December 10, 2019

Emirates recently marked its first passenger flight to Mexico City, with flight EK255 departing at full capacity with over 300 passengers, a group of VIP guests, and media on board.

Marking the importance of this new gateway in the Americas, the high profile delegation onboard the inaugural flight included Salem Obaidalla, Emirates' senior vice president of Commercial Operations for the Americas; Ahmed Hatem Barghash Al Menhali, UAE ambassador to Mexico; Francisca Elizabeth Méndez Escobar, ambassador to the UAE, Mexican Embassy; Fahad Siddiq Abdulla AlGergawi, CEO of Dubai FDI; Jamal Al Sharif, chief officer, Dubai Development Authority;"...

December 9, 2019

Etihad Aviation Training and Abu Dhabi’s Khalifa University of Science and Technology have announced a three-year study to help train the pilots of the future.

The study will develop innovative and more engaging training procedures, drawing upon neuro-cognition, for the next generation of airline pilots.

Captain Fabrizio Interlandi, NEXTGEN project manager for Etihad Aviation Training, said: “The pilots of tomorrow are millennials, and increasingly post-millennials. They have grown up with apps, tablet devices, electronic games and virtual reality. Research"...

December 8, 2019

Emirates airline is preparing to serve 500,000 Christmas meals over the holiday period as it spreads seasonal joy throughout the world.

The Dubai-based carrier’s festive fare, across all classes on selected flights, will start on December 9 through to December 31.

A spokesperson said: “Customers travelling from Dubai to select routes in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Europe, the United States, South Africa and the Philippines, can kick start their holiday season with a taste of Christmas on board.”

Passengers"...

December 7, 2019

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI), the world’s leading manufacturer of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS), has been advised that the Australian Government has selected GA-ASI’s MQ-9B SkyGuardian® variant to provide the Armed RPAS for the Australian Defence Force (ADF) under Project Air 7003. This follows the Government’s announcement in November 2018 that GA-ASI would provide Armed RPAS to the ADF. The ADF expects to take first delivery in the early 2020s.

“We have worked closely with the ADF to determine the right RPAS to meet their needs,” said Linden Blue, CEO, GA-ASI. “MQ-9B"...

December 4, 2019

Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE), one of the largest aircraft leasing companies in the world, said that its managed aircraft portfolio with current aircraft under management plus mandates to source and manage portfolios for third party investor customers has reached $3.5 billion.

Since announcing the DAE Aircraft Investor Services (AIS) product in January 2018, DAE has grown its managed fleet to over $2.5 billion today, managing four aircraft ABS securitizations as well as aircraft for several investor partners.

Following the latest portfolio sale agreement announced in October, DAE’s managed fleet has grown to 75 aircraft. DAE will continue to build its managed fleet as it fulfils existing"...

December 4, 2019

Dnata has announced an agreement to purchase the remaining 50 per cent of its UK inflight catering joint-venture, Alpha LSG, from the LSG Group.

The acquisition expands Dubai-based dnata's international portfolio, and will make it the sole shareholder of the biggest inflight catering, on-board retail and logistics company in the UK. The transaction is now subject to regulatory approval. Alpha LSG was formed in 2012 by the dnata-owned Alpha Flight Group and LSG Sky Chefs; each holding a 50 per cent share of the business. The agreed share purchase has the full support of the LSG Group and Alpha LSG operations will continue as usual.

December 3, 2019

Emirates announced on Monday that its planned flights to the Philippines have been cancelled due to the Typhoon Kammuri.

Due to the passage of the typhoon across northern Philippines, Emirates flights EK332/333 and EK334/335 between Dubai and Manila on Tuesday have been cancelled.

Customers connecting to these flights in Dubai will not be accepted to travel at origin, the airline said in a statement.

Typhoon Kammuri barrelled towards the Philippines on Monday, pushing tens of thousands of"...

December 3, 2019

Abu Dhabi Airports has awarded the Midfield Terminal’s lounge construction and management contract to a joint venture between National Aviation Services (NAS) and Airport Dimensions.

Spanning over 3,500 square metres, the new lounge will allow customers to enjoy premium lounge services, a statement said.

It added that the lounge will be located at the heart of the new Midfield Terminal, and will be accessible to all travelers, regardless of the airline they are traveling with or the class of their ticket.

It"...

December 2, 2019

The average delay per flight attributed to air traffic control issues in the GCC region is estimated at 29 minutes but could double by 2025 if urgent measures are not taken, an aviation summit in Dubai will be told.

Industry safety experts at the World Aviation Safety Summit 2019, which takes place in Dubai on December 9-10, will present potential new solutions to the problem of airspace congestion for the Middle East and wider regions.

The problem is costing an excess of $7 billion in lost productivity time to passengers and is adding more than $9 billion to airline"...

December 2, 2019

The fleet size of operators from all regions serving the UAE is forecast to nearly treble to some 1,730 aircraft by 2038 from around 630, according to new research.

The 2019 Airbus Global Market Forecast said the 2038 figure includes 750 small category aircraft like the A320 and A321, and 980 medium and large aircraft like the A330neo and A350 serving the UAE market in the next two decades.

It comes as UAE passenger traffic is forecast to grow 5.8 percent per annum over the next 20 years.

In"...