Al Baker used the briefing to clarify Qatar Airways' position, debunk accusations of subsidy and demonstrate the broad public benefits of the existing Open Skies Agreements. He also noted that Open Skies agreements go well beyond the interests of the Big Three citing numerous American companies and groups, which support Open Skies, including US airports, travel and trade groups, consumer groups and other US airlines.
The Emirates boss spoke forcefully about the open skies row, in which the American carriers have claimed that Emirates, Etihad and Qatar have all received $44 billion in subsidies from their governments, and are planning to seek US government action against them.
The carrier describes the fleet additions as an important boost for the country’s civilian aviation industry, which has struggled for many years because of ageing fleets and American-imposed restrictions on access to replacement aircraft, parts, technology and service.
Visa facilitation, open skies and the need to adapt the market requirements in the promotion of intra-regional tourism in the MENA region were all discussed at the 2015 UNWTO and ATM Ministerial Forum on Intra-Arab tourism.
Qatar Airways is the launch customer for the A350XWB, and currently remains the only airline to fly the world’s newest widebody aircraft. Following its introduction to service to Frankfurt in Germany, Singapore is only the second route for the type which is configured in a two-class arrangement seating 26 passengers in Business Class and 247 in Economy.
Etihad Airways first commenced flights to Singapore’s Changi International Airport on September 28, 2007 on a three times weekly basis, growing to a daily schedule from February 1, 2013. The route is currently served using an Airbus A330-200 but from June 1, 2015 the airline is using a three-class A330-300, supporting the debut of the First Class offering on the route.
Qatar Airways and Royal Air Maroc have announced the launch of a strategic joint business agreement on services between the State of Qatar and the Kingdom of Morocco.
The announced growth from Qatar Airways is sure to further anger the bosses of the three US majors – American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines – which are understood to remain disappointed at the level and speed of the US governments reaction to its claim of unfair state subsidies at the Gulf airlines.
The Sultanate of Oman Public Authority for Civil Aviation has launched an initial ‘Request for Information’ (RFI) process inviting any parties interested in setting up a low-cost commercial air transport services operator based in the country.
Low-cost carrier, flydubai has further strengthened its links to Russia, adding Novosibirsk and Nizhniy Novgorod to its comprehensive network in the region.
Every month Routesonline provides an update on the current schedules of five latest aircraft programmes, highlighting the routes the types are being deployed upon.
The new venture will complement the existing operations into Jordan with the introduction of regular scheduled flights to Kuwait from May 18, 2015 with services to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia following from May 19, 2015; Erbil, Iraq from May 20, 2015 and Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt from May 21, 2015 and more destinations are due to be added later in 2015.
Central and Eastern European low-cost airline specialist, Wizz Air, will slightly modify its existing model by introducing a second aircraft type to its fleet later this year. While maintaining the one fleet family concept, the budget carrier has switched 26 of its outstanding orders for the A320, for the larger A321 variant and will place the first aircraft into service in the last quarter of this year.
The rise of the Gulf Carriers has become a major talking point in the aviation industry, with many arguments that the big three have an unfair advantage on the European market.
The US departments have said the allegations from American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines through its ‘Partnership for Open and Fair Skies’ coalition of around $42 billion in unfair state subsidies to Emirates Airline, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways deserves a public hearing, so arguments from both sides will be collected in a public forum, on a regulatory website.
The arrival of the second A380 on the Doha- London route from July 1, 2015 reinforces Qatar Airways’ presence in the United Kingdom, with six flights a day between the two cities in addition to daily direct services from Doha to Edinburgh from May and double daily services to Manchester. The three-class aircraft will be operated on the ‘QR001/002’ flight.
The launch of Emirates’ A380 to Copenhagen comes almost four years after the airline first linked the Danish capital with Dubai. Since its launch in August 2011, nearly eight hundred thousand passengers have travelled with Emirates on the Copenhagen-Dubai route.
This latest addition to the airline’s route network will bring the total number of destinations in Pakistan served by Air Arabia to six, as the airline also directly serves Karachi, Peshawar, Sialkot, Lahor and Islamabad from Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah International Airports.
Currently, the airline operates a Boeing 787 on the route with 254 seats, though from August 1, 2015, Qatar Airways with replace the 787 with a 777, bringing the total capacity to 335 seats.
The airline will offer a three times weekly link between Mahe and Paris Charles De Gaulle from July 1, 2015, using an Airbus A330-200, replacing the current twice weekly offering via the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The introduction of a daily Emirates link between Dubai and Orlando will bring an estimated $100 million economic impact for Central Florida, according to Frank Kruppenbacher, chairman of the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, who described the arrival of the UAE carrier as “the biggest move forward for our airport and this community.”
The mystic spice island of Zanzibar in the Indian Ocean will take the total number of destinations in the airline’s African network to 20 cities. The new destination is a popular island holiday spot for leisure travellers with its white sandy beaches, abundant wild life, rich culture and long history.
