as beyond.


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NEPAL: Hi Fly To Provide Nepal Airlines Two Airbus A330-200s

Nepal Airlines Corp. (NAC) will take delivery of the first of two Airbus A330-200s in June, in order to expand its international network following the acquisition of the two wide-body planes.

Portuguese wet-lease specialist, Hi Fly, will provide both airplanes, which are currently in final assembly stage in Toulouse, France.

The two A330-200s, powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engines, will feature a two-class cabin configuration that will seat a total of 274 passengers, respectively 18 in Business class and 256 Economy class.

Likewise, the 2-aisle cabin will have each seat equipped with RAVE Centric, the latest In-seat AVOD In-Flight Entertainment System.

According to NAC, it has signed a 12-year contract of total-care-package for the aircraft’s Rolls-Royce engines, including spare engines, if needed.

Nepal Airlines flies to eight international destinations from its main hub in Tribhuvan International Airport (KTM), including Kathmandu to Doha (Qatar), Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Hong Kong, Bangkok (Thailand) and Dubai as well to Delhi, Bangalore and Mumbai (India).

Also, it operates domestic flights from its regional hubs at Biratnagar, Nepalgunj, and Pokhara.

As of January 2017, the oldest airline from Nepal manages a fleet of 12 aircraft, consisting of two Airbus A320-200s, one Boeing 757-200M, two Xian MA-60 used for regional flights, three de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter, and four Harbin Y-12 only two used due to lack of pilot.


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AZERBAIJAN: Passenger Traffic At Heidar Aliyev Airport Baku Grows By 36%

Baku’s base airline AZAL was accountable for more than a half of all passenger traffic that passed through Baku in January through April (АZAL)
Passenger traffic through Heidar Aliyev airport in Baku, Azerbaijan’s capital, in the first four months of this year exceeded 1 million passengers.

In the period from January to April 2017 more than 1,062 million passengers flew from or to the capital of Azerbaijan, which is 36% above the same period last year.

The airport reported that over half of all passengers traveled by Azerbaijan’s national carrier, AZAL.

It was accountable for 594,000 passengers, including 158,000 served on domestic lines to Nakhichevan, Gyandzha and Gabala.

Baku Airport serves 28 airlines, including five low-cost carriers.

Cumulatively they carried 904,000 passengers on international routes, which makes up to 85% of the entire traffic for the period.

In the international segment AZAL generated almost half of the cumulative traffic (48.2%).

The most popular international destinations from Baku were Istanbul, Moscow, Dubai and Kyiv. About 62% of the entire international traffic traveled on these routes.

Other preferred destinations include Teheran, Tbilisi, Doha and St. Petersburg, accountable for 12% of traffic.

Last year Heydar Aliyev Airport handled the record 3.26 million passengers, up 8.7% on the previous year.

The share of international traffic was slightly less than now, 83.5%.

More of this traffic was served by AZAL (51.3%). The number of operators has remained the same.

The surge in passenger traffic was first recorded in the second half of the year.

In November the growth rate was 23% (231,000 passengers), and in October, 19% (265,000 passengers), 29% in September (365,000 passengers) and 27% in July (391,000 passengers).



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UNITED KINGDOM: British Airways Strike Flights Will Be Affected

Flight Delays that’s the prospect for about 5,000 BA passengers for the next 16 days as another cabin-crew strike gets under way.

The 1-16 July strike is the latest episode in a long-running dispute involving members of the Unite union working for BA’s Mixed Fleet at Heathrow.

Thousands of passengers have had their flights cancelled, but the airline says the “vast majority” of its flights will operate,partly thanks to the planes BA is borrowing.

It was originally about pay. Mixed Fleet was created in 2010, and currently constitutes about one third of BA’s total cabin crew. They are employed on inferior terms to longer-serving staff.

Mixed Fleet cabin crew who are members of the Unite union began strike action at the start of the year in a bid to improve what they called “poverty pay“.

British Airways and Unite have now reached agreement on pay. The battleground has now moved to what the union says are “punitive sanctions” against 1,400 members who took part in previous strikes, involving the removal of bonus payments and staff travel concessions.

The airline’s plans assume that the same number, around 1,400, will stop work. That’s about one in four of the Mixed Fleet total.

BA has also brought in planes. While spare aircraft and crews are difficult to charter in July, because it's peak season, BA’s part-owner, Qatar Airways, happens to have a lot of them sitting idle.

They have been grounded by the geopolitical row in the Gulf, which forbids the Qatari airline flying to a number of neighbours.

The Unite union had objected to the use of these planes, saying that Qatar Airways violated international labour standards. The union also claims: Qatar Flight Duty Time limitations and Rest requirements are inferior to the UK.

But permission for the deal was granted by the Government with just hours to go before the strike began. They will be deployed on short-haul routes from Heathrow to Munich, Brussels, Zurich and other destinations.

British Airways says any passengers who don’t want to fly on Qatar Airways can switch to “real” BA flights or get a full refund.

BA says that 99.5 per cent of its schedule will operate,which means that one in 200 flights will be cancelled. I have identified dozens of flights, all of them long-haul, that have been grounded because of the strike.

The most numerous cancellations are on the Heathrow-Doha link, with 12 flights axed between now and Thursday, but other flights are affected including round-trips to New York, Abuja and Muscat.

Over the next 16 days British Airways would normally expect to carry around 1.8 million passengers, and I estimate 10,000 will find their flight is cancelled. Passenger numbers could also be reduced because of reluctance to book on an airline threatened with a strike.

Flights that do not begin or end at Heathrow, eg those from Gatwick, London City and Stansted, are unaffected.

Passengers are being offered alternative departures, on British Airways or other airlines. They may also choose to cancel with a full refund, to postpone the trip or to reroute.

BA will not pay compensation for cancelled flights: industrial action is one of the relatively few grounds for an airline to refuse compensation due to extraordinary circumstances.

But if passengers are disrupted as a result of the strike, BA must provide a duty of care: meals, refreshments and if necessary accommodation as appropriate.


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ANGOLA: Luanda Overtakes Hong Kong As Most Expensive City For Expatriates To Live In

Mercer’s annual Cost of Living Survey finds African, Asian, and European cities dominate the list of most expensive locations for working abroad

- Luanda overtakes Hong Kong as the most expensive city for expatriates to live in according to Mercer’s 23rd annual Cost of Living Survey.

- Victoria in the Seychelles ranks 14th most expensive city sharing the same ranking with Moscow.

Cape Town, Blantyre and Windhoek ranks amongst the 15 cheapest cities globally.

In a rapidly changing world, mobility has become a core component of multinational organizations’ global talent strategy. To support the growing number of international assignees working in an increased number of locations, organizations are focusing on evaluating assignments from a cultural perspective, preparing for regional and lateral moves, and modifying compensation approaches to stay competitive.

As organizations grapple with these challenges, they are working hard to accommodate the needs of their workforce and to support employees’ careers. According to Mercer’s (www.Mercer.com) 2017 Global Talent Trends Study, fair and competitive pay as well as opportunities for promotion are top priorities for employees this year – not surprising given the current climate of uncertainty and change.

As a result, multinational organizations are carefully assessing the cost of expatriate packages for their international assignees. Mercer’s 23rd annual Cost of Living Survey finds that factors like instability of housing markets and inflation for goods and services contribute to the overall cost of doing business in today’s global environment.

“Globalization of the marketplace is well documented with many companies operating in multiple locations around the world and promoting international assignments to enhance the experience of future managers,” said Ilya Bonic, Senior Partner and President of Mercer’s Career business. “There are numerous personal and organizational advantages for sending employees overseas, whether for long- or short-term assignments, including career development by obtaining global experience, the creation and transfer of skills, and the re-allocation of resources.”

Mercer’s 2017 Cost of Living Survey finds Asian and European cities – particularly Hong Kong (2), Tokyo (3), Zurich (4), and Singapore (5) – top the list of most expensive cities for expatriates. The costliest city, driven by cost of goods and security, is Luanda (1), the capital of Angola view the Top 15 Cities Ranking here: http://APO.af/hrS2vG). Other cities appearing in the top 10 of Mercer’s costliest cities for expatriates are Seoul (6), Geneva (7), Shanghai (8), New York City (9), and Bern (10). The world’s least expensive cities for expatriates, according to Mercer’s survey, are Tunis (209), Bishkek (208), and Skopje (206).

Mercer's authoritative survey is one of the world’s most comprehensive, and is designed to help multinational companies and governments determine compensation allowances for their expatriate employees. New York is used as the base city and all cities are compared against it.

Currency movements are measured against the US dollar. The survey includes over 400 cities across five continents and measures the comparative cost of more than 200 items in each location, including housing, transportation, food, clothing, household goods, and entertainment.

“While historically mobility, talent management, and rewards have been managed independently of one another, organizations are now using a more holistic approach to enhance their mobility strategies. Compensation is important to be competitive and must be determined appropriately based on the cost of living, currency, and location,” said Mr. Bonic.

Europe, the Middle East, and Africa
Only three European cities remain in the top 10 list of most expensive cities for expatriates.

Zurich (4) is still the most costly European city on the list, followed by Geneva (7) and Bern (10). Moscow (14) and St. Petersburg (36) surged fifty-three and one hundred and sixteen places from last year respectively, due to the strong appreciation of the ruble against the US dollar and the cost of goods and services. Meanwhile, London (30), Aberdeen (146) and Birmingham (147) dropped thirteen, sixty-one and fifty-one spots respectively as a result of the pound weakening against the US dollar following the Brexit vote. Copenhagen (28) fell four places from 24 to 28. Oslo (46) is up thirteen spots from last year, while Paris fell eighteen places to rank 62.

Other Western European cities dropped in the rankings as well, mainly due to the weakening of local currencies against the US dollar. Vienna (78) and Rome (80) fell in the ranking by 24 and 22 spots, respectively. The German cities of Munich (98), Frankfurt (117), and Berlin (120) dropped significantly as did Dusseldorf (122) and Hamburg (125).

Despite moderate price increases in most of the European cities, European currencies have weakened against the US dollar, which pushed most Western European cities down in the ranking,” explained Ms. Constantin-Métral. “Additionally, other factors like the Eurozone’s economy have impacted these cities.

As a result of local currencies depreciating against the US dollar, some cities in Eastern and Central Europe, including Prague (132) and Budapest (176) fell in the ranking, while Minsk (200) and Kiev (163) jumped four and thirteen spots, respectively, despite stable accommodations in these locations.

Ranking 17, Tel Aviv jumped two spots from last year and continues to be the most expensive city in the Middle East for expatriates followed by Dubai (20), Abu Dhabi (23), and Riyadh (52), which have all climbed in this year’s ranking. Jeddah (117), Muscat (92), and Doha (81) are among the least expensive cities in the region. Cairo (183) is the least expensive city in the region plummeting ninety-two spots from last year following a major devaluation of its local currency (view the Bottom 15 Cities Ranking here: http://APO.af/4AAhwv).

Egypt’s decision to allow its currency to float freely in return for a 12 billion dollar loan over three years to help strengthen its economy resulted in the massive devaluation of the Egyptian Pound by more than 100% against the US dollar, pushing Cairo down the ranking” said Ms. Constantin-Métral.”

Quite a few African cities continue to rank high in this year’s survey, reflecting high living costs and prices of goods for expatriate employees (view the African Cities Ranking here: http://APO.af/pCXLBW). Luanda (1) takes the top spot as the most expensive city for expatriates across Africa and globally despite its currency weakening against the US dollar.

Luanda is followed by Victoria (14), Ndjamena (16), and Kinshasa (18). Tunis falls six spots to rank 209 as the least expensive city in the region and overall.

Asia Pacific

Five of the top 10 cities in this year’s ranking are in Asia. Hong Kong (2) is the most expensive city as a result of its currency pegged to the US dollar, which drove up the cost of accommodations locally. This global financial center is followed by Tokyo (3), Singapore (5), Seoul (6), and Shanghai (8).

“The strengthening of the Japanese yen along with the high costs of expatriate consumer goods and a dynamic housing market pushed Japanese cities up in the ranking,” said Ms. Constantin-Métral. “However, the majority of Chinese cities fell in the ranking due to the weakening of the Chinese yuan against the US dollar.”

Australian cities have all experienced further jumps up the global ranking since last year due to the strengthening of the Australian dollar. Sydney (25), Australia’s most expensive city for expatriates, gained seventeen places in the ranking along with Melbourne (46) and Perth (50) which went up twenty-five and nineteen spots, respectively.

India’s most expensive city, Mumbai (57), climbed twenty-five places in the ranking due to its rapid economic growth, inflation on the goods and services basket and a stable currency against the US Dollar. This most populous city in India is followed by New Delhi (99) and Chennai (135) which rose in the ranking by thirty-one and twenty-three spots, respectively. Bengaluru (166) and Kolkata (184), the least expensive Indian cities, climbed in the ranking as well.

Elsewhere in Asia, Bangkok (67) jumped seven places from last year. Jakarta (88) and Hanoi (100) also rose in the ranking, up five and six places, respectively. Karachi (201) and Bishkek (208) remain the region’s least expensive cities for expatriates.

The Americas

Cities in the United States are the most expensive locations in the Americas, with New York City (9) ranked as the costliest city, climbing two spots from last year. San Francisco (22) and Los Angeles (24) follow, having climbed four and three spots respectively. Among other major US cities, Chicago (32) is up two places, Boston (51) is down four places, and Seattle is up seven places. Portland (115) and Winston Salem (140) remain the least expensive surveyed cities for expatriates in the US.

Nathalie Constantin-Métral, Principal at Mercer with responsibility for compiling the survey ranking, said, “Overall, US cities either remained stable in the ranking or have slightly increased due to the movement of the US dollar against the majority of currencies worldwide.”

In South America, Brazilian cities Sao Paulo (27) and Rio de Janeiro (56) surged 101 and 100 spots, respectively, due to the strengthening of the Brazilian real against the US dollar. Buenos Aires, the Argentina capital and financial hub ranked 40 followed by Santiago (67) and Montevideo, Uruguay (65), which jumped forty-one and fifty-four places, respectively. Other cities in South America that rose on the list of costliest cities for expatriates include Lima (104) and Havana (151).

Dropping from 94th position, San Jose, Costa Rica (110) experienced the largest drop in the region as the US dollar strengthened against the Costa Rican colon. Caracas in Venezuela has been excluded from the ranking due to the complex currency situation. Depending on which exchange rate is being used, the city would arrive at the top or at the bottom of the ranking.

“Inflationary concerns continued to cause some South American cities to rise in the ranking, whereas the weakening of the local currencies in some of the region’s cities caused them to drop in the ranking,” said Ms. Constantin-Métral.

Up thirty-five places from last year, Vancouver (107) has overtaken Toronto (119) to become the most expensive Canadian city in the ranking, followed by Montreal (129) and Calgary (143). Ranking 152, Ottawa is the least expensive city in Canada. “The Canadian dollar has appreciated in value triggering the major jumps in this year’s ranking,” explained Ms. Constantin-Métral.

QATAR: Gulf Aviation May Change With Gulf Diplomatic Crisis

Qatar Airways has lost access to the airspace of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Egypt and all flights from Doha to those countries; all of them have been canceled. Subsequently, those countries have been joined by Libya, Yemen, and the Maldives.

The loss of access is part of a broader cessation of diplomatic ties between those four states and Qatar due to concerns over purported Qatari sponsoring of terrorism and other issues.

It’s proper to understand the context of why this action was taken by the seven nations in question. Ostensibly, the claim is that these countries are unhappy with Qatar’s sponsoring of supposed terrorist activity, most notably Palestinian group Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood. But there is clearly more at play.

As this Vox article points out, there are also tensions surrounding Qatar’s partially state-owned news agency Al Jazeera, and over Qatar’s relatively warm ties with the newly resurgent Iranian regime.

That last point speaks to what many consider to be the real driver behind this move—Saudi Arabia and the other Sunni nations fear an upset of the existing balance of power where Saudi Arabia is the regional leader of Sunni Islam and the de-factor regional kingpin of the Middle East.

Freed from sanctions by President Obama’s nuclear deal, the Shia Iranians are making a major push to get a seat at the table under the relatively reformist government of Hassan Rouhani. Saudi Arabia at least partially fears Iran’s rise and wants to bring Qatar more in line with other states in the region.

None of this has direct links to the aviation aspects per se, but it does suggest that even if Qatar gives in to some of Saudi Arabia’s demands such as cutting ties with Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood, and shutting down Al Jazeera, it is not a given that Qatar will once again be given free reign in the airspace of its neighboring countries.

First off, the shutdowns affect about 55 daily flights from Qatar Airways’ Doha hub, more than 10% of the total.

This is broken down as 25 flights to the UAE across four destinations including Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah, 20 flights to Saudi Arabia across ten destinations, six flights to Bahrain, and five flights to Egypt across three destinations.

Even if the number of seats isn’t quite 10% of Qatar Airways’ total traffic, these four spoke markets particularly the UAE and Saudi Arabia represent a non-trivial proportion of feed into Qatar Airways’ Doha hub. And there are certainly a few marginal routes whose business case will be impacted by not having this feed anymore.

The direct impact here is that 17 routes are being terminated, but the indirect impact on connectivity could kill another 10-15 or wipe out Qatar Airways’ profitability, forcing them to dip into the sovereign wealth fund to subsidize the airline.

The airspace impact for the moment is tangible but manageable so long as Bahrain continues to allow the one route through its airspace. The odd routings required by this airspace configuration add anywhere from fifty to several hundred miles to Qatar Airways’ flight paths, and that is a non-trivial cost impact,at first glance our estimate is $50-75 million on an annualized basis.

In the long run, this would also constrain Qatar Airways’ growth as that one pathway through Bahraini airspace is already bursting at the seams at Qatar Airways’ current level of operations.

Things get really crazy, however, if Bahrain blocks off that one pathway as well, thereby cutting Qatar off aerially from the rest of the world,remember the airspace ban also applies to other carriers operating in Qatar. At that point, Qatar Airways would have to shut down, or more likely its government would capitulate.

Now with the caveat as with the laptop ban that this could all be moot and resolved within 36 hours or so and certainly within a couple of weeks, either of the two scenarios would have a pretty massive impact on the shape of global aviation.

The traffic that currently flies Qatar Airways (26.6 million passengers) would be broken up and dispersed amongst the airline’s rivals in the Middle East Emirates, Etihad, and Turkish Airlines as well as back to home country carriers Saudia, Air India, etc.

Qatar Airways currently has 217 passenger aircraft on order (including 171 wide-bodies) and thus represents a nontrivial portion of Airbus and Boeing’s backlogs by aircraft value. The biggest adverse impact would be on the 777X,it has 60 on order or a fifth of that program’s backlog and the A350-1000 about a sixth of the program’s backlog.

To a lesser extent, the Airbus A380 and Boeing 777-300ER would also be affected, and those companies would lose at least hundreds of millions of dollars if not billions of dollars in market capital.

Even the less aggressive scenario of no service to the four feeder countries will likely trigger a series of deferrals and maybe the cancellation of 10% of the backlog,along with either the A320neo family or 737 MAX family order.

Here the major systemic risk is to the A380 and especially the 777X as the A350, and 787 have enough demand to fill deferred slots with other customers. On the airline side, the same effect would occur regarding traffic being redistributed to Middle Eastern rivals and to home country carriers,in this case Saudia and Egyptair are the big winners.

Once again that caveat is that this could all be resolved within a few days. But if things develop adversely, this has the potential to change the contours of global aviation.

QATAR: Qatar Airways Stuck After Gulf Airspace Ban

At 3.34am local time, Emirates flight 848 departed from Doha to Dubai, the last link between these two Middle Eastern hubs until a furious diplomatic row ends.

On a normal day there are almost 20 flights each way between the Qatari airport and Dubai, making it the busiest route in the region.

But from 4am today they are all grounded along with dozens of other departures and tens of thousands of passengers.

Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE have cut military and diplomatic ties with Qatar, alleging the country has been supporting extremist groups.

Airlines including Emirates and Etihad have been told to stop flying to Qatar.

Emirates announced: As instructed by the UAE government, Emirates will suspend its flights to and from Doha, starting from the morning of 6 June 2017, until further notice.

All customers booked on Emirates’ flights to and from Doha will be provided with alternative options, including full refunds on unused tickets and re-booking to alternate Emirates destinations.

Skyscanner is listing complex and expensive one and two stop connections between Doha and Dubai, rather than the usual 70-minute hop.

Saudi Arabia's closure of airspace to Qatar Airways planes seriously affects the airline’s connections with Africa.

The overnight arrival from Johannesburg, QR1368, was routed via Oman and Iran to avoid Saudi airspace.

While as signatories to the 1945 International Air Services Transit Agreement, Bahrain, Egypt and the UAE are obliged to allow overflights, the evidence from flight paths shows that Qatar Airways is avoiding their airspace.

The world’s longest flight, from Doha to Auckland, became even longer with a lengthy diversion over Iran.

Early arrivals at Doha on Tuesday morning displayed on FlightRadar24 showed a range of sub-optimal routings.

Arrivals from Adelaide, Melbourne and Perth took a northern course over Pakistan and Iran rather than the direct track across the UAE.

They all approached Doha from the north, arriving late in Doha.

Qatar Airways flight 1149 from Muscat in Oman took an extremely circuitous route to avoid UAE airspace, initially heading east, away from Doha, before turning north-west to Iran.

Qatar Airways flies from Heathrow, Birmingham, Manchester and Edinburgh to Doha.

These routes are unlikely to be affected, with aircraft using Turkish and Iranian airspace. But the vast majority of passengers transferring to onward flights.

With aircraft flying circuitous routes and picking up delays en route, the potential for disruption of the complex “hub and spoke” operation is significant.

Qatar Airways’ CEO, Akbar al Baker, abandoned an airline chiefs’ event, the IATA annual general meeting, to return to Doha.

He is reported to have flown back on Monday on a private jet.

It is unclear what the effect will be on other airlines’ flights.

Qatar Airways is the biggest shareholder in British Airways’ parent company, IAG, with one-fifth of the equity.

BA flight 123 from Heathrow to Doha arrived on time, after flying over Turkey and Iran.

A reciprocal ban by Qatar on aircraft from the countries which have imposed the restrictions will not have a significant effect on operations.

UAE: Jet Airways Linesup A330 For Qatar And Delhi Flights

Jet Airways, India’s premier international airline, will expand its connectivity between Qatar and India by introducing its wide-body A330-200 between Doha and Delhi to cater to the growing demand on this important sector. A330 operations to Mumbai are on since November, 2016.

The wide-body jetliner with a two-cabin configuration of 18 seats in Premiere and 236 in Economy began flying between Doha and Delhi yesterday. Aside from increasing capacity on the popular route, the spacious cabin will allow guests to travel in greater comfort.

Onboard the A330, guests will get a taste of Jet Airways’ award winning in-flight experience, enhanced cabin comfort, and, for Premiere guests, a chance to stretch out in comfort in the famed ‘Bed in the Clouds’.

Set in a unique herringbone layout, each of the 18 seats in the Premiere cabin electronically open out to a 180-degree flat bed with lumbar support and massage systems. Every Première seat is an aisle seat which offers guests privacy and comfort to work and rest.

The Jet Airways Economy cabin on board the Airbus A330 is fitted with ergonomically-designed seating for a comfortable and relaxing journey in a spacious cabin.

The fine-dining experience on board Jet Airways’ international services includes delectable Indian and international meal options along with a carefully selected list of fine wines and spirits.

Every seat on the A330 offers a wide choice of on-demand video and audio entertainment options including Bollywood and Hollywood films, television shows and a selection of music channels featuring a wide range of Indian and world music genres.

Shakir Kantawala, VP Gulf, Middle East & Africa, Jet Airways, said, “It is our constant endeavour to create a consistent, unmatched travel experience for our guests.

Deploying the A330 gives us an opportunity to combine on-board luxury with our signature Indian hospitality to create an exceptional value proposition for our guests.

Jet Airways is a preferred brand in the highly competitive Indo-Gulf market and offers unparalleled service and quality to guests. We are confident that introducing the A330 will help us establish ourselves as the airline of choice on the route.”

Deploying a wide bodied A330 will facilitate a higher number of guests from Doha to connect seamlessly onto Jet Airways’ extensive domestic network and beyond to international destinations from the airline’s hubs in Delhi and Mumbai.

The A330 service will depart Doha as flight 9W 553, at 23:00 hrs (local time) and arrive at Delhi at 05:15 hrs (IST). On the return leg, the flight 9W 554 will depart Delhi at 20:05 hrs (IST) and arrive at Doha at 21:30 hrs (LT).

Jet Airways currently operates daily flights from Doha to Delhi, Mumbai, Kochi, Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram.

UAE: Qantas Delays Due To A Technical Problem , 480 Passengers Stranded

Almost 72 hours after they were originally scheduled to return to Australia from Dubai, scores of disgruntled Qantas passengers are finally back in Sydney.

Due to a technical problem on one of their A380 Airbuses, 480 passengers were stuck in Dubai three days ago and their New Year’s Eve plans were thrown into disarray.

The final 80 passengers of the drama-hit QF2 flight were back in Australia early this afternoon.

Qantas flight QF2 arrived in Sydney at 1.15pm today.

As the issue with the delayed aircraft had been resolved, it was placed back into service and operated this flight.

All customers who were impacted by the delays have now travelled to Sydney.

The 80 customers travelling on today’s service were all upgraded to ensure a bit of extra comfort.”

Engineers in Dubai worked on the A380 aircraft as affected Qantas customers were put up in hotels.

Some of those passengers due to travel on the problem flight were put on previous alternative Qantas services as well as on other airlines.

A technical problem caused the plane to be grounded at Dubai International Airport.

A statement issued by Qantas on the weekend read: “It’s expected that the 480 passengers delayed in Dubai will be on alternative services back to Australia within 24 hours. Passengers will continue to be put up in hotels at Qantas’ expense until they can be booked on another flight.

The aircraft will not fly until we are confident it is safe to return to service, the statement read.

It comes after there were unconfirmed reports from some passengers that they have had to fly via Doha as there are no direct flights back to Australia.

“The saga with QF2 continues we’re now back in the airport. Apparently no direct flight. Have to go via Doha,” an angry Sophie O’Neill wrote on Twitter.

The delay is the second one in a row for Qantas which has experienced other delays in Dubai.

Qantas confirmed to passengers what was going on via social media yesterday.

Passengers who were scheduled to fly out on Thursday from Dubai also waited around a day before they could board a flight to Sydney.

This group of passengers were transferred onto the next QF2 flight on Friday. This meant other Qantas passengers who were originally booked on the fight were left stranded in Dubai.

They had also arrived from Heathrow Airport in London.

Many passengers vented their frustration about the delays on social media.

“I’ve been delayed for 8 hours in Dubai airport. You sent people that you delayed yesterday off on my plane and now I’m stranded,” Mia Parkes-Talbot posted to the airline’s Facebook page from Dubai on Friday night.

“I really want to go home and celebrate New Year’s Eve with family, friends and dog.

“Please get me home now! Please get me home before I have to spend the first moments of 2017 in an airport hotel.”

Another wrote on Facebook: “4 hour delay now means spending New Years stuck on a plane. Cheers Emirates / Qantas. You better give me a free glass for my troubles. or better, an upgrade!”

Meanwhile, others searched for answers.

“You’ve put us up in a lovely hotel but we have no idea what time we’ll be leaving tomorrow. What time do we set our alarms for please? Help and communication would be great. Lots of uncertainty. Thanks,” Rob Voase wrote.

One person wrote on the Qantas Facebook page: “Hi Qantas, whats happening with your flights from Dubai? A friend is stranded there for days and may even miss NYE in Sydney.

ERITREA: Qatar Airways Nolonger Flying To Asmara

Qatar Airways has suspended their flights from Doha to Asmara, the Eritrean capital city without citing specific reasons for the halt of services.

While leaving the option of a return open has a statement of the airline suggested the flight suspension was due to 'operational reasons' which of course leaves the real reasons open to speculation.

Qatar Airways is one of the few international airlines which flew to Asmara, leaving less than a handful of others like FlyDubai, Turkish and Egypt Air connecting the Eritrean capital to the rest of the world.

Eritrea, a country with a huge tourism potential of beaches and historical sites combined, has struggled however to attract any meaningful number of tourists as a result of the country's political course and growing isolation.

Qatar Airways' country office in Asmara will remain open, according to information received, for the time being to assist travelers with confirmed bookings to either get a refund or else are helped with alternative travel arrangements, difficult as that may be.

Qatar Airways launched their twice a week service to Asmara only two years ago in December 2014 and was promptly embraced as the most fancied airline to travel with by Eritreans from among the international carriers flying to Eritrea.

QATAR: Free Transit Visa Introduced By Qatar

Qatar has, effective 01st of November 2016, introduced free transit Visa for qualifying travelers to visit Doha for up to 96 hours, i.e. four days.

Both Qatar Airways and Qatar Tourism have been the main drivers of the initiative and when booking tickets with Qatar Airways can travelers now decide if they would like to take advantage of the offer, either on their outbound or inbound journey.
Qatar, already hosting regular mega sports events, will be host country for the 2022 FIFA World Cup and to see the stadia gain shape alone will be something to behold, besides the many more attractions the island state has to offer, history, heritage, culture and cuisine among others.

To ensure passengers can make the most of the new transit visa, Qatar Airways has restructured its fares for international flights transiting through Hamad International Airport. This will allow passengers to have a free stopover in Doha without any additional charges to their ticket, either on the outbound or inbound journey.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: 'Qatar Airways is proudly committed to making Doha a world-class tourist destination. Our collaboration with Qatar Tourism Authority in setting the new transit visa enables our passengers to explore the country and its hospitality. The tourism industry in Qatar is experiencing considerable growth inspired by the vision of our leadership for an economically diverse future. As a national flag-bearer and an ambassador of Qatar around the world, Qatar Airways is dedicated to providing passengers with their best experience before, during, and after their stay in our country'.

Mr. Hassan Al Ibrahim, Chief Tourism Development Officer at QTA, said: 'We have witnessed remarkable interest in the new transit visa scheme from passengers who anticipate a stopover in Qatar, and we expect this interest to translate into an increase in visitor arrivals over the coming months. Visa facilitation is an important factor in increasing the attractiveness of a destination, and we encourage investors and tourism business owners to capitalise on the opportunities presented by this development to diversify Qatar’s tourism products and services'.

This development, similar to schemes in place by other Gulf countries keen to reel in tourist dollars, seems strangely alien to East African countries, where, apart from lamenting that the tourist numbers do not grow fast enough, little else is done to facilitate easier and most important cheaper entry.

With Visa fees for most travelers still at 50 US Dollars for a single entry and transit Visa too being charged for the measly periods of between 48 and 72 hours, it is obvious that the Gulf states, and many other countries around the world, have figured out what it takes to have travelers stay over whereas East Africa, in this regard and inspite of world class attractions, is still in its infancy.

And here is the challenge for tourism marketers and airlines alike, to take on board lessons from countries like Qatar, without re-inventing the proverbial wheel, and drop transit Visa charges, in fact drop Visa fees altogether to make the region the magnet for travelers it should be.

GREECE: Wyndham Hotel Group Opens In Greece

Wyndham Hotel Group announced that accessible luxury is coming to Athens when the Wyndham Grand Athens, the first Wyndham Hotel Group hotel in Greece, opens in the city centre early next year. Travel is the best excuse to enjoy the grand things in life, and Wyndham Grand hotels and resorts offer truly unforgettable travel experiences.

Wyndham Grand is decidedly not pretentious, but approachable by design, featuring pristine guestrooms, relaxing spas, one-of-a kind dining experiences, and more. The Wyndham Grand Athens will be situated on Karaiskaki Place (2, Meg. Alexandrou St.), where Zeus International, a company that operates nine hotels across Eastern Europe, is transforming the building owned by VIOHALCO which formerly housed the Hotel Athens Imperial.

When renovations are complete, the Wyndham Grand Athens will boast 273 rooms, 2,500 sq. m. of conference and event space, a restaurant, a bar, a spa and an amazing roof-garden of 450 sq. m. with a pool and a 360° view of the city skyline. In addition, the hotel’s proximity to the Metro and many of Athens’ cultural points of interest will make it a destination for business and leisure travellers alike.

Dan Ruff, President and Managing Director EMEA, for Wyndham Hotel Group, said: “Wyndham Grand hotels are located in some of the world’s most sought after destinations, including Shanghai, Istanbul, Doha, Salzburg, Chicago, Orlando and now Athens. This is only our first stop in Greece, as we see opportunities for many of our brands across the country, from city centres such as Athens and Thessaloniki to resort destinations in the Greek islands and mainland.”

Haris Siganos, Founder of Zeus International, noted: “Our Company is engaged in a variety of consulting and advisory projects from hotel management and development to turnaround management. We have been monitoring the Greek market for the right hospitality investment opportunity.

We believe that Athens has been missing a flagship hotel offering a one-of-a-kind experience with a compelling local flavour, and we intend to change this when the Wyndham Grand Athens opens next year.”

All Wyndham Grand hotels in the region participate in Wyndham Rewards®, the simple-to-use, revolutionary loyalty programme from Wyndham Hotel Group that offers members a generous points earning structure along with a flat, free-night redemption rate in 73 countries across the world – the first of its kind for a major hotel rewards programme. To learn more or to join for free, guests should visit

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.

QATAR: Qatar Airways To Commence Doha-Armenia Flights From May 15

Qatar Airways (QA) has announced that it will offer four-times weekly non-stop flights between Doha and Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, from May 15.

At the launch of QA’s new scheduled service to Los Angeles this month, Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Akbar Al Baker said passengers on the new direct service to and from Yerevan will benefit from easier access to the rest of the world via QA’s global network.

QA’s expanding global reach, including its newest US destinations of Los Angeles, Boston and Atlanta this year and significant growth of its modern fleet has enabled the airline to offer the new service to Armenia.

Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerevan is the administrative, cultural and industrial centre of Armenia and offers visiting business and leisure passengers a rich and diverse history. With a city backdrop of the snow-capped Caucasus mountain range, Yerevan is one of the world’s oldest continuously-inhabited cities and its diverse architecture and atmosphere is easily explored on foot.

Al Baker said: “QA has seen unprecedented growth in recent years, launching new destinations around the globe while establishing our new home and hub Hamad International Airport (HIA).

“With the new service to Yerevan, QA is enhancing its worldwide footprint and expanding travel opportunities for business and leisure passengers.”

Passengers flying from Yerevan and onwards to any of QA’s more than 150 destinations will enjoy a quick and convenient transfer at HIA, the newest airport hub in the world. Offering over 100 retail and dining options and unique services such as a swimming pool, hotel and spa for those in transit, the airport is sure to further enhance passengers’ overall travel experience.

CITY OF YEREVAN

QA will fly the A320 aircraft direct to and from Yerevan on the four-weekly schedule, featuring a two-class cabin configuration comprising 12 seats in Business Class and 132 in Economy Class.

QA is one of the fastest growing airlines operating one of the youngest fleets in the world.

Now in its 19th year of operations, QA has a modern fleet of 175 aircraft flying to over 150 key business and leisure destinations across six continents.

QA has won awards, including being voted by passengers as the Airline of the Year for the third time and Best Airline in the Middle East for the ninth time at the 2015 Skytrax Awards in June.

Schedule: Non-stop Doha to/from Yerevan (all times local)

Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays: QR 285 departs Doha at 20:25 and arrives in Yerevan at 00:40+1

Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays: QR 286 departs Yerevan at 03:25 and arrives in Doha at 05:30.

UAE: Etihad Adds More Flights To Manila

The new services will increase capacity between the two cities by almost 2,500 seats per week enabling Etihad to better serve the market in the UAE and the Philippines for point-to-point travel as well as supporting behind and beyond demand via its Abu Dhabi International Airport hub.

United Arab Emirates (UAE) national carrier, Etihad Airways is to boost flights to next year’s Routes Asia host city, Manila, the capital of the Philippines. The hub carrier will introduce an additional three weekly flights between Abu Dhabi International Airport and Ninoy Aquino International Airport from May 1, 2016, offering a total of 17 return flights per week in this market.

The new services will increase capacity between the two cities by almost 2,500 seats per week enabling Etihad to better serve the market in the UAE and the Philippines for point-to-point travel as well as supporting behind and beyond demand via its Abu Dhabi International Airport hub.

“The Abu Dhabi-Manila route is one of our strongest in terms of demand and has been capacity-constrained over the past few years,” explained James Hogan, President and Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Airways.

The enhanced flight schedule will provide enhanced connectivity via Abu Dhabi with 1,085 weekly connections to 58 destinations on the airline’s global network. This includes connections to Bahrain, Dammam, Doha, Jeddah, Kuwait and Riyadh which are among the top 20 destinations for travellers to and from the Philippines.

The extra capacity would also enable Etihad Airways and its partner airlines to grow traffic beyond the local Middle East demand and grow the business and leisure travel market from the UAE and European countries such as the UK, France, and Italy.

“There’s huge potential to grow the visitor market, particularly from the Middle East and Europe, and we’re keen to work with our European partner airlines, the Philippines Government and its tourism board to showcase the beauty of the country and the friendliness of its people,” said Hogan.

“For holidaymakers, the Philippines – with its secluded islands, pristine beaches, undersea diving spots and luxury resorts – is one of the world’s best-kept secrets. The three additional weekly services between Abu Dhabi and Manila will help us realise this ambition,” he added.

Like Etihad’s two existing daily rotations between Abu Dhabi and Manila, the three additional flights will be operated by two-class Boeing 777-300ERs with 28 seats in Business and 384 in Economy. The additional frequency will also boost commerce and trade between the UAE and the Philippines. With a belly hold capacity of 18 tonnes, the B777-300ER offers the airline and its freight customers a significant opportunity to grow the export/import business, particularly in the area of electronics and fresh food.

Etihad commenced services to the Philippines in February 2006 and alongside its own flights has a codeshare arrangement with Philippine Airlines on its own five times weekly link between Manila and Abu Dhabi. It has carried an estimated 3.3 million passengers on the route during the almost ten years in the market with average load factors of around 91.5 per cent from Abu Dhabi and 95.7 per cent from Abu Dhabi, according to Sabre data.

Analysis of MIDT statistics for the first six months of this year shows that less than one fifth of passengers flying with Etihad between Abu Dhabi and Manila are flying on a point-to-point basis. An estimated 17.7 per cent of the demand during that period was local traffic, with connections via Abu Dhabi accounting for 77.8 per cent of the traffic.

After the Abu Dhabi and Manila local traffic, Doha, Qatar was the biggest single origin and destination market for passengers flying with Etihad on the route during the first six months of 2015, followed by the three Saudi Arabian cities of Dammam, Riyadh and Jeddah. London Heathrow, UK; Milan Malpensa, Italy and Dublin, Republic of Ireland are the largest markets outside of the Middle East.

QATAR: Qatar Airways Commences Nagpur Doha Flights

National carrier Qatar Airways, today commences daily non-stop flights between Nagpur and Doha.

QR 588 departs Doha at 19:55 arrives Nagpur at 02:15 the next morning
QR 589 departs Nagpur at 03:45 arrives Doha at 05:55 the same day

The flight is estimated to be a little over four hours in duration. The schedule like most of the airline’s flights to India, connects with the banks of US and Europe flights arriving into Doha in the early evening and the outbound US and Europe flights which depart Doha in the early to mid morning.

The Nagpur flight will be operated by a narrow body A320 with 144 seats in a two class configuration with 12 business class seats and 132 economy seats.

Nagpur is third largest city in the Indian state of Maharashtra and has been identified as one of the flagship smart metropolises by the Government of India.

With this flight Qatar Airways goes back above the century mark, from 95 to 102 weekly flights across 13 cities in India.

QATAR: Qatar Airways Upgrades Doha Bangalore To Boeing 777. Economy Class Boon.

Middle Eastern carrier Qatar Airways will be up-gauging its Doha Bangalore service from the current Boeing 787-8 to a Boeing 777-300ER from August 1, 2015. The up-gauge will see a increase in number of seats from 254 to 335. Qatar is the second airline after Emirates to bring the 777-300ER on a regularly scheduled service.

Qatar’s economy class on the Boeing 777s is very highly rated in terms of comfort. The airline trails only Singapore Airlines in seat width. Economy class passengers will enjoy a seat width of 18.9 inches compared to the bone-crushing 17.2 inches on their 787.

Akbar Al Baker, Group Chief Executive, Qatar Airways

“The strengthening of the Doha–Bengaluru route reflects increased passenger demand and reaffirms our continuous expansion strategy for the Indian market. There are a large numbers of expatriates from South India who are working in Doha, and with our increasing capacity we aim to offer our customers a superior travel experience and seamless connectivity into the State of Qatar.

India is growing as an economic hub and shows enormous potential, and our growth strategy has always stressed the significance of the Indian market where we plan to seek even more capacity and increase frequency on existing routes.”