Though the airlines want in-flight entertainment systems that are lighter and cheaper than ever before, they take no risks in choosing their suppliers. Now a Middle Eastern carrier is about to break the mould, writes BRENDAN GALLAGHER
Alan Peaford meets Bashir Abdul Hadi, CEO of Jordan's leading maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) operator JorAMCo,and finds a man who has never been nervous of competition.
When entrepreneur Marwan Atalla decided to learn to fly he visited flying schools near his home in Amman but felt they didn't have the quality or the right approach to develop top-level pilots. ALAN PEAFORD reports
With a history spanning more than two millennia, Jordan is an explorers' delight. Marcelle Nethersole met Nayef H Al-Fayez, from the Jordan Tourism Board, to look at the country's diversity and explain how tourists and business travellers can enjoy this jewel in the Middle East that is often, mistakenly, thought of as a danger zone.
With decision time looming in a number of important fighter competitions, and with the aircraft appearing to be well placed in several of these, 2009 could yet be 'the year of the Rafale'. JON LAKE reports
The Dubai International Air Chiefs Conference (DIAC), held on the sidelines of the Dubai Air Show, takes place on November 14. Organised by the Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Analysis (INEGMA), the event brings together leaders of the air force and air defence from around the GCC and beyond. RIAD KAHWAJI, chief executive of INEGMA looks at one of the key talking points.
RayaJet, Jordan's fast growing business jet operator, may talk about making aviation more accessible to the average business person – but over the next year many in the region will be watching each of its aircraft landing in the hope there is one special passenger on board.
The UAE ministry of defence working with INEGMA, the Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Analysis, will be hosting a conference on intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance in Abu Dhabi in January
Etihad Airways has signed an agreement with workforce management software provider, Kronos Incorporated, to automate and optimise planning and management processes for its 3,900 cabin and flight crew members.
Jordanian MRO company, JorAMCo has won two major international contracts – further establishing the Amman based company's credentials as a serious maintenance contender in the rapidly expanding Middle East MRO market.
The world-class Formula 1 event in Abu Dhabi last month gave the emirate's international airport a further boost to its already impressive traffic figures
Aircrash investigators probing the fatal crash of a Boeing 707 cargo plane at Sharjah Airport have suffered a setback as they have been unable to retrieve information from the aurcraft's flight data recorders (FDR).
Sharjah based budget airline Air Arabia has posted figures showing its income fropped by almost a third year-on-year. Its profits however appear to be 10 percent down at the nine month period.
Dubai Aerospace Enterprise has selected Messier-Bugatti to supply wheels and carbon brakes for 70 Boeing 737 Next Generation aircraft to be delivered new from Boeing starting in 2010.
Etihad will be using sophisticated flight planning software from early next year to reduce fuel burn by some two percent and making other savings through improved routeing.
Pratt & Whitney and Saudi Arabian Airlines signed an agreement today expanding Pratt & Whitney's EcoPower engine wash service network to the MENA region
Rotocraft manufacturer and dealer, Russian Helicopters has held its first regional conference seeking to increase deliveries to the Middle East and ensuring reliable helicopter operations in the region.
The UAE Air Force has just announced that it has selected Pilatus to provide basic trainers and has turned to SAAB for an Airborne Early Warning System.
Dassault Systemes has appointed Abu Dhabi-based high tech firm Dasbat as a value added reseller to handle its world-leading 3D and Product Lifecycle Management products. They include CATIA, the design programme used in every major aircraft design project.
Nepalese national carrier Nepal Airlines has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for an Airbus A330-200 and an A320. If converted into an order, it would be worth $250 million at catalogue prices.
