Aviation Emirates and Philippine Airlines’ interline pact to boost connectivity Dubai-based Emirates and Philippine Airlines (PAL) have signed an interline agreement to boost connectivity for passengers of both air carriers, using a single ticket and one baggage policy. The reciprocal interline partnership, which is now operational, provides Emirates’ passengers access to 19 Philippine domestic destinations operated by Philippine Airlines, including Cebu, Cagayan de Oro, Bacolod, […] March 5, 2023
Aviation Flydubai in huge recruitment drive amid record profits The biggest recruitment drive in the history of Flydubai is continuing as the low-cost airline looks to build on record profit growth in 2022. A total of 1,300 employees joined Flydubai last year, 80 percent of whom are cabin crew, engineers or pilots, aided by the “desire of top talent to relocate to Dubai and […] March 1, 2023
Analysis Gulf airlines flying high again, but facing fresh headwinds As global air travel continues to rebound from the coronavirus pandemic, the biggest airlines in the Arabian Gulf – Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad – are soaring back into clear skies. But can they maintain their rate of climb? Beyond economic and geopolitical pressures, there’s increasing competition from low-cost airlines, resurgent long-haul competitors and globally ambitious […] March 1, 2023
Aviation Oman opens airspace and joins Saudi corridor for Israeli carriers Oman has said all airlines can overfly its territory, joining neighbouring Saudi Arabia in providing a corridor for the national carriers of Israel, which neither Gulf state formally recognises. Israeli leaders hailed the announcement mainly as a gain for civil aviation to Asia and Australia – rather than any harbinger of a breakthrough in bilateral […] February 24, 2023
Aviation Emirates invests $135m as Middle East airline pilot shortage looms Emirates has announced plans to invest $135 million in a new airline pilots training facility in Dubai as experts warn the Middle East’s aviation sector is facing a serious shortage of talent. The UAE airline said it will build an advanced training facility to accommodate six full flight simulator bays for its future Airbus A350 […] February 21, 2023
Opinion Aviation Clear skies ahead for private aviation Charter operators are focusing on evolution and innovation February 20, 2023
Aviation Air Arabia’s 2022 net profit soars 70% to $323m UAE-based low-cost carrier Air Arabia reported a net profit of AED1.2 billion ($326.70 million) for 2022, an increase of 70 percent, compared to AED720 million in 2021, driven by the growth in passenger numbers that exceeded pre-pandemic levels. The airline’s turnover reached AED5.2 billion in 2022, an increase of 65 percent, compared to AED3.2 billion […] February 14, 2023
Aviation Saudi Arabia launches stopover visa as airlines ramp up capacity Saudi Arabia has announced the launch of a new stopover visa for tourists as airlines are expected to significantly increase capacity on routes to the kingdom. The free-of-charge visa is open to a wider number of countries than the tourism e-visa and is Saudi Arabia’s latest move to make the destination more accessible. The launch […] January 31, 2023
Aviation Wizz Air Abu Dhabi to accelerate and expand operations in 2023 Low-cost airline Wizz Air Abu Dhabi is ready to accelerate and expand operations further in 2023. It currently flies to 36 destinations to 25 different countries from Abu Dhabi, the UAE state-owned WAM news agency reported. The airline operated more than 6,000 flights and transported more than 1.2 million travellers in 2022. It carried over […] January 29, 2023
Aviation Kuwait Airways eyes break even by 2024-end despite losses Kuwait Airways’ revenue last year rose by 115 percent from 2021 and was up 10 percent from pre-pandemic 2019, Reuters reported, citing chairman Ali Aldokhan. The state carrier posted a net loss of KD55 million ($180.3 million) for 2022 and still expects to break even by the end of 2024, Aldokhan told a news conference […] January 27, 2023
Aviation Airbus implements A350 design change amid Qatar Airways feud Airbus has carried out design changes to A350 passenger jets amid a $2 billion dispute with Qatar Airways over surface damage, which spilled over to a debate on security on Thursday. The two companies have been fighting in court for months over the safety impact of flaking paint that exposed corrosion or gaps in a […] January 20, 2023
Aviation Emirates resumes Tokyo flights as UAE and Japan deepen ties Emirates said on Thursday it will resume flights to Tokyo-Haneda airport from April 2, after a three-year hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic. Dubai’s flag carrier said the service will be operated by one of its Boeing 777 Game Changer aircraft, with the outbound flight EK312 departing Dubai at 07.50 and arriving in Haneda at […] January 12, 2023
Aviation Airlines lift China international flight capacity as border opens Airlines have boosted January international seat capacity to and from China by 9.5 percent over the last week as they ramp up flights after its border opening, according to aviation data provider Cirium, though flights remain at a fraction of pre-pandemic levels. Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd added more than 52,000 seats as its […] January 9, 2023
Aviation Tunisian government to sell its 24% stake in Nouvelair Tunisia’s state-owned investment company, Al Karama Holding, plans to sell its shares in Nouvelair and Nouvelair Handling this month, according to national press agency Tunis Afrique Presse. The move comes as the Tunisian government attempts to raise 656 million dinar ($210.2 million) through privatisation and the sale of companies confiscated from establishment figures after the […] January 3, 2023
EXCLUSIVE Aviation Gulf airlines will collaborate more in 2023, says Emirates chief The Middle East aviation industry is perfectly positioned to launch greater collaboration among its leading players, according to Emirates president Sir Tim Clark. Middle East carriers are expected to post a loss of $1.1 billion in 2022, and a profit of $268 million in 2023 as per a report from the International Air Transport Association. […] December 28, 2022
Opinion Aviation Gulf aviation will continue to grow despite global challenges Emirates and Gulf aviation in general can expect a year of growth as Qatar builds on the World Cup and Saudi Arabia drives its tourism December 28, 2022
Transport UAE clears way for flying taxis with latest world-first regulation The UAE General Civil Aviation Authority has issued the world’s first national vertiport regulation taking a further step towards the introduction of flying taxis. The regulation covers the design and operation of vertiports – areas of land, water, or structures used for vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft. It is expected to be released in […] December 28, 2022
Aviation Dubai airport expects nearly 2m passengers during holiday season Dubai International (DXB) will remain “exceptionally busy” over the remainder of the holiday season and well into the New Year, with nearly two million passengers expected to pass through the airport, state-owned WAM news agency reported. DXB’s average daily passenger numbers have risen almost back to pre-pandemic levels on the back of a strong recovery […] December 28, 2022
Aviation Dubai Aerospace Enterprise signs $800m unsecured term financings Global aviation services company Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE) Ltd has signed a new senior unsecured term financings for a total of $800 million. The term financings have a weighted average maturity of 5.5 years in two transactions and were each underwritten by a “leading bank in the region”, according to a statement on Tuesday. Firoz […] December 27, 2022
Transport Israeli startup makes inroads with personal flying vehicle An Israeli-made electric vehicle designed to fly commuters on short trips far above streets overcrowded with cars has made its maiden unmanned flight, a milestone the developer says will help it reach the market in the next two years. The test-phase voyage may not look out of the ordinary at first given the huge progress […] December 22, 2022
Analysis Aviation Private jet demand to Doha soars despite World Cup price hikes Private jet operators have reported a massive surge in demand for flights to Doha during the World Cup, despite the rise in operating costs caused by the high number of aircraft flying in and out of the Qatari capital. “So far, the World Cup has been an incredibly exciting — albeit intensely busy time — […] December 14, 2022
Analysis Aviation Flight searches to Qatar soar from South Korea and Australia Searches for travel to Qatar from nations competing in the World Cup surged in November as fans raced to reserve last-minute flights and accommodation in the tournament’s host country. Enquiries for Qatar on travel aggregator website Wego from internet users in South Korea were up 168 percent in November versus the same period of 2021, […] December 7, 2022
