| Qatar Airways launches NEOM Bay flight
Qatar Airways expanded services to Saudi Arabia with the launch of the Doha-NEOM Bay flight on Saturday. |
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| NBK partners with Qatar Airways, British Airways to launch NBK Avios Visa Card
With its commitment to providing exceptional banking experiences through outstanding products and services, National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) has unveiled the NBK Avios Visa Signature Prepaid Card in partnership with Qatar Airways Privilege Club and British Airways Executive Club. This Visa prepaid card, the first of its kind in the MENA region, reflects NBK’s commitment to innovation. |
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| Mideast airlines post 24% jump in Oct traffic: IATA
Middle Eastern airlines posted a 24.1 percent rise in October 2023 traffic compared to a year ago. Capacity rose 22.2 percent and load factor climbed 1.2 percentage points to 80.6 percent. |
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| Riyadh Air partners with Turkish Airlines to offer wide range of benefits for travelers
Saudi Arabia’s nascent flag carrier Riyadh Air has signed a strategic memorandum of understanding with Turkish Airlines to offer a wide range benefits for travelers using the carriers. |
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| Jeddah airport tops Kingdom’s October performance rankings: GACA
Saudi Arabia’s King Abdulaziz International Airport outperformed other terminals in the Kingdom for overall performance in October, as per the latest official data. |
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| New policy seeks to propel Saudi aviation sector to new heights by 2030
Saudi Arabia aims to emerge as a leader in the regional aviation sector within 10 years and to achieve this ambitious goal it has introduced a raft of measures to ensure an environment for sustainable growth and investments. |
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| Saudia and Riyadh Air sign deal to link loyalty schemes and seat booking options
RIYADH: Passengers using Saudia and Riyadh Air will benefit from shared loyalty points and synced-up booking arrangements thanks to a new agreement by the Kingdom’s airlines. |
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| Riyadh aims to deliver ticketless experience
DUBAI: Saudi Arabia’s new airline, Riyadh Air, is aiming to reintroduce some “romance” into traveling, according to its chief commercial officer. |
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| Middle East will need 3k new aircraft by 2042: Boeing
RIYADH: Boeing anticipates a demand for 3,000 new aircraft in the Middle East by 2042, signifying the region’s growth in the aviation sector. |
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| Bahrain - China direct flights to start in January
Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA) has announced plans to expand its tourism horizons with China by launching direct flights between the kingdom and Shanghai and Guangzhou in January. |
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| Riyadh Air to place second major aircraft order ‘in weeks,’ says CEO
Saudi Arabia’s new flagship airline Riyadh Air will place a second major aircraft order “in weeks,” its chief executive said on Monday. |
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| Dubai flights: Passengers to get special stamp on passports from November 6
Travellers who are arriving at Dubai's airports from November 6 to 18 will be getting a special stamp on their passports, it was announced on Thursday. |
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| UAE flights: Gulf airline resumes service to Ras Al Khaimah
A Qatar Airways flight from Doha touched down at Ras Al Khaimah International Airport on November 1 shortly after 10pm, marking the resumption of services on the route. With just one hour flight from Qatar Airways’ Doha hub Hamad International Airport, passengers will now enjoy seamless entry into Ras Al Khaimah. |
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| Israel-Gaza crisis: Emirates suspends Tel Aviv flights until November 30
Dubai-based Emirates airline has extended flight suspension to and from Tel Aviv until November 30, it said in a statement on Wednesday. |
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| Saudi Arabia’s flynas bolsters fleet with 4 new aircraft
Saudi Arabia’s budget airline flynas has taken delivery of four A320neo aircraft in the last 14 days, the company said in a statement. |
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| Saudi airline flynas expands networks to Brussels and Bahrain
Saudi low-cost carrier flynas has introduced a new travel route from Saudi Arabia to Bahrain. |
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| Airline announces discounts on 170,000 flight tickets for November
Travelling next year? Don't miss Singapore Airlines' discounts on more than 170,000 flight tickets — which will be up for grabs from next month. |
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| Riyadh Airport tops Kingdom’s aviation hub ranking
King Khalid International Airport outperformed other international aviation hubs in Saudi Arabia for overall performance in September, according to official data. |
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| Qatar Airways expands footprint in Saudi Arabia with three new gateways
Saudi Arabia’s efforts to consolidate its position as a global tourism hub is set to receive a boost with Qatar Airways launching services to the historic AlUla, Tabuk and the resumption of operations in Yanbu. |
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| Saudi Arabia, Portugal sign deal to boost cooperation in aviation sector
Air transport services between Saudi Arabia and Portugal are on course to flourish thanks to a new agreement between the Kingdom’s General Authority of Civil Aviation and the European country’s Ministry of Infrastructure. |
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| flynas receives 5 new A320neo aircraft, expands fleet to 56
Saudi Arabia’s flag carrier flynas received five new Airbus A320neo aircraft on Wednesday, raising its fleet to 56 airliners. |
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| Saudi Arabia’s transport plans play crucial role in global carbon emissions battle
Saudi Arabia’s sustainable transport plans are a vital part of the Kingdom’s drive to reduce global carbon emissions by 4 percent, said a government official on Tuesday. |
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| Saudi Arabia’s Air Connectivity Program expands flights with China
The Saudi Air Connectivity Program and Hainan Airlines have signed an agreement to introduce two new travel routes connecting China and the Kingdom. |
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| DGCA’s projects division earns ISO
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation announced on Saturday that the division of projects management earned the ISO certification for the section’s successful administration. Saad Al-Otaibi |
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| Saudi airline passenger complaints drop 11.8% in August: GACA
As part of ongoing efforts to enhance efficiency and competitiveness in Saudi Arabia’s aviation sector, the number of passenger complaints among carriers in August dropped by 11.8 percent compared to the same month last year. |
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| Passenger compensation from Saudi airlines hits $15.4m: GACA
Saudi airlines disbursed a substantial SR58 million ($15.4 million) in compensation to travelers during the 2021-2022 period, the General Authority of Civil Aviation has revealed. |
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| Riyadh airport leads with 82% customer commitment rate in August: GACA
King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh has outperformed other air terminals in the Kingdom in service levels and the overall travel experience, according to the General Authority of Civil Aviation. |
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| UAE flights: Travel deals start from Dh78 for ‘spontaneous travellers’
‘Spontaneous’ UAE residents can clinch travel deals for as little as Dh78 to Kuwait; Dh158 to Jordan; Dh318 to Italy and Dh365 to Greece in September. |
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| Dubai airport to introduce single biometric system for flight check-in, immigration, boarding
Dubai is working on a project whereby a single biometric will be used for check-in, immigration and boarding the aircraft to further facilitate passenger clearance. |
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| Saudi Tourism Ministry, HR fund ink deal to boost localization
In a move to strengthen the human capital in Saudi Arabia’s tourism sector, the Ministry of Tourism and the Human Resources Development Fund have signed a memorandum of understanding. |
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| Riyadh Air partners with Colleges of Excellence to empower Saudi aviation talent
Riyadh Air, Saudi Arabia’s newly established national carrier, has signed a memorandum of understanding with Colleges of Excellence to facilitate the training and skill enhancement of local Saudi professionals in the aviation industry, according to a press statement. |
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| Saudi announces new flight rules: Up to 200% of airfare as compensation for cancellations, delays
The General Authority of Civil Aviation (Gaca) in Saudi Arabia has announced new passenger rights protection regulations, strengthening the protection for travellers in case of airline or airport disruptions. |
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| flynas launches direct flights linking Jeddah and Osh in Kyrgyzstan
In a bid to further advance Saudi Arabia’s aviation sector, the Kingdom’s budget airline flynas has inaugurated direct flights connecting Jeddah and Osh, the second largest city in Kyrgyzstan. |
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| Kuwait Airways plans to lease eight Airbus jets within 10 years
Kuwait Airways plans to lease eight Airbus passenger jets within 10 years, Chairman Ali Aldokhan said on Sunday. |
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| Oman Air OKs restructuring plan to reduce mounting debt
In order to address its debt issue, Oman Air has approved a restructuring program to reduce its losses by 15 percent during the current fiscal year while aiming to reach a break-even point by 2026. |
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| Kuwait Airways achieves 30% growth in H1 ‘23
Kuwait Airways continues to achieve positive results in the first half of the year 2023, as compared to the first half of the year 2022, and to reach the best levels of excellence in the quality of services it provides to its valued customers, evident in the growth of the operating rates of its entire system. |
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| Saudi Arabia’s ship traffic rises by 8.06%
Affirming Saudi Arabia’s ongoing efforts to become a global logistics hub, the ship traffic in the Kingdom’s ports rose by 8.06 percent to 14,266 vessels in 2022 compared to the year before, according to official data released by the General Authority for Statistics. |
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| Saudi Arabia’s air traffic surges 26% to over 403K flights in H1
Saudi Arabia’s air traffic is witnessing substantial growth, with flight movements increasing 26 percent to 403,223 in the first half of 2023, thanks to the Kingdom’s major transformation programs, revealed a state-run air navigation firm. |
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| Oman’s aviation sector recovers to 70% of pre-pandemic levels
Oman’s aviation sector is getting closer to breaking its pre-pandemic records as airport operations recovered by 70 percent compared to 2019 levels. |
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| 337million riders used public transport, shared mobility means and taxis in first half of 2023
Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) announced that the ridership of public transportation and shared mobility means in Dubai that include Dubai Metro, Dubai Tram, public buses, marine transport modes (abras, ferry, water taxi, water bus), e-hail rides, smart car rental, Bus-On-Demand, and taxis |
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| Saudia records 52% jump in international flyers as Kingdom aims to become global transit hub
Saudi Arabia’s push to become a global transit hub has seen Saudia clocking 52 percent growth in international passengers, with 7.4 million guests transported during the first half of 2023. |
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| UAE flights: Airline announces new non-stop service between Paris and Abu Dhabi from October
Air France will introduce daily direct flights between Paris and Abu Dhabi later this year, boosting bilateral trade and tourism for the two countries. |
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| Riyadh Airport tops passenger service in Kingdom for 3rd month: GACA
Riyadh Airport continues to be the top performer in Saudi Arabia for offering improved services to passengers amid the Kingdom’s ongoing efforts to attract 100 million visitors by 2030. |
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| UAE-Austria deal to boost air transport services
RIYADH: In a bid to strengthen air transport relations with Austria, the UAE has reached a transport services agreement with the European state. |
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| MBZUAI, Etihad Airways sign MoU to unlock the potential of AI
Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence and Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to jointly develop initiatives and conduct research into how AI could transform key aspects of the nation’s integral aviation sector. |
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| Virgin Australia plans to spend $73.6 million on fleet upgrade
Virgin Australia Airlines will spend A$110 million ($73.6 million) on upgrading its planes in Australia and will add more fuel-efficient aircraft to its fleet. |
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| Middle East air traffic up 31% as airlines chase $9.8bn profit
Middle East Airlines are leading the global aviation industry’s bounce back from the Covid-19 pandemic, according to data compiled by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). |
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| Dubai International rated the best airport for layovers
Dubai International (DXB) has been rated the world’s best airport for layovers for various amenities and ultra-luxury shopping, lounging and dining experiences that the world’s busiest international airport offers passengers. |
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| KSA travel spending jumps over 224% to hit $9.8bn in Q1: SAMA
RIYADH: Travel spending in Saudi Arabia jumped 224.6 percent year on year to hit $9.8 billion in the first quarter of 2023 as the Kingdom’s efforts to develop the tourism sector bolstered the enthusiasm of inbound and domestic travelers. |
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| Travel spending in Qatar hits $3.59bn in Q1
RIYADH: Travel spending in Qatar surged 28 percent year-on-year to 13.1 billion Qatari riyals ($3.59 billion) in the first quarter of 2023, driven by a boom in social, cultural and other activities, |