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Al Mansouri calls to keep open skies ahead of EU policy talks

Qatar Airways to renew Barcelona sponsorship ‘only if price is right’

Qatar Airways will consider renewing a shirt sponsorship deal with Barcelona only if the price is right. The Catalan club are pursuing a record sponsorship contract but the Doha-based airline has not yet agreed a deal. The outspoken boss of the airline Akbar Al Baker on Sunday suggested he was...

AIA chief touts US pavilion while calling for DOD new starts

Aerospace Industries Association chief operating officer Bob Durbin is thrilled with the turnout of American aerospace firms at this year’s Dubai show, with the number of exhibitors in the US pavilion almost doubling to 140 compared with the previous edition. He says the turnout of smaller...

AgustaWestland restates commitment to AW609 tiltrotor

With AgustaWestland presenting its full family of medium-class helicopters at Dubai, the one notable, although not unexpected, absence from its static display is the AW609 civil tiltrotor. Two of the company’s test pilots were killed in a crash in Italy of the second AW609 flight-test prototype (N609AG) on 29 October, with the incident now being probed by the country’s ANSV air acci...

India's Jet emerges as customer for up to 75 Max 8s

India's Jet Airways has been identified as the customer behind a previously unattributed order for Boeing 737 Max 8s. Boeing says the deal with Jet, announced at the Dubai air show, comprises conversions of 25 Next-Generation 737s to the re-engined variant plus options and purchase rights spanning an additional 50 Max 8s. Jet will be the first Indian airline to take delivery of...

UK Minister leads trade delegation to Dubai

Philip Dunne, UK Minister of State for Defence Procurement, led a delegation to the Dubai Airshow yesterday, helping represent and support around 100 UK exhibitors. Speaking to journalists at the UK Trade and Investment stand he said that such visits were important for building international relations and strengthening partnerships. “This is my second Dubai Airshow and the growth in th...

Empire spreads to Hong Kong

Empire Aviation Group (EAG) has launched new aircraft management operations in Hong Kong with offices and staff in place, the company said at the Dubai Airshow yesterday. EAG has set up a new joint venture company with a local partner company and is already managing a Gulfstream G650 business jet on behalf of a local owner based in Hong Kong. The new operation will serve the domestic Hong Ko...

Embraer forecasts a $10bn jet stream

The Middle East region will require some 220 new regional jets over the next 20 years, according to the latest market forecast from Embraer. In the forecast, released at the Dubai Airshow yesterday, the Brazilian manufacturer said that the 70-130-seat market in the region would be valued at $10 billion over that period. With Embraer forecasting that the global marketplace for the 70-130-pass...

DC Aviation Al-Futtain sign GHA with HADID

DC Aviation Al-Futtain, the result of a partnership between Al-Futtain group and DC Aviation, has signed ground handling agreements (GHA) with flight support companies including HADID and World Fuel l Colt / Spire Flight Solutions. As part of the GHA, DC Aviation Al-Futtain will provide ground support, 24 hours on site customs and immigration, conference rooms, business services, passenger and...

Airbus to meet A380 sales target this year

Airbus expects to meet its target to sell 25 A380 superjumbo planes this year but it is not in talks with any potential new customer from the region. Its chief executive Fabrice Brégier added there was “no urgency” to build a more fuel-efficient version of the world’s biggest passenger aircraft because of the low oil price. “I think generally we have a target t...

Futuristic jetpack set for sale next year

The futuristic jetpack that can fly higher than the Burj Khalifa is set to go on sale next year with a price tag of more than US$200,000. And it runs on the same type of fuel used by your lawnmower. The Martin Jetpack will have a top speed of 74km per hour and will be able to fly as high as 3,000 feet. The New Zealand-based and Australia-listed company expects to go into commercial produc...

Stretched A350-1000 must not be 'me too' project – Leahy

Airbus is closely examining the potential market for a larger version of the A350-1000, but wants to avoid distancing itself from the core A350 market. The airframer has been talking to a “handful” of potential customers to explore whether there is a sufficient market for an aircraft with 50-60 more seats than the -1000, says Airbus chief operating officer for customers John Leahy....

Boeing drops 'X' from stretched 777 designation

Boeing has formally dropped the ‘X’ suffix from its individual stretched 777 variants, although it will retain it for the overall family. The US airframer is officially referring to the variants as the 777-8 and the 777-9, the company said during the Dubai air show. But the combined family, it adds, will still be known as the 777X. Boeing Large-scale models of the aircr...

A350 works for Qatar Airways, so should also work for Emirates, Airbus chief says

The chief executive of Airbus has brushed off requests by Emirates for an A350 aircraft that copes better with hot and humid conditions. Emirates said last month that it would postpone a decision to choose between the Boeing 787-10 aircraft or Airbus A350-900 - depending on which manufacturer would work with Emirates on its requirements. “The A350-900 has much more flexibility when you...

Stratasys unveils 3D-printed unmanned aerial vehicle

Advancements in 3D printing technologies that have helped the aerospace industry to save time and money were on display at the Dubai Airshow yesterday. Nasdaq-listed Stratasys unveiled the largest 3D printed unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), which it said was built in half the time it would have taken using conventional manufacturing. For the first time, this year’s event features a dedic...

Upcoming events

NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition 2026

20/10/2026 - 22/10/2026
United States, Las Vegas

Bahrain International Airshow 2026

18/11/2026 - 20/11/2026
Bahrain, Sakhir

Essential news

Ten years of Riga Aviation Forum — insights from Zigmars Vestfals on growth, milestones and the road ahead

As the 10th edition of the Riga Aviation Forum was getting ready to open, 50SkyShades — a long‑standing Media Partner of the event — took the opportunity to sit down with Zigmars Vestfals,...

Air Charter Expo achieves third consecutive year of record‑breaking attendance

Global trade body The Air Charter Association (The ACA) celebrated another record‑setting edition of Air Charter Expo (ACE’26) on Tuesday, 8 September 2026, delivered in partnership with Busines...

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Cessna Skyhawk Veris VR flight training device set for NBAA-BACE debut in Las Vegas

TRU Simulation + Training Inc. will showcase its Veris Virtual Reality Flight Training Device (FTD) for the Cessna Skyhawk at NBAA-BACE 2026, marking the simulator's first appearance at the indust...