Author: holidayweekly

GENEVA: The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has urged governments to remove all travel barriers, including quarantine and testing, for those fully vaccinated as Covid-19 continues to evolve from the pandemic to endemic stage. IATA has also called for: A: Enabling quarantine-free travel for non-vaccinated travelers with a negative pre-departure antigen test result. B: Removing travel bans, and C: Accelerating the easing of travel restrictions in recognition that travelers pose no greater risk for Covid-19 spread than already exists in the general population. “With the experience of the Omicron variant, there is mounting scientific evidence and opinion opposing the targeting…

DOHA: After refusing to take any more A350s until the problem is fixed, Airbus has terminated its 321neo contract with Qatar Airways. Airbus canceled an order for 50 single-aisle A321neo jets from Qatar Airways worth more than a billion dollars. The Associated Press reports that Airbus confirmed its decision to terminate the contract for the A321neo while Qatar Airways is embroiled in a legal battle over the grounding of the larger A350 plane. Qatar Airways announced in December that it would sue Airbus in London over what it said was the accelerated surface degradation of the wide-body A350. There was…

MULTAN: The preparations for the 17th Cholistan desert jeep rally were in progress as the rally was scheduled for February 9. Tourism Development Corporation of Punjab (TDCP) Deputy Manager Sheikh Ijaz told that the leveling of 225 kilometers rally track was being done. Ijaz said the online registration of the vehicles had also been started for thrilling mega tourism event from January 1st which will be continued by Jan 30 with a single fee while registration from 1st Feb would be made with a double fee. He informed that the single fee for the prepaid category was Rs 30,000 while…

ISLAMABAD: A memorandum of understanding (MoU) took place between Pakistan and Iraq to promote tourism between the two countries, a statement said on Friday. The MoU aims to reinforce people-to-people linkages between Iraq and Pakistan. Ambassador of Pakistan to Iraq and Iraqi minister for culture, tourism, and antiquities signed the MoU, terming the development an effort to strengthen and diversify bilateral collaboration between both the countries. The bilateral cooperation between Pakistan and Iraq received a significant boost with a number of ministerial-level visits exchanged last year, in particular the visit of foreign minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi, which was reciprocated…

KARACHI: The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has refused to lift the ban imposed on the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) to travel to European countries and the UK on the basis of the audit conducted by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). EASA had suspended the authorization for Pakistani airlines to operate in Europe first for six months and then indefinitely in the wake of PIA’s PK8303 crashing in Karachi and a statement by Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar that around 40 per cent of Pakistani pilots had fake or dubious licenses. Since then PIA is in trouble after the…

MADRID: UNWTO has launched the first in a series of tourism investment guidelines focused on a specific country, representing a comprehensive tool for parties interested in foreign direct investment (FDI) opportunities. Developed alongside the Ministry of Tourism of the Dominican Republic and the National Export and Investment Center (PRODOMINICANA), the new guide provides key insights for investors, with the aim of boosting FDI in the Caribbean destination. Launched against the backdrop of the FITUR tourism trade fair in Madrid, the Investment Guidelines aims to attract promote and retain investment in sustainable tourism initiatives in the Dominican Republic, including those that…

ISLAMABAD: Aga Khan Cultural Service Pakistan (AKCS-P) and Tourism Promotion Services (Pakistan) Limited Owner and Operator of Serena Hotels held an event at Islamabad Serena Hotel to distribute the profits earned from the operations of Serena Shigar Fort and Serena Khaplu Palace with the communities of Shigar and Khaplu, and the Support Fund to Women Enterprise CIQAM from the revenue of Serena Altit Fort Residence for their partnership at Serena Altit Fort Residence. The Ambassador of the Royal Norwegian Embassy H.E. Per Albert ILsaas was the Chief Guest. Chairman Aga Khan Cultural Service Pakistan, Mr Akbar Ali Pesnani and Chief…

WASHINGTON: Major US airlines have warned of an impending “catastrophic” aviation crisis when AT&T and Verizon deploy new 5G service on Wednesday, January 19. They said the switch-on of 5G mobile phone services will cause “major disruption” to flights. The airlines warned the new C-Band 5G service could render a significant number of widebody aircraft unusable, “could potentially strand tens of thousands of Americans overseas” and cause “chaos” for US flights. The warning was issued in a letter sent to US aviation authorities, said a report.  The chief executives of American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines were joined…

MUSCAT: Oman Air, the national airline of Oman, has been granted ‘Airline Retailing Maturity status’ under IATA’s ARM Index Programme. The certification recognises that Oman Air uses Shop/Order capabilities compliant with the standard Enhanced and Simplified Distribution message schema, version 18.2 and the ARM index Capabilities Verification Guidance. Commenting on the certification, Umesh Chhiber, Senior Vice President Revenue Management, Pricing and Distribution at Oman Air, said: “Receiving this status is a proud moment for Oman Air as we now join the first few airlines to have attained the ARM Index certification. Airline retailing has been one of the biggest industry…

GEORGIA: Microsoft is investing $50 million in a LanzaJet facility in Georgia that will produce jet fuel from ethanol next year, LanzaJet said. The airline industry is considered one of the hardest to decarbonize. Renewable aviation fuel accounted for less than 0.1% of current global jet fuel demand of about 330 million tonnes in 2019, investment bank Jefferies said last year. Governments and investors are trying to boost incentives to produce lower-carbon emitting jet fuel. LanzaJet, based in Chicago, said it has nearly completed on-site engineering at its Freedom Pines Biorefinery, with plans to start producing 10 million gallons of…