Middle East – Page 44
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In depthAirline Business Index puts industry at 0.59 of pre-Covid size
The first Airline Business Index put the airline industry at 0.59 of its pre-pandemic size at the end of 2020 – with 1 being the size at end-2019 – amid the devastating impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
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In depthWhat future does the A380 have in a post-pandemic travel world?
Already a luxury of debatable value to many operators before the crisis, the A380 appears even less well-suited to a market featuring depressed travel demand and a focus on cargo
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NewsBiden to allow UAE F-35A, MQ-9B acquisition: report
The Biden administration plans to move forward with $23 billion in arms sales to the United Arab Emirates, according a report citing congressional aides.
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NewsFirst AH-1Z Viper enters final assembly for Bahrain
Bell expects to deliver its first AH-1Z attack helicopter to launch export operator Bahrain before year-end, with the nation’s first “Viper” having entered final assembly.
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NewsEmirates’ Clark fears 777X jets could arrive five years late
Boeing’s 777X programme is in “a state of disarray”, in the view of Emirates Airline president Tim Clark, who has revealed that the Middle Eastern carrier may not receive its first of the aircraft until as late as end-2025 – over five years later than scheduled. “We should have had ...
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NewsWider economic recovery drives up jet-fuel costs for ailing airlines
Rising jet-fuel prices will make it harder for airlines to reach cash-positive positions in the coming months, according to industry body IATA.
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In depthAirline coronavirus recovery tracker: April 2021 update
Our regular examination of the latest global data for several key airline market indicators, including international and domestic travel restrictions, 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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NewsNew IATA chief insists all Covid-related travel measures should be temporary
New IATA director general Willie Walsh has called for all restrictions and constraints on international air travel to be removed as quickly as possible, as the trade body’s latest traffic data showed the continued catastrophic impact of the Covid-19 crisis on the airline industry.
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NewsEtihad Airways conducts first scheduled Israeli flight
Middle Eastern carrier Etihad Airways has carried out its first scheduled flight to Israel, following the diplomatic normalisation agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates. The Boeing 787-9 (A6-BLA) touched down on Tel Aviv Ben Gurion airport’s runway 12 at about 12:20 after arriving from Abu Dhabi, via northern ...
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NewsIsrael welcomes G550 Oron for multi-surveillance conversion
Gulfstream has delivered the Israeli air force’s new G550-based “Oron” surveillance platform, which is due to enter operational use in 2023 following the installation of its mission equipment. The modified long-range business jet arrived in Israel on 4 April, following a ferry flight from Gulfstream’s production site in Georgia. ...
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NewsFlydubai fixes date for 737 Max re-introduction
Middle Eastern carrier Flydubai is intending to restart Boeing 737 Max flights on 8 April, following approval by United Arab Emirates regulators and updating of the fleet. Flydubai will operate the initial flight from Dubai to the Pakistani city of Sialkot, but the aircraft will subsequently be used for other ...
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NewsMajali returns as CEO of Royal Jordanian
Samer Majali is back as chief executive of Royal Jordanian Airlines, returning to a position he left more than 10 years ago.
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NewsWillie Walsh takes over as IATA chief
Describing his passion for the airline industry, Walsh notes that IATA’s work has never been more “critical… than during the Covid-19 crisis”.
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NewsQatar Airways to serve 140 destinations this summer
Qatar Airways plans to rapidly expand its network for the summer season to over 1,200 weekly flights and 140 destinations as it ramps up capacity into what it hopes is the tail end of the pandemic.
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AnalysisFrom record profits to Covid-19 devastation, de Juniac saw it all as IATA chief
In 2016, Alexandre de Juniac brought his French government and airline industry experience to a role that required diplomacy and a steady hand on the tiller. From 2020 onwards, unprecedented crisis-management skills were the order of the day.
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NewsAirports body predicts travel surge but warns of $94bn revenue loss in 2021
Airports industry body ACI World expects a “surge” in travel demand during the second half of 2021, but that global passenger numbers will still be down some 47.5% for the full year compared with pre-Covid levels.
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AnalysisEl Al remains financially burdened after year of heavy losses
El Al remained in a state of balance-sheet insolvency at the end of 2020, with total liabilities exceeding its total assets by $256 million. The airline’s current assets as of 31 December 2020 had fallen to $186 million from the previous end-of-year level of $486 million. But its current liabilities ...
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AnalysisEl Al unveils full-year losses of more than $530m
Israeli flag-carrier El Al has revealed the extent of the pandemic’s financial damage on the airline, turning in a full-year net loss of $531 million. El Al’s pre-tax loss reached $561 million. The airline’s revenues reached just $623 million for the year to 31 December 2020, a fall of 71%, ...
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NewsDid departure delays conspire to single-out shot-down 737?
One hazy aspect of last year’s fatal Iranian missile attack on a Boeing 737-800 centres on the circumstances through which the aircraft was singled out when other flights were also operating from Tehran’s Imam Khomeini airport. The Iranian Civil Aviation Organisation, which investigated the 8 January attack on Ukraine International ...
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NewsIsrael sets out conditions for alternative El Al financing scheme
Israeli flag-carrier El Al has reached a conditional agreement with the government on an alternative funding scheme, after the airline spent several months trying to negotiate a state-backed loan from local banks. El Al and its Sun D’Or airline operation have detailed the financing pact under which the Israeli state ...