Middle East & North Africa

EADS SECA has appointed Jean-Jacques Reboul as Vice President Sales and Marketing. He began his job in the new role on Monday.

As part of its fleet upgrade and expansion program, Royal Jet - the Abu Dhabi-based international luxury flight services company chaired by His Excellency Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan – has once again raised the benchmark for luxury air travel following delivery of its sixth Boeing Business Jet (BBJ).

Shannon Airport, Ireland has announced a further extension of the US preclearance programme for business jet flights effective 1st of June 2010.

Etihad Airways has won first prize in the 'airlines' category at the 6th Pan Arab Web Awards, one of the top awards programs for digital developments in the region.

Oman Air has announced the launch of new à la carte menus on its flights between London Heathrow and Oman's capital of Muscat.

EgyptAir has opened a galley inserts centre in a joint venture with B/E Aerospace.

Air Arabia, has finally started its Egyptian services with the inaugural flight to Amman, Jordan, from its third hub in Alexandria.

Airbus has reported its single-aisle aircraft, the A320 Family, has achieved over 50 million take offs and landings since the first model, the A320, entered commercial service in 1988.

Marking its first birthday in May, Air Partner Fuel, exhibited at the leading regional airline/airport networking event Routes Africa at Ezulwini Valley, Swaziland.

Jack J. Pelton, chairman, president and CEO of Cessna Aircraft Company today called for all aviation stakeholders to work together to ensure the health of the industry.

A fourth aircraft is now part of the Gulfstream G650 flight-test program. The newest ultra-large-cabin, ultra-long-range test aircraft flew for the first time June 6 and has spent more than five hours in the air.

Wataniya Airways, Kuwait's premium service airline, has signalled its aim to develop services in the holiday and leisure sector with the appointment of a holidays product manager.

Jordan Aviation and UNICEF signed a cooperation agreement to support Ma'An national campaign to reduce violence against children in schools, in Amman today.

Jordan Aviation has successfully passed its IOSA Renewal Audit.

The successful Aviation Outlook conference organised by Terrapinn has been confirmed for 2011.

The first operational test flight into the new Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai took place yesterday evening.

Qatar Airways today announced its expansion programme was continuing with plans to launch six new routes in Europe and Asia from October 2010.

Flydubai launched its 20th destination today when its inaugural flight to Karachi, the city of lights, landed earlier this morning.

Algeria has ordered 16 additional Su-30MK Multi-Role fighters from the Russian Irkut Corporation.

AVISA, the global aviation and airworthiness specialist, is expanding its services in the Middle East after securing a major new contract with Gulf Air, the third contract in the past three years between the businesses.

flydubai added the Syrian city of Latakia to its route yesterday. The airline's 19th destination makes Syria the second country, after Egypt, to welcome flydubai to three separate cities.

Oman Air has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Bank Muscat, the leading Omani financial services provider.

Etihad Airways continues to expand its customer ground services with the launch of dedicated self service check-in kiosks at Abu Dhabi airport's Terminal 3. Etihad customers can now also use the kiosks at Terminal 1.

EgyptAir and Turkish Airlines signed an agreement yesterday to enhance their existing code share strategic cooperation by adding new city pairs starting immediately. The airlines say that the agreement will add more benefits to the customers of both carriers and will increase the transfer traffic in both carriers' hubs Cairo and Istanbul.

Royal Jordanian Airlines is upgrading its A320/A321 fleet with seven new aircraft which are all to be fitted with the latest IFE in order to maintain the airline's development across the Levant.