DUBAI: The Emirates Group has posted a profit of AED4.1 billion (US$1.1 billion) for the financial year ended March 31st, up 67 per cent from last year. It is the 30th consecutive year of profit for the Dubai-based carrier. The group’s revenue reached AED102.4 billion (US$27.9 billion), an increase of eight per cent over 2017, while the group’s cash balance increased by 33 per cent to AED25.4 billion (US$6.9 billion) supported by the bond issued in March and strong sales due to the early Easter holidays at the end of March. In line with the overall profit, the group declared…
Author: holidayweekly
NEW DELHI: The Taj Mahal, that shining white monument to love, is turning a little … green. And yellow. And black. [huge_it_slider id=”233″] And India’s Supreme Court is not pleased. “You all appear to be helpless,” a Supreme Court judge told government officials earlier this week, after an environmental lawyer argued that pollution and insect dung were discoloring the 17th-century building. “Money should not be the consideration. We might order you to hire experts from within India or abroad. We need to save it,” the judge said, according to numerous Indian media reports. The reports did not give the judge’s…
MUSCAT: Oman Air, the national carrier of the Sultanate of Oman, recently debuted its new and exclusive premium lounge at the award winning Muscat International Airport. The new stylish premium lounge offers Oman Air guests a further unrivalled service as they travel. Oman Air passengers travelling in First Class and Business Class can now take advantage of the airline’s new premium class lounge offering a pre-flight oasis of calm. The beautiful interiors of the lounge have been influenced by the truly unique terrain found in Oman and designed to reflect the un-spoilt, natural beauty of the desert and the rugged…
SINGAPORE: Sabre Corporation, the leading technology provider to the global travel industry, today announced a new content distribution agreement with Lion Air, the largest privately-owned airline in Indonesia, and its subsidiary, Wings Air, as the preferred global distribution system (GDS) to offer Lion Air content in the carrier’s home market. Sabre has served as a strategic partner to Lion Air and supported both the airline’s reservations and planning and scheduling capabilities through its innovative SabreSonic passenger services system and AirVision portfolio of solutions since the carrier first began operations 18 years ago. Now the airline strives to achieve even more…
CAIRO: Tourists could be saved from over-zealous touts at Egypt’s most popular archaeological sites after the country’s government approved a new fine of to 10,000 Egyptian pounds (£406) for those caught overstepping the line. The new rule, part of the broader Antiquities Protection Law, will target those in and around tourist sites or museums such as the pyramids of Giza, selling goods or offering services in an aggressive manner. “There is no deterrent so far for those who carry out such acts that badly affects tourism,” said minister of archeology Khaled al-Anani. Oscar Saleh, who offers camel rides at Giza,…
BUDAPEST: Another major international environmental award has been received by Budapest Airport; ACI (Airports Council International) confirmed that Budapest Liszt Ferenc International Airport achieved the so-called “carbon-neutral” accreditation. The accreditation program launched by ACI has found that the operation of Budapest Airport maintains a balance of energy consumption and energy production. Carbon neutrality means this balance has been achieved, as using conventional fossil-based energy always entails emission of CO2, that is, carbon emission, or in other words, a carbon footprint. All around Europe, only about thirty airports belong to the carbon-neutral group. The program of Budapest Airport spanning several years…
DUBAI: Dubai-based carrier flydubai announced during Arabian Travel Market (ATM) the launch of direct flights to Finland’s capital, Helsinki. The daily service from Dubai International Airport (DXB) to Helsinki-Vantaa Airport (HEL) will start from October 11. Flydubai becomes the first UAE national carrier to operate direct flights to Finland and the first airline to offer a year-round service between Dubai and Helsinki. Speaking at ATM, Hamad Obaidalla, Chief Commercial Officer of flydubai, said: “Flydubai will be the first UAE national carrier to offer direct flights to the capital of Finland. We remain committed to opening up previously underserved markets and…
NEW YORK: With summer just around the corner and families planning out their vacations, Wallet Hub today released its report on 2018’s Most Fun States in America. To determine the states offering the greatest variety and most cost-effective options for enjoyment, the experts compared the 50 states across 26 key metrics. The data set ranges from movie costs to accessibility of national parks to casinos per capita. Top 10 Most Fun States in America 1 California 11 Oregon 2 New York 12 Louisiana 3 Nevada 13 Ohio 4 Florida 14 Missouri 5 Illinois 15 Wisconsin 6 Washington 16 Michigan 7…
LONDON: According to report, to convince travellers to leave their cars at home and travel by public transport,Heathrow airport plans to levy £15 Congestion Charge once a third runway is built. It has been revealed by a newspaper that pollution on the M4, which sits north of the airport, is two thirds higher than the maximum allowed. Once a third runway is built, the airport will run around 50 per cent more flights than they currently do. The government is planning on improving public transport links to the airport, including a train line from both Reading and Waterloo, as well…
BEIJING: In 2017, Chinese tourists made 2.8 billion trips within the country compared to 136.5 million outbound trips. The trend reflects in tourist spending, as total outbound tourist expenditure stood at $220.6bn, whereas domestic tourist expenditure registered $679.1bn in 2017, according to GlobalData. Pakistan being neighbor and partner in CPEC can benefit the most by adopting Chinese tourists friendly policies. China is the largest domestic and outbound travel market in the world and even though international visitors from China are a force too big to ignore, domestic traffic is far outstripping outbound traffic in the country. As a result, a…