What are the world's longest scheduled air routes by distance and block time? As Emirates Airline reveals plans to launch a Dubai - Panama City route in February 2016, Routesonline investigates.
The addition of the Boeing B747-400BCF heavy cargo aircraft, and its 112.5 tonne capacity, will enable the carier to satisfy growing demand for outsized freight transportation from customers investing in significant infrastructure projects in the Middle East and throughout the world.
Gulf carrier, Qatar Airways, has once again been forced to deny it is interested in acquiring a stake in independent Indian carrier SpiceJet, just two and a half years after previous rumours had serviced that it was in talks to develop a marketing partnership.
Following an expanded Air Service Agreement signed between the State of Qatar and the Republic of the Philippines, the Doha-based carrier will now operate a full twice-daily service to Manila, in addition to its daily flights between Clark and Doha.
Qatar Airways will initially operate five weekly flights to Zanzibar via Kilimanjaro, and commencing October 1, 2015, the airline will offer an additional two weekly flights making it a daily operation. Out of the daily flights from October, passengers will be able to fly non-stop to Zanzibar three-times-a-week and on a linked flight via Kilimanjaro four-times-a-week.
Every month Routesonline provides an update on the current schedules of five latest aircraft programmes, highlighting the routes the types are being deployed upon.
Both Boeing and Airbus have released their long term forecasts of passenger and cargo traffic, as well as regional-jet manufacturers, Bombardier and Embraer. Routesonline are taking a look at the long term forecasts to assess the potential outlook for each region over the next 20 years.
The Gulf carrier has boosted its capacity into Jeddah for the last nine consecutive years and currently operates a mix of Airbus A330-200, A330-300, A340-600, Boeing 777-200LR, 777-300ER and 787-8 equipment across its two daily flights to meet demand requirements on particular days.
The new four times weekly link to Abha, the capital of Asir, a south-western province in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and a location gaining popularity in the region as a tourist destination due to attractions such as its mild seasonal weather and fertile mountains, will commence from September 2, 2015 and will be flown using an Airbus A320.
Qatari national carrier, Qatar Airways has announced that Philadelphia will be the first destination the airline will fly to in the USA with its A350 XWB aircraft.
Every month Routesonline provides an update on the current schedules of five latest aircraft programmes, highlighting the routes the types are being deployed upon.
Airspace in the Middle East must have the flexibility to deal with the region’s rapid aviation growth, a subject that was highlighted in the Strategy Summit on the opening day of the inaugural Routes Middle East & Africa forum in Bahrain.
Al Qahtani Group (linked to Gulf Air) and Qatar Airways were both selected in late 2012 to bring new competition into the Saudi Arabian domestic market as part of a series of reforms. Both have been working with the local regulator to establish their respective businesses, Saudi Gulf Airlines and Al Maha Airways, but despite an initial suggestion these carriers would take-off by the end of 2013, we are still awaiting their arrival into the local skies.
Qatar Airways’ CEO, Akbar Al Baker said that the airline would like to operate up to two passenger flights daily if there were no bilateral constraints, but the airline is thwarted by the Dutch government which refuses to give extra landing rights to the three major Gulf carriers.
The Doha-based airline will be launching the extra widebody aircraft on the route from October 1, 2015, alongside its existing Boeing 787 Dreamliner service on one of the two double-daily flights to Munich. From November 1, 2015, the second daily flight will also be operated by the A350.
The group has disputed the evidence and conclusions that unfair subsidies are being provided by the Gulf States to Gulf carriers contained in the White Paper which has been prepared by American Airlines, Delta and United.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
Every month Routesonline provides an update on the current schedules of five latest aircraft programmes, highlighting the routes the types are being deployed upon.
Every month Routesonline provides an update on the current schedules of five latest aircraft programmes, highlighting the routes the types are being deployed upon.
