Etihad’s Second Quarter and First Half Results 

Etihad Airways has announced its second quarter and half-year financial performances. According to a press statement, the results reflect continued growth in the airline alliance strategy and global cargo operations. The airline achieved an eight per cent increase in second quarter of 2013 in passenger revenues, generating 921 million USD which was 855 million USD in 2012. The passenger revenues for the first half of 2013 reached 1.8 billion USD as compared to 1.6 billion USD in 2012, which is an increase of 13 per cent. Revenue generated by codeshare and equity alliance airline partners was 184 million USD second quarter of 2013. This is 25 per cent more than the turnover in the same period of 2012. Partnership revenue comprised 20 per cent of the airline’s total passenger revenue in both second quarter and the first half of 2013. In addition, Etihad Airways signed an Initial Memorandum of Understanding with the Government of Serbia to discuss potentially investing in JatAirways. Etihad Airways also secured Australian regulatory approval to increase its equity stake in Virgin Australia from 10 per cent to 19.9 per cent. 

 

 

Istanbul-Kathmandu Direct Flight from 1st September 

Turkish Airlines of Europe will be flying weekly flights- Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 1st September 2013, according to Joy Dewan, general sales agent for the airlines. The airline will use its wide-body Airbus A330 consisting 280 seats. Airline soon will be flying in daily basis within few months, according to Zenith Travels. The fare of two ways service of Turkish airline is Rs 44,000, informed Zenith Travels. There was no scheduled direct flight from Kathmandu to Europe. The direct flight will contribute to sustain the relationship with European tourists and link Kathmandu to other parts of the world, added Dewan. The direct flight from Istanbul to Kathmandu is the positive sign, said Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation. According to Ministry, the process of permission to fly Turkish Airline is almost complete. The Turkish Airline is currently flying to 232 destinations of more than 100 countries. The carrier is flying to 99 destinations in Europe in daily basis. According to Zenith Travels, the airlines consist of more than 250 aircrafts. 

 

 

Qatar Airways Upgrades Capacity on Istanbul Route 

Qatar Airways the Doha-based carrier has upgraded its capacity on its Istanbul - Doha route with an Airbus A330 aircraft. The new wide-body aircraft results in an increased capacity on flights to Istanbul by 166 seats per day, a nearly 50% increase. The flights routes will be operated with a modern Airbus A330. The aircraft offers seatback TV screens providing passengers with the next generation interactive onboard entertainment system and a choice of more than 1000 audio and video on demand options. 

Qatar Airways has seen rapid growth in just 16 years of operations and currently flying a modern fleet of 127 aircraft to 128 key business and leisure destinations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific and The Americas. Qatar Airways has so far launched six destinations this year Gassim (Saudi Arabia), Salalah (Oman), Najaf and Basra (Iraq), Phnom Penh (Cambodia) and Chicago (USA).Over the next few months, the network will grow further. 

 

 

Dragonair Upgrades Flagship Website 

Dragonair upgrades its flagship website as www.dragonair. com on 23 June providing an enhancement to a more advanced and powerful online platform. This will enable further upgrades to the airline’s online and mobile services in the near future. It will also give the website a fresh look and feel with enhanced navigation and an improved site structure. With the growing demand for online and mobile services and together with significant changes in customer preferences, a more sophisticated technology platform is required. The upcoming upgrade will provide a significantly improved platform that will enable Dragonair to keep pace with changing travel trends and consumer preferences. 

 

 

Air Asia X’s High Point

Air Asia X of Malaysia has completed one year of Nepal operation. During this period, airline carried more than 100,000 passengers showing its growing popularity in Nepal, said Azran Osman Rani, CEO of Air Asia X. On the occasion of 1st anniversary, Air Asia X has launched a discount offer for connecting flights from Kathmandu to Japan, Korea and Australia. The airline has started five flights from Kathmandu to Kuala Lumpur from 17th July every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday, said Hariman Lama, MD of Incentive Tours and Travels.