BAHRAIN: Gulf Air, the national carrier of Bahrain, recently introduced its new four times weekly service to Najaf in Iraq. Najaf thus becomes Gulf Air’s second destination in Iraq. It takes the airline’s total route network to 44 destinations in 29 countries. The packed Gulf Air flight, operated by an Airbus 320 aircraft, carried a delegation of senior officials, and diplomatic, business and religious representatives. There were also travelers on board, who were excited about the opportunity to visit such a historic city which has religious significance in the Muslim world and also lies less than 30 km from the ancient city of Babylon, with close proximity to other important holy cities. Gulf Air’s four times weekly service operates till October after which it will go daily.

SIA begins daily A380

service to Melbourne

JEDDAH: Singapore Airlines (SIA) launched its A380 service for Melbourne recently. With 453 passengers on board the 471-seat double-decker aircraft, the flight took off from Singapore Changi Airport at night and touched down at Melbourne Airport on the following morning. Melbourne is the second Australian city and sixth in SIA’s network to receive the A380. SIA currently operates 21 weekly flights between Singapore and Melbourne including the daily A380 service. “The A380 continues to be extremely popular with our passengers, as we see a very positive booking response for our scheduled services between Singapore and Melbourne. Since the start of its operation in October 2007, the A380 has carried more than 1.8 million passengers on more than 4,600 commercial flights,” said Huang Cheng Eng, SIA’s executive vice president.

Jazeera Airways launches new promotion

KUWAIT: Jazeera Airways has launched a massive fare sale, with 111,000 seats on offer for just SR209 one way, inclusive of taxes and surcharges. Jazeera Airways’ CEO Stefan Pichler said: “At Jazeera we are committed to giving our guests ever greater freedom to fly with us across the region. This incredible offer means that guests can book a long weekend or extended holiday to any one of our fantastic destinations, without having to spend a fortune on travel.” The 111,000-seat promotion, which came into effect on Oct. 4, continues till Nov. 11. Jazeera Airways currently operates a fleet of 10 new Airbus A320 aircraft. Each aircraft is fitted with the airline’s signature leather seating, while the Jazeera Business Class cabin offers business travelers a little extra convenience including easy booking, special check-in counters, 40 kg baggage allowance, access to airport lounges and exclusive in-flight service and entertainment. The airline flies to destinations in the Middle East, North Africa, Europe, Iran, and the Indian subcontinent.

Air Arabia highlights growth opportunities

RIYADH: Air Arabia’s Group CEO Adel Ali highlighted the significant global growth opportunities for regional low cost carriers (LCCs) at the World Low-Cost Airline (WLCA) Congress in Barcelona recently. “As LCCs such as Air Arabia continue to organically grow their fleets and geographic footprints — reaching out across the Middle East and throughout Asia, Africa and Europe — it is clear that we are now competing on a global platform,” Ali said, pointing out that such “regional champions” are now increasingly recognized as global brands. “Despite the extremely challenging conditions facing the aviation sector worldwide, LCCs in the Middle East and North Africa region, with their revived focus on commercial sustainability, are seizing the opportunity to grow their global market share,” Ali said.