All Middle East news – Page 73
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NewsQatar Airways returns to London Gatwick
Qatar Airways will resume daily flights to London Gatwick on 20 August, expanding its UK network to include four airports. The Doha-based Oneworld carrier will deploy a Boeing 787 on the Gatwick route, configured with 22 business-class seats and 232 in the economy cabin. With the resumption of Gatwick service, ...
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NewsIsrael-UAE to talk direct flights but airspace issues remain
Normalisation of diplomatic relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates opens the possibility of flights between the two countries – although a timeframe has yet to emerge and other complexities remain unresolved. The UAE and Israeli governments have jointly stated that tourism and “direct flights” will be among the ...
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NewsClark cautious on 777-9 certification as Emirates awaits schedule clarity
Emirates Airline president Tim Clark is not convinced Boeing is “out of the woods yet” with regards to the certification programme for the 777X, as he awaits definitive details on when deliveries will begin.
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NewsArkia poised to resume services after funding agreement with owners
Israeli leisure carrier Arkia’s backers have agreed to inject additional funds into the airline to enable it to restore operations. The agreement comes some five month after the airline halted almost all activity and furloughed over 500 personnel. Israeli trade union organisation Histadrut says the Nakash brothers, who own the ...
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NewsAir Arabia dragged to half-year loss as second quarter revenues collapse
Air Arabia recorded a net loss of Dhs239 million ($65 million) in the second quarter as the pandemic virtually wiped out passenger revenues during the period and dragged the low-cost carrier into the red for the first-half.
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NewsSenior air force figure takes over as head of Iran Air
Former deputy Iranian air force operations commander Alireza Barkhor has been named as the new chief of flag-carrier Iran Air. The Iranian transport ministry has confirmed Barkhor’s appointment. He previously held several senior military roles including commanding Isfahan’s Shahid Babaei air base. Barkhor succeeds Touraj Dehghani Zanganeh who is to ...
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NewsEtihad starts network rebuild after ‘enormous challenges’ thwart early 2020 gains
Etihad’s strong start to 2020 was thwarted by the coronavirus pandemic as it now plots the reactivation of its network amid a further drive to reduce costs.
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AnalysisTrump administration’s relaxation of UAV export rules offers belated boon for US manufacturers
The Trump administration’s decision to modify its adherence to the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) is positive for American manufacturers of large unmanned air vehicles (UAVs), but comes after much ground has already been ceded to China. From the perspective of US defence firms, the MTCR is perhaps the most ...
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NewsEl Al seeks approval to raise capital as pilots object to cost-saving pact
El Al has called a shareholders’ meeting for 18 August in order to seek approval to raise the company’s registered share capital. The Israeli flag-carrier is planning to raise $400 million through a $150 million share issue and a state-backed staggered $250 million loan. El Al says that, in order ...
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NewsEl Al must issue shares before state will back loan
Israeli flag-carrier El Al must carry out a planned $150 million share issue by the end of August, before the country’s government will back a $250 million bank loan. The conditions have been outlined in a 22 July letter from the ministry of finance. El Al opted in early July ...
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NewsWizz Air chief predicts 100-aircraft Abu Dhabi operation
Wizz Air Abu Dhabi can mimic the fleet growth seen at the carrier’s European operation and reach 100 aircraft in 15 years’ time, according chief executive Jozsef Varadi.
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NewsQatar Airways’ parent pursues $5bn in compensation over blockade
Qatar Airways’ parent group is seeking $5 billion in compensation against the four Arab states which imposed a blockade on the airline three years ago. The company says it is taking formal arbitration action to obtain “redress” over the blockade which was put in place by Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt ...
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NewsLockheed Martin to sell 40% stake in AMMROC to Abu Dhabi’s Edge
Lockheed Martin plans to sell its 40% stake in Advanced Military Maintenance Repair and Overhaul Center (AMMROC) to state-owned Edge of the United Arab Emirates.
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NewsQatar Executive launches bespoke VIP charter programme
Qatar Executive has launched a bespoke, flexible charter programme which it hopes will boost the appeal of its luxury business aircraft fleet as the market for VIP travel emerges after months of lockdown.
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NewsInvestor offers $75m for 45% share in struggling El Al
Israeli flag-carrier El Al has received an offer from an investor who is prepared to acquire a private allotment of shares worth $75 million. The offer has come from an individual which the law firm Shibolet identifies, in a 20 July letter to the airline, as businessman Eli Rozenberg. This ...
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NewsIran transfers recorders of shot-down 737 to French investigators
Iranian investigators have arrived at the facility of French accident analysis bureau BEA with the flight recorders from the Boeing 737-800 shot down over Tehran in January. The arrival of the Iranian team at BEA’s facility in Paris marks an important advancement in the investigation, after six months of uncertainty ...
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NewsGovernment to provide support as Royal Jordanian losses soar
Royal Jordanian Airlines has posted a pre-tax and net loss of JD25.4 million ($35.8 million) for the first quarter, five times the figure recorded last year. The company recorded a 21% fall in revenues to JD114 million, including JD87 million from scheduled passenger services, but only a 6% reduction in ...
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NewsCourt’s Qatar blockade ruling cited judgement on India-Pakistan dispute
Central to the International Court of Justice ruling that the ICAO Council can hear Qatar’s complaint over a long-running airspace blockade was the decision as to whether ICAO should be prohibited from considering issues outside of its aviation sphere. Qatar had sought to bring proceedings before the ICAO Council over ...
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NewsQatar will not revive A380 fleet until demand justifies
Amid Emirates triumphant reintroduction of the Airbus A380, Gulf rival Qatar Airways has restated its intention to keep its superjumbo fleet firmly grounded, citing environmental and commercial concerns.
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NewsEmirates adds China and Iran routes in latest network update
Guangzhou in China and Iranian capital Tehran are among four more destinations that will rejoin Emirates’ network this summer, bringing the total number served by the Middle Eastern carrier in August to 62.