Estonian Air has announced that it will cease business from Nov. 8 after a European Commission (EC) ruling that it received unfair state aid. In a brief statement, the airline’s management board said it had decided to cease operations following the EC decision, which demanded that the airline, which has provided services for the small Baltic state since 1991, should pay back some €85...
Saudi Arabian flag carrier Saudia has wet-leased two Airbus A319s from Czech Airlines to increase capacity on its domestic routes as it gears up to face competitive pressures from new rivals in the Kingdom. Liberalization of Saudi Arabia’s airline sector will see Qatar Airways’ subsidiary Al Maha Airways and startup carrier SaudiGulf Airlines providing new competition for both...
Cessna’s new Citation Latitude business jet is making its Dubai Airshow debut this week in a region where the company’s similar Citation Sovereign has proven popular. Textron Aviation’s new twinjet received FAA certification this summer and European (EASA) certification is expected by the end of the year. “With one of the most comfortable and spacious cabins available in...
After three years of record jetliner orders, planemakers are bracing for a slowdown in new commitments at the Dubai Airshow which opens on Sunday under the shadow of recently falling oil prices and conflicts in the Middle East. Barring traditional show surprises, delegates attending the biennial Nov. 8-12 event predicted a drop in major commercial order announcements as Gulf airlines take stock...
Airlines Operators Association of Nepal (AOAN), a representative of the private airline companies in Nepal, has said they might halt a certain number of domestic flights on Sunday due to unavailability of aviation turbine fuel (ATF). It is the first time since the fuel crisis began that domestic airlines are on the verge of not receiving enough fuel. Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC), the onl...
This year's Dubai Airshow is going to be bigger, better and more varied than anything that has gone before, says Michele van Akelijen, managing director of show organizers F&E Aerospace. "With over 160 aircraft due to appear and the possibility of seeing UAVs taking part in the daily flying program for the first time, it's going to be an exciting event," she says. Dubai...
New Ultra Long Range Falcon 8X Set for First Deliveries in 2016, Strong Response from Middle East Dassault Aviation will present its expanding line of large-cabin long range Falcon business jets at the Dubai Air Show, which opens on November 8 at Dubai World Central. The exhibit will feature the top-of-the-line Falcon 7X, the super versatile Falcon 900LX and a mockup of the all-ne...
Two Airbus A350s will be present at the Dubai air show, aQatar Airways aircraft complementing the airframer’s MSN2 which will conduct the flying display. MSN2 is stopping at Dubai World Central’s Al-Maktoum airport as part of a Middle Eastern tour and is scheduled to depart to Ethiopia on 11 November, the airframer says. The aircraft, which is cabin-fitted, travelled from To...
Boeing on Saturday gave its strongest indication yet about a near-term sale of F/A-18E/F Super Hornets to Kuwait, although the world's second-largest weapons maker said lower oil prices were delaying some arms purchases by Gulf states. "There are things that we're waiting on... those things are going to be cleared and we think they're going to be cleared soon," Boeing...
Eleven empty British airliners are on standby in Cyprus and might be used to fly home thousands of tourists stranded in Egypt's Sharm al-Sheikh, airport authorities in the Mediterranean island said on Saturday. Britain halted flights to and from the Red Sea resort after a Russian plane crashed over the Sinai Peninsula on Oct. 31 with the loss of 224 lives. Western officials think a bomb lik...
"The Egyptian friends have undertaken first steps, the military control all procedures of registration for flights, they are at the airport in Sharm el-Sheikh, at other airports" said Dvorkovich Russia has been coordinating with Egypt two issues: the first is how the Emergencies Ministry and aviation carriers are delivering tourists and their luggage. "We receive full support...
Think of Emirates and large widebodies such as the Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 spring to mind. But two much smaller aircraft displaying the livery of the Dubai flag-carrier are on the static. Last week, Emirates Flight Training Academy, set up by Emirates to address its growing need for pilots, signed a deal for its first aircraft: 22 Cirrus SR22 piston singles and...
Diamond Aircraft's brand-new DA62 piston-twin is sparkling on the static display, fresh from demonstration tour of the Middle East, which included flights in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Qatar. With capacity for five to seven people including the pilots, depending on the configuration, Diamond sees an opportunity for the type as a private aircraft for personal use or as an air taxi. Bi...
Airbus’ A330neo is joining the A350 XWB in its distinctive cockpit windscreen design. “The A330neo complement the A350 XWB in the new Airbus Long-Range family, so it was only natural that the A330neo should have the same cockpit shades design than its larger sibling” said Eric Zanin, Head of A330 programme. The new A330neo share the latest innovations and technologies...
Just two years after opening its second training centre in Dubai, Emirates CAE Flight Training is doubling the size of the operation with five more simulator bays. The expansion – work on which will begin by the end of the year – will allow ECFT to cater for the burgeoning demand for new first officers and ongoing pilot training from anchor tenant Flydubai as well as other ai...
Dubai Airshow exhibitor Atlantic Flight Training Academy (AFTA, Ireland Pavilion, Stand 644) has secured its third major international pilot cadet training contract, signing a three-year deal with Turkish Airlines to start training its cadets to first officer commercial pilot level. Calling the deal a major step, AFTA said its signing builds a solid foundation for securing partnership deals with o...
Boeing is looking at the Middle East in a new way as it broadens its outlook and steers clear of involvement in the spat between U.S. and Middle East airlines. Bernard J. Dunn, president of Boeing Middle East, said that a new framework for BCA’s management of sales in the region had been adopted, introducing Turkey into the Middle East and North Africa region, now to be known as “MENAT...
Business aviation in the Gulf is on a new trajectory. At the turn of the decade, the emphasis was very much on the charter market with a flurry of ambitious start-ups and management companies setting up shop alongside early adopters such as Boeing Business Jet operator Royal Jet in Abu Dhabi, and Swiss-based maintenance and management companies ExecuJet and Jet Aviation in Dubai. Five years on, th...
More than 65,000 visitors are expected at the biggest Dubai Airshow yet, which kicks off Sunday on the site of Al Maktoum Airport. For the next five days the city’s residents we be treated to an overhead spectacle of displays from aircraft that will include the F22 fighter jet, B1 bomber and Eurofighter. A record US$206 billion in aircraft orders were signed during the 2013 edition of...
War planes will compete with passenger jets at the Dubai Airshow this week as regional conflict spurs military spending even as weak oil prices swell deficits among Gulf exporters. Wars from Yemen to Syria are stoking demand for fighter aircraft, missile systems and drones as regional governments allocate about US$85 billion in defence budgets. Competition among the companies that make them...
Last week, Emirates Airlines astounded the world when it aired a commercial featuring two men in jetpacks flying alongside their A380 jumbo jet, 4,000 feet above Dubai. A stunt like this had never been done before, which is why Emirates released exclusive behind-the-scenes footage featuring the extensive planning and preparation that went into the making of this commerc...
