EMIRATES
Emirates has given a new meaning to the expression ‘Time flies’ with its plans to launch flights to the “birthplace of watch making” - now a few weeks away. Geneva will be added to the airline’s European route network from June 1. A road show was held in Geneva as an introduction to the airline and its home of Dubai. For many, it provided an opportunity to get close up to the airline’s flagship A380 aircraft, which has already carried more than four million Emirates passengers around the world. A First Class Private Suite was also on show at the city’s Palexpo for guests to sink into, as were life-size replicas of the Onboard Shower Spa and Onboard Lounge. The Dubai-Geneva service will be operated by a combination of Boeing 777-200LR and Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. The aircraft will be arranged in a three-class configuration, offering First Class private suites, lie-flat seats in Business Class, and a spacious cabin in Economy Class. Throughout all cabin classes, passengers have access to the airline’s ice in-flight entertainment system. It offers an array of over 1,200 channels, making time fly like never before while at 40,000 feet. “Geneva is our second gateway into Switzerland after Zurich. We see strong demand for both leisure and business travel, bearing in mind the presence of hundreds of international organizations and Geneva’s status as a major financial center,” said Richard Vaughan, Emirates’ divisional SVP, commercial operations worldwide.
REZIDOR
In line with Rezidor Hotel Group Responsible Business program, which is the core of the company’s social, cultural and environmental concern as well as creating positive impact on humanitarian deeds, the Rezidor Hotel Group in Saudi Arabia participated in Earth Hour - a lights out environmental initiative supported by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) for an hour on the night of March 26. All guests at the Radisson Blu Hotels in Riyadh, Jeddah, Yanbu, Madinah and Park Inn by Radisson in Alkhobar were invited to a reception during the Earth Hour. All employees were also encouraged to participate at home and make this change a part of their everyday life through activities such as using energy-saving life bulbs, turning appliances off rather than simply to stand-by, unplugging charges when not in use, etc. “Earth Hour is an excellent opportunity to highlight and to further support our company wide ‘Responsible Business’ program,” said Mohamed Benamar, district director for Saudi Arabia and GM, Radisson Blu Hotel, Riyadh. The Rezidor Hotel Group is one of the fastest growing hotel companies in the world.
SAUDIA CARGO
Saudi Airlines Cargo has signed a contract to become the ‘Launch Customer’ of OAG Cargo’s new Route Mapper tool. “The new application will help the airline’s cargo customers perform a series of essential daily business tasks, such as searching online for Saudia Cargo flights and flight-related information,” said Shihab Al-Amoudi, Saudi Airlines Cargo head of global communications and advertising department. “Customers can easily identify non-stop and connecting flights using a visual global map of cities served by Saudi Airlines Cargo, as well as view timetables of all available flights from a chosen city for all routes served by Saudi Airlines Cargo,” said Al-Amoudi who is also spokesperson of Saudi Airlines Cargo. Phase 1 of the rollout will see the generic Route Mapper product implemented from April 1. Al-Amoudi said discussions were already under way for future phases of development with OAG, which is expected to develop more cargo features and benefits to enhance the Route Mapper product. Bart-Jan Haasbeek, VP Sales of OAG Cargo, signed the contract during the Air Cargo Africa event in Nairobi with Peter Scholten, Vice President Commercial of Saudi Airlines Cargo. “We are proud to have such a prestigious launch customer such as Saudi Airlines Cargo for ‘Route Mapper’,” Haasbeek said.
MASTERCARD
For the fifth consecutive year, MasterCard Worldwide in collaboration with the ESSEC Business School is offering the MasterCard-ESSEC Luxury Brand Management Executive Program. The program is designed to equip professionals in the luxury retail and services industry with an understanding of current branding, management and consumer trends. Each year, the program focuses on the understanding of key challenges and changing dynamics of the luxury business as well as luxury brand development. The program comprises scholarships for a four-day intensive course run by the ESSEC Business School. The scholarships are partially sponsored by MasterCard Worldwide and the participants or the corporations in which they work cover the rest of the fees. The renowned French institution runs the world’s only luxury brand management MBA program. Through the program, selected modules have been made available to students in Middle East, Asia/Pacific and Africa, said Michel Phan, assistant professor of marketing and LVMH chaired professor at ESSEC Business School in Paris. “The program is part of our ongoing commitment to knowledge leadership,” said Raghu Malhotra, GM, Middle East, MasterCard Worldwide.
GM KOREA
GM Korea has introduced the Chevrolet Mi-ray concept at the 2011 Seoul Motor Show. The roadster celebrates Chevrolet’s 100-year heritage of designing stunning vehicles in the brand’s newest market. According to GM Korea President and CEO Mike Arcamone, the Mi-ray is Korean for future. As GM rolls out Chevrolet across Korea, the Mi-ray concept offers an exploration of future possibilities for the brand. It strengthens the bond between car and driver, creating a fresh look at what sports cars of the future might be.” The Mi-ray was developed at the GM Advanced Design Studio in Seoul. Combining cutting-edge hybrid powertrain technology and advanced styling, it balances iconic Chevrolet design cues with a future design vision as Chevrolet celebrates its centennial in 2011. The Mi-ray pays tribute to Chevrolet’s sports car heritage. Its expressive, aerodynamic fuselage is reminiscent of modern jet fighters. Made of carbon fiber and carbon fiber-reinforced plastic, the wedged body side is divided by an angled character line, with ambient lighting underneath. The powerful front end offers a reinterpretation of the Chevrolet face. Distinctive retractable flaps provide additional airflow control while providing access to the charge port on one side and the fuel filler on the other. The Mi-ray features aluminum-carbon fiber composite 20-inch wheels in front and 21-inch wheels in the rear. The strong turbine theme evokes movement, even when the Mi-ray is stationary. The interior of the Mi-ray echoes Chevrolet’s racing heritage.
