QATAR: Qatar Airways Commences Doha To Da Nang, Vietnam

Qatar Airways has inaugurated its first flight to Da Nang, the airline’s third destination in Vietnam. The Doha carrier deployed its Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner on this new route.

Qatar Airways CEO, Akbar Al Baker who was pleased to extend the airline’s reach into Vietnam by launching its third gateway into this beautiful country.

The addition of Da Nang to our global network further demonstrates our commitment to the Far East region, a highly important market for Qatar Airways.

And we are excited for passengers traveling to and from central Vietnam to experience our award-winning service and product for themselves, he added.

There are up to 56 weekly flights to and from Vietnam with Qatar Airways, offering significant connectivity through its Doha mega-hub.

The route also coincided with the 25th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Vietnam and Qatar. Al Baker noted that through this expansion into Vietnam, it will make ties between both countries even stronger.

The airline’s relationship with Vietnam has stemmed since 2007, which is less than between the 25 years of diplomatic ties of the countries.

Services to Ho Chi Minh City began in 2007 and launched services to Hanoi three years later.

In order to extend its presence in the Vietnamese market, October 2017 saw the airline sign an interline partnership with VietJet Air, allowing QR passengers to travel to and from points in Vietnam not served directly by Qatar Airways using a single reservation across both networks.

This is the 14th route launch from the carrier this year, earmarking significant growth for 2018 overall. 2019 will see the airline launching services into the likes of Valletta, Malta as well as Isfahan, Iran.


Tourism Observer

Regional Conflict, Crowded Air Space, Competition Threaten Gulf Airlines

The International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) top official believes that political instability in the Middle East is posing a threat to the region’s airline industry growth.

The Middle East airline industry has not yet totally recovered from the Arab Spring – the 2010 series of protests and demonstrations across the region.

That’s the view of IATA CEO, Alexander de Juniac, who believes that continuing regional political instability is still affecting the industry.

The tourism industry in Egypt, for example, has not yet fully recovered from the impact of the Arab Spring, he said.

The geopolitical instability and security threats hovering in the region are not encouraging the development of air traffic.

What we have seen so far is that dynamic actors are able to overcome the challenges. But the more instability you have, the less attractive the region will be.

The CEO cited the blockade in Qatar, the war in Yemen, and the position of Iran and the Saudi-led countries as not being favourable conditions for air transport.

Speaking of the blockade, de Juniac said IATA believes that the world needs connectivity with Qatar.

We will help to establish normal connectivity between Qatar and the rest of the world.

We have practically helped the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to find an appropriate corridor for Qatar Airways and for the airlines flying to Qatar to be able to have access to the country.

He said that governments had the right to close their borders when they thought it is necessary.

They can do it but border closure has never been good news to the airline industry, he added.

Regarding the war in Yemen, de Juniac said that uncontrolled groups were firing short-range missiles.

When missiles are fired by a state army there is no problem because it applies ICAO regulations and warns airlines.

But when uncontrolled groups fire missiles, it is dangerous. That is what happened in Ukraine and it is now the case in Yemen.

The missiles are not fired precisely and, in that case, there may be a need to establish a no-fly zone.

He added that, that in the wake of the Malaysian airliner MH17 disaster a scheduled passenger flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur that was shot down on July 17 2014 while flying over eastern Ukraine, killing all 283 passengers and 15 crew, pilot awareness of missiles had increased.

The CEO also reacted to the third version of the Trump administration’s travel ban, which the US Supreme Court allowed to go into effect on December 4.

The ban bars most citizens of Iran, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, Chad and North Korea from entering the United States.

There is little passenger traffic coming from those countries to the US.

There are no direct flights between these countries and the US and that is why we believe that the operational consequence will be limited, he said.

De Juniac said that Gulf airlines had been affected by various factors over the years. It’s not just political instability, they’ve also been growing at an incredible double digit pace. Now I think they are entering into normal waters, he said.

They are now growing like their peers. They are discovering the big world facing similar issues like replanning their networks, which is normal business.

Despite the political turmoil, IATA forecasts that Middle East carriers will see net profits improve to $600 million in 2018 – up from 300 million last year.

Demand in 2018 is expected to grow by 7%, outpacing announced capacity expansion of 4.9% which is the slowest growth since 2002.

According to IATA, the region’s carriers face challenges to their business models, and from low oil revenues, regional conflict, crowded air space, the impact of travel restrictions to the US, and competition from the new super connector - Turkish Airlines.

Despite the challenges, however, there is positive momentum heading into 2018.


Tourism Observer

NEPAL: Hi Fly To Provide Nepal Airlines Two Airbus A330-200s

Nepal Airlines Corp. (NAC) will take delivery of the first of two Airbus A330-200s in June, in order to expand its international network following the acquisition of the two wide-body planes.

Portuguese wet-lease specialist, Hi Fly, will provide both airplanes, which are currently in final assembly stage in Toulouse, France.

The two A330-200s, powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engines, will feature a two-class cabin configuration that will seat a total of 274 passengers, respectively 18 in Business class and 256 Economy class.

Likewise, the 2-aisle cabin will have each seat equipped with RAVE Centric, the latest In-seat AVOD In-Flight Entertainment System.

According to NAC, it has signed a 12-year contract of total-care-package for the aircraft’s Rolls-Royce engines, including spare engines, if needed.

Nepal Airlines flies to eight international destinations from its main hub in Tribhuvan International Airport (KTM), including Kathmandu to Doha (Qatar), Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Hong Kong, Bangkok (Thailand) and Dubai as well to Delhi, Bangalore and Mumbai (India).

Also, it operates domestic flights from its regional hubs at Biratnagar, Nepalgunj, and Pokhara.

As of January 2017, the oldest airline from Nepal manages a fleet of 12 aircraft, consisting of two Airbus A320-200s, one Boeing 757-200M, two Xian MA-60 used for regional flights, three de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter, and four Harbin Y-12 only two used due to lack of pilot.


Tourism Observer

GULF CRISIS: Both The Coalition Against Qatar And Qatar At Stalemate,Gulf Diplomats In US For Talks

Top Gulf diplomats were in Washington Tuesday as US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson sought to help resolve the stubborn Qatar crisis, amid concerns that Saudi Arabia's unyielding stance could foil the effort.

With a one-week Saudi deadline looming for Qatar to meet its demands, Tillerson had talks with Qatar Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.

He quickly followed that with a meeting with Kuwait Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah Al-Sabah, whose country has taken on the official role of mediator.

And he was planning to meet in a working dinner late Tuesday with the Kuwaitis and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, who has offered to help resolve the row.

But Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir, also in Washington, was unbudging over the three-week-old squabble, which has left Qatar, a US ally, isolated under a trade and diplomatic embargo set by its Gulf Arab neighbors.

Our demands on Qatar are non-negotiable. It's now up to Qatar to end its support for extremism and terrorism, Jubeir said via Twitter.

With the support of the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain, the Saudis announced on June 5 they were suspending all ties with Qatar, accusing it of support for extremist groups,a claim Doha denies.

They closed their airspace to Qatari carriers and blocked the emirate's only land border, a vital route for its food imports.

Last week Riyadh laid down a list of 13 demands for Qatar, included the closure of Al-Jazeera, a downgrade of diplomatic ties with Iran and the shutdown of a Turkish military base in the emirate.

The United Arab Emirates warned that Qatar should take the demands seriously or face "divorce" from its Gulf neighbors.

The dispute between two groups of allies, Turkey and Iraq have backed Qatar has laid down a hefty challenge for Tillerson, a seasoned oil executive but new to statecraft.

While initially stepping back from what it viewed as a regional spat that would sort itself out, Washington has accepted that it will have to take an active role in resolving what has the makings of a foreign policy disaster for the young government of President Donald Trump.

Washington has close economic and security ties with both sides of the quarrel.

Qatar is home to the largest US base in the region, Al-Udeid. Bahrain is home to the US Navy's Fifth Fleet. And the US and Saudi militaries work closely together as well.

Kuwait is the official arbitrator for seeking a settlement, and after meeting al-Sabah, Tillerson pledged his support for its lead in talks.

During their meeting they reaffirmed the need for all parties to exercise restraint to allow for productive diplomatic discussions, according to spokeswoman Heather Nauert.

But the US will be central to finding compromises that would do little damage but allow each side to claim a win, said Hussein Ibish, a scholar on Gulf affairs at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington.

It's an all-out struggle of wills, he said.

The way out for both sides is a kind of an American mediation which is face-saving for everybody.

The United States has cautioned that some of the demands would be difficult for Qatar to accept, asking the Saudis for a clear list of grievances that are reasonable and actionable.

Nauert said that talks would continue through the week, but added the Saudi demands remained challenging for Qatar.

Some of them will be difficult for Qatar to incorporate and to try to adhere to, she said.

We continue to call on those countries to work together and work this out.

UAE: Expressions Of Sympathy With Qatar Banned

The United Arab Emirates has banned people from publishing expressions of sympathy towards Qatar and will punish offenders with a jail term of up to 15 years.

The United Arab Emirates, along with several other powerful Arab states, severed diplomatic ties with fellow Gulf state Qatar Monday over its alleged support for Islamist groups and Iran. Qatar denies the accusations.

U.S. President Donald Trump took sides in the deep rift in the Arab world Tuesday, praising Middle East countries' actions against Qatar, but later spoke by phone with Saudi King Salman and stressed the need for Gulf unity.

Strict and firm action will be taken against anyone who shows sympathy or any form of bias towards Qatar, or against anyone who objects to the position of the United Arab Emirates, whether it be through the means of social media, or any type of written, visual or verbal form, UAE Attorney-General Hamad Saif al-Shamsi declared.

On top of a possible jail term, offenders would also be hit with a fine of at least 500,000 dirhams citing a statement to Arabic-language media.

Since the diplomatic row erupted, slogans against and in support of Qatar have been among the top topics discussed on Twitter in Arabic, which is a hugely popular medium of expression in the Arab world, particularly in Saudi Arabia.

Newspapers and television channels in the region have also been engaged in a war of words over Qatar's role.

Meanwhile, A man armed with a hammer shouted "this is for Syria" before attacking police officers on Tuesday outside France's Notre Dame cathedral in Paris, the interior minister said.

The assailant wounded one officer before he was shot and wounded by other officers. The Paris prosecutor's office swiftly began a counter-terrorism investigation.

Interior Minister Gerard Collomb said the attacker was carrying the identification card of an Algerian student. He said preliminary information indicated the attacker had acted alone.

Dozens of armed police sealed off the area and the cathedral in central Paris that is visited by millions of tourists every year was locked down while the security forces secured the area.

It is the first attack since President Emmanuel Macron won last month's election and comes days before a parliamentary poll in which opinion surveys show Macron on course to win a landslide majority. His rivals portrayed him as weak on security during the presidential campaign.

Situation under control, one policeman injured, the assailant was neutralized and taken to hospital, Paris police said on Twitter.

France is under a state of emergency after a wave of militant attacks since early 2015 that have killed more than 230 people across the country. Soldiers patrol its streets alongside police to guard tourist sites, government buildings and events.

Hundreds of tourists were inside the cathedral when the attacker struck.

One holidaymaker inside Notre Dame posted on Twitter: Not the holiday experience wanted. Trapped in Notre Dame Cathedral after police shoot a man. We are with our 2 terrified children.

Karine Dalle, a spokeswoman for the Paris diocese, told BFM TV 900 people were inside the cathedral as police secured the area.

Both France and Britain have suffered a spate of militant attacks in recent months.

In London, militants on Saturday drove a van at high speed into pedestrians on London Bridge before stabbing night revelers on the street and in nearby bars, killing at seven people and wounding dozens. That followed a suicide bombing in Manchester that killed 22 people.

In France, days before the first round of the presidential election in April, a policeman was shot dead and two others wounded. ISIS claimed the attack as well as those in London and Manchester.

In September, three women were arrested after police found a car laden with gas cylinders abandoned near Notre Dame. The interior ministry at the time said it was likely an attack had been imminent.

Russia Changes Visa Rules,United Raises Compensation Limit To $10,000

Russia is going to make it simpler for the citizens of 18 countries to enter the port city of Vladivostok with an aim to attract gamblers to new casinos and also investors to the resourceful and yet untapped region of the Far East.

Japan, China and Iran are among the nations that would be eligible for a four-day, online application process for ‘visas on arrival’.

However, Vladivostok is the only point of entry so far that has been approved, since travel is restricted to eight days and only within the Primorsky Krai region.

Out of the nations on the list, only two nations of Japan and China can be realistically expected to make a noticeable impact on the tourist arrivals in the Far East region of Russia as per Irina Tyurina, a spokeswoman for the Russian Tourism Industry Union.

She said that the e-visa would make travelling more convenient for business people especially those who visit Russia by themselves.

Tourists from countries like China increased to 15% last year to 1.29 million, surpassing the arrivals from other 17 nations, according to data published by the federal government of Russia.

Out of the 16 countries on the list, eight nations like Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Algeria, Brunei, Bahrain and UAE are not included in the leading 80 sources for visitors, as per the data of the Russian Border Service.

However, an easier visa regime might witness a larger number of tourists arriving from Persian Gulf, as per the deputy deacon of the international tourism faculty at the Russian State Financial University, Yuri Schegolkov.

This brand new arrangement is expected to commence in September, just in time for the third Eastern Economic Forum on the 6th and 7th of that month in Russky Island, Vladivostok.

Meanwhile, United Airlines says it will raise the limit — to $10,000 — on payments to customers who give up seats on oversold flights and will increase training for employees as it deals with fallout from the video of a passenger being violently dragged from his seat.

It is also vowing to reduce, but not eliminate, overbooking-the selling of more tickets than there are seats on the plane.

United isn’t saying whether ticket sales have dropped since the removal of a 69-year-old passenger by three airport security officers, but the airline’s CEO admits it could be damaging.

To head off customer defections, United had already announced that it will no longer call police to remove passengers from overbooked flights, and will require airline crews traveling for work to check in sooner. On Thursday, it added several other new policies including:

Raising the limit on compensation to $10,000 for customers who give up their seats. That is a maximum — it’s unclear how many, if any, passengers would see that much. The current limit is $1,350. Delta Air Lines earlier this month raised its limit to $9,950.

Sending displaced passengers or crew members to nearby airports, putting them on other airlines or arranging for car transportation to get them to their destinations.

United said it will reduce but not end the overbooking of flights. Munoz said if airlines can’t overbook flights there will be more empty seats and fares will rise. Delta CEO Ed Bastian called overselling flights “a valid business process.”

Politicians in Washington and elsewhere have called for a ban on overselling flights. Some critics have said airlines should leave a few seats empty if they think they will be needed by crew members.

UAE: Are UAE Tourists Exempted From Traffic Fines?

A card with a Dubai Police logo has gone viral on social media, saying that tourists and visitors who flout traffic rules could be let off.

The General Department of Traffic of the Dubai Police denied rumours that the visitors and tourists in the UAE are exempted from minor traffic fines. The denial came in the wake of a card going viral on social media that the Dubai Police will pardon visitors who caught by radars.

The card, which was circulated in social media, read as follows: "Dear driver, as you are a guest in the UAE and came on visit visa to Dubai, you are welcomed and we wish you a good stay. We are sorry to inform you that you are caught by radars as you did not abide by traffic law. Despite that, we will not issue you a traffic fine. We do not want to issue a fine to you, but our goal is your safety."

Major-General Mohamed Saif Al Zafeen, Head of the Traffic Prosecution Council and Assistant Commander-in-Chief of the Dubai Police for Operations Affairs, said that the Dubai Police did not circulate the card that had a Dubai Police logo on it.

"A few years ago, the Dubai Traffic Department had exempted tourists who commit minor traffic violations from paying fines to make them happy. However, the Dubai Police have not taken any such decision recently and it is just a rumour. If there is any such decision, that will be announced by the Dubai Police through its official channels."

Maj.-Gen. Al Zafeen urged the public to confirm the news before circulating that to avoid legal action.

Citizens of UAE and India are eligible to visit Russia's Far East without visas, Russia's Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev announced on Monday.

Medvedev said tourists and businessmen from 18 nations can visit the Russian Far East without visas.

The list of 18 countries comprises UAE, India, Algeria, Bahrain, Brunei, Iran, Qatar, China, North Korea, Kuwait, Morocco, Mexico, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Tunisia, Turkey and Japan.

"I have recently approved the list of countries, whose nationals can take advantage of the preferential regime. Businessmen and tourists will not need to undergo the traditional procedure of Russian visas receipt," the Prime Minister said. It will be enough for foreigners "to enter their data on a special website in the Internet," Medvedev said.

"We are proactively forming the modern infrastructure and creating special regimes in the Far East; the law on visits to the Vladivostok free port was approved in March," Medvedev said.

Cancellation of visa procedures for tourists and businessmen "will promote growth of investment and tourist attractiveness of the Far East," the prime minister said. The region will earn more money from tourist traffic growth, he added.

Eighteen countries from various regions selected by the reciprocity principle were included into the list, Medvedev said. "This is not because these states are situated at a closer or longer distance - we are appropriately introducing bilateral agreements on visa-free travel for those ready to use such an approach for us," he was quoted as saying by TASS.

QATAR: Cheesecake Factory Opens

M.H. Alshaya Co. opened Qatar’s first The Cheesecake Factory last month, representing the US brand’s eleventh restaurant in the Middle East.

The outlet is located in the newly opened Mall of Qatar, Qatar’s largest shopping centre.

The Doha-based branch is one of about 100 F&B outlets in the QAR5.4bn (US$1.48bn) mall — which opened more than a year after it was initially scheduled to be completed — spread out over a large food court.

The upscale casual dining chain, which is known for its extensive menu of more than 250 options, has focused on international expansion in recent years.

In 2012 the New York-listed restaurant chain signed a deal with Kuwait-based retailer Alshaya to franchise its outlets across the Gulf in its first overseas expansion. The deal allowed for more than 20 restaurants to be built in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait.

The Alshaya group opened the world's largest branch of The Cheesecake Factory at Dubai’s Mall of the Emirates in 2013.

TURKEY: Targeting Visitors From Oman, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Qatar and Bahrain

Turkey is targeting visitors from Oman during Eid Al Adha in a bid to bolster tourism numbers following the country's recent failed coup attempt.

Salih Ozer, an official from The Turkish Cultural and Tourism Office in Dubai, told Times of Oman: "The Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism is looking to visitors from Oman and other Gulf countries to offset the recent slump in the nation's tourist numbers."

Tourism is vital to Turkey's GDP and political instability, and terrorism, has taken a toll on the sector.

Data from the Tourism Ministry showed Turkish tourist arrivals fell 40.86% year-on-year in June this year, with 2.44 million people arriving during the month. The data reveals the biggest drop on record, which goes back to 1994.

"In the past, visitors from Oman, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the UAE, Qatar and Bahrain have represented the highest volume of visitors to the nation.

"We hope that the upcoming Eid Al Adha holidays will help boost tourist revenue, especially since the safety and comfort of tourists is being handled with the utmost care," Ozer added.

MEXICO: Mexico Is Among World’s Happiest Countries.

In the middle of winter, just as we’re all thinking about a holiday, Swinburne researchers have revealed a nation’s perceived happiness can be an asset that attracts tourists.

Finance lecturer Dr Reza Tajaddini and Economics lecturers Dr Hassan F Gholipour and Dr Jeremy Nguyen, say their research was the first to propose that tourists may travel to sites of greater ‘happiness’ and to investigate the relationship between happiness and inbound tourism.

The researchers say their work has implications for tourism marketing and shows the benefit of emphasising the happiness characteristics of destinations, alongside traditional cultural and heritage attractions.

“In recent years, many countries have launched tourism campaigns focusing on happiness in their countries,” Dr Tajaddini says. “Sometimes a holiday isn't just getting to see more sunshine; it's about getting to see more sunny smiles.”

Fiji tourism authorities employed a global campaign ‘Fiji-where happiness finds you’; and Bhutan, Thailand and Costa Rica have also used happiness campaigns to promote their tourism industries.

To define happiness, the research team used a large, multi-country database from the World Values Survey (WVS), a global research project that has explored international values and beliefs for more than three decades.

The researchers measured tourism revenue to 63 countries, taking into account heritage sites and natural attractions, finding that perceived political stability and an absence of violence influenced traveller’s decisions.

They also studied tourism arrivals and matched this data with happiness data, to show that a nation’s happiness may be an asset capable of attracting international visitors, in addition to its traditional tourism assets.

Happiness is an intangible tourism asset

Dr Gholipour says: “Happier countries may be able to attain economic benefits by recognising population happiness as an intangible asset that can be managed and marketed, sharing local people’s happiness with international visitors.”

Dr Nguyen says the results suggest that international tourists prefer to travel to, and spend more time in, happier countries.

“If national happiness is viewed as an intangible asset that affects tourism positively, then recent interests in national happiness and wellbeing by political leaders and economists have clear implications for the management of this asset for which tourism industries are a stakeholder,” Dr Nguyen says.

"For most tourists, it's not just the sights and the weather; it's also the mood of the people around you,” he says.

The happiest nations on the planet, according to the research, are: Mexico, Colombia, Qatar, Ecuador, Uzbekistan, New Zealand, and Sweden. Get ready to book your flights.

EU Seeking New Order On Airline Subsidies

The European Union is seeking tough powers to limit state subsidies to airlines as part of new commercial aviation agreements it wants to negotiate with several countries including the UAE and Qatar.

The EU’s executive arm, the European Commission, has drafted a “fair competition clause” that would give it the option of revoking traffic rights if a complaint is brought against an airline accused of receiving state subsidies.

The clause would be part of air transport agreement talks the executive arm wants to hold on behalf of EU member states with countries like the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Turkey and others.

The document outlines what would be perceived as state support including protection from bankruptcy, provision of capital, tax relief and cross-subsidisation.

It also outlines a 30 day consulate period for disputes over allegations of unfair subsides and that if the talks fail the complaining country could suspend or revoke the accused airlines traffic rights and impose duties.

The argument over airline subsidies became increasingly politicised through 2015. Two of Europe’s largest carriers, Air France-KLM and Lufthansa, and major United States airlines accused Gulf counterparts Emirates, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways of being unfairly subsidised, an allegation they refute.

In response to the Reuters report, Etihad warned against protectionism in Europe, arguing it would be damaging for the aviation sector. “We are confident that the EC and European governments understand that, if heeded, the self-serving calls for protectionism by a few will undermine Europe’s connectivity and competitiveness as well as robust choices for consumers in Europe and elsewhere,” an airline spokesperson told Gulf News by email.

Etihad, which has bought stakes in four European carriers, said it would work with Europe “to pursue the Commission’s strategy to enhance the cost-effectiveness and efficiency of Europe’s aviation infrastructure. We will also continue to promote consumer choice, connectivity, innovation, legal certainty and investment.”

Emirates declined to comment, while Qatar did not respond to a request for comment.

The Commission is seeking a mandate from the 28-member EU bloc to negotiate these agreements on their behalf. Currently, air transport agreement negotiations take place between the governments of the two countries involved.

Etihad, Emirates and Qatar have warned in the past against protectionism in Europe and also the United State that they argue ultimately hurts the flying public.

USA: Qatar Airways Acquires Two New 787s

The Middle Eastern airline took delivery of their 24th and 25th Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners (A7-BCX and A7-BCY) at a ceremony held at the Boeing Delivery Center at Paine Field, Everett, Washington. NYCAviation.com was privileged to be part of the festivities that included a great deal more than just the delivery ceremonies.

The day started with a briefing by Jim Haas, Boeing’s Director of Product Marketing, at the Boeing 787 and Boeing 777 production line facilities at the plant at Paine Field. The briefing went into the details of the Boeing 787 product family and the status of the Boeing 787-10 aircraft as well as an update on the status of the Boeing 777X products. Following this, media were allowed to participate on a tour of the Everett production lines for the Boeing 787 and Boeing 777 aircraft.

Following the morning events at the production facilities, the attending media were transferred to the Everett Delivery Center. There, the two aircraft were handed over by Ray Connor, CEO of Boeing Commercial Aircraft and other executives of Boeing Commercial Aircraft to His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker of Qatar Airways and members of the Qatar Airways organization.

In comments made during the acceptance ceremony, Mr. Al Baker said he was very pleased in the way that the program has progressed over the years since Qatar Airways had been the Middle East delivery customer for the Dreamliner. He noted that at the beginning of the program, there had been issues with the program that at times caused a possible cancellation of the orders. Once those initial hurdles had been overcome, however, Qatar Airways had been very happy with their Dreamliners. He also alluded to possible confirmations of converting the options on 30 Boeing 787-8s to the Boeing 787-9 in the future.

In his comments, Mr. Connor was very proud of the partnership between Boeing Commercial Aircraft and Qatar Airways. Following the signing of the acceptance documents, and the presentation of the 25th Dreamliner with its special decal to commemorate the delivery, the media was entertained in the Business Class section of the 25th Dreamliner by Mr. Al Baker for a spirited question and answer session.

One of the first questions posed to Mr. Al Baker, referenced comments made by Richard Anderson, CEO of Delta Airlines in the ongoing feud between the two carriers. Mr. Al Baker was very critical of the comments made by Mr. Anderson, alluding to the record profits made by Delta Airlines and his feeling that the customers of Qatar Airways benefit from the newer technology aircraft and service provided by the airline. He was also personally critical of Mr. Anderson, suggesting that “he had lost the plot” and also adding that “he is getting close to retirement age so I would take whatever he says with a pinch of salt”.

In replying to a question addressing the consolidations that had occurred in the industry in recent time, Mr. Al Baker reiterated, “As far as the Middle East is concerned, we will stay” also adding “Don’t ever imagine that Qatar Airways will be renamed something else.” Mr. Al Baker added that in the future, there will be acquisitions of other airlines in order to improve them. With regards to future expansion in the USA by Qatar Airways, Mr. Al Baker noted “We have an Open Skies Agreement with the US.” He added, “We will grow in the United States, every opportunity we get to grow”.

On the subject of a Premium Economy cabin on Qatar Airways, Mr. Al Baker was very adamant that this will not happen, stating “I don’t think there is any room for Premium Economy in our region”, adding “We give you a premium economy seat at an economy price, so passengers are very satisfied”. With regards to the future of the Boeing 777 fleet as far as interiors are concerned, Mr. Al Baker stated they are working on a new business class product that “will be a huge game changer in the industry.” He also added that the new product, “will be patented so that our competition will not be able to take the ideas and copy the product.” This new product will also be used on other aircraft in the fleet, including the Boeing 787 Dreamliners. The new interior product will be introduced at the Farnborough Air Show in 2016.

Of interest is the continuous monitoring of all Qatar Airways flights by their Operation Control Center in Doha, where all aircraft send data every 5 seconds back to the center and every 15 seconds, the data is mapped. Any diversion or deviation of flight plan must be explained to the Operations Control Center. Ray Connor added the Boeing also continuously monitors all Boeing 787 data, and they also have a staff member that sits in the Qatar Operation Control Center to provide assistance.

BAHRAIN: 2015 Bahrain Received Over 10 Million Visitors

The Kingdom of Bahrain received more than 10 million tourists last year, according to Bahrain Authority for Tourism and Exhibitions (BATE)’s Acting CEO, Shaikh Khalid bin Humood Al Khalifa.

The Government of Bahrain, represented in the Directorate of Tourism, has put in huge efforts culminating in the selection of Manama as the Gulf Capital for Tourism2016, Shaikh Khalid told Akhbar Al Khaleej daily on Wednesday adding that ‘we have succeeded in the allocation of a budget for this important event.

The Kingdom is looking forward to an annual increase of approximately 8% in tourist arrivals this year.

The Directorate of Tourism, assisted with specialists, had conducted a study to glean the wishes of Arab Gulf tourists, incoming to Bahrain and to find out about their interests. In the activities, it was observed that they coincided with the holiday season in the Gulf states – especially in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar.

The survey has shown that the Gulf tourist prefers staying in apartments by 34% in contrast with 26% for rooms.

This led the Directorate to encourage more investments in hotel apartments, for the purpose of filling the gap in this sector, he added.

The Directorate of Tourism has also inked agreements to hold numerous family entertainment activities, to attract more tourists from the Arab Gulf states.

UAE: Emirates Adds Flights To Egypt

The airline currently operates a double daily service between its Dubai International Airport hub and Cairo International Airport using Boeing 777-300ER equipment. The three new weekly rotations will be operated using a smaller Airbus A330-200, offering 12 seats in First Class, 42 in Business Class and 183 in Economy.

United Arab Emirates (UAE) hub carrier, Emirates Airline is to increase its presence in the Egyptian market by increasing frequencies into the North African country by just over a fifth. The airline will introduce three additional weekly rotations between Dubai and Cairo from January 1, 2016, increasing its schedule to 17 return flights each week.

Emirates started operations to Cairo in April 1986 with three flights a week. Operations have steadily grown with increases in both frequency and capacity between Cairo and Dubai to match demand. The additional flights will boost the number of connection options that Emirates offers to passengers heading into or from Egypt’s capital city, to destinations in the Middle East, Asia and Americas.

The airline currently operates a double daily service between its Dubai International Airport hub and Cairo International Airport using Boeing 777-300ER equipment. The three new weekly rotations will be operated using a smaller Airbus A330-200, offering 12 seats in First Class, 42 in Business Class and 183 in Economy.

“We are delighted to be able to grow our business in Cairo, on the back of commercial demand and great customer support. In the past eight years, the route has carried over 2.7 million passengers and moved over 200,000 tons of cargo,” said Adil Al Ghaith, Senior Vice President Commercial Operations for Northern and Western Africa, Emirates Airline.

Cairo is a very popular destination for both business and leisure travellers, and is a gateway to many of the country’s major tourist attractions such as the Giza pyramids, the Great Sphinx, the ancient temples of Luxor dating back thousands of years and many more.

“We anticipate that our additional capacity will stimulate further growth in both tourism and business traffic on the route,” added Al-Ghaith.

In addition to the increased passenger capacity, the extra frequencies will allow Emirates SkyCargo to carry an additional 17 tons of cargo per trip including perishables, automotive spare parts, pharmaceutical products, and personal effects as well as electronics.

An estimated 382,000 passengers flew on Emirates’ flights between Dubai and Cairo in 2014, a market that is also served directly on an up to three times daily basis by EgyptAir. Analysis of MIDT data shows that local traffic accounted for a 54.2 per cent share of the total Emirates demand on the route last year.

A further 44 per cent connected via Dubai International Airport, with the remaining 1.8 per cent connecting in Cairo International Airport or bridge traffic connecting at both ends of the route. The largest behind and beyond markets at Dubai International Airport comprised Jakarta, Indonesia; Kuwait City, Kuwait; Shanghai, China; Doha, Qatar and Seoul Incheon, South Korea.

Looking at annual seat capacity versus segment demand, estimated load factor in this market has now risen for four consecutive years from a low of 52.4 per cent in 2011 (due to the Arab Spring and January 25 Revolution) to 76.2 per cent last year, its highest level since 2008. Last year, capacity on the route fell 3.8 per cent (from a record high of over one million two-way seats in 2013), but estimated segment demand rose 1.0 per cent, surpassing the 750,000 annual passengers for the first time.

EU Commission Seeks Airline Pacts In Gulf To Stop Subsidies

The European Union's transport chief sought more leverage to fight alleged unfair subsidies to airlines based in the Persian Gulf in a bid to create a "level playing field" for EU flag carriers.

European Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulc asked EU governments for authority to negotiate aviation agreements with the six countries that belong to the Gulf Cooperation Council. Curbing any market-distorting aid to operators such as Emirates, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways would be a goal of the negotiations.

Bulc's request is part of a European aviation package that also seeks deals with China, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Mexico, Turkey and Armenia; foresees guidelines on the control of EU airlines; and proposes a regulatory framework for the use of drones. The targeted accords with the Persian Gulf states are a priority because countries such as the United Arab Emirates have fast-growing aviation markets and the issue of subsidies in the GCC has become politically sensitive in Europe.

"While the additional connections provided by the Gulf airlines are welcome, there are concerns regarding the conditions under which they operate," the European Commission said in a statement about the package on Monday in Brussels. "The right way forward" is "to bridge the interests of both sides by creating conditions that will allow further market development and growth based on common rules and transparency."

The commission, the 28-nation EU's regulatory arm, is preparing for a bigger battle over state aid to Gulf-based airlines after national governments in Europe joined European carriers such as Air France-KLM Group and Deutsche Lufthansa in raising the issue.

France and Germany voiced concerns about foreign subsidies earlier this year at an EU meeting where transport ministers debated global aviation competition. The chief executive officers of several European airlines, including Air France-KLM and Lufthansa, wrote a letter to Bulc in December 2014 urging her to step up efforts to tackle government support for Gulf rivals.

Total seats on scheduled flights between the EU and the GCC nations have more than tripled over the past decade to 39 million this year, the commission said on Monday. The UAE has more direct traffic with the EU than China, India and Japan combined, according to the commission.

Bulc said she wants EU governments to give her "open and dynamic" mandates to negotiate aviation agreements with the GCC, which also includes Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain. The deals being sought are dubbed "comprehensive" because, in addition to provisions on "fair competition," they would cover such areas as market access, investment and technologies for air-traffic management.

At a press conference, Bulc refused to be drawn on the question of subsidies in the Persian Gulf.

"I am very careful about that," she said. "I don't want to generalize in this matter. And that's exactly why we are proposing comprehensive bilateral agreements where fair competition is one of the clauses. We really want to address it in a very comprehensive level."

As part of any accords, she said the EU would be prepared to ease its 49 percent limit on foreign ownership of airlines based in the bloc in return for reciprocal rights abroad for European companies. Etihad Airways has a 49 percent stake in Alitalia and a 29 percent holding in Air Berlin.

An existing EU aviation agreement with the United States has failed to abolish foreign-ownership curbs because of American defense of the country's 25 percent limit on voting equity, while a European pact with Canada foresees the scrapping of control restrictions once the Canadian government takes the necessary steps.

For investors in countries that have no derogation from the EU's limit on foreign ownership of carriers, the aviation package promises "interpretative guidelines" at a later stage on the enforcement of the cap. The limit is enshrined in a 2008 European law requiring that EU states and/or nationals own more than 50 percent of any airline based in the bloc and "effectively control" it.

In their letter to Bulc a year ago, the group of European airline CEOs also pressed her to ensure that foreign investments in EU-based airlines "strictly comply" with the 2008 legislation. In addition to the heads of Air France-KLM and Lufthansa, the letter was signed by the CEOs of three Lufthansa units: Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines and Swiss International Air Lines.

The goal of the planned guidelines is to "bring more legal certainty for airlines and investors," Bulc said on Monday.

Most Gulf Carriers Re-routed Flights Over Sinai After Russian Crash

Most Gulf airlines said on Sunday they were re-routing flights to avoid Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, where a Russian aircraft carrying 224 passengers crashed on Saturday.

Carriers from United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait said they would re-route flights as a security precaution until there was more clarity. Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Airways said it would continue to fly over Sinai but avoid certain areas on the advice of Egyptian authorities.

Air traffic in the region has been on alert since a militant group linked to Islamic State in Egypt said it had brought down the plane “in response to Russian air strikes that killed hundreds of Muslims on Syrian land”.

A Russian aviation official said the aircraft had broken up in mid-air but it was too early to draw any conclusions. The Russian plane crashed into a mountainous area of central Sinai.

German carrier Lufthansa and Air France-KLM said they had decided to avoid flying over the peninsula while they waited for clarity on what caused the crash.

Qatar Airways, budget carrier Jazeera Airways from Kuwait and Bahrain’s Gulf Air said late on Sunday that they would avoid flying over the peninsula, according to separate statements.

“Out of an abundance of caution, Qatar Airways will re-route flights to avoid the Sinai Peninsula airspace until more information is known regarding the tragic loss,” the Doha-based airline said.

Earlier in the day, Emirates, flydubai and Air Arabia, all from the United Arab Emirates, confirmed taking the same security precautions.

Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Airways said it continues to fly over the Sinai region but is avoiding airspace over some of its areas in accordance with instructions by the Egyptian authorities. This would impact “a handful” of its flights, it said in a statement.

Re-routing usually means longer flying distances, which add to fuel costs.

British budget carrier easyJet said it was taking advice from all relevant authorities and was continuing to “actively review” the situation. It said that it, like other British airlines, did not overfly central and northern Sinai on the advice of Britain’s Department of Transport.

“Based on the information received to date, easyJet plans to continue to operate flights to Egypt to carry holidaymakers as planned to and from Sharm el-Sheikh and Hurghada but will continue to actively review the situation,” it said in a statement.

British Airways said in a statement that it did not discuss flight routes, “however we would never fly a route unless it was safe to do so”.

UNITED KINGDOM: Middle East Private Jets Worth $646.9M Up For Sale

According to Global Jet Capital, Saudi Arabia has the largest fleet of private jets in the Middle East, with 144 planes.

Three of 17 private jets owned by Lebanese businessmen are up for sale, London-based company Global Jet Capital has said.

Global Jet Capital, a provider of financing solutions for large-cabin, long-range private jets, reveals there are around 62 aircraft of this size for sale in the Middle East, with a combined value of around $646.9 million.

The report did not disclose the names of the Lebanese who own the private jets or those whose aircraft are up for sale.

“Some 19 of these [62] aircraft are registered in Saudi Arabia, and 18 are in the United Arab Emirates. The remainder is spread out across the Middle East,” Global Jet revealed in a statement.

The findings show that in total, there are around 559 mid- to large-sized private jets in the region, meaning that around 11 percent of the fleet is currently for sale.

It added that the aviation finance specialist, which recently agreed to purchase the aircraft lease and loan portfolio of GE Capital Corporate Aircraft in the Americas representing approximately $2.5 billion of net assets, has around $1 billion to lend to clients to purchase relevant business aircraft in the Middle East and elsewhere around the world.

“The aircraft Global Jet Capital funds typically cost between $25 million and $75 million each, and it says up to 80 percent of the funding used to purchase these is sourced through external financing,” the statement said.

Shawn Vick, executive director of Global Jet Capital said: “Over the long term we expect to see growth in the sale of mid- to large-sized business jets in the region, and we are well positioned to meet the finance demand to help facilitate this.”

“Many potential clients will be looking to upgrade to a more modern aircraft, but as the region’s wealth increases, we expect to see more first-time buyers,” he added.

According to the table provided by Global Jet Capital, Saudi Arabia has the largest fleet of private jets in the Middle East with 144, followed by Turkey’s 108, UAE’s 97, Kuwait’s 27, Iran’s 26, Qatar’s 24, Jordan’s 21, Lebanon’s 17, Oman’s 15 and Bahrain’s 12.

UAE: Halal Tourism Grows As Travel Companies Cater To Muslim Faithful

A rental company in Orlando, Florida, is offering "halal vacation homes" with curtained pool decks and rooms with prayer mats and copies of the Quran. A British company's app lists gourmet restaurants serving halal meat in London and Dubai, while a Boston-based developer's app offers travel guides for 90 cities with local prayer times and a compass pointing Muslims toward Mecca for daily prayers.

The so-called "halal tourism" market was once seen as a niche revenue stream, limited to pilgrimages like the multi-billion dollar-a-year revenue stream generated by Muslim travelers to Mecca. But now there's a movement in the tourism industry to widen the "halal tourism" market to cater to Muslim travelers worldwide, particularly those from wealthy Gulf Arab states.

Travelers from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Oman will spend $64 billion traveling this year and are expected to spend $216 billion by 2030, according to a 2014 study for the travel tech company Amadeus. The study found that, on average, a traveler from these countries spends around $9,900 per trip outside the Gulf. For Emiratis, the figure reaches $10,400.

KENYA: Lufthansa’s Return To Nairobi, Bad Start

Lufthansa, which forced partner Brussels Airlines off the Nairobi route in exchange for flights to Accra / Ghana, is coming under severe and sustained critique for their apparent U-turn to scale back the number of services operated from the envisaged four to just three, in addition to which a smaller aircraft is now scheduled to operate the Frankfurt to Nairobi flights from mid October.

The news a few months ago that Brussels Airlines, which operated an Airbus A330-200 from Brussels via either Bujumbura or Kigali to Nairobi before returning to Brussels nonstop, had been pushed to accept a deal reportedly forced upon them by senior partner Lufthansa, to yield the route to Kenya to them, had caused some serious consternation among travelers and travel agents alike.

At the end of the 1990’s did Lufthansa ditch the Nairobi route under the flimsy pretext of not having a suitable aircraft after the sale of their Airbus A310 fleet, though insiders at the time speculated that the Africa management forced the decision over revenues as flights to destinations like Asmara and Addis Ababa continued uninterrupted. ‘They could not stand the competitive heat over low fares, that is the truth about what happened back then’ volunteered a Nairobi based travel agent before adding ‘We were happy with Brussels Airlines. They were punctual, offered good fares and good service. Many of us are sad that they were pushed out of Nairobi and the latest news about Lufthansa now scaling back flights from four to three is just a reminder how they abandoned Nairobi 15 years ago. In fact, if the rumours are true that they intend to use a small single aisle aircraft they are very mistaken if they think they will make an impact in Kenya. Airlines like Qatar or Etihad use the Airbus A320 but that is only for a flight of about 5 hours. Frankfurt to Nairobi is eight plus hours and squeezing people into a small aircraft will be self-defeating. The Gulf airlines, BA, KLM, Turkish will all have a field day to demolish Lufthansa’s sales efforts’.

Another senior travel agent rubbished the Lufthansa return altogether when commenting on the emerging news that the airline planned to scrap the Sunday flight and change the aircraft from a wide body to a Boeing B737-700: ‘For one an airline like Lufthansa is expected to operate daily flights and absorb the startup cost until the route is profitable. Secondly, reducing the already ridiculous four flights to three is doing their reputation a lot of extra damage. People are asking why do you come back with a very limited service? Thirdly, the distance is just too long to use a single aisle aircraft for the route, a very bad way to relaunch and re-enter Kenya. Fourthly, even when they eventually bring a wide body it is an old Airbus A340, in other words they offload their rubbish equipment on the Kenyan market. Why, and I asked you that before, did they not just let things be as they were. They codeshared with Swiss and Brussels Airlines and it worked well. This is just an ego trip for them it seems and the way they are starting up makes them a laughing stock. You wait and see how the likes of Emirates, Qatar, Turkish, KLM and BA will take them apart. Foolish, very foolish’.

Wait and see it for sure is as all eyes are on the inaugural flight and what whoever comes to Nairobi to represent Lufthansa on the occasion will have to say in mitigation of such poorly planned changes sprung on the Kenyan market at the very last moment.

‘We had high hopes for a big global airline like Lufthansa to come back to Nairobi’ said a regular source close to the Kenya Tourism Board before adding ‘Now it seems for whatever commercial reasons they have they are not delivering what they promised. That is a big letdown because the net effect, after Brussels Airlines goes away, is a loss of available seats, not an increase as we were told. This is very disappointing from a company like Lufthansa, very disappointing’.

No doubt will the airline now use spin doctors and local PR links to mitigate this rather unmitigated re-entry disaster and everyone will watch their next moves and the reasons they will give to the public.