Kuwait adds 33 countries, including UAE, US to Covid-19 ‘high-risk’ list – reports

On Sunday, Kuwait extended its entry ban on foreign nationals indefinitely

Dubai’s Emirates operates first flight with vaccinated crew at all customer touchpoints

Close to 26,000 of the group’s frontline aviation workforce has been vaccinated with two doses

Kuwait entry ban

Kuwait suspends entry of foreigners until further notice

Kuwaiti nationals will continue to be allowed entry, but will be subject 14 days of quarantine, seven days of which will be in an institution

Dubai’s flydubai gears up for Boeing 737 MAX to rejoin fleet

The General Civil Aviation Authority approved the aircraft to return to service

Saudi opens new Arar airport with the capacity to serve one million passengers annually

The project, built at a cost of SAR382m, has the capacity to handle more than 10,000 flights per year

UAE aviation regulator clears Boeing 737 Max to fly again

Local airlines must first provide a plan for bringing the plane back safely

Etihad Gulf Air

UAE’s Etihad and Bahrain’s Gulf Air to expand codeshare agreement

By June 2021, Etihad and Gulf Air will be able to offer up to an additional 30 combined destinations beyond the Abu Dhabi and Bahrain hubs

Air Arabia Abu Dhabi

UAE low cost carrier Air Arabia resumes flights to Egypt’s Luxor

Twice weekly flights from Sharjah, operated using an Airbus A320 aircraft, will resume from February 23

Wizz Air Abu Dhabi to commence flights to Egypt, fares start from Dhs49

A total of 2,500 tickets priced at Dhs49, are on sale from February 17-18, on the airline’s website and mobile app

Dubai’s Emirates pauses Melbourne route, extends suspension of flights to South Africa

Flights to South Africa have been suspended until March 10

Dubai International Airport reports 70% dip in passenger traffic in 2020

A total of 2.19 million passengers travelled through the airport in December 2020

Oman Air abandons plan to expand fleet as pandemic poses risks

The carrier will target a fleet of 36 planes, down from the current 50

Luxury-jet market perks up as new buyers turn to private flying

Leisure trips are driving demand in the pandemic, as more of the world’s wealthy travelers opt for private flights instead of premium seating on jetliners

Emirates

Emirates suspends flights from Nigeria to Dubai until February 28

However, Emirates flights from Dubai to Lagos and Abuja will continue to operate as per the normal schedule

Etihad A380

Etihad’s focus on smaller aircraft puts fleet plans in limbo

Etihad has a fleet of 40 Dreamliners and potentially 11 more still to come after already trimming its order by 20 aircraft in 2019

UAE’s Etihad becomes world’s first airline to vaccinate entire flying crew

Over 75 per cent of the carrier’s entire workforce has already received at least one dose of the vaccine

Wizz Air Abu Dhabi

Wizz Air Abu Dhabi to begin flights to new destination in Egypt this month

One way fares from Abu Dhabi to Alexandria begin from Dhs182

Dubai’s Emirates to only carry Kuwaiti nationals on flights to the country

The directive is effective from February 7 until February 20, 2021

Denmark UAE flights

Denmark lifts ban on flights from UAE

All passengers must present a negative Covid-test no older than 24 hours before boarding a flight to Denmark

Dubai’s Emirates to only carry Saudi nationals on flights to the kingdom

Diplomatic passport holders and health practitioners alongside their families are exempted

Emirates mulls swapping a third of Boeing 777X orders to 787

The carrier is seeking to switch between 30 and 40 of its 115 commitments for the 777X to the Dreamliner as it calibrates fleet plans

Emirates introduces touchless self check-in kiosks at Dubai International Airport

The kiosks allow customers to check-in, receive their boarding pass, choose seats on board, and drop off their bags

Scat Airlines Kazakhstan Ras Al Khaimah

Ras Al Khaimah inks agreement with Scat Airlines for direct flights to eight cities in Kazakhstan

The airline will commence direct flights from March between Ras Al Khaimah and Nur-Sultan, Almaty, Aktobe, Aktau, Atyrau, Uralsk, Karaganda and Shymkent

Upto 31% UAE residents concerned about overcrowding on flights – survey

Many people remain nervous and are hesitant to use public transport due to the pandemic

Saudi’s Public Investment Fund to set up airline company – reports

The company will operate international and domestic flights

flydubai Cargo

UAE’s flydubai Cargo certified to transport dangerous goods

Earlier this year, flydubai Cargo joined the World Logistics Passport, an initiative to increase trading opportunities between developing markets

Flydubai resumes flights to Tbilisi, expands network to 65 destinations

Flights to Georgia’s capital city will operate on Mondays and Thursdays

Emirates to operate flights from UK to Dubai for stranded UAE citizens and residents

The UK banned all direct passenger flights to and from the UAE starting January 29

Kuwait to start levying airport service fee on all passengers

While KD3 will be levied on passengers departing from Kuwait, arrivals will face a fee of KD2

Dubai’s Emirates trials new app to offer low-priced Covid-19 PCR tests

Via the app, Emirates customers with an upcoming flight will be offered special rates for PCR tests