Qatar inks codeshare with PG

BANGKOK 16 May 2013: Qatar Airways today announced a new codeshare agreement with Bangkok Airways to destinations across Thailand and gateway cities of neighbouring Cambodia and Myanmar.

Effective 15 May, the agreement sees Qatar Airways’ QR flight codeshare on services beyond the Thai capital with Bangkok Airways to a raft of destinations giving passengers more convenient and greater access to markets.

The domestic Thai codeshare destinations to and from Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport are Samui, Phuket, Chiang Mai, Trat, Sukhothai, Lampang, Krabi. In addition, Qatar Airways will also codeshare with Bangkok Airways on flights from Bangkok to Phnom Penh the capital city of Cambodia and to Yangon, Myanmar’s commercial gateway city.

Read more

Emirates profits soar

DUBAI, 10 May 2013: Dubai’s Emirates Airline said on Thursday it posted US$622 million in net profit in 2012 to 2013, a 52% boost on the previous year, as passenger numbers exceeded 39 million.

The carrier’s profit was “at AED 2.3 billion (US$622 million/471 million euros), representing an increase of 52% over last year’s results,” a statement said.

Emirates Group as a whole, which also includes Dnata travel services, posted 3.1 billion dirhams (US$845 million) in net profit. Total revenues increased 17% to a record of 73.1 billion dirhams (US$19.9 billion).

Read more

Qatar interested in BA stake

LONDON, 9 May 2013: Qatar has approached International Airlines Group, owner of British Airways and Spain’s Iberia, about becoming its biggest shareholder via the purchase of a stake held by struggling Spanish lender Bankia, the Financial Times reported Wednesday.

The daily business newspaper, which cited two people familiar with the situation, said Qatar had made an informal approach to IAG to ask whether it would welcome the Gulf nation as an investor.

Both Bankia and IAG declined to comment on the report.

Read more

Qatar in mood to expand

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES, 7 May 2013: Qatar Airways is looking to order another 10 to 15 Airbus A330s before the Paris air show in June and might also confirm options on Boeing’s 787, the Gulf carrier’s chief said Monday.

“We are talking to Airbus for extra A330s,” Akbar al-Baker told reporters in Dubai, saying he hoped to reach agreement over the midsize, wide-body aircraft before the air show which opens 17 June.

But he said the European manufacturer will have to “sharpen their pencils,” adding that those planes would fill the gap caused by the delay in Boeing’s 787 Dreamliners.

Read more

Israel approves open skies deal

JERUSALEM, 22 April 2013: The Israeli government approved an open skies deal with European carriers on Sunday, as local airline workers went on strike with hundreds burning tyres outside the premier’s office in protest against the plan.

“The goal of the reform we approved today is to reduce the costs of flights to and from Israel and to increase incoming tourism,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement, saying the deal had been in the works for “many years.”

“We will continue to advance reforms to reduce the cost of living and increase the efficiency of services to Israelis,” he said.

Read more

Etihad adds Hong Kong

HONG KONG, 27 March 2013: Etihad Airways added a service to Hong Kong yesterday through a new codeshare with equity alliance partner, Air Seychelles.

The inaugural Abu Dhabi to Hong Kong flight, Tuesday, operated by an Air Seychelles’ Airbus A330-200 aircraft marked the commencement of three weekly services between the two points.

Hong Kong is the Abu Dhabi-based airline’s fourth destination in China, joining Beijing, Chengdu and Shanghai.

Read more

HIA warms up for soft opening

DOHA, 18 March 2013: In preparation for the 1 April soft opening of Hamad International Airport (HIA) a series of advanced passenger trials have been taking place at the new facility.

More than 1,000 people participated in the trials to test passenger-related facilities from check-in and immigration to aircraft boarding and arrivals at what will be Qatar’s showcase airport. Over the next few weeks, a further 2,500 people will join trials to help contractors fine-tune operations and solve glitches.

Read more

Bid to win back tourists

BERLIN, 11 March 2013: Two years after the Arab Spring uprisings, Tunisia and Egypt are trying to win back holidaymakers in a lifeblood sector for both countries which are gripped by renewed political crisis.

Leading tourism officials from Tunisia and Egypt were keen to stress at the ITB Berlin tourism fair, which closed Sunday, that their destinations are safe and outlined plans for wooing back visitors.

Egyptian Tourism Minister, Hisham Zaazou, admitted his stated goal to boost tourist arrivals back up to almost the pre-Arab Spring level in 2010 of 14.7 million was ambitious given that it fell to 11.5 million last year.

Read more

Qatar bullish on 2013 business

BERLIN, 8 March 2013: Qatar Airways says 2013 is turning into an “exciting year for Qatar’s aviation industry” as the country prepares for the opening of the brand new Hamad International Airport.

The airline presented its plans and strategy at a press conference at ITB earlier this week.

The new airport, built at a cost of over US$15.5 billion, is set to open in phases, beginning 1 April with a select-few airlines moving from their current location at Doha International Airport.

Read more

Qatar sponsors FC Barcelona

BARCELONA, 7 March 2013: Qatar Airways brand will be blazoned across the team shirts of football giants FC Barcelona from the start of the 2013/14 season.

The three-year agreement with the runaway Spanish league leaders and former winners of the Champions League takes effect 1 July.

Qatar Airways will become the club’s global main partner, signalling the first time the airline has engaged in a sponsorship with a major soccer club.

Read more

Next Page »