Tag Archive for: Aviation Industry

Andrew Stegmann

Emirates and Etihad Resuming Flights

Emirates

Dubai’s Emirates Airline is resuming scheduled passenger flights from today (Thursday May 21), and now these return flights will continue until June 30.

Currently, Dubai’s flagship carrier will operate flights to nine different destinations, including connections between UK and Australia.

As of today, passenger return flights include the below:

  • London, UK
  • Frankfurt, Germany
  • Paris, France
  • Milan, Italy
  • Chicago, USA
  • Toronto, Canada
  • Sydney, Australia
  • Melbourne, Australia

In light of further developments of COVID-19, destinations and regulations may be changed. You can keep updated by visiting Emirates’ essential travel page.

As for re-entry to the UAE, restrictions remain in place upon arrival in Dubai which includes a mandatory DHA test on arrival and a mandatory 14-day quarantine and a follow up test before release.

Emirates has advised travellers to arrive at check-in three hours ahead of departure to avoid any delays, and to bring their own face mask, hand gloves and abide by social distancing rules.

Along with this, passengers will need to bring their approval letter from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs allowing them to return back to the UAE.

Etihad Airways has also announced increased flights to destinations around the world, including more frequent repatriation flights. Find out more here.

Etihad

Etihad Airways has started to increase the frequency of international flights from Abu Dhabi.

Flights to a number of destinations worldwide have been announced over the past few weeks to destinations including New York, London, Toronto, Tokyo and more.

Changes to flights and airspace have come about due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Throughout May and June, Etihad will increase the frequency of flights to previously announced locations and will add new flights to locations including Milan, Paris and more.

A number of safety measure have also been introduced for passengers travelling with Etihad Airways from Abu Dhabi in-flight and at the airport.

In addition, travellers must apply in advance for Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship (ICA) approval through the UAE Twajudi resident service.

When approved you will receive a unique ICA approval number by email which must be used when booking.

The latest schedule of flights for May and June from Abu Dhabi are below:
• Amsterdam on May 20, 22, 27, 29 and June 1, 3, 8, 10 and 15.
• Barcelona on May 24 and 31 and June 7 and 14.
• Belgrade on May 21.
• Brussels on May 24 and 31 and June 7 and 14.
• Dublin on May 23 and 30 and June 6 and 13.
• Geneva on May 23 and 30 and June 6 and 13.
• Frakfurt on May 24 and 31 and June 7 and 14.
• Jakarta on May 21 and 28 and June 4 and 11.
• Kuala Lumpur on May 23 and 30 and June 6 and 13.
• London on May 20, 21, 23, 25, 27, 28 and 30 and June 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 13 and 15.
• Melbourne on May 20, 22, 27 and 28 and June and 11.
• Milan on May 24 and 31 and June 7 and 14.
• Paris on May 24 and 31 and June 7 and 14.
• Seoul on May 21, 23, 28 and 30 and June 4, 6, 11 and 13.
• Singapore on May 12 and June 2 and 9.
• Sydney on May 26 and June 2 and 9.
• Tokyo on May 25 and June 1 and 8.
• Toronto on May 21.
• Zurich on May 24 and 31 and June 7 and 14.

For more information about repatriation flights, click here.

Abu Dhabi airport has also recently announced new rules for arrivals in the city from destinations overseas.

For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, Remuneration, and Expat Tax needs, email info@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.

Sources: [1], [2]. Image sources: [1], [2].



Andrew Stegmann

Qantas Is Testing the Viability of a 20-hour Non-Stop Flight

Qantas Airways will run marathon ghost flights from New York and London to Sydney carrying just a few staff to see how the human body holds up before commercial services start.

Qantas said Thursday it will simulate the world’s longest direct flights with Boeing Dreamliners as soon as October. The payload of 40 passengers and crew, most of them employees, will undergo a host of medical checks and assessments.

The Australian airline wants to start direct flights connecting Sydney to New York and London as soon as 2022. Chief executive officer Alan Joyce describes the services as aviation’s final frontier.

The services, which take about 20 hours, aren’t yet a sure thing. Qantas still hasn’t decided on a Boeing or Airbus plane that can fly the route fully laden and without a break. And it’s not clear how passengers will tolerate living in the cabin for the best part of a day and night.

“The things we learn on these flights will be invaluable,” Joyce said on a call Thursday.

Joyce has previously said he plans to choose either Boeing’s 777-8X or Airbus’s ultra-long-range A350-900ULR and -1000ULR for the flights. Competition for the contract gives Qantas more leverage over price.

In an interview with Bloomberg Television on Thursday, Joyce said the delay to Boeing’s 777X program hasn’t excluded the U.S. manufacturer from the deal. He said Boeing had offered Qantas a “transitional” solution to accommodate for any delay. He didn’t elaborate.

“This is still a very competitive race,” he said.

 

For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, Remuneration, and Expat Tax needs, email marketing@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.

Sources: [1], [2]. Image sources: Vismay Bhadra [1], [2].

Andrew Stegmann
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South African Airways is Changing Certain African Flight Routes and Reissuing Tickets

The below is a media statement released by South African Airways.

South African Airways is further strengthening its presence in Ghana by increasing weekly frequencies from 9 to 10 flights between Johannesburg and Accra, and by launching a daily service between Accra and Washington DC, with effect from 5th September 2019.

South African Airways regrets the inconvenience that this strategic decision may have on our customers and would ensure that those customers that already hold tickets for the affected flights are re-accommodated.

Ticketed SAA customers travelling between Johannesburg and Washington D.C. via Dakar (Blaise Diagne International) will be re-routed through one of the following options:

  1. Passengers travelling between Johannesburg (JNB) and Dakar (DSS):
    From Johannesburg (JNB) to Abidjan (ABJ) on flight SA 056 and from Abidjan (ABJ) to Dakar (DSS), on either Air Côte d’Ivoire (HF), Kenya Airways (KQ) or RwandAir (WB)
    From Dakar (DSS) to Abidjan (ABJ), on either Air Côte d’Ivoire (HF), Kenya Airways (KQ) or RwandAir (WB) and connecting onto flight SA 057 from Abidjan (ABJ) to Johannesburg (JNB)
  2. Passengers travelling between Johannesburg (JNB) and Washington D.C (IAD) via Dakar (DSS), SAA will re-accommodate passengers onto the Johannesburg (JNB) – Accra (ACC) – Washington D.C. (IAD) route and vice versa.
  3. Passengers travelling between Washington D.C. (IAD) and Dakar (DSS), can be re-accommodated via Brussels (BRU) to Dakar (DSS) on Brussels Airlines (SN) and vice versa.
    SAA will rebook affected passengers holding tickets as mentioned in points 1, 2 and 3 and the following rebooking conditions will apply:
  • Change of cabin class will not be permitted
  • Change fees will be waivered
  • Tickets must be re-issued on or before 23 August 2019. The issuing agent may re-issue the ticket with the following endorsement: INVOL SKCHG due to SA 207/208 CXD/Date
  • In the event where passengers do not wish to travel as re-accommodated by SAA, passenger may request a full refund of the unused ticket, without penalty.

Customers are encouraged to contact your Travel Agent, any SAA Office or our Contact Centres for assistance with flight changes.

The South African (Johannesburg) assistance line is 0861 606 606, and the US assistance line (Fort Lauderdale) is 1 (800) 722 9675.

To read the full media statement, click here.

 

For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, Remuneration, and Expat Tax needs, email marketing@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.

Sources: [1], [2]. Image sources: Adrian Pingstone [1], [2].

Andrew Stegmann
,

Air Tanzania to Launch Flights to London

Air Tanzania has received landing slots for the launch of flights to London’s Gatwick Airport.

In preparations for the launch of flights to the United Kingdom later this year, next to resolve for the airline will be other related licences and the process is already underway.

The carrier is planning to operate three flights a week, using B787 Dreamliner, to fly from Dar es Salaam via Kilimanjaro to Gatwick, every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.

At present, Air Tanzania has to meet European Union safety standards though, should BREXIT happen on October 31, it would be the British authorities to process the application.

Tanzania has not had nonstop flight connections to the UK for several years now since British Airways, inexplicably, withdrew from the route between London Heathrow and Dar es Salaam despite high load factors. The route closure was one of many in Africa at the time and robbed Tanzanians and visitors to the country of a direct airlink between the UK and East Africa’s largest country.

The flights, once operational, will put further pressure on some loss-making airlines in the region presently flying from their hub airports in East Africa to the UK as Air Tanzania is expected to gain market share at their expense.

Meanwhile, Air Tanzania also passed IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA), which is a mandatory requirement when foreign countries process various permits for landing rights. Air Tanzania is after Precision Air, the second airline in Tanzania to meet these requirements.

It is also a standard requirement to engage in negotiations with other IATA airlines for interline and codeshare agreements. Air Tanzania returned into the IATA fold after the government settled long outstanding debts with the IATA clearing house in preparations at the time for the relaunch of the airline.

 

For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, Remuneration, and Expat Tax needs, email marketing@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.

Sources: [1], [2]. Image sources: [1], [2].