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United Arab Emirates aviation news

Etihad’s Savoy-trained butlers strive for consistency

White gloves might be de rigueur for royalty or a trip to the opera, but it’s also what your butler will be wearing when he or she delivers a hot towel during your next journey with Etihad Airways’ The Residence. A uniform prerequisite for the carrier’s team of 52 butlers, they can take some "getting used to", according to butler Thomas Piroska. "Sometimes I...

Etihad Airways first UAE airline to be awarded coveted five-star rating

Etihad Airways has received the most coveted quality standard in the airline industry, the Skytrax certified five-star rating. Etihad is the first airline in the UAE to be awarded five stars, although in July, Emirates was named the world’s best airline in the Skytrax awards – with Etihad coming sixth. The only airline in the Middle East to already have the five-star rating is Qa...

Jen’s back! Emirates releases new advert with actress for its A380 service

Emirates airline has released a second advertisement for its Airbus A380 service featuring the Hollywood actress Jennifer Aniston. The ad, published on Wednesday, was preceded by two teaser trailers. It features Aniston finding a child in her first-class cabin, then walking through the rest of the plane to find the boy’s parents in economy class. The spot was directe...

Etihad airways extends reach in Africa through new codeshare agreement

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, continues to build its presence in Africa through a new codeshare agreement with kulula, South Africa’s award-winning low cost carrier. The codeshare deal offers Etihad Airways customers flight options to a number of key cities in South Africa that include Cape Town, Durban, George and East London via Johannesburg. Etiha...

Emirates A380 starts flights to China and Russia with love

Emirates at the weekend launched two new daily A380 services – Dubai to Guangzhou, China, and Dubai to Moscow, Russia. Flight EK362, which departed Dubai, landed at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport on schedule Saturday evening. Arriving a few hours later into Moscow’s Domodedovo International Airport was flight EK131. Both Emirates A380-800s were operated in a three-class...

Etihad partner airberlin to undergo restructuring as it eyes long-haul growth

Etihad Airways partner airberlin is set to undergo a "far-reaching" restructuring including up to 1,200 job cuts and giving its rival Lufthansa up to 40 of its aircraft. Germany’s second-largest airline said late on Wednesday that it would become a "leaner, fitter, stronger" carrier operating from its two key hubs in Berlin and Dusseldorf, with a core fleet of 75 aircr...

Dubai International Airport to have most A380-capable gates in the world

Dubai Airports is increasing the number of gates at Dubai International Airport (DXB) capable of handling Airbus A380 superjumbos. The airport operator said it has commissioned a project at Concourse C, which is part of the Emirates Hub at Terminal 3, to increase the number of gates to 13. This will take the total number of A380 gates at DXB to 47 – more than any other airport in the worl...

Etihad launches 96-hour sale on flights to 11 cities

Etihad is launching a 96-hour sale for economy and business-class tickets to 11 destinations. The bookings can be made from Sunday through Wednesday and are valid for flights from October 1 this year to May 31 next year. The routes on sale include an economy-class return flight from Abu Dhabi to Mumbai for Dh694, Cairo from Dh1,140, Rome from Dh2,520 and New York from Dh3,180. Business-cl...

Jetex awarded official FBO and handler for MEBAA Show 2016

Jetex Flight Support has been appointed as the official FBO and handler for the Middle East & North Africa Business Aviation Association (MEBAA) Show 2016, organised by F&E Aerospace on behalf of MEBAA at DWC airshow aite from 6 to 8 December. "This agreement is a testament to the quality standards Jetex offers to their valued clients. We have been pleased to partner Jetex for the...

Dubai carrier Emirates and other airlines have little concern over Brexit

The Emirates chief says Brexit is not a primary concern for the carrier, while other airline executives say Britain is in a position to woo even more visitors than before because of the weak pound. "Brexit is just one of many things that happened in the global economy," said Tim Clark, the president of Emirates. "We have more important things to worry about than that." Mo...

UAE’s first female A380 pilot aims to fly high

Her sister is the country’s first female fighter pilot. Her brother flies a helicopter. So it is no surprise that Aisha Al Mansouri has become the UAE’s first female pilot of an A380. Ms Al Mansouri watched brother Ali earn his flying credentials and join Abu Dhabi Police, then saw her sister, Maj Mariam Al Mansouri, make headlines as she led the UAE mission against ISIL in Iraq....

Serbian students complete first phase of engineering training in the UAE

A group of students from Belgrade in Serbia have completed the first phase of their engineering training in the United Arab Emirates and will now commence the next stage of their practical learning with Etihad Airways Engineering. The students are from one of several batches of engineering trainees who have undertaken their training in the UAE. Italian and Seychellois graduates are also moving...