Emirates and Wesgro have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to drive inbound tourism and boost visitors to Cape Town and the Western Cape, on the sidelines of Africa’s World Travel Market (WTM).
Dubai has restricted foreign airlines to just one daily flight to its airports until May 31 due to the Iran crisis, a Reuters report said citing a Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA) letter.
Dubai-based Emirates airline has said it anticipated a return to 100% of its network within the coming days, subject to airspace availability, while Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways said it has restarted a limited commercial flight schedule on Friday (March 6).
Flight operations at the UAE’s major airports are beginning to regain cautious momentum as regional airspace gradually reopens, allowing carriers to restart limited services after days of disruption triggered by the escalating conflict in the Gulf.
Travel disruption across the Gulf region has entered its fifth day, with thousands of passengers still stranded and airlines operating only limited flights out of major hubs like Dubai and Abu Dhabi amid continued regional conflict and widespread airspace closures.
Limited airport operations resumed in Abu Dhabi and Dubai last evening following UAE authorities allowing exceptional flights to take stranded travellers back home.
Dubai Airports said flights to and from Dubai International Airport are gradually resuming to selected destinations, following the temporary suspension implemented as a precautionary measure.
Emirates and Qatar Airways as well as low-cost carrier Air India Express have announced suspension of flights due to regional airspace closures following retaliatory strikes by Iran on US bases in the Gulf, residential districts and other facilities.
Emirates has announced the expansion of its operations to Tokyo Narita with the introduction of a second daily service from May 1, operated by the airline’s retrofitted Boeing 777-300ER. The second daily flight will provide travellers with greater choice and enhanced opportunities for multi-destination itineraries, including the convenience of a stopover in Dubai.
Emirates may consider buying a larger version of A350 if Airbus went ahead with a new wide-body variant, reported Reuters, citing its top official. A larger A350 would leapfrog the A350-1000, which Emirates has so far declined to buy over concerns about durability of its engines in harsh Gulf operating conditions.
