New connections. Fresh perspectives. The travel developments to know.
1,431 reports
Rolls Royce has signed up with NetJets Middle East for CorporateCare, the engine maintenance and management programme for six Rolls Royce powered aircraft. The aircraft comprise three Tay 611-8 powered Gulfstream GIVs and three Gulfstream G-450s powered by Tay611-8C engines. Source: www.ameinfo.com
Kuwait National Airlines said on November 23 that it will list the shares of Wataniya Airways, its full service luxury airline, on the Kuwait Stock Exchange on December 15. The company's listing on KSE would be managed by Kipco Asset Management Company, or Kamco. KSE raised 500 million Kuwaiti dinars in an initial public offering (IPO) in 2006. Wataniya Airways plans to start operations in February 2009…
UAE’s national carrier, Abu Dhabi based Etihad Airways was voted Airline of the Year at the 2008 Aviation Business Awards at the Le Royal Meridian Hotel in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, November 22. The Aviation Business award, which was hosted by Aviation Business magazine, was attended by more than 250 of the region's aviation professionals. James Hogan, CEO of Etihad Airways said: "This year has been an exceptionally…
Al Jaber Aviation's new aviation division, Al Jaber Aviation (AJA), has placed a new order for two Airbus Corporate Jetliners (ACJs) and has also made known a previously undisclosed order for two A318 Elites, adding to a previous deal for two A318 Elites. The order makes AJA the largest single customer for the Airbus ACJ family in the Middle East, bringing the total orders up to six aircraft. Al Jaber Group…
Lufthansa Technik said on November 17 that it has signed a five-year contract with Saudi Arabia-based National Air Services (NAS), for Total Component Support of 40 of its aircraft. Sulaiman Al Hamdan, Chief Executive of the NAS Group said, "Through this strategic agreement, Lufthansa Technik will provide its technical and strategic support to NAS' fleet operations by providing an open access to Lufthansa…
As a replacement for its narrow-body service, inaugurated in 2007, UK-based airline bmi has confirmed plans to introduce daily Airbus 330 wide-bodied flights from Queen Alia International Airport, Jordan to London Heathrow Airport, effective early spring 2009. In a press statement, Nigel Turner, chief executive officer of bmi said: "Amman has gotten off to an excellent start and is performing well ahead of…
Dubai based premium private jet operator, Elite Jets, signed an agreement with Dubai World Central (DWC) Aviation City to build a brand-new base for its executive jet operations. Signed on the sidelines of the ongoing Middle East Business Aviation (MEBA) Conference and Exhibition, the agreement proposes allocation of two plots of land, with a total area of 167,000 square feet at the Aviation City, to Elite…
Kuwait based budget carrier Jazeera Airways said on November 17 that it has signed a deal worth $70 million (Dh256.9m) with European banks DVB and Natixis Transport Finance to fund the purchase of two Airbus A320 planes that have been recently delivered to the airline. The airline currently operates a fleet of eight Airbus A320s from its hubs in Kuwait and Dubai to destinations across the Middle East, Europe,…
From January 2, British Airways will add a 4th service that will operate five days a week on its Dubai-London Heathrow route. The five additional weekly services will increase the airline's flights between the emirate and Britain's principal airport to 26 per week. The flights will fly to British Airways' Terminal 5 home at London Heathrow. Source: www.ameinfo.com
The effects of the Boeing strike are finally being felt. Boeing said on November 14 that it is delaying deliveries of its 747-8 freighter and intercontinental airplanes due to design changes, limited engineering resources and an eight-week strike that shut down the company's factories. The first freighters will now be delivered in the third quarter of 2010 instead of in late 2009, as previously scheduled. The…
Sharjah-based budget carrier, Air Arabia, said on November 12 that it has signed a contract with European aircraft manufacturer, Airbus, for 10 additional single-aisle A320 aircraft to serve its new hub in Morocco, in a deal worth about $770 million (Dh2.82 billion). With the launch of a new airline called Air Arabia Maroc in early 2009, the airline is scheduled to begin operations from its second hub in…
Saudi-based low-cost carrier Sama plans to lease up to five new aircraft in 2009, thereby expanding its fleet to 12. The Saudi low-cost carrier will however, wait for lease rates to decline further in 2009 before finalising the deals. Sama will also take on at least four aircraft on a wet-lease arrangement to cope with extra demand during the time of the Hajj pilgrimage in December. Source: www.ameinfo.com
The Business Standard has reported that Mubadala Development Co, the investment arm of Abu Dhabi's government has granted a loan of 10 billion rupee ($208m) to India based airline, Jet Airways. The Indian carrier had earlier reported a loss of 3.8 billion rupees in the quarter through September. Source: www.ameinfo.com
On Sunday, November 16, Air France passengers faced more cancellations as French pilots voted to press on with their demands and continue their strike. The agitation by the pilots has hit the national carrier hard with almost 35% of their long haul flights and half of all other files cancelled. The pilots are opposed to new pension and retirement rules that would come into effect in 2010 and would end the…
Germany's leading operator of business jets, DC Aviation, and Al Futtaim Group on Sunday signed a joint venture agreement to establish, what they promise, will be one of the foremost executive business jet companies in the region. Omar Al Futtaim, chief executive of Al Futtaim Group and Dieter Heinen chief executive of DC Aviation signed the agreement under which the new aviation company will seek to serve the…
Al Jaber Aviation (AJA), the aviation arm of the Al Jaber Group, on November 16 placed an order for 12 private jet aircraft in a deal worth about $450 million (Dh1.65 billion). The company plans to launch operations in February 2009 with one Embraer Legacy 600. According to the company COO, Dr Mark J Pierotti the company expects to receive one aircraft every three months over a five year period. Pierotti also…
Bahrain Air announced the opening of its Sales office in Dubai on November 13. The airline has also appointed Al Majid Travel as their General Sales Agent (GSA). The airline said that it has plans to add another aircraft to its fleet in the last quarter of 2008 and expects to launch three new destinations namely Kuwait, Asyut and Luxor in Egypt, in November. Source: Khaleej Times
As the strike by Alitalia employees opposed to the takeover of the airline continued on the sixth day, the airline was expected to cancel about 40 flights into and out of Rome's Fiumicino and Milan's Linate airports on Saturday, November 15. On Friday, November 14, 60 flights in and out of Rome were grounded. The strike is in protest of a takeover deal by Italian Air Company (CAI). Under the terms of the deal,…
