| Saudi Arabia to appoint private operators to manage 4 airports soon, say Al-Falih
Saudi Arabia is strengthening the role of private entities in the logistics and transport sector through various initiatives, including a new investment law, according to a top minister. |
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| Kuwait Airways revenues jump by 16% in 2023
Kuwait Airways Corporation (KAC) reported a 16 percent increase in revenue for 2023, reaching KD 335 million (about $1 billion), announced Board Chairman Abdulmohsen Alfagaan on Thursday. |
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| Saudi Arabia adds 60 direct routes since launch of Air Connectivity Program
Saudi Arabia has introduced 60 new direct air routes since the launch of its national Air Connectivity Program, according to Majid Khan, CEO of the initiative. |
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| Etihad Airways' Abu Dhabi Stopover Programme achieves exceptional growth
Etihad Airways and the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) announced that the Abu Dhabi Stopover programme welcomed 24,000 international visitors in the first half of 2024, compared to 7,000 in the latter half of 2023 - an increase of 242 per cent. |
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| Qatar Airways buys into Virgin Australia, raising the stakes against Qantas
Qatar Airways will buy a 25 percent stake in Virgin Australia from US private equity firm Bain Capital, posing a tougher contest for Qantas Airways that has dominated Australian routes and pushed back against giving access to the Middle Eastern carrier. |
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| Wizz Air expects 15-20% growth in passenger volume next year thanks to Mid East routes
Wizz Air expects 15-20 percent growth in passenger volume next year, its CEO told Reuters, with new low-cost routes to the Middle East, such as from Europe to the UAE, adding an extra boost. |
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| UAE travels: Emirates, Etihad flights delayed as typhoon Bebinca hits Shanghai
Typhoon Bebinca made landfall in Shanghai on Monday morning as a Category 1 storm, the most powerful tropical cyclone to directly hit the Chinese financial hub in more than seven decades. |
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| Riyadh Air begins non-commercial flights as part of certification process
Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Air, a subsidiary of the Public Investment Fund, has launched its first non-commercial flight from the capital’s King Khalid International Airport as part of the airline’s certification process. |
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| Riyadh Air teams up with noon payments to enhance digital transactions
Passengers on Riyadh Air will benefit from a more seamless digital transaction experience as the soon-to-be-operational Saudi carrier has partnered with noon payments. |
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| Saudi Arabia’s PIF explores acquisition of Boeing, Airbus freighters for new cargo airline: Bloomberg
Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund is in discussions to acquire Boeing and Airbus freighters as part of a plan to establish a new cargo airline, according to Bloomberg. |
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| Riyadh Air partners with FIFA’s Concacaf as official airline
Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Air has secured a multi-year agreement to become the official airline partner of Concacaf, the FIFA Confederation for North, Central America, and the Caribbean. |
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| UAE’s Etihad Rail launches sustainable finance framework in green push
Etihad Rail, the developer and operator of the United Arab Emirates’ rail network, has launched a sustainable finance framework to support its green investments in transportation and infrastructure, it said on Wednesday. |
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| Mawani, Aljeri launch $43m logistics zones in Jeddah and Dammam
Two
new logistics zones, spanning 150,000 sq. meters, will be established at Jeddah
Islamic Port and King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam with a SR160 million ($42.6
million) investment. |
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| Saudi airport operator Cluster2 achieves new record with 1.73m travelers in July
Cluster2, the Saudi airport operating firm, has set a new passenger milestone by handling 1.73 million travelers in July, marking a 9 percent increase from the previous record set in July 2019. |
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| Etihad’s H1 profit surges 48% to Dh851m
Etihad Airways recorded a 48 per cent increase in profit after tax at Dh851 million driven by strong passenger and cargo revenue growth in the first six months of 2024. |
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| UAE: Airfares for visa-free countries surge 300% ahead of next public holiday
UAE residents will have to pay a whopping 300 per cent more on airfares to visa-free countries during the next long weekend. |
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| Air Arabia reports H1 net profit of Dh693 million
Air Arabia (PJSC), the Middle East and North Africa's first and largest low-cost carrier (LCC) operator, on Monday announced strong financial and operational results for the second quarter and first half of 2024, as the airline continued to expand its network, further solidifying its leadership position in the market. |
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| US-Bangla Airlines given approval to operate regular Dhaka-Jeddah flights
Saudi Arabia is expanding its global air connectivity by allowing US-Bangla Airlines to operate seven weekly flights between the Kingdom and Bangladesh starting August 1. |
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| flyadeal’s seating capacity rises 9% to reach 5m in H1
Saudi Arabia’s low-cost airline flyadeal saw a significant increase in available seating capacity in the first half of this year, reaching 5 million, which represents a 9 percent rise compared to the same period in 2023. |
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| Qatar’s Hamad International Airport sees 25% surge in passenger traffic
The number of passengers passing through Qatar’s Hamad International Airport surged 25 percent year on year to reach 25.9 million travelers in the first half of 2024. |
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| Saudia tops global airline list for on-time performance in June
Saudi Arabia’s national carrier has topped the list of global airlines as it achieved an 88.22 percent on-time arrival rate in June, according to new data from the independent aviation tracking site Cirium. |
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| Saudi airline flynas to buy 160 Airbus planes
Saudi low-cost airline flynas has signed a deal to purchase 160 Airbus aircraft, doubling the volume of its orders to 280 planes. |
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| Flydubai in early talks for largest ever airplane order
Government-owned airline flydubai is in early talks with planemakers Boeing and Airbus to place its largest-ever airplane order, CEO Chief Executive Ghaith Al-Ghaith said on Tuesday. |
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| Qatar Airways orders 20 Boeing 777X long-haul jets
Qatar Airways on Tuesday ordered 20 Boeing 777X long-haul aircraft worth $8.8 billion at list prices, boosting the US aviation giant at Britain’s Farnborough International Airshow. |
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| Flydubai says expansion plans hindered by Boeing delays
Dubai-based carrier flydubai’s fleet expansion plans have been hit by delays to Boeing’s aircraft delivery schedule, the airline said on Monday. |
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| Riyadh Air signs 5-year deal to use GE Aerospace’s software
Riyadh Air signed a five-year agreement on Monday to use GE Aerospace’s flight operations software, the airline has announced. |
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| Flydubai set to expand fleet with 7 new aircraft by 2024
flydubai announced that it will receive seven aircraft before the end of 2024 and is on track to hire more than 130 new pilots by the end of this year. |
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| Global Aerospace Summit set to fast-track aviation investments
Representing the aerospace, aviation, space, and defence sectors, the premier thought leadership forum will aim to accelerate investments to drive greater sustainability, youth engagement and innovation for the industry. |
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| UAE flights: Flydubai adds two destinations in Iran
Flydubai announced today the launch of direct flights to two new destinations in Iran. This includes the start of a four-times weekly service to Kish Island from September 7 and a twice-weekly service to Kerman from September 9. |
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| Abu Dhabi airports report 40% surge in travelers
Abu Dhabi’s airports saw around 22.4 million travelers in 2023, a 40 percent increase from the previous year, driven largely by passengers from the Indian subcontinent, official data showed. |
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| Middle East carriers witness 15.3% air cargo demand growth in May: IATA
Middle Eastern airlines witnessed a 15.3 percent year-on-year demand growth for cargo in May, driven by growing e-commerce and maritime issues, an analysis showed. |
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| Kuwait Airways, Thai Airways deal to boost tourism
Kuwait Airways announced on Tuesday the signing of a codeshare agreement with Thai Airways, which will allow the code to be used for flights between Kuwait and Bangkok and from Kuwait to many destinations across Europe, starting on Wednesday. |
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| Saudia tops Kingdom’s airlines in May for passenger satisfaction and resolution: GACA
Saudi Arabia’s flagship carrier, Saudia, registered the fewest complaints among the Kingdom’s airlines and documented a 95 percent resolution rate, according to official data. |
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| Kuwait Airways announces first flight to Salalah
Kuwait Airways announced Wednesday its first flight to Oman’s Salalah, with three scheduled flights per week on Sunday, Tuesday and Friday. |
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| Kuwait and UAE civil aviation bodies sign security agreement
Kuwait’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and its Emirati counterpart signed on Monday an agreement to put security personnel on civilian aircraft traveling to both countries. |
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| Middle Eastern airlines set for $3.8bn profit surge in 2024: IATA
Middle Eastern airlines are set to see profits in 2024 surge 22.5 percent from previous estimates to reach $3.8 billion, according to the latest forecast by the International Air Transport Association. |
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| IATA summit in Dubai focuses on airline industry challenges
Geopolitical and economic changes, safety, and emissions are in the spotlight at the 80th IATA Annual General Meeting and World Air Transport Summit that commenced in Dubai on June 2. |
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| Emirates president asks Boeing for compensation over 777x delays
Emirates President Tim Clark on Sunday called on Boeing to compensate the airline for delays in the development of the US planemaker’s latest 777 jet, which the carrier has bought. |
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| Saudi Shoura Council calls on GACA to establish low-cost airports around Riyadh
Saudi Arabia will soon assess the feasibility of establishing low-cost airports around Riyadh following a call from the Kingdom’s Shoura Council. |
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| Riyadh Air and Saudia agree new joint training programs
Saudi Arabia’s two national airlines will work together to train pilots, aircraft crews and other aviation employees thanks to a new deal. |
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| Saudi aviation industry likely to create 35,000 new jobs by 2030
Saudi Arabia unveiled its first “State of Aviation” report, highlighting the sector’s contributions to the Kingdom’s economic growth, as industry leaders gathered for the Future Aviation Forum. |
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| Sky’s the limit: Saudi Arabia’s Future Aviation Forum 2024 will help fuel Kingdom’s Vision 2030
Aviation leaders and key figures from across the globe will convene in Riyadh for the Future Aviation Forum 2024, a three-day event highlighting the strides in global air travel innovation, coinciding with Saudi Arabia’s ambition to generate $100 billion from the sector by 2030. |
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| Saudi aviation sector contributes $21bn to GDP: GACA
Saudi Arabia is experiencing steady growth in its aviation sector, contributing $21 billion to the Kingdom’s gross domestic product in 2023 and solidifying its position as a global tourism hub. |
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| British Airways to resume Jeddah operations, enhancing UK-Saudi connectivity
British Airways is set to resume operations in Jeddah after a five-year hiatus, aiming to enhance connectivity to the Kingdom, the airline said. |
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| Saudi Arabia to reveal roadmap to turn aviation sector into $2bn industry
An ambitious roadmap setting out how Saudi Arabia will grow its aviation sector tenfold into a $2 billion industry will be unveiled at a special event in May. |
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| Riyadh Air, STA ink deal to launch new routes and destinations
Saudi Arabia’s second flag carrier Riyadh Air will soon announce more routes and destinations thanks to a new agreement with the Kingdom’s official tourism body. |
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| Saudi airports awarded customer experience accreditation, elevating travel services
Customer service offerings at 16 Saudi airports have been recognized with a prestigious global award. |
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| Dubai's RTA announces new Metro protocols for peak hours
New daily protocols are being implemented at Dubai Metro stations to ensure passengers' safety, the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) announced on Tuesday. |
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| Dubai ruler approves new $35bn airport terminal
Dubai’s ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum approved a new passenger terminal in Al Maktoum International airport worth 128 billion dirhams ($34.85 billion), he said on Sunday in a post on X. |
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| UAE flights: Abu Dhabi Airports serves 6.9 million passengers in 3 months
Abu Dhabi Airports, the operator of five airports in the emirate, recorded a more than 35 per cent surge in passenger traffic at 6.9 million passengers in the first three months of this year compared to the same period in 2023 when the figures were 5.1 million. |