SAUDI ARABIA: Airlines Lease More Planes To Counter Increasing Pilgrims

Airlines around the region are leasing additional aircraft to cater for expected increase in Hajj pilgrims travelling to Saudi Arabia this season.

Flynas, Saudi Arabia’s first low-cost airline, expects the number of Hajj passengers using the airline this year to rise almost 10 percent to 200,000, according to an airline spokesperson, , up from 175,000 in 2018.

A Flynas spokesperson said that Hajj passengers will be flown from 17 countries using 13 additional leased aircraft.

Among the aircraft being used to transport pilgrims to Saudi Arabia are two Airbus A380s, which were recently used to transport Malaysian pilgrims from Kuala Lampur to King Abdulaziz Airport in Jeddah and Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz airport in Madinah.

Flynas is the first Saudi airline to utilise the A380.

Other leased aircraft used by Flynas this season include Boeing 747 and 767s, as well as – for the first time – Airbus A330neo aircraft.

Flynas signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Airbus to purchase 20 A321XLR and A4321LR aircraft which have a long-range operational performance of up to 11 hours – 8,700 kilometres – in addition to fuel consumption savings of 30 percent.

Flynas said that the aircraft will allow the airline to take better advantage of upcoming Hajj and Umrah seasons as it works to realise its long-term goal of transporting 5 million pilgrims annually.

Airlines have announced additional aircraft for the Hajj season as pilgrim numbers rise.

In July, Saudia announced that it had added 17 aircraft to its 165-aircraft fleet to help transport 1.2 million domestic and foreign pilgrims from approximately 100 destinations for Hajj season.

According to Saudia, the number of pilgrims it expects to transport this year has risen by about 10 percent compared to 2018.

In the UAE, Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways said it will operate 15 extra flights between July 28 and August 25 to transport pilgrims to Madinah, in addition to six charter flights dedicated to the General Authority of Islamic Affairs, Sheikh Zayed Foundation and Abu Dhabi police.

This year we expect 25,000 Hajj travellers on our flights, with most originating in Australia, Pakistan, Morocco, United Kingdom, India and Indonesia, Houssam Weiss, head of UAE sales at Etihad Airways said recently.

Dubai carrier Emirates airline has expanded its services to Jeddah and Madinah with an additional 46 flights between July 27 and August 22, running in parallel to scheduled services to the two cities.

Although the airline declined to give expected passenger numbers, it has said it expects thousands from destinations including Pakistan, the United States, Senegal, the UK, Nigeria, Indonesia, South Africa and Ivory Coast.

In Bahrain, national carrier Gulf Air has announced 38 extra flights in addition to its regularly scheduled 3 to 4 daily flights to Jeddah and 7 weekly flights to Madinah.

In nearby Kuwait, Director General of Civil Aviation Yousif Al-Fawazan told local media that six Kuwait Airways aircraft are expected to transport 1,336 passengers for the Hajj season.

Emirates has announced that it will add 46 flights to facilitate pilgrims travelling to Saudi Arabia for Haj.

The expansion of flights will operate from July 27 to August 22 to support the Haj journey to the city of Mecca.

Adil Al Ghaith, Emirates’ Senior Vice President, commercial operations for the Gulf, Middle East and Iran said: Haj is one of the most significant events in the Muslim faith, and every year, Emirates’ primary focus is to help facilitate seamless travel for our Haj passengers as they converge on the Holy city of Mecca for this once in a lifetime journey.

The services will run in parallel with Emirates’ regularly scheduled services to Jeddah and Medina, and will be available to travellers holding a valid Hajj visa.

With the substantial increase of inbound air travel into the Kingdom during this period, Emirates’ 46 extra flights will ensure that we can cater to that demand, as well as provide tailored onboard services in line with the tenets of Hajj, said Al Ghaith.

This year, Emirates expects thousands of pilgrims to travel on its services for Hajj, coming from top inbound destinations such as Pakistan, the United States, Senegal, the UK, Nigeria, Indonesia, South Africa and Ivory Coast.

To ease the journey for Haj passengers, Emirates has commissioned a dedicated team to manage check-in and transfers for the seamless movement of travellers leaving from and transiting in Dubai.

On flights from Jeddah, Haj passengers can also bring up to five litres of Zamzam holy water which will be placed in special areas in the cargo hold.

Once up in the air, Haj travellers will benefit from special services to performing ablutions and other cleansing rituals, and will also be notified when they enter Al Miqat zones to ensure readiness for Ihram, the point when pilgrims enter a state of purity.


Tourism Observer

UAE: Emirates To Fly Five Times A Week To Riyadh

Emirates has introduced the first scheduled Airbus A380 service to Saudi Arabia’s capital city, which will be effective 21 April 2019.

Riyadh will be the 51st destination to join the Emirates A380 network.

Flight EK 817/818, currently operated by a Boeing 777-300ER, will now be operated five times a week by Emirates A380.

Speaking about the introduction of the A380 to Riyadh, Adil Al Ghaith, senior vice president commercial operations Gulf, Middle East & Iran, said: The introduction of the A380 to Riyadh also supports Saudi Vision 2030 by helping to grow the Kingdom’s aviation sector through stimulating robust traffic growth, increasing connectivity and deepening its global footprint.

The Emirates A380 aircraft that will serve the Dubai-Riyadh route will be set in a three-class configuration, with 429 seats in economy on the main deck, 76 fully flatbed seats in business class and 14 first class private suites on the upper deck.

According to a statement from the airline, Emirates has been facilitating tourism and trade in the Kingdom for more than 30 years, developing its services to Riyadh, Jeddah, Medina and Dammam.

Today the airline serves these four gateways in the Kingdom with 84 weekly flights to Dubai and connecting travellers to key business and tourism destinations in Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas.

The airline has previously deployed two one-off A380 missions to Riyadh in celebration of the Kingdom’s National Days, and displayed its A380 aircraft at the recent Saudi International Airshow 2019.


Tourism Observer

INDIA: SpiceJet To Commence New Direct Flights From Mumbai to Colombo, Dhaka, Riyadh, Hong Kong and Kathmandu

SpiceJet on Monday announced the launch of non-stop flights from Mumbai to Colombo, Dhaka, Riyadh, Hong Kong and Kathmandu.

The no-frills airline would start the services from the end of May.

In a release, the carrier said it would be the first Indian budget carrier to launch daily direct flights on the Mumbai-Colombo, Mumbai-Dhaka, Mumbai-Riyadh, Mumbai-Hong Kong and Mumbai-Kathmandu sectors.

Boeing 737 NG aircraft would be deployed in the new routes.

We are delighted to connect a large number of popular international destinations from Mumbai, a city that has always been a key and integral part of our network, SpiceJet Chairman and Managing Director Ajay Singh said.

Riyadh and Kathmandu are two upcoming international destinations for the airline.

The airline already operates flights to Colombo from Chennai and Madurai, Dhaka from Kolkata, Dubai from Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Pune, Kochi, Kozhikode, Mangalore, Amritsar, Jaipur and Madurai, Hong Kong from Delhi and Jeddah from Hyderabad; besides an upcoming flight from Kozhikode, the release said.

SpiceJet is a low-cost airline headquartered in Gurgaon, India. It is the fourth largest airline in the country by number of domestic passengers carried, with a market share of 13.3% as of October 2017.

The airline operates 312 daily flights to 55 destinations, including 47 Indian and 7 international destinations from its hubs at Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Hyderabad.

Established as air taxi provider ModiLuft in 1994, the company was acquired by Indian entrepreneur Ajay Singh in 2004 and re-christened as SpiceJet.

The airline operated its first flight in May 2005. Indian media baron Kalanidhi Maran acquired a controlling stake in SpiceJet in June 2010 through Sun Group which was sold back to Ajay Singh in January 2015. The airline operates a fleet of Boeing 737 and Bombardier Dash aircraft.

The origins of SpiceJet can be tracked back to March 1984 when the company was established by Indian industrialist S. K. Modi to provide private air taxi services.

On 17 February 1993, the company was named as MG Express and entered into technical partnership with the German flag carrier Lufthansa. The airline provided passenger and cargo services under the name of Modiluft before ceasing operations in 1996.

SpiceJet is headquartered in Gurgaon, India. Ajay Singh serves as the Managing Director of the airline since January 2015.

The airline's logo consists of 15 dots arranged in three rows of five each in the order of their reducing sizes on a red background.

In June 2015, the airline unveiled its current logo with a new tagline Red. Hot. Spicy. SpiceJet names all its aircraft with the name of an Indian spice.

SpiceJet is listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange

As of April 2019, SpiceJet operates 306 flights daily to 35 Indian and 6 international destinations. It operates hubs at Delhi and Hyderabad, which is the primary base for its fleet of Bombardier Q400 aircraft.

After completing five years of flying, SpiceJet was allowed to commence international flights by Directorate General of Civil Aviation on 7 September 2010.

SpiceJet launched flights from Delhi to Kathmandu and Chennai to Colombo and the first international flight took off on 7 October 2010 from Delhi.

SpiceJet operates the following aircraft:

28 - Boeing 737-800

03 - Boeing 737-700

04 - Boeing 737-900ER

13 - Boeing 737 MAX 8

22 - Bombardier Dash 8 Q400

05 - Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 NG

01 - Boeing 737-700BCF/BDSF

76 Total Operating Aircrafts

SpiceJet has pending orders for the following aircraft:

193 - Boeing 737 MAX 8

045 - Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 NG

019 - Boeing 737-700BCF/BDSF (Cargo Plane)

257 - Total Pending Orders

SpiceJet placed its first firm order for 20 Next-Generation Boeing 737-800s in March 2005, with deliveries scheduled up to 2010.

In November 2010, the airline ordered 30 Boeing 737-800s. On 9 December 2010, Bombardier Aerospace announced that SpiceJet had placed a firm order for fifteen Q400 NextGen turboprop airliners with options for another fifteen. SpiceJet used its fleet of Q400s for short-haul operations.

In March 2014, the airline signed a US$4.4 billion deal with Boeing for the procurement of 42 737 MAX 8 aircraft.

In 2015, SpiceJet was in talks with both Boeing and Airbus for a possible order of more than 100 single aisle aircraft, either Airbus A320neo or the Boeing 737 MAX with the same being confirmed by Managing Director, Ajay Singh, in a conference in Dubai.

In January 2017, the airline placed a firm order for 100 737 MAX 8 aircraft, and revealed itself as the airline behind the 13 MAX 8 aircraft previously attributed to an unidentified customer, taking its total order to 155 MAX 8 aircraft with purchase rights for 50 additional MAX 8 and wide-body aircraft.

The budget carrier plans to grow its operational fleet to 200 airplanes by the end of the decade and expand regionally with the new 737 MAX family of airplanes.

In June 2017, the airline signed a letter of intent with Bombardier at the 2017 Paris Air Show, to purchase up to 50 Q400 aircraft, catering to growth in passenger traffic arising from its participation in the Indian government's UDAN regional connectivity scheme.

It is announced to induct 16 737-800 NG in response to fulfil demands in local and international expansion. It was ordered due to the fleet of 737 max being currently banned and the downfall of Jet Airways.

SpiceJet has moved away from the typical low-cost carrier service model of economy class-only seating.

The airline offers premium services under the name SpiceMax, whereby passengers can obtain additional benefits including pre-assigned seats with extra legroom; meals on board; priority check-in and boarding; and priority baggage handling; at a higher fare.

Otherwise SpiceJet does not provide complimentary meals in any of its flights. It does sell full in-flight meals on some flights. SpiceJet does not operate any frequent-flyer programme and does not provide any in-flight entertainment options.

SpiceJet has partnered with Tripfactory for selling holiday packages on its platform.

SpiceXpress is the air cargo division of SpiceJet. The cargo airline was launched in September 2018 and commenced services on the Delhi-Bengaluru-Delhi route with a Boeing 737-700.

SpiceXpress began services between Guwahati and Hong Kong on 19 January 2019 becoming the first airline to operate freight services between Northeast India and Southeast Asia.


Tourism Observer

SAUDI ARABIA: Flynas Commences Six New Routes From Saudi Arabia

Passengers Travelling out of Saudi Arabia over the summer period will have a host of new destinations to select from as low-cost airline Flynas is introducing new routes from across the country.

From June 13, the national airline will commence flights to six cities across Europe and Eurasia from four airports in the kingdom. While services will not start until June, booking is open now for any passengers wanting to plan ahead.

From Riyadh, two new direct flights to Georgia mean passengers can easily explore the Caucasus country.

The Black Sea resort and port city of Batumi is reachable in just three-and-a-half hours, while the capital of Tbilisi is only three hours and 45 minutes away.

Three new direct flights per week from Riyadh will be added servicing the Austrian city of Vienna, known for its beauty and architecture and reachable in less than six hours.

Azerbaijan’s Baku, Turkey’s Trabzon and Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Sarajevo will also be reachable direct from Riyadh King Khalid International Airport.

In Jeddah, new summer destinations from Flynas include Vienna, Baku and Sarajevo and from Dammam, travellers will be able to fly direct to Tbilisi and Baku.

From the smaller Prince Nayer bin Abdulaziz International Airport, formerly Qassim international Airport, new direct routes to Trabzon and Baku will commence.


Tourism Observer

SAUDI ARABIA: Passenger Forgets Baby At King Abdulaziz Airport, Plane Turns Back To Airport To Pick The Baby?

A Malaysia-bound plane had to turn back to Saudi Arabia after one of the passengers realised she had left her baby in the terminal.

The pilot made the unusual request to return to the airport in Jeddah shortly after takeoff.

A video of the pilot calling into air traffic control reveals the unusual exchange between him and the operators, as he asks for permission to turn the plane back to King Abdulaziz airport.

May God be with us. Can we come back? requests the pilot. The scenario, seemingly a first for the air traffic controllers, leaves the operator confounded and he can be heard conferring with others over the appropriate action.

This flight is requesting to come back, he tells another colleague. A passenger forgot her baby in the waiting area, the poor thing.

The pilot can then be heard repeating to the air traffic operator: I told you, a passenger has left her baby in the terminal and she is refusing to continue the flight.

After a brief pause, the flight was then given permission to return to King Abdulaziz airport. OK, head back to the gate, the air traffic controllers said. This is totally a new one for us.

It is highly unusual for planes to turn around or divert midair for anything other than technical or passenger health reasons.

In 2013, an American Airlines flight from Los Angeles to New York diverted to Kansas City because of a very unruly passenger who refused to stop singing Whitney Houston’s I Will Always Love You.

The following year, a taxiing plane leaving New York for Seoul returned to the gate after the South Korean airline heiress Cho Hyun-ah forced a senior crew member to disembark because she had been served macadamia nuts from a packet instead of a bowl.


Tourism Observer

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.


Tourism Observer

OMAN: SalamAir An Expanding Low-cost Airline From Oman

SalamAir is a low-cost airline from Oman headquartered and based at Muscat International Airport.

Salam Air is owned by the Muscat National Development and Investment Company (ASAAS) which won a government tender in January 2016.

Founded in 2014, ASAAS is a partnership between the State General Reserve Fund, Muscat Municipality, and various pension funds. Oman's Public Authority for Civil Aviation (PACA) had invited bids in 2015 for a low-cost commercial airline operator in Oman.

The airline operates three Airbus A320-200s leased from South America’s LATAM Group. Its first aircraft arrived in Muscat on November 18, 2016 to coincide with the country’s National Day.

The airline commenced flights between the Omani cities of Muscat and Salalah from 30 January 2017, SalamAir flew the Muscat–Dubai route, the airline's first international service, on 28 February 2017.

It initially served Dubai World Central but the service has switched to Dubai International Airport on October 2017. Since opening, Salam Air started operations to Jeddah, Madinah and Ta'if in KSA, and has also launched flights to Karachi, Multan, Sialkot and in Pakistan.

Qatar is planned to be the third country the airline will operate to flying Hamad International Airport.

As of March 2017, Khalid Al Yahmadi held the chairman position. As of July 2018, the CEO position is held by Mohammed Ahmed

SalamAir serves the following destinations:

- Baku, Azerbaijan, Heydar Aliyev International Airport

- Dhaka, Bangladesh, Shahjalal International Airport

- Doha, Qatar, Hamad International Airport

- Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Dubai International Airport

- Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, King Abdulaziz International Airport

- Karachi, Pakistan, Jinnah International Airport

- Kathmandu, Nepal, Tribhuvan International Airport

- Khartoum, Sudan, Khartoum International Airport

- Medina, Saudi Arabia, Prince Mohammad Bin Abdulaziz Airport

- Multan, Pakistan, Multan International Airport

- Mukhaizna, Oman, Mukhaizna Airport

- Muscat, Oman, Muscat International Airport

- Najaf, Iraq, Al Najaf International Airport

- Salalah, Oman, Salalah International Airport

- Shiraz, Iran, Shiraz International Airport

- Sialkot, Pakistan, Sialkot International Airport

- Sohar, Oman, Sohar Airport

- Tbilisi, Georgia, Tbilisi International Airport

SalamAir fleet consists of the following aircraft:

- Airbus A320-200 (3) Carrying 174 Passengers

- Airbus A320neo (1)

- Total Aircraft (4)


Tourism Observer

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.


Tourism Observer

SAUDI ARABIA: SAUDIA Starts Flights From Vienna To Riyadh And Jeddah

Saudi Arabia’s largest airline SAUDIA started flights to Vienna, Austria from Riyadh and Jeddah. The carrier will fly to Riyadh before continuing on to Jeddah.

The new flight connection to Riyadh, the capital city of Saudi Arabia, as well as to Jeddah will be served four times a week deploying an Airbus A320.

The presence of SAUDIA at Vienna Airport means that one of the largest airlines in the Middle East is now represented here.

The airline links Vienna with Riyadh and Jeddah, the two most important cities for business and tourism in Saudi Arabia.

The new flight connection provides positive impetus, particularly for Austrian tourism and the popular travel destination of Vienna, says Julian Jäger, Joint CEO and COO of Vienna Airport.

Direct flight connections serve as a driving force for an increase in the number of passengers.

For this reason, the Vienna Tourist Board is pursuing an air service development strategy in cooperation with Vienna Airport in order to lure new airlines and flight connections.

The fact that SAUDIA decided in favour of Vienna Airport is an extremely gratifying development and will promote incoming tourism from the Arab region, in which we registered about 334,000 overnight stays in Vienna in 2017, explains Norbert Kettner, Managing Director of Vienna Tourist Board.

Effective immediately, SAUDIA offers four weekly frequencies from Vienna to Riyadh and Jeddah.

The aircraft leaves Jeddah at 7:40 a.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays and arrives in Riyadh at 9:20 a.m. The continuation of the flight from Riyadh to Vienna departs Riyadh at 10.10 a.m. and arrives Vienna at 2:40pm.

The return flight takes off from Vienna at 4 p.m. and lands in Riyadh at 10:20 p.m. and is scheduled to land in Jeddah at 01:10 a.m. on the following day.

This flight will be operated by an Airbus A320 aircraft.


Tourism Observer

UAE: Emirates Has Increased Jeddah Flights To Serve The Umrah Season

Emirates has today announced that they will be adding up to 24 extra flights between June 12 and June 24 for the busy season of Umrah.

These flight additions will add up to 10,000 additional seats in overall capacity over the period of Umrah, with travelers from Pakistan, North Africa, the US, the UK and South Africa all expected to travel to Jeddah for this event.

They will be operating a 777-300ER for these extended operations, with configuration offerings currently unclear at this moment in time. The additional flights will help accommodate more convenient travel through Dubai during the Umrah season, which starts in Ramadan and concludes in July.

The services will run directly in line with the scheduled services to Jeddah, which are currently operated on a thrice-daily basis.

Adil Al Ghaith, Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations for Gulf, Middle East and Iran said: Performing Umrah during the month of Ramadan is a significant experience for Muslims and Emirates is helping to make the journey more seamless through convenient connections for the thousands of pilgrims looking to travel during this time.

We thank the Saudi Arabian government and authorities for their support to introduce these extra frequencies during Umrah season.

Emirates’ is well-suited to the Umrah season and Ramadan, especially with their award-winning ice system which features special religious programming as well as popular regional entertainment options.

The airline’s content, which is significantly diverse offers up to 3,500 channels of entertainment, 238 of those being Arabic channels, which features movies, TV shows, music and audio.

Two of the three scheduled daily flights are operated by Airbus A380s, with the other daily service operated by a Boeing 777-300ER.

This fourth additional service will mean that they have balanced their capacity options across their Airbus and Boeing aircraft.

It will also be useful for the carrier to use, especially at a time when they have been storing aircraft, as well as it may encourage the airline to bring some of the stored aircraft out to help cater for demand.

Overall, this capacity increase is good news for those that attend Umrah as there is less stress about guaranteeing their flights on a more secure basis.


Tourism Observer

SAUDI ARABIA: King Abdulaziz International Airport Partially Opens But Full Operations In 2019

Saudi Arabia’s new King Abdulaziz International Airport in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah had a nice opening as the facility gears up to be in full operation in the first quarter of next year.

Operations at the airport will be ramped up over four phases to enable full domestic and international flights next year, said Abdulhakim Al Tamimi, president of the General Authority of Civil Aviation of Saudi Arabia.

The first phase, running from May includes the soft opening, to be followed by a second phase between July and September, which will receive domestic flights during those periods, said Mr Al Tamimi.

The third phase running between November and December will feature all of the domestic flights, while the fourth phase between January and March will include full domestic and international flights through the airport's 46 gates.

The airport, which cost 36 billion riyals, is an important gateway to pilgrims going to the nearby holy cities of Medina and Mecca for pilgrimage.

It is expected to have a capacity to welcome 80 million passengers annually.

The old Jeddah airport handled a record 34 million passengers last year, a 9.4 per cent increase from 2016.


Tourism Observer

SAUDI ARABIA: Saudi Arabian Airlines And Flyadeal To Get Private By 2020

Saudi Arabian Airlines’ along with new low cost subsidiary Flyadeal are due to be privatised by 2020.

One significant part of the group’s privatisation plan is to incorporate SAAC,Saudi Arabian Airlines Corporation to become the group’s parent company.

There are no explicit decisions for this yet, but the estimated timeline is by 2020, the report quoted a Saudi official to say.

The group privatisation strategy covers all strategic business units excluding the Royal Fleet.

The plan is to privatise Saudia and Flyadeal together under the group parent company.

Saudi Arabia is also working to privatise all of its airports.

The airport privatisation process was also being pushed to be completed by 2020.

Saudia, also known as Saudi Arabian Airlines is the national carrier airline of Saudi Arabia, based in Jeddah.

The airline's main operational base is at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah. King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and King Fahd International Airport in Dammam are secondary hubs. The new Dammam airport was opened for commercial use on 28 November 1999.

Dhahran International Airport in use until then, has reverted to being used as a military base. The airline is the third largest in the Middle East in terms of revenue, behind Emirates and Qatar Airways.

It operates domestic and international scheduled flights to over 120 destinations in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Europe and North America.

Domestic and international charter flights are operated, mostly during the Ramadan and the Hajj season. Saudia is a member of the Arab Air Carriers Organization and joined the SkyTeam airline alliance on 29 May 2012.

On 8 October 2000, Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the Saudi Minister of Defense and Aviation, signed a contract to conduct studies for the privatization of Saudi Arabian Airlines.

In preparation for this, the airline was restructured to allow non-core units—including Saudia catering, ground handling services and maintenance as well as the Prince Sultan Flight Academy in Jeddah—to be transformed into commercial units and profit centers.

In April 2005, the Saudi government indicated that the airline may also lose its monopoly on domestic services.

Saudi Arabian Airlines achieved operational profits in 2002, which doubled in 2003, but the profits were primarily due to over one billion riyals on deferred income amortised annually in the income statement, courtesy of the 70 aircraft gifted to the airline by the Saudi government.

In 2004, the airline carried over 15 million passengers and recorded a 14% rise in profits. In April the following year the airline ordered 15 Embraer E-170LR aircraft in a deal worth $400 million.

In 2006, Saudia began the process of dividing itself into Strategic Business Units (SBU); the catering unit was the first to be privatized.In August 2007, Saudi Arabia's Council of Ministers approved the conversion of strategic units into companies.

It is planned that ground services, technical services, air cargo and the Prince Sultan Aviation Academy, medical division, as well as the catering unit, will become subsidiaries of a holding company.

The airline reverted to its abbreviated English brand name Saudia used from 1972 to 1996 from Saudi Arabian Airlines,historic name in use until 1971 and reintroduced in 1997 on 29 May 2012; the name was changed to celebrate the company's entry into the SkyTeam airline alliance on that day, and it was a part of a larger rebranding initiative.

Saudia received 64 new jets by the end of 2012,6 from Boeing and 58 from Airbus. Another 8 Boeing 787-9 aircraft started to join the fleet in 2015.

In April 2016, Saudia announced the creation of a low-cost subsidiary, Flyadeal.

The airline was launched as part of Saudia Group's SV2020 Transformation Strategy, which intends to transform the group's units into world-class organisations by 2020.

Flyadeal will serve domestic and regional destinations, beginning flights in mid-2017.

Saudia has codeshare agreements with SkyTeam partners and with the following airlines:

- Oman Air

- Royal Air Maroc

The inflight magazine of Saudia is called Ahlan Wasahlan.

No alcoholic beverages or pork are served on board in accordance with Islamic dietary laws.

Its selected Airbus A330-300 and Boeing 777-300ER aircraft are equipped with Wi-Fi and mobile network portability on board. Some aircraft also offer onboard specialized prayer areas.

On 25 September 1959, a Saudia Douglas DC-4/C-54A-5-DO (registration HZ-AAF), performed a belly landing shortly after take-off from the old Jeddah Airport.

The cause of the accident was gust locks not deactivated by the mechanic, followed by a stall. All 67 passengers and 5 crew survived.

On 9 February 1968, a Douglas C-47 (Registration HZ-AAE) was damaged beyond economic repair at an unknown location.

On 10 November 1970, a Douglas DC-3 on a flight from Amman Civil Airport, Jordan to King Khalid International Airport, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia was hijacked and diverted to Damascus Airport, Syria.

On 11 July 1972, a Douglas C-47B (Registration HZ-AAK) was damaged beyond economic repair in an accident at Tabuk Airport.

On 19 August 1980, Saudia Flight 163, a Lockheed L-1011-200 TriStar, operating Karachi-Riyadh-Jeddah, was completely destroyed by fire at Riyadh airport with the loss of all 301 people on board due to delays in evacuating the aircraft.

This was the deadliest accident experienced by Saudia until 312 were killed in the loss of Flight 763 over 16 years later.

On 22 December 1980, Saudia Flight 162, a Lockheed L-1011-200 TriStar, operating Dhahran to Karachi, experienced an explosive decompression, penetrating the passenger cabin. The hole sucked out two passengers and depressurized the cabin.

On 5 April 1984, a Saudia Lockheed L-1011 TriStar on final approach to Damascus from Jeddah was hijacked by a Syrian national. The hijacker demanded to be taken to Istanbul, Turkey but changed his mind and requested to go to Stockholm, Sweden.

After landing in Istanbul to refuel, the hijacker was arrested after the pilot pushed him out of the emergency exit.

On 12 November 1996, a Saudia Boeing 747-100B, operating flight 763, was involved in the 1996 Charkhi Dadri mid-air collision.The aircraft was on its way from New Delhi, India, to Dhahran, Saudi Arabia when a Kazakhstan Airlines Ilyushin Il-76 collided with it over the village of Charkhi Dadri, some miles west of New Delhi.

Flight 763 was carrying 312 people, all of whom, along with 37 more on the Kazakh aircraft, died, for a grand total of 349 fatalities.

The loss of Flight 763 alone remains Saudia's worst accident in terms of fatalities. The accident overall also remains the world's deadliest mid-air collision and the third-deadliest aviation disaster in history, as well as the deadliest one with no survivors.

On 14, October 2000, Saudi Arabian Airlines Flight 115,flying from Jeddah to London was hijacked en route by two men who claimed they were armed with explosives.

The hijackers commandeered the Boeing 777-200 to Baghdad, Iraq, where all 90 passengers and 15 crew members were safely released.

The two hijackers, identified as Lieutenant Faisal Naji Hamoud Al-Bilawi and First Lieutenant Ayesh Ali Hussein Al-Fareedi, both Saudi citizens, were arrested and later extradited to Saudi Arabia in 2003.

On 23 August 2001, at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Malaysia, a Boeing 747-300 (Registration HZ-AIO) suffered nose damage as it entered a monsoon drainage ditch while it was being taxied by Maintenance staff from the hangar to the gate before a return flight to Saudi Arabia.

None of the six crew members on board at the time were injured.

On 8 September 2005, a Boeing 747 traveling from Colombo to Jeddah, carrying mostly Sri Lankan nationals to take up employment in the Kingdom, received a false alarm claiming that a bomb had been planted on board.

The aircraft returned to Colombo. During the evacuation, there was a passenger stampede in the wake of which one Sri Lankan woman died, 62 were injured, and 17 were hospitalized.

The aircraft had taken on a load of 420 passengers in Colombo.

According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka, the probable cause was a Breakdown of timely and effective communication amongst Aerodrome Controller and Ground Handling (SriLankan Airlines) personnel had prevented a timely dispatch of the stepladders to the aircraft to deplane the passengers in a timely manner.

This resulted in the Pilot-In-Command to order an emergency evacuation of the passengers through slides after being alarmed by the bomb threat.

On 25 May 2008, a leased aircraft operating under Saudi Arabian Airlines as Flight SV-806 from Prince Mohammad Bin Abdulaziz Airport, Madinah made an unscheduled landing at Zia International Airport (now Shahjalal International Airport), Dhaka.

During the roll the tower controller reported that he saw a fire on the right hand wing. Upon vacating the runway, the crew received a fire indication for engine number three.

The fire extinguisher was activated and all engines were shut down. The aircraft, a Boeing 747-357, which was damaged beyond repair, was successfully evacuated.

Only minor injuries were incurred.Investigations revealed a fuel leak where the fuel enters the front spar for engine number three.

On 5 January 2014, a leased Boeing 767 operating under Saudia was forced to make an emergency landing at Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz Airport in Medina after landing gear failed to deploy. 29 people were injured in the incident.

On 5 August 2014, a Boeing 747-400 (reg. HZ-AIX) operating as flight 871 from Manila to Riyadh veered off the runway 24 of Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila while positioning for takeoff. No one on the plane or on ground were injured.



Tourism Observer

MENA Hospitality Revenue Slumps

The majority of the MENA hospitality industry experienced a decrease in earnings during May 2017 as both lower occupancies and lower average room rates reduced overall revenue per average room (RevPAR), EY said in its latest MENA Hotel Benchmark Survey Report.

Abu Dhabi and Dubai maintained strong occupancy levels at 73.5 per cent and 77.8 per cent respectively but witnessed a decrease in RevPAR when compared to the same month last year.

Dubai’s hospitality market saw a decline in RevPAR by 11.6 per cent in May 2017, mainly due to the reduction in average daily room rate from $225 in May 2016 to $211 in May 2017.

Furthermore, Abu Dhabi’s hospitality market witnessed a drop in RevPAR by 20.3 per cent from $92 in May 2017 to $73 in May 2016.

The decrease was mainly due to the average room rate being lowered from $119 in May 2016 to $100 in May 2017, along with a decline in average occupancy by 3.8 per cent when compared to May 2016.

In Saudi Arabia, Jeddah saw the highest occupancy rates for the region at 80.2 per cent and the highest RevPAR at $247 in May 2017. Moreover, the hospitality markets in Madinah and Mecca experienced positive gains in RevPAR this month when compared to May 2016.

Madinah’s hospitality market witnessed an increase in average occupancy of 6.1 per cent in May 2017 when compared to the same period last year. Average daily room rates also increased from $179 in May 2016 to $180 in May 2017, resulting in an overall boost in RevPAR by 12.2 per cent from $92 in May 2016 to $104 in May 2017.

In May 2017, Mecca’s hospitality market witnessed an increase in RevPAR of 90.5 per cent when compared to the same period last year. The rise was mainly due to the average room rate increasing from $142 in May 2016 to $275 in May 2017.

Mecca was able to maintain occupancy levels of 41 per cent year-on-year.

“The increase in Madinah and Mecca’s hospitality market may be attributed to the beginning of the holy month of Ramadhan where many worshippers prefer to perform Umrah and visit Madinah,” commented Yousef Wahbah, MENA Head of Transaction Real Estate at EY.

Elsewhere in the MENA region, Cairo’s hospitality market witnessed a decrease in occupancy by 10.1 per cent from 74.4 per cent in May 2016 to 64.3 per cent in May 2017.

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.

UAE: Emirates To Serve Iftar Meals In Flight During Ramadan

Emirates is to provide passengers with some home comforts during Ramadan, Emirates will be offering special iftar meals to passengers of all cabin classes.

According to a statement issued by Emirates, the special meals will be available to passengers on select Emirates flights, including flights to and from the Gulf region, as well as on flights catering to Umrah groups travelling to Jeddah and Medina during Ramadan.

We are pleased to offer our customers a signature Iftar service during the holy month of Ramadan, across all cabin classes.

Our Iftar service will be available on select flights, including flights to and from the Gulf region as well as on flights catering to Umrah groups travelling to Jeddah and Medina during Ramadan.

This year, Emirates’ iftar boxes feature an Arabesque design inspired by the region, and will provide those observing Ramadan a convenient way to break their fast with a nutritious and balanced meal.

While catering to a global palate, the iftar menus will also feature a Middle Eastern flavour.

The Iftar box includes options such as za’atar chicken with hummus, spinach fatayer, halloumi cheese and cucumber sandwiches, and traditional sweets such as maamoul and dates, as well as yoghurt.

Menus will be refreshed mid-Ramadan.

“Emirates utilises a unique tool to calculate the correct timings for imsak,the time to commence fasting and iftar while in-flight,” said the airline in a statement.

The tool calculates the exact Ramadan timings using the aircraft’s longitude, latitude and altitude; ensuring the greatest level of accuracy possible while on board. When the sun sets, the captain will inform passengers of the iftar time.

This tool was developed to supplement Emirates’ annually produced booklet on the timings for Ramadan, available on every flight.

Emirates SkyCargo has operated its freighter aircraft from Birmingham airport as part of a new service for the transportation of Jaguar Land Rover cars to Chicago. The cars are being delivered for further testing.

The freighter service is part of Emirates SkyCargo’s specialised offering, Emirates SkyWheels, to transport high value automobiles.

Emirates SkyCargo said in a statement it has seen huge demand from customers around the world for transportation solutions for specific products, which is why the business launched offerings such as Emirates SkyPharma, Emirates SkyWheels, and Emirates SkyFresh.

An expansion of Dubai’s Al Maktoum International Airport has been delayed by a year until 2018, the airport’s operator said on Wednesday.

Currently Dubai’s second-largest airport, it will have the capacity to handle 26 million passengers a year when the expansion is complete.

Al Maktoum airport opened in 2013 and can currently handle about seven million passengers a year. Its expansion has been delayed due to the completion of construction and to allow time for trials and testing, a spokesman for Dubai Airports said.

The Dubai government said on Sunday that it had secured $3 billion in long-term financing for expansion of its airports, which are forecast to serve 146.3 million passengers by 2025.

Al Maktoum International, located on the edge of Dubai, is being gradually ramped up to take over from Dubai International Airport, currently the world’s busiest and home to Emirates airline.

Dubai Airports’ Chief Executive Paul Griffiths said in January that budget carrier flydubai would move its operations from Dubai International to Al Maktoum International in the third quarter of this year.

Emirates airline is slated to move to Al Maktoum International in 2025.

A Dubai Airports spokesman said it aims to expand Al Maktoum further to handle 240 million passengers a year but that there was no date yet for when that would be.

This year, passenger traffic across Dubai’s two international airports is expected to reach just over 90 million in 2017, the spokesman said.

INDIA: Jet Airways To Connect To Kuwait, Jeddah, Bengaluru and Chennai

India’s Jet Airways is increasing seat capacity on several routes with the introduction of its wide-bodied aircraft.

Airbus A330s will be deployed on routes connecting Mumbai with Kuwait, Jeddah, Bengaluru and Chennai this month, in some cases boosting capacity by 50%. The two-class A330s feature 18 flat-bed seats in business class and 236 seats in economy.

“The introduction of wide-body services on our key domestic routes not only allows Jet Airways to scale up capacity in response to increase in demand but also guarantees guests a superior flying experience,” said Jet’s chief commercial officer, Jayaraj Shanmugam. “The A330… is designed with a spacious cabin, greater leg-room, lie-flat beds in Premiere and all the comforts usually associated with long-haul international travel.”

The new wide-body service between Mumbai and Chennai will begin on 15 January 2017, followed by Mumbai-Jeddah and Mumbai-Bengaluru on 16 January and Mumbai-Kuwait on 18 January.

Last year, the airline began operating its A330s on the Mumbai-Delhi and Delhi-Kolkata routes.

SAUDI ARABIA: Nesma Airlines Starts Flights To Northern Saudia

Saudi-Egyptian carrier Nesma Airlines has begun services from Hail, in the north of Saudi Arabia, as domestic competition in the country intensifies.

The desert kingdom’s regulator, the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), has overseen the issue of licenses to several new airlines, including Nesma, in the past year. For years, traffic in the country has been largely monopolized by national carrier Saudia, with around 10% going to hybrid carrier flynas.

Foreign carriers have also noticeably increased services to Saudi Arabia in an attempt to win a part of the rapidly growing air travel market in the most populous of the Gulf states.

Nesma intends to use Hail as a hub to a network of eight smaller northern Saudi cities: Turaif, Qaisumah, Arar, Rafha, Aljouf, Tabuk, Qaseem and Madinah under the local equivalent of essential air service (EAS) contracts. Nesma also plans to start services to the Saudi capital, Riyadh, the country’s main commercial center Jeddah and the oil-rich Eastern province city of Dammam.

Details of services to the last three cities will be announced in November.

Commenting on the start of Nesma’s services, GACA DG-northern airports Hamad Alkhemaish said the flights marked the start of a national project for hub airports. ATW understands flynas has been given authority to launch a similar series of EAS routes to smaller cities, based on a hub at Abha, in the far southwest of the country.

Nesma Airlines CEO Faisal Alturki said the airline would build up a fleet of six ATR 72-600 turboprops over the next three years. It also intended to acquire single examples of the Airbus A320 and A319 for services from Hail to Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam. Two larger A321s are also planned to operate services between the latter three cities.

Partly because of the start of Nesma services, GACA is looking to expand Hail airport. A study is underway that will look at the existing terminal and expansion of the apron area to allow for more aircraft to be parked.

Ascott To Open Three New Properties In Middle East

CapitaLand’s wholly owned serviced residence business unit, The Ascott Limited (Ascott), continues to extend its footprint in the Middle East. New contracts are announced to manage another three properties in Saudi Arabia, including its first in the Islamic holy city of Makkah.

The new properties are the 280-unit Ascott Makkah, 92-unit Ascott Villas Riyadh and 69-unit Spectrums Residence in Jeddah are all slated to open in 2017.

In addition, Ascott is set to open Ascott Rafal Olaya Riyadh, its first serviced residence in the Kingdom’s capital, as the company affirmed its leadership position in the Middle East with three wins at the recent World Travel Awards, including being named Middle East’s ‘Leading Serviced Apartment Brand’.

Mr Lee Chee Koon, Ascott’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “Religious tourism is one of the fastest growing segments in the travel industry. In Saudi Arabia, religious tourism is valued at US$5.68 billion, with 19 million pilgrims having visited Makkah and Madinah in 2015, and this is further expected to reach 30 million by 2025.

The strong partnerships we have forged in the Middle East have enabled us to accelerate Ascott’s expansion in the region to tap this growing market. Saudi conglomerate Abdul Samad Al Qurashi has entrusted Ascott to manage six serviced residences, the latest being Ascott Makkah and Spectrums Residence in Jeddah. We will further expand via management contracts in these gateway cities where we will continue to build scale. We aim to double our portfolio in the Middle East to 5,000 units by 2020.”

The latest contracts increase Ascott’s portfolio in the Middle East to more than 2,700 apartment units in 19 properties across 10 cities in Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Mr Lee added: “Our partners recognise Ascott’s extensive capabilities in operating serviced residences and our global network of properties.

Ascott has presence in eight of the top 10 destinations popular with Muslim travellers – Malaysia, UAE, Turkey, Indonesia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Singapore2. We will be able to tap into our network easily to cross-sell our properties catering to this niche market.”

The number of business and leisure travellers visiting the Middle East is also increasing, driven by government measures to diversify the region’s oil-based economy, attract foreign investments, develop tourism and infrastructure, and host large-scale international events such as the Dubai World Expo 2020 and FIFA World Cup 2022. This year, Ascott has added five properties with more than 700 apartment units in the Middle East.

It opened Citadines Al Salamah Jeddah, the first Citadines-branded property in the region, Somerset Panorama Muscat and will soon open Ascott Rafal Olaya Riyadh. Over the next three years, 11 more Ascott properties will come into operation in Dubai in UAE; Istanbul in Turkey; Al Khobar, Jeddah, Makkah and Riyadh in Saudi Arabia; Muscat and Sohar in Oman.

Mr Tony Soh, Ascott’s Chief Corporate Officer who oversees the company’s business in the Middle East, said: “As the first international branded serviced residence in the holy city of Makkah, Ascott Makkah will set a new benchmark for quality accommodation by marrying the comfort and privacy of an apartment with hotel services in a prime location.

We will also offer a new type of serviced residence through Ascott Villas Riyadh, which combines luxuriously furnished villas with Ascott’s award-winning hospitality service, to cater to the growing demand from relocating expatriates, families as well as project groups.”

Besides Ascott Rafal Olaya Riyadh, Ascott Makkah, Ascott Villas Riyadh and Spectrums Residence, Ascott will open Citadines Culture Village Dubai and Somerset Maslak Istanbul in 2017. Ascott Culture Village Dubai, Ascott Corniche Al Khobar, Citadines Al Ghubrah Muscat, Somerset Corniche Jeddah and Sohar Garden Residences are slated to open in 2018 while Somerset Downtown Al Khobar will be ready in 2019.

UAE: Louvre HotelsTo Open 40 Properties In Mena

Louvre Hotels Group, one of the largest hospitality groups in the world, is looking to expand its presence in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) by opening 40 budget and economy hotels over the next five years, a senior Louvre Hotels executive said ahead of his company’s participation in next week’s Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2016.

Driving the group’s expansion in the region will be two of its fastest-growing brands – Première Classe, a modern, limited-service budget hotel focused on comfort, connectivity and convenience; and Campanile, a value-driven mid-market brand that caters to new-age travellers.

Rami Moukarzel, vice president - development and acquisitions, Mena, Louvre Hotels Group, said: “The new hotels aim to fill the existing gap in the budget and economy segment. Louvre Hotels already has a formidable footprint in Mena, managing 60 hotels and more than 8,000 guestrooms, and our experience and presence in the region has ensured we understand better the needs and dynamics of diverse regional markets.

"Expansion opportunities have been identified across the GCC, commencing with Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Oman, and we are also exploring opportunities in emerging markets in North Africa and the Levant,” he said.

“The potential to develop a footprint of our Première Classe and Campanile brands spreads across primary, secondary and even tertiary cities in markets such as Saudi Arabia, UAE and Qatar. Première Classe and Campanile are both globally established names, and in bringing these well-renowned brands to the region, we aim to redefine conventional notions of what a budget or economy hotel should be, by offering guests quality-focused serviced hotels that combine comfort, convenience and technology amenities in an affordable package.”

Première Classe will open its first hotel in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in 2018, while the first of many Campanile hotels in the region will be announced in the coming months for a 2018 opening.

Première Classe and Campanile operate more than 650 properties worldwide.

A highlight of the Campanile hotels is a specially designed hub at the heart of each property, created to offer an experience beyond a smooth check-in and check-out process, with vibrant open spaces meant for hotel guests or surrounding residents to meet, socialise, entertain, dine or simply grab a quick snack on the go.

“Creating vibrant social spaces all across the property has become vital for attracting young travellers who are always seeking opportunities for social interaction,” Moukarzel said.

The ATM runs from April 25 to 28 at the Dubai World Trade Centre and Louvre Hotels can be found at stand HC0565 located in Sheikh Saeed Hall.

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.