All Middle East articles
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NewsQatar to permanently station F-15QAs at US base
Qatar and the USA have reached an agreement allowing the Gulf state to permanently station Boeing F-15QA fighters at Mountain Home AFB in Idaho, with Doha constructing its own facility at the base.
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NewsOman Air secures formal certification for Boeing type rating training
Middle Eastern carrier Oman Air has secured approval to offer type rating on Boeing aircraft, with a formal certification as a training organisation. The airline’s facility is the first in the sultanate to secure approved training organisation certification from the Oman civil aviation authority. “Achieving ATO certification represents a major ...
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NewsEmirates to acquire another A380 once lease period ends
Middle Eastern carrier Emirates is to purchase another Airbus A380 once the lease term for the jet expires. Emirates will acquire the aircraft from investment specialist Stratos. Stratos has identified the airframe as MSN190 – an Engine Alliance GP7200-powered example, registered A6-EOO. The aircraft will be transferred when its lease ...
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NewsRiyadh Air to launch Heathrow flights with restricted ticket sales
Saudi start-up Riyadh Air will commence flights on 26 October using its “technical spare” Boeing 787-9 twinjet for daily services to London Heathrow, although tickets will not be on general sale for now. Riyadh Air says the flights will “initially be on sale to select groups and [airline] employees” and ...
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NewsBulgaria’s GullivAir seeks year-round clearance to serve New York for Israel’s Arkia
Bulgarian wet-lease carrier GullivAir is seeking a year-long clearance to operate an Airbus A330-200 on transatlantic routes, on behalf of Israeli leisure airline Arkia. GullivAir, which is based in Sofia, has disclosed that it plans to conduct the services between Tel Aviv and New York JFK. It states in a ...
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NewsGulf Air restores US links with New York JFK operation
Gulf Air has restored a long-absent US link with the initiation of services between Bahrain and New York JFK. The carrier sought authorisation for the flights after the US FAA’s safety assessment scheme classified the Middle Eastern kingdom as ICAO-compliant in November last year. This lifted a restriction which previously ...
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NewsSaudi regulators approve kingdom’s first virtual air traffic control tower
Saudi Arabian regulators have formally approved the kingdom’s first virtual air traffic tower, which oversees operations at AlUla airport. The Saudi air navigation service SANS has received an operating licence for the tower from the General Authority of Civil Aviation, according to the Saudi government’s official news channel. AlUla’s traffic ...
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NewsAir Arabia starts introducing A320neos as part of 120-jet renewal
Middle Eastern budget carrier Air Arabia is preparing to put its first Airbus A320neo into operation, having taken delivery of the jet as part of an agreement covering 120 aircraft. Air Arabia will deploy the A320neo – powered by CFM International Leap-1A engines, and featuring a single-class 174-seat configuration – ...
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NewsKuwait extends Eurofighter in-service support deal with Leonardo through 2029
Leonardo is to provide continued in-service support for the Kuwait air force’s still-growing fleet of Eurofighter Typhoons, with the Gulf state having exercised a follow-on option.
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NewsIsrael’s El Al names finance and technology figure as new chief executive
Israeli flag-carrier El Al has named Levy Halevy as its next chief executive, succeeding Dina Ben Tal Ganancia. The airline has also disclosed that its chief financial officer, Yacov Shahar, is stepping down. Halevy is a former chief of Israel Credit Cards. He also previously served in a number of ...
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NewsAscend Airways struggles with CFM Leap engine reliability on 737 Max fleet
UK wet-lease operator Ascend Airways is experiencing significant difficulties with CFM International Leap engine reliability on its Boeing 737 Max 8 fleet, particularly when operating in harsh Middle Eastern and Indian environments.
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NewsGulf Air names former Air Baltic head Gauss as new chief executive
Former Air Baltic chief executive Martin Gauss has resurfaced as the newly-appointed head of Gulf Air. He will take over as the Bahrain-based airline’s leader on 4 November, following the departure of current chief Jeffrey Goh. Goh was appointed to lead the Gulf Air holding group at the end of ...
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NewsEmirates opens training centre for 777X and A350 pilots
Middle Eastern carrier Emirates has formally opened its new crew training centre, which will offer pilot training on the Boeing 777X and Airbus A350. The centre, located in Dubai, features six full-flight simulator bays. Two A350 simulators have already been installed, and pilot training is underway on these. Four more ...
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NewsUAE’s SolitAir introducing a pair of World Star 737-800 freighters
Middle Eastern cargo carrier SolitAir has agreed to source a pair of Boeing 737-800 freighters from World Star Aviation. Based at Dubai World Central, the carrier describes itself as a “middle-mile” air transport company, specialising in time-sensitive express cargo. It says the first of the 737-800s arrived in early September ...
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NewsSaudi’s AviLease to supply aircraft for new joint venture with investment firm Hassana
Saudi Arabian lessor AviLease has agreed to establish a new joint leasing venture under a partnership with Hassana Investment Company. Hassana will be the majority owner of the venture, which will take an initial fleet of 10 aircraft from AviLease – all of which are leased to Saudi-based carriers. “The ...
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NewsIsraeli defence firms showcase battlefield-proven tech at DSEI
Israel’s defence manufacturers were treated with more respect at DSEI than Paris, despite the government’s eve-of-show ban on Israeli official delegations attending the biennial arms fair.
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NewsQatar Airways to introduce high-density A321neos ahead of new fleet deliveries
Middle Eastern carrier Qatar Airways has confirmed that it has acquired three Airbus A321neo twinjets which feature an all-economy configuration. The Doha-based airline says the introduction of the twinjets is a response to “growing demand for economy-class travel on selected routes”. Qatar Airways has 50 A321neos on order, deliveries of ...
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NewsEtihad posts strong half-year profits as fleet reaches triple figures
Middle Eastern carrier Etihad Airways has turned in a strong half-year performance, bolstered by the fleet’s expansion into triple figures. The Abu Dhabi-based airline generated a net profit of Dhs1.1 billion ($306 million), up 32% on a 16% rise in revenues, as passenger numbers reached 10.2 million. “We are already ...
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NewsIAI’s 777-300ER converted freighter secures US and Israeli certification
Israel Aerospace Industries has secured supplemental type certification of the Boeing 777-300ER freighter conversion programme from both Israeli and US regulators. The 777-300ERSF has been under development since 2019 – just prior to the Covid-19 pandemic – and the cargo aircraft was originally foreseen as entering service in late 2022. ...
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NewsEl Al stays profitable despite $100m impact of Israeli airspace closure
Closure of Israeli airspace for nearly two weeks in June hammered the second-quarter results of flag-carrier El Al, although the airline still managed to generate a profit for the period. El Al says it suffered a $100 million pre-tax impact as a result of the closure, implemented on 13 June ...