This week: Emirates firms Dreamliner and A350 orders; Gulf Air and SpiceJet sign cooperation agreement; Norwegian hires a new CEO; Air Astana puts faith in Max jets and more.
Indian carrier SpiceJet is creating a hub at Ras Al-Khaimah, increasing its connectivity to the United Arab Emirates and providing a base from which to open routes to destinations in Western Europe.
What will the year ahead have in store for the commercial aviation industry? From further consolidation in Europe to a shake-up of global airline alliances, Nigel Mayes from leading consultancy ASM casts his eye on what might shape the aviation world in 2019.
India plans to spend $60bn over the next 15 years to expand its airport infrastructure as growth forecasts indicate a trebling of passenger demand by 2037. The country’s government is also working on a relief package for struggling carriers.
China Southern Airlines, Shandong Airlines and Jeju Air are the latest carriers to register for the only route development event dedicated to the Asia-Pacific region.
Four of the top six fastest-growing major airlines in the world over the past year were low-cost carriers, new research by Routesonline has found, highlighting their ongoing disruptive force on the industry. The analysis reveals the ten carriers which have grown their capacity the quickest.
Indian airlines are expected to order 2,100 new planes worth $290bn over the next 20 years as the country’s aviation market growth shows no sign of slowing.
Huge aircraft orders, the removal of dated regulations and a growing middle class who are eager to travel are all helping to bring India to the forefront of the aviation market. Passenger numbers are growing at a faster rate than the rest of the world, as India is on course to become the largest market by 2030.
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.
