Travel Updates (July 28)
Published: Jul 28, 2010 18:06 Updated: Aug 11, 2010 12:28
• Emirates ‘Kids Go Free’ offer becomes a family favorite • Egypt Air Express commences direct flights to Port Ghalib • Qatar Airways woos visitors at Farnborough Air Show •Lufthansa to operate five flights weekly to Pointe Noire
Emirates ‘Kids Go Free’ offer becomes a family favorite
JEDDAH: Emirates’ Kids Go Free offer is well into its successful second year with the airline claiming that thousands of passengers from across the world are taking advantage of it. Valid till Sept. 30, two children under the age of 16 can stay, eat and play in Dubai for free, when traveling with two paying adults. To date nearly 5,500 people globally have taken Emirates up on this offer to enjoy the sights, sounds and tastes of Dubai with their children traveling for free, says Badr Abbas, Emirates’ regional manager for Saudi Arabia. “Families in the Kingdom still have the opportunity to take advantage of this exciting offer. Dubai is an excellent destination for those families looking to take a summer vacation close to home. The city offers an incredible range of family based activities only a couple of hours by air from Riyadh, Jeddah or Dammam, and up to Sept. 24 from Madinah. Emirates has partnered with Dubai Tourism & Commerce Marketing, over 80 hotels, The Dubai Mall, the Department of Residency, and local destination management companies, to offer families even more incentives and savings when they spend their summer in Dubai.
Egypt Air Express commences direct flights to Port Ghalib
DUBAI: Kuwait’s M.A. Kharafi Group has entered into an agreement with Egypt Air Express for operating direct flights to Port Ghalib in Egypt twice a week, from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Jordan. The direct flights commenced earlier in July. Egypt Air Express will also connect Port Ghalib with other Egyptian cities such as Luxor, Alexandria, Abu Simbel and Sharm-El-Sheikh. The carrier is providing services to Marsa Alam, a BOT (build-operate and transfer) airport operated by Al-Kharafi Group. Marsa Alam International Airport already offers direct flights to a number of European countries including the UK, Germany, Italy, Russia and France. Combining idyllic beaches and the inviting Red Sea with an impressive range of activities and facilities, there is something for everyone at Port Ghalib, from families, couples, business travelers, eco-tourists and adventurers to divers, sports enthusiasts and yachtsmen. The area off the coast from the resort is one of the richest in the world for coral and marine life and has some of the world’s most famous dive sites including Daedalus Reef, Brothers Island, Zabargad Island and Rocky Island.
Qatar Airways woos visitors at Farnborough Air Show
DOHA: Qatar Airways has rounded off its participation at this year’s Farnborough Air Show in the UK with a show-stopping presence attracting large crowds at its passenger aircraft on static display. Visitors had a chance to tour one of the airline’s newest Boeing 777-300 Extended Range aircraft, seeing first hand its unique features in Business and Economy Class during the week-long event, described as the world’s largest aerospace show, which ended on Sunday. Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker hosted two press conferences during the week, announcing additional aircraft orders for its corporate jet division, Qatar Executive, and unveiling further details of its Boeing 787 deliveries and confirmed orders for additional Boeing 777s. He said the airline had placed orders for two additional Boeing 777-200 Long Range aircraft as part of its continued growth plans. The order is valued at $501 million. The Boeing 777 is fast becoming the cornerstone of the airline’s long-haul fleet. “Air travel demand is continuing to rise in the Middle East and it is becoming clear that international demand is returning as the global economy shows signs of recovery,” said Al Baker.
Lufthansa to operate five flights weekly to Pointe Noire
JEDDAH: At the start of the winter flight schedules, Lufthansa is to begin serving a new destination in Africa. From Nov. 3, the airline is laying on five flights weekly to Pointe Noire, the principal Congolese port, pending regulatory approval. A Boeing 737-800 will fly the route from PrivatAir. The flights to the port include a stopover in Libreville in Gabon. In future, Libreville will thus be served non-stop and not, as previously, with a stopover in Accra, Ghana. “The new flight to Pointe Noire is a further step forward in our growth strategy in Africa,” noted Karl-Ulrich Garnadt, Lufthansa’s executive vice president for services and HR. “The dynamic, economic region in West and Central Africa is a key area in the development of the Lufthansa route network.” Lufthansa currently serves West Africa with a total of 33 weekly connections to Abuja, Accra, Lagos, Libreville, Luanda, Malabo and Port Harcourt. The services offered to the region by the Lufthansa Group are augmented by flights to a further 12 destinations in the region operated by SWISS and Brussels Airlines.
