Coronavirus continues to eat away at performance levels at the world’s largest hotel company. Marriott International estimates revenue per available room or RevPAR, the hotel industry’s key performance metric, will be down 23 percent globally for the first quarter, the company has announced. While data is still being finalized, Marriott anticipates a 60 percent RevPAR decline globally in March. “Marriott cannot presently estimate the financial impact of this unprecedented situation, which is highly dependent on the severity and duration of the pandemic, but expects that it will continue to be material to the company’s results,” a Marriott spokesperson wrote in…
Author: holidayweekly
KEMPTON PARK: It appears that the end is finally here for South African Airways, with discussions taking place for how to lay off all 4,700 staff at the airline. South African Airways plans to lay off its entire workforce after failing to persuade the government to provide more financial help, a move that threatens to ground the 86-year-old national carrier good. The state-owned airline has offered severance deals to all staff from the end of this month after administrators concluded that a successful turnaround is now unlikely, according to a proposal to eight labor groups seen by Bloomberg News. The…
PARIS: Airbus has announced the successful completion of the world’s first fully automatic boom system air-to-air refueling (A3R) operation. At an undisclosed date earlier this year, an Airbus tanker test aircraft equipped with the Airbus A3R refueling system completed 45 flight test hours and 120 dry fueling contacts with a Portuguese Air Force F-16 fighter jet. The Airbus A3R system is being developed for installation in the Airbus Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) aircraft, which is based on the civilian Airbus A330. The recent tests covered all aspects of the aerial refueling process leading up to the certification phase of the…
PESHAWAR: Last week the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa constituted the very first board of directors of newly formed the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Culture & Tourism Authority (KPCTA). The authority has replaced Tourism Corporation of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (TCKP) through an amendment in law passed by the provincial assembly of KP. Earlier in February 2019, the cabinet of KP approved the proposed KP Tourism Act, 2019, which subsequently presented in the provincial assembly for the consent. The bill proposed to dissolve the Tourism Corporation Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (TCKP) and directorate of culture, and formed the KP Culture & Tourism Authority in their place. As…
KARACHI: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has been allowed to partially restore its flight operations for the United Kingdom (UK) in order to repatriate stranded Pakistanis. The aviation authority granted permission to the national flag-carrier to operate some special flights to the UK for bringing back nationals. The special flights will be operated from Lahore and Islamabad airports from April 19. The PIA flights will also transport British citizens from Pakistan and brought back nationals trapped in the UK due to suspension of flight operation following coronavirus pandemic. According to PIA spokesperson, the airline will prioritize the nationals booked their tickets…
MIAMI: Arne Wilhelmsen, a founder of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. and a visionary strategist of the modern cruise industry, died Saturday, April 11, 2020, in Palma, Spain. He was 90. The entire Royal Caribbean family extends its heartfelt condolences to the Wilhelmsen family. [huge_it_slider id=”538″] Wilhelmsen was a constant influence on the company from its founding, serving more than three decades on the company’s board of directors. Together with the company’s first CEO, the late Edwin Stephan, Wilhelmsen saw possibilities for the nascent cruise industry that others did not. “At a time when the rest of the world thought cruising…
PARIS: René Obermann has become chairman of Airbus, succeeding Denis Ranque. The move was made following the annual general meeting in Amsterdam, at which shareholders approved all resolutions on the agenda. Owing to the global coronavirus outbreak, shareholders were encouraged to vote by proxy instead of attending the event physically, in line with public health and safety measures. Shareholders showed a very high level of voting and strong engagement despite the Covid-19 situation, with 575 million votes expressed, up five per cent compared to the 2019 event and representing around 74 per cent of the outstanding share capital. Following shareholder…
DOHA: Qatar Airways has secured US$850 million in financing from Standard Chartered, pledging seven Boeing 787-9 aircraft as collateral. Qatar Airways Group CEO Akbar Al Baker said in a statement: “I am grateful to Standard Chartered for their continued support to Qatar Airways. The bank has been a close partner of Qatar Airways for many years and have proven their support for the airline by closing this transaction during difficult times resulting from Covid-19. Qatar Airways bags US$850 million in funding to boost cash flow “Qatar Airways’ focus remains on finding solutions to get as many people back to their…
DUBAI: Emirates has started on-site Covid-19 tests for passengers as the aviation industry begins to rebuild confidence in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. Passengers on a flight to Tunisia were all tested for Covid-19 before departing from Dubai, with the results available within ten minutes. The programme is being conducted by the Dubai Health Authority. Adel Al Redha, Emirates Chief Operating Officer, said: “The testing process has gone smoothly, and we would like to take this opportunity to thank the Dubai Health Authority for their initiatives and innovative solutions. “We are working on plans to scale up testing capabilities…
ISTANBUL: Turkish Airlines has extended its suspension of international flights until May 20 as the coronavirus continues to spread worldwide. “In accordance with the decisions taken by the authorities of the Republic of Turkey and to protect the public health from novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic…all our international flights are suspended until May 20” read a statement from the airline on its website. The carrier previously said it would halt almost all international flights until April 17, but has now extended the cancellation until May 20. Domestic flights have been suspended until May 1, the statement said.