Flydubai Touches Down In Sudan

Low cost carrier Flydubai has added its eighth route since its inaugural flight in June 2009. The airline commenced services from its base in Dubai to Khartoum, the capital of Sudan on Sunday, 8 November 2009. Onboard the inaugural flight was Flydubai’s CEO, Ghaith al Ghaith, who was welcomed by a Sudanese delegation on arrival.

 

From now until 16 December 2009, flight FZ 631 departs Dubai daily at 1845 hrs, arriving in Khartoum at 2150 hrs. The return flight, FZ 632, will depart Khartoum International Airport at 2235 hrs and land back at Dubai International Airport at 0340 hrs the next morning.

 

The outbound flight will be retimed to take off at 2045 hrs from Dubai for a 2350 hrs arrival into Sudan from 17 December 2009, with the return leg departing Khartoum at 0035 hrs and arriving back in Dubai at 0540 hrs. All flights will be operated with Flydubai’s 189-seat Boeing 737-800 aircraft.

 

Khartoum is Flydubai’s third destination in Africa, after Alexandria and Djibouti. The airline is on an aggressive expansion and is set to launch flights to Baku, Azerbaijan later this month.

 

For more information, visit www.flydubai.com.

Flydubai To Launch Flights To Djibouti

Beginning 1 September 2009, Flydubai will launch flights between its base in Dubai and Djibouti. The low cost carrier joins Daallo Airlines to fly direct to the African country, which is located along the Gulf of Aden and bordered by Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia.

 

Flight FZ 601 will depart Dubai International Airport at 0800 hrs on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, arriving in Djibouti at 1015 hrs. The return flight, FZ 602, takes off from Djibouti-Ambouli International Airport at 1100 hrs and lands back in Dubai at 1515 hrs. All flights will be operated by Flydubai’s 189-seat Boeing 737-800 aircraft.

 

Djibouti is Flydubai’s second African destination, following flights to the Egyptian city of Alexandria. The airline’s network now covers 6 destinations from Dubai, including Aleppo, Amman, Beirut and Damascus.

 

For more information, visit www.flydubai.com.

Jet Airways Inaugurates Mumbai – Riyadh

India’s Jet Airways has continued its expansion in Saudi Arabia by inaugurating flights to Riyadh, its second destination in the country, from Mumbai yesterday. The service complements Jet Airways’ existing daily Mumbai-Jeddah service, which was launched last month.

 

Flight 9W 524 will operate on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, taking off from Mumbai at 1725 hrs, 2225 hrs and 1930 hrs respectively, before landing in Riyadh at 1900 hrs, 0001 hrs the next day and 2105 hrs. The return flight, 9W 523, will depart Riyadh at 2000 hrs, 0100 hrs and 2205 hrs, arriving back in Mumbai at 0225 hrs, 0725 hrs and 0430 hrs the next day. All flights will be operated by Jet Airways’ Boeing 737-800 aircraft.

 

With the new service, the airline’s Middle East network now covers 8 cities in the Gulf, including Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Doha, Dubai, Jeddah, Kuwait, Muscat and Riyadh.

 

For more information, visit www.jetairways.com.

Route Developments From Jet Airways, Kingfisher

Amidst the current economic climate, private Indian carriers Jet Airways and Kingfisher Airlines have continued to rationalize their networks, cutting some routes while opening new destinations.

 

Jet Airways Begins Operations in Saudi Arabia, to Launch Hyderabad-Dubai

Bolstering its strong Middle East network, Jet Airways yesterday inaugurated flights to Saudi Arabia, with daily Mumbai-Jeddah flights served by a Boeing 737-800 jet.

 

Flight 9W 522 departs Mumbai at 2135 hrs, arriving in Jeddah at 0001 hrs the next day. The return flight, 9W 521, takes off from King Abdul Aziz International Airport at 0100 hrs to land back in Mumbai at 0835 hrs.

 

Jeddah is Saudi Arabia’s second largest city and a key commercial hub. The city is also the gateway to Islam’s holiest city, Mecca, during the annual Haj pilgrimage.

 

Jet Airways will also launch daily services to Dubai from Hyderabad, its fifth daily flight to the emirate and second from southern India. Flights will also be operated by the airline’s Boeing 737-800 aircraft.

 

From 16 August 2009, flight 9W 550 will depart Hyderabad at 0840 hrs and arrive in Dubai at 1100 hrs (1120 hrs from 25 October 2009 to 27 March 2010). The return flight, 9W 549, departs Dubai International Airport at 1200 hrs (1220 hrs from 25 October 2009 to 27 March 2010), landing back in Hyderabad at 1710 hrs.

 

Jet Airways currently operate double-daily Mumbai-Dubai services and daily flights from Delhi and Chennai. The airline now flies to 7 destinations in the Gulf, including Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Doha, Dubai, Jeddah, Kuwait and Muscat.

 

For more information, visit www.jetairways.com.

 

Kingfisher Drops Bangalore-London, to Launch Mumbai-Hong Kong and Mumbai-Singapore

From 15 September 2009, Kingfisher Airlines will cease operating its 5 times weekly Bangalore-London flight. The airline’s passengers flying to the UK from Bangalore will now have to depart India from Mumbai, where Kingfisher operates services on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.

 

The decision to drop the Bangalore-London flights is part of Kingfisher’s “roadmap” for international expansion, which will see it launch 2 new routes out of Mumbai to Hong Kong and Singapore. Both flights will be daily services operated by the airline’s new Airbus A330-200 aircraft configured with 30 seats in Kingfisher First and 187 seats in Kingfisher Class.

 

The airline has also announced plans for 6 new routes from Mumbai (Bangkok, Colombo and Dubai) and Delhi (Bangkok, Dubai and London) in the near future. Launch dates and schedules for the flights will be announced following regulatory approval. Flights will be operated using Kingfisher’s fleet of Airbus A320 and A321 aircraft, with the exception of Delhi-London, which will be flown with a 2-class A330-200.

 

For more information, visit www.flykingfisher.com.

Flydubai To Add Aleppo To Network

Dubai-based low cost carrier Flydubai is to add its fifth destination, the Syrian city of Aleppo, next month. From 13 July 2009, the airline will operate the Dubai-Aleppo route daily using its third Boeing 737-800 aircraft.

 

Flight FZ 223 departs Dubai at 0800 hrs and arrives in Aleppo at 1030 hrs. The return flight, FZ 224, takes off from Aleppo at 1115 hrs, landing back in Dubai International Airport at 1535 hrs.

 

Aleppo is Syria’s second-largest city and one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world. Following the peak summer travel season, Flydubai will reduce flight frequency on the route to 4 times a week, operating on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

 

For more information, visit www.flydubai.com.

Airlines Begin Flights To Shizuoka

Japan’s newest air hub, Mount Fuji Shizuoka Airport, has opened for operations. Located 80 kilometers from Mount Fuji, the facility is intended to serve as an alternative airport to Tokyo’s crowded Narita and Haneda Airports for air travellers.

 

5 airlines currently operate scheduled services to Shizuoka. South Korea’s Asiana Airlines and Korean Air fly daily to Seoul Incheon International Airport while China Eastern Airlines flies to Shanghai 4 times a week. Japanese heavyweights All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines operate daily domestic services to Fukuoka, Naha and Sapporo, with flights to Kagoshima, Komatsu and Kumamoto to begin in July 2009.

 

Seoul – Shizuoka

Asiana Airlines flight OZ 126 departs Seoul Incheon International Airport at 0950 hrs, arriving in Shizuoka at 1145 hrs. The return flight, OZ 125, takes off from Japan at 1245 hrs and lands back in South Korea at 1450 hrs. A 2-class Airbus A321 aircraft with 12 Business and 165 Travel Class seats will operate the route.

 

Korean Air flight KE 779 departs Seoul at 0850 hrs and arrives in Shizuoka at 1045 hrs before returning as flight KE 780 at 1145 hrs, landing back in Incheon International Airport at 1355 hrs. The airline will utilize a 2-class Boeing 737-900 aircraft with 8 Prestige Class and 180 Economy Class seats for the flights.

 

For more information, visit flyasiana.com or www.koreanair.com.

 

Shanghai – Shizuoka

China Eastern Airlines flight MU 2019 takes off from Shanghai Pudong International Airport on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays at 0930 hrs, landing in Shizuoka at 1250 hrs. The return flight, MU 2020, departs at 1350 hrs, arriving back in Shanghai at 1530 hrs.

 

The airline will operate a 2-class Airbus A319 aircraft with 8 Business and 114 Economy Class seats on Wednesdays and Sundays, switching to the larger A320 with 8 Business and 150 Economy Class seats on Mondays and Fridays.

 

For more information, visit www.flychinaeastern.com.

 

Shizuoka – Fukuoka

Japan Airlines will offer 3 daily flights between Shizuoka and Fukuoka.

 

Flight JL 3810 departs Mount Fuji Shizuoka Airport at 0840 hrs, arriving in Fukuoka at 1015 hrs. The second flight, JL 3814, takes off at 1400 hrs for a 1535 hrs arrival into Fukuoka. Flight JL 3818 is the final flight of the day and departs Shizuoka at 1755 hrs, landing in Fukuoka at 1930 hrs.

 

On the return leg, flight JL 3811 departs Fukuoka at 0900 hrs to arrive in Shizuoka at 1025 hrs, followed by flight JL 3815, departing at 1205 hrs and landing in Mount Fuji Shizuoka Airport at 1330 hrs. Flight JL 3819 departs Fukuoka at 1805 hrs and arrives in Shizuoka at 1930 hrs.

 

With the exception of JL 3814/3815, which is operated by the Embraer E170 aircraft with 78 Economy Class seats, all flights are flown with McDonnell Douglas MD-90 aircraft configured with 18 Business and 132 Economy Class seats.

  

Shizuoka – Naha

All Nippon Airways will offer a daily service to and from Naha, Okinawa. Flight NH 783 will depart Shizuoka daily at 1155 hrs to arrive in Okinawa at 1420 hrs before returning at 1445 hrs, landing in Shizuoka at 1700 hrs in the evening. A 2-class Boeing 737-700 configured with 8 Premium Class and 112 Economy Class seats will operate the route. 

 

Shizuoka – Sapporo

Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways will each offer 1 return flight daily between Shizuoka and Sapporo.

 

Flight JL 2857 departs Shizuoka in the morning at 1130 hrs, arriving in Shin Chitose Airport at 1315 hrs. The return flight, JL 2858, departs Sapporo at 1515 hrs and lands in Mount Fuji Shizuoka Airport at 1710 hrs. Japan Airlines will utilize the 2-class MD-90 aircraft on the route.

 

All Nippon Airways will operate an evening service to Sapporo from Shizuoka. Flight NH 781 departs at 1730 hrs daily, arriving in Shin Chitose Airport at 1900 hrs. On the return leg, the airline will fly a morning service with flight NH 782 departing Sapporo at 0940 hrs and arriving in Shizuoka at 1125 hrs. Both flights will be operated by 2-class, 120-seat Boeing 737-700 aircraft.

 

For more information, visit www.ana.co.jp and www.jal.co.jp/en.

Flydubai, Etihad Inaugurate New Flights

Travellers in the UAE can now enjoy greater travel options from Dubai and Abu Dhabi, with new low cost carrier Flydubai commencing operations to Beirut and national airline Etihad Airways launching flights to Athens and Istanbul from their respective hub airports.

 

Flydubai Takes To The Skies

Dubai’s first low cost carrier, Flydubai, has completed its inaugural flight from the emirate to Beirut, on 1 June 2009. Flight FZ 157 took off from Dubai International Airport at 1030 hrs with 189 passengers on board, including government officials and the airline’s Chief Executive Officer, Ghaith Al Ghaith. The Boeing 737-800 jet landed in Beirut’s Rafik Hariri International Airport at 1305 hrs, where it was welcomed by a VIP delegation.

 

The airline’s fare structure allows passengers to pay only for services they have selected, with the ticket price covering only taxes and a 10 kilogram baggage allowance. Any additional services would have to be purchased separately by passengers. One-way fares on the Dubai-Beirut route begin from AED 250 (USD 68).

 

Flydubai has announced 4 routes from its Dubai hub and today launched daily flights to Amman, Jordan. The airline will begin services to Damascus on 8 June 2009 and Alexandria the following day, with more destinations to be unveiled in the future.

 

For more information, visit www.flydubai.com.

 

Etihad Launches Athens, Istanbul

The national airline of the UAE, Etihad Airways, have inaugurated flights to Istanbul, Turkey and the Greek capital, Athens. The new routes are part of the airline’s expansion plans for 2009, following Melbourne and Astana, which were launched earlier this year.

 

Flight EY 097 took off from Abu Dhabi at 0915 hrs yesterday, 1 June 2009, and arrived in Istanbul’s Ataturk International Airport at 1250 hrs. The Airbus A320 aircraft painted in special Formula One livery operated flight EY 096 back to Abu Dhabi, departing Turkey at 1400 hrs and landing in the UAE at 1920 hrs. Etihad Airways will operate the service 4 times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.

 

Beginning today, the airline will also fly to Athens 3 times a week on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays with a 2-class Airbus A320. Flight EY 091 departs Abu Dhabi at 0915 hrs, arriving in Athens at 1305 hrs before returning as flight EY 090 at 1430 hrs and landing back in Abu Dhabi at 2000 hrs.

 

With the 2 new destinations, Etihad Airways now fly to 10 cities across Europe.

 

For more information, visit www.etihadairways.com.

Hainan Airlines Inaugurates Beijing-Dubai-Luanda Route

China’s Hainan Airlines has begun flights from Beijing to Angola’s capital city Luanda via Dubai. The airline is the first Chinese airline to operate flights to Angola and joins fellow carriers Air China and China Southern Airlines on the Beijing-Dubai route.

 

Flight HU 7923 departs Beijing Capital Airport every Monday and Thursday at 1910 hrs, arriving in Dubai at 0030 hrs the next day before taking off from the emirate at 0340 hrs for Luanda, where it arrives at 0900 hrs. The return flight, HU 7924, departs Luanda at 1100 hrs on Tuesdays and Fridays, landing in Dubai at 2130 hrs and taking off again at 0010 hrs the next day to arrive back in Beijing at 1230 hrs.

 

Flights will be operated using a 2-class Boeing 767-300ER aircraft with 34 Business Class and 198 Economy Class seats. Every seat is fitted with a personal screen from which passengers can enjoy the airline’s inflight entertainment system featuring a selection of movies, music and games.

 

Founded in 1993, Hainan Airlines is China’s largest privately-owned aviation company and operates a fleet of 91 Airbus (A319, A330-200 and A340-600) and Boeing (B737-300/400/700/800 and B767-300ER) aircraft. From its base at Haikou and hubs in Beijing, Lanzhou, Dalian, Guangzhou, Taiyuan, Urumqi and Xian, the airline operates more than 500 domestic and international flights to more than 90 destinations.

 

For more information, visit www.hnair.com.

More Flights From Lufthansa And Wataniya Airways In The Middle East

Travellers in the Middle East can look forward to greater regional and inter-continental connectivity with greater frequencies and new flights from Lufthansa and Wataniya Airways. The German airline will fly daily to Bahrain and Dammam from Frankfurt, while Wataniya Airways adds the Egyptian Red Sea destination of Sharm el Sheikh to its network.

 

Lufthansa

Beginning 22 September 2009, flight LH 624 will depart Frankfurt at 1330 hrs and arrives in Bahrain at 2115 hrs every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. From Bahrain International Airport, the return flight, LH 625, takes off at 0040 hrs and lands in Frankfurt at 0510 hrs.

 

On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, flight LH 626 departs Frankfurt at 1330 hrs, arriving in Dammam at 2110 hrs. The return flight, LH 627, departs Dammam at 0115 hrs and arrives back in Frankfurt at 0545 hrs in the morning.

 

Lufthansa will operate a 2-class Boeing 737-800 leased from Privatair with 32 Business and 60 Economy Class seats on both flights. The airline will also operate bus connections for passengers travelling to Bahrain/Dammam on the days where direct flights are not operating, effectively providing daily service to both cities.

 

For more information, visit www.lufthansa.com.

 

Wataniya Airways

Kuwait’s Wataniya Airways will operate daily services to Sharm el Sheikh from 5 June 2009, using its Airbus A320 aircraft.

 

Flight KW 2010 departs the Sheikh Saad Terminal at 0645 hrs and arrives in Sharm el Sheikh at 0915 hrs. Thereturn flight, KW 2011, departs Egypt at 1000 hrs, arriving back in Kuwait at 1220 hrs.

 

Sharm el Sheikh is Wataniya Airways’ seventh destination after Amman, Bahrain, Beirut, Cairo, Damascus and Dubai. The airline joins Jazeera Airways and Kuwait Airways in offering nonstop flights between both cities.

 

For more information, visit wataniyaairways.com.

Flydubai Adds Alexandria And Damascus To Network

Flydubai has announced the addition of Alexandria and Damascus to its growing network. The airline is on course to launch operations in June and will fly to the Syrian capital daily from 8 June 2009 and to Alexandria daily from 9 June 2009 from its hub at Dubai International Airport.

 

Dubai – Damascus

Flight FZ 229 will depart Dubai at 1910 hrs and arrive in Damascus at 2130 hrs. The return flight, FZ 230, takes off from Damascus at 2215 and arrives back in Dubai International Airport Terminal 2 at 0225 hrs the next day.

 

Dubai – Alexandria

Flight FZ 177 takes off from Dubai at 1845 hrs, arriving in Alexandria at 2140 hrs. From the Egyptian city, flight FZ 178 departs at 2225 hrs and arrives into Dubai at 0325 hrs the next morning.

 

Flydubai’s inaugural flight will take place on 1 June 2009 from Dubai to Beirut, Lebanon. The low cost carrier will also offer daily return flights to Amman from 2 June 2009. All flights will be operated by Flydubai’s new Boeing 737-800 aircraft configured with 189 seats in an all-economy layout.

 

For more information, visit www.flydubai.com.