Exclusive Transport Dubai’s first passenger drones to fly in 2024 A senior Dubai sheikh has signed a deal with a Hungarian aviation firm to manufacture passenger drones in the UAE, with the first aircraft due to roll off the production line in early 2024. Sheikh Rashid Bin Ahmed Al Maktoum’s RAM Investment Ltd will partner with Jakabszállás-based Genevation Aircraft Ltd to build the drones as […] December 1, 2022
Saudi Arabia Vision 2030 Saudi plans to create global ‘aerotropolis’ with new airport Saudi Arabia has drawn up a masterplan for King Salman International Airport, a major transport hub expected to span 57 sq km and boost annual passenger numbers from the current 29 million to 120 million by 2030. The new airport in the kingdom’s capital city Riyadh is intended to be one of the largest in […] November 29, 2022
Aviation Dubai Airports ups 2022 annual passenger forecast to 64.3m Dubai Airports has increased its annual forecast for passenger traffic at Dubai International (DXB) to 64.3 million following its strong performance in the third quarter and the prospects of a stronger surge in the offing in the final three months of 2022, the UAE state-owned WAM news agency reported. Average monthly traffic exceeded the six-million […] November 23, 2022
Opinion Aviation Fly the environment-friendly skies Middle East airlines have led the way in showing how Gulf economies can diversify. Now they have to become pioneers of net-zero aviation too November 21, 2022
Aviation Qatar airport’s final expansion phase to start in early 2023 The final phase of Hamad International Airport (HIA) expansion will start early next year, Qatar Tribune newspaper reported, citing Qatar Airways group chief executive Akbar Al Baker. The expansion will increase the airport’s annual capacity to up to 75 million passengers. Phase A of HIA’s expansion plans is now ready for the much-anticipated FIFA World […] November 13, 2022
Aviation Emirates confirms order of five new Boeing jets worth $1.7bn Dubai-based Emirates has announced a firm order for five new Boeing 777-200LR freighter aircraft worth over $1.7 billion at list prices. Two units will be delivered in 2024, while the remaining three units in 2025, the airline said in a statement. The agreement takes the airline’s total order book to 200 wide-body aircraft. Sheikh Ahmed […] November 8, 2022
Aviation Qatar Airways wins UK court battle with aircraft seat maker A British court has ruled in favour of Qatar Airways in a dispute between the Gulf carrier and an Italian aircraft seat manufacturer. Sezze-based Optimares had sued Qatar Airways after the airline terminated a contract to buy made-to-order business and economy class seats for some of the Doha-based airline’s Boeing and Airbus aircraft. But a […] October 25, 2022
Aviation Etihad names new CEO as airline confirms Tony Douglas exit Etihad Aviation Group named Antonoaldo Neves its new CEO today after confirming the departure of Tony Douglas, who is understood to be taking the helm at a new airline in Saudi Arabia. Neves was announced as group CEO while Douglas will serve during his transition period as an advisor to the board of ADQ Aviation […] October 19, 2022
Analysis Aviation Flight bookings soar as Gulf benefits from Qatar 2022 fever Flight bookings to Qatar from the UAE and 31 countries competing in the FIFA World Cup are currently 10 times the volume of pre-pandemic levels, according to new data. The latest analysis by UK-based ForwardKeys shows that the UAE will perform most strongly during the Qatar 2022 World Cup period in November and December, where […] October 11, 2022
Aviation Irish firm bags $266m operations contract for Saudi Red Sea airport The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC) has appointed Dublin-based daa International as the operator of Red Sea International, which will be the region’s first carbon-neutral airport. The developer of mega projects – Red Sea Project and Amaala – signed a SAR 1 billion ($266 million) deal with the Irish company for operations and general maintenance […] October 11, 2022
Tourism Sales of one-way tickets to Dubai double as Russians flee call-up The number of Russians booking one-way tickets to Dubai doubled in a week after President Vladimir Putin announced a partial mobilisation to fight in Ukraine, flight data has revealed. Putin’s television address on September 21 prompted a spike in demand and web searches for flights out of the country. Travel analytics firm ForwardKeys has found […] October 4, 2022
Analysis Aviation Gulf carriers set to benefit from ‘reordering’ of aviation industry Gulf carriers are likely to strike up new partnerships with foreign airlines as the war in Ukraine and the lingering impact of the coronavirus pandemic threatens to reorder the global aviation scene. The reshaping of the airline industry as a result of pandemic-induced change is opening up new, and more competitive avenues for global airlines […] September 28, 2022
Aviation UAE’s budget carrier Air Arabia to launch new airline in Sudan Sharjah-based Air Arabia will launch a new venture, Air Arabia Sudan, in partnership with DAL Group, the budget airline said in a statement on Friday. Khartoum-based Air Arabia Sudan will operate a fleet of Airbus A320 aircraft, pending regulatory approval. The statement did not provide any details on routes, schedules or fleet size but said […] September 23, 2022
Aviation Russian flight prices to Dubai soar as Putin orders army call-up One-way ticket prices to Dubai from Russia have skyrocketed after President Vladimir Putin ordered the immediate call-up of 300,000 reservists. Flights to Dubai cost more than 300,000 roubles ($5,000), nearly five times the average monthly wage, Reuters reported. Direct flights from Moscow to Istanbul, Turkey and Yerevan, Armenia, which allow visa-free entry, were sold out […] September 22, 2022
Aviation Qatar Airways says not increasing flight prices due to World Cup Qatar Airways is not taking advantage of the FIFA World Cup 2022 to increase flight ticket prices and has capped the price of shuttle flights from GCC states, Reuters reported, citing group chief executive Akbar Al Baker. However, ticket prices will remain high due to lack of capacity as airline manufacturers face challenges delivering aircraft […] September 22, 2022
Exclusive Aviation Private jets face backlog during World Cup Qatar authorities are putting restrictions in place to manage the expected surge in demand for landing slots from private jets flying to Doha for the World Cup. Operators have warned that wealthy football fans will need to be flexible with their plans, especially around the later stages of the tournament which takes place from November […] September 19, 2022
Aviation Emirates and United Airlines sign codeshare pact to expand reach Dubai’s Emirates and US carrier United Airlines have signed a codeshare agreement to enhance their network amid a resurgence of air travel. Starting in November, Emirates customers flying into Chicago, San Francisco and Houston – three of the biggest business hubs in the US – will be able to connect to United flights to and […] September 15, 2022
Aviation Emirates boosts Algiers flights as Algeria rebounds from Covid Dubai’s Emirates is increasing its flights to Algeria, as the country enjoys a marked improvement on its path to post-pandemic economic recovery. The Dubai airline will add a fifth weekly flight to Algiers from October 7, using a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. Emirates began operations to Algiers in 2013. It resumed services in November 2021 after […] September 14, 2022
World Cup 2022 Qatar’s airspace deal to boost global aviation ambitions Qatar is gearing up to establish its own airspace in a move that is key to the country’s ambitions to becoming a global aviation hub. The Qatari Civil Aviation Authority (QCAA) has signed a pact with representatives of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE, with the activation of operations of the new Doha flight information […] September 8, 2022
Aviation Turkish Airlines to add more flights to UAE as demand surges Flag carrier Turkish Airlines plans to increase flight frequencies to and from the UAE to boost connectivity amid higher customer demand. The number of flights from Istanbul to Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah will increase, offering more flexibility to customers, the airline said in a statement. Currently, Turkish Airlines has three daily flights from Dubai […] September 8, 2022
Aviation Emirates ‘flies against grain’ with $2bn investment pledge Emirates president Sir Tim Clark has taken a swipe at his rivals, pledging to invest $2 billion while claiming others are cutting costs in response to industry pressures. The Dubai airline plans to enhance its inflight customer experience, including a programme to retrofit over 120 aircraft with the latest interiors, plus an array of other […] August 10, 2022
Aviation Saudi PIF joins France’s Ardian to bid for Heathrow stake French private equity firm Ardian is looking at a possible joint proposal with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) to buy Spainish firm Ferrovial’s 25 percent stake in London’s Heathrow, Reuters reported, citing informed sources. The sources said that Ardian has talked with its own advisers on a possible joint proposal with the Saudi sovereign […] August 10, 2022
