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.

Air Astana Begins Almaty – Kuala Lumpur, Tiger Airways Resumes Singapore – Hat Yai

Air travellers in Southeast Asia now have greater options when flying beyond and within the region. Kazakh national carrier Air Astana has commenced flights from Almaty to Kuala Lumpur, while low cost carrier Tiger Airways returns to the southern Thai city of Hat Yai.

 

Air Astana Links Malaysia With Kazakhstan

Travellers now have a direct link when flying between Kuala Lumpur and Almaty. Air Astana has launched a weekly, nonstop service using a 2-class Boeing 767-300ER aircraft with 30 Business and 190 Economy Class seats.

 

The inaugural flight on 31 October 2009 was welcomed at Kuala Lumpur International Airport by Malaysia’s Minister of Transport, YB Dato’ Sri Ong Tee Keat, and officials of Malaysia Airports. Onboard the flight was the Deputy Chairman of Kazakhstan’s Committee for Civil Aviation, Talgat Lastaev, accompanied by Ibrahim Canliel, Vice-President of Marketing and Sales at Air Astana and members of the media from Kazakhstan. 

 

Flight KC 935 departs Almaty International Airport every Saturday at 0055 hrs, arriving in Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 1055 hrs. The return flight, KC 936, takes off from Kuala Lumpur at 2335 hrs, landing back in Almaty at 0625 hrs the next morning.

 

Kuala Lumpur is Air Astana’s 7th international destination in Asia and the Middle East, joining Bangkok, Beijing, Delhi, Dubai, Seoul and Urumqi. From its hubs in Almaty, Astana and Atyrau, the airline flies to 44 domestic and international destinations with a fleet of Airbus A319, A320, Boeing B757, B767 and Fokker 50 aircraft.

 

For more information, visit www.airastana.com.

 

Tiger Airways Returns To Hat Yai

Singapore-based Tiger Airways has resumed flights to Hat Yai in southern Thailand. The low cost carrier will operate 3 flights a week every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

 

Flight TR 132 departs Singapore at 1325 hrs, arriving in Hat Yai at 1350 hrs. The return flight, TR 133, takes off from Hat Yai International Airport at 1420 hrs, landing back in Changi International Airport at 1645 hrs. Tiger Airways will operate a 180-seat Airbus A320 aircraft on the route.

 

The resumption of flights to Hat Yai increases the number of Thai destinations in Tiger Airways’ network to 4, including Bangkok (served triple daily), Phuket (served double daily) and Krabi (served 4 times weekly), which was also recently restarted in October 2009.

 

For more information, visit www.tigerairways.com.

AirAsia X Begins Kuala Lumpur – Chengdu Flights

Malaysian low-cost carrier AirAsia X has launched flights between its Kuala Lumpur hub and the Chinese city of Chengdu. The inaugural flight, D7 2622, arrived in Chengdu International Airport at 1340 hrs with 378 passengers onboard the Airbus A330-300.

 

AirAsia X will fly the route 4 times weekly with different flight timings depending on the day of operation. Every Tuesday and Saturday, flight D7 2622 departs Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 0900 hrs, arriving in Chengdu at 1340 hrs. On Thursdays, flight D7 2626 will take off at 1800 hrs from Kuala Lumpur and arrive in Chengdu International Airport at 2240 hrs, while flight D7 2624 departs Malaysia at 1330 hrs every Sunday to arrive in the capital city of Sichuan province at 1810 hrs.

 

On the return leg, flight D7 2623 departs Chengdu at 1455 hrs, landing back in Malaysia at 1935 hrs on Tuesdays and Saturdays.  The Thursday evening service, D7 2627, will take off from Chengdu International Airport at 2355 hrs, arriving back in Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 0435 hrs the next morning. Every Sunday, flight D7 2625 will depart at 1925 hrs to land back in Kuala Lumpur at 0005 hrs the next day.

 

Chengdu is the 3rd destination in China for AirAsia X, after Hangzhou and Tianjin. The airline is promoting the city as a gateway to China’s western regions such as UNESCO World Heritage Site Jiuzhaigou and Tibet. AirAsia X’s short-haul affiliate, AirAsia, also connects Kuala Lumpur with Guilin, Haikou and Shenzhen.

 

For more information, visit www.airasia.com.

Air Arabia Adds New Routes From Casablanca And Sharjah

Middle Eastern low-cost carrier Air Arabia is to add 2 new destinations in Russia and Switzerland from its hubs in Sharjah and Casablanca respectively.

 

Sharjah – Samara

From 26 October 2009, Air Arabia will fly twice weekly to Samara, Russia. Situated on the banks of the Volga River, the city is among the top 10 Russian cities in terms of national income and industrial volume.

 

Flight G9 247 departs Sharjah at 0900 hrs on Mondays and Fridays, arriving in Samara at 1330 hrs. The return flight, G9 248, takes off from Samara at 1430 hrs and lands back in Sharjah International Airport at 1855 hrs in the evening. Air Arabia will operate its 162-seat Airbus A320 on the route.

 

Samara is the airline’s third destination in Eastern Europe, following services between Sharjah and Almaty, Kazakhstan and Kiev, Ukraine.

 

Casablanca – Basel

Air Arabia’s affiliate airline, Air Arabia Maroc, will also expand its network from Casablanca with the launch of flights to Basel in Switzerland from 25 October 2009. Located on the Swiss border, the city provides easy access to France and Germany, with EuroAirport serving Basel, as well as Mulhouse in France and Freiburg in Germany.

 

Flight 3O 360 departs Casablanca at 1730 hrs on Fridays and Sundays, arriving in Basel at 2135 hrs. The return flight, 3O 361, takes off from EuroAirport at 2210 hrs, landing back in Mohammed V International Airport at 0030 hrs the next morning.

 

Air Arabia Maroc will fly the route twice weekly using its 164-seat Airbus A320 aircraft. The airline began operations in April 2009 and currently operates services from Casablanca to destinations in Belgium, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Turkey and the UK.

 

For more information, visit www.airarabia.com.

Flydubai Announces Flights To Qatar

Low cost carrier Flydubai has announced it is to grow its network and begin flights to Doha, introducing the first low-cost service on the popular route. The Qatari capital is the airline’s first destination within the Gulf Cooperation Council and will be operated twice daily.

 

From 18 October 2009, flight FZ 001 will depart Dubai at 0730 hrs, arriving in Doha at 0730 hrs before returning as flight FZ 002 at 0830 hrs, landing back in Dubai at 1030 hrs. The evening service, FZ 007, takes off from Dubai International Airport at 2020 hrs and arrives in Doha International Airport at 2020 hrs. The return flight, FZ 008, departs Doha at 2120 hrs, arriving back in Dubai at 2320 hrs.

 

Both flights have been scheduled to target peak travel times on the route, which is one of the busiest in the Middle East. Flydubai will operate the services with its Boeing 737-800 aircraft configured with 180 seats.

 

Launched in June 2009, Flydubai currently flies to 6 destinations (Aleppo, Alexandria, Amman, Beirut, Damascus and Djibouti) within the Middle East and Africa.

 

For more information, visit www.flydubai.com.

AirAsia X To Commence Abu Dhabi Flights In November 2009

Malaysia’s AirAsia X has announced it will begin flights from its Kuala Lumpur base to Abu Dhabi from 23 November 2009, marking its entry to the Middle East. The airline will fly the route 5 times a week and has indicated an intention to establish a hub at Abu Dhabi International Airport to support its international expansion.

 

On Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, flight D7 2402 will depart Kuala Lumpur at 2200 hrs and arrive in Abu Dhabi at 0130 hrs the next morning. The return flight, D7 2403, takes off from Abu Dhabi International Airport at 0255 hrs, landing back in Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 1355 hrs in the afternoon. All flights will be operated with AirAsia X’s Airbus A340-300 aircraft configured with 30 XL Class premium seats and 256 Economy Class seats.

 

The capital of the UAE, Abu Dhabi offers travellers excellent connectivity to other destinations within the Middle East, as well as cities in Africa, Europe and Central Asia. AirAsia X joins UAE national carrier Etihad Airways on the route and the flights are expected to boost traffic between both cities, as well as regional destinations in Asia served by the airline and its short-haul associate AirAsia.

 

For more information, visit www.airasia.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.

Frequency Increases From AirAsia X, Tiger Airways

Asian low cost carriers AirAsia X and Tiger Airways have announced flight frequency increases on the Kuala Lumpur-Melbourne and Singapore-Bangalore routes respectively. Responding to growing demand on the routes, AirAsia X will fly between the Malaysian capital and Melbourne 11 times a week from 1 December 2009, while Tiger Airways will operate 5 times weekly services between Singapore and Bangalore from late October 2009.

 

AirAsia X To Add 4 Weekly Flights To Melbourne

Malaysia’s AirAsia X, the long-haul affiliate of low cost carrier AirAsia, will increase the number of flights it flies every week between its Kuala Lumpur hub and the Australian city of Melbourne. The airline will add an additional 4 weekly flights on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays.

 

Flight D7 2722 will become a daily service, with an additional departure on Sundays from Kuala Lumpur at 1320 hrs, arriving in Melbourne at 0010 hrs the next day. The red-eye flight D7 2724 will operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays in addition to the existing Sunday service, taking off from Kuala Lumpur at 2140 hrs and landing in Melbourne at 0830 hrs the next morning.

 

On the return leg, flight D7 2723 becomes a daily service departing Melbourne Tullamarine International Airport at 0125 hrs, arriving back in Kuala Lumpur International Airport’s Low Cost Carrier Terminal at 0635 hrs in the morning. Flight D7 2725, the daytime service, will now operate on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, taking off from Melbourne at 1005 hrs and landing in Kuala Lumpur at 1515 hrs.

 

The new schedule will take effect from 1 December 2009 and will be operated with AirAsia X’s Airbus A330-300 jets.

 

For more information, visit www.airasia.com.

 

Tiger Airways To Introduce Saturday Service On Singapore – Bangalore Route

Beginning 25 October 2009, Singapore-based Tiger Airways will add an additional Saturday service to the Indian city of Bangalore. The frequency increase marks a 25% rise in the airline’s capacity on the route, which it has flown since June 2008. 

 

Flight TR 652 departs Singapore at 2115 hrs on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, arriving in Bangalore at 2300 hrs. The return flight, TR 653, takes off at 2350 hrs and lands back in Singapore at 0630 hrs the next day.

 

With the new flight, Tiger Airways’ travellers can now travel between both cities 5 times a week. All flights will be operated by Tiger Airways’ Airbus A320 aircraft configured with 180 seats.

 

For more information, visit www.tigerairways.com.

Kingfisher Arrives In Dubai

India’s Kingfisher Airlines has launched daily direct flights between Bangalore and Dubai. The inaugural flight took place on 25 June 2009 and marks the airline’s entry to the United Arab Emirates. Dubai is Kingfisher’s fourth international destination after London, Colombo and Dhaka. 

 

Flight IT 045 departs Bangalore at 1815 hrs and arrives in Dubai International Airport terminal 1 at 2055 hrs. The return flight, IT 046, takes off from Dubai at 2210 hrs to land back in Bangalore at 0345 hrs the next morning.

 

The schedules allow passengers convenient onward connections to Kingfisher’s domestic network in India from Bangalore to destinations such as Belgaum, Bhubaneswar, Goa, Guwahati, Hubli, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kolkata, Mangalore, Nagpur, Pune and Thiruvananthapuram. Passengers can also connect to Kingfisher’s international flights to Colombo and Dhaka. 

 

Kingfisher will operate an Airbus A320 aircraft on the route, configured with the airline’s premium economy Kingfisher class seats. Each seat features a seat pitch of 34 inches and a 10.6-inch personal screen from which passengers can enjoy the latest movies, English and Hindi programming and Kingfisher Radio. The onboard service is accompanied by a selection of meals and beverage options, as well as other amenities.

 

Kingfisher Airlines flies to 69 cities in India with a fleet of 74 aircraft. Together with its low cost affiliate Kingfisher Red, the airline covers all segments of air travel from low cost to premium service and operates over 400 flights daily across India.

 

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.