ISTANBUL: Turkish Airlines will pause almost all international flights from today, March 27 until April 17. The flag carrier said all routes except New York, Washington, Hong Kong, Moscow and Addis Ababa would be suspended. Domestic flights will continue with reductions in frequency, and cargo flights will continue as normal. The airline has waived all change fees for existing tickets for travel until the end of the year. These can be rebooked for a flight before February 28, 2021, though they can only be changed once, the new ticket must be to the same region as the original destination, and…
Author: holidayweekly
MUSCAT: Oman Air is the latest major carrier to announce it is suspending all international flights. The flag carrier said all passenger services to and from Muscat would be paused indefinitely from noon on Sunday, March 29. Domestic flights to and from Musandam Governorate and cargo operations will operate as normal. “We regret the difficulty and inconvenience this may cause, but it’s vital for us as the national carrier of the Sultanate of Oman to assist in the country’s efforts to combat the spread of COVID-19,” said the airline’s CEO Abdulaziz Al Raisi. “We will prioritize the needs of our…
ISLAMABAD: Saudi authorities on Thursday barred Pakistan from finalizing agreements relating to Hajj 2020 arrangements amid coronavirus pandemic. According to a letter written by Saudi Hajj Minister Dr. Mohammad Saleh bin Taher Benten to Minister for Religious Affairs Pir Noor ul Haq Qadri, Pakistan was asked to stop finalizing its agreements regarding housing, food and travel arrangements for now. A spokesman for religious affairs ministry said that the Saudi authorities conveyed that the payments for the arrangements should be deferred for time being in order to facilitate the Hajj pilgrims. “The final agreements should be delayed keeping in view the…
BEIJING: China has announced a travel ban on all foreign nationals, including those holding a work visa or residence permit. [huge_it_slider id=”532″] The Chinese Foreign Ministry said the ban will begin at midnight on Saturday, March 28. Foreigners with diplomatic, service, courtesy of C visas will reportedly not be affected by the policy, as well as those traveling to China for economic, trade, scientific, technological or humanitarian reasons. In a statement quoted by Newsweek, the ministry said: “The suspension is a temporary measure that China is compelled to take in light of the outbreak situation and the practices of other…
MOSCOW: Russia will stop all regular and charter flights into and out of the country from Friday, March 27. [huge_it_slider id=”531″] Moscow authorities also announced that all shops (excluding food stores and pharmacies), restaurants, cafes, and bars would be closed from March 28 to April 5, after the country’s coronavirus case tally rose to 840. Russian airlines will be allowed to operate rescue flights to bring citizens home. Flag carrier Aeroflot had planned to continue some international routes, including Amsterdam, Berlin, Brussels, Dublin, Geneva, London, Madrid, Paris, New York, and Rome. We have contacted the airline to clarify its latest…
The Tokyo 2020 summer Olympic and Paralympic Games will be moved to next year as the world battles the coronavirus outbreak. The event had been due to begin on July 24th. [huge_it_slider id=”530″] Following a decision earlier, officials at the International Olympics Committee (IOC) said the event would now begin “no later than summer 2021”. The move was confirmed in a joint statement by IOC President, Thomas Bach, and Abe Shinzo, Prime Minister of Japan. Organizers pointed to the unprecedented and unpredictable spread of the Covid-19 outbreak for the delay. On Monday, 23rd March, the Director-General of the World Health…
LONDON: Up to 75 million jobs are at immediate risk in global tourism due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council. [huge_it_slider id=”529″] The alarming figure, based on research from WTTC, shows a punishing tourism GDP loss to the world economy of up to US$2.1 trillion in 2020. The latest projection, which represents a 50 percent increase in jobs at risk on previous forecasts – represents a significant and worrying trend, with an astounding one million jobs being lost every day in the sector, the WTTC argued. Analysis by WTTC also exposes the depth of…
MADRID: In the face of an unprecedented challenge, the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), with the support of the World Health Organization (WHO), calls on innovators and entrepreneurs to put forward new solutions to help the tourism sector recover from COVID-19. With millions of jobs at risk as the pandemic hits tourism harder than any other sector, the United Nations specialized tourism agency has included innovation in its wider response to the pandemic. That response has seen UNWTO work closely alongside WHO to mitigate the impact and place tourism at the center of future recovery efforts and liaise closely with governments…
PARIS: When all depressing travel and tourism news was pouring in, the rare good news is that Airbus has said it expects production and assembly work to partially resume in France and Spain today, March 24. The manufacturer had stopped work for health and safety checks after the implementation of stringent measures to combat the spread of Covid-19. Airbus has carried out extensive work in coordination with its social partners to ensure the health and safety of its employees while securing business continuity. The implementation of these measures required a temporary pause in production and assembly activities at the French…
ABU DHABI: Etihad Airways will temporarily suspend all flights to, from, and via Abu Dhabi following a decision by the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority, and the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), to suspend all inbound, outbound, and transit passenger flights in the UAE. This decision has been made to limit the spread of the coronavirus and to protect citizens, residents, and international travelers. The suspension of flights to and from Abu Dhabi International Airport will commence at 23:59 (UAE local time) on March 25 and will last for an initial 14 days, subject to further directives by…