The Minister of Economy last night called for the preservation of open skies as aviation industry leaders gathered for the opening day of the Dubai Airshow. “For forty years, barriers and restrictions for airlines have come down. This is not the time to turn back,” said Sultan Al Mansouri. “The UAE is ready to join with the US and EU to help lead a new effort towards even grea...
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 willing to play hard ball with the European champions. “We are in the middle of negotiatio...
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 companies is particularly pleasing, as tier two and three suppliers are critical to the defence and...
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 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...
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) will raise an Israel Aerospace Industries 1124A Westwind that crashed near Norfolk Island in 2009, as it re-opens an investigation which was criticised for not having recovered the aircraft's recorders. In an update on its website, the ATSB says that it has contracted Pacific Maritime Pacific Maritime Group to assist in the recovery of...
It has been a mixed day for travellers at Australia’s international airports, who have been forced to deal with a 24-hour strike from Australian Border Force (ABF) staff as part of a pay dispute with the government. About 5,000 ABF staff stayed away from work on Monday, affecting operations at eight international airports. Reports from Melbourne Tullamarine and Sydney Kingsford Smith s...
Alliance Aviation Services says it has plans to ensure its all-Fokker fleet keeps flying for the next decade. The primarily fly-in/fly-out and charter operator has 15 Fokker 100s, eight Fokker 70LRs and five Fokker 50 turboprops, having sold two Fokker 100s to Virgin Australia in the past year that were surplus to requirements. Alliance managing director Scott McMillan said th...
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 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...
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, 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...
New research from Global Jet Capital, a provider of financing solutions for large-cabin, long-range private jets, reveals there are around 62 aircraft of this size for sale in the Middle East, with a combined value of around US$646.9 million. Some 19 of these aircraft are registered in Saudi Arabia, and 18 are in the United Arab Emirates. The remainder is spread out across the Middle East....
China's four major carriers achieved an accumulated net profit of 20.97 billion yuan in the first nine months of this year, while all of them posted declines for the third-quarter profit due to exchange losses resulting from yuan depreciation. China Southern Airlines (CZ), the nation's largest carrier by passenger and fleet, reported a net profit of from January to September,...
Former China Aircraft Leasing Group chief executive Mike Poon Ho-man has mysteriously resurfaced in Hong Kong after being missing for six months, adding a new twist to a deepening graft probe that has just netted the top boss of China Southern Airlines. Poon, who went off the radar in June was sighted in town last week by several people. He is also said to have paid a visit to the company&...
A China Southern Airlines (CZ) flight bound for Shenyang with 113 passengers and eight crew made an emergency landing Monday after the pilot and passengers reported hearing unusual banging from beneath the plane, a source familiar with the matter said via Sina Weibo. Flight CZ3601, performed by an Airbus A320 aircraft (Registration B-9917), took off from Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (...
Ameco is to deliver a Boeing 747 of ACT Airlines for C-check in this December. It has been the fourth ACT aircraft since this year. Being capable of airframe overhaul on Boeing 737, 747, 767, 777 and Airbus A319, 320, 330, 380, Ameco is ready for the Boeing 747-8I airframe overhaul capability starting from earlier next year. "The Middle East market is of great potential, and we have kep...
Boeing yesterday announced at the Dubai Airshow a Memorandum of Agreement with Dubai South, outlining the company's intention to establish its Middle East headquarters in the city's Aviation District. The agreement was confirmed at a private signing ceremony attended by His Highness Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman, Dubai Aviation City Corporation (the parent organization of...
ExecuJet Middle East, part of the ExecuJet Aviation Group, is celebrating 16 years in the region coupled with 10 years MRO operations, as the company continues to increase its presence in the UAE. The Swiss-headquartered organisation is a Bombardier authorised service facility, which has been awarded Best Overall Maintenance Facility two years in a row and best International Maintenance Facilit...
New research from Gama Aviation plc, the global aviation services company, reveals that there are now 792 business aircraft in the Middle East, and between 2010 and 2014, 176 of these were delivered to the region. Gama Aviation's analysis reveals that when compared to the rest of the world, the Middle East has a much bigger focus on mid to larger sized business aircraft. Some 59% of it...
Latvia-based carrier airBaltic has been confirmed as the launch customer for Bombardier’s CS300 single aisle jet. First delivery of the CS300 is due in the second half of 2016, airBaltic and Bombardier announced at the Dubai Airshow over the weekend. The airline has 13 CS300s on firm order and retains options for seven more of the type. airBaltic chief executive Martin Gauss said th...
