The aviation landscape is abuzz with exciting developments, from enhanced connectivity to prestigious awards. Qatar Airways is enriching its network with increased frequencies to key destinations, while Oman Air and Saudia have been recognized for their punctuality by Cirium. Meanwhile, Gulf Air is championing Bahrain’s tourism excellence at ITB Berlin, and Emirates is strengthening its industry partnerships with multiple deals and MOUs.

Bahrain International Airport wins top global accolade for arrivals experience

Bahrain International Airport (BIA) has received the Airports Council International (ACI) Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Award for Best Airport in Arrivals Globally. This recognition highlights BIA’s dedication to delivering an exceptional passenger experience. The award is based on passenger feedback collected through ACI’s surveys. Bahrain Airport Company (BAC), which operates BIA, credits the achievement to continuous service improvements and operational excellence. This recognition solidifies BIA’s reputation as a leading airport in the region and worldwide.

Wizz air to launch direct flights to Jordan in April

Wizz Air plan to launch new direct flight routes to Jordan starting in April. The move aims to boost tourism by increasing connectivity between Jordan and several European destinations. Ryanair will introduce connections to Amman and Aqaba, while Wizz Air is expanding services to the kingdom as well. The initiative is expected to strengthen Jordan’s position as a key tourist destination in the region. These routes are part of broader efforts to enhance travel accessibility and support the local economy.

Airlines to transport over 71,000 Nigerian pilgrims for 2025 Hajj

Four airlines have been appointed to airlift over 71,000 Nigerian pilgrims to Saudi Arabia for the 2025 Hajj, beginning on May 5. Max Air and flynas will carry the largest groups, transporting 23,343 and 22,893 pilgrims, respectively. UmzaXpress and Air Peace will handle 15,893 and 9,145 passengers. The announcement follows the signing of a charter contract between Nigeria’s Hajj Commission (NAHCON) and flynas. Max Air, despite suspending domestic services, will continue its international flights.

Riyadh Air to start India operations, appoints Bird Travels as exclusive partner

Riyadh Air is set to commence operations in India later this year as part of its global expansion strategy. The airline has appointed Bird Travels as its exclusive General Sales Agent (GSA) for distribution and sales in India. Riyadh Air aims to strengthen connectivity between Saudi Arabia and India, targeting key cities to meet growing travel demand.

flyadeal launches new travel insurance packages for customers

flyadeal has introduced a range of travel insurance packages aimed at enhancing passenger safety and convenience. The new offering includes coverage for trip cancellations, delays, medical emergencies, and lost baggage. This initiative aligns with the airline’s commitment to providing affordable and reliable services while improving customer experience. The insurance packages are available for purchase through flyadeal’s booking channels.

Muscat and Salalah airports receive top accolades in airport service quality awards

Muscat International Airport and Salalah Airport have been recognised in the Airports Council International’s (ACI) Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Awards for excellence in passenger experience. Muscat won Best Airport in the Middle East (5-15 million passengers), while Salalah topped the under 2 million category. Both airports also earned awards for staff dedication, easy journey, cleanliness, and enjoyment. Additionally, Salalah joined ACI’s Director General’s List of Excellence, highlighting Oman’s commitment to world-class airport services.

Etihad Airways records 1.6 million passengers in February 2025, announces new route to Medan, Indonesia

Etihad Airways welcomed 1.6 million passengers in February 2025, maintaining a strong seat load factor of 86%. The airline’s performance reflects solid demand across its network, supported by increased flight frequencies to key destinations. CEO Antonoaldo Neves highlighted the airline’s operational efficiency and improved customer experience as contributing factors. Meanwhile, the airlines has announced a new route to Medan, Indonesia starting 2 October, available for booking now.

Oman’s airports handle 1.3 million passengers in January 2024

Oman’s airports recorded a total of 1.3 million passengers in January 2024, marking a significant increase in air traffic activity. Muscat International Airport handled the majority of the passengers, followed by Salalah and other regional airports. The rise in passenger numbers highlights a continued recovery in Oman’s aviation and tourism sectors. Increased connectivity and enhanced services have contributed to the growth.

Earlier this week…

Qatar Airways (QR) enriches network by enhancing connectivity

Qatar Airways are at it again, adding more frequencies to a number of key destinations across their network. All in the name of giving passengers greater flexibility and reducing travel times with seamless connections. We’ve listed out some of the changes below. An additional benefit of adding frequencies will ease congestion at Hamad International Airport (DOH) as with more connections to more destinations, travellers will be able to spend less time waiting in the terminal.

• Amsterdam – increased from seven weekly flights to 11
• Damascus – increased from three weekly flights to 14
• Dar Es Salaam-Kilimanjaro – increased from three weekly flights to seven
• Entebbe – increased from seven weekly flights to 11
• Larnaca – increased from seven weekly flights to 10
• London Heathrow – increased from 49 weekly flights to 56
• Madrid – increased from 14 weekly flights to 17 (bringing the jointly operated flights between Qatar Airways and Iberia from 21 weekly flights to 24)
• Maputo-Durban – increased from five weekly flights to seven
• Sharjah – increased from 21 weekly flights to 35
• Tokyo Narita – increased from 11 weekly flights to 14
• Tunis – increased from 10 weekly flights to 12

The partnership with Virgin Australia is rapidly taking shape with Qatar’s Q-suite to feature on all of the 777 wet lease services operated by VA. The +12 hour flight time will also be made more enjoyable for guests with the offer of inflight Starlink wifi providing average speeds of 30-100Mbps (which for inflight, is very fast – take our word for it).

Oman Air and Saudia punctuality recognised by Cirium

Oman Air and Saudia have both been recognised for their on time performance (OTP) in 2024 by Cirium, the Aviation analytics firm.

• Mexico’s flag carrier topped the global category, followed by Saudia, and Delta Air Lines
• Regional Winners Include: Copa Airlines (Latin America), Delta Air Lines (North America), Iberia Express (Europe, and Low-Cost Airline), Japan Airlines (Asia-Pacific), and FlySafair (Middle East and Africa)
• Riyadh King Khalid International Airport in Saudi Arabia Named Most On-Time Global Airport for 2024 

flynas and DB on track to enable more tourists from Germany, Austria and Switzerland

Flynas and Deutsche Bahn have inked a partnership at ITB, connecting 5,600 train stations across Germany, Austria and Switzerland with Berlin (BER), enabling connections onto Flynas’ 3 x week non-stop service to Jeddah (JED). No doubt will help contribute to the Kingdom’s target of attracting European tourists (+24% YoY growth in 2024).

Gulf Air showcases Bahrain’s tourism excellence at ITB Berlin 2025

This year, Gulf Air team joined the Bahrain pavilion, which included another 14 other national tourism and hospitality organisations including BETA (Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority) and the Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix. Together, the consortium showcased the quality and diversity of Bahrain’s international tourism offering.

Emirates’ many reasons to smile

Emirates’ team had a VERY busy ITB, penning multiple deals with multiple partners including; OTA’s (Trip.Com and Expedia Group), Cruise Companies (Costa, AIDA and TUI Cruises), plus Tourism Authorities (Malta and also Austrian Tourism board). These MOU’s demonstrate EK’s ongoing commitment to industry partnerships. The airline clearly recognises the importance of building (and maintaining) strong relationships with distribution partners and organisations offering travel products complimentary to their own. ITB comes off the back of Emirates recently announcing the launch of 3 new routes to Asia.