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Emirates is currently refitting the First and Business class cabins on its 29-strong fleet of Airbus A330-200s to provide more leg-room for greater passenger comfort
Tim Clark, President, Emirates Airline, said, "We constantly look to enhance the products and services that we offer our customers. The extended leg-room in the First and Business class cabins of our A330s underlines our dedication to offering Emirates passengers a flying experience as comfortable and enjoyable as possible."
Reconfiguration work has started and been completed on two aircraft so far. It will continue through to mid-April. The reconfiguration work is being carried out as the aircraft undergo scheduled engineering checks.

DOHA: Qatar Airways has said it had agreed financing of $1 billion with three banks for 13 Airbus aircraft. "We have lined up one billion dollars financing with Barclays Bank, ABN-Amro and Qatar National Bank to finance the 13 aircraft,” Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker said.  Qatar Airways said last month it would receive 13 new Airbus aircraft this year. The new deliveries are part of a 34-aircraft order, worth $5.1 billion, which the Qatari national carrier placed with Airbus at the Paris Air Show in July 2003

MUSCAT: Oman Air will be flying to Bahrain by this April. This will take the total number of their destinations to 19. Abdulrazaq Al Raisi, country manager of Oman Air, announced this at Oman Air’s annual agents award function held at InterContinental Hotel. It is at this platform that travel agents are recognised and appreciated for their support, co-operation and patronage provided to the national carrier of Oman. Oman Air is also planning to introduce two new destinations in India, New Delhi and Hyderabad, Al Raisi said.

Emirates Airline has opened a spanking new office in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, to smoothen and make more effective its service offerings to this holy city, visited by an ever-increasing number of its customers. It marks the venue of the fourth Emirates office in Saudi Arabia, after the Eastern, Central and Western provinces, and successfully underlines the strategic importance of the airline’s operations to the country.

Hamad Obaidalla, Emirates’ Vice President - GCC, Yemen, Iran & CIS said, "At the root of Emirates’ success lies the philosophy of quickly responding to customer demands. The new office primarily caters to customers who are intent on performing the Hajj and Umrah rituals at Makkah." "Passengers are assured of a seamless travel experience as the new office offers the full range of counter services combined with exceptional levels of customer service. Our sales and promotion strategies for Makkah and Saudi Arabia as a whole also will help boost the city’s attractiveness during the traditional off-season periods," added Obaidalla.

The airline currently operates flights to Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam. Offices in these three cities also cater to customers eagerness for products and services from Emirates SkyCargo and Emirates Holidays.

MUSCAT: Abdul Rahman Bin Harith Al Busaidi, executive president of Oman Air, has said that the company concluded an agreement with the Gulf Air to co-operate in operating flights to some destinations in order to avoid losses. He said the company has launched the first pilot training programme which will help save around RO40,000 annually, adding that Oman Air intends to establish a specialist training centre to train its pilots. He noted that Oman Air will operate flights to Bahrain from April 2004 and to New Delhi and Hyderabad in India from June.  

KAMPALA: The manager of Egypt Air in Uganda, Esmat Abd Elmotteleb, has said the airline will introduce a 300-series Airbus in July to cater for the high peak season which starts in July and ends in September every year. Esmat said the airbus takes between 15 to 17 tonnes of cargo and 253 passengers. He said during that time (July to September), many people visit Europe and Africa. Esmat also said Egypt Air would make two flights to Nairobi and Dar-es-Salaam which will be on Monday and Friday. He said this was due to the high demand for fish in the European markets.

DOHA: Gulf Air has announced two senior appointments in its public relations department. The company has named Sadek Karam as the new head of corporate affairs. Karam, who has an MBA in marketing, has held several senior management positions with leading banks and financial institutions in Bahrain and other Gulf countries. Prior to taking up his appointment at Gulf Air he was head of marketing at the Commercial Bank in Qatar. Hisham Abu Al Fateh has taken on the role of public relations manager. After completing a Bachelor's Degree in accounting at Bahrain University, he worked with Al Ahli Bank, the Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait (BBK) and managed the Dynamics Advertising Agency.

MUSCAT: Gulf Air has called upon women nationals to take up pilot training with the airline. The carrier, which introduced a lady pilot recently — the first airline in the AGCC’s aviation history to introduce so — has sent out a strong message to the women nationals of Oman, the UAE and Bahrain to come forward and be pilots of Gulf Air. The carrier has asserted its readiness to take them in as trainee pilots, provided they excel in the physical and mental ability tests. The announcement is seen as the airline’s commitment to supporting the community in which it operates. According to the airline, fresh graduates will be encouraged and trained as pilots.  

Emirates, the UAE’s award-winning international airline, plans to open six new destinations in 2004 including gateways in the US, Scotland, central Europe, China and West Africa in a network expansion spread across four continents. On January 2, the airline’s operations in Africa leap forward with flights to Lagos and Accra. The other destinations are Shanghai in China; Vienna in Europe and New York, US.
The new route to West Africa by Emirates to the Nigerian capital, Lagos and capital of neighbouring Ghana, Accra, provide the first direct air link between West Africa and the Gulf, boosting trade between the two regions. This new service opens up West African markets and provides West Africans with their first direct link to Dubai and points eastwards. Emirates has steadily expanded its operations in North and East Africa since flights to Cairo began in 1986.
The flights will be operational four times weekly from January 2 non-stop to Lagos and continuing to Accra. Flights will be operated with an A330-200 in three-class configuration. Emirates has full traffic rights between the two capitals.

AMMAN: Jordan’s national carrier has said it had resumed passenger flights to Iraq, which were suspended in November after a missile hit a courier plane shortly after it took off from Baghdad airport. "Royal Jordanian has started operating chartered flights to Baghdad to facilitate the travel of humanitarian organisations and cater for certain business traffic," Royal Jordanian Airlines (RJ) vice-president Ghassan Ali said. RJ ran the only regular UN-sanctioned service to Baghdad before the start of the US-led war on Iraq.

MUSCAT: Gulf Air received one of the best possible indicators that it was on the road to recovery with the revelation that more than six million revenue passengers had flown with the airline in 2003. This was the highest number ever carried in a single financial year. The figures revealed that over half a million more passengers flew with Gulf Air compared to 2002, an increase of more than 10 per cent, while the six million figure showed nearly two million increase on 10 years ago

AMMAN: The Jordanian Government has announced its intention to sell two aviation support services that were established as a result of the restructuring of Jordan's flag carrier, Royal Jordanian Airlines (RJ). Jordan Aircraft Maintenance (JorAMCo) and Jordan Airmotive are to be divested through Jordan's Executive Privatisation Commission through an international competitive sale, stated a press release. JorAMCo, which provides aircraft maintenance services, and JALCo, which repairs and overhauls aircraft engines, originally both served as RJ's engineering component and became government-owned private entities when the airline was restructured.

DOHA: Qatar Airwas now has five A330-200s in the fleet while the airline has a firm order for 14 Airbus A330s to be delivered to it from September 2004 to 2008. This was announced during the airline’s Airbus-A330 viewing for the press and travel agents recently held at the Bahrain International Airport. The event was attended by local journalists and travel agents from Bahrain, accompanied by Qatar Airways marketing officer and events organiser Shehab Turk. The group also viewed Al Maha services, F/J class lounges and the Qatar Duty Free.  

MANAMA: A CODE-SHARING agreement between Gulf Air and Australia's national airline Qantas has commenced. It will see Qantas place its code on Gulf Air flights between Singapore and Bahrain and Beirut, according to Gulf Air president and chief executive James Hogan. The agreement also covers services to Athens, Cairo and Dubai, which will be commenced when the necessary government approvals are in place. "The expanded relationship between Gulf Air and Qantas will offer customers more choice for travel between Australia and the Middle East and the Levant, with convenient schedules and excellent connections," said Hogan.  

DOHA: GE Capital Aviation Services has announced it will lease three Airbus A330-200 aircraft to Qatar Airways. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. The first two aircraft enter service at Qatar Airways in January and February 2004. The third is a new aircraft scheduled for delivery in June 2005. "We are very pleased to extend our relationship with one of the leading carriers in the Middle East, Qatar Airways," said Norman C.T. Liu, executive vice president, commercial operations for GECAS.  

MANAMA: Gulf Air has halved its losses and is on target to break even by the end of next year, it has been revealed. The losses have dropped dramatically from BD42 million and will meet the end-of-year target figure of BD20m, said board chairman and Finance and National Economy Minister Abdulla Saif at a press conference after a board meeting this week. In addition, Gulf Air expects to realise BD13m by selling its office in central London and an area of land at Heathrow.  

COLMBO: Cyprus Airways, which has entered the Indian subcontinent market with the official launch of twice-weekly service from Larnaca to Colombo via Dubai, sees strong market potential in other destinations of the sub-continent. The airline's vice-chairman Achilleas Kyprianou said the airline has been prompted by strong demand for the Colombo service from the Gulf labour market and outbound tourism sector.

KUWAIT CITY: The Kuwaiti government has approved the liberalisation of its airline sector, allowing private firms to set up passenger and freight carriers in the country. The move was endorsed by the Council of Ministers on November 16, 2003. According to set regulations, private companies wishing to set up an airline in Kuwait will not be able to hold more than a 30 per cent stake in the venture. The remaining shares would be open for public subscription. Kuwait Airways (KAC) is currently the Emirate’s only airline.

MANAMA: Gulf Air has signed an aircraft leasing agreement that will increase the size of its present fleet from 33 to 36 aircraft. This agreement follows leasing acquisitions in July this year, which added two new A340s and an A320 to the airline's fleet. In terms of the leasing agreement, signed with Boeing last month, Gulf Air will take delivery of a further three Airbus wide-bodied A340-300 aircraft, one of which rolled off the delivery line at the Airbus factory in Toulouse at the end of October. This takes the total of A340s in the Gulf Air fleet to 10.

MANAMA: GULF Air has posted record results for the third quarter of this year as the company continues to pursue its three-year recovery plan. The airline carried a record 1,811,232 passengers during the three-month period - with planes three quarters full on average. It reported an average load factor of 73.5 per cent, which is up by 17.4% on figures for the same period last year. Passenger gross revenue for the year to date is also up by 12.3% over last year. "The significant changes we have implemented to date have made a quantifiable difference to the commercial operation of the airline," explained Gulf Air finance vice-president Ahmed Al Hammadi.

DOHA: In a world first, Gulf Air announced the introduction of a professional, qualified Sky Nanny on its routes between Bahrain, Abu Dhabi and London, and the Bahrain-Sydney route, beginning with the airline's inaugural flight to Sydney on November 23.  Every Sky Nanny will be a fully qualified member of the in-flight service team, dedicated to delivering specialist care for children up to the age of 12 travelling with their parents or as unaccompanied minors. The duties of Sky Nannies will be to provide qualified professional care from the moment of boarding the flight to the end of the journey. Once the young passengers are seated, the Sky Nanny will explain her services, which include checking dietary requirements, and keeping children amused with a range of books, comics and special children entertainment channels.

MUSCAT: Gulf Air has signed an agreement with the Indian Airlines allowing Gulf Air to operate twice-weekly flights to Bangalore in India when the winter schedule comes into effect on October 26.  The flights will be operated under a code-sharing arrangement with Indian Airlines while Indian Airlines will position its codes on the Gulf Air services. Gulf Air flights are scheduled to depart Bahrain on GF274 every Monday and Thursday at 2210 local time arriving in Bangalore at 0600. The return flight will depart the Garden City on Tuesday and Friday as GF275 at 0700 to arrive in Bahrain at 1020.  

DOHA: Qatar Airways is the first airline in the world to pass the new International Air Transport Association Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) with 100 per cent compliance. "We've made history here at the airline. We're the first air carrier to be audited by the IOSA system and have passed with a 100 per cent satisfactory record," said Akbar Al Baker, airline chief executive officer in a statement. "IOSA is a newly implemented internationally recognised system, set up to standardise and rationalise a number of safety and security audits carried out by individual airlines for code-sharing purposes," he said.

MUSCAT: The Government of Oman, which has a 34 per cent stake in Oman Aviation Services Company (OAS), will pump RO10 million into Oman Air — the principal division of OAS. In fact, the public limited Oman Aviation Services Company (SAOG) with a capital of over RO12 million (listed on the Muscat Securities Market) has been a loss-making company for the last few years. The company, with total assets of over $170 million, made a net loss of RO2.6 million in 2001 and reduced its losses to RO1.75 million in 2002. However, for the first six months of the current year ended June 30, 2003, it has reported a net loss of RO1.57 million compared with RO0.76 million in the corresponding period of the preceding year.  

NICOSIA: Cyprus Airways is set to fly Dubai-Colombo return twice a week. Introduction of the new Sri Lanka sector, on November 18, has been prompted by “particularly heavy market demand,” according to Cyprus Airways' Middle East and Gulf Chief Stavros Kyprianou. “It became clear we required traffic rights on the Dubai-Colombo route and we're confident the sector will perform extremely well,” says Kyprianou. An Airbus 320 will be used on the route. The flights will originate in Larnaca and stop in Dubai on both legs of the journey. This means Cyprus Airways will be able to offer four return flights a week from Dubai to Larnaca instead of the current two.

DOHA: Qatar Airways' newly converted A300-600 cargo freighter services have been launched between Amsterdam and the Indian cities of Delhi and Chennai through its hub at Doha. Speaking at a gala dinner in the Sheraton, Akbar Al Baker, Qatar Airways' Chief Executive Officer, announced that the freighter took its inaugural flight to Amsterdam this week. With the launch of the dedicated cargo freighter, the airline's cargo capacity will increase by more than 750 tonnes per week, said Akbar, adding that the A300-600 will spearhead cargo operations. "We're expecting to increase the amount of cargo we're handling by more than 35 per cent in 2003," he said. The airline currently uses its passenger fleet to transport cargo.

RIYADH: In a move to boost Saudi-Afghan relations, Afghanistan's state-run airline, Ariana, has resumed regular flights from Kabul to Jeddah, said Abdul Razzak Sirat and Fazal Omar, officials at the Embassy of Afghanistan. Syed Habibur Rahman, an Ariana official, said: "We will operate only two flights a week for the time being." Ariana expects growing passenger loads on flights from Jeddah to Kabul. Embassy officials said that there were more than 53,000 Afghans currently living in Saudi Arabia. Regular flights from Afghanistan to Saudi Arabia were halted in 1980 but resumed in 1996 when the Taliban took Kabul.  

NEW DELHI: Turkish Airlines, the national carrier of Turkey, has announced commencement of flights on the Delhi-Istanbul route, from this week. This marks the airline's return to India after an absence of nine years. InterGlobe Air Transport (IGAT), the leading air transport management company, shall represent Turkish Airlines in India. The regional director for Turkish Airlines, Levent Selvili, said: "Turkish Airlines undertook a comprehensive assessment process before deciding to start operations to India and are confident that travel in and out of India will only increase over the coming years."

MANAMA: RESERVATIONS staff at the new Gulf Air Worldwide Contact Centre in Oman have been having busy days as the state-of-the-art facility went live for the first time this week. The centre, located in the Knowledge Oasis Muscat, serves customers from all over the Middle East. "The reservations function is essentially the nerve centre of an airline and the introduction of this world-class facility will guarantee an unprecedented level of consistent and professional service delivery," promised Gulf Air president and chief executive James Hogan. He also praised those involved in making sure the new technology was operational. Around 300 Omani nationals will eventually staff the centre.  

AMMAN: The Palestinian Airlines has inaugurated a thrice-weekly flight between Jordan and Egypt as a temporary service until the international airport in the Gaza Strip can reopen. Airline spokesman Nafez Suleiman said the first flight took off from the Jordanian capital Amman and flew to Egypt's Mediterranean port of Al Arish with 40 passengers aboard. The plane was a Canadian-made Dash 8

MUSCAT:Oman Air, the official carrier of the Sultanate of Oman, would organise the 36th Arab Air Carriers Organisation (Aaco) annual general meeting at Al Bustan Palace Hotel from October 6 to 8, a press release said. The AGM would feature a unique blend of international experts and senior representatives from the global aviation industry coming together to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing the Arab airlines. The Aaco, established in 1965, is a regional association of the Arab airlines who have their home base in countries who are members of the Arab League. The organisation's mission is to promote co-operation amongst Arab airlines and to serve their common interests through service excellence. Twenty-two Arab airlines will participate in this AGM  

A team of reservations recruits from Oman has arrived in Bahrain for further training with Gulf Air. Their arrival is part of the preparations for the opening of Gulf Air's worldwide contact centre in Oman. Gulf Air Vice-President Marketing and Sales John Butler met them and worldwide reservations head Andrew Dawson. The group of 34 trainees has just completed a rigorous preliminary four-week course in Oman. In Bahrain, they join their colleagues to round out their customer service and operational skills in a programme of workplace training   

SHARJAH: Adel Abdulla Ali has been named to the new position of Chief Executive Officer of Air Arabia.   Ali, who combines an extensive career in airline management with a strong business background, will be based at Sharjah International Airport. In his new role, Ali will help to identify and pursue new growth opportunities, lead the strategy planning process, coordinate company activities in Sharjah, leading to the launch of Air Arabia later this year. 

"Adel Ali has over 23 years' senior aviation experience in the Middle East," said Sheikh Abdulla Bin Mohammed AI Thani, Air Arabia Chairman. "Sharjah is already the industrial capital of the UAE, and is rapidly becoming an important business and leisure travel destination.  With Adel Ali's guidance, Air Arabia and Sharjah International Airport look forward to new heights of success." 

Previously, Ali had been Vice President Commercial and Customer Services at Gulf Air. Prior to that he held number of senior managerial positions with British Airways.

Air Arabia is the third national airline for United Arab Emirates based in Sharjah. Air Arabia's objective is to provide value-for money, reliable and customer-friendly air transportation within the region.   

MUSCAT: Oman Air has concluded the loan to finance its acquisition of a B737-800 aircraft. The financing arrangements, provided by Barclays Bank Plc and arranged by Barclays Capital, are supported by the Export-Import Bank (Exim) of the USA and have a tenure of 12 years. Oman Air has been able to obtain very attractive terms, especially in the context of current industrial scenario. Management of Oman Air attributes this to its realistic and credible future plans, which sees the development of Oman Air as the niche regional career. Exim support has enabled Oman Air not only to benefit from significantly lower finance cost, but has also given boost to Oman Air in financial circles.   

DUBAI: JAT - Yugoslav Airlines resumed its scheduled services to Dubai one year ago, after a ten-year absence from the Dubai market. This year, JAT is operating five weekly frequencies between Belgrade-Beirut and Dubai with a B-737-300 aircraft.

It should be noted that JAT has achieved a 72.34% growth in the number of passengers carried in June this year, compared to the same month last year.

Encouraged by this growth, AT is planning to increase the number of frequencies for next summer to daily. JAT is also offering competitive cargo rates to Beirut and European points served. The airline celebrated its 76th anniversary last month, being one of the airlines with the longest tradition in the World.    

GULF Air is set to launch new flights to the US and Europe by the end of the year. The airline is also ready to move ahead with the next phase of its expansion plans, it was announced yesterday. Studies are now underway to assess potential new destinations in the West, it said in a statement. This follows strong performance in the first half of this year - despite a global downturn in the aviation industry. So far, the number of passengers on Gulf Air flights for this month alone is up by 11.6 per cent as compared to last year - exceeding the airline's best projections, said the statement.    

DUBAI: Emirates SkyCargo’s Pakistan station is fast picking up, hauling a record-breaking 29 tonnes of cargo in the belly of the Airbus 330-200 passenger aircraft, soon after it launched the triple daily to Karachi.

Leaving Karachi for Dubai, the cargo consisted of some dry shipment but mainly of sweet ripe mangoes, a very popular export from Pakistan to European destinations. This shipment broke the previous record held by the Johannesburg station, which had lifted 28 tonnes of cargo in an A330-200 in Feb 2001.

Peter Sedgley, Vice President – Cargo Commercial Operations, Emirates Airline, said: “Congratulations to the entire SkyCargo Karachi team for achieving this worldwide record across our Emirates stations. This is an example of initiative and tremendous teamwork.” 

Fallahuddin Malik, Cargo Manager – Pakistan, Emirates Airline, while full of praise for the team said, “SkyCargo’s operation in Pakistan has grown tremendously over the years. It can be attributed to the consistent quality of our products and services and the tailor-made solutions that we have been able to deliver to our customers over these years. We are excited about our new services to Moscow and the planned start of services to Auckland on 1^st August.”

Pakistan, one of Emirates' first destinations when it started operations in 1985, continues to expand its operations. Currently, Emirates operates a total of 32 flights a week between Dubai and Pakistan – 21 flights to Karachi, four to Lahore, five to Islamabad and two flights to Peshawar.    

DOHA: Qatar Airways, the Doha-based national carrier of the State of Qatar, has recently signed a financing mandate with Credit Lyonnais for long-term financing of two Airbus A320 aircraft to be delivered in March and October 2004. It is the first transaction for Credit Lyonnais with Qatar Airways; DekaBank, Kreditanstalt Wiederaufbau and Standard Chartered Bank are joining Credit Lyonnais as Export Credit Agency and Commercial Lenders. The financing will be structured as a finance lease, with the European Export Credit Agencies supporting 85 per cent of the loan and the balance of 15 per cent being a commercial loan.    

DOHA: Qatar Airways has added seven additional weekly flights between Doha and Beirut giving two daily flight options between the Qatari capital and the Lebanese capital.

"These services have convenient timings offering quick connections to other destinations in the Gulf, the Indian Subcontinent and the Far East," said Mohamed Saleh Fakhri, Qatar Airways Commercial General Manager.

The launch of the increased flights was celebrated during a gala dinner reception at Beirut's famed Phoenicia Hotel.

Qatar Airways Regional Manager Levant, Hilal Al Mohannadi, stated: "The additional daily flight QR 428 takes off from Doha International Airport at 9pm arriving Beirut at 12.05 am, while flight QR 429 takes off from Beirut at 9am arriving at Doha at 11.50 am.    

MANAMA :  Gulf Air and Saudi Arabian Airlines have started their joint operations with the first flight out of Dammam to the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu. The code sharing agreement follows a Memorandum of Understanding on marketing co-operation between the two airlines signed in Jeddah last month. Under this agreement, they will operate code share services between Dammam and Kathmandu, Dammam and Abu Dhabi and between Riyadh and Muscat    

DUBAI: Emirates SkyCargo’s Boeing 747-400 freighters now fly to Amman, Jordan every Monday at 0500, to service escalating demand overflowing the belly capacity of its passenger aircraft that operates daily to the capital city.

In the past two months, the same compelling reason has seen SkyCargo launch freighter operations to Chennai, India and add on two new cargo-only routes – Bangalore in India and Taipei in Taiwan – to the Emirates network.  SkyCargo’s B747-200 freighter now flies Dubai-Taipei-Bangalore-Dubai departing Dubai every Thursday at 0435 and Dubai-Madras-Singapore-Colombo-Dubai departing Dubai on Saturdays at 1305.

Dedicated freighter operations provide customers tremendous operational flexibility – tailor-made products and services to suit their needs and timely onward connections.  Freighter schedules have been carefully worked out so that cargo agents worldwide can take advantage of Emirates’ fast onward connections across its network that now spans 66 destinations in 46 countries, SkyCargo’s interline agreements and road feeder services.

Ram Menen, Director Cargo, Emirates Airline said: “Our freighters have been an important factor in our success as they service important cargo hubs and cargo-only destinations on our network, such as Amsterdam, Liege, Bangalore, Shanghai and Taipei.  Freighters not only provide additional cargo capacity but also enable us to carry specialised and time-sensitive cargo.  We regularly fly freight from the most delicate and exotic - such as flowers and plants, to oilfield equipment, aircraft engines, racehorses, even a fleet of Ferraris!”    

DOHA: Qatar Airways has added the Eternal City of Rome today to its growing number of destinations across Europe, the Middle East, the Indian sub-continent, the Far East and North Africa.An official delegation, led by Qatar Airways’ Regional Manager for Qatar and Africa Fathi Shehab, was met at Rome’s Fiumicino airport by the Qatari Ambassador to Italy, representatives of Aeroporti di Roma and the media.

Qatar Airways will be flying to Rome four times a week.Rome has become Qatar Airways 41^st destination, and its seventh European and second Italian destination.Rome is expected to be an attractive destination for both the leisure and business markets. Qatar Airways will use A300-600s on the Doha-Rome-Milan service.

“Qatar Airways will operate two non-stop flights a week to both Rome and Milan, and service both cities four times a week,” said Shehab.

Photo: The Qatari Ambassador to Italy is joined by Qatar Airways Regional Manager of Europe Mr Siva Ramachandran, Regional Manager of Qatar and Africa Mr Fathi Shehab and a representative from Aeroporti Di Roma to inaugurate the airlines first flight to Rome.    

SALALAH : A direct air link between Salalah and Kuwait was launched on the advent of Salalah Khareef Festival 2003. Kuwait News Agency (Kuna) cited Salah Ali Borsli, Kuwait airline manager in the Sultanate, as saying two flights will be operated between Kuwait and Salalah until August 30, 2003. The first flight is to arrive directly from Kuwait every Tuesday, and another flight will arrive in Salalah via Dubai every Friday. Borsli added that Khareef Salalah attracts a large number of tourists from Kuwait and other AGCC states due to the fine weather and the fascinating landscape of Salalah during this season. He said the newly-launched line to Salalah serves as a bridge for further contacts between the peoples of the Sultanate and Kuwait.  

HARJAH :  Transgulf Express, the first Sharjah-based airline, has decided to become an Airbus operator for the low-cost flights that it will begin offering to destinations in the Middle East and India, beginning this autumn.

An agreement between Transgulf Express and GATX for the lease of three Airbus A320s for these services was concluded at the Le Bourget airshow. These will be complemented by a further three leased A320s, which will join the fleet by year-end.

Transgulf Express will be the first airline in the United Arab Emirates to operate Airbus’ modern A320 family. It will also be the first low-cost airline to fly from the UAE, offering passengers an inexpensive ‘’no frills’’ alternative.

Each of the Airbus A320s will seat 180 passengers in an all-economy layout, and be powered by CFM International CFM56-5s.

Airbus is a leading aircraft manufacturer with the most modern and comprehensive family of airliners in the market, ranging in capacity from 100 to 550 seats. The company has delivered some 3,250 aicraft to more than 190 operators worldwide and boasts a healthy backlog of over 1,500 aircraft.  

PARIS: Dubai based Emirates Airlines has placed major orders with Airbus and Boeing at the 45th annual Paris Air Show worth  $19 billion said to be the biggest orders in global aviation history. The company is acquiring 2 Airbus A340-500s, 18 A340-600s, 21 Airbus A380 super jumbos and 26 Boeing 777-300ERs.The addition of 21 A380s brings Emirates' order for this type to 45 - the most of any airline. The new aircrafts will provide additional capacity on existing routes and help it continue to expand its network, which is currently 66 cities worldwide

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has agreed to open its domestic airline sector to Saudi-owned firms, ending a virtual monopoly by flagship carrier Saudi Arabian Airlines, the state news agency SPA reported. “The cabinet decided to allow national firms to enter the domestic air transport sector in order to boost the sector's economic efficiency and reduce the burden on Saudi Arabian Airlines," said a statement issued after a cabinet meeting and carried by SPA. Currently only state-owned Saudi Arabian Airlines and privately owned corporate jet operator National Air Services provide domestic flights within the kingdom.  

DUBAI: The Sri Lankan-based charter operator Expo Aviation has celebrated 200 flights through Dubai using the services of the Dnata Cargo Freezone Logistics Centre (FLC), located in the Dubai Airport Free Zone.

To mark the occasion, Ismail Ali Al Banna, Director, Dnata Airport Services presented a crystal wind tower to Expo Aviation's CEO Sabri Marikar. Al Banna said: "Expo Aviation is a loyal customer of Dubai Airport and has greatly increased their throughput through the FLC. I am also proud of the achievement of FLC. In just three years, it has doubled in size and further expansions are under consideration to cope with the increasing demand."

Expo Aviation, a member of the Expo Lanka Group of companies, operates from Colombo to Dubai and Karachi. Established five years ago, the company offers cargo services to the Far East, Middle East, and regional destinations including Male and Gan in the Maldives, Trivandrum, Calicut and Chennai in India, Karachi and Lahore in Pakistan plus Dhaka and Bangkok, using a fleet of AN12, IL18, and F27 aircraft. The company extended its services to domestic passenger operations in 2002.

Sabri Marikar commented: "For our growing charter operations, we need a cargo terminal that meets our customers' needs and our company's profitability. The FLC is our best available option in the region. We are proud to be associated with Dnata Cargo. ".  

PARIS: Qatar Airways has signed a US$5.1 billion agreement with Airbus to purchase 32 aircraft in a deal that will increase the airline’s fleet from 24 to 52 by 2008.  In addition, the airline will be taking two new airbus aircraft on a 5 years lease from GECAS.

Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker and Airbus Industrie’s Chief Executive Officer Noel Forgeard announced the historic deal at the Paris Airshow in Le Bourget. “This historic deal reflects the continuing confidence we have in becoming one of the world’s leading airlines. By the end of 2003 we will have 29 aircraft in the fleet, 32 by the end of 2005 and 52 by the end of 2008,” said Al Baker.

It is also the launching customer for the High Gross Weight A 340-600 aircraft that the airline will receive in June 2006.“The new order will give Qatar Airways the continued capacity to grow and serve new markets. In particular, the A340-600s will give us the capacity to introduce long haul services to destinations like the US,” he added

The new order complements the existing fleet of 24 which includes nine A300-600s, nine A320-200s, four A330-200s and one ACJ and one A300-600 Freighter.

PHOTO CAPTION
HH Emir of Qatar, French President Jacques Chirac, Foreign Minister of Qatar, French Minister of Transport were present at the signing ceremony at Elysses Palace with Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Mr Akbar Al Baker and Airbus Industrie's Chief Executive Officer Mr Noel Forgeard.  

ABU DHABI :  In the presence of His Highness, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, chairman of Abu Dhabi Civil Aviation and a number of other senior government officials and VIPs, the commemorative, inaugural flight of Gulf Traveller, Gulf Air’s subsidiary, all-economy airline, took off from Abu Dhabi on 15th June 2003.

The flight, destined for Jeddah, officially marked the dawn of an exciting new era in the history of the airline and regional aviation. Not to be confused with so-called budget or ‘no frills’ carriers, Gulf Traveller is an all-economy, full service airline, offering everything traditionally associated with an economy service on a major international carrier. 

James Hogan, Gulf Air’s President and Chief Executive said on the occasion: “This is a very proud moment for everyone at Gulf Air. Gulf Traveller is an airline that has been created not only through the hard work of a lot of people, but by a willingness for everyone in the airline to change, to meet the needs of our customers and contemporary passenger travel trends. Gulf Traveller is an airline that has been tailored to address a very important single segment of the broad multi-segmented market in which we operate.”

The airline will serve routes presently served by Gulf Air’s network, specifically those where customer demand exceeds existing capacity, and includes exotic leisure destinations in Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka and Tanzania. Along with Jeddah, other cities within the GCC also feature on the destination list, while future plans include extending the network to include secondary European destinations.

BAGHDAD: Iraq's national carrier, hard-hit by two wars and 13 years of UN sanctions, is preparing to resume service after a three-month hiatus, its management has said. In an announcement to employees, Iraq Airways officials said the once-profitable company was working with the US-led Office for Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance to resume operations. “After that, Iraqi Airways flights will resume, but this will take some time," said the statement, from manager of flight operations Halid Al Quaisee.  Several of the airline's jetliners, maintenance facilities and offices at Baghdad International Airport - formerly known as Saddam International Airport - were damaged or destroyed in the recent fighting. Pilots say the airline has a total of 23 passenger and cargo jets. Eight remain at Baghdad airport and 15 are parked outside the country.  

MUSCAT: GULF AIR has signed an agreement to increase its fleet by 10 per cent.It has agreed to lease three additional aircraft from US-based Aviation Capital Group (ACG) and Boeing. The airline has already announced plans for future growth and will issue a formal expansion plan in the next 12 months."The airline has entered into agreements to lease an additional three aircraft," said airline president and chief executive James Hogan. "This initiative will meet and support the current requirements of our network, which is being planned around the provision of daily frequencies to key destinations." The deal to take on an additional three aircraft was signed by a Gulf Air delegation in London.

DOHA: Qatar Airways, which operates 43 flights from the United Arab Emirates, has won an international award for its in-fight magazine Oryx. The “Best In-flight Magazine” award from Pakistan's National Council of Culture and Arts (NCCA) saw the Qatari flag carrier beat off competition from 18 leading international airlines. The award was made at the NCCA's 34th Annual International Graphic Print Material Exhibition held recently at the Karachi's Sadequain Art Gallery. Oryx is a bi-monthly magazine in English and Arabic produced Qatar Airways for its passengers who fly to 40 destinations across Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, the Indian Sub-continent and the Far East. It won the award for the quality of its design and printing.

DAS Air Cargo has been awarded “Best Cargo Airline to Africa 2003” and “Best All Freighter Carrier 2003” at the Air Cargo News Airline of the Year Function held at the Royal Lancaster Hotel London on April 26^th.
The carrier topped the poll in the African category for the third time, after receiving the most votes from the worldwide forwarding community. This was the first time the carrier has also been voted “Best All Freighter Airline”.
“The award for the Best All Freighter Airline was particularly pleasing” said Andy King Operations Director for the Airline.  “We are well known as the Leading All Cargo Carrier to Africa, but this second award shows we are now seen also as a Worldwide Cargo Carrier.  I would like to thank our Customers throughout the world who have supported us and voted in this poll, also to all our staff that made it possible”.
DAS Air Cargo operates a fleet of 5 DC10-30F aircraft on scheduled and charter services, linking Europe, Middle East and Africa, with hubs in London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Lagos and Entebbe.  The carrier also offers availability for ad-hoc and contract charters.

MUSCAT: Jet Airways, a domestic airline in India, has announced 35 per cent discount on all economy-class tickets purchased in the Gulf, a press release said. The fares now available in the Gulf are much lower than the normal fares available in India. The fares in India were increased by 15 per cent on March 26, 2003, but the fares in the Gulf have subsequently dropped. The 35 per cent discount available in AGCC countries are valid until further notice and come with various added benefits and advantages 

DUBAI: Emirates Airlines has formed a partnership with US-based International Freight and Logistics Network Inc (IFLN Inc), furthering its strategy of linking up with multinational forwarders with global capabilities.
The airline will provide capacity, preferential rates, IT training and marketing support and a performance measurement system under the terms of the agreement, which comes into effect this month.
Mogens Debracy, Emirates' Cargo Global Accounts Sales Manager, said: "A long-term, strategic partnership with IFLN will help us both to provide customers with what they demand - the service excellence, reliability and transparency of the supply chain. We, in our turn, can consolidate our place in the provision of global logistics services by together delivering consistency and long-term excellence. It's important to us that the customer perceives these partnerships as a good idea." Emirates' philosophy is to build a firm base of strategic partnerships, each one forming a network that can provide a viable alternative to major multinationals. Emirates thus acquires support in offline countries and brings ocean and air freight together.  

DOHA: Business and first-class passengers on Qatar Airways flights can get printouts of about 30 international dailies under a new service launched by the carrier. The airline gets electronic copies of the dailies and prints them on A3 size papers. The dailies include The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The Times, Le Figaro, Le Monde, Frankfurter Allegmeine, The Times of India, An Nahar, Al Hayat and the Shanghai Daily. Qatar Airways flights play recordings of the BBC World Service.  

DUBAI: When Emirates recently won the Best Air Cargo Carrier-Middle East award for the eighth year running at Asia's freight industry Oscars, the full team of regional Emirates SkyCargo managers was there to celebrate. 

Emirates cargo managers from 15 online and offline destinations in West Asia and the Pacific Rim met in Singapore for their regular regional meeting. At the same time, the Asian Freight and Supply Chain Awards (previously known as the Asian Freight Industry Awards) took place in Singapore's Fullerton Hotel. 

Peter Sedgley, General Manager Cargo Commercial Operations, said: "The AFSCAs are the Oscars of the Asian freight industry. We are thrilled to have won this major accolade for eight years running. In recent years, we have focused on playing a larger role in the trade process and adding value to our customers' business. This award is a powerful spur to provide even better services." 

Ek2 PIC:
 (seated from left) Peter Sedgley, Noryate Abd Rahman - Singapore; R Ramprasad - Mumbai; Rusela Rubin - Manila; Stephen Chu - Area Manager Singapore. (Standing from left) H M Chung - GSA Korea; Kenji Akai - GSA Tokyo Japan; Qazi Jared Karim - Dhaka; Michael Qu - Shanghai; Ravishankar Mirle - Route Manager; Pradeep Suri - Delhi; Aniruth Songsatya - Bangkok; Kenny Kao - GSA Taiwan; F.D Malik - Pakistan; Damian Jayosuriya - Colombo; Bobby Chang - Kuala Lumpur; Tristan Indrawan - Jakarta; Jacky Lau - Hong Kong; Glenn Baxter Melbourne; Anthony Goncalves - Chennai; Keith Longstaff - Senior General Manager Commercial Operations West Asia

MANAMA: Gulf Air and Oman Air are planning to join some of their operations with the aim of boosting the region's economies. A statement issued by Gulf Air said a delegation headed by chief executive of Oman Air, Abdul Rahman Al Busaidy, met James Hogan, president and chief Executive of Gulf Air, and other senior airline executives in Bahrain last week. Discussions centred on areas of co-operation including the network, cargo operations, sharing infrastructure, expansion of code sharing and other opportunities to promote economic development and tourism in the airlines' owner states.

DUBAI: James Hogan, president and chief executive of Gulf Air, urged the tourism and hospitality sector in Dubai that change and reaction to altered consumer needs is critical for success. Hogan was addressing industry leaders at the Dubai chapter of Skal, and admitted that the airline industry was facing its worst-ever spell, following on from the war in Iraq and the SARS crisis. 

But he stressed: “This is part of the cyclical nature of business – and the region will bounce back, and sooner rather than later.“What is critical for all of us in the service industry is that we look to change and adapt to take our businesses forward. And following this global downturn in tourism, we have to identify the gaps in operations, as we – and the customer – embark on a journey of change.”

He admitted that lessons will be learned from business operations over the last couple of months and said: “We all have to make sure our business processes are strong, so we can re-shape the structure to pass on the best possible benefit directly to the customer.”

Hogan added that he also believed Gulf Air was well placed to make a quick recovery from the downturn which occurred at the back end of March and early April. Despite the negative impact of the conflict, Gulf Air achieved an average 3.7 per cent improvement in traffic over the first quarter of 2003 compared to the same period last year. Hogan also used the occasion to reveal the airline’s new corporate identity, which he said, represents the more serious and fundamental changes taking place at every level in the airline. 

The Dubai chapter of Skal, the international organisation of tourism leaders, was launched in September with the support of Dubai Tourism & Commerce Marketing (DTCM), and 20 founding members. The membership has risen to more than 50 in just six months.
Photo
From left: Mohammed Al Geziry, vice president of Skal; James Hogan, president and chief executive, Gulf Air; Ghassan Aridi, president of Skal.

DUBAI: In a bid to boost summer vacation traffic to India, domestic carrier Indian Airlines has come up with a package of promotional offers for passengers who travel by the airline from Dubai or Sharjah until September 30. The carrier has slashed fares to 10 major cities located in the northern and eastern parts of India via Delhi, K. Shyam Sundar, UAE manager, stated. "We have low fares for travel from Dubai and Sharjah to Amritsar, Chandigarh, Guwahati, Bhubaneswar, Lucknow, Patna, Varanasi, Jammu, Srinagar, and Kolkata, apart from Kathmandu, via Delhi," he said.

The economy class one-way and round-trip market fares have been established by adding nominal amounts to the airline's market fares for travel to Delhi from Dubai and Sharjah, the official explained. Add-on amounts to Patna, Varanasi, Jammu and Srinagar are Dh100 and Dh200 against one-way and round-trip tickets respectively. Similarly, Guwahati and Bhubaneswar have add-on amounts of Dh200 and Dh400, while Kolkata, Lucknow and Kathmandu in Nepal will have add-ons of Dh150 and Dh300. Meanwhile, passengers travelling out of Dubai and Sharjah can also take advantage of the airline's free extension of travel up to Vizag or Tirupati via Hyderabad.

MANAMA: Gulf Air has relaunched its website as part of a rebranding initiative that will cover all the airline's products and services. The website(www.gulfairco.com) includes corporate and product information and tools such as on-line bookings, an interactive route network and links to Gulf Air Holidays and Gulf Air Cargo. Members of the Falcon Frequent Flyer Programme can also access their personal account details through the site, which will soon incorporate a flight timetable, which can be downloaded to either a desktop or pocket PC for use on the move.  

Since the first infected case of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) was identified on 26 February in Hanoi, Vietnam, numerous infected cases including deaths have been reported as a result of this viral disease. This illness can be severe and, due to global travel, has spread to several countries in a relatively short period of time. 

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has not recommended restricting travel to any destination in the world. However, the truth is that trade and travel especially to the Far East has declined. Those in the aviation industry are working amid great anxiety because of the worldwide spread of SARS.

More than 30 per cent of all flights in and out of Hong Kong International airport have been cancelled in response to a dramatic fall in demand for air travel because of the outbreak of SARS. Meanwhile, Singapore Airlines is cutting flights from Europe and will suspend flights to Kaohsiung, Taiwan, and Hiroshima. Malaysia Airlines has cancelled 716 flights on 14 routes from April to June amid the global SARS health scare, it said in a statement. Singapore, Hong Kong, and destinations in China are among the routes affected. 
So far cargo has not really been affected by the SARS out break and continues to maintain is normal flow for the time being. What effect this is going to have on trade because of traders and buyers avoiding any travels to SARS infected areas is yet to be seen   

DOHA: Qatar Airways, one of the world's fastest-growing airlines, has launched a non-stop service from the Qatari capital Doha to Manchester, the UK's third largest airport. The Qatari flag carrier is now operating flights to Manchester four times a week bringing its total of weekly flights to the UK to 15. Manchester has become Qatar Airways' 40th destination.
     The twin-engined, wide-bodied Airbus A300-600R aircraft serving the inaugural Doha-Manchester flight was received at Manchester Airport with a celebratory 'water-cannon' salute. An airport authority reception committee led by Councilor Brian Harrison, Chairman of Manchester Airport, welcomed a Qatar Airways delegation, headed by Akbar Al-Baker, Chief Executive Officer.
      "This new route provides travelers in the North West of England with a non-stop service to Doha and from there, through convenient connections, to numerous other destinations in the Middle East and Asia," Al-Baker said. "We are also offering Asian and Middle Eastern travellers convenient services to this important gateway to England's North West. For the well-respected industries throughout the North West, the flights also provide fast, efficient and cost-effective cargo services to the Middle East and beyond."
     Qatar Airways has opened two dedicated offices in Manchester - one at the international airport, the other in the city centre.

CAIRO: Egyptair has signed a contract with Airbus for the purchase of seven A330-200s. This is the first A330 acquisition by Egyptair, which already operates a large Airbus fleet.   Deliveries for the aircraft are scheduled to begin in June 2004. The Egyptian flag carrier plans to operate the A330-200 on routes mainly within the Middle East and to Europe. In Egyptair's layout the aircraft will seat around 275 passengers.  

DOHA: QATAR Airways is to go ahead with its multi-million dinar expansion plans, despite the crisis in the region, a Bahrain official has revealed. The airline has continued to safely operate its normal scheduled services to Europe, the Gulf, the Indian sub-continent and the Far East, since the outbreak of war on Iraq, said the District Sales Manager, Mohammed Ali. "We have a normal load of passengers from Bahrain on our flights, especially those leaving in the nights, " he said.  Qatar Airways operates 18 flights a week from Bahrain - one flight on Saturday, two on Sunday and three each on other days.

LUXEMBOURG: Following the current situation in Iraq and in view of possible worldwide consequences, Cargolux Airlines implements a war risk surcharge on all shipments, effective 27 March 2003. A fee of EUR 0.10/kg on actual weight, or the equivalent in local currency, will apply worldwide according to individual countries’ regulations.
Cargolux is forced to implement this surcharge due to unforeseen commercial and operational risks as well as additional costs. This translates to lowered payloads, longer routings and higher costs because Cargolux has to operate to and from alternate airports in the region. The war risk surcharge will remain in place until Cargolux can return to a normal operating pattern.

KUWAIT CITY: Kuwait Airways (KA), which has 25 weekly flights between India and Kuwait, has imposed a fuel surcharge of $10 on a one-way ticket and $20 on a return ticket. A senior airline official said that the surcharge was to remain in force till further notice and was being charged due to the northward movement in prices of aviation turbine fuel. "The surcharge will have to be paid by any traveller irrespective of when their ticket was issued," airline officials said.  

DUBAI: Emirates SkyCargo is continuing to operate its scheduled timetable despite the start of hostilities in Iraq and will maintain its normal freight services. The airline will monitor the situation 24 hours a day, seven days a week. “We are using alternative routes where necessary. These are well established and recognised as safe by all international aviation authorities. Emirates has never flown over Iraq, even under normal conditions, and none of our routes takes our aircraft near to that country,” stated Maurice Flanagan, Group Managing Director, Emirates Airlines.
From Dubai, there are a number of different air routes eastwards and westwards which are long established and recognised by international authorities. During the past few months, Emirates has prepared meticulous plans to route aircraft heading east and west along corridors, which are safe and secure even in the event of military activity in Iraq. Flights to Europe, for example, can be routed north over Iran, Georgia and then west over the Black Sea or they can be routed in a more easterly direction over southern Saudi Arabia. Flights to the Pacific Rim can be moved to a more northerly route, again over Iran.  

MUSCAT: The BAR (Board of Airline Representatives) has given its verdict: It has been officially notified that the decision to lower the travel agency commission (TAC) from seven to five per cent would be deferred until further notice. This decision was taken at an extraordinary meeting of the BAR, which was held recently. "The issue of the reduction of the agency commission from seven to five per cent was discussed yesterday and it was collectively decided by all the members to defer the implementation of the reduction in agency commission, which was set for April 1, 2003," a press note from the BAR said.  

DOHA: Doha International Airport and Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer, Akbar Al Baker announced today that Doha International Airport will remain open and that Qatar Airways will continue with its normal flight schedule despite conflict in Iraq.
“Qatar Airways will also continue with its normal schedule of flights to Europe, the Middle East, the Indian sub-continent and the Far East and will also continue to use Doha International Airport as its hub,” said Al Baker.
“I understand that given the current tension between the US and Iraq, there is concern among traveling public which has forced other airlines and airports to revise their schedules.”
“I want to assure people that there will be no risk to our passengers in the event of conflict in Iraq. Qatar Airways will use air routes that are approved and published by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).There are also contingency routes over Saudi Arabia that we have the option to use, that are safe and will circumvent any area of conflict,” he added.  

DUBAI: Emirates SkyCargo has expanded its offline services to Nepal, one of the world's highest countries, following the appointment of a Cargo Sales Agent (CSA) and the opening of an Emirates office there. 
The carrier has appointed Universal Travel and Tours in Kathmandu as its CSA. Universal's Roshan Shrestha, who has 12 years in the air cargo industry behind him, has been appointed to handle full time Emirates SkyCargo sales and marketing. He will work with two assistants. The appointment became effective in February 2003.
Pradeep Kumar, Emirates' General Manager Cargo Revenue Optimisation, said: "This appointment is part of our ongoing effort to expand SkyCargo’s sales reach to other offline areas in the sub continent. The appointment of Universal Travel and Tours makes sense as the company is already representing Emirates on the passenger side." 
Shipments will be carried between Kathmandu and Dubai on other carriers operating the route with whom Emirates has agreements. Emirates SkyCargo will handle onward flights. 
Shrestha who has previously worked for the cargo divisions of airlines such as American Airlines Korean Airlines and Air Canada said: "Few carriers can cover the whole of the Middle East and beyond as well Emirates. In addition, Emirates SkyCargo's personal service provides a major benefit for shippers in Kathmandu." Shipments out of Nepal comprise pashminas, garments, handicrafts and general cargo.

MUSCAT: British Airways will resume its service to Oman from the beginning of the summer season. Sunita C. Gomes, country manager, BA, Oman, said recently the airline would resume operations following advice from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office last week. “It is our desire to re-establish the long-standing links to Muscat from the beginning of the summer season from March 30,” she said, adding that by this time they would have “more crew and aircraft.”  

DOHA: The Governments of Qatar and the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka have signed a Memorandum of Understanding that will allow for more air services between Doha and Colombo.
After a second round of talks between Qatar’s Civil Aviation Authority, Qatar Airways and authorities from Sri Lanka, Qatar and Sri Lanka have agreed to increase weekly frequencies from seven to nine flights with any type of aircraft.
The parties have also agreed to allow Qatar Airways to operate sixth freedom rights from Sri Lanka, which will allow Qatar Airways to fly to Colombo and then onto Singapore or Australia. 
The parties agreed that if Qatar Airways opted to fly to Australia via Colombo, then the number of frequencies could be increased to ten per week.
Qatar Airways is one of the fastest growing airlines in the world. It is presently implementing an aggressive growth strategy that will see it expand its route network from 38 destinations to 50 destinations by the end of next year.

BEIRUT: Middle East Airlines (MEA) of Lebanon has taken delivery of the first of six Airbus 321’s scheduled for delivery during 2003. Middle East Airlines already operates a leased Airbus fleet since the early ‘90s, which the new aircraft will progressively replace. The Beirut-based Lebanese flag carrier will operate its new A321 fleet on non-stop routes to the Gulf and Europe, as well as within the Middle East region. MEA will also integrate three new leased long-range wide body twin A330-200s, due for delivery this year, as part of its fleet modernisation plan.

SHARJAH: Air carrier Indian Airlines plans to continue expanding its Gulf operations in line with rising demand, said Sunil Arora, chairman and managing director. Speaking at a function marking the carrier's decade of operations in the UAE, he noted services had in the period increased from two flights a week to 68 by 2003. 
He added the carrier would continually strive to upgrade service levels, while observing 98 per cent of its flights on the Gulf sectors were operated on time. Arora, pointed out the airline posted a 50 per cent rise in regional passenger traffic between April and December, 2002, with 270,000 travellers having used its services between the Gulf and 14 Indian destinations.

He added that all other things being equal, the airline is budgeting for a dramatic jump in demand during April owing to a rush at this stage from amnesty-seekers.

The region's first full service all-economy airline, which will be launched by Gulf Air this June, will target locations in the Gulf and the Indian sub-continent as initial destinations. Although Gulf Air already flies to these destinations, they would, by introducing the additional capacity, be better prepared to meet the burgeoning demand on these routes, James Hogan, Gulf Air president and chief executive, said in a recent interview. Hogan reconfirmed the launch of the new airline, and stressed that this endeavour was part of their strategy to place Gulf Air on a commercial basis. They hoped to reduce Gulf  Air's present loss of just under BD42 million (RO42.546 million) to BD20 million (RO20.26 million), he noted.

MUSCAT: Gulf Air's "restaurant in the sky" service is now available on flights to Paris and Frankfurt, a press release said. Following the enormous success of its innovative in-flight chef service between Gulf destinations and London, Gulf Air has expanded the unique "restaurant in the sky" concept to provide first class passengers on Paris and Frankfurt  routes with the same choice, quality and individual attention associated with five-star hotels and international fine dining  restaurants crew, are now onboard to offer the finest dining experience between the Gulf and Europe.

DUBAI: Emirates, has unveiled massive new expansion plans stating that it will add a record 11 new aircraft to its fleet, allowing it to start four new routes and add more flights on many current routes.
Daily nonstop Emirates flights from Dubai to Sydney start from 26th October with the first deliveries of a brand new aircraft, the ultra long-range Airbus A340-500. This will cut travel time to Australia's major city considerably, not only from the UAE but also from gateways in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.  That same day, 26th October, Emirates will also launch daily wide-bodied Boeing 777-300 services to Brisbane via Singapore, giving it its fourth Australian route after Sydney, Melbourne and Perth. 
Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, the Chairman of Emirates, said it plans to start services to Moscow from 1st July, to Shanghai from 2nd August and to Lagos, subject to government approval, from 1st December. 
From summer 2004 it will take the final giant step forward in its global expansion by launching services to North America. Airbus A340-500s will start non-stop flights to New York and San Francisco from April 1st, 2004. From this autumn, the first A340-500s will also serve Osaka, Japan four times a week and will allow Emirates to serve London Gatwick three times a day.
"We will have a fleet of 56 aircraft by 31st March 2004, a dedicated Emirates terminal at Dubai International Airport opens in 2005 and the first of our 22 double-decker A380s arrives in 2006," added Sheikh Ahmed.

MUSCAT: Oman Air posted revenues of 39 million riyals for 2002, a rise of about 16 per cent. It carried 848,000 passengers – also a growth of 16 per cent. This is despite Oman Aviation having to pay additional concession fees of 1.1 million riyals to the new operator following the airport’s privatisation. It also lost revenues of 1.3 million riyals due to 30 per cent reduction in flights at Seeb Airport. Oman Air successfully introduced five new Boeing 737 aircraft and reduced operating costs by 20 per cent.

MANAMA: Gulf Air is set to build the depth of its route network with a significant increase in flight frequencies over the next three years. A measured expansion of the network is also planned with some strategic destinations being added over the duration of the three-year recovery plan. According to Gulf Air Vice-President, Fareed Al Alawi, more than 200 delegates from the airline’s 50 plus worldwide offices who are attending the Annual Marketing, Sales and Services Conference at the Ritz Carlton Hotel, Bahrain, that Alexandria, Athens, Johannesburg, Salalah and Sydney are being evaluated to be part of the Summer Schedule, while other destinations in Africa, Asia and the America’s are under consideration for future years.

DUBAI: More than 100 guests attended a VIP reception in Shanghai, China marking the successful launch of twice-weekly non-stop cargo services to and from Dubai by Emirates, the award-winning international airline.
His Highness Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Emirates Group Chairman, announced that so much freight is now moving between Shanghai and Dubai that Emirates may soon add a third freighter frequency, as well as launching passenger flights in August. 
Xing Hua Xia, Director General of the East China Regional Administration of CAAC, the Civil Aviation Administration of China, shared views with Sheikh Ahmed on boosting civil aviation on the route and said that Emirates had chosen an ideal time to launch it.
Sheikh Ahmed told guests that cargo brings Emirates 17.5 per cent of its revenue, and highlighted Dubai’s many opportunities for Chinese exporters. The airline had already launched a second weekly freighter on 2^nd November to meet demand.
 Xia stressed that Shanghai is the region’s most prosperous city and China’s leading industrial and commercial centre. The new flights would boost air cargo and promote economic and cultural ties between the two countries, he said.

MANAMA: Gulf Air will become the second airline in the world to launch all-economy, full-service flights, it was announced. The regional airline's new service will be operated mainly to the Indian Sub-continent from Abu Dhabi, said president and chief executive James Hogan. "Initially six of our Boeing 767 aircraft will be converted into all-economy configuration," he said. " "The new arrangement will enable us to reduce costs and carry more passengers." A decision to launch the new service, starting June 1, as a subsidiary of Gulf Air, has been taken following the approval of the airline's BD90 million, three-year strategic recovery plan.

MUSCAT: The Sultanate of Oman and Qatar initiated an agreement organising air transport services between the two countries during joint talks on civil aviation and air transport recently. Ahmed Bin Said Al Rowahi, director-general of civil aviation and meteorology, headed the Omani side in the talks and the Qatari side was headed by Abdul Aziz Mohammed Al Nuaimi, president of the Qatari Civil Aviation Public Authority. At present Oman Air and Gulf Air operate flights to Doha while the Qatari Airways has flights to Muscat.

MANAMA: Gulf Air's Board of Directors has unanimously approved the airline's three-year strategic recovery plan. As a result, more than 90 million Bahraini dinars ($238 million) will be injected into the airline by its three owner states for 2003 and government debt will continue to be deferred. “There are a number of pillars to the recovery plan including brand development, fleet re-construction, network, alliances and customer service – as well as others. There will of course also be a strong focus on profitability and improvements to cost structures,” said Gulf Air’s President and Chief Executive, James Hogan.

CAIRO: Egypt’s national carrier EgyptAir has signed a lease agreement with French-Italian aircraft manufacturer Avions de Transport Régional (ATR). Under the terms of the new deal, ATR will supply six 48-seat ATR42-500 planes, including crew, in order to commence domestic shuttle operations from December 2002. The service aims to enhance domestic travel in Egypt by providing several daily flights between Cairo and Hurghada, Sharm Al Shaikh and Luxor

DUBAI: Trade between the Gulf and Mainland China has been given a further boost with the provision of Emirates SkyCargo's second weekly freighter flight between Dubai and Shanghai. Emirates plans to launch a passenger service on the route next August.
Both cities are leading commercial centres and the flights provide shippers and freight forwarders at both ends of the route with fast, convenient connections into each other's markets.
"We have introduced a second freighter flight on this route in response to customer demand less than two months after the first flight was launched, such is the growth of trade between the Middle East and mainland China," said Hiran Perera, Emirates' Cargo Planning and Capacity development Manager. 
The flights are operated with a Boeing 747-400F with capacity for 120 tonnes and provide the first-ever direct air link between Dubai and mainland China. Imports into Shanghai include heavy machinery for infrastructure projects, auto parts and packaging materials. Exports comprise general cargo including toys, electronics and time definite items such as computer chips. 
Emirates' cargo flights operate every Sunday and Thursday. On Sundays, flights depart Dubai at 0940, arrive Shanghai at 2100, depart Shanghai at 2340 and arrive Dubai at 0510 on Monday (all times local). The Thursday flights depart Dubai at 0545, arrive Shanghai at 1705, depart Shanghai at 1925 same day and arrives Dubai at 0055 Friday (all times local).

CAIRO:  Egypt’s national carrier EgyptAir has signed a lease agreement with French-Italian aircraft manufacturer Avions de Transport Régional (ATR). Under the terms of the new deal, ATR will supply six 48-seat ATR42-500 planes, including crew, in order to commence domestic shuttle operations at the beginning of December 2002. The service aims to enhance domestic travel in Egypt by providing several daily flights between Cairo and Hurghada, Sharm Al Shaikh and Luxor. Egyptair currently operates more than 400 flights weekly to various domestic and international destinations.

DUBAI: Trade between the Gulf and Mainland China has been given a further boost with the provision of Emirates SkyCargo's second weekly freighter flight between Dubai and Shanghai. Emirates plans to launch a passenger service on the route next August.
Both cities are leading commercial centres and the flights provide shippers and freight forwarders at both ends of the route with fast, convenient connections into each other's markets.
"We have introduced a second freighter flight on this route in response to customer demand less than two months after the first flight was launched, such is the growth of trade between the Middle East and mainland China," said Hiran Perera, Emirates' Cargo Planning and Capacity development Manager. 
The flights are operated with a Boeing 747-400F with capacity for 120 tonnes and provide the first-ever direct air link between Dubai and mainland China. Imports into Shanghai include heavy machinery for infrastructure projects, auto parts and packaging materials. Exports comprise general cargo including toys, electronics and time definite items such as computer chips. 
Emirates' cargo flights operate every Sunday and Thursday. On Sundays, flights depart Dubai at 0940, arrive Shanghai at 2100, depart Shanghai at 2340 and arrive Dubai at 0510 on Monday (all times local). The Thursday flights depart Dubai at 0545, arrive Shanghai at 1705, depart Shanghai at 1925 same day and arrives Dubai at 0055 Friday (all times local).

NICOSIA: Cyprus Airways has integrated into its fleet the latest generation Airbus 330-200 widebody aircraft, which will be followed by a second aircraft in Spring 2003. Both aircraft are being leased from International Lease Finance Corporation and powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engines. The Larnaca-based carrier plans to use the A330-200 on its popular existing destinations such as London while having the potential to serve also profitably more distant cities.

KUWAIT CITY: The Kuwait Financing House (KFH) has invested into a $200 million aircraft venture called Malek. The firm has already acquired the first plane for its future 20-aircraft fleet, the Airbus 320, valued at $21.5 million. KFH is an Islamic bank, offering commercial banking, investment, trade finance and real estate financing services. It has so far invested $1.5 billion outside the Kuwait, while adhering to Islamic banking principles.

Oman Air launches latest reservation, check-in systems

B029-091202
posted 9^th December 02

Saudi carrier to transport 828,000 pilgrims RIYADH : Saudi Arabian Airlines is expected to transport more than 828,000 pilgrims from 70 international stations including 19 in the Middle East, 16 each in Asia and Africa and 19 in Europe and America. Airline Director General Dr Khaled bin Bakr has announced that Saudi Arabian had signed agreements with India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Iran to transport a total of 359,000 pilgrims from these four countries.  He said the Saudi national carrier would also transport pilgrims from nine new stations in Iran, Britain and France for the first time during the forthcoming Haj season. In all, the airline will transport more than 1.53 million Umrah pilgrims from various parts of the world during this Ramadan and Eid Al Fitr on 9,935 scheduled and extra flights within a period of 45 days.   B028-041102 posted 18th November 02

Gulf Air market shares go up MANAMA : Gulf Air's business is improving and its market shares are increasing, its President and Chief Executive James Hogan has said. He was speaking at the World Travel Market (WTM) in London, at which the airline is participating.  Gulf Air passenger numbers are up in all three classes, said  Hogan, without giving specific figures. First Class showed a 22 per cent improvement last month over the time last year, while business passengers were up by nearly 39% and economy by 25%, it is claimed. B027-181102 posted 18th November 02

Jordan airline goes online AMMAN: Passengers on Royal Jordanian can now confirm their reservations on the Internet, the airline has announced. Top officials of the airline have said that by accessing the airline’s website www.rja.com.jo Passengers around the world can enter reservation numbers and confirm trips by completing an information card. The flights reach 50 different destinations in four continents. RJ was established in 1963. It has transported 417,000 passengers between June and August this year, according to reports.   B026-041102 posted 4th November 02

Khalifa Airways to lease Boeing 777 jetliners ALGIERS: Algeria’s Khalifa Airways has signed a five-year agreement with Boeing Aircraft Trading to lease two 777-200 jetliners. The Khalifa 777’s will be powered by GE90 engines and are scheduled for delivery in November and December 2002. Khalifa Airways will be applying its new 777-200s in connecting Algeria to various African, European and transatlantic destinations. The Khalifa 777 is equipped with 240 seats -- 22 in first class, 70 in business class and the remainder in economy class . Khalifa Airways, which was created in 1999, operates aircraft from Airbus Industries, Boeing aircraft and four ATRs. B025-041102 posted 4th November 02

‘EMIRATES SKY CARGO ADDS LIEGE TO THE NETWORK’ Dubai : Emirates SkyCargo is now operating its Boeing 747-400 freighter between Dubai and Liege, Belgium's cargo-only airport. The weekly flights, with capacity for 120 tonnes, depart Liège for Dubai every Saturday, returning via Amsterdam every Sunday. Emirates also operates its freighter between Dubai and Hong Kong, Shanghai and Bangkok. Hiran Perera, Emirates' Cargo Planning and Capacity Development Manager, said: ‘We have added Liege to the network to provide greater flexibility for our customers. Liège is a specialist cargo airport and a 24-hour operation; it's well located with convenient trucking to hubs such as Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Paris and Dusseldorf. Another advantage is its proximity to the southern part of the Netherlands which is a centre for warehousing and distribution.’ Emirates SkyCargo's ability to rapidly organise charter flights using its Boeing 747 freighter was recently acknowledged by Air Charter Exchange. The London-based charter company presented Emirates SkyCargo with the Most Responsive Airline Award at the recent Air Cargo Forum in Hong Kong.  B024-211002 posted 21st October 02

Gulf Air adopts new self-servicecheck in kiosks MUSCAT: Gulf Business Machines (GBM), IBM’s general marketing and services representative for the Gulf signed a contract with Gulf Air to install self-service check-in kiosks at selected locations in the airline’s network. Signed at GITEX 2002, the deal will make Gulf Air the first Middle East airline to implement the automated service. Bahrain, Abu Dhabi and Muscat International Airports will be the first to receive the service, scheduled to be fully operational by next year. The kiosks, which will operate alongside traditional check-in desks, use touch-screen technology to ensure a simplified process for passengers checking in with hand luggage in the first phase, thereby reducing queuing times and providing a range of benefits for the business traveler. It will also allow passengers to directly control their assigned seating. B023-211002 posted 21st October 02   Qatar Airways ties up with Milipol DOHA: Qatar Airways will be the official airline for Milipol-Qatar, the international exhibition on internal state security, police equipment, industrial site security and civil defence. The event is being held in Doha from October 28 to 30. An agreement was signed in this connection by Col. Mohamed Al Malki, chairman of Milipol-Qatar and Fathi Shehab, Qatar Airways regional manager for Doha and Africa. Col. Al Malki said Milipol-Qatar was expecting about 1,500 to 2,000 visitors and 400 to 500 exhibitors. Nearly 120 companies from 35 countries are participating in this year's Qatar edition of the event, which is held in Paris and Doha  every alternate year. B022-211002 posted 21st October 02   OASIS LEASING ACQUIRES FIRST AIRBUS A321 Dubai : Oasis Leasing has announced the acquisition of a new Airbus A321 aircraft.  Delivered fresh from the Airbus Industrie production line, the passenger jet will shortly enter service with Air Canada on a 10-year lease.Oasis financed the transaction by utilising a US$200m umbrella financing facility signed in November 2000.The aircraft, part of the highly popular A320 family of aircraft, is powered by CFM56-5B3 engines and has a range up to 5,550km.  In Air Canada configuration it will accommodate 166 passengers in a two-class configuration. Commenting on the transaction, Gordon Dixon, CEO Oasis Leasing, said: ‘This is a groundbreaking transaction for Oasis in a number of ways.  In addition to being our first acquisition of a new aircraft, we are delighted to have Air Canada as an important new customer.  We are confident this deal will lead to further business opportunities with this highly prestigious client.’Coming on the back of a solid set of interim financials and the recently announced Continental Airlines transaction, the Air Canada deal is a clear sign the Abu Dhabi-based lessor is accelerating its growth strategy. Dixon added: ‘Oasis has made no secret of its plans to grow the company and this represents a further step in the attainment of our ongoing plans.  In addition to creating more asset and geographic diversity in the business, it also improves the average age of the assets in our portfolio and extends the average lease term.’   B021-211002 posted 21st October 02

Gulf Air backs school contest MANAMA: Gulf Air is giving away free return air tickets to Dubai as part of a competition for students from Bahrain's schools. The air tickets are being awarded as prizes for a drawing and design competition held as part of the eighth GCC Joint Stamp Exhibition. The regional airline is the official airline sponsor of the exhibition held till October 4, 2002, at the Bahrain International Exhibition Centre. The exhibition drew about 200 to 300 students every day and amateur stamp collectors from as far as Holland, Germany and England. B020-071002 posted 7th October 02

Cyprus Airways reports passenger traffic rise