News and Publications

ADAC gets Executive Council approval to build the Midfield Terminal
02/02/2012
Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC) has received the final approval it needed from the country's Executive Council to go ahead with the construction of the new Midfield Terminal Complex (MTC) at Abu Dhabi International Airport. more >>>

Exclusive Iraqi flight permit system scrapped to open the way for business aviation
02/02/2012
The Middle East Business Aviation Association (MEBAA) is today celebrating a decision by the Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority (ICAA) to terminate an exclusive flight permit contract which penalised business aviation. more >>>

Flydubai marks its magnificent seven in Saudi Arabia
02/02/2012
Flydubai has chalked up its seventh destination in Saudi Arabia, with the start of its three-weekly flights to Taif in the Makkah Province. more >>>

MRO MIDDLE EAST: Fujairah to become region's first aircraft recycling centre
02/02/2012
Fujairah is to become home to the region's first new recycling centre for aircraft. more >>>

PGAs innovation for cabin interior
02/02/2012
PGA Electronic, the French company providing motion systems, lighting systems and IFEC/CMS systems, is introducing its new range of innovations during 2012. more >>>

VIP Flight Mechanic/Engineer (Flying Spanner) Type Rated on A-320 - UAE
02/02/2012
V1 Global is urgently seeking an experience VIP Flight Mechanic more >>>

Final DubaiSat-2 model passes key tests
02/01/2012
Engineers from the Emirates Institution for Advanced Science and Technology (EIAST) say that the DubaiSat-2 project has completed a crucial stage in its design phase. more >>>

Gama Group appoints Neil Gibson to senior management team with key role in the Middle East
02/01/2012
Gama Group, the global business aviation and services company today announced the appointment of Neil Gibson as a key member of its senior management team, with the task of implementing its growth strategy in the Middle East and Asia regions. more >>>

MRO Middle East: Sabena looking for jv for airframe MRO role
02/01/2012
French MRO specialist, Sabena Technics, is in discussions with an unnamed Gulf country about forming a joint-venture business to offer airframe maintenance. more >>>

MRO Middle East: Sanad secures 'milestone' finance for Etihad engine spares deal
02/01/2012
Sanad Aero Solutions (Sanad), Mubadala Aerospace's component and engine financing solutions group, has partnered with Abu Dhabi National Leasing (ADNL), a wholly-owned asset-based lease finance arm of the National Bank of Abu Dhabi (NBAD), to provide up to US$ 169 Million (AED 620.7 Million) in lease financing to Etihad Airways for spare engine sale and lease-back transaction. more >>>

Optimares becomes first aircraft seat manufacturer in Middle East
02/01/2012
Optimares Middle East, aircraft interior L.L.C has become the first United Arab Emirates aircraft interiors' manufacturing company in the Middle East. more >>>

Rafale wins India fighter contest
02/01/2012
After the disappointment of the re-opening of the UAE fighter competition when Dassault Rafale was dropped from the first choice, the French manufacturer is today celebrating its selection by the Indian government. more >>>

Bahrain Air conducting cadet programme at JATS
01/31/2012
JATS has announced that it has reached an agreement with Bahrain Air to continue conducting its fleet cadet training programme at JATS' QAIA facilities. more >>>

Etihad management move into Air Seychelles key posts
01/31/2012
The Minister responsible for Transport in the Government of Seychelles Joel Morgan, and Mr James Hogan, the president and CEO of Etihad Airways, today announced that Air Seychelles, has appointed Cramer Ball as CEO with effect from February 1 under the management contract that it has with Etihad Airways, its new strategic partner. more >>>

How people influence the appliance of science
01/31/2012
Human factors affect more than just crew operations. One of the world's leading design and ergonomics consultants, John Woods, argues that airports need to understand the science… and the people. more >>>

Dubai World Central Handles 90,000 Tonnes of Cargo in 2011
01/30/2012
Dubai Airports today announced traffic statistics for Dubai World Central that showed the airport handled 89,729 tonnes of air freight during its first full calendar year of operations. more >>>

Emirates upgrades Dublin aircraft to cope with demand
01/30/2012
Just three weeks after the launch of flights to Dublin, Emirates has announced a larger aircraft will be deployed on the route from 1st July, 2012 more >>>

Etihad and WAHA international team-up for Somalia
01/30/2012
Etihad Airways and the NGO WAHA International, have teamed-up to transport disaster relief kits to Somalia. more >>>

Hopes and fears as ATM is transformed
01/30/2012
As debate rages throughout the Middle East about a single Arab sky for air traffic management, Rob Coppinger looks at the progress Europe and the USA have made on programmes to transform their air traffic management with new technologies and asks what lessons can be learned? more >>>

New ATM set to go live at Dubai World Central
01/30/2012
One of the first areas in the region to benefit from the latest air traffic management technology is Dubai. Alan Peaford looks at how Dubai World Central is adopting the new systems. more >>>

Official launch for World Route development forum set for Abu Dhabi
01/30/2012
Today saw the official launch of the 18th World Route Development Forum which will take place from 29th September to 2nd October 2012 and will be hosted by Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC) and supported by official carrier Etihad Airways and Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority. more >>>

RAK Airways to begin long haul operations
01/30/2012
RAK Airways is to launch a long-haul operation with the introduction of flights to Bangkok in June. more >>>

Royal Air Maroc receives three B737s from GECAS
01/30/2012
GE Capital Aviation Services Limited (GECAS), the commercial aircraft leasing and financing arm of GE, announced delivery of three new Boeing 737-800 aircraft leased to Royal Air Maroc. more >>>

Royal Jet adds to its Medevac fleet
01/30/2012
Abu Dhabi's Royal Jet has added a second dedicated medevac aircraft to its fleet of luxury jets to meet the steady growth and demand for Medevac services. more >>>

Stan and Deliver...
01/30/2012
There is increasing traffic between Kazakhstan and the Middle East. The country celebrated the 20th anniversary of its independence from the former Soviet Union last December. Marcelle Nethersole travelled to see how it is reinventing itself as prosperous and modern and how the national airline, Air Astana, is helping to achieve these ambitions. more >>>

Turkish Airlines increases flights to UK's midlands region
01/30/2012
Turkish Airlines is making a further commitment to the UK's midlands region by increasing flights between Birmingham and Istanbul from five flights a week to daily services from March 25th. more >>>

Bahrain 2012: BAS relaxes after successful handling at show
01/29/2012
With six months of preparation, an intensive 10 day logistics program and a three-day onsite operation, BAS - the Bahrain Airport Services business - has successfully concluded the management of the ground handling services for the Bahrain International Airshow 2012 (BIAS). more >>>

Fourth Iraq route opened by flydubai
01/29/2012
The fourth of the new routes into Iraq by low cost airline flydubai was completed today with the inaugural flight to Najaf. more >>>

Muscat witnesses rapid growth ahead of airport development
01/29/2012
Muscat International Airport continues to be under strain as passenger numbers continue to increase as construction of new terminal buildings are still awaited. more >>>

Strata sees 62 nationals join the team after graduation event
01/28/2012
Strata in Al Ain is welcoming a further 62 Emirati nationals to the workforce following the graduation of the students rom an intensive 10 month course to qualify them as composite aircraft technicians. more >>>

Al Zain builds on a wealth of opportunity
01/27/2012
Alan Peaford talks to Talal Al Zain, the chief executive of Mumtalakat, the investment organisation dedicated to creating value on behalf of the Kingdom of Bahrain. more >>>

Gama steps into FBO management with confirmed Sharjah deal
01/27/2012
Gama Aviation and Sharjah Airport have signed the deal, outlined in Arabian Aerospace last week, which gives the business aviation and services company the responsibility for all business aircraft handling at Sharjah's international airport. more >>>

GATE's way to safer flying
01/27/2012
The Gulf's major summit on air transport training – Gulf Aviation Training Event – ended with a memorandum setting out the way the region's industry professionals should take command of their future. Conference director Captain Ed Davidson sums up the outcomes. more >>>

Gulf Air appoints Ghanim Monzer Alsukhon as country manager for Jordan
01/27/2012
Gulf Air has appointed Ghanim Monzer Alsukhon as its new country manager for Jordan. more >>>

Historic airline takes the long road to recovery step by step
01/27/2012
Alan Peaford looks at the prospects for air transport in the country as it goes through its post-war transition. more >>>

Independent passenger survey rates Gulf Air's service and operational performance as excellent
01/27/2012
Gulf Air, the national carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain, has announced it received positive results in an independent passenger survey carried out by the global airline industry's governing body, International Air Transport Association (IATA), despite a difficult 2011. more >>>

Iraq's promised lands
01/27/2012
Iraq's aviation system is going through a phase of reconstruction. The airport industry across the country is earmarked for an estimated $50 billion over the next few years, while in the Kurdistan region Erbil International Airport has led the way. Keith Mwanalushi reports. more >>>

Maslowski steps down from Hawker Beechcraft defence role
01/27/2012
Hawker Beechcraft Defense Company (HBDC) announced today that Jim Maslowski, president, will retire from his positions with Hawker Beechcraft on Jan. 31.. Upon retirement, Maslowski will continue as a consultant to HBDC and its business development efforts with the title of vice chairman. more >>>

Pegasus Airlines launches first new route for 2012
01/27/2012
Pegasus Airlines, which added lots of new international flights to its network in 2011, has now launched flights to Almaty, Kazakhstan's largest city. more >>>

Salute to Iraq's fledgling force
01/27/2012
As the Americans withdraw from Iraq, Rob Coppinger looks at the legacy left behind and considers how the country's defence forces will develop. more >>>

VOLUME CONTROL
01/27/2012
As Gulf-based airlines continue their rapid expansion, ATC organisations in the region face rising volumes of flights, both within and transiting the area. Already, as Alan Dron reports, capacity constraints are being experienced. more >>>

Bombardier Middle East customers 'feeling the love'
01/26/2012
Support for service and parts supply will be a key topic of discussion at the MRO Middle East event. Bombardier has made no secret of the fact it wants to return to the top spot in customer satisfaction when it comes to support and Phil Nasskau finds out it is working on enhancing its support services in the region. more >>>

Emirates voted airline of the year in double winning industry poll
01/26/2012
Emirates Airline has been voted 2012 Airline of the Year in an industry poll of airlines, financial institutions, lessors and investors. The airline beat off competition from leading carriers including Singapore Airlines, Delta Air Lines and Lufthansa in the Aviation 100 poll, receiving 15% of the 11,000 votes cast. more >>>

Enders moves to top position at EADS
01/26/2012
EADS announced today that Airbus chief Tom Enders to take over the role of CEO of the group when Louis Gallois steps down at the end of his five-year mandate. more >>>

Etihad orders additional brace of A330 freighters
01/26/2012
Etihad has signed a firm order for two additional A330-200F freighter aircraft to meet its growth plans in the cargo market. more >>>

SAFA to conduct the first live eCV operational test
01/26/2012
Saudi Aviation Flight Academy (SAFA) has invited the International Association of Flight Training Professionals (IAFTP) to conduct the first operational test of its electronicCV (eCV) at SAFA's new pilot training academy near Riyadh. more >>>

Tunis academy sees certification for Ascent simulator
01/26/2012
Tunisia's department of civil aviation (DGAC) has certified the Safe Flight Academy (SFA)'s Ascent flight trainer. more >>>

Why the Middle East is AW-struck
01/26/2012
AgustaWestland has built a strong presence in the Middle East helicopter market in recent years driven by the success of the AW139 medium twin. Now the company is targeting the region as a key growth opportunity as it prepares to launch a number of new products. Paul Derby reports. more >>>

Yahsat Y1B to launch by April 2012
01/26/2012
Abu Dhabi-based Yahsat is preparing to launch its second satellite into orbit within the next two months. more >>>

After first class seat success B/E to unveil new galley equipment at AIME
01/25/2012
B/E Aerospace is to unveil its new Essence galley equipment collection at the Aircraft Interiors Middle East (AIME) show in Dubai next week, the organisers said today. more >>>