Airports

Young Muslims to drive $300bn boom in travel

Singapore - Muslimchronicle

Young Muslims worldwide are expected to almost double their spending on travel in the coming years, driving a boom in Islamic tourism that will make the sector worth $300 billion, a study said on Thursday. Halal travel has grown recently, with airports, rest-aurants and hotels seeking to provide Muslim-friendly facilities and services, such as prayer rooms and halal food outlets.Read more

Iran, Iraq hold exercises near border with Kurdistan

Sulaimaniyah - Muslimchronicle

Iranian and Iraqi forces staged joint military exercises on Monday near the border with Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region, a Kurdish official said, following tensions over the Kurds’ independence vote. Iraqi Kurds voted 92.7 percent in favor of independence on Sept. 25 in a non-binding referendum held in defiance of the central government, which quickly retaliated. Following the vote, Iraq, IranRead more

Indonesia prepares to divert Bali-bound flights in case of volcanic eruption

Jakarta - Muslimchronicle

Indonesian authorities are preparing to divert flights to 10 airports across the country in case an increasingly active volcano on the holiday island of Bali erupts and disrupts travel. Officials have warned that Mount Agung in eastern Bali could erupt at any time, prompting several countries including Australia and Singapore to issue travel advisor for one of the world's mostRead more

Iraq orders Kurdistan to give up control of airports or face flight ban

Iraq - Muslimchronicle

Iraq’s prime minister on Tuesday ordered the Iraq’s prime minister on Tuesday ordered the northern Kurdish region to hand over control of its airports to federal authorities or face a flight ban, signaling a tough response to a landmark Kurdish independence referendum held the day before. The Iraqi Kurdish leadership billed Monday’s vote as an exercise in self-determination, but theRead more

16 per cent rise in passengers at Muscat airport, Salalah numbers rise too

Muscat - Musimchronicle

Combined passenger numbers of the Muscat International and Salalah airports are inching towards the 9 million mark, according to latest government data. The total number of passengers in Muscat International and Salalah Airports reached 8,717,854 until the end of July 2017. The total number of international flights at the two international airports reached 61,241. There was a 19 per cent increaseRead more

Indian Airports on High Alert after Hijacking Threats

New Delhi - Arab Today

International airports in the Indian cities of Mumbai, Chennai and Hyderabad were placed on the highest security alert Sunday after police received information of a possible aircraft hijacking attempt, officials and news reports said. "We have increased and strengthened patrolling and access control at all three airports," said director general of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) said. The alertRead more

300-meter safety zones to surround Alex. vital facilities

Cairo - Arab Today

Interior Minister Magdy Abdel Ghaffar issued directives on Sunday to establish a safety zone stretching over 300 meters around the surroundings of vital state facilities in Alexandria governorate. Under the directives, safety zones will surround presidential headquarters as well as headquarters of international organizations and diplomatic missions, government and military facilities. Security and petroleum facilities, headquarters of courts, hospitals, airports,Read more

Germany boosts border controls with France after Nice attack

Berlin - Arab Today

Germany will boost border controls at airports as well as road and rail crossings into France after the truck attack in Nice, the Federal Police said on Friday. “In coordination with the French security authorities the federal police are strengthening their control in the area of cross-border traffic into France,” the police said in a statement. At least 84 peopleRead more

Egypt seeks to expand capacity of airports to 75.5 million passengers by 2020

Cairo - MENA

Egypt owns 22 local and international airports and seeks to expand the absorptive capacity of its airports, said Aviation Minister Sherif Fathy. The ministry’s plan aims to reach 75.5 million passengers by 2020, compared to the current 47 million, through developing and expanding airports, Fathy added during the opening of the Airports Council International(ACI) Africa's Regional Conference on Monday. Fathy,Read more

Swedish domestic airport terminal closed off after suspicious package

Gothenburg - MENA

Authorities have closed off parts of the domestic terminal of one of Sweden’s biggest airports after the discovery of suspicious plastic bags nearby, police said. A police spokesman said that a bomb threat had been made to Landvetter airport near the western city of Gothenburg. Flights were still leaving the airport, Euronews reported on Thursday. Source: MENARead more