Top 3 Headlines

Emirates’ A350 launches in Dammam, takes Premium Economy to Kolkata, and shares summer travel insights

Emirates has introduced regular Airbus A350 flights to Dammam, marking its first Saudi destination served by the next-gen aircraft. The A350 features a three-class layout with upgraded seat comfort, quieter cabins, and high-speed Wi-Fi. Additionally, starting 18 July 2025, Emirates will offer its Premium Economy product on flights to and from Kolkata, operating four times per week. The cabin provides wider seats, more legroom, and enhanced meal service. 

Also this week. Emirates’ shared its summer travel data revealing strong global demand, with flight searches up 7% YoY. Vietnam tops the list as the most sought-after destination, followed by Mauritius, Sri Lanka, Japan, and France. UAE-based searches rose 13%, while interest surged in key markets like the US, UK, India, Germany, and Australia. Travellers are favouring longer stays, especially from India and Europe, with solo travellers, families, and couples all contributing to healthy inbound traffic to Dubai, which continues to shine as a top global summer destination.

Etihad Guest expands ‘Extraordinary Challenge’ to 20m miles 

Etihad Guest has increased the prize pool for The Extraordinary Challenge to over 20 million miles following strong global interest. The competition now rewards over 200 participants, with milestone prizes of up to 25,000 miles for visiting five new destinations and 100,000 for ten destinations.

First place may win up to 5.1 million miles by visiting 15 new cities. A live leaderboard, digital passport stamps, and social sharing tools are currently in use to enhance engagement. The challenge runs until 25 May 2026, and miles earned can be redeemed for flights, upgrades, holidays, and rewards in the Etihad Guest shop.

Jazeera Airways launches first direct Kuwait-Sochi route

Jazeera Airways has inaugurated the first-ever direct flight between Kuwait and Sochi, Russia, expanding its Russian network beyond its 13 existing flights to Moscow. The new service operates twice per week, offering Kuwaiti and regional travellers direct access to Sochi’s popular Black Sea coastline and mountain resorts.

Russian travellers can also use Jazeera’s Kuwait hub (Terminal 5) to connect to over 60 destinations across the Middle East, South Asia, and Europe.

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Noteworthy: 

1. Emirates has been named Official Partner of the Women’s Rugby World Cup England 2025, reinforcing its global sports sponsorship legacy.
2. Saudia and WestJet have entered a new partnership to enhance international air connectivity between the Kingdom and Canada.
3. Qatar Airways is increasing its Zagreb services with additional wide-body flights and has resumed operations in Malta, boosting its European network.
4. flynas and Gulf Air will launch a reciprocal codeshare agreement from July 2025, improving regional connectivity across their networks. Flynas is also launching three direct weekly flights between Riyadh and Moscow starting 1 August 2025.
5. Etihad Airways has announced a loyalty partnership with Vietnam Airlines, enabling shared benefits and smoother travel for frequent flyers.
6. Oman Air has received a new Boeing 737 MAX 8, strengthening its narrow-body fleet for upcoming route expansion.
7. Riyadh Air and Almatar have partnered to integrate modern retailing capabilities, enabling direct digital booking and personalized offers for Riyadh Air’s flights.
8. Hainan Airlines has launched a new route between Jeddah and Haikou, boosting air links and tourism between Saudi Arabia and China.
9. While King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah marked the arrival of Hainan Airlines’ inaugural flight, the airport also achieved record-breaking operational growth in the first half of 2025, handling 25.5 million passengers (up 6.8%), over 150,000 flights (up 6.3%), and 29.4 million pieces of luggage (up 11.9%), solidifying its position as a leading regional air hub.
10. Air Arabia is expanding its network with new routes, including daily direct flights from Sharjah to Munich and Warsaw, and from Abu Dhabi to Sialkot, starting in July 2025 and December 2025 respectively.