ANKARA: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced on Friday, July 10, that the Hagia Sophia, one of the architectural wonders of the world, would be reopened for Muslim worship as a mosque, sparking fury in the Christian community and neighboring Greece. [huge_it_slider id=”564″] The World Council of Churches has called on Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to reverse his decision to turn the celebrated Hagia Sophia museum back into a mosque. In a letter to Mr. Erdogan, the Council, which counts 350 churches as members, said the move would sow division. The UNESCO World Heritage site in Istanbul has been…
Author: holidayweekly
LONDON: International flights have resumed today from London City Airport as quarantine regulations are lifted on a number of destinations. The return of flights to popular European holiday destinations from the airport has been met with strong demand from travellers. Bookings for the flights operated by British Airways’ subsidiary BA CityFlyer have exceeded expectations, with passengers eager to take advantage of the safe travel conditions and new rules to have a well-deserved holiday. London City Airport chief commercial officer, Richard Hill, said: “Today marks the start of the summer getaway season, and it’s clear that customers value the safe, careful…
BEIJING: China’s aviation industry suffered a 4.9 billion U.S. dollars loss in the second quarter, slightly narrower than in the first quarter, according to data released by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) on Friday, July 10. In the first quarter, the industry, which includes airlines, airports and other aviation companies, lost 38.1 billion yuan. Airlines flew a total of 30.74 million passengers last month, down 42.4 percent year on year. The decline narrowed 10.2 percentage points from May, the CAAC said. In the first half of the year, air passenger numbers hit 150 million, equivalent to 45.8 percent…
NEW DELHI: Ministry of Railways has recently invited requests for qualifications (RFQ) for private participation for the operation of passenger train services over 109 Origin Destination (OD) pairs of routes through the introduction of 151 modern Trains, said an official statement. The objective of this initiative is to introduce modern technology rolling stock with reduced maintenance, reduced transit time, boost job creation, provide enhanced safety, provide world-class travel experience to passengers, and also reduce the demand-supply deficit in the passenger transportation sector. 151 trains proposed to be run by Private operators once the selection process is over, would be over…
ISLAMABAD: The 2021 world tourism forum is planned to be held in the capital of Pakistan, Islamabad. Tourism ministers from D-8 (developing 8) countries including Turkey are expected to attend next year’s forum. With Pakistan having much to offer, the forum gives the developing state an opportunity to tout its tourism potential and natural beauty. Pakistan’s tourism industry is set to benefit from this massive recognition by the world community. [huge_it_slider id=”563″] Addressing a press conference in the capital Islamabad, Syed Zulfikar Bukhari, the prime minister’s adviser on tourism and overseas Pakistanis, said the tourism ministers of all the D-8…
DUBAI: Burj Al Arab Jumeirah, the crown jewel in hospitality leader Jumeirah Group’s portfolio, has been named the Number One City Hotel in North Africa and the Middle East by Travel + Leisure at its World’s Best Awards. [huge_it_slider id=”562″] Every year, Travel + Leisure, the largest travel media brand in the US provides its six million plus readers the chance to have their say in choosing the most outstanding destinations, hotels, resorts, spas, airlines, cruise lines, tour operators and rental-car agencies around the world as part of its annual survey. This year marks 25 years of celebrating the best…
LONDON: Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced that all Brits will receive a discount of up to £10 per head in a huge new scheme designed to help out the hospitality industry. Following four months of closures across the entire country, restaurants, bars, hotels and cafes have taken a huge hit financially with legislations in place meaning their doors were to remain closed until lockdown restrictions were lifted. Some were creative with the closures, operating takeaway services and providing home delivery with partners such as Uber Eats and Deliveroo, however, those without the capabilities to do so were forced to put…
NEW YORK: United Airlines soon plans to issue furlough and layoff notices to roughly 36,000 employees, including pilots, flight attendants, customer service agents and maintenance workers, warning them they could lose their jobs by early October, when federal funding for paycheck supports expires, the carrier told workers on Wednesday, July 8. United said the estimate may not be exact, and could change as more workers leave voluntarily, or if demand for air travel unexpectedly strengthens. But United’s executives repeatedly have stressed the U.S. airline industry is in dire shape, and this week told investors that this summer’s limited recovery may…
MUSCAT: Flag carrier Oman Air continued to serve the nation and its customers with 69 chartered cargo-only flights from April to June, including the highest-ever cargo load the airline has carried. [huge_it_slider id=”561″] Oman Air delivered cargo from nine cities in India, Pakistan, China, Iran, Malaysia and UAE, for the Royal Oman Police, Ministry of Travel and Tourism, and several commercial customers. Twenty-seven flights were operated in coordination with Ministry of Health, using wide-body aircraft, with a total freighted volume of over 386,000 kgs. Another 42 cargo flights contributed to the transportation of over 1 million kg of food, commodities…
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Hotels Association (PHA) offered the federal government its partnership for stopping closure of Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) motels located in Northern Areas due to COVID-19 and helping out the government for not laying off PTDC employees as it was the only major source of jobs in those areas. Mr. Zubair Baweja, Chairman Pakistan Hotels Association and Vice President Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) said that PTDC has announced closing of its motels located in Northern Areas of Pakistan due to continuous financial crunch was unfortunate. “On behalf of members of Pakistan Hotels Association,…