Aviation Third Chinese airline to launch flights to Saudi Arabia Air China is set to begin flights to Riyadh in May, becoming the third Chinese airline to establish a route to Saudi Arabia. It joins China Southern and Eastern Airlines in connecting China with the kingdom. Air China’s Airbus A330-300 will serve the Beijing-Riyadh route three times a week. The expansion in capacity between the […] April 12, 2024
Opinion Aviation Saudi Arabia’s 2030 passenger target is a hard climb The kingdom will view hard-to-achieve passenger growth figures as a challenge, not a deterrent April 11, 2024
Construction Egypt allocates land for airport at ADQ’s metropolis The Egyptian government has allocated two plots of land for the development of Ras El-Hekma international airport by UAE sovereign wealth fund ADQ. The land plots in Matrouh, a governorate in the north-west of Egypt, were handed over to the country’s civil aviation ministry, Ahram Online newspaper reported. The airport development is part of the […] April 11, 2024
Aviation Oman Airports profit up 45% in 2023 on higher revenue The combined net profit of Oman Airports surged 45 percent to OR18.5 million ($48 million) in 2023, compared to almost OR13 million in 2022. Consolidated revenue increased by 39 percent year on year to OR150 million last year, as subsidiaries reported higher income. Oman Airports Management Company generated over OR124 million, Oman Ground Handling contributed […] April 9, 2024
Aviation UAE airlines increased Saudi flights during Ramadan Weekly flights from the UAE and Saudi Arabia rose 13 percent to 383 in March, compared to 338 in February. The increase was driven by growing demand from Umrah performers during the last 10 days of Ramadan, which started last month, state-run Wam news agency reported, quoting the General Civil Aviation Authority’s (GCAA) statistics. Flydubai […] April 9, 2024
Tourism Morocco denies subsidising Ryanair domestic flights Morocco’s Ministry of Tourism has denied claims that it is subsidising the Irish low-cost carrier Ryanair’s expansion across the country. Ryanair will open domestic flights throughout Morocco from the summer as part of its $1.4 billion investment in the North African country. It had been reported that the Moroccan National Tourism Office would be providing […] April 8, 2024
Aviation Saudi Arabia and China strengthen ties with extra flights Saudi Arabia is strengthening its ties with China with the launch of new passenger and cargo flights between the two countries. Beginning on April 16, China Southern Airlines (CZ) will operate four commercial passenger flights and three cargo flights connecting Beijing Daxing and Riyadh, according to a report on the Saudi Press Agency website. This […] April 8, 2024
Opinion Lifestyle Emirates at its premium best When you’re paying for yourself, premium economy really is the only way to fly April 5, 2024
Transport Investcorp to invest in $4.2bn JFK terminal 6 overhaul Investcorp Capital, an alternative investment company listed on the Abu Dhabi bourse, will help fund the $4.2 billion redevelopment of terminal 6 at New York’s JFK International Airport. The investment will flow through Investcorp Corsair Infrastructure Partners, a joint venture formed with New York-headquartered Corsair Capital. The investment amount was not disclosed. The venture is […] April 4, 2024
Transport UAE carriers expand reach to 603 global destinations UAE carriers were serving 603 destinations worldwide by the first quarter of 2024, compared to 586 at the close of 2023. The three percent increase reflects the rebound in the aviation sector and a surge in travel demand, state-run Wam news agency reported, quoting data released by the national carriers. Air Arabia leads with 215 […] April 3, 2024
Tourism Turkey secures more funds for Antalya airport expansion An additional $463 million financing has been secured to help upgrade and expand Turkey’s second busiest airport, Antalya. Antalya served more than 35 million passengers in 2023 which went some way towards Turkey recording record tourism receipts. The first phase of development will include the expansion of Terminal 2 and the construction of new general […] April 3, 2024
Aviation Revenue up at Oman Air but pressure still on, say experts Oman Air has posted increased revenues for the past year but the sultanate’s flag carrier still faces difficult times ahead, aviation industry experts say. The heavily indebted airline launched a restructuring process last August in an attempt to balance the books within the next four years. Oman Air’s net losses in 2023 fell by 36 […] April 2, 2024
Tourism Red Sea airport prepares for first international visitors Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea International Airport will record its first international visitors this month when a flight from Dubai arrives on April 18. Red Sea Global, the developer behind regenerative tourism destinations The Red Sea and Amaala, said the flight, operated by Flydubai, marks the start of a new twice-weekly route. Regular domestic flights operated […] April 1, 2024
Opinion Transport Art, beaches, culture: Jeddah commute makes sense to me Riyadh may be where the action is but serenity is found in Saudi Arabia's port city March 29, 2024
Transport Dubai company to launch flying cars in Mena Aviation company Aviterra has signed a deal with Dutch company PAL-V to launch flying cars across the Middle East and Africa. Based in Dubai, Aviterra will buy 100 Liberty flying cars from PAL-V and invest in the flying car maker with the intention of making door-to-door mobility a reality in the region. “The PAL-V Liberty is the […] March 29, 2024
Aviation UAE and Qatar in race for Pakistan’s privatisation deals Investors from the UAE, Qatar and Turkey have shown interest in Pakistan’s national airline and airports as the South Asian nation accelerates its privatisation programme. Other investors are from Germany, France, Netherlands, Malaysia and local groups, ARY News, a Pakistani news channel, reported. Defence and aviation minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif has discussed outsourcing airports and […] March 27, 2024
Aviation India’s Akasa Air to fly to Saudi Arabia and Kuwait Akasa Air, India’s newest low-cost airline, plans to start flights to Kuwait and Saudi Arabia by the end of October. “We have traffic rights for Kuwait, Riyadh and Jeddah, all of which we hope to launch by the end of the IATA summer season,” founder and CEO Vinay Dube told the state-run Press Trust of […] March 25, 2024
Transport Turkish operator to invest in Saudi airport expansion Turkish airport operator TAV Airports will invest $71.5 million as part of the $275 million expansion plan for Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport, better known as Madinah Airport, in Saudi Arabia, according to a media report. The new investment will increase Madinah Airport’s passenger handling capacity to 18 million annually from the existing eight million […] March 25, 2024
Aviation Dubai Aerospace secures $420m from Chinese lenders Aircraft lessor Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE) has signed a $420 million five-year unsecured term loan with Chinese entities to support its business expansion. The DIFC branch of China Construction Bank and China Construction Bank (Asia) Corporation offered the loan facility. “This term loan will serve to further strengthen our already exceptional liquidity, which stood at […] March 21, 2024
Opinion Aviation Etihad’s IPO is a risky proposition There is no doubt competition is going to get tougher in the Middle East aviation market March 19, 2024
Transport Saudi sovereign fund in talks to buy national airline Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund is in discussions to acquire the kingdom’s national airline, reports released on Monday indicate. The $940 billion sovereign fund is looking to add Saudia, formerly known as Saudi Arabian Airlines, to its portfolio and a deal could be completed as soon as next year, according to a report by Bloomberg, […] March 18, 2024
Aviation Air taxi makers promise Dubai-Abu Dhabi commute in 30 minutes Flying cars could cut the commute between Dubai and Abu Dhabi to 30 minutes next year after a deal between Archer Aviation of the US and the UAE’s Falcon Aviation. Under the agreement, the two will develop air taxi vertiports at the Falcon heliport at Atlantis the Palm in Dubai and the Marina Mall heliport […] March 12, 2024