Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/622858
maltatoday, Wednesday, 6 January 2016 17 Events Donation of €25,000 to l-Istrina from Farsons Group A donation of €25,000 was pre- sented by the Farsons Group to President Marie Louise Coleiro Preca and Mr Edgar Preca dur- ing this year's l-Istrina marathon held at the Cottonera Sports Pa- vilion. The presentation was made by the Chairman of the Farsons Group, Louis A. Farrugia, the Chief Executive Officer, Norman Aquilina, and other members of management and employee rep- resentatives. The Group organized a number of activities for employees and their families throughout the year, which included sports events, a quiz night, a summer barbecue and a cultural activity amongst others. The MCCF was one of the recipients of the pro- ceeds from these events. "Every year L-Istrina attracts a huge response from the Maltese public and we are proud to be one of the contributors to this deserv- ing cause. Our Group is strongly committed to its corporate social responsibility and our employees are always generous and ready to lend a helping hand," commented Farrugia. Dhalia hosts children's Christmas party AS part of its efforts to share the festive cheer among its employees and their families, Dhalia Real Es- tate Services held a very success- ful children's Christmas party at the National Aquarium, Qawra. Children were treated to a guided tour of the aquarium, where they viewed local fish and other wild- life. Younger children enjoyed a face- painting session, before a quick lunch while waiting patiently for Father Christmas to arrive to hand out gifts. Both Chris Grech, chairman and Alan Grima, CEO of the company, were present and said that the event was a success and the children enjoyed every minute of it, especially when re- ceiving gifts from Father Christ- mas. The celebration was rounded off with a group photo where all the children wore red noses in support of Dr Klown, a Maltese NGO active in Mater Dei Hospital that provides hospitalized chil- dren distraction and stress relief through fun and laughter. The event is part of the com- pany's commitment to build long- term relationships with employ- ees, allowing adults and children to meet at a casual get-together in a fun location. Dhalia Real Estate Services is a growing company where talent and drive are rewarded. For more information about new oppor- tunities, visit http://www.dhalia. com/about-us/current-vacancies/, call 21490681 or email dhaliahr@ dhalia.com. Emirates marks key milestones in 2015, its 30th year of operations EMIRATES, the world's largest international airline, concluded another year of growth under- scored by standout milestones across its f leet, network, and cus- tomer experience initiatives. Its growing business footprint also delivered increasing positive im- pact on the economies and com- munities it serves. Since January 2015, the airline has carried over 51.3 million pas- sengers, which represented 9% more passengers during the same period in the previous calendar year. The airline served over 57 million meals on its f lights de- parting Dubai*, and handled over 35 million pieces of bag- gage in Dubai alone. Remarking on this year's accomplishments, Sir Tim Clark, President Emirates Airline said: "2015 has been one of considerable growth for Emirates as we continued to steer our course despite the headwinds of regional conf lict, unfavourable currency impact, and shaky business and con- sumer confidence in many global markets. Through our 30 years of opera- tion to date, Emirates has always stayed focussed on its core strate- gies: an efficient f leet and opera- tions that capitalise on Dubai's strategic location and infrastruc- ture; an excellent product and service proposition for our cus- tomers; and recruiting and retain- ing the best talent from around the world. We will continue to build on these strengths, even as we drive ourselves to achieve new goals and set new standards for ourselves and the industry." Emirates added 26 new aircraft to its f leet in 2015, comprising 15 A380s, 10 Boeing 777-300ERs and 1 Boeing 777 Freighter, rounding off the year with 246 aircraft in service. The airline marked its 150th Emirates 777 delivery milestone, as part of a triple delivery of two Boeing 777-300ERs and one Boe- ing 777 Freighter in one day in September. An Airbus A380 was also part of that bumper delivery, strengthening Emirates' position as the world's largest operator of both the A380 and Boeing 777. At the Dubai Airshow in No- vember, Emirates introduced the world's first two class configured A380 with the capacity to carry 615 passengers. The airline expanded its network to 150 destinations in 2015, with the addition of six new passenger destinations: Ba- li, Multan, Orlando, Mashhad, Bologna and Sabiha Gokcen in Istanbul; and three cargo-only destinations in Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso), Columbus (USA) and Ciudad del Este, (Paraguay). In addition, Emirates uplifted frequencies and upgraded capac- ity to numerous points across its network. In August, Emirates announced plans to launch services to Pana- ma City, beginning 1st February 2016. In 2015, Emirates expanded the number of cities served by its f lag- ship A380 aircraft to 36. During the year, Emirates also led one- off A380 services to seven desti- nations: Prague, Taipei, Brussels, Sao Paulo, Cologne, Manama and Doha. Emirates continues to invest over US$20 million annually to install and operate inf light con- nectivity systems which enable onboard Wi-Fi services. This year alone, over four million Emirates passengers connected to Wi-Fi on board, ref lecting the strong consumer demand for connectiv- ity services while travelling. Emirates remains the world's most valuable airline brand, and in 2015 the airline's brand value grew more than 21% to US$6.6 billion, according to The Brand Finance Global 500 report. Through 2015, Emirates contin - ued its support for a wide range of events, sports and other ini- tiatives which brought the airline closer to its customers. Emirates operates a daily sched- uled f light between Dubai and Malta via Larnaca, Cyprus on an A330-200 aircraft. For further information and f light schedules, one can visit the site: www.emir- ates.com/mt From one bank to another, a gift of life HSBC Bank Malta staff donated blood at the Blood Donation Centre in Gwardamanġa to give the gift of life to those in need. Throughout 2015, HSBC Bank Malta organised a number of sessions to donate blood to the National Blood Transfusion Service as part of the 150th an- niversary year celebrations of the HSBC Group and 15th an- niversary in Malta. Mr Louis A. Farrugia handing the Farsons Group cheque in aid of l-iStrina Children wearing red noses to support Dr Klown, at the Dhalia Christmas party