Dubai Hotel Travel

OnAir has appointed Luc Cousin as Chief Programmes Officer (CPO), and established a regional presence in Dubai, UAE and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The new appointment and expansion are in response to the growing global demand for the company’s inflight passenger communications services, which include text, email and voice.

As CPO, Luc Cousin will be responsible for programme planning and customer delivery, and for coordinating and supervising OnAir’s activities for installation, entry into service and equipment support. Cousin will be a member of OnAir’s Executive Committee and will play a critical role in the deployment of OnAir services on various aircraft types. He previously worked in Airbus Customer Services, where he led several projects in change management and strategy; before that, he was Vice President Operations, EADS Test & Services.

OnAir has also established a regional presence in both Dubai and Kuala Lumpur to meet the unprecedented demand for its services in the Middle East and Asia Pacific. Franck Michaud has been appointed as Head of Business Development Middle East, based in Dubai. Hans Jurgen Stoffer and Laurent Philippe, both based in Kuala Lumpur, have joined OnAir as Head of Aircraft Programmes for Asia Pacific and as Head of Business Development for Asia Pacific respectively. The new regional presence complements OnAir’s current offices in Geneva and Seattle. (more…)

Emirates Airline has taken delivery of its first Airbus A380. The aircraft is also the first customer A380 powered by Engine Alliance engines.

Emirates’ first A380 commercial service is scheduled for 1 August and will operate between Dubai and New York, USA. Currently Emirates has 50 Airbus aircraft in its fleet. (more…)

Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi International Airport reopens as maintenance work to fix a crack found on the runway was completed in four hours on Tuesday.

The airport was only closed for four hours on Tuesday morning, instead of 12 hours as announced earlier.

According to Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC), the owner-operator of ADIA, the airport is now fully operational.

The maintenace work got over at 7am on Tuesday and the flight services resumed around 9am.

“ADAC worked closely with all airlines involved, including Etihad Airways, to minimise any delays to scheduled services and return to full operations,” said the ADAC statement.

The runway maintenance work has led to the rescheduling of many flights.

Hotel Ibis World Trade Centre Dubai – The Ibis World Trade Centre Dubai hotel is directly linked to the International Exhibition Centre and Convention Centre of Dubai, the biggest international complex in the Middle East. Close to the tourist centre and Sheikh Zayed Road, the principal business centre of Dubai, the hotel is 15 min from the airport and the Jebel Ali free zone. It has 210 airconditioned rooms, two restaurants and two bars. WiFi internet access for guests on a business trip. (more…)

Abu Dhabi International Airport is to be closed to all air traffic between 02:15am until 14:15 (12 hours) on Tuesday 22 July 2008, due to essential maintenance work needed on its runway.

Massimiliano Dosi, Chief Operating Officer, Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC), the owner-operator of the airport, said, “Having identified an abrasion in the runway, ADAC has taken the decision that a re-asphalting of a small section of the airport’s only airstrip is essential and is to be conducted early next week.”

Due to the time of year and the extremely high summer temperatures being experienced in Abu Dhabi, day and night, this generally routine procedure means it would need longer than usual for the new asphalt to set and be ready for operational use, hence the 12 hour scheduled closure.

Abu Dhabi Airports Company said it has been working closely with the home airline, Etihad Airways, along with all its other airline operators through Abu Dhabi International Airport in order to minimize any inconveniences that may be caused.

All passengers scheduled to fly to Abu Dhabi on Tuesday 22 July, are strongly advised to check directly with their airline or travel agent in order to understand if and how this will affect their flight schedules.

“ADAC regrets any inconvenience caused to passengers but hopes that it is understood that safety is always the first priority for all its partners and passengers and ADAC has taken all means and measures to limit any inconveniences caused during the maintenance period,” Dosi added.

Hyatt Regency Dubai – A modern, luxury Dubai hotel, Hyatt Regency Dubai is located on the Deira Corniche, overlooking the Persian Gulf at the mouth of Dubai Creek, and is within walking distance of the Gold Souk. Our Dubai Hotel is only two minutes from the commercial and shopping areas and just 15 minutes from Dubai International Airport and the Dubai International Convention Centre. (more…)

With just over four months to go until the Emirates Airline Dubai Rugby Sevens, a highlight of Dubai’s sporting and social calendar, Emirates has confirmed that the event’s new venue is to be named ‘The Sevens’.

The Sevens, which is currently being built is located on the outskirts of Dubai, it will also be the venue for the Rugby World Cup Sevens from 5th – 7th March 2009.

The Sevens stadium will be about more than just rugby, as a venue it will also cater for the popular sports played in the region, including cricket, football, basketball and netball.

His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline & Group said, “Work is progressing well at the new sporting facility and we are very excited to announce that this state of the art venue will be known as ‘The Sevens’. Both Dubai and Emirates are synonymous with the game of rugby sevens and have been instrumental in the development of the game; so it was felt the venue should reflect this close association.

“It is our aim that The Sevens will encourage greater participation in rugby and other sports by Arab nationals and that the venue will help foster the development of teams, both here in the UAE and the wider region.”

From the rugby angle, The Sevens will feature a small permanent grandstand with just 4,000 seats and temporary stands will be erected around this permanent structure to cater for up to 40,000 people.

Hospitality areas, broadcast and medical facilities and changing rooms also feature in the design as well as a 30-metre wide rugby promenade, featuring cafes and food outlets.

The second pitch will be in a bowl and enclosed on three sides by a grass embankment enabling a crowd of 15,000 to enjoy the sporting action or possibly even concerts, while a nearby sports complex and clubhouse will include provision for tennis, squash, basketball and badminton as well as a gymnasium and swimming pool.

The remaining four rugby pitches will be located close to a two-storey 80-metre long clubhouse.

Etihad Holidays, a division of Etihad Airways, has launched a new promotion to entice UAE-based holiday makers to visit four of the airline’s top destinations for a short break during the summer months.

The new promotion includes breaks to the Omani capital Muscat, Johannesburg and Sun City in South Africa, the German city of Frankfurt and Etihad’s newest destination, Beijing, which is proving extremely popular in the build-up to the summer Olympic Games.

Etihad Holidays is offering some of its lowest lead-in fares in the promotion with two nights in Muscat starting from Dh960 at the five star Shangri-La hotel, including flights with Etihad Airways from Abu Dhabi.

In addition to the deal at the Shangri-La in Muscat, Etihad Holidays’ offers in the Omani capital include a stay at the five star Chedi hotel from Dh1,065 per person for two nights and the Grand Hyatt, also five star, from Dh1,235.

The summer promotion offers five hotels in Johannesburg and the nearby resort of Sun City with flights and three nights at the four star Protea Hotel Balaika from as little as Dh2,995, the four star Cascades hotel from Dh4,090 and the five star Palace of the Lost City from Dh5,850.

Etihad Holidays is also offering special deals to the Chinese capital Beijing, host city for this summer’s Olympic Games, with flights and three nights stay at the three star Double Happiness Courtyard from Dh1,888 and the five star Inter-Continental Financial Street from Dh2,535.

There are four hotels available in the special campaign in Frankfurt, Germany’s financial capital, which includes flights and three nights at the four star Frankfurt Holiday Inn City South from Dh2,430 and the five star Marriott Frankfurt from Dh2,855.

Holidays in this promotion must be booked before 17 July 2008, with a the travel period before 31 July 2008 for Beijing and before 31 August 2008 for Muscat, Johannesburg and Frankfurt.

Expatriates are choosing to call the UAE ‘home’ for increasingly longer periods of time and investing more in their homes than they have in the past, due to a shift in salary packages on offer from employers.

A recent survey on the salary packages of multinational companies in the Middle East has revealed the traditional focus of high basic salaries and cash allowances is shifting towards long-term incentives and ‘protection’ benefits which are enticing expats to stay longer.

The changes in benefit practices are being driven by the continuing increase in multinational companies based in the region, expansion of the expatriate workforce, and greater mobility of expatriates between jobs. (more…)

Layia Hospitality, a new hotel management company, is expanding its Living Courts serviced apartments brand, with a fourth property recently signed in Dubai. Opal Living Courts is scheduled to open in Al Barsha in January 2009.

“Our Living Courts properties provide a high quality alternative for those seeking a home environment for either for a daily or a long stay. Convenience and peace of mind come as standard, with housekeeping services, maintenance and security around the clock. Living Courts offer a true alternative to standard apartments in standard residential buildings. Rates are extremely competitive and offer an excellent value for money proposition,” said Daniel Hajjar, CEO, Layia Hospitality.

Layia Hospitality opened its first Living Courts property, Crystal Living Courts, Al Barsha, in February. (more…)