Category: Aviation

AirAsia is all set to launch direct flight between Manila and Shenzhen starting December 1. The carrier had earlier started its Cebu-Shenzhen flights last April. “China is an important market for us and we are looking to expand our network further and connect Filipino travelers to new and exciting business and leisure cities,” said AirAsia Philippines CEO Dexter Comendador. The carrier will fly direct to Shenzhen every Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Direct flights from Cebu to Shenzhen are also on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

As part of the government’s anti-corruption drive, Ministry of Interior decided to make its visa extension facility online. With ‘Pakistan Online Visa System’, the ministry is set to launch the project within the next 2 weeks. The ministry has proposed the online visa programme to the Prime Minister’s Office as part of the government’s efforts to curb corruption in the offices dealing with the public. A senior official of the ministry said that with introduction of online visa extension system, the applicant will not need to visit the ministry for getting extension in his/her visa; rather he/she will apply online. When ... Read more

Budget passenger carrier IndiGo announced Hong Kong as its fifteenth international destination. The carrier will operate its daily non-stop flight between Hong Kong and Bengaluru, effective from December 11, 2018 at a starting all-inclusive fare of Rs 11,499. Customers willing to avail the services can book flight tickets via IndiGo’s official website- goindigo.in. The new flights are designed to cater to business and leisure, who are constantly on the lookout for new and affordable flying options, the airline said in a statement. “We are delighted to announce Hong Kong as the 15th destination in our international portfolio. One of the world’s ... Read more

The Republic of Turkey said it will discontinue the visa on arrival service from October 28, to a number of nationalities, including Indians. Visitors will need to take a visa before reaching Turkey as the e-visa kiosks at Istanbul airport will not generate visa from the last week of October. Citizens from India, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives and a 100 other countries are eligible for e-visa, which needs to be obtained before you start the journey. Applicants can obtain e-visas after entering the required information for the application and making an online payment. A link to download the visa is the final ... Read more

Non-stop flights between Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and John F Kennedy International Airport in New York will be launched by President Uhuru Kenyatta on 28th October 2018. Though the inauguration of the direct flight is 10 days away, the vibe around it has warmed US travellers, who have made Kenya a sought after destination, surpassing the rival tourists locations such as Mexico, Italy and Europe. As per local media, bookings for December to Kenya were up by about 28 per cent from last year’s with one operator saying it had placed around USD 8 million worth of business to ... Read more

Etihad Airways has named Sydney and Melbourne as the next airports in the global rollout of new lounge brand ‘The House’, recently launched by the airline in partnership with No1 Lounges. Eligible customers of Etihad Airways, and those of its partner airline, Virgin Australia, travelling through Sydney will be able to experience The House from Tuesday October 23, while the new upgraded lounge experience will open for customers departing Melbourne on Saturday October 27, following the brand’s launch at Heathrow Terminal 4, on 5 October. The House is the result of a unique collaboration between Etihad Airways and award-winning lounge ... Read more

Emirates is offering UAE residents a chance to travel back home and celebrate Thanksgiving with friends and family. Customers travelling to North America can enjoy Economy Class fares to New York starting at AED 4,685, Los Angeles starting at AED 5,785, Chicago starting at AED 5,215 and Dallas starting at AED 5,385. Business Class passengers can enjoy fares to New York starting at AED 20,155, Los Angeles starting at AED 25,775, to Chicago starting at AED 21,775, and to Dallas starting at AED 21,745. From 22nd to 25th November, Emirates will be offering passengers specially tailored menus to celebrate the holiday. ... Read more

Passengers travelling to India to reunite with relatives for Diwali can enjoy competitive fares on Economy Class to Mumbai starting at AED 1,205, Delhi starting at AED 1,265, Hyderabad starting at 1,105, and Ahmedabad starting at AED 1,165. Business Class passengers can enjoy fares to Mumbai starting at AED 3,605, Delhi starting at AED 3,705, Hyderabad starting at AED 3,395, and Ahmedabad starting at AED 4,775. Emirates will be offering passengers onboard special Diwali delicacies from 7 November to 10 November 2018. The special treats will be available for customers in all classes on all flights to India from Dubai. ... Read more

Hainan Airlines flight HU7607 took off from Beijing and landed at Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport at 11:00 am on October 13 Beijing time, marking the successful completion of the maiden commercial voyage of the first Airbus A350 aircraft owned by Hainan Airlines Holding Co., Ltd.  The carrier is opening a new era of services operated by the A350, witnessed by over 300 passengers. The A350-900 provides passengers with a new standard of travel experience with its leading modern cabins. The business class comes equipped with the Staggered seat layout for enhancing passenger privacy and the classic Straight-Line design. In addition, ... Read more

Etihad Airways Engineering, the largest commercial aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services provider in the Middle East, received two prestigious honours at the Aviation Business Awards 2018 held in Dubai on October 9, 2018. The ‘Unsung Hero of the Year’ and ‘Engineering Innovation of the Year’ awards recognise the company’s achievements in the past 12 months, by a panel of aviation industry experts. ‘Unsung Hero of the Year’ was awarded to Etihad Airways Engineering’s Technical Sales, which recognised the multi-cultural team for playing a key role in enabling the UAE’s vision to become a global aerospace hub and Customer Service ... Read more

Emirates is offering travellers in Lebanon special Business class companion fares to 15 destinations across its network. The offers are valid for bookings until 31 October 2018, for travel until 20 December 2018. The special fares are available for two to eight people booking and flying together in Business Class. Fares from Lebanon start from USD 3626 per person to Phuket, to New York for USD 3660 per person, to Kuala Lumpur and Sydney for USD 3765 per person. In addition to great fares, all Emirates Business Class travellers can enjoy lounge access in Dubai, a generous 40kg baggage allowance, ... Read more

The country’s busiest airport in Delhi, the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), will go plastic-free by 2019. The airport has already started saying no to plastic for grocery bags, food packaging, bottles, straws, containers, cups and cutlery. Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) has said the initiative is in line with India’s pledge to eliminate all single-use plastic in the country by 2022. DIAL has started awareness campaigns, enhancing waste management systems and promoting the use of eco-friendly sustainable alternatives progressively. Single-use plastics, often also referred to as disposable plastics, are commonly used in packaging and include items intended to be used only ... Read more

The national passenger carrier Air India said it will launch direct flight services from Bengaluru to London with effect from November 17, 2018. “The non stop flight will fulfill the long standing demand of IT professionals and health tourism in the region,” the airline said in a statement. According to Air India, the service will be operated by a Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft. The aircraft will fly on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from Bengaluru and on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from London. Air India has also offered special introductory two-way fare of Rs 1,29,500 for business class travel and Rs 35,220 for ... Read more

German carrier Lufthansa said that it has plans to begin service from Austin to Frankfurt in May 2019. The nonstop service will be available on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. The first Austin-Frankfurt Lufthansa flight is scheduled for May 3, 2019. Tickets are already on sale at lufthansa.com. “We are thrilled to announce the launch of nonstop service between Austin, Texas, and our Frankfurt hub in May of next year, which will offer Austin area residents a world of travel opportunities to more than 200 destinations in 100 countries from our European base. Those living in Texas’ state capital will ... Read more

Low-cost air carrier AirAsia has announced the launch of a new flight service connecting Visakhapatnam and Bangkok. The service, which begins from December 8, will operate on four weekdays from Vizag to Bangkok (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday) and the return flights from Bangkok to Vizag would be on Monday, Wednesday. Friday and Sunday. “Travel to Bangkok will be hassle-free and visa on arrival will be given to tourists at Bangkok. Further, the airlines has air-connection from Bangkok to 21 destinations within that country. It is also a major hub with international flights to different destinations in the country,” said Rajkumar ... Read more