KARACHI: A designated safety audit team of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) is expected to visit Pakistan in the middle of September to assess the operational management and control systems of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA). The operational safety audit (IOSA) is carried out after every two years. The last such audit was carried out in 2018. The audit programme was designed by the IATA in 2003 to access the operational management and control systems of airlines. According to the IATA, safely connecting people and business is its top priority as it works with airlines to raise standards and…
Author: holidayweekly
ISTANBUL: Turkey’s flag carrier Turkish Airlines (THY), which suspended its international flights due to the coronavirus outbreak and resumed many flights on June 11, has announced its new flight schedule for September. Flights to Iran, which were suspended again on July 19, were also included in the rescheduling and will be resumed as of Sept. 1. The company said in a statement Sunday that they have arranged the schedule for the next month “as a result of meticulous work with national and international health authorities.” The statement noted that the customers will be offered flexible travel opportunities as it is…
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan has constituted the National Coordination Committee on Tourism (NCCT) to oversee implementation of the national tourism strategy aimed at boosting the industry. Sayed Zulfiqar Abbas Bukhari, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development has been appointed the convener of the committee. Bukhari also holds the portfolio of Chairman NTCB and Chairman PTDC. The body includes the chairperson of the Evacuee Trust Property Board, the deputy governor of the State Bank of Pakistan and the managing director of the Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation. It also includes the secretaries of…
LONDON: Gerry’s Offshore Incorporation Ltd UK, has recently acquired 2 new franchise companies, namely Coffee Snob & South West Coffee, comprising of 24 stores in total. This is in addition to the existing 33 Costa Coffee stores spanning across 8 counties. “This acquisition will bring the total number of Costa Coffee stores managed by Gerry’s Offshore Incorporation Ltd to 57. These are the maximum number of stores operated by a single franchise partner,” said Afzal Wall Muhammad, Group Chairman, Gerry’s Group. Elaborating on this achievement, Mr. Akram Wali Muhammad, Group Managing Director, Gerry’s Group said “It is a proud moment…
ISLAMABAD: SereneAir is elated to announce the inclusion of a A330-200 aircraft to its existing fleet of 4 Boeing 737-800 NG. The arrival of new aircraft marks a historic milestone for the airline as the airline joins the Airbus operators’ family. Also, SereneAir attains the singular honour of being the only private airline to operate a wide body two class configuration aircraft equipped with latest facilities. The new addition comes powered with technological advancements and offers more comfort to the passengers. The aircraft with a total capacity of 299 passengers is configured in two cabins, i.e. 24 club class seats…
RAWALPINDI: After resuming flight operations to Islamabad from the United Kingdom, British Airways (BA) is seeking permission from Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) to start operating flights to Lahore, as a team of experts from the airline visited Allama Iqbal International Airport earlier this week to review arrangements made by the airport management. The airline resumed flight operations to Islamabad in August, which had been suspended due to outbreak of the coronavirus. “Yes, the British Airways has been seeking permission from PCAA to resume flights to Lahore from the UK as a BA team has visited Allama Iqbal International Airport…
LONDON: The UK economy could lose a “staggering” £22bn this year as the tourism industry is hit by a massive drop in international travel as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, a global tourism body has warned. The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) also said that London’s position as a hub for business and leisure travel was under threat. It comes after the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) said the sector “desperately” needs more government help. It said on Tuesday that 39,000 jobs had already been lost or put at risk in the travel industry due to the…
By Shanaz Ramzi (Courtesy: The News International) As the convener for FPCCI’s Central Standing Committee on Tourism Development 2020, and an ardent advocate of promoting local tourism, I availed the opportunity recently to visit parts of our northern areas, particularly as my committee has been working diligently on presenting the government with working papers on how we can promote local tourism all across the country so that economy thrives, jobs are created and while we ensure our people have beautiful locales to visit, the environment is also protected and benefits from it. [huge_it_slider id=”569″] Can you then imagine my shock when…
BANGKOK: Hope is on the horizon for travelers wanting to spend their upcoming winter holidays in Thailand provided they’re willing to spend several weeks in the kingdom and only stick to designated areas. During a public forum held late last week, Thailand’s Minister of Tourism Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said the country is aiming to allow foreign tourists to enter the country through a program dubbed “Safe and Sealed.” “I have asked the prime minister for approval to set October 1 as the date to allow tourists to enter,” he said. “I also have requested to use Phuket as a pilot model…
MADRID: Brittany Ferries has announced its newest ship, Galicia, is to take to the seas linking the UK with Spain. Weighing in at over 40,000 gross tonnes, the ship will be one of the largest ever to serve the company, and at 215 metres long she will be the longest. The vessel is currently nearing completion at the CMJL shipyard in Weihai, China. Sea trials have successfully taken place, and she will shortly embark on the 10,000-mile voyage to Europe. On arrival Galicia will undergo a period of crew training and dry-docking for finishing touches, before welcoming first passengers on…