Analysis Aviation Airport chiefs size up ways to meet GCC airspace demand The annual number of air travellers to and from the Middle East is projected to pass the half-billion mark next year, meaning aviation authorities need to both expand and streamline use of available airspace, senior GCC airport chiefs have told AGBI. Oman is in talks with a neighbouring Gulf state to unlock a new air […] May 16, 2024
Analysis Aviation Mena’s use of green jet fuel ‘needs incentives’ to take off On Wednesday morning, an Emirates A380 took off from Dubai International Airport and headed down the coastline. It’s a familiar route, but this was something new: one of the Airbus’s four engines was 100 percent powered by sustainable aviation fuel. The 45-minute test flight came in a week of advances for sustainable fuels, known as […] November 23, 2023
Aviation French and Italian firms to test flying taxis in Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO), an investment arm of the Abu Dhabi government, has signed agreements with France’s Ascendence and Italy’s Manta Aircraft to set up operations in the emirate’s smart and autonomous vehicles industry (Savi) cluster. The agreements were signed at the recently-concluded Dubai Airshow, the UAE state-run Wam news agency reported. Located in […] November 20, 2023
Dubai Airshow Aviation Passengers go premium as first class popularity wanes One of the key themes from this week’s Dubai Airshow was the fact that while first-class commercial travel will continue to be an option for Gulf carriers, its allure has waned, amidst an industry-wide shift towards premium economy. Emirates airline, the Dubai-based flag carrier, is spending significant resources on premium economy as part of a […] November 19, 2023
Video length: 04:10 Dubai Airshow Aviation Middle East open to new airlines to meet demand Boeing sold nearly 200 jets to Middle Eastern airlines during this year’s Dubai Airshow and the US plane manufacturer believes the region is ready for “more new entrants”. “Because of the geography and economic growth, this region will support more competition and new entrants, not only for local passengers but also for connecting economies throughout […] November 19, 2023
Dubai Airshow Aviation Emirates reaches deal with Airbus for 15 new aircraft Emirates Airline appears to have reached a compromise with French plane manufacturer Airbus over the latter’s Rolls-Royce engines after the Dubai-based carrier announced an order of 15 Trent XWB-84 powered A350-900 aircraft. The $6 billion deal was revealed at Dubai Airshow just days after both Emirates president Tim Clark and chairman and chief executive Sheikh […] November 16, 2023
DUBAI AIRSHOW Aviation Neom flying taxis ‘should be ready by 2026,’ says developer Neom could have “flying taxis” in the air by 2026 if testing and regulatory work stays on track, according to the company developing them for the Saudi giga-project. Borja Blond, CEO of the joint venture between Neom and German manufacturer Volocopter, said it ran successful test flights in the summer and was working with the […] November 16, 2023
Aviation Airbus seeks to break Emirates jet order impasse Airbus sought a compromise to try to unblock dozens of A350 orders from Dubai’s Emirates late on Wednesday, buoyed by a deal for 11 of the most popular version of the jet with Ethiopian Airlines, industry sources said. Dubai Airshow talks to rescue a delayed order for long-haul jets, potentially switching to the A350-900 version, […] November 16, 2023
Aviation Saudia aircraft maintenance subsidiary targets IPO Saudi Arabia’s Saudia Technic, the aircraft maintenance subsidiary of state-owned Saudia Group, is targeting a public share sale before the end of the decade, its CEO told Reuters at the Dubai Airshow. The company is planning an initial public offering (IPO) in either 2028 or 2029, Fahd Cynndy said on Tuesday on the sidelines of […] November 16, 2023
DUBAI AIRSHOW Aviation Unmanned flights brace for take-off in Dubai Terrifying to some, exciting to others, the launch of self-flying commercial aircraft in the region would represent a new chapter for the aviation industry. Unmanned aeroplanes are in the early stages of global development. But with the industry’s biggest manufacturers Boeing and Airbus testing autonomous systems and craft, the concept is inching closer to revolutionising […] November 16, 2023
EXCLUSIVE Aviation DXB to grow to ‘absolute maximum’ ahead of airlines’ move Dubai International Airport is to be expanded “to its absolute maximum” in the next few years, its operator has told AGBI, so there is time to prepare the city’s second airport for the arrival of Emirates’ and Flydubai’s entire fleets. Dubai Airports’ CEO, Paul Griffiths, added that the development plans for Al Maktoum International (DWC) […] November 15, 2023
Video length: 01:47 Dubai Airshow Aviation Boeing remains cautious on prospect of supersonic flight Neom Investment Fund – part of the Saudi giga-project Neom – has invested in US aircraft manufacturer Boom Supersonic, and Riyadh Air is also considering supersonic flight in its future projects. Saudi Arabian entities, it appears, are not fazed by the view of some industry experts that faster-than-sound flight poses unique difficulties. Darren Hulst, commercial […] November 15, 2023
Dubai Airshow Aviation Emirates chief bemoans Boeing and Airbus duopoly Emirates chairman and chief executive Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum has bemoaned the duopoly that exists between Boeing and Airbus Group when it comes to the production of wide-body aircraft. The Dubai flag carrier has experienced lengthy delivery delays stretching back five years for its Boeing 777X aircraft, while concerns were also raised this […] November 15, 2023
Dubai Airshow Aviation Russia’s Aeroflot resumes flights to Abu Dhabi Russia’s largest airline Aeroflot has resumed regular flights from Sheremetyevo Airport to Abu Dhabi International Airport. Four weekly flights will be operated on narrow-body Boeing 737-800 to the UAE’s capital, a company spokesperson said at Dubai Airshow this week. The airline will operate from Abu Dhabi International Airport’s new Terminal A, which is capable of […] November 15, 2023
Dubai Airshow Transport Work begins on Flydubai’s $56m training facility Dubai’s low-cost carrier Flydubai said work has commenced on its $56 million full-flight simulator (FFS) and training facility, which will be fully operational by January 2025. “With more than 130 aircraft scheduled for delivery by 2035, the pressure of confirming available training slots with third-party simulator providers is alleviated by having our own simulator facility,” […] November 15, 2023
DUBAI AIRSHOW Aviation Increase air fares to save planet, says Dubai Airports CEO Adding 20 percent to the price of an airline ticket to fuel the aviation industry’s sustainability charge will be money well spent in order to keep a “clear conscience” on the climate threat, according to the CEO of Dubai Airports Paul Griffiths. Giving a keynote address at Dubai Airshow on Tuesday morning, Griffiths said the […] November 15, 2023
Aviation Saudia close to signing order of 150-plus narrow-body jets Saudia Group, which owns the Saudia airline and budget carrier flyadeal, is close to agreeing an order for 100 narrow-body jets but wants the manufacturer to agree to supply an additional 50-plus, it said on Tuesday. Abdullah Al Shahrani, the group’s general manager of communications and media affairs, declined to identify the aircraft manufacturer but […] November 15, 2023
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
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
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
