Aviation wrap: Emirates’ global sale, Royal Brunei Airlines’ new Brisbane flights + more

East Hills, NY, USA - March 11, 2018:  Emirates A380 aircraft approaching JFK International Airport in New York City.

We do hope that you’re so wrapped about this week’s aviation wrap that you write a rap about it.

Emirates announces mid-year ‘Global Seat Sale’

Australian travellers will be able to take advantage of competitive international airfares with Emirates, following the announcement of its ‘Global Seat Sale’.

Available across the airline’s global route network, which encompasses more than 150 destinations, the limited-edition fares are available until 21 July for selected travel dates.

Economy class travellers can enjoy return flights starting at as little as $1,159 to Dubai, $1,279 to Paris, $1,529 to Johannesburg, among others.

Emirates business class passengers can also take advantage of the competitive fares, with return fares to Dubai starting at $7,279, Paris from $6,779, $7,789 to Johannesburg and $8,379 to Rio de Janeiro.

Aussie passengers who fly with the airline before 31 August 2019 will also have access to the airline’s ‘My Emirates Pass’, which allows travellers spending time in Dubai exclusive deals and offers with over 500 locations in the cosmopolitan hub.

Thanks to an exclusive partnership between some of the UAE’s most prestigious hotels and Emirates, Aussie travellers can now also enjoy heavily discounted rates for their trip to Dubai.

Australians travelling to the cosmopolitan city with Emirates until 30 September 2019 will have access to special discounts in any of the properties within Accor, Armani Hotel Dubai, Emaar Hospitality Group and Marriot.

Royal Brunei Airlines inaugurates new Brisbane flights

Royal Brunei Airlines Brisbane launch

Renee Chand, Royal Brunei Airlines CEO Karam Chand; His Excellency Mr Zakaria Ahmad, High Commissioner for Brunei Darussalaml; Jacqui Walshe, The Walshe Group and Victor Sharan; Royal Brunei Airlines regional director, Australasia.

Royal Brunei Airlines has inaugurated flights between Brisbane and Brunei, making the Australian city the airline’s newest international destination and offering connections from Brisbane to London, Dubai, Tokyo, Manila Jakarta and Seoul.

Royal Brunei Airlines recently celebrated its second Australian route with a reception at Brisbane City Hall for 100 travel industry guests and partner companies. The airline also operates daily Boeing 787 Dreamliner services between Melbourne and Brunei.

The inauguration of new Brisbane services follows Royal Brunei’s recent fleet addition of the Airbus A320 NEO type. The next-generation, longer-range, single-aisle aircraft is a key enabler in the airline’s plans to achieve international route expansion.

Tigerair Australia and Swissport extend partnership

Tigerair and Swissport partnership

Tigerair Australia has confirmed Swissport as ground handling partner for its domestic network, extending a successful 11-year partnership.

Swissport will continue to exclusively provide full ground handling services at Tigerair’s 12 Australian airports for an initial three-year term with the opportunity for another two years.

Tigerair has flown well over 30 million passengers in Australia since operations commenced in Australia in November 2007. The airline operates 11 A320 aircraft and 4 B737 aircraft in Australia across 21 domestic routes.

Swissport operates at 32 airports across Australia and New Zealand, partnering with all major domestic airlines and many international carriers in the region.

AirAsia renews commitment to Aussie surfing and UFC

AirAsia surfing partnership

Low-cost carrier AirAsia has renewed its multifaceted deal and commitment to the sport.

The deal sees AirAsia continuing its successful partnership with Surfing Australia, Surfing NSW, Surfing WA and Surfing Queensland as the ‘official airline of surfing’ in Australia.

AirAsia has also been announced as the naming rights sponsor of the AirAsia Juraki Invitational, an event dedicated to Indigenous surfers

Furthermore, elite surfers Felicity Palmateer and Connor O’Leary have become AirAsia surfing ambassadors, and the airline has extended its ‘Surfboards Fly Free’ initiative in 2019.

In other sponsorship news, AirAsia and the UFC have announced the opening of the application process for this year’s AirAsia UFC Training Scholarship.

Now in its second year, the training scholarship will provide an up-and-coming MMA athlete from the Asia Pacific with the opportunity of a lifetime: an all-expenses-paid training program at the UFC Performance Institute in Shanghai, China – the largest MMA training and development facility in the world.

Swiss Space Tourism launches ‘100 Tickets for Space’ challenge

To mark the 50th anniversary of the first man on the Moon, Swiss Space Tourism will offer ‘100 Tickets for Space ‘as part of its space contest reserved for its active members.

Boris Otter, a future space tourist, is challenging all astronaut enthusiasts; a challenge whose five winners will receive a real ticket for space in one of the first sub-orbital tourist flights in history in 2020. The price for a ticket for space? US$100 (just over $142).

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