Middle East & North Africa

Qatar Airways beat airlines worldwide to walk away with the coveted title of Airline of the Year from readers of TTG, a weekly UK-based travel trade magazine.
Air Transport

The carrier has signed two deals, each worth $350 million to cover the purchase of four Boeing 777 widebodies due for delivery this year.
Aerospace

Etihad Airways - the UAE's national airline - will tonight launch flights to Cape Town, South Africa's second most populous city and leading tourist destination, from its home-base in Abu Dhabi
Air Transport

A US military drone crashed Saturday in northern Iraq, hitting a regional office of Iraq's largest Sunni political party in an area that remains an insurgent stronghold, an American military official said yesterday.
Defense

Double-digit growth in passenger traffic continued at Dubai International for the third consecutive month with Dubai Airports announcing a 10.7% jump in passenger numbers during August. This follows increases of 10.3% in June and 12.6% in July.
Air Transport

Hawker Beechcraft is taking pre-orders for the Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 Integrated Display System (IDS) for installation on Beechcraft 1900D aircraft. The upgrade is expected to be available third quarter 2010.
Emerging Technologies

Gulf Air has clearly demonstrated its intention for route expansions into Iraq with the introduction of a brand new four times weekly service to Najaf, the second city in Iraq supported by the the national carrier of Bahrain
Air Transport

Iran's sole Simorgh AWACS aircraft was lost during a military parade on September 22, one of two Iranian military aircraft that crashed in Tehran while participating in a display to mark the anniversary of the start of the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq War, reported DefenseNews
Defense

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) today announced international scheduled traffic results for August which show the Middle East as the only region to show year-on-year growth in passenger demand with an increase of 10.8%.
Air Transport

The Dubai-owned business jet manufacturer Emivest Aerospace Corporation (EAC) has delivered its first Emivest branded SJ30.
Business Aviation

Water canons fired over a Ukrainian Airlines Boeing 737 at Abu Dhabi airport this afternoon to commemorate the inaugural flight between the Ukrainian capital Kiev and the UAE's capital city.
Airports & Networks

Quintin Cairncross has been appointed Operations Director for ExecuJet Middle East and is overseeing the fully managed aircraft fleet in the region.
Maintenance & Training

National Bank of Abu Dhabi and DVB Bank SE have signed an agreement to launch a new aviation investment fund. The fund will invest in aviation assets, principally aircraft and engines on lease to international airlines.
Aerospace

Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC) today released the August 2009 traffic figures for Abu Dhabi International Airport, which show a 12.4 per cent increase in aircraft movements, a 6.2% increase in cargo and a 2.5% increase in total passenger movement.
Airports & Networks

MNG Airlines, the largest Turkish all-cargo operator, has placed a follow-on order with Airbus for two more A330-200Fs to support its expanding cargo operations. These aircraft are in addition to the two firm orders for the A330-200F which the carrier placed in 2007, bringing its total orders for the type now to four aircraft and reaffirming its confidence in the type to expand its network as the freighter market gradually rebounds.
Air Transport

Russian Helicopters, JSC, the managing body of the consolidated Russian helicopter industry holding, is planning to start taking orders for its upgraded Mi-8M helicopter. First deliveries of Mi-8M are scheduled for 2013. After serious modernisation this model will remain in production until 2020 at the earliest.
Aerospace

The Middle East saw both flights and capacity for travel to and from the region experience a second consecutive month of growth, following last month's first positive increase after a year of decline.
Air Transport

Unveiling a completely new sales strategy, the EMEA Division of ARINC has today announced it will seek local alliances with experienced IT firms and systems integrators to market the company's industry-leading passenger systems to hundreds of smaller airports across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
Airports & Networks

The European Aviation Safety Agency has issued a safety warning for an air speed sensor used on Airbus A330 and A340 jets, and urged airlines to test the device, reported AP.
Air Transport

Privately owned low-cost carrier Norwegian will increase its four-days-a week timetable for flights from Scandinavia to Dubai to a daily service during the winter season 2009-10, Gulf News has reported.
Airports & Networks

Sikorsky has introduced a new functionality for the S-92 helicopter to provide offshore oil operators with an automated approach that reduces cockpit workload and allows safer operations under challenging weather and operating conditions.
Aerospace

Air France KLM is to introduce an A380 superjumbo on its Dubai route to compensate for reducing its flight frequency to the Emirate as part of a number of recently released changes to its Winter schedule.
Air Transport

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced today that it has presented its proposals for December's climate change talks to the UN Secretary General's Summit on Climate Change in New York.
Air Transport

Skytrax Research has confirmed Qatar Airways' certification as a world 5-Star Airline for the 2009/2010 ranking period, repeating it's earlier quality ranking success within this exclusive group of airlines.
Air Transport

UAE low-cost carrier Fly Dubai's delayed launch of its service connecting smaller Indian cities with the Middle East was due - according to a report in the Indian Express - to strong lobbying by Indian carriers and opposition by India's political parties.
Air Transport