Qatar Airways signs Air Canada codeshare deal

Qatar Airways has finalised a codeshare agreement with Air Canada applicable for travel between Doha and Toronto.

Sales have started, with the first codeshare flights to operate from December 15th.

The agreement is designed to reinforce Qatar Airways’ commitment to Canadian passengers, and to boost Canada’s global connectivity.

Qatar Airways’ passengers can now enjoy seamless, one-stop connections to and from Toronto via Hamad International Airport.

Air Canada passengers will benefit from being able to book travel on Qatar Airways’ flights between Toronto and Doha and onwards to more than 75 destinations in Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

Qatar Airways Group chief executive, Akbar Al Baker, said: “We are delighted to secure this strategic codeshare agreement with Air Canada to provide our travellers with a seamless journey to and from Toronto with excellence in state-of-the-art and sustainable aircraft, safety, comfort and onboard service.

“The agreement will increase choices for thousands of passengers and allows for smooth connectivity to a significant number of new destinations – particularly throughout Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

“By harnessing our complementary strengths, this agreement will also provide benefits to aid the recovery of international travel.”

Qatar Airways began flying to Canada in June 2011 with three weekly flights to Montreal that expanded to four weekly in 2018.

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Qatar Airways adds new destinations to global network

Qatar Airways resume flights and increase services to several destinations in the coming weeks, the carrier has announced.

The Middle Eastern airline will fly to Algiers twice a week from November 13th, with Chicago to follow, with nine flights a week starting from November 15th.

In between, on November 14th, a twice weekly service to Miami will resume, while there will also be 14 flights a week to New York.

Next month, Kiev will welcome three flights a week from December 18th, two flights a week will depart for Phuket from December 4th, with three flights a week for Seychelles and Warsaw from December 15th and December 16th, respectively.

The national carrier of the Qatar will also launch two new destinations in December with one weekly flight to Luanda, Angola starting from December 14th and four weekly flights to San Francisco from December 15th.

Qatar Airways Group, chief executive, Akbar Al Baker, said: “We are delighted to continue rebuilding our network, resuming routes and adding new destinations.

“We have made it our priority to not only restart most of our existing destinations as soon as possible but also to launch new routes.

“With more than 700 weekly flights currently to just over 100 destinations, and plans to increase our network to more than 125 destinations by the end of the IATA winter season, our passengers will enjoy more options to travel when they want across the globe, safely and reliably.”

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World Travel Awards honours Maldives with top Indian Ocean prizes

World Travel Awards has unveiled its Indian Ocean 2020 winners to coincide with its inaugural Indian Ocean Winners Day.

The global initiative to recognise and reward excellence in travel and tourism will also reveal its global title holders later this month during the Grand Final.

Winners include Maldives, which cemented its reputation as the definitive secluded sanctuary to win ‘Indian Ocean’s Leading Destination’, ‘Indian Ocean’s Leading Beach Destination’ and ‘Indian Ocean’s Leading Dive Destination’.

Meanwhile the lush forests, wild waterfalls, unique wildlife and palm-fringed beaches of Mauritius helped it lift ‘Indian Ocean’s Leading Adventure Tourism Destination’ and ‘Indian Ocean’s Leading Honeymoon Destination’.

The mystical island of Madagascar was named ‘Indian Ocean’s Leading Green Destination’, whilst Reunion Island was heralded ‘Indian Ocean’s Leading Nature Destination’.

Maldives enjoyed a strong showing in the hospitality sector. Conrad Maldives Rangali Island, home to the world’s first underwater villa, lifted the title of ‘Indian Ocean’s Leading Hotel’, while Vakkaru Maldives, with its unique take on luxury, picked up ‘Indian Ocean’s Leading Resort’, and Kurumba Maldives won ‘Indian Ocean’s Leading Family Resort’.

New arrival on the region’s luxury hospitality scene, Emerald Maldives Resort & Spa, was voted ‘Indian Ocean’s Leading New Resort’.

Hilton Seychelles Northolme Resort & Spa claimed ‘Indian Ocean’s Leading Villa Resort’ and Andilana Beach Resort, Madagascar declared ‘Indian Ocean’s Leading Beach Resort’.

In the aviation sector, Air Seychelles lifted ‘Indian Ocean’s Leading Airline’, while ‘Indian Ocean’s Leading Airport’ went to Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport, Mauritius.

The results follow a year-long search for the world’s top travel, tourism and hospitality brands.

Votes were cast by travel industry professionals and the public, with the nominee gaining the most votes in a category named as the winner.

Graham Cooke, founder, World Travel Awards, said: “Our winners represent the very best of the Indian Ocean’s travel and tourism sector and my congratulations to each of them.

“They have all demonstrated remarkable resilience in a year of unprecedented challenges.”

He added: “The World Travel Awards 2020 programme received a record number of votes cast by the public.

“This shows that the appetite for travel and tourism has never been stronger and bodes well for the industry’s future as the global recovery begins.”

Other winners include Constance Hotels & Resorts (‘Indian Ocean’s Leading Hotel Brand); Cunard (‘Indian Ocean’s Leading Cruise Line’); Simply Maldives Holidays (‘Indian Ocean’s Leading Travel Agency’); The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort (‘Indian Ocean’s Leading Luxury Resort’); Seychelles Travel (‘Indian Ocean’s Leading Tour Operator’); and Hey Hey Maldives (‘Indian Ocean’s Leading Luxury Tour Operator’).

More Information

For a full list of winners, head over the official website.

World Travel Awards was established in 1993 to acknowledge, reward and celebrate excellence across all sectors of the tourism industry.

Today, the World Travel Awards brand is recognised globally as the ultimate hallmark of quality, with winners setting the benchmark to which all others aspire.

Each year, World Travel Awards covers the globe with a series of regional gala ceremonies staged to recognise and celebrate individual and collective success within each key geographical region.

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LO sounds crisis alarm for Norwegian aviation

OSLO, NOV 10 - LO (Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions) does not believe the government is doing enough for Norwegian aviation and calls for a more comprehensive plan. The Norwegian Pilots’ Association believes that aviation is about to collapse.

“The government said no to joining the issue with SAS. It has said no to contributing equity in Norwegian. 

“More debt is not what aviation needs now. What the government is doing is not enough, nor does it seem as if it has a plan for aviation in the future,” deputy leader Peggy Hessen Følsvik of LO said in a press release.

Air traffic is down about 70% this year compared to last year, and LO fears that aviation may be affected by the corona crisis until 2023.

“We have requested that there be more measures for aviation than expensive loan schemes. 

It is positive that the tax level has become lower and that the state buys FOT routes, but it doesn’t work when aviation is in such a deep crisis,” Følsvik said.

New measures

On Monday Nov 9, the government announced new measures for aviation. 

Among other things, it proposed to allocate a significant amount for the purchase of a minimum offer on domestic flights. 

The government will also extend the aviation loan guarantee scheme.

“It does not seem as if the government has taken into account that a minimum offer will hit most people, business, and the districts very hard. 

“The government’s main objective must be to ensure critical national infrastructure, and that there will be aviation in Norway after the crisis,” Yngve Carlsen, leader of the Norwegian Pilots’ Association, said. 

Carlsen believes that Norwegian aviation is now about to collapse.

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Hilton signs to bring Curio brand to Yas Island in Abu Dhabi

Miral has appointed Hilton to bring two new and unique hospitality offerings to Yas Island, while it invests AED627 million (£130 million) in their development.

The WB Abu Dhabi, the first Warner Bros. branded hotel in the world, will be operated and managed by Hilton under its upper-upscale Curio Collection by Hilton brand, while the serviced residences will be managed by DoubleTree by Hilton.

Signed by Mohamed Abdalla Alzaabi, chief executive of Miral, and Jochem-Jan Sleiffer, president for Hilton in the Middle East, Africa and Turkey, the agreement brings the two brand to Abu Dhabi for the first time.

The deal also demonstrates a commitment from Miral to bringing exclusive hospitality venues to Yas Island, which further positions it as one of the top global destinations for entertainment, leisure and business.

Yas Island is already considered the World’s Leading Tourism Development Project by voters at the World Travel Awards.

BR Kiran, chief portfolio officer at Miral, said: “Hilton is a globally recognised partner, and we are honoured to be partnering with them to bring the Curio Collection by Hilton and DoubleTree by Hilton brands to Abu Dhabi for the first time.

“This supports our strategy and vision of creating unforgettable experiences for every guest on Yas Island, while increasing the diversity of hospitality options available to them.

“We are confident that residents and visitors alike will welcome the diverse and flexible range of new accommodation options, while enjoying the unmatched experiences and unique attractions available to them on Yas Island.”

The agreement reinforces the existing collaboration, which was initiated in 2017 between the two companies and builds on Miral’s strategy to partner with leading global brands as a part of its long-term vision for Yas Island.

Miral first appointed Hilton back in 2017 to operate and manage the Hilton Abu Dhabi Yas Island Hotel, currently under construction on Yas Bay at the southern end of Yas Island.

Yas Island is also home to Ferrari World, considered the World’s Leading Theme Park by the World Travel Awards, while Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi is recognised as the Middle East’s Leading Tourist Attraction. 

Carlos Khneisser, vice president, development, MEA at Hilton, said: “We are proud to be partnering with Miral on these two new hotels, which will see us introduce two new brands to Abu Dhabi. 

The WB Abu Dhabi, which will be part of Hilton’s Curio Collection, is a magnificent example of the sort of unique guest experiences we look for with Curio Collection, while DoubleTree by Hilton Yas Island Residences continues the successful growth of this brand in the UAE.

“Miral has a clear vision to develop Yas Island into a global destination and we look forward to being a part of this transformation.”

The WB Abu Dhabi, part of Hilton’s Curio Collection, is set to become a unique hotel adjacent to the award-winning Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi theme park.

The hotel is currently more than 75 per cent complete and once finished will allow guests to experience recognizable characters from across Warner Bros.’ iconic collection of film, television and comics.

Set to open in 2021, the hotel will feature 257 rooms over eight levels, with guests able to access a range of amenities, including signature WB restaurants, WB store, a premier spa and fitness club, kids club, family pool and an exclusive rooftop pool overlooking Yas Island’s distinctive skyline.

DoubleTree by Hilton - Yas Island Residences currently stands at more than 75 per cent complete and is due for completion in 2021.

The property provides a variety of options that accommodate different needs, especially larger families looking for more space and in-room amenities.

A total of 156 units offer guests a range of studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom accommodation.

Full amenities will include in-room kitchenettes, gym, pool and a variety of recreation facilities.

The new hotels are all within walking distance from Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi and Yas Waterworld – the World’s Leading Waterpark - and are in close proximity to Yas Island’s other attractions and experiences, including Clymb Abu Dhabi and numerous world-class food and beverage outlets on the Island.

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