Transport Kuwait Airways seeks damages over Airbus delays Kuwait Airways expects compensation from planemaker Airbus for delays in delivering commercial jets, the chairman of the Middle Eastern airline told Reuters on Tuesday. Aerospace and other manufacturers are struggling with supply chain bottlenecks. This year, pressure has been growing on planemakers to start paying penalties. “We are discussing it with them. There will be […] November 15, 2023
Transport Abu Dhabi could be trailblazer for autonomous cars Abu Dhabi will be one of the first cities in the world to introduce autonomous vehicles en masse, according to the CEO of tech firm Bayanat. Bayanat uses artificial intelligence to provide geospatial data products and services. It is running a pilot scheme in the UAE capital, introducing eight autonomous vehicles, four minibuses and more […] November 15, 2023
Dubai Airshow Aviation Airbus chief defends Rolls-Royce engines French plane manufacturer Airbus has defended its Rolls-Royce engines following words of caution from Emirates president Tim Clark. The Dubai carrier’s chief told reporters on the second day of the Dubai Airshow that he wanted improvements on durability and maintenance costs before going ahead with any plans to buy Airbus A350 jets. His comments came […] November 14, 2023
Opinion Aviation Emirates: A lesson in stability and success The record profits announced by Dubai’s national carrier are rooted in careful planning November 14, 2023
DUBAI AIRSHOW Transport Emirates to build $950m engineering facility in Dubai UAE carrier Emirates will invest $950 million to build a new engineering facility at Dubai World Central (DWC) to support the UAE’s aviation infrastructure. Spread over one million square metres, the engineering complex will be the “largest and most advanced” one to be operated by any airline. “The new facility will enable Emirates to be […] November 14, 2023
Transport Sharjah’s Sky One to acquire stake in Libyan airline Sharjah-based aviation service provider Sky One has signed memorandums of understanding to acquire a stake in Libyan airline Fly Oya and Uplift Airport Services, a ground-handling company based at Bucharest International Airport. Fly Oya resumed passenger flights from Tripoli to Dubai in July, ending a nine-year hiatus in connectivity between the two Arab cities. In […] November 14, 2023
Transport Air Arabia profit up 25% on rising passenger demand Sharjah-headquartered Air Arabia reported a 25.5 percent rise in profit in the third quarter of 2023, on robust passenger demand and effective cost control measures. Net profit for the quarter ended September 30, 2023, rose to AED522 million ($142 million), compared to AED416 million a year ago. Revenue for the period reached AED1.63 billion, recording […] November 14, 2023
Dubai Airshow Aviation EgyptAir needs 34 more aircraft to meet demand EgyptAir will need to increase its fleet size by more than a third to cope with demand, the airline’s group chairman and CEO, Yehia Zakaria, said at the Dubai Airshow on Monday. Zakaria was speaking as the state-owned carrier announced a lease agreement with the US-based Air Lease Corporation covering 18 Boeing 737-8s. Deliveries of […] November 14, 2023
Analysis Aviation Gulf’s thriving private jet industry uncowed by eco concerns The Gulf’s private aviation industry is buoyant as executives, ruling family members and other wealthy individuals use its services to travel across the region and beyond. In the first half of 2023, there were 7,300 private flights to or from Mohammed bin Rashid Aerospace Hub, which is part of Dubai’s Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC). […] November 14, 2023
Dubai Airshow Aviation Flydubai announces $11bn wide-body Dreamliner deal Low-cost carrier Flydubai has announced the biggest change in its 15-year existence, with an order for 30 wide-body Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft. Flydubai’s chairman, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, said on Monday that the $11 billion order “signals a new chapter for the airline”. The airline is best known for its fleet of narrow-body […] November 13, 2023
Dubai Airshow Aviation Supersonic a future option as Riyadh Air builds fleet Riyadh Air, Saudi Arabia’s new flagship airline which is set to start flying in 2025, is still in talks with Boeing over further orders for wide and narrow-bodied aircraft. “We’re in continued negotiation with manufacturers about aircraft,” chief operating officer Peter Bellew said on the sidelines of the Dubai Airshow on Monday. “We’ve ordered 39 […] November 13, 2023
Transport Toll operator Salik targets 10% revenue rise in 2023 Dubai road toll operator Salik expects revenue-generating trips to grow by up to 10 percent in 2023 year on year as a result of continued strong growth in tourism and residency. The company’s net profit rose 5.3 percent to AED255 million ($69.43 million) in the third quarter of 2023 from AED242 million a year earlier […] November 13, 2023
DUBAI AIRSHOW Aviation Gulf’s low-cost carriers fuel demand for smaller aircraft The number of single-aisle aircraft in the Middle East is expected to more than double in the next 20 years on the back of a predicted rapid expansion for low-cost carriers and short-haul networks. By 2042, nearly half of the planes operating in the region will be single-aisle jets, according to a commercial market outlook […] November 13, 2023
Transport Australia investigates ‘cyber incident’ at DP World ports The Australian federal police said on Sunday they were investigating a cybersecurity incident that forced ports operator DP World Australia to suspend operations at ports in several states. “We’ve commenced an investigation into the incident and we’re not commenting further as it’s an ongoing investigation,” an Australian Federal Police spokesperson said. DP World Australia told […] November 13, 2023
Transport Emirates 777X deal to kick-start Dubai Airshow Middle East carriers look set to order tens of billions of dollars of long-haul jets at the opening of the Dubai Airshow on Monday, as Emirates renews confidence in the delayed Boeing 777X while facing new competition from rivals like Turkish Airlines. Hosts Emirates and low-cost cousin flydubai are expected to stamp their mark early […] November 13, 2023
Transport Neom fund invests in US supersonic aircraft maker Newly launched Neom Investment Fund (NIF) has invested in Boom Supersonic, a US company developing the world’s fastest airliner. The value of the investment was not given. However, Boom confirmed that the total funding to date now exceeds $700 million. As part of the agreement, Boom and NIF will collaborate on opportunities to make the Gulf […] November 13, 2023
DUBAI AIRSHOW Aviation Saudi Arabia and UAE drive air travel recovery Flight bookings to Saudi Arabia and the UAE for the last quarter of this year are up by as much as 70 percent on pre-pandemic levels, new figures reveal. Data compiled exclusively for AGBI by the travel intelligence company ForwardKeys shows that as of early October, Saudi Arabia led the region for growth in seat […] November 13, 2023
DUBAI AIRSHOW Aviation Aviation in struggle to reach net zero targets Gulf commercial airlines have committed to achieving net zero emissions by 2050 by switching to sustainable aviation fuels, adopting new technologies and buying carbon offsets, among other measures. But they face challenges in doing so. The aviation industry hopes measures such as these will enable it to realise two seemingly conflicting ambitions: doubling the volume […] November 12, 2023
DUBAI AIRSHOW Aviation Gulf’s beloved Airbus A380 makes its return to the skies The world’s biggest passenger jet, the double-decker Airbus A380, is back in favour after high operating costs forced many airlines to curtail or cancel its use. The post-pandemic surge in international travel and a shortage of large, fuel-efficient aircraft have combined to reignite demand for the thirsty superjumbo, at least for now. And nowhere are […] November 12, 2023
DUBAI AIRSHOW Aviation Riyadh Air positions Saudi as major player in Gulf aviation Gulf airlines are bracing for an escalating challenge from Saudi Arabia’s new global carrier Riyadh Air, which is scheduled for take-off in 2025. The highly hyped airline, whose launch was first revealed by the kingdom in March, is targeting 100 destinations in its first five years. This is a scale of ambition likely to reshape […] November 12, 2023
DUBAI AIRSHOW Transport Turkish Airlines in talks with Airbus for 355 jets Turkish Airlines (THY) has held talks with European airline manufacturer Airbus on a potential order of 355 new aircraft, state-run Anadolu news agency said. During the meeting in Istanbul, executives from Turkish Airlines discussed buying 75 wide-body A350-900, 15 wide-body A350-1000 aircraft, 250 narrow-body A321neo aircraft and five A350F cargo aircraft, in addition to 10 […] November 12, 2023
Transport Neo seeks $30m to drive ambitious EV plans “Last-mile” logistics company Neo Mobility is launching in Dubai next month with a fleet of 100 electric two-wheeler vehicles. The company secured $10 million in pre-launch seed funding from investors including green asset financing platform Delta Corp Holding. It is now in talks to raise $30 million to finance growth plans which includes a vehicle […] November 9, 2023
