RIYADH: British Airways has canceled services to more than 15 long-haul destinations next year, according to an article from BBC News.
The article stated that Muscat, Jeddah and Abu Dhabi, three of the airline’s destinations in the Middle East, are to be axed. Other routes, including Riyadh, Bahrain and Kuwait, remain on the list for now.
The airline will also temporarily suspend flights to Sydney, Bangkok and San Jose during the summer of 2021.
Routes to cities in North America, such as Pittsburgh, Calgary and Charleston, have also been cut, alongside flights to Seoul, Kuala Lumpur and Osaka. The Seychelles, a popular winter holiday destination for Brits, has also been axed.
A request for comment from British Airways was not returned, but the BBC said that passengers had contacted them to say they had trips canceled in 2021 and were waiting to know whether they would receive a refund or a flight voucher.
The British broadcaster also reported that the airline had apologized and that customers on canceled flights were entitled to a full refund.
The news comes as many other airlines were also forced to cut staff and routes as travel rates dropped due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
British Airways said previously that the pandemic had hit them “harder than anything ever before,” with losses that outstripped even the financial crisis of 2008 and the September 2001 terror attacks on the World Trade Center in New York.
Losses totaled almost £4 billion ($5.37 billion) in the first half of this year.
The airline was also in the headlines this summer when it made about 10,000 staff redundant as it fought to save money and limit burning through cash reserves as passenger numbers collapsed.
It also announced in October that CEO Alex Cruz would be replaced by Ireland’s Aer Lingus CEO Sean Doyle.
Previously, British Airways had said they did not expect international travel to return to pre-pandemic levels until 2023, despite the promise of several new COVID-19 vaccines.
However, with a new strain of the virus being detected in several countries, the UK most prominent among them, Saudi Arabia has followed suit with more than 30 other countries and initiated a new, week-long ban on international flights in and out of the Kingdom.
Saudi citizens who were set to fly home from London on the night the lockdown began were escorted off their scheduled flights and provided with hotel accommodations until further notice.
As the new COVID-19 strain is still being studied, Britain has initiated a Tier 4 Lockdown protocol, calling the situation “out of control.”
British Airways to drop 15 long-haul routes, including Jeddah and Abu Dhabi
https://arab.news/4vtjg
British Airways to drop 15 long-haul routes, including Jeddah and Abu Dhabi
- Airline forced to make further cuts, struggling to cope with COVID-19
Saudi energy minister holds series of high-level meetings to cement collaborations
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Energy held a series of strategic meetings in Riyadh with senior ministers from various counties, in a diplomatic push to bolster international energy collaboration.
Officials from Greece, Brazil, and Morocco were among those to meet with Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, as well as representatives from Libya and Pakistan.
The discussions centered on expanding cooperation across a wide spectrum of energy sectors, from traditional hydrocarbons to cutting-edge clean technologies, according to the Saudi Press Agency.
The engagements underscored Saudi Arabia’s proactive role in shaping the global energy transition through bilateral partnerships. A consistent theme across the talks was the dual focus on securing energy supplies and advancing climate-related solutions, including renewable power, clean hydrogen, and carbon management.
Deepening European and South American ties
Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman met with Greece’s Minister of Environment and Energy, Stavros Papastavrou. Building upon a previously signed Memorandum of Understanding, the two officials explored avenues for joint cooperation in oil and gas, electricity, and renewables, as well as other related sectors.
In a separate meeting with Brazil’s Minister of Mines and Energy, Alexandre Silveira, the parties discussed prospects for collaboration across various energy domains. They reviewed means to enhance coordination, particularly in electricity, renewables, oil and gas, and the exchange of technical expertise.
Signing a program with Morocco
A key outcome emerged from the meeting with Morocco’s Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, Leila Benali. Following their discussions on mutual interests, investment opportunities in renewables, and energy efficiency, the two sides signed an executive cooperation program.
This program, falling under an MoU signed in May 2022, aims to concretize the energy partnership. Its goals are boosting mutual investments in renewable projects and enabling national companies to collaborate on renewable energy projects.
It also encompasses using renewables in development projects, establishing joint research and development centers, and facilitating training and knowledge transfer.
Strengthening regional and Islamic cooperation
Prince Abdulaziz also conferred with Libya’s Minister of Oil and Gas, Khalifa Rajab Abdulsadek. Their meeting focused on energy cooperation, including energy technologies and solutions, as well as enhancing investment opportunities in renewables and energy efficiency.
Discussions with Pakistan’s Minister of Petroleum, Ali Pervaiz Malik, covered shared interests in oil and its supplies, renewable energy, energy efficiency, joint investment opportunities, and the exchange of expertise in project, policy, and regulatory development.
This flurry of diplomatic activity highlights Saudi Arabia’s comprehensive energy strategy, which seeks to maintain its leadership in traditional energy markets while pursuing a stake in the future clean energy economy.
