Emirates, Etihad announce partnership: How will this new deal ease travel to UAE?

Planning to visit the UAE soon? How about you land in Abu Dhabi, spend two weeks visiting everything all the seven emirates have to offer, and then fly out of Dubai, that too on the same ticket?

This has just been made possible after two of the country’s largest carriers – Abu Dhabi’s Etihad and Dubai’s Emirates – entered into an agreement that will further boost tourism in the country and at the same time enhance a tourist’s experience.

This interline agreement is the first of its kind between the two airlines, which are both on a rapid expansion spree to new destinations and have burgeoning order books ready to take on additional capacity.

“This summer, customers of each airline will be able to purchase a single ticket to fly into either Dubai or Abu Dhabi, with a seamless return via the other airport. The new agreement also provides travellers planning to explore the UAE with the flexibility of one-stop ticketing for their full journey and convenient baggage check-in,” the airlines said in a statement.

How will it work?

In the initial stages of the expanded interline, each carrier will focus on attracting visitors to the UAE by developing inbound interline traffic from select points in Europe and China. The arrangement will allow visitors to cover as much ground as possible when exploring Abu Dhabi, Dubai or any other emirate, saving time by removing the need to fly home via their arrival airport.

Customers travelling into the UAE also have the option of ‘multi-city flights’, with the choice to travel from one city on both carriers’ networks, and conveniently returning to another point served by either Emirates or Etihad.

The Memorandum of Understanding was signed at Arabian Travel Market by Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Chief Commercial Officer, and Mohammad Al Bulooki, Chief Operating Officer, Etihad Airways, in the presence of Sir Tim Clark, President, Emirates Airline, and Antonoaldo Neves, Etihad CEO.

Tim Clark said: “We are pleased to be working again with Etihad Airways – this time to allow each carrier to offer a new range of seamless travel options in and out of the UAE. Emirates and Etihad are leveraging on our strengths to expand our respective customer offerings and boost UAE tourism. We believe this new agreement provides a strong foundation to develop further opportunities between both airlines and is an example of our commitment to the UAE’s vision for continued economic diversification.”

Antonoaldo Neves added: “We’re delighted to partner with Emirates in our shared mission to support inbound tourism to the UAE and facilitate travel to our vibrant cities. With two world-class airlines supporting UAE tourism, our interline agreement will make it more convenient for our guests to experience the best of Abu Dhabi and Dubai on one single ticket while promising to deliver an exceptional flying experience whether they fly with Etihad Airways or Emirates. It’s a win-win proposition for travellers to the UAE.”

Tourism push

The expanded interline partnership draws upon the commitment of both airlines to support the UAE government’s objective to promote tourism to the country and enhance its position as a preferred global destination. Tourism is one of the key pillars of the UAE economy and is expected to contribute 5.4 per cent of the nation’s total GDP, or Dh116.1 billion, supporting over one million jobs by 2027, according to figures from the Emirates Tourism Council.

Dubai welcomed 4.67 million international overnight visitors in the first quarter of 2023, compared to 3.97 million tourists during the same period in 2022, a 17 per cent year-on-year growth and the city’s best Q1 performance since the pandemic.

Abu Dhabi, meanwhile, has announced plans to attract more than 24 million visitors to the emirate by the end of 2023. The emirate received 18 million visitors in 2022, a 13 per cent increase over the previous year.

Expanding reach

Earlier this week, Emirates signed MoUs on the sidelines of Arabian Travel Market with Indonesia’s Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, the Moroccan National Tourism Office and Tourism Authority of Zimbabwe to promote inbound travel and boost visitor numbers. It signed similar agreements with authorities in Seychelles, Mauritius and the Sri Lanka as well.

The airline recently also activated its codeshare with US-based United, allowing Emirates customers to enjoy easier access to an expanded choice of US destinations. Emirates customers can now fly to three of America’s biggest business hubs – Chicago, Houston or San Francisco – and connect easily to an expansive network of domestic US points on flights operated by United.

Emirates has boosted operations by 31 per cent (total ASKMs) since the start of its financial year and has further plans to ramp up seat capacity.

“Customer demand has been very strong, and our forward bookings are also robust. Emirates is working hard on several fronts – to bring back operating capacity as quickly as the ecosystem can manage, while also upgrading our fleet and product to ensure our customers always enjoy the best possible Emirates experience,” Adnan Kazim said in an earlier statement.

The airline also plans to scale up its A380 operations with the reintroduction of the double-decker across its network, including Glasgow, Casablanca, Beijing, Shanghai, Nice, Birmingham, Kuala Lumpur, and Taipei.

It is also expanding services to several destinations such as Amsterdam, Athens, Budapest, London, Venice, Cairo, Dar es Salaam, Brisbane, Christchurch, Melbourne, Sydney, Bangkok, Beijing, Hong Kong, among others. The airline is also starting services to Montreal, and expanding capacity to Toronto.

The carrier also has plans to place more aircraft orders to meet growing demand.

“We will probably order more in the next few months on top of what we already have,” Tim Clark said earlier this week, adding that Emirates is extending the life of its existing A380 super jumbo and 777 fleets due to long lead times for aircraft deliveries.

Etihad, too, entered into partnerships with as many as six airlines earlier this year. It launched reciprocal interline partnerships with three new airline partners – Philippine Airlines, Austrian Airlines and Airlink South Africa, while re-launching interline links with Biman Bangladesh and codeshares with Air Seychelles and ITA Airways.

The airline also announced a new direct service to Lisbon for the first time, and said it will return to Málaga on the Spanish Costa del Sol and the popular Greek island of Mykonos this summer.

The airline will be offering travellers nearly 160 weekly flights to 21 destinations in Europe this summer, with 20 per cent more seats available than in 2022. Earlier, it had also announced plans to resume its A380 services this summer after heavy demand, with four super-jumbos pressed into service on the London Heathrow route.

Etihad aims to triple the number of passengers it carriers to 30 million and nearly double its fleet to 150 planes by the end of the decade, the airline’s chief said in an interview last month.

Convenience is key

Earlier this week, Etihad signed an agreement with technology firm Astra Tech that allows customers to make flight bookings using artificial intelligence within chat app Botim.

Under the deal between Etihad and Astra Tech, the airline’s clients will be able to book flights just by typing in the basic details of the service they require, with the technology then completing the booking itself.

Old pals

This is the second time the airlines have announced a collaboration. In 2018, Emirates Group Security and Etihad Aviation Group signed an MoU to strengthen aviation security, including the sharing of information and intelligence in operational areas both within and outside the UAE.

Last year, Emirates signed an MoU with the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, to boost tourist numbers to the UAE capital from key source markets across the airline’s global network.

Source: Gulf News

Air Canada Resumes Boeing 787 Flights From Montreal To Cairo.

Air Canada has resumed Montreal to Cairo. The first summer-seasonal service of 2023 left Canada in early May, with the last from Egypt planned for October 27th.

Air Canada launched the route in 2021, 12 years after EgyptAir ended it. Revolving around the Egyptian diaspora in Montreal and connections over Montreal in particular, Air Canada and EgyptAir – both Star Alliance carriers – codeshare, including beyond each other’s hubs.

Air Canada is back in Cairo

On May 2nd, Air Canada relaunched the 5,436-mile (8,748 km) link from Montreal, its second-largest hub, to Egypt’s capital. It is Air Canada’s third African destination from Montreal, alongside Algiers and Casablanca, also focused on diaspora.

Operating thrice weekly, Cairo will see both the 255-seat Boeing 787-8 and – much more frequently, crucially through the peak summer – the 298-seat 787-9.

The 787-9 has 30 seats in Signature, 21 in premium economy, and 247 in regular economy. The -9 variant provides 10 more business seats (+50%) than the smaller -8 and 33 more in economy (+15%).

Now mainly by the 787-9

Since launching in June 2021, the route has almost always been operated by the smaller 787-8, but it will now primarily see the 787-9.

As Air Canada mainly had four weekly flights last summer, against three now, capacity has been reduced by 126 weekly seats (double for both ways).

One fewer roundtrip will, of course, nicely reduce the route’s operating expenses, while the bigger aircraft will reduce seat-mile costs. Hopefully, yields will improve somewhat from fewer seats for sale and more business. When combined with lower costs, performance will hopefully improve further.

What’s the schedule?

It is scheduled as follows, with all times local:

  • Cairo to Montreal: AC74, 17:30-10:55+1 (10h 25m block time)
  • Montreal to Cairo: AC75, 12:40-16:50 (11h 10m)

Where do passengers go?

According to Cirium data supplied by airlines, Air Canada had 49,568 roundtrip Montreal-Cairo seats last year. Relating that to booking data suggests it achieved a very strong seat load factor of 94%, helped, of course, by only being summer-seasonal.

Passengers in 2022 can be broken down as flying this:

  • To/from Cairo, transiting Montreal: ~56% of passengers
  • Point-to-point: (i.e., only between Montreal and Cairo): 35%
  • Transiting Montreal and Cairo (‘bridging’): ~5%
  • To/from Montreal, transiting Cairo: ~4%

Cairo over Montreal to Toronto was #1

Of the largest category (those transiting Montreal), booking data shows that flying to/from the US was the most popular market, then across wider Canada.

When broken down by airport, Cairo over Montreal to/from Toronto was the leading market, despite EgyptAir’s daily non-stop. It was presumably cheaper to connect in Montreal with Air Canada than to pay the premium for a non-stop. EgyptAir codeshares with Air Canada on Montreal-Toronto.

The next most popular airport-level origin and destination was Cairo-Los Angeles. Booking data suggests that Air Canada carried just under 3,000 roundtrip Los Angeles passengers over Montreal. When split over 190 flights (two ways) last summer, each flight had around 15 passengers traveling to/from California airport.

Uganda sends out feelers on joining SAATM

A bystander for years, Uganda has made its most definitive expression yet, of intent to join the Single African Air Transport market (SAATM). A meeting convened this week to discuss the issue, agreed to establish a multisectoral committee to “consider the matter further.”

The decision came at the end of a multi-stakeholder meeting called by sector regulator Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA) on April 26, to build internal consensus around the country’s participation in the continental initiative. The proposed committee will be made up of representatives from the core government agencies such as the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Works and Transport, the Uganda Tourism Board, and select players from the private sector.

Pitching for SAATM at the meeting, UCAA Deputy Director General, Olive Birungi Lumonya said the proposed liberalization of air services would lift the number of air passengers. “Flying is efficient, quicker, and safer but is not utilized much as the other forms of travel. If this agreement is signed by Uganda, we will be joining the rest of Africa in reducing the cost of travel, and increasing air traffic and business,” she said.

Although Uganda has been considered fairly to be fairly liberal under the current, mostly conservative regime of working under BASA’s, officials have been ambivalent about the country’s accession to SAATM, which should include fifteen countries.

The Wednesday meeting heard candid reasons for the delay, which were attributed to a range of factors including, the competition that the national carrier which was in the process of being revived, would be exposed to under SAATM, the likely impact on aspirations to turn Entebbe into a regional hub and the ability of existing Ugandan air operators to compete effectively with regional airlines which have a stronger financial base, better equipment, with some believed to have been supported with subsidies from their respective governments.

Uganda was also doubtful about the likely benefits accruing from the liberalization of air services amidst the entry restrictions that still exist within the African States. According to a November 2021 IATA Fact Sheet, Uganda was ranked eighth in Africa for visa openness but only 4 percent of the 24 BASA’s reviewed were fully compliant with the Yamoussoukro Decision. Citizens from 18 African countries do require a visa to enter Uganda while those from 34 others can get visas on arrival. But Ugandan citizens face entry restrictions in many African countries, which require them to have entry visas.  

“Initially, Uganda did not sign the Solemn Declaration to join SAATM pending the establishment of mechanisms to give assurance to the revival of Uganda Airlines, which at that time had not commenced operations taking into consideration a highly competitive market resulting from the grant of unrestricted fifth freedom traffic rights to African Airlines,” the meeting was told.

Keen to expand

But with flag carrier Uganda Airlines partially established and keen to expand within Africa as well as parallel initiatives like the African Continental Free Trade Area slowly gaining traction, Uganda feels it can now participate in SAATM with a reasonable degree of reciprocity of benefits.

According to IATA, Uganda would get an additional 4,920 jobs in aviation and spin-off industries by joining SAATM while another 16.070 jobs would be created through “catalytic impact.”

The economy would gain an additional $102.6 million in GDP, 151,000 extra tourism visits, $69.3 million increase in tourism spending, and 9.290 new tourism jobs.

Uganda’s junior minister for Works and Transport, Fred Byamukama said Uganda was ready to join SAATM because it would culminate into a more competitive and better-regulated aviation industry in Uganda and Africa at large. “Government will continue to ensure the country’s air links make her one of the most connected countries in the world to make it compete successfully for economic growth opportunities,” he said.

Source: Air Insight Group

Ethiopian Aviation University To Start Producing Aircraft Components

A first for Africa! Ethiopian Airlines has developed its training academy into a university, offering undergraduate and postgraduate degrees.

Ethiopian Airlines Group remains committed to the development of African aviation. It has trained pilots, cabin crew, and technicians for over 65 years. Now, it is stretching even further to manufacturing aircraft components and training the next generation of aviation professionals.

Last month Ethiopian Airlines (ET) celebrated 77 years of operations in the aviation industry. Its training institution, Ethiopian Aviation Academy (EAA), which is the biggest pilot training center in Africa, has been developed into a fully functional university offering various undergraduate and postgraduate degrees.

More about Ethiopian Aviation University (EAU)

EAA has provided aviation professionals for Africa and the rest of the world for many years. After six decades, it is expanding to meet the future needs of African aviation as an educational wing. Ethiopian Aviation University (EAU) will be an integral part of Ethiopian Airlines Group and the industry.

With its state-of-the-art facilities, EAA has trained pilots for the Boeing 787, B737NG, B737MAX, B767, and Airbus A350, to mention a few. It has over eight modern full-flight and fixed-base simulators for pilot upgrades, transition, and recurrent training. Additionally, it now has facilities for training professionals in different aviation sectors.

The university’s primary purpose is to lead and grow with current technological developments and meet the sophisticated demands of airline operations and airport management. EAU Vice President for Aviation Trainings and Acting President Mr Kassie Yimam said in an interview with Simple Flying;

“When we were dealing with training, we were dealing with competencies to enable people to do some tasks. For example, pilots were meant to fly airplanes effectively and safely, that’s it. Aircraft maintenance technicians are trained to maintain airplanes so they are always airworthy and safe, and they also make preventive maintenance. As time goes on, we need to develop further toward the production and manufacturing of aerospace components, airplane systems, and so on.”

Developing human resources

Ethiopian Airlines attributes its 77 years of excellence to the successful development of its human resources. The academy has been the backbone of its dominance, and to continue on this path, it intends to develop human capital even further.

EAU will introduce undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in addition to its training portfolios. The programs will start in September 2023, while applications are currently open on its website. Students can choose from the following programs:

  • B.Sc. in Aeronautical Engineering: It will be one of the few institutions in Africa to offer an accredited aeronautical engineering degree. The course encompasses designing, developing, and modifying aircraft components and systems.
  • B.Sc. in Aircraft Maintenance Engineering: It is an advanced form of maintenance training it used to provide. This dives deeper into science and engineering, and after five years, graduates will earn an engineering degree and a civil aviation license.
  • B.Sc. in Aviation Management and Operations: This program will have two streams but will be studied as one degree. Toward the program’s conclusion, students will have the option to specialize in airline or airport management.
  • BA in Tourism and Hospitality Management: Travel and tourism is a significant wing of the aviation industry. World air travel is expected to increase demand for tourism and hospitality managers over the next decade.
  • MBA in Aviation Management and M.Sc. in Data Science: The university will offer two postgraduate degrees. Using big data and analytics has become integral to an airline’s operations. EAU will train the next generation of managers and data scientists.

The group is committed to developing aviation in Africa. It will groom talent and professionals within the airline and provide opportunities for citizens around the continent. This will help Ethiopian and its partner airlines as the next generation prepares for innovation. Mr Kassie added;

“We have been operating an airline, and we want to transfer the success to our students. That will help Ethiopian Airlines as well as other partner airlines in Africa. We’re not going to lead this airline forever. We have to develop people who can manage our lead better and bring new ideas. We can be more successful when we teach our experiences, and then they innovate and make it better. So we get better every day. When we teach, we mean it for Africa, not only for Ethiopian Airlines, we cannot grow alone.”

Feeding the production line

Ethiopian Aviation University aims to train competent engineers and aviation professionals that can feed the aerospace manufacturing industry in Africa and elsewhere. The university will enable the aviation sector in Africa to create new products rather than maintain existing ones.

It plans to expand and manufacture aircraft components, systems, and even small aircraft soon. The institution will employ internationally renowned professors to ensure students receive the highest quality of education. There will be a primary and secondary professor to ensure the concepts taught in class are applied well in the field.

Ethiopian Aviation University is one of the few universities with modern aircraft, flight simulators, workshops, airline processes, and procedures in the group to practically demonstrate what has been taught in class.

Partnering with various stakeholders

Ethiopian has partnerships with various airlines and stakeholders across the African continent. EAU is fully owned and operated by Ethiopian Airlines. However, it is open to partnering with other institutions and airlines for the enhancement of the aviation industry in Africa.

The group will be looking for partners in areas where there is potential for development and demand for its products. The African aviation market has almost fully recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic, so great potential is waiting to be unlocked. The acting President added;

“Our development strategy is to partner with African companies, training centers, universities, airlines, airports, and so on. Look, we truly believe in the importance of partnership. So partnering will make all of us better, and it will be a win-win for all partners. So we love to have reliable partners who are serious about the importance of developing human resources for their industry.”

Ethiopian Airlines’ commitment to continental development is unprecedented. It plans almost to double its fleet over the next ten years and vastly expand its global network. The development of Ethiopian Aviation University will be essential to making ET one of the most prominent airline groups in the world.

Source: Simple Flying

Emirates opens new robot-assisted ‘City Check-In and Travel Store’ in Dubai

In the heart of Dubai’s bustling financial district, Emirates is set to launch a new “City Check‑in and Travel Store,” enabling customers to conveniently book travel, check-in for flights, drop luggage, shop for travel essentials, and save time at the airport.

Located in the elite ICD Brookfield Place in Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), the state of art facility opened on Thursday.

As part of Emirates’ continuous investment into enhancing customer experience, the “City Check-in and Travel Store” has a prime and premium location for busy professionals in Dubai’s finance hub and allows customers to drop their luggage as early as 24 hours and up to 4 hours before a flight, arriving at the airport at leisure.

Customers can visit the space and check in anytime from 8:00am to 10:00pm daily, beginning their travel experience with seamless service via self check in kiosks, at dedicated desks with Emirates agents, or with the help of the world’s first ever check‑in robot assistant — Sara.

Sara is an innovative portable robotic check-in system, who can match faces with scanned passports, check passengers in, and guide them to the luggage drop area.

With an eye-catching 2.5 metre LCD screen showing the latest destination content from Emirates, and more screens showing an interactive touchscreen map, the City Check-in and Travel Store is a stylish and spacious contemporary space which offers the opportunity to book tickets, browse travel merchandise, drop luggage, and check in – with paid valet parking and self-parking ensuring an elevated, hassle-free check in experience for Emirates passengers.

Visitors can also get expert advice and offers on trending destinations, while dedicated travel consultants can assist with purchasing tickets for future journeys, managing current bookings, purchasing upgrades, selecting preferred seats, and arranging extra baggage if required.

Emirates passengers with valid boarding passes who wish to discover the area or spend time relaxing before their flight, will have complimentary access to select lifestyle facilities in the world-renowned ICD Brookfield Place, and exclusive discounts and special offers across a range of restaurants, gyms, and luxury stores — including Josette, 1Rebel, Lulu and the Beanstalk, and Embody Fitness.

Around the DIFC, visitors can enjoy a diverse range of services, shopping, world-class cuisine, and art galleries, including the extensive promenade at DIFC’s Gate Avenue. When it’s time to fly, passengers can then connect directly to the airport via taxi, Emirates chauffeur service, or take a short 10-minute walk to Financial Centre Metro Station connecting seamlessly into the Airport Terminal 3 Metro Station.

Adel Al Redha, Emirates’ Chief Operating Officer remarked: “Emirates City Check In is our latest addition to the Emirates travel experience, showing our commitment to providing customers with an array of check-in options. Our new location is the first ultra-convenient check in and baggage drop facility conveniently located in the DIFC area. People can avoid busy periods at the airport and minimise queuing.”

“We are pleased to collaborate with ICD Brookfield on this project and look forward to providing our customers with more technology-focused solutions in the future,” Al Redha added.

Source: Gulf News

Dubai records rise in bookings as travel demand defies global economic headwinds

Global transit hub is promoting itself as a stop-over destination for travellers passing through DXB

Dubai recorded a rise in forward bookings, following growth in the number of international visitors during the first quarter, as travel demand to the Middle East’s business and tourism hub defies global macroeconomic headwinds.

The global transit hub is also increasing efforts to promote itself as a stopover destination for travellers passing through Dubai International Airport (DXB), the world’s busiest airport by international passenger numbers, said Issam Kazim, chief executiveof the Dubai Department for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM).

Asked about the impact of high inflation rates and oil prices on consumer spending for travel, Mr Kazim said the emirate continues to diversify its source market, work closely with industry partners and has dealt with previous cycles of economic challenges from the 2008 financial crisis to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Looking at forward bookings … we can see that demand for Dubai is going up,” he said at a press conference on Thursday ahead of the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) that runs from May 1 to 4.

“I know that some people were concerned about the impact on discretionary disposable income, and that’s the bracket that leisure travel falls into, but we’ve managed to see significant growth within that number as well in terms of length of stay within Dubai and also the contribution to the GDP [gross domestic product].”

Dubai has its “finger on the pulse at all times” and proactively responds to changes in demand, he said.

“We move as a team, as Dubai Inc. collectively, and we make sure that we have the right measures in place to manage these things … we are constantly engaged across every aspect and every touch point that impacts residents and potential tourists to make sure that Dubai stays competitive,” Mr Kazim said.

Dubai could exceed the pre-pandemic annual number of international visitors this year after a growing influx of tourists in a strong start to 2023, according to Emirates NBD. In February, Dubai’s tourism numbers exceeded pre-pandemic levels with 1.63 million visitors, up 7 per cent from 2019 and 35 per cent year-on-year.

The emirate is working with travel and tourism industry stakeholders to attract more transit travellers to book short-term stays in the emirate when they fly via Dubai.

“We want to see that as a chance to engage at some point during the booking journey and entice them to come and experience the city for the first time,” Mr Kazim said, while detailing the main themes and events expected at the 30th ATM annual event in Dubai.

Centred around themes of sustainability and technology in travel, this year’s event has attracted more than 2,000 exhibitors from 150 countries, the organisers said on Thursday. It recorded an increase of 27 per cent in the number of exhibitors from last year, with a significant rise in those from the Americas. About 34,000 visitors are expected to attend the travel, tourism and hospitality event.

Emirates Airline plans to announce a new partnership and sign agreements with various tourism boards during the ATM, said Adnan Kazim, the airline’s chief commercial officer, without elaborating. This builds on Emirates’ latest codeshare pacts with United Airlines and Air Canada that are now “fully fledged”, along with its existing 10-year partnership with Qantas that has been extended for another five years to 2028, he said.

The airline is on track to return its full fleet of 116 Airbus A380 superjumbos to the sky, after most were grounded during the peak of the pandemic and resumed service gradually with the recovery in international travel.

Emirates is currently operating 85 of its 116 double-deckers, with plans to ramp up to 90 A380s by summer and 95 by the end of next Marc, its chief customer officer said. The A380s will be sent to Beijing to start in May, Shanghai in June, Birmingham in July and Taipei in August.

The airline is adding capacity to China after the country reopened its borders for international travel earlier this year, he said.

Emirates also opened its first city check-in, effective from Thursday, at the ICD Brookfield Place in DIFC, where customers can book travel, check-in for flights, drop luggage and shop for travel essentials.

Sara, Emirates’ new portable robot, will be on hand to match faces with scanned passports, check passengers in and guide them to the baggage drop area.

Echoing the executives’ expectations of tourism growth in Dubai, Haitham Mattar, managing director of India, Middle East and Africa at IHG Hotels & Resorts, said in the first quarter of 2023 the Middle East and Africa region recorded 70 per cent occupancy rate in IHG’s properties. Dubai led the way with 80 per cent occupancy, followed by Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

In the next three months, the region has 25 per cent more bookings at IHG hotels compared with the same quarter last year, he added.

“In terms of our rolling growth, we’re very optimistic,” Mr Mattar said.

Source: The National

China airline and KQ revive suspended interline deal

China Southern Airlines (CZ) and national carrier Kenya Airways (KQ) have renewed their interline agreement, which was suspended in April 2020 in a move that set to grow their reach across Asia and Africa.

The deal, which takes effect at once, will restore connectivity for both airlines’ passengers to points on the respective carriers’ networks via Nairobi, Guangzhou and Shanghai using a single ticket and one baggage policy.

The agreement, which was halted after KQ stopped flying to China following the outbreak of Coronavirus will enhance connectivity options that KQ will offer to its passengers via access to domestic China destinations operated by China Southern Airline.

These routes include Shanghai, Chongqing, Changsha, Chengdu, Dalian, Fuzhou, Hefei, Hangzhou, Nanchang, Kunming, Guiyang, Ningbo, Nanjing, Nanning, Shenyang, Shantou, Sanya, Qingdao, Jinan and Tianjin among others.

Global destinations operated by China Southern will include Bangkok, Hanoi, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Penang, Seoul, Singapore, Tokyo, Sydney, Auckland and Melbourne.

“China Southern passengers will also benefit from access to KQ’s network of seamless connections to cities beyond Nairobi to African destinations such as Dar es Salaam, Entebbe, Kigali, Kinshasa, Bujumbura, Johannesburg, Cape Town, Douala, Mauritius, and other points,” said Kenya Airways in a statement on Thursday.

China Southern Airlines and Kenya Airways are both members of the SkyTeam alliance.

The Chinese carrier made its inaugural flight to Kenya from Guangzhou in 2015, in a move expected to boost the tourism sector but also raise the competition bar for KQ.

The airline since its entry into Kenya has been targeting local travellers who import products from China.

It also hopes to get business from tourists visiting the two countries and students on exchange programmes.

Source: Business Daily

South Africa tourism board to be dissolved

South Africa’s new tourism minister Patricia de Lille is expected to dissolve the country’s tourism board on 21 April.

She will appoint a three-member team to take over the functions of the board as an interim solution.

There had been an outrcry recently over the R-billion sponsorships deal with English Premier League football club Tottenham Hotspur – subsequently shelved – as well as much criticism over the board’s performance over recent years and accusations of sexual harassment by two board members of staff.

The tourism board has been in disarray and has had four chairpersons since last September.

De Lille (pictured), who took over the tourism portfolio after Lindiwe Sisulu was axed from the cabinet last month, said that not only had board members failed to respond to her letter placing them on terms, but eight of the 11 members, including chairperson Thozamile Botha, had resigned since 7 April.

De Lille said she had “outlined a number of serious concerns”, including the Tottenham deal; the composition of the board and the skills, competence and qualifications of its members and serious allegations raised.

De Lille said the remaining three members could not form a quorum and that the board was no longer functional.

“In all the circumstances, I believe that good cause exists to dissolve the board and I shall do so officially through the Government Gazette on Friday 21 April 2023,” De Lille said in a statement.  “I will also officially gazette the appointment of a team of three persons to manage the affairs of the board until the appointment of a new board.”

Source: CMW

Qatar Airways Plots Morocco Return With The Boeing 787

From Doha, the airline will fly to Casablanca and Marrakesh with a single flight.

Qatar Airways is enhancing its international route network by resuming flights to two significant Moroccan cities. From June 30, the airline will serve Casablanca and Marrakesh from its Doha Hamad International Airport (DOH) base.

Qatar Airways will operate four weekly flights to Casablanca Mohammed V International (CMN) and Marrakesh Menara International (RAK) airports on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Passengers on this route will experience Qatar’s exquisite service on the Boeing 787-8 with a 22 business class and 232 economy class configuration. The flight schedule is as follows:

Flight QR1397:

  • Departs DOH at 09:15 and arrives at CMN at 15:10.
  • Departs CMN at 16:30 and arrives at RAK at 17:25.

Flight QR1398:

  • Departs RAK at 18:55 and arrives at CMN at 19:45.
  • Departs CMN at 21:20 and arrives at DOH at 06:30+1 local time.

Increased connectivity

With the addition of Casablanca and Marrakesh, passengers can now enjoy connectivity to over 160 destinations on the airline’s global network. Marrakesh is the fourth-largest city in Morocco and one of the four imperial cities. Tourists admire it for its diversity and rich heritage.

Casablanca is the largest city in Morocco and is one of the most popular tourist destinations in North Africa. It is famous for its blend of “old” and “new,” with an appeal that showcases modern infrastructure while retaining traditional Moroccan architecture.

Qatar and Morocco have had a great diplomatic relationship for years, with Qatar being one of Morocco’s largest foreign investors. The two countries were brought even closer by the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The North African nation reached the semi-finals, which saw a record number of Moroccans visiting Qatar during the tournament. Qatar Airways CEO Mr Akbar Al Baker said;

“The Qatar Airways’ flights to Casablanca and Marrakesh solidify our commitment to the Moroccan market and meet a strong demand for connectivity to these two beautiful and historic cities. The FIFA World Cup 2022TM brought Qatar and Morocco together through football and bolstered our cultural and economic cohesion. Connecting through our Hamad International Airport offers passengers an unparalleled 5-star travel experience to over 160 destinations and continues to grow and expand our network.”

Summer schedule

Qatar Airways will operate flights to Casablanca throughout the summer season. On the other hand, Marrakesh will be served as a seasonal tag, with flights from June 30 to September 11. The airline’s customers can also enjoy more travel options between Doha and Casablanca through its codeshare partnership with Royal Air Maroc.

With world air travel close to pre-pandemic levels, Qatar Airways continues to expand its roots in Africa. However, a recent unfortunate turn of events has led to the suspension of some African destinations.

Due to the unrest in Sudan, the airline has discontinued its service to the North African nation. Sudan has closed its airspace, and QR announced that it would not be operating any flights on the Doha-Khartoum and Khartoum-Doha routes indefinitely. The closure of the Sudanese airspace has significantly affected many airlines as they have to reroute flights around the continent.

Source: Simple Flying

Major hotel chains race to expand in Africa

Luxury hotels are expanding in Africa, with Marriott, Radisson Blu and Hyatt leading the way with new developments and acquisitions.

As international travellers troop back to Africa, some of the world’s major hotel chains are re-igniting a multi-billion dollar expansion race that began pre-pandemic.

Marriott, Radisson Blu and Hyatt are heading the race for a bigger slice of Africa’s hospitality pie as they ramp up their presence, mainly through acquisitions and property management deals and push their select-service brands across the continent.

American multinational hospitality company Hyatt Hotels Corporation recently announced it would re-establish its presence in South Africa with the Park Hyatt Johannesburg in late 2023 and expand in Morocco with the Park Hyatt Marrakech.

American hotel brand, Marriott International is eyeing over 30 hotel openings with over 5,000 rooms in Africa by the close of 2024, attributing the growth of the travel and tourism sector across the continent behind its aggressive expansion in the region.

“We continue to see opportunities to expand in major gateway cities, commercial centres, and resort destinations across Africa, while catering to the region’s ever-changing and evolving markets through our diverse range of extraordinary brands,” said Karim Cheltout, the regional vice president of lodging development for Africa.

Protea Hotels by Marriott, currently with over 60 hotels across nine countries, will add 10 more, including the brand’s first properties in Kenya, Malawi, and Angola. In South Africa, the brand is expected to open five new hotels.

Marriott’s Four Points by Sheraton brand will make a foray into Uganda, Senegal, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Cape Verde. The brand also expects to open its second property in Nigeria, the Four Points by Sheraton Ikot Ekpene.

The anticipated launch of Delta Hotels by Marriott Dar es Salaam Oyster Bay in Tanzania in 2023 will mark its foray into Africa’s luxury and premium brands market.

Marriott also plans the introduction of the Westin Hotels & Resorts brand in Ethiopia and The Ritz-Carlton and St. Regis brands in Morocco. In addition, it will introduce its first luxury safari property in Kenya.

“Marriott International’s current portfolio in Africa encompasses nearly 130 properties and more than 23,000 rooms across 20 countries,” the hotel said in a statement.

In December 2022, Radisson Hotel Group opened its first safari resort in Africa – Radisson Blu Mosi-oa-Tunya Livingstone Resort, Zambia – as part of its strategy to reach 150 hotels in the region by 2025.

“This hotel is our second property in Zambia, following the opening of Radisson Blu Hotel, Lusaka, with a third hotel, Park Inn by Radisson Lusaka, Longacres, due to open in 2023,” said Radisson Hotel Group chief commercial officer for the Middle East and Africa, Tim Cordon.

Dubai-based hotel brand LEVA is also eyeing five African countries – Ethiopia, Egypt, Morocco, Uganda and Nigeria – targeting the underserved and affordable luxury market.

According to the UNWTO tourism barometer, Africa has seen a more than doubling of international arrivals from 19.4 million in 2021 to 45 million in 2022. This has so far translated to a pre-pandemic recovery rate of about 65%.

Source: How we made it in Africa