Middle East & North Africa

Boeing has released a new forecast showing continued strong demand for commercial airline pilots and maintenance technicians as the world's airlines add over 38,000 airplanes to the global fleet over the next 20 years with Africa expecting 18,000 pilots and 22,000 technicians.
Air Transport

By Richard Maslen
Austrian Airlines has been serving Dubai since 1996 but the arrival of Emirates Airline into the Vienna market has meant it has been under pressure for some time. Although the European carrier upped frequencies to a more than daily schedule in the late 2000s and early 2010s, it has recently cut back its activities to match capacity to seasonal point-to-point demand.
Airports & Networks

United Technologies has announced that it has reached an agreement to sell its Sikorsky Aircraft business to Lockheed Martin for $9 billion in cash.
Aerospace

Airbus has achieved EASA certification of its innovative Runway Overrun Prevention System (ROPS) technology on A330 Family aircraft.
Emerging Technologies

This first delivery comes just five months after the Egyptian decision to acquire 24 Rafales (16 two-seaters and eight single-seaters) in order to equip its Air Force with a latest-generation multirole fighter capable of meeting the country's operational requirements and enabling Egypt, with full sovereignty, to secure its geostrategic position in the region.
Defense

Turkish Airlines has announced it will add Durban to its South African route network.
Airports & Networks

By Poppy Marello
Despite being a high impact economic activity, a major job generator and key export sector, accounting for 6 percent of total world trade, tourism receives only 0.78 percent of the total Air for Trade disbursements and 0.097 percent of the total Official Development Assistance.
Airports & Networks

By Richard Maslen
Emirates has been active in Iraq for over four years having first launched flights between Dubai and Basra in February 2011. It added launched services to Baghdad in November 2011 and then Erbil from August 2012. However, it closed the Baghdad and Erbil routes at the start of March this year due to security concerns as large parts of Iraq fell under the control of Da’esh. It had also temporarily suspended services to Erbil between August and November 2014 due to safety concerns with its flights.
Airports & Networks

By Poppy Marello
Airline ancillary revenue has continued to grow for the eighth consecutive year, according to IdeaWorksCompany, who tracked 63 airlines and researched financial filings made by 130 airlines all over the world.
Airports & Networks

Following the record breaking oceanic flight of 5 days and 5 nights (117 hours and 52 minutes) in a solar powered airplane, Solar Impulse will undergo maintenance repairs on the batteries due to damages brought about by over heating.
Aerospace

By Richard Maslen
British Airways has announced it will introduce its first Boeing 787-9 into its fleet in September 2015 and will initially deploy the larger Dreamliner variant on its route between London Heathrow and Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi, India from the start of the winter 2015/2016 schedule in late October.
Airports & Networks

Capt. Tilmann Gabriel, programme director for City University London's (City) aviation management programmes has called for a plan to encourage more local talent to carve a career in one of the UAE's corner stone industries.
Maintenance & Training

Omani students studying at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) in the UK last week attended the second Insight into Industry visit at BAE Systems' Military Air facility at Warton in the North West of England.
Maintenance & Training

Royal Jordanian (RJ) inaugurates its new direct regular route from Amman to the Turkish capital, Ankara, on December 8, 2015.
Airports & Networks

Jazeera Airways has finalised its voluntary capital reduction process to bring down its capital from KD42 million to KD20 million to match the size of its current operations after it exited the aircraft leasing business.
Aerospace

Parachutist Curt Bartholomew triumphed in the classical canopy-piloting competition at the FAI World Air Games in Dubai yesterday.
Aerospace

Emirates has announced its fleet plans for 2016, retiring a total of 26 aircraft, including 12 A330-300s, four A340-300s, one A340-500, six Boeing 777-200ERs, two Boeing 777-300s and one Boeing 777-300ER.
Air Transport

Gulf Air has become the first organisation in the Middle East to win three technology awards for the second consecutive year at GITEX Technology Week 2015.
Air Transport

Etihad Airways' loyalty programme, Etihad Guest, has signed a contract with Porsche Centre of Abu Dhabi and Ali & Sons Co LLC that will provide new benefits to UAE- based members.
Air Transport

Turkish Airlines has introduced a new route to Durban, increasing the airlines flight destinations to Africa to 46.
Air Transport

Air traffic navigation services provider NATS has released a seven-page white paper aimed at widening the debate over the need for collaboration and co-operation to ease the Middle East's air capacity dilemma. Entitled 'The Case For Alliances In Air Traffic Management,' the white paper explores six existing alliances, either in or very close to the ATM sector. Those in the spotlight are the Star Alliance, Borealis, Eurocontrol, GE/SNECMA, A6 and Functional Airspace Blocks.
Safety, Ops & Regulation

Airbus confirmed today that it had been in talks with Canadian manufacturer Bombardier, but those discussions “are no longer being pursued”.
Aerospace

Qatar Airways has been voted 'Best Middle Eastern Airline' for the 10th consecutive year at the 26th Annual TTG Travel Awards.
Airports & Networks

Perkins+Will is to design the master plan for Istanbul New Airport, otherwise known as 'airport city'.
Airports & Networks

Empire Aviation Group has been announced winner of the Service Excellence Award for Aircraft Sales and Aircraft Management Services.
Aerospace