50 SKY SHADES - World aviation news

United Arab Emirates aviation news

Emirates and Etihad cause turbulence for Singapore Air profits

Singapore Airlines, South East Asia’s biggest carrier, reported profit that lagged behind analyst estimates as competiton for premium travellers was eroded by the UAE’s biggest carriers and losses from fuel-hedging countered gains from carrying more passengers during the Lunar New Year holiday season. Net income was S$224.7 million (Dh602.3m) in the fiscal fourth-quarter ended March...

Dubai's Airport Show concludes with record attendees

The 16th edition of the Airport Show proved to be the most successful by far with exhibitors reporting a record number of potential business deals and more than 7,500 attendees from the aviation industry worldwide. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, chairman of Dubai Airports and chairman and chief executive of Emirates Airline and Group, said the su...

Emirates to buy more Airbus A380s even if Neo version is shelved

Dubai’s flagship carrier Emirates will buy more of the existing A380 model if Airbus decides not to press ahead with a version with new engines, Emirates president Tim Clark said on Tuesday. Emirates is the A380’s biggest buyer and most vocal supporter within the airline industry of the world’s largest passenger jet. The airline has ordered 142 A380s, of which 77 are now in op...

ACS arranges first private jet charter out of Dubai Al Maktoum's new VVIP terminal

Leading aircraft charter specialist, Air Charter Service, arranged the inaugural private jet flight from Dubai Al Maktoum’s new VIP terminal on an Embraer Legacy. The terminal is the world’s first 7-star airport facility and this flight marked the beginning of operations at the private aviation-dedicated terminal. It is an impressive structure - a 5,600m² stand-alone terminal o...

Air Arabia profit jumps 42 per cent in first quarter

Budget carrier Air Arabia, the only publicly-listed airline in the UAE, reported a 42.2 per cent rise in first-quarter net profit today, beating analysts’ forecasts. The Sharjah-based firm made a net profit of Dh111.1 million in the three months to March 31, the company said in a statement. This compares with a profit of Dh78.1m in the corresponding period of 2015. Three analysts p...

Business jet sales in biggest decline in five years after oil price fall

Sales of new private aircraft fell 16 per cent in the first quarter from a year ago as demand weakened for the largest planes. Jet airplane billings were about $3.53 billion in the first quarter, down from $4.2 billion a year earlier, according to the General Aviation Manufacturers Association. That was the biggest decline in almost five years. Demand for large-cabin business jets has deteri...

Etihad Airways CEO Hogan to Head Wider Group in Management Revamp

The parent company of Etihad Airways promoted the airline’s chief executive officer to lead the broader group, while giving his position to the chief commercial officer as part of a revamped management structure. James Hogan becomes president and CEO of Etihad Aviation Group, having led the airline since September 2006, the Abu Dhabi-based carrier said Sunday in a statement...

Large-scale airport projects attract French companies to Dubai's Airport Show

Business France, the national agency supporting the international development of the French economy, is organising its 5th France pavilion at the Airport Show in Dubai from 9 to 11 May 2016. Gathered together in a 120 square metres national pavilion, the French exhibitors will present their innovative and varied products and know-how to buyers from all over the Middle East, and Business France...

Emirates launches A380 operations to two new cities in East and West

Emirates has expanded the network of destinations served by its A380 aircraft with the launch of new scheduled A380 services to Taipei and Prague. The A380 service from Dubai to Taipei landed at 16:50 local time and the second A380 service launch today landed in Prague at 13:25 local time. Both aircraft were greeted by traditional water cannon salutes and the VIPs, Emirates executives, media an...

Emirates reveals more details about new 777 business seat

Emirates did make the 2-3-2 business class mistake with its new Boeing 777 seats I was worried about a couple of months ago, but at the Arabian Travel Market the airline revealed a few more interesting details about this seat, which “will make its debut on Emirates’ new Boeing 777-300ER aircraft deliveries starting November 2016″. “The design and shape of this seat is in...

Bird strikes an underrated threat to flight safety

Experts at aviation summit debunk myth that they are minor incidents. Bird strikes are one of the most underrated threats to flight safety but are a manageable risk, experts at an aviation summit said in Dubai this week. Making a joint presentation on the second day of the World Aviation Safety Summit on April 26, Sally Longstaff, safety analyst at Emirates and Chris Perry, wildlife biologis...

Etihad says partnerships supported record year of profit in 2015

Etihad Airways says almost 30 per cent of passengers travelling on its aircraft in calendar 2015 were from its codeshare and alliance partnerships with other carriers. The figures were contained in the Abu Dhabi-based carrier’s financial results for calendar 2015 and released on Wednesday (United Arab Emirates time). The results show Etihad flew 17.6 million passengers in 2015, up 18.9...