All Middle East articles – Page 4
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NewsGulf Air restores US links with New York JFK operation
Gulf Air has restored a long-absent US link with the initiation of services between Bahrain and New York JFK. The carrier sought authorisation for the flights after the US FAA’s safety assessment scheme classified the Middle Eastern kingdom as ICAO-compliant in November last year. This lifted a restriction which previously ...
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NewsSaudi regulators approve kingdom’s first virtual air traffic control tower
Saudi Arabian regulators have formally approved the kingdom’s first virtual air traffic tower, which oversees operations at AlUla airport. The Saudi air navigation service SANS has received an operating licence for the tower from the General Authority of Civil Aviation, according to the Saudi government’s official news channel. AlUla’s traffic ...
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NewsAir Arabia starts introducing A320neos as part of 120-jet renewal
Middle Eastern budget carrier Air Arabia is preparing to put its first Airbus A320neo into operation, having taken delivery of the jet as part of an agreement covering 120 aircraft. Air Arabia will deploy the A320neo – powered by CFM International Leap-1A engines, and featuring a single-class 174-seat configuration – ...
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NewsKuwait extends Eurofighter in-service support deal with Leonardo through 2029
Leonardo is to provide continued in-service support for the Kuwait air force’s still-growing fleet of Eurofighter Typhoons, with the Gulf state having exercised a follow-on option.
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NewsIsrael’s El Al names finance and technology figure as new chief executive
Israeli flag-carrier El Al has named Levy Halevy as its next chief executive, succeeding Dina Ben Tal Ganancia. The airline has also disclosed that its chief financial officer, Yacov Shahar, is stepping down. Halevy is a former chief of Israel Credit Cards. He also previously served in a number of ...
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NewsAscend Airways struggles with CFM Leap engine reliability on 737 Max fleet
UK wet-lease operator Ascend Airways is experiencing significant difficulties with CFM International Leap engine reliability on its Boeing 737 Max 8 fleet, particularly when operating in harsh Middle Eastern and Indian environments.
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NewsGulf Air names former Air Baltic head Gauss as new chief executive
Former Air Baltic chief executive Martin Gauss has resurfaced as the newly-appointed head of Gulf Air. He will take over as the Bahrain-based airline’s leader on 4 November, following the departure of current chief Jeffrey Goh. Goh was appointed to lead the Gulf Air holding group at the end of ...
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NewsEmirates opens training centre for 777X and A350 pilots
Middle Eastern carrier Emirates has formally opened its new crew training centre, which will offer pilot training on the Boeing 777X and Airbus A350. The centre, located in Dubai, features six full-flight simulator bays. Two A350 simulators have already been installed, and pilot training is underway on these. Four more ...
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NewsUAE’s SolitAir introducing a pair of World Star 737-800 freighters
Middle Eastern cargo carrier SolitAir has agreed to source a pair of Boeing 737-800 freighters from World Star Aviation. Based at Dubai World Central, the carrier describes itself as a “middle-mile” air transport company, specialising in time-sensitive express cargo. It says the first of the 737-800s arrived in early September ...
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NewsSaudi’s AviLease to supply aircraft for new joint venture with investment firm Hassana
Saudi Arabian lessor AviLease has agreed to establish a new joint leasing venture under a partnership with Hassana Investment Company. Hassana will be the majority owner of the venture, which will take an initial fleet of 10 aircraft from AviLease – all of which are leased to Saudi-based carriers. “The ...
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NewsIsraeli defence firms showcase battlefield-proven tech at DSEI
Israel’s defence manufacturers were treated with more respect at DSEI than Paris, despite the government’s eve-of-show ban on Israeli official delegations attending the biennial arms fair.
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NewsQatar Airways to introduce high-density A321neos ahead of new fleet deliveries
Middle Eastern carrier Qatar Airways has confirmed that it has acquired three Airbus A321neo twinjets which feature an all-economy configuration. The Doha-based airline says the introduction of the twinjets is a response to “growing demand for economy-class travel on selected routes”. Qatar Airways has 50 A321neos on order, deliveries of ...
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NewsEtihad posts strong half-year profits as fleet reaches triple figures
Middle Eastern carrier Etihad Airways has turned in a strong half-year performance, bolstered by the fleet’s expansion into triple figures. The Abu Dhabi-based airline generated a net profit of Dhs1.1 billion ($306 million), up 32% on a 16% rise in revenues, as passenger numbers reached 10.2 million. “We are already ...
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NewsIAI’s 777-300ER converted freighter secures US and Israeli certification
Israel Aerospace Industries has secured supplemental type certification of the Boeing 777-300ER freighter conversion programme from both Israeli and US regulators. The 777-300ERSF has been under development since 2019 – just prior to the Covid-19 pandemic – and the cargo aircraft was originally foreseen as entering service in late 2022. ...
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NewsEl Al stays profitable despite $100m impact of Israeli airspace closure
Closure of Israeli airspace for nearly two weeks in June hammered the second-quarter results of flag-carrier El Al, although the airline still managed to generate a profit for the period. El Al says it suffered a $100 million pre-tax impact as a result of the closure, implemented on 13 June ...
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NewsFirst Riyadh Air 787-9 rolls off Boeing’s assembly line
Saudi Arabian start-up carrier Riyadh Air says that its first 787-9 has left Boeing’s assembly line in Charleston, and will soon feature its soft purple paint scheme.
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NewsIsrael to acquire two additional KC-46 tankers
Israel’s defence ministry has announced plans to acquire two additional Boeing KC-46 tanker aircraft, supplementing four previously ordered examples in a deal valued at approximately $500 million.
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NewsFleet and network expansion fuel Emirates recruitment drive
Gulf carrier Emirates Airline is mid-way through a global flightcrew recruitment drive as part of a wider push to bring in 1,500 new pilots over the next two years.
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NewsSaudia Cargo introducing A330 freighters under wet-lease agreement
Saudia Cargo is introducing a pair of converted Airbus A330-300 freighters, which will be operated under a wet-lease by ASL Aviation Holdings. The Middle Eastern carrier has identified the initial twinjet as MSN1272 – a GE Aerospace CF6-powered airframe previously operated as a passenger aircraft by China Airlines. Registered with ...
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NewsConflict pushes Jazeera Airways’ early summer demand into third quarter
Kuwaiti budget carrier Jazeera Airways is facing a tricky beginning to the second half of the year, after a sharp decline in second-quarter performance. But the company says it is maintaining a “positive outlook” for the full year. Jazeera points out that the 12-day Israeli-Iranian conflict caused a reduction in ...