Emirates’ Signature Ramadan Service Returns to the Skies, Offering More Options for Fasting Customers
Dubai, UAE, 1 April 2022: With the upcoming weekend marking the official start of the Holy Month of Ramadan, Emirates will once again be offering its signature Ramadan services onboard and on the ground for its fasting passengers, helping them travel better and catering to their special needs during this important time.
Onboard from 2 April, customers breaking their fast across all cabin classes to select Emirates destinations can expect specially crafted, nutritionally balanced iftar meals served in bespoke boxes designed by the airline’s in-house designers in collaboration with local artists at Mawaheb Art Studio. The meals consist of freshly prepared grain-based cold salads and sandwiches accompanied with a variety of proteins, seedless dates, laban, water, mini Arabic bread, amongst other iftar essentials.
The boxes will be served on flights to select destinations during times that coincide with iftar or sohour, on flights to and from the Gulf region as well as on flights catering to Umrah groups traveling to Jeddah and Medina during the month of Ramadan. In addition, cold meals will be served in lieu of hot ones on all flights to Jeddah and Medina, including Umrah day flights.
The boxes have also been designed to conveniently take away if customers wish to do so. Emirates’ iftar box will be served to complement the airline’s regular hot meal service, which will include a traditional soup option for First Class passengers on select flights to break their fast. The box contents will be refreshed on a weekly basis to ensure a best-in-class dining experience for customers during the Holy Month.
o ensure the highest levels of accuracy for fasting Muslim passengers, Emirates uses a unique tool to calculate the correct timings for imsak (the time to commence fasting) and iftar while in-flight, based on the times of the sunrise and sunset of the location of the flight is passing by using the aircraft’s longitude, latitude, and altitude. When the sun sets, passengers will be officially informed of the iftar time by the captain.
For customers on the ground boarding during iftar and sohour times, trays of dates and water will be available at gates for several destinations. At the Emirates lounges in DXB, dates, and coffee as well as delectable Arabic-style sweets will be offered during Ramadan. Emirates lounges are also all equipped with dedicated prayer rooms and ablution facilities to ensure a peaceful environment for worship.
The airline has also fine-tuned its Ramadan programming, featuring special religious content in one special folder in its TV section on ice. Customers can choose from programs such as Fa E’lam Ena la Elah Ela Allah, Meythaq Al Hayat, Deen Al Tasamoh, Manaber Al Noor, Abwab Al Mutafareqa. The Holy Qur’an is also available on ice. The special Ramadan programs are part of the diverse content available on board with more than 5,000 channels of on-demand entertainment including 595 Arabic channels featuring movies, TV, podcasts, music, iconic Ramadan soap operas and dramas, and more.
Emirates also provides Ramadan awareness training for its cabin crew and on-ground teams in Dubai and across its network. Special training resources have been provided to ensure operational teams are aware of the basics of the Holy Month, understand the cultural significance and nuances of this time, and recognize specific practices that Muslims engage in during fasting so they are prepared to provide the highest levels of service to customers at all touchpoints of their travel journey.
Customers traveling during Ramadan can rest assured that Emirates continues to work hard to deliver the safest and most comfortable experience in the sky, with the latest wellbeing measures in place at every step of their journey.
Emirates customers making journeys during the Holy Month are also encouraged to check the latest government travel guidelines and ensure they meet the travel requirements of their final destination.
AON Threatens To Sue FG Over Multiple Entries For Foreign Airlines
LAGOS – Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) have threatened to sue the Federal Government over continued multiple entries granted to foreign airlines.
The body also declared that for any foreign airline or investors to invest in the new national carrier, it must deposit at least $200 billion with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to be sure of their seriousness, saying that no airline should use Nigeria as a dumping ground for unused aircraft.
This is as the Federal Government has said that the multiple entries to airlines was good economics to the foreign airlines, but regretted that it put pressure on the foreign exchange for Nigeria.
Speaking at the Q12022 Breakfast Business Meeting organized by the Aviation Round Table (ART) with the theme, ‘Economic Implications of Multiple Entry Points by Foreign Airlines into Nigeria,’ Alhaji Yunusa Abdulmunaf, President of AON, said that the body has decided to challenge the government in the court of the current policy on multiple entries to airlines if not addressed.
Abdulmunaf, who was represented at the occasion by Mr. Allen Onyema, the Vice President of AON, said that the body would in the next few days meet with Sen. Hadi Sirika, the Minister of Aviation, to deliberate on the issue.
He expressed confidence that the government would address the issue in the next 21 days but said the body was not giving the government an ultimatum.
The AON president lamented that billions of naira are being lost annually to multiple designations granted the foreign carriers and warned that if the policy continued unabated the domestic airlines would die, while the foreign airlines would eventually take over the domestic market.
He insisted that the multiple designations are one of the greatest disservices to the Nigerian economy and its people. Read more
Emirates, Qatar Airways Jostle for Nigeria’s National Carrier
FG requests operating certificate, license
United Arab Emirates (UAE) national carrier, Emirates Airlines, and its Qatari counterpart, Qatar Airways, have rallied behind Nigeria’s new national carrier project for successful take-off next quarter.
While Qatar Airways is among legacy carriers pushing for technical partnership, Emirates has only pledged to support Nigeria if invited by the Federal Government.
Besides appointing an interim team to manage the incubation phase, the Ministry of Aviation has also submitted a request for the Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) and Air Transport Licence (ATL) from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).
Already christened Nigeria Air, the proposed carrier, last month, opened an invitation to interested private parties to submit proposals for the take-over and further development of the new carrier.
Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, at the ongoing World Development Summit (WDS) in Dubai, said the process to set up the new airline was in full swing and promised it would be delivered before the end of this administration.
Sirika said the Nigerian potential was too huge for the country not to have a national carrier.
“Nigeria is situated at the center of Africa; equidistant from all locations in Africa of about 30.4 million square kilometers miles, 1.5 billion people, and very green land. If Central and Eastern Africa are the belts of the continent, then Nigeria is the buckle. We have 200 million people and a rising middle-class with a high propensity to fly. So, Nigeria is a candidate for a national carrier.”
The minister reiterated that the government would have only a five percent stake in the private sector venture, with no government control, interference, or membership on its board.
He told the global community that Nigeria has emerged from the ruins of the devastating COVID-19 pandemic to become a stronger aviation hub that is profitable to all.
“What we said we would do, as a government, has happened since 2015. That is why Tim Clark’s Emirates, Qatar Airways, and all of them are looking to go into Nigeria at multiple frequencies and multiple landing points because Nigeria is the right place for the airline business,” Sirika said.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Emirates Airlines, Tim Clark, noted that Nigeria was on course with the new airlines, and Emirates would be obliged to support where necessary.
Clark said: “Is there a Business Case for the carrier? Of course, there is. There is an enormous Business Case to it. Nigerians are seeking to travel all over the world. Nigeria is the powerhouse of Africa. We are over interested in flying there because it is a rich nation in terms of demand for services. Read more
Oneworld, Air Maroc Deepen Alliance to Serve Nigerian Market
Moroccan national carrier, Royal Air Maroc (RAM), and the Oneworld alliance have deepened their partnership to serve Nigerian air travelers across a larger network.
The alliance, recently commemorated in Lagos, is targeted at emerging passenger traffic in Nigeria, being the biggest African economy and country.
Royal Air Maroc (RAM) is the first African airline to join the Oneworld alliance that has the likes of American Airlines, British Airways, Qatar, and 10 others. Its Oneworld coalition rivals other alliances that have Ethiopian Airlines, EgyptAir, and Kenya Airways, in the feisty competitive world of commercial aviation.
Director of Finance, Royal Air Maroc, Karim Benchekroun, said entering the Oneworld alliance, now in its second anniversary, was aimed to serve the customers better with enhanced options across 1000 destinations.
Benchekroun noted that the Nigerian market is very important for both the airlines and the Oneworld alliance generally.
“As an airline, we have not been as strong in Nigeria as we want to be, but we have plans to deepen our presence in this important market. Besides the recovery from the pandemic, there are also emerging business projects between Nigeria and Morocco that will warrant more business travel. We are also trying to have more tourists come from Nigeria to Morocco for holidays and others on transit to America and Europe. So, we have been resilient and working on structures to maximize these gains,” he said.
Benchekroun added that the positives of the post-pandemic market were encouraging, with traffic recovery now 70 percent of the pre-COVID-19 era and already 100 percent in the European market.
“We remain focused on giving priority to Africa and Africans. We are talking of more than 1000 destinations in 180 territories, 650 lounges globally, with benefits and miles redeemable on other 13 member airlines, and a quality travel experience for our customers, all from Africa. By joining Oneworld, Royal Air Maroc has brought Africa to the world and the world to Africa,” he said.
Chief Executive Officer of Oneworld, Robert Gurney, said the Air Maroc through its Casablanca hub would be of great significance in the emerging market.
Gurney said that with the opportunities, it was essential for the airline to partner with a larger network. Read more
Sources: Emirates; Daily Independent; Guardian