Analysis Aviation Flynas to test appetite for airline IPOs as Gulf rivals look on Low-cost carrier Flynas is preparing to go public on the Saudi Exchange this month in a deal that is being watched not only by investors but also by Gulf rivals considering their own listings, analysts have told AGBI. Among them is Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Airways, whose long-anticipated initial public offering could be shaped by Flynas’ […] May 14, 2025
Aviation Rebuilt Mosul airport expects first passengers next month Iraqi prime minister Mohammed Al-Sudani will be among the passengers who will fly into the Northern Mosul airport in June for the first time since the facility was devastated by Daesh militants more than 10 years ago. The airport is scheduled to be put back in operation next month nearly three years after a project […] May 14, 2025
Aviation Air Arabia turnover rises despite challenges UAE low-cost airline Air Arabia said turnover registered a double-digit growth in the first quarter of 2025 despite fuel price volatility, currency fluctuations and supply chain challenges. Revenue rose 14 percent year on year to AED1.8 billion ($490 million), as passenger volume increased 11 percent annually to nearly 5 million, the Sharjah-headquartered airline said in a […] May 14, 2025
Aviation Trump dismisses concerns over Qatari plane gift US president Donald Trump has dismissed ethical concerns about his decision to accept a Boeing 747-8 jet as a gift from the Qatari royal family. Trump said it would be “stupid” to turn down the generous offer. The $400 million luxury plane, which would be outfitted to serve as Air Force One, would be one of […] May 13, 2025
Aviation Prince Alwaleed’s Flynas seeks $1.1bn in Saudi IPO Saudi budget airline Flynas is looking to raise as much as SAR4.1 billion ($1.1 billion) in an initial public offering (IPO) that started this week to finance expansion. The IPO price range was set at between SAR76 and SAR80 per share, implying a market capitalisation of as much as $3.65 billion. The airline, which is […] May 12, 2025
Aviation Trump plans to use Qatari 747 as Air Force One US President Donald Trump’s administration intends to accept a Boeing 747-8 plane as a gift from the Qatari royal family that would be outfitted to serve as Air Force One, according to a source briefed on the matter. The luxury plane, which would be one of the most valuable gifts ever received by the US government, […] May 12, 2025
Aviation Algeria’s new domestic airline set to take off Algeria is pushing ahead with plans to start a domestic airline to tap into a growing market for local air travel, the North African country’s transport minister said. In comments reported by the local media, Said Sayoud told Algeria’s parliament this week that the national carrier Air Algerie – which will own the domestic airline […] May 9, 2025
Infrastructure Tenders launched for $35bn Al Maktoum International Dubai plans to award major infrastructure contracts at Al Maktoum International Airport this year as construction accelerates on what will become the world’s largest airport, a senior government official said. Tenders for an automated people mover system and baggage handling infrastructure have already been floated and are expected to be awarded before the end of […] May 9, 2025
Aviation Emirates Group delivers record annual profit Emirates Group, Dubai’s flagship aviation conglomerate, has posted record annual earnings on the back of a surge in international travel, rising cargo volumes and declining fuel costs. The state-owned group, which includes long-haul carrier Emirates airline and global airport services provider Dnata, reported a profit of AED20.5 billion ($5.6 billion) for the financial year ending […] May 8, 2025
Aviation Qatar Airways lines up Boeing order for Trump visit Qatar Airways is reportedly preparing to order about 100 wide-body aircraft from US manufacturer Boeing during President Donald Trump‘s visit to the Gulf. The state-backed airline is looking to include an option for an additional 100 planes in the deal, Bloomberg reported, without identifying its sources. Corporate deals announced during the visit on May 13-16 […] May 7, 2025
Analysis Aviation Kuwait’s aviation industry loses altitude as foreign airlines exit Kuwait’s ambitions for its aviation industry are faltering as a growing number of international carriers quit the market and airport upgrades are delayed. British Airways ceased its daily service from London in March, ending more than 60 years of operations. This follows withdrawals from Kuwait International Airport (KWI) by at least 14 other airlines since 2019, […] May 6, 2025
Aviation Profitable Flynas to launch IPO this month Low-cost carrier Flynas will launch a share sale on the local stock exchange this month in the latest in a series of initial public offerings (IPOs) by Saudi companies. The subscription will run from May 28 to June 1, 2025, according to the company’s prospectus. The airline, part owned by billionaire Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal, is selling […] May 6, 2025
Aviation Kuwait Airways fires CEO after authority disapproval The CEO of state-owned Kuwait Airways, Ahmad Al-Kreebani, has been fired and replaced by Abdulwahab Al-Shatti. Al-Shatti took over the job on Sunday, two sources with direct knowledge of the matter said. Kreebani’s dismissal after two years in the job followed a decision by the country’s civil aviation authority to withdraw its approval for his […] May 5, 2025
Aviation Emirates signs agreement with Greek air carrier Aegean Greece has signed an outline deal with Dubai’s Emirates that includes a codeshare agreement with Greek air carrier Aegean, the country’s Tourism Ministry said on Friday, as it seeks to attract more tourists all year round. The codeshare agreement will expand travellers’ access to popular destinations, including the islands of Santorini, Mykonos and Rhodes, the […] May 2, 2025
Real Estate Dubai’s DXB site to become prime real estate opportunity Dubai International Airport will become one of the emirate’s most valuable real estate assets once operations shift to the new Dubai World Central airport within the next decade. The DXB site, located in the densely developed Al Garhoud district and spanning 2,900 hectares (7,200 acres), will eventually cease operations as Dubai consolidates air traffic at […] May 1, 2025
EXCLUSIVE Aviation Expect commercial jet shortages until 2030, warns Flyadeal CEO The head of Saudi low-cost carrier Flyadeal has warned that deliveries of in-demand commercial jets to the aviation industry will be severely constrained until the end of the decade. Flyadeal CEO Steven Greenway told AGBI that despite having eight Airbus A320 aircraft scheduled for delivery in 2025, the airline is planning on receiving only five. […] May 1, 2025
Logistics European slump hits Middle East air cargo demand Demand for air cargo in the Middle East declined year on year in March, bucking a global growth trend, with the region’s European trade route the hardest hit. New monthly data from industry trade body the International Air Transport Association (IATA), showed that total global demand, measured in cargo tonne-kilometres (CTK), rose 4.4 percent year […] May 1, 2025
Aviation Sheikh Ahmed: China’s Boeing rejects won’t fly for Emirates Emirates Airline’s chairman Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum has downplayed speculation that the carrier could buy Boeing planes originally destined for China. Speaking at the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai on Tuesday, Sheikh Ahmed said Emirates was actively exploring options to expand its fleet, but the Boeing aircraft – ordered by Chinese carriers but […] April 29, 2025
EXCLUSIVE Aviation Boeing delays are hampering Flydubai expansion, says CEO Delays in the delivery of Flydubai’s first wide-body aircraft from Boeing are hampering the carrier’s expansion into long-haul routes and it may seek compensation, its CEO has told AGBI. The low-cost carrier is waiting for 30 Boeing 787-9 twin-aisle planes, part of an $11 billion deal announced at the 2023 Dubai Airshow. The first deliveries […] April 29, 2025
Aviation ‘I expect more Europeans to come’: Etihad chief shrugs off tariffs Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Airways is not seeing any effects from the turmoil caused by US President Donald Trump’s tariff policies, its CEO Antonoaldo Neves told Reuters on Monday, while adding it was too early to fully gauge the impact of the levies. Trump’s announcement of sweeping tariffs on dozens of US trading partners this month […] April 29, 2025
Aviation Riyadh Air willing to buy Boeing planes cancelled by China Riyadh Air CEO Tony Douglas has said that the Saudi startup carrier would be ready to buy Boeing aircraft destined for Chinese airlines if they are not delivered due to the escalating trade war between the United States and China. Boeing is looking to resell potentially dozens of planes locked out of China by tariffs […] April 28, 2025
Aviation Oman Air cuts a quarter of workforce after losses Loss-making national airline Oman Air has let go of at least 900 people – equivalent to almost a quarter of its workforce – after posting yet another loss last year, newspapers including the Times of Oman reported. Of the 900, more than 500 are expatriates and the remaining 400 Omani nationals, Saeed bin Hamoud Al […] April 28, 2025
