Aviation BA’s suspension of Abu Dhabi flights likely to push up fares British Airways’ decision to suspend daily flights from London Heathrow to Abu Dhabi is likely to push up airfare prices and have an impact on tourism demand in the UAE capital. The UK flag carrier announced on Wednesday that flights from the west London airport will stop from March 30 next year through to October […] December 19, 2024
Aviation Gulf-backed Heathrow announces $3bn investment plan Heathrow Airport in London – now partly owned by two Gulf sovereign wealth funds: Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) and the Qatar Investment Authority – has announced a £2.3 billion ($2.9 billion) investment plan to upgrade the transport hub over the next two years. The investment will be used to introduce new baggage systems, resurface […] December 18, 2024
Aviation Cairo-Jeddah is world’s second busiest international route The Cairo to Jeddah flight route is the second busiest international route in the world, behind only Hong Kong-Taipei, according to the annual report from aviation data provider OAG. Using total airline capacity, OAG analysed the routes with the largest volume of scheduled seats this year, using round-trip flights rather than one-ways. The two-hour and […] December 18, 2024
Aviation Kuwait air traffic up 35% since 2014 The number of people using Kuwait International Airport increased by a third between 2014 and 2023, new data from Kuwait’s General Administration of Statistics shows. In 2023 15.5 million passengers came through the airport, up from 10.1 million nine years ago. Arriving and departing planes rose to almost 118,000, from 83,400 in 2014. Dubai International […] December 18, 2024
Finance PIF ‘interested in Newcastle Airport stake’ Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) is understood to be interested in buying a minority stake in Newcastle airport, UK media say. The sovereign wealth fund is believed to be the frontrunner in a deal to buy the 49 percent shareholding owned by Infrabridge, a global infrastructure investment company based in Florida, The Times reports. […] December 17, 2024
Tourism Morocco aims for 80m airport capacity by 2030 Morocco aims to double its passenger capacity from 38 million to nearly 80 million by 2030 in a major expansion of the country’s airports. The move is part of a significant tourism drive as Morocco prepares to co-host the 2030 Fifa World Cup, along with with Spain and Portugal, Morocco World News reported, quoting the […] December 17, 2024
Aviation Used private jets soar as Gulf aircraft deliveries stall The Gulf’s second-hand private jet market has enjoyed a surge in popularity due to an influx of wealthy residents and delays in the delivery of new aircraft. “It is hard for [buyers] to get access to assets,” Vincent Rolland, director of JetNet IQ, a US-based market analysis and business aviation consultancy company, told AGBI. Clients […] December 13, 2024
Opinion Aviation How to flaunt it with the Dubai jet set The world of private jets is changing – but the clients are very much the same December 13, 2024
Aviation PIF acquires 15% stake in London’s Heathrow airport Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) has acquired a 15 percent stake in FGP TopCo, the holding company of Heathrow Airport Holdings. The stake was purchased from Spanish infrastructure giant Ferrovial and other FGP TopCo shareholders. Simultaneously, Ardian, a Paris-headquartered private equity fund, has acquired 22.6 percent of FGP TopCo from the same shareholders through a […] December 13, 2024
Aviation Middle East airlines earn highest profit per passenger, says Iata Airlines across the Middle East generated the most profit per passenger carried this year, according to the International Air Travel Association. The region’s carriers made $23.10 profit per passenger in 2024, Iata said. This is more than double the figure for the second-placed market, North America. Iata expects the Middle East’s figure to rise to […] December 11, 2024
Aviation Middle East airlines report lowest demand rise Middle Eastern carriers reported a 2.2 percent year-on-year increase in passenger demand in October, the lowest across all regions, according to the International Air Transport Association (Iata). Capacity increased 2.5 percent, while the load factor fell marginally lower at 80.2 percent year on year, Iata reported. Asia-Pacific airlines reported the highest year-on-year increase in demand […] December 6, 2024
Sustainability Saudi and French companies link up for green projects Saudi Arabia and France have signed commercial agreements to push the development of renewables and green fuel production in the kingdom. The agreements were signed at the Saudi-French Investment Forum, attended by French president Emmanuel Macron in Riyadh. Saudi Aramco, Saudi Investment Recycling Company (SIRC), a subsidiary of the Public Investment Fund (PIF), and France’s […] December 4, 2024
Aviation Middle East-Europe is ‘fastest-growing route for air cargo’ The Middle East-Europe route for air cargo was the fastest growing in the world in October, according to International Air Transport Association figures. Annual growth in cargo tonne-kilometres stood at 15.3 percent in October, IATA said. The global average is 9.8 percent and the Middle East average is 4.5 percent. The Middle East-Europe route has […] December 3, 2024
Transport Etihad to double routes and flights to Africa in 2025 Etihad Airways will double its routes and frequencies to Africa next year as part of its global expansion plan. The Abu Dhabi-headquartered airline has launched three new African routes in the past two months. The national carrier serves four African destinations: Johannesburg, South Africa; Cairo, Egypt; Mahe, Seychelles; and Casablanca, Morocco. It will also resume […] December 1, 2024
Aviation Emirates denies plan to acquire UK travel concierge firm Dubai airline Emirates has denied claims it plans to acquire UK-based travel concierge business DiamondAir International. A media report on Thursday said the carrier was in talks to buy the Heathrow Airport-based company. It offers premium meet and assist services and personalised travel concierge solutions at more than 600 airports worldwide. The report said its […] November 29, 2024
Aviation Australia gives interim nod to Qatar Airways-Virgin deal The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has granted interim approval for a partnership between Qatar Airways and Virgin Australia, which allows them to sell long-haul return flights starting in June 2025. The temporary approval will allow Virgin Australia to fly 28 weekly return flights between Doha and Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney. The Australia-Doha […] November 29, 2024
Opinion Aviation BA drops Kuwait after 60 years… but why? A simple hard-headed business decision is the most likely explanation November 27, 2024
Opinion Media & Advertising Could Riyadh Air’s brand help Saudi Arabia take off? National airlines have an outsize role to play in nation-branding November 26, 2024
Analysis Aviation Riyadh Air secures unprecedented number of airport slots Riyadh Air has secured more than 2,500 slots at Riyadh King Khalid International Airport, positioning itself as the fourth-largest carrier at the capital’s main gateway as it prepares to launch operations in the summer 2025 season, according to filings by Airport Coordination Limited. The allocation marks a striking start for the state-backed carrier, which aims […] November 25, 2024
Aviation British Airways reverses decision to scrap Bahrain flights British Airways has reversed its decision to scrap flights to Bahrain but is still reviewing plans to end direct flights to Kuwait. The UK’s flag carrier announced two weeks ago that it would end its direct flights to Bahrain and Kuwait in the first quarter next year due to delays to the delivery of Rolls […] November 21, 2024
Aviation Flyadeal to confirm wide-body order by year end Saudi Arabia’s low-cost airline Flyadeal is set to make a decision on its wide-body aircraft order before the end of the year, with up to 15 planes potentially joining its fleet. CEO Steven Greenway confirmed on Wednesday that the order will be made up of repurposed 787s from parent company Saudia or brand-new aircraft from […] November 20, 2024
Aviation Dubai airport reports record passenger numbers Dubai International airport (DXB) has reported record passenger traffic and visitor numbers for 2024. Paul Griffiths, Dubai Airports CEO, said that traffic is expected to grow 5.7 percent in 2024 compared to last year, with more tourists stopping off than ever before. Traffic at DXB is expected to reach 91.9 million passengers this year, up […] November 19, 2024
