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United Arab Emirates aviation news

DUBAI: Martin Jetpack rockets in for Dubai premiere

New Zealand firm Martin Aircraft is eyeing the sales opportunities for its developmental one-man jetpack in the Middle East. Appearing for the first time at the Dubai air show, Martin Aircraft is primarily focused on the first responder market in the region. Company chief executive and managing director Peter Coker says it is working to commercialise the jetpack, with the aim of a first cust...

Archangel swoops to conquer

The Iomax Archangel, a light attack and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft now being delivered to the UAE Armed Forces for special forces support, is making its debut at the Dubai Airshow this week. Based on the airframe of the Thrush S2R-660 agricultural aircraft, the Archangel was originally known as the Block III border patrol aircraft (BPA). Some 24 Block I and...

Dubai 2015: 407MRH makes its Dubai debut

The UAE Armed Forces' new Bell Model 407MRH (multi-role helicopter) has made its Dubai debut at this years air show. The 407MRH is a new military derivative of the Bell 407 developed by Abu Dhabi-based NorthStar Aviation, which is already fulfilling an order for 30 of the helicopters from the UAE armed forces. Approximately 20 have now been delivered with the remainder will arriving on...

Dubai Airshow Opens Amid Drop in New Jetliner Orders

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...

Dubai Airshow Biggest and Best Ever

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...

DUBAI: A350 stops at air show during Middle Eastern tour

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...

DUBAI: Emirates new flight training aircraft on display

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...

ANALYSIS: Emirates CAE Flight Training set to double up at new Dubai training centre

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...

More than 160 aircraft on display at Dubai Airshow

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...

Dubai Airshow: Regional conflict to spur military spending

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...

Remember the crazy Emirates commercial where men flew alongside a plane in jetpacks? Here's how they made it

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...

ANALYSIS: Gulf airports fight for share of rapidly rising demand

Airport investment is in overdrive at aviation’s busiest global crossroads, as the hubs of Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways vie to keep pace with the growth of their flag-carriers, and with eachother to attract international air traffic. While Doha’s new Hamad International is about to embark on an expansion that will take throughput to almost 70 million pass...