[ad_1]

The post SAUDIA is ready for 2022 Hajj season appeared first on TD (Travel Daily Media) Travel Daily.

Saudi Arabian Airlines (SAUDIA), the national flag carrier of Saudi Arabia, has announced its operational plans to transport pilgrims to the Kingdom for the upcoming Hajj season this year.

Pilgrims visiting the Kingdom are set be flown in from all over the world to King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah or Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Madinah. From there, the guests will embark on their journey of faith and gratitude to the holy city of Makkah. After visiting the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah, they will be flown back to their home countries following the successful completion of their pilgrimage.

SAUDIA has ensured that it has all required flights and adequate seating capacity in place to meet the demands of its passengers. The airline is well-equipped to provide pilgrims with world-class services at every service point throughout their trip.

His Excellency Eng. Ibrahim bin Abdulrahman Al-Omar, Director-General of Saudi Arabian Airlines Corporation, stated that the national carrier had concluded all preparations to start transporting pilgrims. The plan follows the directions of the Supreme Hajj Committee headed by His Royal Highness Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Nayef bin Abdulaziz, the Minister of Interior, and the Central Hajj Committee, headed by His Royal Highness Prince Khalid Al-Faisal bin Abdulaziz, Advisor to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and Governor of Makkah Province, in collaboration with the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah and Vision 2030’s  Pilgrim Experience Program.­

Since its inception, SAUDIA has continued to offer comprehensive world-class services to pilgrims throughout their trip to the Holy sites of Makkah and Madinah, while also ensuring the safe return of guests to their home countries.

SAUDIA’s has dedicated a fleet of 14 aircraft for pilgrims, which are expected to make 268 international flights from and to 15 stations, as well as 32 domestic flights from and to six stations. In total, the airline will be responsible for providing 107,000 international and 12,800 domestic seats during Hajj Season.

The flag-carrying airline’s Hajj and Umrah business division is tasked with selecting markets with the highest demand for pilgrimage travelers, and is responsible for sealing agreements with official agencies in these countries. In addition, SAUDIA runs regular additional flights to and from these destinations, which amount to more than 100 domestic and international flights. ­­

Pilgrims will enjoy many in-flight perks, including hearing the Hajj call, as well as a notice half an hour prior to the flight reaching the Miqat. Guests can also enjoy in-flight entertainment content including informative documentaries about Hajj and Umrah through a dedicated channel, with 162 minutes of audio content, 70 minutes of motion graphics, 210 minutes of information programming, and 210 minutes of Da’wah and guidance content in both Arabic and English. The flights will also display content to prepare pilgrims for their Hajj rites on both the main and overhead screens.

With its strategic plan in place, SAUDIA aims to fly more pilgrims from locations that are seeing increased demand for Hajj and Umrah travel. The airline intends to maintain its 100-percent safety record while providing every comfort to pilgrims to ensure a safe and memorable experience. To this end, SAUDIA has mobilized a specialized team working around the clock, the members of which are equipped with the technical prowess to ensure seamless service of every step of the journey. The airline is also coordinating with the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, the General Authority of Civil Aviation, and all other government agencies operating at airports, as well as other entities involved in the delivery of Hajj services including Hajj associations, the Automotive Association, and trip organizers in the Kingdom and beyond.

SAUDIA’s additional services include prearranging flight crew and ground officers who speak the languages of the pilgrims, transporting Zam Zam water containers to the pilgrims’ home countries, and providing additional flights to those who wish to visit Madinah. The airline also ensures that there is adequate manpower and ground equipment to meet the expected operational volume.

To streamline operations and ease the pressure on airports, SAUDIA will transport the pilgrims’ luggage to their places of residence in Makkah or Madinah, and then back to the luggage processing areas at the departure airports. The airline will also hold an awareness campaign to familiarize pilgrims with the rules and regulations of luggage handling and related procedures to ensure the smooth processing of their belongings.

Click to read the full story: SAUDIA is ready for 2022 Hajj season | eTurboNews

The post SAUDIA is ready for 2022 Hajj season appeared first on Travel Daily.

[ad_2]

Source link

[ad_1]

The post Costa Cruises christens its new LNG-powered flagship in Barcelona appeared first on TD (Travel Daily Media) Travel Daily.

Costa Cruises today celebrated in the port of Barcelona, Spain, the christening ceremony of Costa Toscana, the newest Italian-flagged ship in the Costa Cruises fleet, with the theme of “The Art of Living the Sea.”

Godmother of Costa Toscana is Chanel, a young singer, actress and dancer who enjoyed great success in Spain and across Europe after her performance during the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest. She joined Captain Pietro Sinisi for the ribbon-cutting ceremony where a bottle of Italian sparkling wine was broken on the ship’s hull in a time-honored maritime tradition.

The event was hosted by two exceptional masters of ceremonies — Carlos Sobera and Flora Gonzalez — well-loved stars of Spanish television. The ceremony closed with a performance by the Italian artist Andrea Casta, a violinist who has performed all over the world with his electric violin and unique luminous bow. The party then moved to the Piazza del Campo terraces at the aft of the ship, where guests enjoyed the “Molecule Show,” a stunning spectacle featuring a cluster of 300 helium-filled spheres that lifted an acrobat over a trapeze, enabling her to fly through the sky across Barcelona’s skyline to create an ethereal, magical effect.

The christening party also was attended by other Spanish celebrities, including actor and singer “El Sevilla.” During the ship’s passage from Barcelona to Valencia, Spain, Meduza, the world’s most famous Italian trio of house music producers, hosted an exclusive DJ set. The aperitif and gala dinner was designed by Spanish Chef Ángel León, known as the “chef of the sea,” whose restaurant Aponiente has received three Michelin stars. Leòn is a partner of Costa Cruises, together with other two world famous chefs, Bruno Barbieri and Hélène Darroze.

“It is a great thrill to celebrate the christening of our Costa Toscana in Barcelona, a city to which we are particularly attached and where we have been at home since the beginning of our history,” said Mario Zanetti, president of Costa Cruises. “For this occasion, we have organized an event to celebrate the start of a summer that marks the serene resumption of travel and vacations. The event also features the excellence of Costa’s offerings in all aspects, from high gastronomy to high-quality entertainment to unique experiences ashore. According to recent market research, nearly 14 million Europeans are dreaming of taking a cruise in the next 12 months, and cruises are among the trips with the highest potential to meet the needs of destinations exploration. We must take advantage of this upswing to promote a more sustainable tourism that respects the environment and values local communities. Our commitment is expressed not only through technologically advanced ships such as the LNG-powered Costa Toscana, but also by supporting innovative projects whose scope goes beyond the tourism sector, such as Chef Ángel León’s project.”

Costa and the ‘Chef of the Sea’ Together for the ‘Food of the Future’

Costa Cruises and Ángel León are further strengthening their collaboration, addressing a theme that both have long been committed to, which is environmental sustainability. Through its charitable foundation, Costa Cruises is supporting a worldwide pioneering project — the development of “marine grain.” Restaurant Aponiente’s research center has started the cultivation of the Zostera marina species of sea grass in Spain’s Bay of Cadiz. Zostera marina helps generate greater marine biodiversity, enriching the ecosystem. It also contributes to mitigating climate change by absorbing and storing large amounts of carbon and produces seeds considered a nutritional “superfood” that could represent a future solution to the problems of hunger and malnutrition. With the support of Costa Cruises’ Foundation, the cultivated area of the ocean garden, which is currently about 3,000 square meters, can be expanded to promote the project and export Zostera marina to new coastal areas.

Summer 2022: The Desire for Cruising Grows

Costa Toscana represents the restart of Costa Cruises’ fleet, which will operate 10 ships this summer. Summer 2022 appears to be heading toward a significant upswing in travel. According to research commissioned by Costa Cruises from Human Highway in Italy, Spain, France, Germany, Switzerland and Austria, nearly 14 million Europeans dream of taking a cruise in the next 12 months. The sea seems to be the favorite place in all countries, while ingredients of the ideal vacation include rest, entertainment, gastronomy and discovering new destinations.

Costa Toscana — A Traveling ‘Smart City’

Costa Toscana is a true traveling “smart city.” Through the use of liquefied natural gas, the emission of sulfur oxides and particulates into the atmosphere is almost completely eliminated (95-100% reduction), while also significantly lowering emissions of nitrogen oxide (direct reduction of 85%) and carbon dioxide (up to 20%). The Costa Group, which includes the Italian brand Costa Cruises and the German brand AIDA Cruises, was the first in the cruise industry to use LNG and currently counts four ships powered by this technology: AIDAnova, Costa Smeralda, Costa Toscana and AIDACosma. In addition, Costa Toscana features several cutting-edge technological innovations designed to further reduce its environmental impact. All daily freshwater needs are met by transforming seawater through the use of desalinators. Energy consumption is minimized through an intelligent energy efficiency system. In addition, 100% of separated collection and recycling of materials such as plastic, paper, glass and aluminum are carried out on board.

Costa Toscana: Italian Design, a Unique Onboard Offer and the Best of the Mediterranean

Costa Toscana’s interiors are the result of an extraordinary creative project curated by designer Adam D. Tihany to enhance and bring to life the colors and atmosphere of the Italian region of Tuscany. Furniture, lighting, fabrics and accessories are all “Made in Italy,” created by 15 partners who represent Italian excellence. The onboard atmosphere is perfectly integrated in this extraordinary context: from the Solemio Spa to the areas dedicated to entertainment; from the thematic bars, in collaboration with great Italian and international brands, to the 21 restaurants and areas dedicated to the “food experience,” including the new Archipelago Restaurant, which offers menus conceived to explore cruise destinations created for Costa by three chefs — Bruno Barbieri, Hélène Darroze and Ángel León. For the enjoyment of the little ones there is the Splash AcquaPark with its slide positioned on the highest deck, a new area dedicated to video games and the Squok Club.

Click to read the full story: Costa Cruises christens its new LNG-powered flagship in Barcelona | eTurboNews

The post Costa Cruises christens its new LNG-powered flagship in Barcelona appeared first on Travel Daily.

[ad_2]

Source link