Middle Eastern Airlines shine at the recent APEX/IFSA Global Expo, while IATA reports an all-time high in September’s passenger growth figures. Meanwhile expansion plans into Africa gain momentum with Emirates and Qatar Airways, while Asian airlines launch flights into the GCC.
Emirates flying high with new beats
At the 7th Bahrain International Airshow 2024 taking palce from 13-15 November at Sakhir Airbase in Manama, Emirates will will showcase its retrofitted four-class Airbus A380, boasting its sleek new livery and latest cabin interiors. Attendees will get a glimpse of the airline’s enhanced onboard experience, featuring spacious cabins, the iconic Onboard Lounge, Shower Spa, and refreshed Premium Economy class, among other signature products.
Meanwhile, Emirates has partnered with Spotify to enable passengers to tune in and take of. Available as part of the carrierβs inflight entertainment system, passengers can now enjoy a wide selection of podcasts and playlists in their preferred, including English, Portuguese, Tagalog, and German. Spanish and Hindi will be added in 2025. This new collaboration adds to Emirates’ already impressive entertainment library, which boasts over 3500 hours of content.
Also, Emiratesβ NDC content is now available on Travelport+ in more than 20 countries, including Saudi Arabia, India, the United States, Ireland, France, Italy, and Germany. A global rollout is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
British Airways direct London-Jeddah flights
After a three-year hiatus, British Airways has resumed direct flights from London Heathrow to Jeddah’s King Abdulaziz International Airport (KAIA). The six weekly flights aims to meet the increasing demand for travel between the two countries. As one of the regionβs key and largest airports facilitating trade, tourism, and as a gateway for millions of Muslim pilgrims to Mecca and Medina, KAIA is working towards connecting to 150 international destinations and serving 114 million passengers annually by 2030.
Air Arabia resumes Sharjah-Yanbu service
Air Arabia will be resuming its direct service between Sharjah-Yanbu, from 28 November 2024, with two weekly flights on Saturday and Thursday. The service aboard an Airbus 320 will depart Sharjah at 09:45 arriving into Yanbu at 11:55; and depart Yanbu at12:55 arriving back into Sharjah at 16:25. With the addition of Yanbu, Air Arabia now operates 12 routes from Sharjah to Saudi Arabia, including Abha, Al-Jouf, Dammam, Gassim, Gizan, Hail, Jeddah, Medina, Riyadh, Tabuk, and Taif.
flydubai partners with Batik Air
flydubai and Batik Air Malaysia have signed an interline agreement to offer passengers seamless connectivity across each otherβs network. flydubai customers can now connect with more than 40 Southeast Asian destinations via Kuala Lumpur International Airport, while Batik Air passengers can link across 38 destinations on flydubai’s network. flydubai currently flies to more than 125 destinations in 55 countries across Africa, Central Asia, the Caucasus, Central and Southeast Europe, the GCC and the Middle East, South Asia as well as Southeast Asia.
Etihad and e& UAE elevate cutomer experiences
Etihad Airways and e& UAE have partnered up to enhance customer experience and business synergies in various areas including loyalty programs, sales and marketing efforts, knowledge sharing, and supporting Abu Dhabi’s development as an attractive destination. The partnership will link Etihad Guest and Smiles loyalty platforms, enabling members to transfer points, redeem rewards, and enjoy tier-based benefits.
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Earlier this week
MENA airlines honourned at APEX/ IFSA Global EXPO
At the recent APEX/ IFSA Global EXPO held in California, nine airlines achieved the coveted APEX World Class designation, including Oman Air, Qatar Airways and Turkish Airlines from the MENA region. The recognition celebrates the airlines’ achivements in excellence in safety, sustainability, service, and inclusiveness. MENA carriers that won are listed as follows (full list of winners here and here):
2025 APEX World Class Airlines: Emirates, Oman Air, Qatar Airways and Turkish Airlines
APEX World Class Lounges: Oman Air Business Lounge (Muscat International Airport) and The Pearl Lounge (Bahrain International Airport)
Best in Airline Awards: Qatar Airways for Best Food and Beverage and Best Seat Comfort
Innovation Awards: Qatar Airways for Best Cabin
2025 APEX Five Starβ’ Global: Etihad Airways and Gulf Air
APEX Four Starβ’ Major Airlines: Aegean Airlines, Egyptair, fludubai, Kuwait Airways, Middle East Airlines, and Royal Jordanian.
IATA records all time high demand in September
IATA has reported an all time high of 7.1% YoY grgowth in global passenger demand during the month of September, with capacity rising 5.8%, resulting in an 83.6% load factor. International demand surged 9.2%, which was mostly driven by Asia-Pacific airlines at 18.5% growth. European carriers saw a 7.6% increase, while Middle Eastern and North American carriers reported modest growth of 4.4% and 0.5% respectively. While IATA’s DG Willie Walsh welcomed the healthy strong demand, he emphasised on the need for governments to prioritise sustainable growth, efficient airport management, and air traffic control to meet ongoing growing demands, and that airlines’ investments in net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 must be matched with government policies to ensure global connectivity and economic benefits.
Etihad Airways flagship Airbus A380 makes grand return to Paris
Etihad Airways’ iconic A380 aircraft has returned to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport on 1 Nov. Featururing Etihad’s most luxurious inflight amenities, including The Residence and The Lobby, travellers will be pleased with this service return given route capacity is now increased by 31%. An additional Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner will also be joining the service from 15 January 2025. With the A380’s 486 seats, including nine First Apartments, 70 Business Studios, and 405 Economy Smart seats; and the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner’s eight First Suites, 28 Business Studios and 190 Economy Smart seats, both aircraft will offer nearly 5,000 seats weekly between the two capitals.
Travel to the US just got easier at Zayed International Airport
Great news for those heading to the States from Abu Dhabi! The very first of its kind in the region, a newly implemented state-of-the-art US pre-clearance facility at Zayed International Airport featuring cutting-edge biometric technology, including facial comparison devices, now enables passengers to complete immigration, customs, and agriculture inspections before departing Abu Dhabi, which translates to no more long queues! According to a statement, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) facility underwent a rigorous and detailed vetting process to confirm all protocols, and readiness of systems, equipment and personnel.
EK touches down in Ediburgh, expands African network, relaunches My Emirates Pass, releases limited edition keepsakes
Emirates has resumed services to Edinburgh after a three-year hiatus. Servicing the daily route with a Boeing 777 , the flight complements the airline’s existing daily A380 service to Glasgow. The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo celebrated the inaugural flight, treating passengers to a spectacular display of music and pageantry welcome.
Over in Africa, Emirates has expanded its services with additional flights to Entebbe in Uganda, Addis Ababa in Ethiopia, and Johannesburg in South Africa, brining it to 20 passenger and cargo services across the continent. The airline had started daily flights to Entebbe from 27 October, while daily flights to Addis Ababa will commence from 1 January 2025, and a fourth daily flight to Johannesburg will begin on 1 March 2025.
For visits and stopovers in the UAE, the airline has relaunched its popular My Emirates Pass, offering discounts across Dubai and the UAE from 1 November 2024, to 31 March 2025. To take advantage of the offer, Emirates passengers will need to present their boarding pass and ID to access the hundreds of deals on dining, activities, spas, shopping, and other experiences including visits to The Top Burj Khalifa, IMG Worlds of Adventure, and more.
Finally, Emirates has collaborated with Copenhagen Design to launch an exclusive collection of everyday items, Emirates x Pantone. As a celebration of Emirates’ approaching 40-year milestone, the collection consists of keychains, umbrellas, tote bags, notebooks, and handmade mugs, all wrapped in Emirates’ iconic gold tones.
Qatar expands in Africa
Qatar Airways Group has acquired a 25% stake in Southern Africa’s leading independent regional carrier, Airlink, which operates in 15 African countries and 45 destinations. Meanwhile, the airline had also commenced increased summer capacity in South Africa from 27 October with Cape Town enjoying 11-12 weekly flights, Johannesburg 18 weekly flights, and Durban five weekly flights via Mozambique. The enhanced schedule also coincides with the airline’s 20th anniversary of operating in South Africa in January 2025. Meanwhile, Qatar Airways has also launched services to Kinshasa and increased flights to Angola, with further growth to be announced.
Wizz Air launches flights to Moldova
Wizz Air Abu Dhabi has launched services between Abu Dhabi and Moldova’s capital city of Chisinau, with three weekly flights on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Flights start from AED 309. The new route expands the carrier’s winter schedule by 40%. Travellers heading to Chisinau can look forward to the city’s warm hospitality, vibrant culture, and historical sites including Stephen the Great Monument, glassy lakes and extensive green spaces.
E-gates at Muscat International Airport
The Muscat International Airport has now introduced electronic gates with facial recognition technology, enabling citizens and residents to clear immigration quickly and seamlessly without human interaction. Travellers would simply scan their ID card and wait for the camera to verify their identity. The process which takes less than a minute replaces fingerprint-based biometrics and helps reduce long queues. However, visitors to Oman will still need to undergo the traditional immigration process.
flynas expands African network
flynas is expanding its African network with two new destinations starting January 2025, operating three weekly flights from Riyadh to Entebbe, Uganda, and Jeddah to Djibouti. Recently, the airline had also increased their domestic seat capacity by 21% and expanded its fleet with the arrival of its 53rd A320neo. In July, flynas signed a deal to double its fleet with 160 additional Airbus planes, including 30 A330neos and 130 A320s. Since 2007, flynas has grown to serve over 70 domestic and international destinations with 1,500 weekly flights, solidifying its position as a prominent low-cost airline in the Middle East.
Turkish Airlines to launch second flight from Australia
Turkish Airlines will launch a one-stop service from Istanbul Airport (IST) to Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport (SYD) via Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL) on 28 November. Operating four weekly flights initially on board their Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, the service will switch to an Airbus A350-900s at a later date. This service marks the second Australian route following its March launch from Melbourne to IST via Singapore. Turkish Airlines Chairman Ahmet Bolat also plans to upgrade the Sydney route to non-stop in 2026, pending delivery of suitable aircraft such as the A350-1000 or Boeing 777X.
Meanwhile, Turkish Airlines reported carrying 24.5 million passengers with revenues rising by 4.9% to $6.6 billion in the July β September quarter. Passenger revenues amounted to $5.6 billion and a 47% surge in cargo contributed to $911 million. As part of its 100th anniversary strategy, the airline is working towards a fleet of 800+ aircraft by 2033. And already has expanded its fleet by 9% this year bringing the total number of aircraft to 467.
Bhutan’s Drukair launches Dubai flights
Bhutan’s Drukair has officially launched its twice-weekly flights to Dubai, marking a significant expansion of its international network. Operating twice weekly, the service will fly from Paro to Dubai via Delhi, with travellers enjoying a 20% promotional discount until 28 February2025. Frequent Flyer members, however, will enjoy an exclusive 30% discount on flights to Dubai.
Fly Jinnah launches direct flights from Lahore to Dammam
Pakistan’s low-cost carrier, Fly Jinnah, will commence non-stop flights between Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport and Dammam’s King Fahd International Airport. Operating twice weekly initially on Tuesdays and Saturdays from 16 November, the service will add a THursday flight from 7 December. This new route expands Fly Jinnah’s presence in Saudi Arabia, following its 15 November launch to Riyadh. The airline operates a modern fleet of five Airbus A320 aircraft, serving five major Pakistani cities and several international destinations, including Sharjah, Bahrain, and Muscat.
Syrian Air resumes Damascus-Jeddah route
From 7 November, Syrian Air will resume its Damascus-Jeddah, after an 8-year hiatus. Operating twice weekly on Mondays and Thursdays, the development follows the restoration of diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Syria in May 2023. Earlier this year, Syrian Air operated Hajj flights from Damascus to Jeddah, marking the end of a 12-year isolation.
Flyadeal seeking approval to lauch flights from Pakistan
Flyadeal is seeking government approval to launch international operations from Pakistan to various destinations in Saudi, according to a report by Pakistan Observer. With the airline’s proposed operations, travellers can look forward to more affordable and flight options. At the moment, several airlines, including Saudia, Pakistan International Airlines, and Air Arabia, already offer direct flights from major Pakistani cities to the Kingdom’s major hubs of Jeddah, Riyadh, and Madinah.
RoyalJet extends services to Asia
RoyalJet, an Abu Dhabi-based premium private jet operator, has launched operations of its Bombardier Global 5000 aircraft from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The move comes as a solution to the growing demand for private charters in Asia-Pacific countries, driven by the region’s economic rebound and increased foreign investments. The Bombardier Global 5000 offers world-class amenities, including premium materials, state-of-the-art technology, and advanced comfort features. The aircraft seats 13 passengers, with a versatile layout featuring a galley, conference area, VVIP lounge, and sleeper divan.
Jazeera Airways reports Q3 profits
Jazeera Airways has reported a strong Q3 net profit of KD11.6 million (US $37.84 million), representing a significant YoY 66.1% increase. While operating revenue rose by 5.7%, passenger traffic increased by 1.8% to 1.4 million, with load factors at 80.6%. The airline’s nine-month performance also showed momentum, with operating revenues up 2.9% to KD163.5 million and EBIT rising 14.5% to KD20.7 million. The airline had expanded its fleet to 24 aircraftand also introduced new meals, upgraded its menu, and improved on-time performance to 80%.
Gulf Air celebrates 10 years of services between Bahrain and Russia
Gulf Air celebrated its 10th anniversary of its Bahrain-Moscow route, launched on 26 October 2014. The carrier operates daily non-stop flights between Bahrain International Airport and Moscow using A320neo and A321neo aircraft, with flights departing Bahrain at 01:30 am (Sunday to Wednesday) and 09:00 am (Thursday to Saturday).
