A commercial ban on flights has not been confirmed and there is little clarity over whether such a measure could even be enforced, industry insiders say.

Saj Ahmad, an analyst at FBE Aerospace, said many airlines were against such a move.

“I can see vocal opposition to a ban and maybe even defiance,” Mr Ahmad said. “In many ways, the Arab League is toothless. They can ‘impose’ it, but whether individual airlines adhere to it is another matter entirely.” The Arab League sanctions committee said flights to Syria would be halved, Reuters reported.

Etihad Airways said it had no further update on the situation following its announcement last week that it was “closely monitoring the situation in Syria and will continue to fly to Damascus for as long as we are permitted to”.

Emirates Airline is also continuing to fly to Syria.

The General Civil Aviation Authority on Wednesday said “UAE airlines have no intention of suspending flights to Syria”.

Meanwhile, a number of hotel projects in Syria are on hold, and the sector has already been affected by US sanctions.

“Syria was subject to some US export trade sanctions, which represented some constraints on the entrance of new US hotel operators,” said Chiheb ben Mahmoud, the senior vice president at Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels, Middle East and Africa. Abu Dhabi‘s Rotana has two hotels open in Syria and a further three properties that were under development. “We have several projects there that are on hold,” said Omer Kaddouri, the chief operating officer at Rotana Hotels.

“The investments that we have in Syria are with various entities that cannot be named. I think that the situation in Syria today is something that we are all hoping will improve because Syria needs a lot of hotels,” he said.

“We’re just looking forward for things to get better so we can start getting back on track with our properties.”

There has also been a sharp drop in the number of Syrians travelling within the country.

Dubai‘s Jumeirah Group also had a project under development. “It is not appropriate for us to comment on the political situation in Syria,” it said. “We continue to monitor events.”

Originally published by http://www.thenational.ae

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Following high demand for flights to South Africa for the final of the FIFA World Cup™, fans now have more than a sporting chance of fulfilling their goal. Emirates, the official airline of the tournament, will operate a brace of flights to Cape Town and Johannesburg on Monday 12th and Tuesday 13th July.

Richard Vaughan, Emirates’ Divisional Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations Worldwide, said: “Emirates is looking forward to flying in football fans from our network of over 100 destinations across six continents that we serve non-stop from Dubai, to South Africa.

“Being an Official Partner of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ not only demonstrates our ongoing support of the game, it enables us to use our sponsorship to bring the world to South Africa for this incredible sporting event. We are delighted to offer these additional flights to help ensure that as many supporters as possible have the chance to Live the Unforgettable this summer.”

Supporters can even rest assured that they won’t miss a second of the action while on board the aircraft, as Emirates will provide text updates and match screenings on its award-winning on-board ICE entertainment system.

The additional flights comprise an extra round trip service to both Cape Town and Johannesburg. The EK 3772 will depart Dubai at 09:50 on Monday 12th July, arriving in Cape Town at 17:25, while the EK3773 will depart Cape Town at 19:25 the same day, arriving in Dubai at 06:40 on the 13th July.

The EK 3767 will depart Dubai on Tuesday 13th July at 09:20, arriving Johannesburg at 15:30, and the EK3768 will depart Johannesburg at 17:30 the same day, arriving Dubai at 03:30 on Wednesday 14th July.

Emirates’ partnership with FIFA began at the 2006 FIFA World Cup™ when it became the first airline to be a sponsor of the prestigious sporting event. Following on from the success of the tournament in Germany, Emirates then cemented its status as an Official FIFA Partner up to and including the 2014 FIFA World Cup™.

Originally published by http://www.emirates.com

A 517-seat version of the giant aircraft will serve Manchester from 1st September – as the airline marks a double decade of service to the city.

The A380 will replace Boeing 777 aircraft on EK017 from Dubai and EK018 out of Manchester. At the same time, Manchester will become the world’s first regional airport to have a regular A380 service.

Salem Obaidalla, Emirates’ Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations, Europe & Russian Federation said: “Manchester has become one of the strongest performers in our growing network of regional gateways. Our customers value our commitment to a regional network at a time when other airlines are abandoning them. We are delighted to give our Manchester customers the very best available in the shape of the Emirates’ A380, which, without doubt, has revolutionised flying.”

Manchester Airport’s Managing Director, Andrew Cornish, said: “Emirates’ decision to operate daily A380 services between Manchester and Dubai represents an historic moment for this airport and the region that we serve. We have invested close to £10 million (AED 54.8 million) in upgrading the airfield and terminal, both to accommodate the aircraft itself and to create a fitting environment for Emirates’ customers, whether it is at check-in, using the airline’s executive lounge or at the gate area.”

Emirates is currently operating eight A380s. They serve London Heathrow, Toronto, Paris, Jeddah, Bangkok, Seoul, Sydney and Auckland.

The much-praised aircraft offers an Onboard Lounge for First Class and Business Class passengers, with a wide range of drinks and canapés, as well as the space to socialise or simply relax.

The whole of the upper deck is dedicated to premium passengers. Towards the front, First Class passengers can relax in one of 14 flat-bed, massage-equipped Private Suites. These incorporate remote-controlled doors, a work desk, a 23-inch digital widescreen TV, and an electrically controlled mini-bar.

In Business Class, fully-flat seats all have aisle access, a mini-bar, lap top and shoe stowage and a very useful personal side table. As with First Class, Gourmet dining comes with bone China.

In Economy Class, the straight walls give the impression of increased spaciousness, along with a 32” seat pitch which is one of the most generous on the market.

Available to all onboard is Emirates’ award-winning ‘ice’ (information, communication, entertainment) in-flight entertainment system. It brings more than 1200 channels of on-demand pure enjoyment.

In October, an AED 8.2 million Emirates Lounge was opened at Manchester International Airport, bringing a welcomed travel sanctuary to the airline’s premium travellers.

Emirates has two flights a day to Manchester. The A380 flight – EK017 – departs Dubai at 0755hrs and arrives in Manchester at 1225hrs. The return flight – EK018 – leaves Manchester at 1410hrs and gets into Dubai at 0015hrs the following day.

Originally published by http://www.emirates.com

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The colossal aircraft landed in Dubai late last night after travelling from the Jurgen Thomas Delivery Centre in Hamburg, Germany. The aircraft is currently being fitted with the airline’s service hallmarks at Emirates’ world class engineering facility, in preparation for entry into service.

Taking delivery of this mammoth plane Adel Al Redha, Emirates’ Executive Vice President Engineering and Operations said: “The delivery of our sixth A380 aircraft is testament to Emirates’ steadfast resilience amidst the global economic crisis. The A380 offers us the ability to support our operational needs and meet passenger demand, an important factor with international load levels looking positive over the next few months.”

“We remain resolute in our expansion plans in terms of both fleet and destinations. In the last four weeks alone Emirates has announced plans to start services to Tokyo and Amsterdam in 2010 and has also taken delivery of three new aircraft including two Boeing 777-300ER, in addition to today’s Airbus A380.”

Serving six far reaching destinations including; Sydney, Auckland, Bangkok, Toronto, Heathrow and from tomorrow Seoul, Emirates’ A380 aircraft provide a greener option for long haul travel through substantial reductions in noise, emissions and fuel burn. From 29th December Emirates will also commence an A380 service to Paris, with the carrier’s seventh A380 aircraft due for delivery later this month.

Designed to provide customers with the greatest travel comforts on long-range journeys, the Emirates’ A380 – with 14 First Class Private Suites, 76 Business Class and 399 Economy seats – represents the latest innovation and technology from a company recognized internationally for its in-flight amenities and services.

Unique to the Emirates aircraft are its Shower Spas – two fully-equipped bathrooms in the First Class cabins with shower facilities. Emirates A380’s ground-breaking in-flight product also features an Onboard Lounge for First and Business Class passengers which includes a bar with a wide range of beverages and canapés as well as an exclusive space to socialise or simply relax.

Spread over two levels, the whole of the A380 upper deck is dedicated to premium passengers. Towards the front, First Class passengers can relax in one of 14 flat-bed, massage-equipped Private Suites. These incorporate remote-controlled doors, a work desk, an electrically controlled mini-bar and the most advanced in-flight entertainment system available to travellers.

The main deck is dedicated to Economy class passengers and is fitted with comfortable seating as well as seat back individual 12 inch LCD screens, offering passengers a wide range of in-flight entertainment.

The arrival of sixth Airbus A380 brings Emirates’ all-wide bodied passenger fleet to 142 aircraft. Emirates operates services to 101 cities spanning 62 countries on six continents.

Originally published by http://www.emirates.com

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