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May 12 - Nasair on Monday signed an agreement with Al Dhuha Modern Co, a hajj and umrah operator that allows Nasair to become its official airline carrier for the latter’s pilgrims. Mohammed Jameel Shaarawi, Chairman of Al Dhua, and Ahmed Sultan, Nasair Director signed the agreement. Talking about the agreement, Shaarawi said: "We are happy to hold the partnership with Nasair. It will provide the carrier relied…
May 11- Saudi Arabian Airlines announced on Monday that the carrier had suspended flights to the US indefinitely owing to the presence of new volcanic ash clouds drifting from Iceland. "The decision to suspend our flights has been taken in order to guarantee the safety of passengers," Abdullah Al-Ajhar, Assistant Director-General of the airline said. In this regard, all passengers on Monday’s Jeddah-New York…
Bahrain-based Gulf Air has laid off about 500 people in the last six months, said Samer Majali, the chief executive of the airline, talking about its voluntary redundancy programme that was set up recently. Majali said that the people were laid off owing to various measures – temporary contracts were allowed to expire, a recruitment freeze was made and natural attrition was induced. "We have cut down our…
May 10 - Kuwait-based budget carrier Jazeera Airways has deferred deliveries of some of its aircraft as a cost-controlling measure, said the airline’s chief operating officer, Reinhard Kossack on Sunday. The company has placed firm orders for 29 Airbus A320 aircraft, which were to be delivered by 2014. Now it expects to receive the last of these planes by 2016. Two deliveries originally expected for 2011 have…
May 10 - US plane maker, Boeing, hopes that it will do great business with the Middle East in the next 20 years and will sell commercial airplanes worth Dh550.94 billion to airlines here, said Randy Tinseth, Vice-President Marketing at Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Boeing has a market share of 40 per cent in the region at the moment and hopes to increase by 10 per cent in the next 20 years. "From around 800 planes…
Dubai, UAE – Qatar Airways marked its attendance at this year’s ATM Dubai – the Middle East’s largest travel show – by showcasing its award-winning Five Star service and hospitality including a display of its long-haul Boeing 777 Business Class seats and the airline’s in-flight entertainment system. Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker held a press conference on the opening day of the four-day…
May 9 - Emirates Airline’s President Tim Clark said on Thursday that the airline had complied with US security rules before letting the Times Square bombing suspect to board a flight for Dubai. Clark also blamed the Obama government for unduly criticizing the airline. “We're not a security agency. For the Obama administration to say that we dropped the ball on this, it's a bit much,” he said, adding that it is…
May 8 - A top government official in Cyprus confirmed that Etihad Airways, Emirates Airline, Air Arabia, and Jazeera Airways have been in talks with the government to increase frequencies or launch new service to the Mediterranean country. “Air Arabia has already received the rights to fly to Cyprus and it should launch operations by the fourth quarter of 2010 or 2011 from its Sharjah hub. The airline has…
Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – Qatar Airways has claimed yet further key international awards, winning three accolades at two glittering award ceremonies in Dubai. The Doha-based carrier retained its Leading Business Class Airline in the Middle East title as voted by travel industry professionals in the prestigious World Travel Awards, an honour that the airline has now held for five consecutive years. The…
Dubai, United Arab Emirates: 7 May, 2010: Emirates airline and Travelport, one of the world’s leading global distribution system (GDS) providers, today signed a major global content agreement that will provide all Galileo, Apollo and Worldspan-connected travel agents with access to the airline’s full inventory of flights and fares. The five-year deal, which takes effect immediately, ensures rate parity for…
May 7 - President of Emirates Airline Tim Clark said the carrier complied with US security rules before letting the Times Square bomb suspect board a flight to Dubai. Mr. Clark blamed President Obama for exaggerating the airline’s role in the issue. “We’re not a security agency” he said. For the Obama administration to say that we dropped the ball on this is a bit much.” Airlines Mr. Clark said, should not…
May 7 - Sharjah based Air Arabia posted a Dh50 million net profit in the first quarter of 2010, 51 percent less than the Dh 103 million profit for the same period last year, because of declining passenger yields. The drop in net profit occurred even as passenger numbers increased by 9.02 percent to 1.03 million, earning the carrier revenues of Dh482 million in the first quarter of 2010, 4 percent higher than the…
May 6- Low cost carrier flydubai announced on Monday that it will start flights to Karachi, Pakistan, its sixth new destination this month, bringing the total number of destinations in its network to 19. Starting on June 21st, flydubai will fly five times a week to Karachi on a one way fare of Dh 300, which includes all taxes and one piece of luggage. FZ333 will take off from Dubai at 08:15 am and land in…
May 6- Royal Jordanian expects to make only a “slight” profit this year as a result of fuel cost increase. The $85- $86 a barrel for oil has affected the airlines cost structure stated CEO, Husssein Dabbas.
May 6- Saudi-budget carrier National Airline Services (NAS) CCO has announced that the airline expects to break even by 2011. Maria Angelika Hanne stated that they plan to increase passenger traffic by 75% and introduce three new routes to India this year. “We made losses in our first year, and last year we reduced our losses by 50%. I am confident that we will reach breakeven next year,” she said. NAS expects to…
May 6 - Planet Group owner, Georges Mousa and two other Gulf partners plan to start a full-service airline in the next 18 months. The Dubai-based Lebanese businessman said the airline plan is complete but they are waiting on approval from the Lebanese government to open skies for competition. They are expected to do so in 2010.
Doha, QATAR – Qatar Duty Free has taken the top prize at the 2010 Duty Free News International (DFNI) Awards for Travel Retail Excellence. The Qatar Airways subsidiary won the title Travel Retailer of the Year 2010, beating strong competition from DFS Group, Dubai Duty Free and Nuance-Watson in Singapore. The award was presented at a glitzy event held at the Renaissance Chancery Court Hotel in…
May 5 - Emirates Airline called back its flight EK202 leaving for Dubai from New York and three passengers were taken off the aircraft as airport security investigated a foiled bomb attempt in Times Square. "Full security procedures were activated including the deplaning of all passengers and a thorough screening of the aircraft, passengers and baggage,” said an Emirates spokesperson. U.S. Attorney General Eric…
