| Right on time: Riyadh Metro engineers new era of urban mobility
In a city where rapid development has outpaced infrastructure, the Riyadh Metro is setting a new benchmark for urban transport in the Kingdom. The $23 billion mega-project, one of the largest metro systems built in a single phase, has six lines, 176 kilometers of track and 85 stations. |
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| Bahrain Airshow concludes with key deals, record aircraft displays
The Bahrain International Airshow 2024 concluded with a flurry of major business deals, including a contract between Bahrain’s Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications and Leonardo to modernize the country’s air traffic radar and surveillance systems. |
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| NBK offers 15% cashback on flight bookings with four airlines
National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) has announced offering 15 percent cashback on selected airlines when using eligible NBK Visa credit/prepaid cards. The offer comes within the bank’s dedication to rewarding customers all year round through a diverse package of exclusive benefits and offers tailored to meet their needs and expectations. |
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| Abu Dhabi Airports inaugurates new US customs and border protection facility
Abu Dhabi Airports on Friday inaugurated the new US Customs and Border Protection (US CBP) preclearance facility at Zayed International Airport (AUH). |
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| Bahrain airshow sets stage for aerospace partnerships
The Bahrain International Airshow 2024 is poised to elevate Bahrain’s position as a leader in the global aerospace industry, foster economic growth, and forge vital industry partnerships. |
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| UrbanV joins forces with Cluster2 to revolutionize air mobility in Saudi Arabia
Saudi airports under Cluster2’s management will soon begin feasibility studies to explore the implementation of advanced air mobility solutions. |
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| Saudi Arabia to boost military sector, partnerships at Airshow China 2024
Saudi Arabia will participate in the 2024 China Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition in Zhuhai, aiming to foster partnerships and further develop its military sector. |
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| Saudi Arabia’s flyadeal boosts Dammam network with 3 domestic routes
Saudi Arabia’s low-cost airline, flyadeal, will launch three new domestic routes from Dammam starting in January, aligning with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 objectives. |
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| Riyadh Air plans new jet order decision early next year
Saudi startup Riyadh Air is wading back into the jet market after buying dozens of Airbus and Boeing planes and aims to finalize a new deal involving the industry’s largest twin-aisle jets early next year, its CEO said. |
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| Saudi airline flynas expands African reach with new routes to Uganda and Djibouti
Saudi budget airline flynas will add two new African destinations to its network starting in January 2025, aligning with its broader expansion strategy across the continent. |
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| Riyadh Air orders 60 next-generation Airbus A321 aircraft
Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Air, a subsidiary of the Public Investment Fund, has signed an agreement to purchase 60 Airbus A321neo single-aisle aircraft, as it plans to commence its operations in 2025. |
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| Saudi aviation to enhance innovation, sustainability through new alliance
The Saudi aviation sector will benefit from a strategic alliance between the King Salman International Airport Development Co. and the Future Investment Initiative Institute to enhance innovation and sustainability. |
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| UAE: Etihad cancels some flights to and from Kuwait for 4-day period
UAE's local airline Etihad Airways cancelled some flights to Kuwait for a four-day period, the airline announced. |
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| Kuwait, Malaysia to increase flight frequency, code sharing
Kuwait’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) signed two memoranda of understanding with Malaysia and South Korea Thursday to enhance cooperation in civil aviation. Chief of the DGCA Sheikh Humoud Mubarak Al-Sabah signed the agreements during the fourth day of the International Civil Aviation Agreements Conference (ICAO 2024) held in the Malaysian capital. |
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| Kuwait eyes boosting flight operations with India
Increasing flight operations between India and Kuwait is a “top priority” for the Kuwaiti airlines, said Head of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation of Kuwait (DGCA) Sheikh Humoud Mubarak Al-Humoud Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. |
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| 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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| 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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| 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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| 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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| 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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| 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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| 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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| 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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| 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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| 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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| 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 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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| 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. |