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17th Nov. 2022,Colombo: SriLankan Airlines,the national carrier of Sri Lanka organised its 2 Day ‘Global Sales Conference 2022’ on 18th & 19th November in Colombo.All the international travel trade partners of SriLankan Airlines from across the airline’s extensive network ranging from Europe, the Middle East,Indian subcontinent,Asia-Pacific and Australia have participated in the conference. The Global Sales conference had presence of over 150 leading international travel agents who predominantly market Sri Lanka and the airline’s General Sales Agents (GSAs) that represent the airline across the globe. Accordingly, the visiting agents will be exploring Sri Lanka on a selection of curated itineraries before attending the conference which will be held at Aliya Resort and Spa on November 18, 2022. The conference will be followed by a travel mart the next day, where the local tour operators and Destination Management Companies (DMCs) will meet the visiting agents to explore business and collaboration opportunities. SriLankan Airlines, CEO, Richard Nuttall said, “As the National Carrier, in our endeavor to support the tourism recovery efforts, we embarked on this timely initiative to reaffirm Sri Lanka’s safety and readiness across our network. We believe that our trusted travel trade partners will take this message across their territories and will play a greater role in inspiring travel into Sri Lanka from their respective markets. We are also overwhelmed by the response that we are receiving from the local tour operators. As we speak, over 400 appointments have been booked, and we expect the numbers to grow in the coming days.” SriLankan Airlines is aptly supported by a host of hospitality and travel partners such as Aliya Resort & Spa; Cinnamon Resorts; Cinnamon Grand; Amaya Hotels; Walkers Tours; Jetwing Hotels; Taj Hotels Infinity Vacations; Aitken Spence Travels; Mahaweli Reach Hotel; and Teardrop Hotels.

New Delhi, 15th Nov 2022: The Minister of Civil Aviation, Jyotiraditya Scindia inaugurated a direct flight route from Mumbai to Gwalior to be operated by IndiGo. The minister said that the launch of air connectivity between the economic capital of India, Mumbai, and Gwalior, a storehouse of history & culture, is a big step towards the Prime Minister’s vision of connecting every corner of the country through air services.Minister further emphasized the growing potential of Gwalior as a hub for industrialisation, and that the new air route will provide a time-saving travel option to citizens and promote new opportunities for employment and entrepreneurship. On this occasion, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said that efforts of Civil Aviation Minister has led to increase in civil aviation facilities in the country. He said that under the leadership of Prime Minister, number of airports in the country is increasing and work of modernisation of existing airports is being taken up. Shri Tomar said that Gwalior airport is also being constructed in a new way which is an achievement for all of us. He said that start of these new flights between Gwalior and Mumbai will give an impetus to Gwalior’s development and business relations between the two cities.

Manama,Kingdom of Bahrain, 9th Nov 2022: The sixth edition of the Bahrain International Airshow (BIAS) 2022 took off yesterday at the Sakhir Air Base under the patronage of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, King of the Kingdom of Bahrain, and was officially opened by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and Prime Minister.Celebrating a decade of distinction, the sixth edition of Bahrain International Airshow (BIAS) is offering an exciting programme of new features, industry-leading content, and a first-class networking experience with key regional decision-makers. Organised by the Bahrain Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications and the Royal Bahraini Airforce in association with Farnborough International, the first day of the airshow saw multiple deals and partnerships announced between leaders in the aviation and aerospace community. Pratt & Whitney announced that Royal Jordanian Airlines (“Royal Jordanian”) has selected up to 30 of the latest-generation, single-aisle aircraft powered by GTF engines, replacing its entire narrow body and regional jet fleet over the coming 3-5 years. Specifically, the airline has selected GTF engines to power up to 20 new Airbus A320neo family aircraft, including A320neo and A321neo models. Additionally, Royal Jordanian will introduce up to 9 GTF-powered Embraer E-Jets E2 aircraft, including E190-E2 and E195-E2 models. In addition, Gulf Air and Emirates officially signed a unilateral codeshare partnership, starting this December. The new agreement will offer easy connections and expanded choices for Gulf Air customers connecting to Dubai and onwards to a host of Emirates destinations across Europe, Africa, South America and the Far East. His Excellency Mr. Mohammed bin Thamer Al Kaabi, Minister of Transportation and Telecommunications, said: “Today marks the return of the Bahrain International Airshow, following the success of previous years, and the commitment to increasing the continuity and sustainability of the various economic sectors in the Kingdom of Bahrain in general, and the aviation industry in particular. We ensured to include worldwide best practices and take advantage of the experiences of the world’s leading aviation shows in planning this year’s exhibition to create a unique environment conductive to the business and growth objectives of the Kingdom and attendees. We have also created an integrated program that allows visiting civilian and military delegations to engage and interact directly with firms and decision-makers.” Building on BIAS’s objective as providing a skill and education hub, a workshop was held by Corrin Higgs, an Airbus sustainability expert, who presented to Bahraini university students the latest innovations and sustainability trends in the aviation industry, highlighting Airbus’ journey towards clean aerospace, its sustainability strategy focus on reducing the CO2 emissions of its current aircraft, and its goal to bring the world’s first zero-emission commercial aircraft to market by 2035. The afternoon saw the skies above Sakhir Air Base filled with the world’s most renowned air display teams and aircraft, with showcases of the Gulf Air 787, RBAF, JF-17, Fursan Al Emarat, UAE Mirage 2000, RSAF Typhoon, USAF F-16 demo team, Global Stars, Red Arrows, DHL B767-300 Flypast, UAE F16, Saudi Hawks and P-8 flypast. The Bahrain International Airshow continues on 10 November and 11 November 2022.

Manama,1st November 2022: Gulf Air Chief Executive Officer Captain Waleed Al Alawi opened the World Passenger Symposium today at an event organized by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and hosted by the airline in Bahrain from 01 – 03 November 2022. Captain Al Alawi welcomed the Kingdom’s guests participating in the Symposium, highlighting the national carrier’s keenness to support such events where aviation experts exchange their knowledge and expertise towards the future of the industry during the post pandemic phase. He also stressed that aviation is an integral part of the economy of Bahrain and reconnecting the world again is one of Gulf Air’s key strategy elements; inviting all participants to benefit from the Symposium’s sessions, and to enjoy everything the Kingdom has to offer. The Symposium touches upon a number of important trends and issues in the aviation world today, with sessions ranging from Retailing & Payment and Accessibility, to Airport & Pax Experience; which will see panelists and participants discussing these issues in light of the aviation industry’s variables in recent times.

Manama; 27th October 2022: Gulf Air, the national carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain, announced Captain Waleed Al Alawi as the airline’s Chief Executive Officer. As Deputy Chief Executive Officer and later on as Acting Chief Executive Officer of Gulf Air, Captain Al Alawi was instrumental in rolling out and executing the airline’s Boutique Strategy, launched in 2018, with Customer Centricity at its heart. As a result of redefining its strategy, Gulf Air has received a number of global awards culminating in the most recent accolade of the World’s Most Improved Airline 2022 received last September. Captain Al Alawi began his journey in aviation in 1980 with Gulf Air, where he later progressed to training captain. Before coming back to Gulf Air in 2017, Captain Al Alawi led a distinguished career with Bahrain Royal Flight for 18 years. H.E. Mr. Zayed R. Alzayani, Minister of Industry and Commerce and Chairman to the Board of Directors at Gulf Air commented, “We are delighted to make this announcement and proud to add that Captain Al Alawi is the First Gulf Air CEO to have started his career with Gulf Air as a Cadet Pilot and reached all the way to the helm of the company. We are confident that his knowledge and experience will take the company to newer heights and wish him all the best in his new challenge.” For his part, Captain Al Alawi commented, “I am both honored and humbled by the trust of the Kingdom’s leadership, and the airline’s Board of Directors for appointing me as Gulf Air’s Chief Executive Officer. Gulf Air currently has a great business model and a talented team that uniquely positions it to capitalize on the changing aviation environment. As the industry evolves through restructuring and digital transformation, and with all the developments the airline has been going through lately; Gulf Air is in a position to take the lead in today’s competitive travel market, and to reap the positive outcomes of its Boutique Strategy.” In addition to his professional qualification, Captain Al Alawi received his Master’s Degree in Aviation Management from City University, UK in 2007.

Air France Industries KLM Engineering & Maintenance (AFI KLM E&M) and Ampaire have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), paving the way for future collaborations. Paris, Amstelveen, 25th October 2022: AFI KLM E&M and Ampaire have signed a memorandum of understanding that anticipates bringing the worldwide resources of AFI KLM E&M to the introduction and global support of electrified aircraft. The two companies intend to accelerate the introduction of sustainable aviation by utilizing their respective core competencies. The MoU covers a broad range of mutual interests, from Aircraft Development, Maintenance Training & Support and Data Analytics. Energize the future with experience Ampaire, a leader in electric aircraft, is in the process of certifying the nine-seat, hybrid-electric Eco Caravan, with a service introduction planned for 2024. The company intends to expand its product line to larger hybrid-electric aircraft and eventually to fully electric aircraft as that technology becomes technically and economically feasible. Under the MoU, the companies anticipate developing training for a worldwide network of ground engineers, installing Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) upgrades and, potential component pooling and operational data analysis to ensure optimal support. This groundwork can be extended to collaborate on support of a 19-passenger aircraft. Kevin Noertker, Ampaire Founder and CEO, stated: “Ampaire and AFI KLM E&M will work together to explore maintenance support for game-changing low-emissions aircraft on a worldwide basis. AFI KLM E&M’s powerful global network and strong expertise will give operators everywhere high technical confidence in new propulsion systems. These systems will also provide optimized maintenance costs compared to conventional turbines.” In constant search of innovations and solutions at the cutting edge of technologies, the ambition is to make AFI KLM E&M the preferred partner on maintenance training development for electrical aircraft. It may include the use of modern solutions like augmented reality and virtual reality. The companies are also planning to collaborate on STC installations of Ampaire’s hybrid-electric upgrades through the airline’s global MRO network. Ton Dortmans, EVP KLM Engineering & Maintenance, said: “This MoU anticipates a future with expanded new ways of air transportation options hand-in-hand with lower emissions. We have chosen to collaborate with Ampaire because their approach is visionary and also extremely methodical and practical, which means these beneficial technologies can be already introduced in the very near future.”

Kuwait,13th October, 2022: Kuwait based Low cost carrier,Jazeera Airways took delivery of its tenth and eleventh A320neo aircraft from Airbus, bringing the airline’s fleet to a total of 19 aircraft from 7 in 2018. These are the first aircraft to be delivered from the airline’s 2021 order book for 20 A320neos and 8 A321neos. The event was attended by officials from the Kuwait Directorate General for Civil Aviation, Ministry of Interior and officials from the French Embassy, and hosted by Chairman Marwan Boodai and Chief Executive Officer Rohit Ramachandran. Speaking to guests onboard the new aircraft, Boodai said, “We are very happy to be taking delivery of the first A320neo aircraft as part of Jazeera’s larger orderbook that will effectively double the fleet size to 35 aircraft by the year 2026 in support of our expansion plans, as well as boost our contribution to Kuwait’s travel sector. “With the challenges of the past two years behind us, Jazeera has returned with a strong performance, offering customers further choiceswith new destinations being opened throughout the year. “We thank the Directorate General for Civil Aviation, regulatory authorities and partners for supporting Jazeera Airways for over 17 years in providing travelers with a reliable travel service.” Jazeera placed the order for the 28 aircraft with Airbus in November 2021. The agreement is valued at US$3.4 billion (KD1.3 billion). Jazeera was the first airline in the Middle East to operate the A320neo. CEO RohitRamachandran, said: “Jazeera is focusing on expanding its fleet with these latest aircraft from our partner Airbus, offering more environmentally friendly neo models, which provide a range of benefits including 18% fuel-saving, quieter engines with 50% less CO2 emissions. “Our growing fleet will support our expansion plans for Q4 2022 and into 2023 with new destinations and increasing frequencies on existing popular routes. The A320neo has already proven itself to be a great airplane for us and we are pleased to work with Airbus and our leasing partners to make these additions to our fleet.”