Travel Industry News

Etihad Airways Launches New Destination Management Company – Hala Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi, March 3rd, 2010 Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, is expanding the range of services it offers business and leisure travellers with the launch today of its new destination management company – Hala Abu Dhabi.

Hala Abu Dhabi will be based in the nation’s capital but offer travel products, services and activities throughout all seven Emirates of the UAE.

Peter Baumgartner, Etihad Airways chief commercial officer, said: “Etihad Airways already plays a crucial role in bringing visitors to Abu Dhabi, and the introduction of Hala Abu Dhabi will enable us to take that role a step further at what is a very exciting time for tourism in the region. Through Hala Abu Dhabi, we will offer a range of unique ground services and travel solutions to visitors to the UAE, further supporting Abu Dhabi’s goal of becoming one of the world’s most attractive business and leisure destinations.

“We look forward to working closely with our destination partners and tourism services in Abu Dhabi and across all seven Emirates to provide a one-stop inbound tourism shop delivering integrated travel solutions and unique experiences of consistently high quality”, he added.

Etihad Airways has brought together an experienced team of specialists to work on the Hala Abu Dhabi portfolio.

Dubai International traffic increases signal industry rebound

Dubai, Feb. 23rd, 2010 Dubai International airport started the New Year on a high node with more than 3.86 million passengers using the facility in January 2010.

This is the eighth consecutive month of double-digit passenger traffic growth and the highest single month passenger total ever recorded at Dubai International surpassing the previous record of 3.81 million passengers in December 2009.

According to the monthly traffic figures announced by Dubai Airports today, passenger traffic swelled to 3,861,525 in January 2010 as compared to 3,300,907 in January 2009, an increase of 17 per cent.

Cargo continued its strong upward trend with the fourth consecutive month of double-digit increases with freight volumes surging 31.5 per cent. Dubai Airports Cargo handled 171,453 tonnes of freight in January 2010 compared to 130,375 tonnes during the same month in 2009. Air freight traffic is widely viewed as a leading indicator of economic activity.

“Dubai is on the leading edge of a rebound in global air traffic,” said Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports. “Dubai International has been registering robust growth since the second quarter of 2009 when the industry’s key hubs were still recording negative growth. Globally, recent IATA and ACI figures indicate the gradual return of passenger and cargo volumes as the world economy improves. January’s impressive increases at Dubai International are a promising sign that an industry recovery is indeed underway.” The steep increase in freight volumes in January is the result of a surge in economic activity as well as the continued expansion of Emirates Skycargo both of which contributed to a 39.9 per cent rise in trans-shipments, a 33.6 per cent increase in exports and a 29.3 per cent uplift in imports.

“Freight growth is likely to continue throughout the rest of the year as additional capacity comes on line and global cargo movement picks up,” said Griffiths. A portion of that traffic growth will be accommodated at Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International when it opens in June for cargo operations.

Dubai International leads the world’s top 50 airports in passenger traffic growth, according to Airports Council International’s (ACI) latest figures. Dubai International has also climbed two positions in as many months to become the world’s fourth busiest major airport for international passengers. Dubai International is the fifth busiest hub for international cargo.

Dubai International recorded 9.2% passenger traffic increase and 5.6% cargo growth in 2009 compared to 3.5% downturn in international passenger traffic and 10.1% contraction in international cargo volume globally as reported by IATA.

SNTTA Emir Cruises To Handle Ground Arrangements Of Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance Of The Seas In 3 UAE Ports

SNTTA Emir Cruises, the cruise management division of SNTTA Emir Tours, has been appointed by Royal Caribbean Cruise Ltd (RCCL) to handle the ground arrangements for its super-luxury ship “Brilliance of the Seas” which begins its maiden Gulf cruise on January 18 from Dubai.

Dubai Tours Dubai Safari & Other Excursion may be booked privatly also by Exotic Dubai Tours

SNTTA Emir Tours, part of the UAE-based Liberty Investment Company (Liberty Group), will handle all shore excursions in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Fujairah. In addition, they will handle embarkation, disembarkation, airport and hotel transfers in Dubai as well as provide trained check-in teams at the Dubai Cruise Terminal.

Brilliance of the Seas will do weekly Arabian Gulf sailings that will begin and end in Dubai, and cover Muscat, Fujairah, Abu Dhabi and Bahrain on its route. Royal Caribbean’s entry into the region’s emerging cruise market is expected to give a big boost to tourism as the bulk of the guests will be coming from North America, UK and Germany.

“SNTTA Emir Cruises has been an exclusive partner of RCCL for over ten years, having handled the ground arrangements of all of its ships, including the famed Legend of the Seas and Azamara Quest,” said David Milican, Senior General Manager, SNTTA Emir Tours. “We are one of the few destination management companies that have an experienced team specialised in all aspects of a cruise ship’s ground requirements. We are, therefore, very excited to be handling the first seasonal tour of Brilliance of the Seas.”

“The entry of Royal Caribbean International in the Gulf cruise sector is a milestone that will dramatically change the tourism landscape in the region,” added Milican. “Though there are three cruise companies operating weekly sailings, the region still holds tremendous potential for the cruise industry. SNTTA Emir Cruises’ long-term strategy is to boost our market share further as cruising picks up momentum, driven by Dubai’s ambitious plan to become the No. 1 cruise hub of the region.”

Helen Beck, Regional Director, International Representatives-EMEA, Royal Caribbean International, said: “We are very much looking forward to widening our itinerary offering to our guests by positioning Brilliance of the Seas in Dubai and the Arabian Gulf. This is the first time that we have committed one of our ships to this region and, with the support and experience of our long term land partner, SNTTA Emir Tours, we feel certain of success.”

Brilliance of the Seas, which has 1,050 staterooms, has won wide acclaim for its many attractions, such as the open Centrum with ten-deck-high windows and ocean-facing glass elevators, a mini golf course, rock climbing wall, water slide and ultra hi-tech, self-leveling pool tables in its Bombay Billiards Club. The cruise ship will do weekly sailings in the Arabian Gulf between January and April, 2010.

SNTTA Emir Cruises is all set to play its key role of facilitating the movement of passengers, designing shore excursions and choosing tours that will give the tourists the right sampling of the culture and heritage of the UAE. This is seen as very crucial, as the passengers will be Western tourists, most of them visiting the UAE for the very first time.

According to Dubai’s Department of Tourism & Commerce Marketing (DTCM) projections, cruise tourism is set to grow 30 per cent in 2010. The new Dubai Cruise Terminal, which will be formally inaugurated in early February, is expected to host 120 ships and around 325,000 cruise tourists in 2010 (against 250,000 in 2009). The new terminal will enable Dubai to handle bigger cruise liners, and has been designed to accommodate up to four ships simultaneously

UAE joins IATA statement of principles for liberalization

Montreal, 23 Nov. 2009 The United Arab Emirates, represented by the its representative to ICAO Capt. Ayesha Al Hamili, signed the multilateral statement of policy principles regarding the implementation of bilateral air service agreements, at the International Air Transport Association (IATA) 2nd Agenda for Freedom convened from 14 – 16 November.

This industry initiative, which was also signed by Chile, Malaysia, Panama, Singapore, Switzerland, the United States of America, as well as the European Commission, seeks to advance liberalization in international air transport.

The Multilateral Statement of Policy Principles addresses three main areas: Freedom to access capital markets: principles that would open the possibility for airlines to access global capital markets. This would be achieved with an agreement not to exercise bilateral rights that could allow them to block international services from airlines with non-national ownership structures.

Participating states agreed that relaxation of long-overdue “substantial ownership” and “effective control” rules in international air transport may provide easier access to world’s capital markets, facilitate restructuring and reduce high barriers to exit.

Freedom to do business: principles oriented at reducing restrictions on market access and to expedite the further opening of markets in future bilateral negotiations.

Freedom to price services: principles that would allow greater freedom to price airline services in line with market realities.

All participating states and IATA recognized and relentlessly supported the essential role that ICAO plays in advancing liberalization in international air transport.

The UAE underscored that while the airline industry has a legitimate right to raise this issue, governments also have the genuine right to request that the concept of liberalization be authentically embraced by all airlines. The UAE has extensive experience with some foreign airlines that, either individually or as part of world’ alliances, act in a contrary manner to the liberalization agenda by aggressively lobbying their governments to deny, minimize, or request withdrawal of market access rights of other competing airlines.

While suggesting that other governments, not represented at this summit, also be invited to endorse this commendable initiative, the UAE made very clear that it will continue to pursue a second stage of the liberalization agenda where traffic rights are included.

NBAD, DVB to launch US$ 1b aviation investment fund

ABU DHABI, Sep. 27th, 2009: National Bank of Abu Dhabi (”NBAD”) and DVB Bank SE (”DVB”) have signed an agreement to launch a new aviation investment fund. The new fund will invest in aviation assets, principally aircraft and engines on lease to international airlines.

“NBAD and DVB will act as 50%-50% joint venture partners in establishing and managing the fund. As sponsors of the aviation fund, NBAD and DVB will also proportionately invest in the fund alongside the investor base primarily from the UAE and other GCC countries”, according to a joint press release.

“It is expected that the fund will acquire approximately US$1 Billion in assets over the next two years,” it added.

The fund represents the first major cooperation between NBAD and DVB, and both organisations bring complimentary skills and expertise to the fund.

Ranked as one of the top 50 safest banks in the world, NBAD currently operates across 13 countries on four continents. It has a broad range of products and services to proactively suit the demands of its growing client base.

DVB Bank SE is the leading global specialist in international transport finance. It offers integrated financing solutions and advisory services in respect of Aviation, Shipping and Land Transport. DVB is a market leader in the aviation finance sector and has received several awards for innovative financings, including Middle East Debt Deal of the Year (2008) by Jane’s Transport Finance.

“We are very keen on working in partnership with the best in class, and in this regard we are delighted to have DVB, a prestigious name in the aviation financing industry, as a partner and co-investor in this important new fund,” said Mr. Mark Yassin, Senior General Manager of NBAD’s Corporate ‘&’ Investment Banking Division.

“We are committed to supporting the aviation industry as well as to bring high quality investment opportunities to our clients. We look forward to providing much needed capital to the industry” Mr. Yassin explained.

“NBAD’s outstanding loans for transport sector increased to AED 6.36 billion by the end of 2008 compared to AED 5.16 billion in 2007. This demonstrates NBAD commitment to keep pace with the development of the UAE as it plays a major role in building the country” Mr. Yassin concluded.

“At DVB, we are delighted to be working with the number one banking institution in the Middle East on this exciting new venture,” said Mr. Bertrand Grabowski, Member of the Board of Managing Directors of DVB.

“DVB and NBAD recognise the opportunity to provide both much needed capital to the industry and bring new investment opportunities in aviation to the market. We believe this is an opportune time to be investing in aviation assets” he added.

About NABD: (http://www.nbad.com) Ranked as one of the top 50 safest banks in the world, NBAD currently operates across 13 countries on four continents. It has a broad range of products and services to proactively suit the demands of its growing client base.

About DVB Bank SE (http://www.dvbbank.com) DVB is the leading global specialist in international transport finance. It offers integrated financing solutions and advisory services in respect of Aviation, Shipping and Land Transport.  DVB is a market leader in the aviation finance sector and has received several awards for innovative financings, including Middle East Debt Deal of the Year (2008) by Jane’s Transport Finance.

DVB enjoys a unique position, thanks to its focus on the global transport market. As a highly specialized niche provider we offer our clients a range of customised products and services.

With offices in 13 pivotal locations, we has a worldwide presence in the transport markets and their various segments. This global presence enables us to take into account both the international dimension and the local specifies of the markets in which our approximately 500 clients in Shipping, Aviation and Land Transport Finance operate

Air Arabia receives IOSA registration

WAM Sharjah, 1 Sept, 2009 (WAM) – Air Arabia, the first and largest low-cost carrier (LCC) in the Middle East and North Africa, announced today that it has successfully completed the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA), an internationally recognised evaluation system designed to assess the operational management and control systems of an airline.

This in-depth audit, which was conducted by auditors from the Accredited Audit Organisation, Aviation Quality Services GmbH, over a period of 5 days, covered Air Arabia’s corporate organisation and management structure, flight operations, flight dispatch, aircraft engineering and maintenance, ground handling, cargo operations and airline security.

IOSA registration is awarded by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to those airlines demonstrating conformity with the comprehensive IOSA standards. Currently, some 327 airlines worldwide have received this registration.

“As the pioneer in the region’s low-cost carrier sector, Air Arabia is committed to ensuring the highest standards of safety and operational excellence,” said Adel Ali, Group Chief Executive Officer of Air Arabia. “Receiving IOSA registration is therefore an important milestone in our ongoing journey to sustained growth and expansion.

Recently, Air Arabia was ranked first on the Top Performing Companies chart (TPC) as the best low-cost carrier (LCC) globally, in a study conducted by Aviation Week magazine, the largest information and services provider to the global aviation industry.

flydubai Expands Operations in Africa

Dubai, 1st Sept. 2009 flydubai, Dubai’s first low dfare airline, added a second African destination to its network today when flight FZ601 touched down at Djibouti Ambouli International Airport.

The new service will operate three times a week, on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.

Ghaith Al Ghaith, CEO of flydubai, said: “One of the reasons flydubai was set up was to operate to second tier cities that are currently underserved by airlines flying out of Dubai. While these cities may not be large enough markets for the bigger airlines, there is still a significant amount of traffic from these markets and we believe they will be important and profitable routes for flydubai.

“Djibouti has long established commercial links with Dubai, including DP World, which operates the Port of Djibouti.

“As one of the very few airlines to offer direct flights to this relatively small destination, we anticipate strong demand from both the business and leisure markets.

“We are looking forward to offering customers travelling between Dubai and Djibouti the option of flying on our comfortable and safe Boeing 737-800s and we are confident many people will want to take advantage of the flydubai promise to make travel a little less complex, a little less stressful and a little less expensive.” With a population of just half a million people, Djibouti is roughly half the size of Abu Dhabi, with a land mass of 23,000 km2 encompassing desert, highlands and plateaus. Djibouti is a republic which was formed in 1977, when the country gained independence from France. The national languages are Arabic and French.

Bordered by Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia, Djibouti has a long history as a trading port and is strategically located on the Gulf of Aden.

H.E.M Ali Hassan Bahdon, the Djibouti Minister of Equipment and Transport, said the new route is a great benefit to Djibouti nationals and expatriates living in the country: “The flydubai service brings us closer to many more destinations and makes our country more accessible – it will bring new visitors to boost tourism and will make the trading links with Dubai much more easily accessible. This new service is excellent news for everyone who lives and works here.” Djibouti is flydubai’s second African destination after Alexandria and the sixth destination on the network, which also includes Beirut, Amman, Damascus and Aleppo.

Emirates to serve second UK gateway with an A380 – for a day

Dubai, 16th July 2009 An Emirates’ super-jumbo is to serve a second UK gateway – but passengers wanting to enjoy the ride between Dubai and Birmingham better be quick.

In what is likely to be one of Emirates’ briefest commercial deployments, an A380 will serve Birmingham for just one day on September 9th, as part of Birmingham International Airport’s 70th anniversary celebrations.

The much talked about double-decker will be used on one of Emirates’ two daily services to Birmingham, giving passengers the first chance to fly directly to or from Birmingham on the A380.

Tim Clark, President Emirates Airline, says: “Emirates and Birmingham International Airport have enjoyed a successful partnership since we started services in 2000, and it’s fitting that we should mark this significant milestone in the airport’s history by flying in our most talked about aircraft.

“We hope that many travellers from around the region will take advantage of this opportunity to fly on the superjumbo for the first time. With the range of amenities we have on board, including the world’s first Onboard Shower Spas in First Class, we are sure they won’t be disappointed.” Joe Kelly, Birmingham International Airport’s Deputy Chief Executive Officer, said: “Our 70th anniversary is a fantastic milestone for the airport and we are delighted that Emirates is helping us celebrate our birthday with the A380. Additionally, this is the first commercial flight of an A380 outside of London Heathrow in the UK.” Mr Kelly added: “As well as our 70th anniversary, September 9th is also the date that our new 45 million pound International Pier opens. The Pier replaces the existing Pier, constructed in 1984, with state of the art facilities and it is therefore very fitting that the first aircraft will be the Emirates’ A380″

Emirates Airline Lands at ITB to Reaffirm Commitment to Travel Industry

Dubai,10th March 2009 (WAM) – Emirates Airline has moved to stabilise some of the turbulence around the travel industry by standing firm in its support for ITB, the world’s largest travel trade show.

Emirates is A long-established participant at the International Tourism Bourse, which runs March 11th-15th, the airline has returned with its giant, rotating Emirates Globe stand, demonstrating its global appeal.

Buzzing with exhibitors from 180 countries, such as hotels, tourist boards, tour operators, carriers and travel agents, ITB has come a long way since 1966, when just five overseas countries participated – Brazil, Egypt, the Federal Republic of Germany, Guinea and Iraq.

Nabil Sultan, Emirates’ Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations, Europe, said: “ITB is an important driving force for the travel industry and it is important that Emirates should attend and support the show, particularly during these testing times. This is a good opportunity to get together with contacts, business partners and speak to the world from our spectacular Emirates Globe in one of our key markets.” Sultan added: “While the travel industry may have slowed, Emirates continues to push ahead, with the key word for this year being consolidation. We are taking a forensic approach to pricing to make sure that our products and services have maximum appeal at a time when we appreciate that our customers are increasingly cost-conscious.” The giant 9.5 metre high stand, with its 65-metre circumference, had its European debut at ITB last year. The structure has the capacity to slowly rotate 360 degrees every 30 minutes, a real head turning feature for curious exhibition goers.

Primarily, the stand will showcase Emirates Hotels and Resorts. Room set ups on the ground floor whisk you away to Al Maha Desert Resort ‘&’ Spa, which this year is celebrating its 10th anniversary. Another display features the Wolgan Valley Resort ‘&’ Spa, also a conservation-based resort, set to open this October in Australia’s Blue Mountains.

The first floor provides spacious areas for business meetings, private conference rooms and catering facilities. The top floor provides a large VIP area and majlis for hosting guests. On the fringes of the stand, visitors will be able to sample the exquisite First Class Suites onboard Emirates (available on the latest Emirates’ 777-200 and 777-300ER and A380 aircraft) in a specially recreated cabin area. An array of audio and visual displays supplement this gigantic exhibit, the result of 22,000 hours of exhaustive creative and technical work.

Dr. Christian Goeke, Chief Operating Officer for the organisers, Messe Berlin, said: “We consider it to be an impressive indication of commitment and faith in ITB Berlin and its international importance within the industry, that a globally-active company such as Emirates has continued, over many years, to choose Germany and Berlin as the location for its largest trade-fair presence outside its home market”.

Last week, Emirates announced plans to bring 2,000 travel agents, tour operators and MICE agents from around the world to Dubai on a series of 3-day familiarisation trips, as part of a “Keep Discovering Dubai” campaign.

Emirates Airline announces 2009 expansion plan

WAM Dubai, 18th Feb. 2009 Emirates Airline unveiled plans to grow the number of flights across its network by 14% in 2009, today.

This year, the Dubai based carrier will added 18 new passenger aircraft to its fleet, increasing seating capacity by 14% and enabling it to start new routes as well as increase frequencies on many existing routes. It will also expand cargo capacity by 17%.

The additional frequencies will afford passengers a greater choice of flights, more frequent connections with their target markets and shorter, more convenient connection times.

Emirates currently has a fleet of 129 wide-bodied aircrafts. By the end of the 2008-09 financial year (ending 31st March 2009), that figure will stand at 132, including four superjumbo Airbus A380s. The carrier will welcome a further seven A380s in fiscal year 2009-10 (ending 31st March 2010), as well as 10 Boeing 777-300ER, one 777-200LR and one Boeing 777 freighter.

HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline and Group, said, ‘The next year is not going to be an easy ride for the airline industry. Emirates has prepared the best we can for the challenges we foresee, but we also see it as a time of opportunity. 2009, with our significant capacity increase, will be a year of consolidation for us, with fewer new routes launched than in previous years.’ ‘Instead, we will concentrate on strengthening our presence on routes where there is a greater demand from our customers. All of our new capacity will be deployed in markets where we see growth potential, particularly Africa and the Middle East,’ he added.

Indeed, Emirates’ fastest growing markets are Africa and the Middle East, recording 17% and 6% growth respectively in the last 12 months. To this end, Emirates recently added a second daily flight to Lagos.

It will also introduce services from Dubai to Durban, South Africa on 1st October 2009. The route will be served by a two-class, 278-seat Airbus A330-200 which can carry up to 14 tonnes of cargo into the port city.

Last month, Emirates announced a vast Middle East expansion plan taking the number of seats in the region to 50,000 on 180 flights a week. Additional services to Amman, Riyadh, Jeddah, Kuwait and Damascus were started recently.

Emirates has added 32 weekly flights to its existing Indian services since November. The enhanced capacity means customers now have a choice of 163 weekly flights into 10 gateways in the country.

As new aircraft come online, both Los Angeles and San Francisco – Emirates’ newest routes, launched in October and December – will go from thrice weekly to daily from May. The extra services will add more than 2,000 seats a week between the US west coast and Dubai, which is more than a 100% increase on the current 1,600 seats.

Increased capacity was added to Australia with additional daily flights to Brisbane and Melbourne, taking the total number of flights a week to 63 effective 1st February. Later this year, a third daily service to Sydney will be added. On 1st February, Emirates became the first carrier to operate commercial A380 flights into New Zealand with the launch of its Dubai-Sydney-Auckland service. Operated by a 489-seat Airbus A380 three times a week, it will go daily from 1st May.

Plans are also afoot to deploy superjumbos on Dubai-Seoul and Dubai-Singapore services in November and December respectively.

The first A380 flight between Dubai and Seoul’s Incheon International Airport will depart in November, while the Singapore service will start in December and initially run four times weekly.

In Europe, Emirates has already embarked on an expansion programme. In recent months it has commenced double daily flights into Milan, increased Istanbul services to 11 flights a week, increased services on the Larnaca-Malta route to seven times weekly and Nice flights to five times weekly. Second daily services into Moscow and Athens are also planned for March.

In total, the additional capacity will see more than 8,635 seats and around 600 tonnes of cargo capacity added to the Emirates fleet.

‘Emirates has recorded an annual growth rate of 20% over the last five years,’ reported HH Sheikh Ahmed. ‘In the last two years alone, we have launched 11 new passenger and three cargo-only routes. In 2007, with the launch of its Dubai-Sao Paulo service, we became the first – and only – carrier to fly to six continents non-stop from a single hub.’ Established in October 1985 with flights to Karachi and Mumbai, Emirates Airline today directly serves 101 cities in 61 countries. In October 2008, the Emirates dedicated Terminal 3 at Dubai International Airport opened. With a total built-up area of 515,000 sq metres and the capability of handling 43 million passengers annually, the 10-storey concourse was specifically designed with Emirates’ future growth plans in mind.

In 2008, 22 million Emirates passengers passed through Dubai International Airport – an 11% increase on 2007.

Air Arabia records annual net profit of AED 510 million, up 35.6 per cent

Sharjah, 15 Feb, 2009 (WAM) – Air Arabia (PJSC), the Middle East and North Africa’s first and largest lowfare airline, has announced its financial results for the year 2008.

According to the results the company achieved a net profit of AED 510 million for the financial year ending December 31, 2008, compared to a net profit of AED 376 million in 2007, an increase of 35.6 per cent.

The carrier posted a turnover of AED 2.066 billion in 2008, up 61 per cent compared to AED 1.283 billion in 2007. Passenger average load factor – passengers carried as a proportion of available seats – stood at 85 per cent.

Overall, a total of 3.6 million discerning passengers chose to fly with Air Arabia in 2008. This is an increase of 33 per cent compared to 2.7 million passengers in 2007.

For the fourth quarter of 2008, Air Arabia posted a net profit of AED 136 million, up 45.4 per cent compared to AED 93.49 million during the fourth quarter of 2007. For the fourth quarter of 2008, the carrier posted a turnover of AED 571 million, up 53.3 per cent compared to AED 372.37 million in same period of 2007. During the fourth quarter of 2008, the airline served 959,067 passengers, an increase of 29 per cent compared to 745,000 passengers during the same period in 2007.

Commenting on the results, Sheikh Abdullah Bin Mohammad Al Thani, Chairman of Air Arabia, said: “2008 was a landmark year for Air Arabia, and this is reflected in our robust financial results. Air Arabia has managed to sustain growth and announce record profits in 2008. Therefore, the Board of Directors has proposed distributing a 10 per cent cash dividend to the company’s shareholders, which allows them to share in Air Arabia’s success while maintaining sufficient capital to ensure the implementation of the carrier’s long-term growth strategy.” He added: “2009 will see serious challenges to the worldwide aviation industry, driven by the impact of the global financial crisis and lower levels of consumer confidence. This uncertainty about the future will place additional pressure on the bottom lines and earnings expectations of airlines across the globe

“At Air Arabia, we remain focused on our core objectives and the implementation of our successful business model, building upon our expansion strategy and offering compelling value propositions to our customers. Now more than ever, low-cost carriers are an attractive option for travellers seeking value for money.” In 2008, Air Arabia introduced seven new destinations, and now serves 44 destinations across the Middle East, North Africa, Indian Subcontinent, Eastern Europe and Central Asia. The carrier also announced its new hub in Morocco that is set to commence operations by the end of first quarter of 2009. Air Arabia also announced the launch of a 300-room budget hotel, and introduced new services such as its early check-in procedure and seat selection.

The company’s exceptional performance in 2008 was recognised through several industry awards. Air Arabia was named “Low-Cost Carrier of the Year” for the second consecutive year at the Aviation Business Awards 2008. In addition, Air Arabia won the coveted AVEX award for Best Regional Airline at the prestigious AVEX award ceremony in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.

The carrier won the World Travel Award for Best Low-Cost Carrier in MENA, hailed as the Oscars of the travel industry. Air Arabia was named Best Low-Cost Airline in the Middle East and Africa at the prestigious Budgie Awards, part of the World Low-Cost Airlines Congress, held in London, UK. In May 2008, Air Arabia received the gold award in the best airline category at the MENA Travel Awards 2008.

دبي القابضة تدمج العمليات المساندة لشركاتها العقارية

دبي فى 15 فبراير/وام/أعلنت دبي القابضة عن دمج كافة العمليات المساندة لشركات التطوير العقاري الثلاث المنضوية تحت مظلتها

وقالت الشركة في بيان لها اليوم إنه سيتم دمج العمليات المساندة لمجموعة دبي للعقارات وسما دبي وشركة مزن العضو في تطوير وإسناد هذه العمليات إلى جهة تنفيذية واحدة مؤكدة في نفس الوقت أنه لن يطرأ أية تغييرات على ملكية هذه الشركات الثلاث أو أنشطتها الرئيسية.

وأكد البيان أن هذه الخطوة لن يكون لها أي تأثير على العلاقات القانونية التي تربط هذه الشركات مع كافة أطراف السوق وشركائها سواء من المستثمرين أو المقاولين أو الاستشاريين حيث إن الغرض منها تعزيز مستوى الكفاءة والفاعلية للعمليات المساندة.

Premier Inn Middle East Slashes 30% rates for its budget hotels

Premier Inn Middle East, a joint venture of Emirates and UK-based holding company Whitbread, has reduced the daily room rates to AED350 (US $95.3) from AED495 ($134.8) until the end of September, in response to a slow tourism in the emirate specially after DSF.

The company has sites under construction at Dubai International Airport and Dubai Silicon Oasis, where the second Dubai property will open in early May this year and where the rate will also be AED350. Construction will start on two sites in Abu Dhabi shortly, the company said.

Premier Inn is one of the UK’s biggest hotel brand with over 580 hotels and almost 40,000 rooms across the UK and in Ireland. It is owned by hotel and restaurant company Whitbread, which also owns Starbucks coffee rival Costa Coffee.

Dubai Hotel Reservations Dubai Desert Safari

Middleeast Tourism Marketing Summit in Dubai in December

DUBAI – Dubai has been chosen as the host destination for the first Middle East Tourism Marketing Summit to be held in December 2009. Under the Patronage of Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), and supported by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry, the event has been hailed as an “essential platform” for tourism marketing professionals in the middle east to support their business in the challenging times.

“The summit will be an opportunity for tourism industry professionals to meet with industry specialists and exchange new, essential, business information,” said Jerad Bachar, director of the Dubai Convention Bureau on behalf of Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing. “It’s no secret that the tourism industry is feeling the effect of a tightening, global economy, and through initiatives such as the summit, Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing hopes to assist in equipping Middle East tourism marketing industry professionals with the tools to successfully manage their businesses through challenging times.”

Presented and conceived of by Dubai-based Fusion Marketing Management, the summit is expected to host international tourism marketing professionals and leaders in the travel marketing discipline. The event will take place over one and a half days at the Ottoman Palace by Rixos, on the Palm, Dubai providing a new and unique destination resort experience as a backdrop for debate and discussion. The format will be varied based on potential delegate feedback, as identified in a recent survey, to include both panel discussions and speaker sessions in addition to presentations and site tours, ensuring attendees are exposed to a wide range of information and news pertaining to the Middle East and global marketing in the tourism industry.

“Marketing matters in times of challenge, which world economies are now facing,” commented summit organizer and Fusion executive director, Nicki Page. “METMS:2009 will provide a platform for Middle East tourism marketing’s hottest issues to come up for discussion, and attendees will have the opportunity to voice their opinions about the region’s tourism industry and its future amongst industry colleagues and marketing leaders.”

Nicki Page of Fusion Marketing paid tribute to DTCM as well as the Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry for supporting such an initiative, which would assist the region’s marketing and finance professionals and general management in the industry drive demand for their product and services based on expert industry advice.

“In times of greatest challenge, the greatest opportunities can arise through re-evaluation and changing the paradigm of thinking. Through the summit, DTCM and our partners aim to assist the region’s tourism industry in a very tangible way, in helping to formulate long-term marketing strategies and developing networks and alliances that will stand the industry in good stead during the current economic climate,” she said.

The Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry, which welcomed proactive efforts to engage in positive business practice and promote business growth and sustainability, said that the summit would underline exactly this.

“The Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry is delighted to support the first dedicated Middle East Tourism Marketing Summit in Dubai. Tourism is a vital component to the success of our destination and the summit content will reflect the need for marketers within and associated to the tourism industry in the region, to stay ahead in terms of thinking, ideas, and services to cater to domestic, regional, and international tourism arrivals,” said a senior representative of the chamber.

UAE Tourism Council Planned

Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) has revealed that the idea is to create a federal body that deals with international travel and tourism-related agreements is planned and details of it will be soon provided.

“This new body planned, is a recognition of the importance of tourism to the UAE and I think it’s a very positive step,” ADTA director general His Excellency Mubarak Al Muhairi said.

“When you have an international agreement with a country, you need a federal body to handle that. For example, UNESCO prefers to deal with a state rather than a local body, so it will be very useful for agreements at that level and less confusing.”

He said the new tourism board will be actually a federal Tourism council which is still in the process of being formed, but stressed that local authorities such as the ADTA and Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) would still have the same “flexibility and power” to undertake their usual tasks
“Tourism is a big sector in the UAE and a federal body will provide a clearer structure for it,” said Al Muhairi. “Now issues on visas etc can be dealt with at federal level making life easier for everyone.”

Dubai Convention Bureau director Jerad Bachar expressed his views that he believed the reaction to such a tourism board would be “mixed” across the tourism industry. “It’s something everyone is willing to consider, but everything we have done in the past has been very focused on Dubai,” he said. “Everyone would be interested to hear how it will work, but some would go into it with caution.”

He was speaking as the DTCM announced the launch of its inaugural Middle East Tourism Marketing Summit (METMS), which will take place in Dubai in December and will advise some of the top industry executives how best to market tourism.