DUBAI AIRSHOW Aviation Saudi Arabia and UAE drive air travel recovery Flight bookings to Saudi Arabia and the UAE for the last quarter of this year are up by as much as 70 percent on pre-pandemic levels, new figures reveal. Data compiled exclusively for AGBI by the travel intelligence company ForwardKeys shows that as of early October, Saudi Arabia led the region for growth in seat […] November 13, 2023
DUBAI AIRSHOW Aviation Aviation in struggle to reach net zero targets Gulf commercial airlines have committed to achieving net zero emissions by 2050 by switching to sustainable aviation fuels, adopting new technologies and buying carbon offsets, among other measures. But they face challenges in doing so. The aviation industry hopes measures such as these will enable it to realise two seemingly conflicting ambitions: doubling the volume […] November 12, 2023
DUBAI AIRSHOW Aviation Gulf’s beloved Airbus A380 makes its return to the skies The world’s biggest passenger jet, the double-decker Airbus A380, is back in favour after high operating costs forced many airlines to curtail or cancel its use. The post-pandemic surge in international travel and a shortage of large, fuel-efficient aircraft have combined to reignite demand for the thirsty superjumbo, at least for now. And nowhere are […] November 12, 2023
DUBAI AIRSHOW Aviation Riyadh Air positions Saudi as major player in Gulf aviation Gulf airlines are bracing for an escalating challenge from Saudi Arabia’s new global carrier Riyadh Air, which is scheduled for take-off in 2025. The highly hyped airline, whose launch was first revealed by the kingdom in March, is targeting 100 destinations in its first five years. This is a scale of ambition likely to reshape […] November 12, 2023
DUBAI AIRSHOW Transport Turkish Airlines in talks with Airbus for 355 jets Turkish Airlines (THY) has held talks with European airline manufacturer Airbus on a potential order of 355 new aircraft, state-run Anadolu news agency said. During the meeting in Istanbul, executives from Turkish Airlines discussed buying 75 wide-body A350-900, 15 wide-body A350-1000 aircraft, 250 narrow-body A321neo aircraft and five A350F cargo aircraft, in addition to 10 […] November 12, 2023
Aviation Emirates report record half-year profits Dubai’s Emirates airline has reported record profits for the first half of the financial year 2023-24, fuelled by strong passenger demand for international travel. Profits were up 134 percent from this time last year, to a high of AED9.4 billion ($2.6 billion). Revenue for the city’s flagship carrier was up 19 percent to AED59.5 billion. […] November 9, 2023
Aviation Kuwait’s Jazeera Airways’ profits slump 36.1% Kuwaiti low-cost carrier Jazeera Airways has reported a 36.1 percent drop in profits for the first nine months of the year with a warning that over-capacity issues could further impact margins. The airline, which sits second in the country behind Kuwait Airways, saw revenues increase 12.8 percent year-on-year over the period and passenger numbers were […] November 8, 2023
Transport Riyadh Air to add ‘large’ narrowbody aircraft order Riyadh Air will announce a deal to buy a “sizeable” number of narrowbody aircraft in the coming weeks, the startup airline’s chief executive said, as he helps build a second carrier for Saudi Arabia which is set for take-off in 2025. Former Etihad Airways boss Tony Douglas was hired in March to head up Riyadh […] November 7, 2023
Aviation Qatar Airways profit soars to over $1bn despite headwinds Qatar Airways’ net profit rose 113.8 percent year on year to QAR3.7 billion ($1.02 billion) in the first half of 2023/24 on increased passenger numbers and load factors. Total revenue increased to QAR40.126 billion, up 7.4 percent annually. Passenger revenues accelerated 28.5 percent over the last year, with increased load factors of 83.3 percent, leading […] November 3, 2023
Aviation Abu Dhabi’s terminal A gears up for 637 flights in first week The new terminal at Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) will have 637 flights departing and arriving in its first seven days of operations. As many as 28 airlines have started transitioning to terminal A, which opens today, but will be fully operational from November 15, the Abu Dhabi Media Office said in a statement. The […] November 1, 2023
Analysis Aviation Saudi aviation reforms to attract foreign airport operators Saudi Arabia has unveiled reforms and new regulations to encourage more foreign investment in its aviation sector, as part of a privatisation push. The new economic policy framework aims to create a “level playing field” for global operators and investors in the kingdom, according to the president of the General Authority of Civil Aviation (Gaca). […] October 31, 2023
Transport Abu Dhabi airport posts 29.3% rise in Q3 traffic Passenger traffic at Abu Dhabi International Airport rose 29.3 percent year on year to 5.95 million in the third quarter of 2023. Aircraft movement increased 21.8 percent year on year to 37,903 in the July to September period, state-run WAM news agency reported. Airport connectivity expanded to 119 destinations through 24 airlines. The busiest destinations […] October 29, 2023
Opinion Aviation King of the skies: A tribute to Akbar Al Baker The Qatar Airways boss has led with obsessive attention to detail and high expectations October 27, 2023
Opinion Aviation Gulf Air is battling for Bahrain’s skies Can another strategic turn really be successful? October 24, 2023
Transport Qatar Airways CEO to step down after 27 years After nearly three decades at the helm of Qatar Airways, Akbar Al Baker is stepping down from his position as group chief executive officer on November 5, 2023. Badr Mohammed Al Meer will succeed him as group CEO for the Gulf state’s national airline, Qatar Airways confirmed in a statement. The development comes after Qatari […] October 24, 2023
Transport US developer to build flying taxis in Abu Dhabi The day is drawing closer when a taxi ride between Dubai and Abu Dhabi takes only twenty minutes in an aircraft built in the UAE. A US developer of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft has signed an agreement with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) to set up a manufacturing centre in Abu […] October 16, 2023
Aviation Huge expansion planned for Saudi’s Abha airport Abha International Airport in the south-west of Saudi Arabia is to expand to more than six times its current size. The plans, revealed this week by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, will see the terminal area of the airport increased to 65,000 square metres. It includes the construction of passenger boarding bridges, self-service facilities and […] October 13, 2023
Aviation Dubai leisure airline courts Middle East investors A new luxury leisure airline, which is set to operate routes from Dubai and Riyadh to the Maldives, is looking for potential investors from the Middle East to fund its long-term expansion plans. Headquartered in Dubai, Beond was unveiled this week at the emirate’s Al Maktoum International Airport. Funding for the luxury airline came from […] October 13, 2023
Transport India’s new budget airline to fly to three GCC countries The Indian government has allocated flying rights to budget carrier Akasa Air for Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar based on existing bilaterals to begin international operations this winter, according to a media report. The airline will have to wait to start flights to Dubai as the bilateral with the emirate has been completely exhausted, the […] October 12, 2023
Aviation Air Arabia to bring low fares to lucrative London route UAE low cost carrier Air Arabia will take on the highly competitive but lucrative London market when it takes delivery of Airbus aircraft able to fly longer distances, its CEO has confirmed. Air Arabia announced an order for 120 fuel-efficient aircraft comprising 73 A320neos, 27 A321neos and 20 A321 XLRs at the Dubai Air Show […] October 11, 2023
Opinion Sustainability Carbon credit schemes are not a straight road to zero Urgent action is needed to stop carbon credits suffering the same fate as NFTs October 9, 2023
Opinion Aviation Middle East-China airline battle means cheap fares Emirates, Saudia, Hainan and Qatar airline services will create a glut in capacity this winter October 5, 2023
