Middle East & North Africa

Airports are placing a higher priority on IT investments for passenger and airport security with 50% rating it a high priority, up from 37% last year.

Embraer has announced the creation of a business unit focused on services and customer support, which will be led by Johann Bordais, who is currently serving as the director of services and support for Embraer Commercial Aviation.

GE Aviation has named Jean Lydon-Rodgers as president and chief executive officer of GE Aviation, Services, and Tony Mathis is promoted to president and chief executive officer of GE Aviation, Military Systems.

EgyptAir has celebrated the delivery of its first Next-Generation B737-800, among the nine-aircraft ordered.

The Resource Group has launched a new, modular Airside Safety training course.

The open skies philosophy is waning, warn the CEOs of two major airlines amid calls for greater cooperation between airlines.

Iraq's Fly Baghdad has added a maiden Beech 1900D to its fleet, reports ch-aviation.

Gulfstream Aerospace has announced the Gulfstream G600 has completed its first flight, officially kicking off the aircraft's flight-test programme.

The company said the test programme is 'progressing right on schedule, both on the ground and in the air.'

Dassault Aviation has appointed Damien Farret, Director Customer Relations and Field Service.

Following a comprehensive flight test programme, the A321neo powered by Pratt & Whitney's PurePower PW1100G-JM engines received joint Type Certification from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on 15th December 2016.

Air Seychelles has celebrated the graduation of a group of seven Seychellois engineers who have completed a comprehensive training programme with Etihad Airways.

Turkish Airlines has launched its direct flights between Istanbul and Zanzibar.

Melbourne was the original home for Qatar Airways in Australia, with the airline subsequently adding services to Perth, Sydney and Adelaide. With the growth from the original 777-200LR to the A380, the airline has actually doubled its daily capacity since the start of the route while retaining just the single flight rotation.

Nigeria's Azman Air has selected VD Gulf to perform maintenance work on one of its Boeing 737CL fleet.

The Boeing board of directors has declared the company's quarterly dividend will increase 30 percent to $1.42 per share. The board also replaced the existing share repurchase programme with a new $14 billion authorisation.

Qatar Airways has touches down at at Seychelles International Airport.

Air Algerie is planning to run a twice weekly Oran-Montréal Trudeau, Canada service during summer of next year, reports ch-aviation.

The Emirates Group, comprising Emirates airline and dnata, has published the sixth annual environmental report outlining the Group's environmental performance for the financial year 2015-16.

Space industry leaders argue that future development in the space sector will be built on ever-increasing international partnerships and deeper collaboration between nations.

The Connected Aircraft Conference will take place from 7-8 March 2017 in Dubai, UAE.

The UAE Space Agency has issued the national space sector policy.

Flydubai has announced the successful graduation of its 100th batch of certified Cabin Crew members from the Flydubai Training Centre. The batch of 27 candidates will join flydubai's community of 1,650 Cabin Crew members who represent more than 100 nationalities.

Jet Aviation has secured approvals from the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) in the United Arab Emirates for Gulfstream G550 and G650 aircraft at its maintenance centre in Dubai.

Boeing said strength in the capital markets and innovative funding developments will provide airlines and lessors efficient aircraft financing solutions in 2017.