Author: holidayweekly

DUBAI: Arabian Travel Market (ATM) will convene its 31st edition at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) on 6th-9th May, 2024, under the theme of “Empowering Innovation: Transforming Travel Through Entrepreneurship”. With exhibitors from the fields of aviation, accommodation, hospitality, attractions, technology and more, ATM 2024 will explore how innovators in the travel and tourism space are working to attract greater levels of funding to further increase the sector’s overall contribution to global GDP. The 31st edition of ATM will host policymakers, industry leaders and travel professionals from across the Middle East and beyond, encouraging them to forge new relationships, exchange…

ABU DHABI: Air France-KLM Group and Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) aiming at enhancing their collaboration across passenger operations, loyalty programmes, talent development, and maintenance. The signing ceremony took place at the Air France-KLM Group’s headquarters in Paris, France in the presence of Angus Clarke, Chief Commercial Officer, Air France-KLM, and Arik De, Chief Revenue Officer, Etihad Airways. Through this partnership, and subject to any necessary regulatory approvals, Air France-KLM and Etihad contemplate expanding their codeshare and interline agreements initiated in 2012. As a first step, more than 40 new…

ISLAMABAD: The national carrier of Pakistan has confirmed that its financial issues have “eased out” after the caretaker government released funds aimed at supporting the airline. PIA’s challenges worsened after it was reported this week that the supply of spare parts to the carrier could be suspended over cash flow problems. Earlier this week, the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) also discussed issues pertaining to PIA which has been sustaining losses for quite a long period of time now. After detailed deliberation, the participants decided to constitute a separate committee for the assessment of the restructuring plan of PIA but rejected…

DUBAI: Dubai-based carrier flydubai announced on Thursday (September 7) the launch of flights to Cairo. The daily flight to Cairo’s Sphinx International Airport (SPX) starts from October 28, 2023 and will support the growing demand for travel between Cairo and Dubai. With the launch of daily flights to Cairo, the carrier will serve the Egyptian market with a total of 17 weekly flights, including the daily operations to Alexandria Borg El Arab International Airport (HBE). flydubai’s network in Africa has grown to 12 destinations with the latest addition of Cairo as well as Mombasa to its expanding network. Hamad Obaidalla,…

ISLAMABAD: In a momentous partnership, SCAT Airlines, a Kazakhstan-based air carrier known for its European safety standards and a fleet of over 35 aircraft, and Hashoo Group, Pakistan’s largest hospitality conglomerate, renowned for its iconic hotels and resorts including Pearl-Continental Hotels, PC Legacy, and Hotel One, have joined forces to facilitate direct flight operations between Lahore and Almaty with two weekly frequencies. In this regard, Hashoo Group hosted an interactive and informative conference at Pearl-Continental Hotel Lahore. Present at the event were His Excellency, Yarzhan Kistafin, Ambassador of Kazakhstan, His Excellency, Noman Bashir Bhatti, Ambassador of Pakistan (via Zoom from…

ISLAMABAD: Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar directed that the detailed plan for restructuring Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) be presented as soon as possible to the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC), a report said. While presiding over a high-level meeting on PIA’s restructuring, the prime minister gave instructions to take measures to further improve the air link of rural areas with other cities in the country. He said the flight timings of PIA should be fixed according to the convenience of the passengers. He added that PIA was regarded as one of the top airlines in the world and that it was…

BEIJING: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has introduced connected flights between Pakistan and 16 captivating cities of China via Beijing in partnership with Air China, PIA Country Manager, Bilal Afzal said on Sunday. These Chinese cities include Guangzhou, Wuhan, Urumqi, Shenzhen, Xian, Shenyang, Shanghai, Ningbo, Nanjing, Harbin, Hangzhou, Hohhot, Dunhuang, Chengdu, Changchun, and Chongqing, he told APP on the sidelines of China International Fair for Trade in Service (CIFTIS) in Beijing. PIA has set up a booth in Pakistan Pavilion at CIFTIS to showcase its accomplishments, particularly the role played by the national flag carrier to promote people-to-people contacts between the…

MADRID: This year’s World Tourism Day, to be held on September 27, will focus on “Tourism & Green Investment’ the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has announced. World Tourism Day has been celebrated since 1980 on September 27, the day in which the Statutes of the UNWTO entered into force. Peace and Dialogue, Energy, Accessibility, World Heritage, Water and Tourism and Sustainable Tourism have been some of the topics tackled on the 38 previous editions of World Tourism Day. The reason for World Tourism Day is to cultivate and create awareness among the society globally on the significance of tourism, and…

ISLAMABAD: In a momentous collaboration, Beaconhouse National University (BNU) and Hashoo School of Hospitality Management (HSHM) have joined hands to revolutionize the landscape of hospitality and tourism education in Pakistan. In the presence of Mr. Murtaza Hashwani, Deputy Chairman and CEO, Hashoo Group, the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by Dr. Moeed W. Yusuf, Vice Chancellor, BNU and Mr. Haseeb Gardezi, COO, Hospitality and Education Division, Hashoo Group. This initiative signifies a landmark step towards enriching educational opportunities for aspiring professionals in this dynamic field. BNU, a leading not-for-profit liberal arts university renowned for its commitment to excellence, is…

DUBAI: Dubai-based carrier, flydubai has announced plans to launch flights to Mombasa in Kenya from January 17, 2024. It is the first national carrier to operate direct flights from Dubai and the UAE to the coastal city in southeast Kenya. Flights to Moi International Airport (MBA) will operate four times a week from Terminal 3 at Dubai International (DXB). With the launch of operations to Mombasa, the second largest city in Kenya that is known for its ancient architecture and beautiful sandy beaches, flydubai grows its network in Africa to 11 destinations in 10 countries, and this includes Addis Ababa,…