All Middle East news – Page 34
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NewsUSA ‘prepared to move forward’ with F-35A sale to UAE
After delays and reports that the deal might fall apart, the USA is prepared to move forward with the proposed sale of 50 Lockheed Martin F-35A stealth fighters to the United Arab Emirates.
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AnalysisAirlines face Omicron with the WHO and consumers on side
As the world awaits hard data on the likely impact of the Omicron variant of Covid-19, airlines also face slim-pickings when it comes to indictors of how travel demand will respond.
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NewsAirbus proposed 'wide range' of solutions to resolve Qatar A350 skin-paint row
Airbus insists Qatar Airways took the first legal steps in the bitter dispute over A350 skin-paint quality, and that the airframer still wants to find a solution despite responding with its own legal measures. Qatar Airways has been vocal over the deterioration of fuselage surface paint on the type, and ...
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In depthAirline Business Covid-19 recovery tracker: December 2021 update
Our regular examination of the latest global data for several key airline market indicators, including traffic and capacity in passenger and cargo markets, in-service and stored fleets, jet fuel costs, and share price trends for the world’s largest groups.
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NewsSaudia seals $8.5bn agreement for nearly 150 Leap-1A engines
Middle Eastern carrier Saudia has formally reached an agreement to take CFM International Leap-1A engines for the Airbus A320neo-family fleet it ordered in 2019. The airline ordered 30 A320neos and 35 A321neos after opting to scrap a previous agreement for the Boeing 737 Max. But CFM builds the Leap-1B for ...
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NewsOman reaches agreement with EU on liberalising air transport
Oman’s government has initialed a comprehensive air transport pact with the European Union, aiming for a five-year implementation which will eventually lead to a full ‘open skies’ arrangement. The Middle Eastern sultanate has bilateral third- and fourth-freedom rights with a number of EU countries – among them France, Germany and ...
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NewsQatar Airways chief keeps pressure on Airbus over A350 fuselage issue
Qatar Airways chief executive Akbar Al Baker is keeping pressure on Airbus over a fuselage-degradation issue that grounded 20 of its A350s, while continuing to mull widebody freighter orders.
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NewsEl Al arm shows off automated monitor to speed turnaround times
Israeli carrier El Al’s technological investment division Cockpit Innovation is showing off an artificial intelligence tool intended to increase turnaround efficiency at airports. It will present the system – developed by one of its portfolio firms, IntellAct – at the World Aviation Festival event in London, which opens on 1 ...
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AnalysisHow Afghanistan’s fall reshaped World Air Forces inventory
Afghanistan returning to Taliban control saw its military aircraft inventory drop to zero and tested the international community’s ability to rescue at-risk civilians, during another busy year for defence.
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NewsAir Baltic switches UAE codeshare from Etihad to Emirates after Dubai launch
Air Baltic has announced a codeshare with Emirates as it seeks to leverage the connectivity advantages of switching its UAE services from Abu Dhabi to Dubai.
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In depthAirline Business Index shows industry nearing three-quarters of pre-Covid size
The latest Airline Business Index shows the global airline industry is nearing three-quarters of its pre-Covid size, driven by rapidly returning passengers and revenue in the third quarter. The overall score of 72 (2019 = 100) represents an increase of six from the score on 30 June 2021, 12 ...
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NewsMEA full-year financial performance hammered by successive calamities
Lebanese flag-carrier Middle East Airlines has disclosed full-year losses of LL68.1 billion ($45 million) for 2020, a year in which the country faced an economic crisis, the effects of the pandemic, and the fallout from the Beirut port explosion. The loss contrasted with the near-LL130 billion profit for the carrier ...
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NewsEl Al’s nine-month losses top $300m
Israeli flag-carrier El Al has turned in net losses of $136 million for the third quarter, taking total losses over the first nine months to $303 million. El Al generated third-quarter revenues of $253 million, the carrier has disclosed in its latest financial statement. The carrier is still trying to ...
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NewsEl Al details loan and share issue to secure $30m in state aid
Israeli flag-carrier El Al has detailed an agreement for funding support from the government and its controlling shareholder, Kanfei Nesharim, which includes a commitment to a share offering by mid-September next year. Under the 22 November agreement Kanfei Nesharim will provide El Al with $63 million through four loans. Three ...
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NewsIsraeli government to offer additional state-aid package to airlines
Israel’s government is to offer additional financial support to the country’s troubled airlines, approving a proposal for a state aid package worth up to $44 million. The finance and transport ministries say they have jointly put forward the proposal to provide “immediate cash-flow assistance” given the “exceptional damage” inflicted on ...
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AnalysisDubai air show reinforces pandemic recovery themes among airlines
Organisers and visitors alike will be hoping that the biennial Dubai air show has bookended the worst of the Covid-19 crisis, proving the maxim that ‘timing is everything’.
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NewsCATIC, GAL stand-up aircraft spare parts facility in Abu Dhabi
The China National Aero-Technology Import & Export Corporation (CATIC) and MRO firm GAL have opened a support centre in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
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NewsUpbeat Emirates boss sees no structural change to travel demand
Emirates Airline president Tim Clark does not expect there to be any structural change to travel demand citing the strong take-up from passengers in the markets it has so far been able restores services to since the pandemic.
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NewsAir Baltic navigates Latvia lockdown with capacity and IPO plan intact
Latvia-based Air Baltic made it through its home country’s recent four-week lockdown without adjusting its capacity – or its plans for an IPO in the coming years.
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NewsDubai luxury hotel firm Five to take VIP A220 from Comlux
Dubai-based hotel and resort group Five is acquiring an Airbus A220 business jet from Switzerland’s Comlux Group. The twinjet – branded as the ACJ TwoTwenty – will be fitted with a VIP cabin interior specified by Five from January next year, and will enter into service with the company in ...