All Middle East news – Page 18
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Airline BusinessAirline Business Covid-19 recovery tracker: March 2023 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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Airline BusinessSaudi aircraft orders underscore home carrier ambitions
Any questions about the ambitions of Saudi Arabia’s newly established Riyadh-based national airline were quickly answered by an opening fleet commitment for up to 72 Boeing 787-9s.
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NewsJazeera to create new Saudi low-cost airline
Kuwaiti budget carrier Jazeera Airways is taking preliminary steps to establish a new operator in Saudi Arabia. Jazeera’s board held a meeting on 12 March at which it approved the plan. “The financial impact will be determined once the establishment and operating licensing procedures [are] finalised,” it states. Jazeera says ...
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NewsRiyadh Air to take up 72 Boeing 787s, Saudia to sign for 49 more Dreamliners
National start-up carrier Riyadh Air is take up to 72 Boeing 787-9s, including plans for firm orders for 39 Dreamliners, as part of a wider Saudi Arabian commitment which will see Saudia also sign for up to 49 more of the widebodies.
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NewsFirst Airbus A380 redelivered to Etihad after pandemic grounding
Gulf operator Etihad Airways has taken redelivery of its first example of an Airbus A380 ahead of returning the ultra-large jet to service this summer.
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NewsGlobal Knafaim caught up in dispute after A330-200 buyer pulls out
Israeli lessor Global Knafaim Leasing is embroiled in a dispute over the sale of an Airbus A330-200, after the prospective buyer pulled out of the deal. Global Knafaim says the purchaser notified the lessor on 9 March that it was cancelling the deal, claiming that the aircraft does not meet ...
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NewsLockheed Martin delivers first ‘next-generation’ F-16 to Bahraini customer
Lockheed Martin has delivered its first Greenville, South Carolina-built F-16 to the Royal Bahraini Air Force, with the Block 70-standard fighter set to undergo further testing in the USA.
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NewsSaudi government unveils new national airline Riyadh Air
Saudi Arabia’s government has unveiled its new national airline, branding it Riyadh Air, headed by former Etihad Aviation Group chief Tony Douglas. Riyadh Air will operate from a hub in the Saudi capital with a network expanding to more than 100 destinations by 2030. It has not detailed its planned ...
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NewsGE Aerospace testing Leap tweaks to boost durability in dusty regions
GE Aerospace is tweaking some components in CFM International Leap turbofans to address operating issues primarily affecting commercial jets flying in India and the Middle East.
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NewsQatar to start introducing 737 Max 8s on short-haul network
Qatar Airways is to start introducing its own Boeing 737 Max jets, to support capacity growth in short-haul sectors. The airline says it recently had an “opportunity” to acquire a “small number” of 737 Max 8s, without elaborating on the details of the agreement. Qatar Airways says the twinjets – ...
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NewsQatar Airways A350 and A321neo orders restored to Airbus backlog
Qatar Airways’ order for 23 Airbus A350-1000s and 50 A321neos has been reinstated on the airframer’s backlog as part of its activity in February. Airbus had previously cancelled the orders during the legal row over skin-paint deterioration on Qatar’s A350 fleet. But the two sides eventually avoided a high-profile trial ...
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NewsDeliveries key as Qatar Airways adds seven new routes in major expansion
Qatar Airways will add seven new services and restore flights to 11 more destinations as part of a major expansion, though chief executive Akbar Al Baker acknowledges launch dates will be dependent on when the carrier receives its new aircraft deliveries.
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NewsEl Al plots five-year fleet expansion including 737 replacement
Israeli flag-carrier El Al is considering options to increase its fleet by up to 13 aircraft to keep up with its targets for passenger traffic and market share over the next five years. It is aiming to align the expansion with plans to replace its older Boeing 737 jets from ...
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NewsIsrael’s El Al returns to full-year profit
Israeli flag-carrier El Al has generated a full-year operating profit of $113 million, and ended the period with a net surplus of $109 million. The airline says it achieved a fourth-quarter net profit – a figure of $8.5 million – for the first time since 2015, although it points out ...
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NewsIraqi Airways takes delivery of first 737 Max
Iraqi Airways has taken delivery of a Boeing 737 Max 8, the first of the re-engined variant in the flag-carrier’s fleet. The twinjet (YI-ASL) departed Seattle for Reykjavik before arriving in Baghdad, the Iraqi capital, on 26 February. Iraqi Airways says it held a ceremony marking the aircraft’s introduction, attended ...
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NewsProfitable Flydubai cites fuel-cost benefits as 737 Max fleet expands
Middle Eastern carrier Flydubai expanded its fleet to 74 aircraft last year, with Boeing 737 Max variants accounting for more than half. The airline has turned in a full-year profit of Dhs1.2 billion ($327 million) for 2022, during which it took delivery of 17 more 737 Max 8s – the ...
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NewsIsrair completes sale of ATR 72-500s
Israeli leisure operator Israir Group has completed the sale of a pair of ATR 72-500 turboprops whose phase-out was part of the company’s fleet-simplification plans. The company had previously disclosed, at the end of last year, that it had reached a binding agreement with a buyer for the aircraft. It ...
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NewsInside the effort to standardise 100% ‘drop-in’ sustainable aviation fuel
An effort is underway to power aircraft entirely with synthetic and sustainably derived jet fuel. Before that happens, the industry needs to agree on a technical definition of sustainable aviation fuel.
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AnalysisEdge stamps credentials as technology innovator
In its fourth year, the UAE defence house has grown portfolio of products developed in-house more than fivefold.
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NewsEl Al 787 cuts flight time to Thailand with Saudi-Omani transit
El Al has conducted its first flight through Saudi Arabian and Omani airspace since recent agreements lifted restrictions on transit by Israeli carriers. The airline operated its LY083 service from Tel Aviv to Bangkok on 26 February, using a Boeing 787-9 – a flight which took about 7h 30min. Its ...