Travel & Hospitality Emirates says ‘substantial’ ticket revenue still trapped in Nigeria Dubai-based Emirates has a “substantial” amount of ticket sale revenue trapped in Nigeria, a spokesperson said. The airline declined to release the amount trapped in Nigeria, however, the spokesperson added about half of the amount in its backlog was overdue for repatriation, Reuters reported. The process “remains beset with constant delays”, the airline added. Nigeria’s […] March 26, 2023
Exclusive Travel & Hospitality VistaJet continues to fly high from Qatar World Cup Private jet operator VistaJet has seen enduring business benefits from the Qatar World Cup, staged at the end of 2022. It witnessed a 146 percent year-on-year increase in its Qatar flights in 2022, driven by a 561 percent rise in December compared to the same month in 2021. Demand at the Dubai-based company has continued […] March 24, 2023
Travel & Hospitality Israel’s El Al to resume India flights using Saudi corridor El Al Israel Airlines is to resume flights to India in October after a three-year absence, citing shorter flight times due to the ability to fly over Saudi Arabia and Oman. Israel’s flag carrier will operate four weekly flights to Mumbai from Tel Aviv using Boeing 737 aircraft, with the route expected to take 5.5 […] March 24, 2023
Travel & Hospitality Nigeria says most funds repatriated to Dubai’s Emirates Emirates has got most of its funds out of Nigeria and has around $35 million that still needs to be released, aviation minister Hadi Sirika said. President Muhammadu Buhari in February directed the central bank to increase the amount of foreign currency allocated to Emirates after the airline suspended flights to and from Nigeria because it […] March 24, 2023
Travel & Hospitality Saudi Arabia launches second new airline Saudi Arabia has announced its second new airline in a matter of weeks with the launch of Neom Airlines. The carrier will solely serve the $500 billion Neom city in the north west of the kingdom. The first flights for tourists, residents and commercial partners are scheduled to take off in the fourth quarter of […] March 23, 2023
Travel & Hospitality Tourists beginning to catch on to more than the wonder of Petra Given the Hashemite kingdom’s surfeit of historical sites – from the Nabataean city Petra through the natural beauty of Wadi Rum to the Roman towns of Jerash and Gadariyya – Jordan could be forgiven for being blasé about the need to market its tourism attractions more aggressively. But the authorities in capital Amman are determined […] March 23, 2023
Travel & Hospitality Interim approval granted for Qantas-Emirates alliance Australia’s competition regulator has granted interim approval for Qantas Airways and Dubai’s Emirates to continue their passenger and cargo transport alliance. Qantas and Emirates’ existing deal, which was granted in 2018, is set to expire on March 31, 2023, Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) said in a statement. Under the current agreement, both airlines […] March 23, 2023
Travel & Hospitality Wizz Air plans UAE expansion and increase routes to Saudi European budget carrier Wizz Air is planning to grow its fleet to above 200 aircraft next year and 500 aircraft by 2030. Wizz Air president Robert Carey told a news briefing that the core growth in the coming years would still come from central and eastern Europe, adding that in the west “we are happy […] March 22, 2023
Travel & Hospitality UAE embraces travel again as Ramadan airfares spike Airfares from the UAE to key expat locations have increased over the Ramadan period as a new report shows that residents in the Emirates have the biggest appetite for travel. A global survey of 18 countries by research firm YouGov, carried out in November last year, found that 58 percent of UAE respondents said travel […] March 21, 2023
Travel & Hospitality India resists allowing Gulf carriers to increase air traffic to its cities India is resisting calls from both Dubai and Kuwait to increase their national airlines’ flights to the subcontinent’s fast-growing aviation market. The country wants its own domestic airlines to offer non-stop long haul flights rather than increasing air traffic from Emirates and Jazeera Airways, its civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia told Reuters on Tuesday. “The minute […] March 21, 2023
Travel & Hospitality Italian travel company to invest $75m in Saudi luxury train An Italian hospitality company is investing around €70 million ($75 million) to develop the first luxury train for “rail cruising” across Saudi Arabia. Arsenale Group has signed an agreement with Saudi Arabia Railways to introduce the train on a 770-mile route from Riyadh to the northern city of Al Qurayat, close to the border with […] March 20, 2023
Travel & Hospitality Marriott signs deal with Saudi firm for eight Madinah hotels American hotelier Marriott International has signed a deal with Rua Al Madinah Holding Company to open eight hotels in the Saudi Arabian city of Madinah. Located close to the Prophet’s Mosque, Al Masjid An Nabawi, the openings will add 4,400 rooms across the eight Marriott brands. The expansion forms part of the Rua Al Madinah […] March 20, 2023
Analysis Retail $5bn extra Ramadan spending splurge predicted in UAE People in the UAE are upbeat about shopping and dining out more this Ramadan despite inflationary pressures and an elevated cost of living. Retail sales are set to rise to $66 billion over the holy month, up $5 billion compared to last year, a study by India-based Redseer Strategy Consultants says. It said that constant […] March 20, 2023
Opinion Travel & Hospitality Challenges faced by Riyadh Air as aviation’s bold, new disruptor Assessing the risks of launching a new, international airline in the current market March 16, 2023
Travel & Hospitality New UK tourist visa set to boost GCC trade corridor Visitors from Qatar will be the first to benefit from the new UK tourist visa scheme, ahead of a worldwide expansion of the scheme throughout 2024. Qatari visitors will be the first to be able to apply for an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) in October. The rest of the GCC and Jordan can apply for […] March 16, 2023
Travel & Hospitality Emirates in expansion drive as new Saudi rival orders 72 jets Dubai’s flag carrier Emirates is doubling down on plans to expand its route network and flight capacity as competition for air travel in the Middle East sharpens with the launch of Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Air. Emirates said in a statement on Tuesday it has boosted operations by 31 percent based on available seat kilometre (askm […] March 14, 2023
Travel & Hospitality Riyadh Air set to spark price war among regional rivals Saudi Arabia’s new national airline is bound to intensify the rivalry between Gulf carriers, analysts have said, and price wars are likely. Riyadh Air, which is wholly owned by the kingdom’s Public Investment Fund, was launched on Sunday and will be run by aviation veteran Tony Douglas. The carrier’s first international flight will take off […] March 14, 2023
Travel & Hospitality China reopens borders to foreign tourists for first time since 2020 China said that it will reopen its borders to foreign tourists for the first time in the three years since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic by restoring the issuance of all types of visas from Wednesday. The removal of this last cross-border control measure imposed to guard against Covid-19 comes after authorities last month […] March 14, 2023
Travel & Hospitality Boeing expected to sell nearly 80 787 planes to Saudi airlines Boeing Co. is expected to sell nearly 80 787 Dreamliner airplanes to two Saudi Arabian airlines, a source briefed on the matter said. An announcement of the plan reported earlier by the Wall Street Journal is expected as soon as Tuesday, and the list prices for 78 planes would total nearly $37 billion. Airlines typically […] March 14, 2023
Analysis Energy UAE firms at forefront of fuelling sustainable aviation Emirates operated its first flight with one of its engines powered entirely with sustainable aviation fuel last month – a milestone for UAE firms as they seek to lead the industry towards decarbonisation. The flight, which took off from Dubai International Airport and flew for more than an hour, was a showpiece event for the […] March 13, 2023
Travel & Hospitality Saudi’s national airline to connect Riyadh to 100 cities by 2030 Saudi Arabia is to launch a new national airline – Riyadh Air – which it is expected to create more than 200,000 direct and indirect jobs and add $20 billion to the kingdom’s non-oil economy. The announcement was made late on Sunday by Crown Prince, prime minister Mohammad bin Salman bin Abdulaziz and the chairman […] March 13, 2023
Travel & Hospitality Landlords benefit as UAE and Saudi embrace Airbnb model The UAE’s introduction of a remote working visa and Saudi Arabia’s plan to allow residents to rent out rooms in their homes has led to the Gulf embracing the Airbnb model and a boom in the short-term rental sector. In March 2021 the UAE cabinet introduced a remote work visa, allowing workers to set up […] March 12, 2023
