Opinion Aviation Middle East airlines are taking control of their destiny Carriers in the region increase their networks July 20, 2023
Aviation Emirates builds Saudi profile as Riyadh Air nears take-off Emirates has signed up as the main sponsor and official airline of the King Salman Club Cup 2023. The deal will give the Dubai-based airline extensive brand visibility in stadiums and marketing for the football tournament, which is being held as a new Saudi carrier, Riyadh Air, gears up for launch. Riyadh Air, wholly owned […] July 17, 2023
Aviation Riyadh Air receives half a million job applications Saudi Arabia’s new airline Riyadh Air has received almost half a million job applications since the carrier was announced to the world in March this year. Wholly owned by Saudi’s Public Investment Fund, Riyadh Air forms part of ambitious plans by the kingdom to boost the number of passengers through its 29 airports from 100 […] July 14, 2023
Aviation Pay and perks set to soar for in-demand pilots Pilots are in high demand across the Middle East as the region’s airlines ramp up recruitment, according to an aviation expert. Riyadh Air, the new Saudi carrier that aims to start flights in 2025, is seeking to take on 700 pilots. Linus Bauer, managing director of Dubai’s Bauer Aviation Advisory, said it will have to […] July 12, 2023
Video length: 05:43 Aviation Abu Dhabi’s Royal Jet expands into Asia Abu Dhabi’s Royal Jet is expanding into Asia with plans to acquire a share of a private aviation business located close to Kuala Lumpur. It is buying the Malaysian aviation business operated by Sapura Resources Berhad at Subang International Airport. “We are keen to expand our business in Asia,” Mohammed Husain Ahmed, CEO of Royal […] July 10, 2023
Video length: 05:43 video Aviation Mergers tipped to take off in Gulf’s private jet business The private aviation business is set for widespread consolidation in the Gulf, according to a senior executive at a charter jet firm. Youssef Mouallem, executive vice president of Vista Global based in Dubai, told AGBI the sector was historically fragmented, but he was expecting to see more mergers and acquisitions. “Businesses will consolidate and we […] July 10, 2023
Opinion Aviation India’s airlines face fight for market gains from the Gulf The real winner should be the traveller July 6, 2023
Analysis Aviation Tunisair’s turbulence a ‘toxic mix of circumstances’ Tunisia’s national carrier Tunisair is facing a “toxic mix of circumstances” as it battles for survival, according to a leading aviation expert. The North African country’s president Kaïs Saïed, minister of transport Rabii Mejidi, and Tunisair’s CEO Khaled Chelli met recently to discuss a rescue plan for the airline, which is seeking a restructure to […] July 6, 2023
Aviation Qatar Airways’ profit down 21% despite World Cup Qatar Airways Group’s net profit fell 21.4 percent year-on-year to QAR4.4 billion ($1.21 billion) in 2022-2023 despite flying more passengers for the Fifa World Cup. The profit drop came despite revenue increasing 45 percent year-on-year to QAR76.3 billion. Passenger revenue also doubled, as capacity rose 31 percent year-on-year, driven by a load factor of 80 […] July 6, 2023
Aviation Air India-Vistara scrutiny ‘is good news for Gulf carriers’ An inquiry into the planned merger between Air India and Vistara will be welcomed by Middle East airlines, as they look to increase their share of the lucrative Indian market, an aviation expert has said. India’s anti-trust commission is investigating the proposal over competition concerns, which could delay or even block the deal altogether. Previously […] July 3, 2023
Aviation UAE and Iran sign air transport deal The UAE has signed an air transport services agreement with Iran as the two countries look to enhance trade and tourism relationships. The tie-up aims to better organise air transportation and strengthen air connections. A meeting in Dubai between Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE minister of foreign affairs, and Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, Iran’s minister […] June 23, 2023
Aviation Sponsorship deal grows Emirates’ presence in Africa Emirates airline is to sponsor a Tunisian sports club, as the Dubai carrier looks to increase its revenues in Africa. The airline will sponsor Etoile Sportive du Sahel, which has teams across a number of sports including football, basketball, volleyball and handball. Emirates’ branding will be on the teams’ jerseys and training kits, as well […] June 23, 2023
Opinion Aviation Riyadh Air tantalises Paris with promise of ‘Saudi hospitality’ As a 'no legacy' airline, there is room to try a different approach – and that could mean in-flight alcohol June 23, 2023
Aviation Cathay Pacific forecasts first profit on travel rebound Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific Airways on Friday forecast its first half-year profit in three years, buoyed by a strong rebound in travel demand and one-off gain from a stake sale in Air China. The city’s flagship carrier had posted record losses for the last three years as it parked much of its fleet during the […] June 23, 2023
Video length: 00:59 Aviation Neom’s flying taxi takes to the skies Plans to introduce flying taxis to Saudi Arabia’s $500 billion Neom development have accelerated after a series of successful test flights in the kingdom. Neom entered into a $191.2 million investment and joint venture with German aircraft manufacturer Volocopter in 2021. The tests lasted over a week and built on 18 months of collaboration between […] June 22, 2023
EXCLUSIVE Aviation Hamish Harding: British billionaire in the UAE Hamish Harding was one of the five people who died on the Titan submersible in the Atlantic on June 18. He founded Action Aviation, a UAE-based international aircraft brokerage company, and was chair of the Middle East chapter of The Explorers Club. Read below AGBI’s interview with him last September, when he had just been […] June 21, 2023
Aviation SalamAir targets long-haul flights with Airbus A330neo SalamAir, Oman’s first low-cost airline, will lease three Airbus A330neo aircraft from Dublin-headquartered Avolon to expand its fleet and network. The three new Airbus A330neo wide-body aircraft will have a dual-class configuration with 365 economy seats and 12 premium flatbed seats. The two companies signed the agreement on Tuesday June 20, the first day of […] June 21, 2023
Aviation Paris air show takes off with historic plane order Airbus announced a record 500-plane deal with Indian airline IndiGo on day one of the Paris Airshow, as strong demand for jets and air defences vied for attention with the industry’s supply chain problems. The multibillion-dollar deal for single-aisle planes – the largest ever by number of aircraft – confirmed a Reuters report earlier this […] June 20, 2023
Aviation Flydubai ups capacity by 33% as 4.5m expected to travel UAE carrier Flydubai has increased its seat capacity across its network by 33 percent year-on-year between June 1 and September 30, 2023, due to growing travel demand. The airline expects more than 4.5 million passengers to travel during the four months, state-owned Wam news agency reported. An average of 9,400 flights per month are scheduled between June 1 […] June 20, 2023
Transport Airbus to build helicopters in Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia has signed a $6.7 billion deal with European aviation giant Airbus to manufacture civilian and military helicopters in the kingdom. In its latest step to develop a homegrown defence industry, state-owned military contractor Scopa and Airbus will build a Saudi factory to make the aircraft, Reuters and Bloomberg reported, citing a television interview […] June 19, 2023
Aviation Airlines must go green to survive, says Riyadh Air boss The head of Riyadh Air pledged the Saudi startup would be both commercially and environmentally sustainable and warned that carriers that do not embrace climate concerns will not survive. Riyadh Air is owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, which has more than $620 billion in assets under management. Chief executive Tony Douglas said the […] June 19, 2023
Aviation Boeing raises 20-year outlook for new jetliners US planemaker Boeing slightly raised its annual 20-year forecast for new jetliner deliveries, propelled by the strength of the narrow-body market fuelled by demand from low-cost carriers. Boeing expects airlines will need to buy 42,595 jets from now until 2042, up from 41,170 planes in its previous 20-year forecast last year. The latest projection — […] June 18, 2023
