The first ever passenger flight from the United Arab Emirates to Israel landed near Tel Aviv on Monday, October 19, a month after the countries signed an agreement normalizing ties. Etihad Airways flight EY 9607 from Abu Dhabi landed at Ben Gurion Airport early in the morning with only crew on board.The plane picked up Israeli tourism professionals, who would be flying to the UAE for a two-day visit. In a statement to mark the historical flight, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the inaugural flight "a great thing, we are making historic changes here". Etihad planes had landed at Ben Gurion with medical supplies in May and June to help the Palestinians tackle the coronavirus pandemic. In August, Israel and the UAE announced that they had reached a US-brokered deal to normalize ties, following years of discreet economic and security cooperation. The UAE and Israel authorities will sign an agreement authorizing 28 weekly commercial flights between the countries

  The return of Boeing 737 Max aircraft back into commercial operations might be sooner rather than later as Europe’s top aviation regulator said he’s satisfied that changes to Boeing 737 Max have made the plane safe enough to return to the region’s skies before 2020 is out, even as a further upgrade his agency demanded won’t be ready for up to two years. After test flights conducted in September, EASA is performing final document reviews ahead of a draft airworthiness directive it expects to issue next month, said Patrick Ky, executive director of the EASA. That will be followed by four weeks of public comment, while the development of a so-called synthetic sensor to add redundancy will take 20 to 24 months, he said. The software-based solution will be required on the larger Max 10 variant before its debut targeted for 2022, and retrofitted onto other versions. “Our analysis is showing that this is safe, and the level of safety reached is high enough for us,” Ky said in an interview.

Etihad Aviation Training (EAT), part of  Etihad Aviation Group, has launched new training programmes for pilots at its world-class training facility.The first Aviation Training Organisation (ATO) in the world to secure regulatory approval. Cadets who complete MPL training on the Phenom 100 jet can now transition directly to the most efficient and advanced wide-body aircraft in the market, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. First airline in the world to implement a Boeing 787 Dreamliner multi-crew pilots licence. Paolo La Cava, Vice President Etihad Aviation Training, said: “Etihad, along with a number of other airlines around the world, traditionally place cadets into narrow-body aircraft once they’ve completed their training. Due to higher market demand, EAT would rather place some cadets onto the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. With this new approval, requirements will be met and will also give pilots the opportunity to fly to destinations that are not catered with narrow-body aircraft”. To achieve t

  Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, will offer PCR tests included in all air tickets booked by customers in the UAE for flights departing from Abu Dhabi International Airport, with the exception of services to China. This new policy will last until 31st December, 2020. The airline is collaborating with Life Medical Diagnostic Center (Life Dx) to offer convenient testing between 48 to 96 hours prior to departure, at its network of collection facilities in the UAE. Travellers flying First or Business will also have the option of selecting tests at their home. The quick and easy process can be booked directly with Life Dx. Etihad strongly advises all travellers to visit  www.etihad.com/destinationguide for detailed information on country-specific PCR testing requirements, lists of applicable medical testing facilities, and entry regulations.  Travellers flying to China from Abu Dhabi are subject to specific testing protocols and can only use SEHA testing facilities. They m

Qatar Airways has extended its flexible booking policy. Customers can now avail flexible booking options for all tickets issued before December 31. For passengers who need to change their travel plans, they can hold their ticket value for two years; benefit from unlimited date changes, or exchange their ticket for a future travel voucher with 10% extra value. Qatar Airways latest re-booking options will provide passengers an unrivaled peace of mind. The national carrier of the State of Qatar now operates over 650 weekly flights to more than 90 destinations, providing more flexible travel options to more global destinations than any other airline. This flexibility is certainly a welcome development especially the uncertainties in global air travel due to the covid-19 pandemic.

  Qatar Airways has unveiled a Star Wars styled UV kit to help kill COVID-19 in the form of Honeywell’s Ultraviolet (UV) Cabin System.Approximately the size of a beverage cart. The UV Cabin System has extendable UV arms that treat aircraft seats, surfaces and cabins without using cleaning chemicals. Qatar Airways Group chief executive, Akbar Al Baker, said in a statement: “We are pleased to be the first global airline to operate the Honeywell UV Cabin System onboard our aircraft. In clinical tests, UV light has been shown to be capable of inactivating various viruses and bacteria when properly applied at specified doses. Qatar Airways aircraft are regularly disinfected using cleaning products recommended by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the World Health Organisation.The Honeywell UV Cabin System will be utilised as an additional step after manual disinfection, to ensure the very highest standards of cleanliness. At the same time, the airline’s onboard linen and