ABU DHABI: Etihad Airways has announced the appointment of Dr Nadia Bastaki as Chief Human Resources, Organisational Development and Asset Management Officer, becoming the first female chief at the national airline of the UAE. Prior to this role, Dr Bastaki served as a key member of the human resources leadership team as Vice President Medical Services since 2014, with responsibility for leading the aeromedical centre and ensuring the overall health and wellbeing of employees, as well as driving the diversity and inclusion, and corporate social responsibility programmes at Etihad Airways. Dr Bastaki joined the airline in 2007, becoming the first…
Author: holidayweekly
BY CH. FAISAL MAHMOOD As per a recent single bench Sindh High Court judgment, Karachi`s Mohatta Palace will be converted into a medical and dental college to honor the wishes of Ms. Fatima Jinnah. The decision of the single bench honorable court has been very wisely challenged by the Sindh government and the single bench’s verdict has been taken to a two-member bench of Sindh High court. The disappointing verdict of the honorable court has caused enormous anxiety in the ranks of tourism, heritage organizations, civil society, and senior architects. They all, with one voice and one object oppose the…
LONDON: Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary-General of UNWTO, said the pandemic has hit tourism harder than any other sector. Tourism needs support from governments, through stronger public-private partnerships and through more and better-targeted financing investments, to rebuild in a sustainable and inclusive way. He made his comments during the UNWTO, WTTC & WTM Ministers’ Summit, held on the second day of WTM London, with tourism ministers from across the world discussing investing in tourism’s sustainable future. “This summit gives us the chance to strengthen our advocacy on sustainability”, Pololikashvili said. He told delegates that the recent Rome Leaders Declaration issued by the…
NEW YORK: The United States is preparing for long lines and delays on Monday, November 8 when restrictions are lifted on non-U.S. citizen international travelers who are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, a senior official told on Friday, November 5. President Joe Biden’s administration “expects pent-up demand for travel, which means longer than normal wait times for travelers,” the official said. The government was boosting staffing to pre-pandemic levels but “long lines are expected in the initial days.” The United States on Monday is lifting travel restrictions for fully vaccinated air travelers from 33 countries and at its land borders…
DUBAI: Emirates has retired their first-ever A380 aircraft, A6-EDA. The aircraft will be upcycled and recycled into furniture and memorabilia collectibles for aviation enthusiasts. After completing its last commercial mission in March 2020, A6-EDA was retired from service and brought to the airline’s Engineering Centre; here Emirates engineers retrieved serviceable components such as engines, landing gears, and flight control components. The aircraft was then deregistered and handed over to the Falcon Aircraft Recycling team, to begin the process of carefully breaking down the aircraft. Emirates’ first A380, previously operating as A6-EDA, was retired after an illustrious service record. The plan…
LONDON: British Airways has signed an agreement with the UK government for a £1 billion loan. The deal, with UK Export Finance (UKEF) and a syndicate of banks, was confirmed by the owner International Airlines Group (IAG) earlier. It will take the form of a five-year export development guarantee committed credit facility (UKEF Facility). The cash comes in addition to a £2 billion UKEF guaranteed facility that was announced in December last year and drawn in March. “British Airways intends to draw down only if and when required and the facility will not be utilized upon signing,” a statement explained.…
PESHAWAR: A large number of visitors, including domestic and foreign tourists, on Tuesday, visited the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pavilion and evinced keen interest in the rich culture, handicrafts, and distinct traditions being showcased at the Lok Mela 2021. Among the prominent were Special Assistant to Chief Minister on Local Governments Fazal Illahi, General Manager Culture and Tourism Sajjad Hameed, KPCTA Deputy Director Tourism Qaiser Khattak, who visited the KP Pavilion. The CM aide appreciated the arrangements made for the artisans and artists at the KP Pavilion to present a true image of the province and its people and their culture and…
MONTREAL: New Airports Council International (ACI) World data shows that the lasting adverse impact of the Covid-19 crisis is forecast to remove an additional 5.2 billion passengers by the end of this year compared to the pre-Covid-19 forecast for 2021. Despite recent positive news of certain markets re-opening their borders, global passenger traffic in 2021 is still expected to reach only half of what it was in 2019, with total traffic for 2021 forecast to be only 4.6 billion of the 9.2 billion passengers served two years ago. Domestic passenger traffic continues to recover faster than the international market expected…
DOHA: Authorities in Qatar have signed an agreement with Accor to manage operations and deliver services throughout the FIFA World Cup 2022. The deal runs through to the end of next year. The agreement was signed in Doha in the presence of Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani, prime minister and minister of interior for Qatar. It was agreed by the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC), the organization responsible for the required infrastructure, operations, and legacy projects for World Cup. Yasir Al Jamal, SC chairman, signed the agreement alongside Sébastien Bazin, chief executive of Accor. The deal…
MULTAN: The Provincial Minister for Energy, Dr. Akhtar Malik Thursday, October 28, said that Multan will be made attractive for drawing tourists’ attention from across the world as it is the hub of trade, politics, and centuries-old, rich historical culture of South Punjab. Chairing a meeting at South Punjab Secretariat on October 28, he said that devotees from all over the world flock to Multan to visit the shrines of saints. Minister for Culture Khayal Ahmed Castro and Additional Chief Secretary South Punjab Capt. R Saqib Zafar, Chairman Walled City Project Muhammad Nadeem Qureshi, MPA Javed Akhtar Ansari, Commissioner Dr. Irshad…