MANAMA: Gulf Air, the national carrier of Bahrain, has announced the addition of Singapore to its growing network with one weekly flight starting April 2021. The airline continues to explore opportunities to expand its network and reach to different regions of the world. Known for its premium leisure and business appeal, Singapore will serve as another boutique destination of the only boutique airline in the Middle East, a statement said. Gulf Air’s newest destination will further enhance the connectivity of the airline’s destinations in Europe and GCC, with a convenient departure and arrival timing to / from Singapore. Operated by…
Author: holidayweekly
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) called on the UK government to include a vision for lifting border restrictions and restarting air transport in its recovery plans for the UK economy, due to be outlined on 22 February by Prime Minister Boris Johnson. The COVID-19 shutdown of the UK economy has resulted in the biggest one-year decline in GDP since 1709. Air passenger numbers fell by 76% in 2020. London lost its position as the world’s most connected city. Around 860,000 aviation, travel and tourism jobs were lost or sustained only due to government furlough schemes. If current border restrictions…
SHARJAH: The Sharjah Airport Travel Agency (SATA) has announced the signing of a General Sales Agency (GSA) agreement with Pakistan International Airlines (PIA). As per the agreement, SATA will provide all travel ticket sales services through PIA and promote the airline through its branches in Sharjah, the Northern Emirates, and on its website. The agreement came as PIA opened its new office, in the presence of Ali Salim Al Midfa, chairman of the Sharjah Airport Authority; Sheikh Faisal bin Saoud Al Qassimi, director of Sharjah Airport Authority; Shahid Ali Moghul, regional director of PIA; and Arshad Munir, GM of SATA.…
BELARUS: The Embassy of Pakistan, Minsk in collaboration with Belarusian Chamber of Commerce & Industry (BelCCI) organized a business interactive event at the BelCCI, which was attended by businessmen/representatives from more than 100 Belarusian companies, out of which 33 firms participated physically while another 72 businesspersons participated in the business event through Zoom on virtual basis. Welcoming the participants of the business event titled “Meet the Ambassador”, the Chairman of the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Mr. Vladimir Ulakhovich impressed upon the need to working closely for greater economic cooperation and assured his full cooperation. On the occasion, Ambassador…
DENPASAR: Bali’s vice governor has proposed for the central government to establish a free Covid-19 corridor, as well as prioritise vaccination for tourism frontliners, in his latest bid to revive the island’s battered tourism sector. With the reopening of international travel borders recently, Tjokorda Oka Artha Ardhana Sukawati had proposed for the free Covid-19 corridor to be forged with low-risk countries that have implemented mass vaccination, such as China. Bali looks to welcome vaccinated tourists with travel corridor plan As Covid-19 infection rates in Indonesia remains high, Tjokorda hopes that the central government would prioritise tourism workers in Bali to…
MADRID: Startups from around the world have been recognised for their contributions to sustainable and responsible tourism in the UNWTO SDGs Global Startup Competition. Supported by the United Nations Innovation Network, the competition attracted some 10,000 initial proposals. This was narrowed down to 25 winners across 18 countries. Shortlisted finalists were judged according to criteria which included the potential of the startups to contribute to a specific goal, their ability to be scaled-up, and the maturity of both the product and the team behind it. UNWTO’s selection of 25 winners from 18 countries for its startup competition highlights tourism’s widespread…
Georgia and ITB Berlin have agreed a wide-ranging partnership that will span three years. As early as this year Georgia will be the digital adventure & sustainability partner of ITB Berlin Now 2021. As the name suggests, nature and sustainability are the focus of this partnership. In 2022, as the official cultural destination of ITB Berlin, Georgia will highlight its cultural heritage. The title of official host country will follow in 2023. In cooperation with ITB Berlin, the host country traditionally organises the grand opening show of ITB Berlin and will be highlighted during the entire trade event. “Georgia spans…
ABU DHABI: Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, and Gulf Air, the national carrier of Bahrain, have signed a strategic commercial cooperation agreement (SCCA) to deepen their partnership between Abu Dhabi and Bahrain and beyond the respective hubs. The wide-ranging SCCA, subject to obtaining applicable governmental and regulatory approvals, sets out specific actions for deepening and broadening commercial cooperation, building on the memorandum of understanding (MOU) the airlines signed in 2018. The SCCA envisages a phased approach to closer collaboration between the partners. In the first phase, by June 2021, the scope of the partners’ codeshare agreement, first…
Rail Europe is releasing through its API and its agents’ website a mobile version of the famous Eurail passes which allows travellers to cross from 1 up to 33 countries on several railways with one pass only. Travellers will have to download the “Rail Planner” mobile application and enter their name and pass number. They will then be able to foresee their itinerary, plan for journeys and keep all groups or families’ passes in one space. In the app, travellers create day tickets for each trip they make and that they show to the ticket inspectors. This procedure in…
ABU DHABI: The United Arab Emirates’ General Civil Aviation Authority has lifted its ban on Boeing’s 737 Max, allowing the plane to return to its skies after being grounded for nearly two years following a pair of deadly crashes, a report said. Saif Al Suwaidi, Director-General of the authority, said lifting of the ban on the aircraft was a result of the “intensive efforts made by the technical committee at the authority through evaluating all the technical requirements in accordance with the requirements by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), Boeing and the US Federal Aviation Administration.” “It resulted in…