All Middle East news – Page 56
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NewsIsraeli-UAE air travel ties begin to crystallise after diplomatic tie-up
In a further sign of the normalisation of Israeli-United Arab Emirates relations, Etihad Airways flights have become available for sale to customers in Israel. Etihad Airways will open its services to Israeli passengers through travel and tourism specialist TAL Aviation Group, which is based in Tel Aviv. TAL has confirmed ...
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NewsEl Al 737 arrives in Abu Dhabi after landmark flight
El Al’s landmark United Arab Emirates service from Tel Aviv has arrived at Abu Dhabi, having conducted the flight through Saudi Arabian airspace. The Boeing 737-900ER touched down on Abu Dhabi’s runway 13R at about 15:38, having departed Tel Aviv at about 11:22 – a flight time of some 3h ...
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NewsEl Al plans to cross Saudi airspace with 737 to reach UAE
El Al’s planned inaugural flight to the United Arab Emirates is being flightplanned to transit Saudi Arabian airspace, a route which would normally be off-limits to Israeli aircraft. The intended flightpath for the Tel Aviv-Abu Dhabi flight on 31 August would cross Jordanian airspace and then enter Saudi airspace at ...
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NewsIsraeli airport operator lists landmark El Al service to UAE
Israeli carrier El Al appears set to operate an initial service to the United Arab Emirates on 31 August, following the diplomatic agreement reached between the two sides. The Israeli and UAE governments disclosed the normalisation of diplomatic relations on 13 August, and stated that direct flights would be among ...
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NewsEl Al granted delivery deferral for final 787
Israeli flag-carrier El Al has been granted a deferral to the end of November for delivery of its final Boeing 787, after the air transport crisis interrupted its fleet renewal schedule. It has signed agreements for a $122 million financing of the 787-8 in February – based on a JOLCO ...
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NewsEl Al loss quadruples over first half
Israeli flag-carrier El Al’s first-half pre-tax loss has nearly quadrupled, to $270 million, compared with last year’s interim figure. El Al also posted a net loss of $244 million in contrast with the previous half-year deficit of $55 million. Its revenues for the six months to 30 June halved to ...
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NewsKuwaiti lessor ALAFCO defers Airbus deliveries
Kuwaiti lessor ALAFCO has reached an agreement with Airbus to defer aircraft deliveries, in the wake of the air transport downturn. ALAFCO has 75 Airbus A320neos on order, of which it has received 33. It has also yet to take delivery of any of its 10 A321neos. The lessor says ...
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NewsUkrainian 737 recorders indicate crew survived initial missile strike
Flight recorders from the Ukraine International Airlines Boeing 737-800 shot down over Tehran captured 19s of information after the first missile strike, and revealed discussions in the cockpit on the state of the stricken aircraft. Both the cockpit-voice and flight-data recorder were cut off after 19s and did not register ...
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NewsUAE sees Israeli peace deal making it ‘easier’ to buy F-35
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) sees broad benefits flowing from its recent peace deal with Israel, including an easier path to buying the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter, as well as other US-made military products.
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NewsAirbus Helicopters wins deal with Saudi Arabia’s THC for 10 H125s
Saudi Arabia’s The Helicopter Company (THC) is to expand its fleet with the acquisition of 10 Airbus Helicopters H125 light-singles.
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NewsIran ATR 72 suffered tail-strike after dual input during flare
Iranian investigators have disclosed that the captain of a landing Iran Air ATR 72-600 intervened to reduce descent rate during the flare, resulting in dual control inputs, but could not avert a hard touchdown. In the moments before the initial touchdown the aircraft was probably subjected to a downdraft, says ...
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NewsIsrael states opposition to Middle East F-35 sales
Israel has flatly stated its opposition to the sale of Lockheed Martin F-35 fighters to the United Arab Emirates, despite the recent normalisation of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
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NewsEmirates chief: Sustained social-distancing ‘economic catastrophe’ for airlines
The industry’s recovery from the coronavirus crisis rests squarely on a vaccine, as a sustained policy of social distancing would be an “economic catastrophe”, says Emirates Airline president Tim Clark. But he is “100% confident” that one will be found.
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NewsPalestinian Airlines offers Fokker 50 fleet for sale
Palestinian Airlines has put up for sale its pair of Fokker 50 turboprops, but insists its operation is not closing down. The carrier commenced operations in mid-1997 with pilgrim transport to Jeddah. It subsequently established its base at Gaza airport which opened the following year, but Israeli forces destroyed the ...
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NewsEl Al chairman resigns for medical reasons
Israeli flag-carrier El Al’s chairman, Eli Defes, has stepped down from his post for medical reasons. El Al states that his decision is effective immediately. Defes took up the position of chairman at the beginning of June 2017, having been a director of the airline since November 2015. The carrier ...
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NewsClark stresses bailout urgency as Emirates passenger flights increase
Emirates passenger flights now account for approximately half the airline’s daily frequencies but a bailout from owner the Dubai government will be needed “sooner rather than later”, says airline president Tim Clark.
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NewsQatar Airways returns to London Gatwick
Qatar Airways will resume daily flights to London Gatwick on 20 August, expanding its UK network to include four airports. The Doha-based Oneworld carrier will deploy a Boeing 787 on the Gatwick route, configured with 22 business-class seats and 232 in the economy cabin. With the resumption of Gatwick service, ...
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NewsIsrael-UAE to talk direct flights but airspace issues remain
Normalisation of diplomatic relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates opens the possibility of flights between the two countries – although a timeframe has yet to emerge and other complexities remain unresolved. The UAE and Israeli governments have jointly stated that tourism and “direct flights” will be among the ...
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NewsClark cautious on 777-9 certification as Emirates awaits schedule clarity
Emirates Airline president Tim Clark is not convinced Boeing is “out of the woods yet” with regards to the certification programme for the 777X, as he awaits definitive details on when deliveries will begin.
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NewsArkia poised to resume services after funding agreement with owners
Israeli leisure carrier Arkia’s backers have agreed to inject additional funds into the airline to enable it to restore operations. The agreement comes some five month after the airline halted almost all activity and furloughed over 500 personnel. Israeli trade union organisation Histadrut says the Nakash brothers, who own the ...