Aspiring candidates can submit their applications until 1st May 2020 Dubai, UAE, March 30, 2020:   The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) today announced that it is extending the registration deadline for the second batch of the UAE Astronaut Programme to 1st May 2020. The second batch of the programme is aimed at finding the ......Read More

Carrier will tweak its freighter network to adjust to passenger suspension; launches passenger freighter network in line with the current environment to ensure continuity Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates - March 26, 2020:   Following the directive issued by the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority, and the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) of the United Arab Emirates to temporarily suspend all passenger services to and from the UAE, Etihad Cargo continues to play a vital role in connecting key cargo markets and ensuring the UAE’s import and export needs are adequately covered in line with current demand. To complement its fleet of ......Read More

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, 23 March 2020 - Etihad Airways (Etihad) will temporarily suspend all flights to, from, and via Abu Dhabi following a decision by the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority, and the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), to suspend all inbound, outbound, and transit passenger flights in the UAE. This decision has been made to limit the spread of the COVID-19 novel coronavirus and to protect citizens, residents, and international travellers. The suspension of flights to and from Abu Dhabi International Airport will commence at 23:59 (UAE local time) on Wednesday 25 March, and will last for an initial 14 days, subject to further ......Read More

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, 22 March 2020 - Due to the global spread of the COVID-19 novel coronavirus, the health and aviation authorities of the People’s Republic of China have issued a directive to all international airlines flying to Beijing, instructing them to land in another designated airport in China before continuing to the capital. Effective from Sunday 22 March, Etihad Airways services to Beijing will stop in the city of Xi’an, where passengers will disembark for health screening, customs clearance, and to claim their baggage. This procedure is likely to be lengthy.  Once cleared by the local authorities for entry into China, passengers will re-board ......Read More

Dubai, UAE, 22 March 2020:  The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Center commemorates Isra Wal Mi’raj, one of the most significant events in the Islamic calendar, by sharing this image of Al Aqsa Mosque taken from space by KhalifaSat. KhalifaSat is one of the world’s most technologically advanced remote sensing observation satellites ......Read More

Abu Dhabi, UAE – 19 March 2020: Abu Dhabi Airports announces the temporary move of several flights from Terminal 1 to Terminal 3 at Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH). On 18 March 2020, Abu Dhabi Airports consolidated operations into two terminals. Select flights operating to and from Terminal 1 are now operating out of Terminal 3.  The temporary terminal move reflects Abu Dhabi Airports’ commitment to delivering efficient operations and a seamless passenger experience. The airports company is currently working in close partnership with the respective airlines to ensure a smooth transition from Terminal 1 to Terminal 3. The recent terminal operational updates do ......Read More

19 March 2020, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates – In response to the current situation, Etihad Airways is introducing Etihad Credit to give guests the freedom to delay their travel plans by permitting a free cancellation and is offering the original value of their booking to be used as credit towards their next trip.   As the situation around the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to evolve, these new measures will provide maximum flexibility and ensures guests that need to travel, do so safely and conveniently. Robin Kamark, Chief Commercial Officer, Etihad Aviation Group, said: “In these unprecedented times, we understand that some of our guests are either ......Read More

19 March 2020 (Geneva) – The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is appealing to governments in Africa and the Middle East, as part of a worldwide campaign, to provide emergency support to airlines as they fight for survival due to the evaporation of air travel demand as a result of the COVID-19 crisis.    “Stopping the spread of COVID-19 is the top priority of governments. But they must be aware that the public health emergency has now become a catastrophe for economies and for aviation. The scale of the current industry crisis is much worse and far more widespread than 9.11, SARS or the 2008 Global Financial Crisis. Airlines are fighting for ......Read More

Dubai, United Arab Emirates - March 16, 2020:   The organisation behind Dubai Miracle Garden and Dubai Butterfly Garden has announced a temporary closure of the attractions, with immediate effect, until the end of March 2020.  This is in light of the COVID-19 virus that is affecting the nation and has been implemented as a measure ......Read More

15 March 2020: Due to the spread of the COVID-19 novel coronavirus and its continuing impact on air travel services globally, Etihad Airways continues to follow UAE and international government and regulatory authority directives and has implemented a series of consolidated network changes. This is also being carried out for the safety and convenience of its customers and staff, and to minimise operational disruption during this period. The following services from Abu Dhabi have been temporarily adjusted: Milan (MXP) All flights suspended until 30 April. Rome (FCO) EY85/86 suspended until 30 April. EY83/84 suspended until 30 June. Beirut (BEY) All flights suspended from 16 ......Read More

13 March 2020 (Geneva) – The International Air Transport Association (IATA) and its members continue to support governments in their efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19. At this time of extreme pressure on the industry, IATA urged governments to:   • Prepare for the broad economic consequences of these actions,  • Respond quickly to the financial frailty of airlines, and • Follow WHO (World Health Organization) recommendations.   These calls come in response to the US government’s banning of non-US citizens, and individuals who are not legal permanent residents of the US, who have been in the Schengen Area in the past 14 days ......Read More

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates – Etihad Airways has launched a collaborative project with the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) in a bid to combat illegal wildlife trafficking. Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, recently hosted the Combating Wildlife Trafficking workshop at its headquarters in Abu Dhabi, attended by 37 representatives of national entities and other key stakeholders involved in the fight against wildlife trafficking. Speakers from The Royal Foundation and United for Wildlife discussed the current situation in enforcement in wildlife trafficking and provided an insight into the international methods used to counter ......Read More

• World’s largest single-structure airport terminal and integrated transportation hub • Daily service between the UAE and Chinese capitals provides convenient connectivity to popular business and leisure destinations via Abu Dhabi  • Daily Beijing-Nagoya service enables short getaways to Japan • Greater air-rail connectivity opportunities across China  • Etihad is dedicated to strengthening social and economic ties between the UAE and China   Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates — Effective 1 June 2020: Etihad Airways (Etihad), the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, will transfer all its flights to and from Abu ......Read More

Chairman’s Statement Overview 2019 was a turbulent year for the Cathay Pacific Group. With our three-year transformation programme starting to bear fruit we delivered a positive performance in the first half of 2019 notwithstanding a difficult environment brought about by geopolitical and trade tensions. However, with social unrest in Hong Kong intensifying over the second half of the year and mounting US-China trade tensions, we experienced a sharp drop in both inbound and outbound passenger traffic. We were faced with an incredibly challenging environment to operate as the Hong Kong economy slipped into recession. As a result, our second-half results – traditionally ......Read More

March 10, 2020: SITA, the leading IT provider for the air transport industry, has made six predictions about how ultra-fast 5G networks will bring major change for airports, airlines, and passengers. With download speeds of up to 400MB per second, 5G will be a game-changer.   The potential for innovation is huge and airports, airlines, and passengers will feel the force of 5G in very different ways. SITA’s predictions are based on unique IT insights and emerging air transport industry technology trends. They follow hot on the heels of 5G trials like the recent ones carried out by both London Gatwick Airport and Beijing’s new Daxing International Airport services which ......Read More

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates – Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, is giving travellers peace of mind when making their next booking by allowing one complimentary date or destination change for all flights booked between 8 March and 7 April 2020.   Valid for travel from 22 March 2020, the offer is applicable to all fares including Etihad Guest redemptions and Etihad Holiday bookings. Any fare difference arising from the rebooking/rerouting will be applied. ...Read More

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has suspended temporarily all flights between Abu Dhabi and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in response to a directive from the General Authority for Civil Aviation, Saudi Arabia, to help prevent the spread of the Covid-19 virus. The airline operates up to 12 flights per day between Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia. It has cancelled a total of seven flights today between Abu Dhabi and the Saudi cities of Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam and Medina, and is now advising passengers who were booked to travel today.  Another four flights which were en-route to Saudi Arabia at the time of the directive were permitted to land. When flights ......Read More

• Daily Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner flights between Abu Dhabi and Austria’s capital city   Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates - Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, will launch new daily scheduled year-round flights to Austria’s capital Vienna using a two-class Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. The service will initially operate with four weekly flights between 22 May and 30 June.    Etihad is introducing the new service to provide greater choice and convenience for point-to-point business and leisure travellers between the UAE and Austria, and to promote direct inbound tourism to Abu Dhabi.    Departures have been conveniently timed ......Read More

 Etihad pledges to increase its female employees by 25 percent by 2025  Arabic ‘Business Class’ renamed to encompass gender-inclusive language    Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates – Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, is marking International Women’s Day by pledging to increase its female workforce by 25 percent over the next five years – the first airline in the country to make this commitment. This follows the International Air Travel Association’s (IATA) voluntary ‘25by2025’ campaign which aims to improve gender balance within the aviation industry.    Tony Douglas, Group Chief ......Read More

-Relief Measures Needed- 5 March 2020 (Singapore): The International Air Transport Association (IATA) updated its analysis of the financial impact of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) public health emergency on the global air transport industry. IATA now sees 2020 global revenue losses for the passenger business of between $63 billion (in a scenario where COVID-19 is contained in current markets with over 100 cases as of 2 March) and $113 billion (in a scenario with a broader spreading of COVID-19). No estimates are yet available for the impact on cargo operations. IATA’s previous analysis (issued on 20 February 2020) put lost revenues at $29.3 billion based on a scenario that ......Read More

Sharjah’s tourism sector welcomed approximately 1.8 million guests last year with a hotel occupancy rate of 66 per cent Six new 5-star and 4-star hotels opened in 2019 while seven new hotel projects are lined up for completion in 2020 March 14 2020 - The Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) revealed that the emirate recorded a three per cent growth in the number of hotel guests in 2019 as compared to 2018.  The sector welcomed approximately 1.8 million guests last year with a hotel occupancy rate of 66 per cent. In terms of nationalities, guests from the Russian Federation topped the list, followed by GCC countries such as KSA and Oman, and then ......Read More