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Kuwait, India airlines sign agreement
Kuwait Airways and Air India have signed a commercial cooperation agreement, KUNA has reported. Under the agreement, a number of economy, business and first class seats will be allocated for Air India passengers, while flight schedules between Kuwait and India will be announced through different booking systems.
New Etihad A330-200 freighter makes test flight
Etihad Crystal Cargo has announced its new A330-200 freighter has made its maiden flight over Toulouse in France marking the beginning of a 200-hour flight-test and certification campaign. The new aircraft, due for delivery in 2010, will enhance the capacity of the cargo division of Etihad with its extensive range and a higher maximum payload, the company said in a statement. The new Airbus A330 can carry more than 64 metric tons over 4,000 nautical miles/7,400km, or more than 69 metric tons up to 3,200 nautical miles/5,930km - non-stop.
Dubai repays $1bn aviation authority sukuk
Dubai's Department of Finance said it had repaid a $1bn Islamic bond, or sukuk, from the emirate's civil aviation authority which matured on Nov 4. 'This comes after the government of Dubai issued a two-tranche, $1.93bn sukuk on October 28, 2009, following a highly successful international roadshow which generated a large order book with over 300 investors placing orders in excess of $6.3bn equivalent,' the department said in a statement.
Oman Air warns Boeing on Dreamliner delays
Peter Hill, CEO of Oman Air has said that Boeing risks losing a $1bn order for its 787 Dreamliner aircraft to a rival model from Airbus, if the US plane's production schedule is delayed any further, Times of Oman has reported. 'Further delays might mean that we'd have to look elsewhere,' he said. The Sultanate's national carrier already has seven A330s from Airbus on order, with the first four scheduled for handover this year.
Saudi Arabia inks SR222m radar deal
Saudi Arabia's ministry of defence and aviation and US-based Raytheon International Company have signed a SR222m contract for 21 civil navigation radar systems to be installed across the kingdom, Arab News has reported. The new radars will cover the entire Saudi air space and detect aircraft at heights of 15,000 feet or above. The Raytheon system, which will be installed over 36 months, aims at enabling Saudi air traffic controllers to reduce the distance between two aircraft in the air.
Embraer moots MidEast depot
Brazil-based Embraer, the world's third largest aircraft manufacturer, has said that it will decide in the first half of 2010 whether to shift its spare parts depot from the French capital, Paris to the Middle East region, Aviation Week has reported. The new warehouse will serve four air carriers which are currently operating Embraer commercial aircraft, including Royal Jordanian Airlines (RJ), Egyptair, Saudia and Nasair. Candidate locations include Dubai, Doha, Bahrain and Abu Dhabi, VP for the region, Jose Luis Molina said.
Emirates profit up 165% in six months
Emirates airline has 165% increase in net profits during the first six months ending in 30th September 2009. The airline group has made Dhs752m compared to Dhs284m net profits for the same period in 2008. The airline has reported carrying over 13 million passengers and over 700,000 tonnes of cargo during the period.
Etihad inks codeshare deal with UK's Flybe
Etihad Airways has inked a new codeshare agreement with UK-based airline, Flybe. Etihad will place its two-letter 'EY' code on a number of services operated by Flybe between Paris, Frankfurt and Manchester and 35 regional airports within the UK, while Flybe will place its 'BE' code on Etihad's flights between the same three destinations and its Abu Dhabi home base. This agreement will give Etihad customers access to several regional airports in the UK, including Southampton, Birmingham and Belfast.
Saudia to buy 58 Airbus planes
Khaled Al-Molhem, director general of Saudi Arabian Airlines has said that the national carrier has signed a SR10bn contract with Airbus to buy 58 aircraft with advanced facilities, including A320s, A321s and A330s, Arab News has reported. 'We intend to modernise our fleet by purchasing the most advanced planes available in the world,' Al-Molhem said.
Wataniya adds Jeddah service
Kuwait National Airways (Wataniya) has announced the addition of a new daily service to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, from November 1. The airline will provide First Class and Premium Economy Class seats to business and leisure travellers between Kuwait and Jeddah, Wataniya said in a statement.
Emirates expands Asia Pacific operations
Emirates Airline has announced plans to expand its footprint in Asia/Pacific from December 2009 by introducing a fourth daily service to Bangkok, a third daily service to Sydney, two additional flights to Manila and one additional service to Jakarta. The airline will add a total of 17 weekly flights between December 2009 and January 2010, representing a 13% growth in seat capacity. After the increase, Emirates Asia Pacific operation will go up to 187 weekly flights.
Etihad to fly to Hyderabad
Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways has announced the launch of a new route to its latest destination in India, the city of Hyderabad. Etihad is the first airline to operate flights between Abu Dhabi and the state capital of Andhra Pradesh. Initially operating four flights a week, Etihad will increase to daily from the start of 2010. Etihad now flies to seven Indian destinations including the cities of New Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai, Kozhikode, Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi. In total the airline now operates 42 flights to India each week.
Flydubai to launch service to Azerbaijan
Low-cost airline Flydubai has announced that it will expand its network into the former Soviet Union for the first time on Friday, November 20, when it commences flights to the Azeri capital, Baku. Flydubai's CEO, Ghaith Al Ghaith, said Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, adds a new dimension to flydubai's network. 'Baku is our first route into Asia and a prime opportunity because of its rapid expansion as a business and tourism centre. There is currently only one other airline operating direct flights between Dubai and Baku so we anticipate strong demand for our service.' One-way fares to Baku from Dubai will cost from Dhs300, which includes all taxes and one piece of hand baggage weighing up to 10kg.
Abu Dhabi sees 7.5% passenger rise
Abu Dhabi International Airport has recorded 7.5% passenger growth in the last three quarters compared to the same period last year. Passenger traffic figures also showed a 6.8% increase for the month of September alone, compared to the same month of 2008.
Royal Jordanian inks IT deal with Amadeus
Jordan's national carrier, Royal Jordanian, has signed a 10-year IT partnership with Amadeus Gulf to adopt its Altéa Customer Management and e-commerce suite of solutions. The new solution will enable RJ to manage all reservations, inventory and departure control.
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