Construction Bahrain to tender for ‘airport city’ in early 2025 Bahrain will issue tenders early next year to build a new “airport city” based around the existing Bahrain International Airport. The project will include commercial and residential development, according to Mohamed Yousif AlBinfalah, CEO of Bahrain Airport Company. “We have a significant amount of space that will be coming to the market soon for development,” […] November 19, 2024
Aviation Etihad to reveal new destinations Etihad Airways is preparing to announce 10 new destinations next week, in one of the airline’s largest network expansions in years. The ambitious Abu Dhabi-based airline will reveal the locations on November 25, after a TikTok teaser campaign. Etihad sells tickets to 83 destinations, and has added Prague, Warsaw and El Alamein in Egypt to […] November 18, 2024
Aviation Bahrain identifies offshore plot for new airport Bahrain is to build a new airport on reclaimed land in the north west of the country. Just three years after the new terminal building of Bahrain International Airport was officially opened, plans are being developed for a new facility following the conclusion of a study looking into possible locations for the greenfield project. “It’s […] November 18, 2024
EXCLUSIVE Aviation Emirates repays over 70% of $4.8bn pandemic debt Dubai’s Emirates airline has already repaid billions of dollars of debt it raised during the pandemic, a senior official told AGBI. The emirate’s flagship carrier raised AED17.5 billion ($4.8 billion) in debt during the pandemic, when the aviation industry was brought to its knees as planes were grounded globally by strict lockdown rules. “I would […] November 15, 2024
Aviation Bahrain seeks reversal of BA route cut Talks are underway between Bahrain and UK officials in a bid to reverse a decision by British Airways to cease flights to the Gulf state. The UK’s flag carrier announced earlier this month that it would be stopping direct flights to Bahrain and Kuwait as a result of supply chain pressures, which it is said […] November 15, 2024
Exclusive Aviation Royal Jordanian losses mount due to conflict Royal Jordanian is likely to record a loss of $11 million for the second year running, due to a sharp drop in passengers because of the Middle East conflict. The airline was expected last year to report its first profits since the Covid pandemic, and boasted a $15 million surplus in the first nine months […] November 15, 2024
Aviation Etihad profit soars on passenger and cargo volumes Etihad Airways has reported a 66 percent increase in nine-month profit built on higher passenger and cargo revenue. The Abu Dhabi carrier said profit after tax for the period reached $381 million (AED1.4 billion), up from $222 million a year earlier. Total revenue was up 21 percent to $5 billion, which the airline said was […] November 14, 2024
Transport Air Arabia Q3 profit up as turnover rises 10% Net profit at Air Arabia rose 8 percent year on year to AED564 million ($153.6 million) in the third quarter of 2024, the Sharja-based airline has revealed, as it added new aircraft and routes. Turnover was AED1.8 billion, up 10 percent compared to the same period last year, while passenger numbers rose 8 percent year […] November 12, 2024
Aviation Saudia to receive flying taxis despite Lilium’s insolvency Saudi national carrier Saudia still plans to receive some of its 50-plane order of pilotless electric flying vehicles from Lilium despite the German company’s intention to file for insolvency. “We are in close coordination with the Lilium leadership team. We are expecting to receive the first jets in the second half of 2026, as per […] November 7, 2024
Aviation Emirates reports record half-year pre-tax profit Emirates airline recorded a post-tax profit of $2.4 billion (AED8.7 billion) for the first half of the year, down 7 percent compared to the same period last year. This year marks the first time state-owned Emirates has had to pay UAE corporate income tax. When compared to the previous year before tax, the airline reported […] November 7, 2024
Aviation Fujairah to provide 150m litres of ‘green’ aviation fuel The expansion of a biofuel facility in the UAE will provide nearly 10 percent of the world’s sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), the project’s operators have claimed. Mercantile and Maritime Group, an energy and logistics company specialising in the physical trading of oil and gas, announced on Tuesday that its facility in Fujairah will be expanded […] November 6, 2024
Aviation Saudi Arabia and US expand aviation deal to include cargo Saudi Arabia and the US have expanded their bilateral aviation agreement to allow seventh freedom traffic rights for all-cargo flights. Seventh freedom allows airlines to carry on flights that originate in a foreign country, bypass its home country, and deposit the cargo or passengers at another international destination. The amendment will allow Saudi Arabian airlines […] November 6, 2024
Aviation QIA helps raise $318m for US electric aircraft maker A funding round led by the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) has raised $318 mlllion for Beta Technologies, a US electric aerospace company that is developing all-electric aircraft and infrastructure. Beta, based in Vermont, said the series C equity capital funding would help support the production, certification and commercialisation of its fixed-wing and eVTOL (electric vertical […] November 6, 2024
Analysis Aviation Gulf air traffic rebounds but fares still high Air traffic in the Middle East and North Africa region has rebounded beyond pre-pandemic levels, with Saudi Arabia and the UAE marking the highest gains in volume. Traffic up to the second quarter of 2024 has also surpassed levels seen before 2020, according to a study by Airports Council International (ACI). Bahrain (+24 percent), Qatar […] November 5, 2024
Aviation Turkish Airlines profit falls despite revenue rising 8% Revenue at Turkish Airlines rose 8 percent year on year in the first nine months of 2024 to $17 billion, driven by increased passenger numbers. The airline flew 65 million passengers from January to September, rising 2 percent annually, according to its latest investor presentation. Passenger revenue climbed 3 percent year on year to $14 billion, […] November 5, 2024
Opinion Aviation Emirates and the A380: an enduring affair The airline will use the double-decker for another 15 years after planning to retire it November 4, 2024
Aviation Startup airline Riyadh Air secures $1.3bn credit facility Riyadh Air, the Saudi airline that is due to start operations next year, signed a SAR5 billion ($1.3 billion) credit facility with a syndicate of banks on Wednesday, as it announced an order for 60 more aircraft. The kingdom’s second flag carrier, owned by the PIF sovereign wealth fund, has closed an inaugural Islamic revolving […] October 31, 2024
Aviation Riyadh Air takes aim at online travel giants Saudi Arabia’s new airline, Riyadh Air, is to compete with global travel companies such as Booking.com and Expedia by developing a one-stop digital platform for customers to plan and manage entire trips. The website will cover flights, accommodation, car rentals, AI-generated itineraries and tickets to attractions and concerts. It will also include shared shopping cart […] October 31, 2024
Analysis Trade Nigeria-UAE trade tipped to recover as Emirates restarts flights Nigeria’s trade with the UAE is expected to rise significantly following the resumption of Emirates flights to Lagos this month. The daily return flights from Dubai offer more than 300 tonnes of “bellyhold” capacity – cargo carried in the hold on passenger flights – every week. Emirates suspended the flights nearly two years ago after […] October 30, 2024
Aviation Saudia reports 10 percent increase in passengers Saudia, Saudi Arabia’s national flag carrier, transported more than nine million passengers during the third quarter of 2024, a 10 percent increase on the same period last year. Saudia said it operated more than 49,500 flights, a 9 percent increase from last year, with an on-time performance rate of 87.8 percent. Five million of its […] October 29, 2024
Aviation Dubai Aerospace Enterprise buys 10 aircraft for $500m Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE), a global aviation services company, has acquired ten narrowbody aircraft for around $500 million. DAE will lease the next-generation aircraft to four airlines across four countries, the company said on Tuesday. “These young aircraft with long remaining lease terms are expected to be favourable to our portfolio’s metrics, once delivered,” said […] October 29, 2024
Opinion Aviation Qatar’s Virgin Australia deal makes business sense Australia is Qatar Airways' seventh most important market, with nearly 900,000 seats on sale each year October 25, 2024
