More than 15 airlines, from the Middle East, Europe, the Indian subcontinent, the Far East and the US, will attend this year’s Arabian Travel Market.
Emirates, Saudia Arabian Airlines, Qatar Airways, Oman Air and Kuwait Airways will use the event to promote existing services or launch new initiatives.
In the notable absence of Gulf Air, which is reported to be devoting its promotional budget to publicising its 50th anniversary celebrations next year, Emirates will be the dominant regional airline. It will highlight its third daily flight from Heathrow to Dubai, to be launched on July 1. It is also acquiring 17 Airbus A330-200s – the first delivered early this year and now flying the Manchester-Dubai route – and two Boeing 777-300s, due by the end of 1999.
Also highlighted on the Emirates Group stand will be its 25-suite, lodge-style eco-tourist resort of Al Maha, opened in March; Emirates Holidays’ latest brochures; Arabian Adventures’ ground operator services for cruise lines; and two new products from Galileo Emirates – Focalpoint and Viewpoint.
Qatar Airways will be emphasising that the delivery of four A320s over the past four months has given it an all-Airbus fleet. This means the airline has been able to replace ageing Boeing 727s on intra-Gulf, Middle Eastern and Indian Subcontinent routes.
Saudia Arabian Airlines, too, has new aircraft, in the shape of Boeing 777s and MD-90s. These will be used on services from Riyadh and Jeddah to Milan, Larnaca, Nice, Malaga, Alexandria and Athens from June 1. Also to be unveiled are weekend packages to Madinah and Mecca.
Kuwait Airways Corporation will have a stand from where it will launch a series of inbound packages and promote cruises calling at the Gulf state. The airline is also expected to unveil a new business-class product, although it is being kept firmly under wraps.