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…
Author: holidayweekly
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.
KARACHI: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) on Wednesday issued a schedule for special international flights to repatriate thousands of Pakistanis stranded in different countries due to the COVID-19 pandemic, ARY News reported. According to the PIA spokesperson, the national carrier will continue its flight operation from April 15 to April 19. The PIA will operate nine special flights between the period. Sharing details of the next phase of the relief operation, he said a flight from Islamabad to Toronto is planned for Wednesday followed by two more from Islamabad to Manchester on April 17 and 18 consecutively. The PIA will operate…
MANAMA: Gulf Air, the national carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain, in response to the global outbreak of the Novel Coronavirus COVID-19 has introduced a bundle of ‘golden principles’ to maintain health and safety of its valued passengers and crew members. These principles come in addition to what the airline has carried out since late February when the outbreak has emerged regionally and globally and will continue to be reviewed when necessary and reassessed on a regular basis. The golden principles of existing and newly introduced practices are: Modifying seating arrangement: Gulf Air will maintain distances on-board between all passengers…
ISLAMABAD: National Tourism Coordination Board (NTCB) has recently formed a national committee to develop a strategy and action plan to ensure quick recovery of tourism sector in the post Covid-19 scenario. The first virtual meeting of this committee was held on 13th April. The meeting was chaired by Mr. Aftab Rana, member National Tourism Coordination Board and attended by 9 other members including Mrs. Midhat Shahzad, Secretary Tourism AJK government, Mr. Asifullah, Secretary Tourism, Gilgit-Baltistan, Mr. Intikhab Alam, Managing Director PTDC, Mr. Junaid Khan, Managing Director Tourism Corporation of KP , Mr. Maqsood Ul Mulk, President PATO, Mr. Naeem Shareef,…
MIAMI: To address expanding global travel restrictions and provide peace of mind in guest travel planning, Royal Caribbean Group is extending its Cruise with Confidence cancellation policy through September 1, 2020. The updated policy enhances planning flexibility by allowing cancellations up to 48 hours prior to sailing for any reason. Guests will receive a full credit for their fare, usable on any future sailing of choice in 2020 or 2021. “Guests are reacting positively to our Cruise with Confidence policy,” says company chairman and CEO Richard Fain, “because it enables them to make informed decisions and to better manage complicated…