UAE: Etihad Airways And Sixt Go Into Partnership

Etihad Airways and Sixt, an international mobility service provider, have announced a new partnership to provide airport transfers to passengers globally.

Customers can now book the extra transfer service online for their flight via the Etihad website immediately after purchasing their airline ticket or even up to one hour in advance.

The new service covers various car categories from limousines to SUVs - all operated by professional chauffeurs.

Jamal Al Awadhi, Etihad Airways vice president product and guest experience, said: It is important that our renowned Etihad experience exists across the entire customer journey.

This new service enhancement provides a seamless transportation experience for our guests from their home to the airport and then upon arrival at their destination.

Vinzenz Pflanz, president corporate sales, Sixt, said: I’m delighted we are expanding our strategic partnership to jointly offer our customers additional travel benefits.

Our companies are not only two strong brands in the travel and tourism industry, we also operate globally across Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, the Middle East and North America.

Sixt offers a unique, integrated range of mobility services in the areas of car rental, car sharing and ride services.

For Sixt there are over one million trained drivers worldwide ready to pick you up from the airport and provide safe transports.

Tourism Observer

UAE: Alitalia Passenger Suddenly Dies Mid Flight, Plane Makes Emergency Landing In Abu Dhabi

A plane belonging to Italy’s national carrier was forced to make an emergency landing in Abu Dhabi on Monday following the death of a passenger.

Kailash Chandra Saini, 52, was travelling with his son, Heera Lal, 26, from New Delhi to Milan when he suddenly fell ill and died.

Pilots on the Alitalia flight were forced to divert to Abu Dhabi International Airport, where Mr Saini was transferred to Mafraq hospital.

Officials said his body was expected to be repatriated to his home state of Rajasthan, India, on an Etihad flight on Wednesday.

Embassy officials have been assisting the family with the formal process of repatriation.

His son, Heera Lal Saini, who was also travelling with his father to Milan, was in Abu Dhabi and talked briefly with the press but was not in position to share any further details.

The Indian embassy in Abu Dhabi is helping Heera repatriate his father's body to India.

The Department of Health in Abu Dhabi has issued a death certificate on Tuesday to help repatriate the body.

The son will be carrying the body of his father to India on Wednesday from Abu Dhabi.

Alitalia – Società Aerea Italiana (Alitalia – Italian Air Company), operating as Alitalia, is the flag carrier of Italy.

The company has its head office in Fiumicino, Rome, Italy. Its main hub is Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport, Rome, and a secondary is Linate Airport, Milan.

Other focus airports are Catania-Fontanarossa Airport, Milan-Malpensa Airport, Palermo Airport and Naples Airport.

In 2018, it was the twelfth-largest airline in Europe. The name "Alitalia" is an Italian portmanteau of the words ali (wings), and Italia (Italy).

On 2 May 2017, the airline went into administration after the Italian government formally approved the move.

Between 2009 and 2011, Alitalia renewed its fleet with 34 new aircraft, while 26 older planes were retired. The renewal process ended in early 2013.

These new planes are not owned by Alitalia itself, but are leased mostly from Aircraft Purchase Fleet, an Irish leasing company created by former Air One owner Carlo Toto primarily to purchase the new Alitalia fleet.

Following the Air One merger, the entire fleet that was not already leased from other lessors, plus the former Air One fleet that was owned by Air One outright, came under the ownership of APF, a subsidiary of Toto's Italian conglomerate Toto Holding.

The entire fleet, except the two new A330s, is now on the Irish registry instead of the Italian registry.

Alitalia codeshares with the following airlines:

- Aeroflot

- Aerolineas Argentinas

- Air Corsica

- Air Europa

- Air France

- Air Malta

- Air Serbia

- Air Seychelles

- airBaltic

- All Nippon Airways

- Avianca Brazil

- Azerbaijan Airlines

- Bulgaria Air

- Blue Air

- China Airlines

- China Eastern Airlines

- China Southern Airlines

- Croatia Airlines

- Czech Airlines

- Delta Air Lines

- Etihad Airways

- Flybe

- Gol Transportes Aéreos

- Hainan Airlines

- HOP!

- Kenya Airways (Resumes 12 June 2019)

- KLM

- Korean Air

- Kuwait Airways

- Luxair

- Middle East Airlines

- Montenegro Airlines

- Pegasus Airlines

- Royal Air Maroc

- Royal Jordanian

- Saudia

- SriLankan Airlines

- TAP Air Portugal

- TAROM

- Uzbekistan Airways

- Vietnam Airlines

- Virgin Australia

Incidents and accidents since Alitalia-CAI's launch of operations on 13 January 2009:

On 24 April 2011, an attempt was made to hijack Alitalia Flight 329, en route from Charles de Gaulle Airport, Paris, France to Fiumicino Airport, Rome and divert it to Tripoli International Airport, Libya.

The hijacker, reported to be an advisor to the Kazakhstan delegation to UNESCO, was subdued by cabin crew and other passengers. He was arrested and taken into custody after the aircraft made a safe landing at Rome.

On 29 September 2013 at 20:10, an Alitalia Airbus A320 flying from Madrid–Barajas Airport to Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport failed to lower the landing gear during a storm on landing and the aircraft toppled, skidded off the runway and crashed.

10 passengers suffered minor injuries and all 151 passengers and crew were evacuated and taken to the hospital.


Tourism Observer

UAE: Alcohol Consumption Not Prohibited On Emirates. A Passenger In A Car Driven By Someone With Alcohol In Their Blood Will Get Arrested.

Dubai flights have worried passengers when it comes to serving alcohol mid-flight.

British passenger Dr Ellie Holman was arrested after landing at the airport in the UAE and was found to have alcohol in her bloodstream.

She confirmed that she had a glass of wine during the flight that was offered by the airline.

Emirates has made statements regarding their alcohol rules.

Emirates customers have complained in regards to alcohol consumption.

One woman asked: “Dear @emirates and @British_Airways, am I in danger of getting arrested on a flight to the #UAE if I order alcohol?

Another asked: “Could you clarify if I can drink alcohol in the lounge and during a connecting flight from BHX to BKK. The Embassy are now saying it's illegal to consume whilst transiting through DBX.”

Emirates responded by saying - Alcohol consumption is not prohibited on our flights.

Furthermore alcohol is also served in the lounged in Dubai airport and available for purchase in the Duty Free.

Emirates continues to invest in our food and beverage programme, which is an integral part of our inflight experience, says an Emirates official.

However, like on any other airline, or indeed any hospitality establishment, unruly or disruptive behaviour from intoxication will not be tolerated, and there may be legal consequences.

The safety and well-being of our passengers and crew on board will always be our top priority, Emirates said.

The British Embassy in the UAE warned Britons travelling to the country in regards to drinking alcohol.

They said it is a punishable offence to be under the influence of alcohol in public, including when transiting through the UAE.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office warns that Passengers in transit through the UAE under the influence of alcohol may also be arrested.

Dubai is popular with British travellers for the cheap flights on offer and good weather all year round.

UAE has recently announced new changes for tourists in regard to transit visa, allowing longer in the country, and free visas for children in a tourism drive.

However strict rules in regards to other substances such as drugs and relations between men and women should be checked before travelling.

A strictly Muslim country, some tourists have found themselves in trouble when participating in activities that are allowed in the UK.

Earlier, Dubai tourists were warned against drinking alcohol on flights when travelling to the country following the arrest of a British mother who drank one glass of wine on an Emirates flight.

Dubai flights often serve alcoholic drinks inflight as it is not illegal to drink in the air.

It is but illegal to be drunk in public in Dubai.

The British Embassy in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) issued the warning to Britons travelling to the country.

They warned, if caught carrying or drinking alcohol without a licence or with alcohol in your blood you can be arrested.

The warning follows the arrest of Ellie Holman, who was detained when landing and was found with alcohol in her blood.

It is a punishable offence to be under the influence of alcohol in public-including when transiting through the UAE.

It can result in custodial sentences and/or fine but other offences committed while drunk will be heard separately.

Take care to respect local customs, behave respectfully when consuming alcohol.

There is zero tolerance for drink driving in the UAE. You can be arrested as a passenger in a car driven by someone with alcohol in their blood.

Tourists cannot buy a license for alcohol, and so must only drink in areas which carry a license.

Passengers in transit through the UAE under the influence of alcohol may also be arrested.

Radha Stirling, chief executive of human rights group detained in Dubai, said: In light of the FCO’s announcement, we will be contacting all airlines who transit to or through the UAE to clarify their position on serving alcohol to passengers.

Either the UAE will need to reform their laws urgently, or the airlines will need to update their policy to ensure the safety of customers.

Dr Ellie Holman was imprisoned for three days in Dubai after being asked if she had consumed alcohol on the flight.

She said she was very pleased the Foreign Office had changed the travel warning for British tourists.

Dubai has recently been encouraging British tourists to visit by offering free transit visas as well as free children visas every summer.

Flights to the UAE destination can be as cheap as £350 return when travelling abroad on holiday.

However, a number of tourists have come into trouble due to the strict laws.

Jamie Harron was sentenced to a month in prison last year for drinking alcohol, after being accused of indecently touching another man.

The man said he touched his hip in the bar, something Mr Harron said happened when he tried to walk past while carrying drinks.

Despite paying £32,000 in legal fees and losing his job, the British tourist said he would go back to the country.

A passenger was jailed in Dubai after drinking alcohol on a flight when travelling to the country on holiday with her family, but is it against the law to do so?

A passenger flying from the UK to Dubai was jailed after landing when she drank a glass of wine on the flight.

Dr Ellie Holman, 44, from Kent, was travelling with her four-year-old daughter when she was given a glass of alcohol on an Emirates flight.

When she landed, she was jailed due to public intoxication.

But is it against the law to drink on flights when travelling to Dubai?

Flights to and from Dubai will often serve alcohol, such as Emirates and Etihad.

Some flights will be dry depending on the carrier, and which country it is based such as Kuwait Airways and Egypt Air who do not serve alcohol.

While it is not banned to drink onboard if it is served, it is illegal to be drunk in public in Dubai, also known as public intoxication.

The Foreign Office warns: “You should be aware that it is a punishable offence under UAE law to drink or be under the influence of alcohol in public.

“Passengers in transit through the UAE under the influence of alcohol may also be arrested.”

This means, if a passenger has landed after having had an alcoholic drink, they could be breaking the law if alcohol is found in the blood in tests.

Drinking in Dubai is not prohibited across the country, but alcohol must only be confused in licensed venues such as hotels and restaurants.

Being drunk and disorderly is against the law and could see long jail sentences.

Dr Holman, who has been in jail since July, could face being imprisoned for a year.

She said my passport remains confiscated until the case is settled, which I have been told will take at least a year.

It has reportedly cost her more than £50,000 in legal fees and missed work: My practice is closed. All our savings have gone.

A number of tourists have been jailed or fined while on holiday in Dubai for breaking local laws.

Jake Harron, 27, from Scotland, was arrested for public indecency last year after putting a hand on a man’s hip in a bar while walking past with a drink

He was sentenced to three months in prison after spending £32,000 in legal fees, which was eventually overruled.

Caren Harmon, 43, was detained in the country last year after being accused of taking illegal drugs on the flight.

She was subjected to a number of tests, which were found to be negative and she was released after three and a half hours.

Jamie Harron, 27, from Stirling in Scotland, has had his passport taken away from him and faces a three year sentence over the allegations that he touched a businessman’s hip in a bar in Dubai.

The electrician has been convicted and sentenced in advance of his trial on public indecency for drinking alcohol in the Alcohol free zone.

A spokesman for prosecution service in Dubai said: On the drinking charge, he has been sentenced to a month in jail, fined 2,000 dirhams (£412) and will be deported.

His next appearance on the public indecency case is on October 22.

Mr Harron has admitted that he placed his hand on a man’s hip to ensure that they would not bump into each other and spill their drinks.

However, he has said it was a cultural misunderstanding and he has denied indecency.

Following the incident in the bar, he was arrested and jailed for five days before being released on bail.

Mr Harron has been stuck in Dubai for the last three months and spent more than £32,000 in expenses and legal fees in a bid to resolve the issue.

Mr Harron said: I never knew how much stress I could endure until this happened and the waiting game is the worst.

Radha Stirling, CEO of Detained In Dubai, the British-based NGO who is leading the campaign to help Jamie, said: Jamie's case is not about knowing the law. He followed the law and has witnesses to support him.

This is a case of false and spiteful allegations being made against Jamie and the way that Dubai authorities have responded.

The complainant in this case has no evidence of any crime being committed but Jamie has been stuck in the UAE for more than three months.

Regarding the alcohol charges, of course, he was drinking, everyone was.

He was in a licensed bar. Informing tourists of the law does not help, when the entire enforcement system in the UAE needs an overhaul.

His father, Graham, said: We can't believe that this nightmare has gone on for three months. Jamie is a good boy. He has never been a problem and never in trouble.

We are a very close family and it is killing us to think of him spending even three nights in jail, let alone three years.

Mr Harron had been working in Afghanistan and was on a two-day stopover in Dubai when the incident happened.

British government warned tourists flying to Dubai not to drink alcohol on flights or they risk jail after a mum was locked up for having a glass of wine on a journey to the United Arab Emirates.

The warning, which came on the UK in the United Arab Emirates Facebook page, warned Britons it is a punishable offence to be under the influence of alcohol in public - including when transiting through the UAE.

The British Consulate said that people should take care to respect local customs and behave respectfully when consuming alcohol.

The warning also said: If caught carrying or drinking alcohol without a licence or with alcohol in your blood, you can be arrested.

It is a punishable offence to be under the influence of alcohol in public - including when transiting through the UAE.

It can result in custodial sentences and/or a fine.

They told the UK expats that they would need to apply for a licence before they can drink alcohol, which only non-Muslims and non-tourists are able to obtain.

Millions holiday in the UAE every year and they should not be put in harms way by Emirates and other airlines and suffer like I and my family did.

Either the UAE will need to reform their laws urgently, or the airlines will need to update their policy to ensure the safety of customers.

The travel advice says: The UAE is a Muslim country. Laws and customs are very different to those in the UK. You should respect local traditions, customs, laws and religions at all times. There may be serious penalties for doing something that might not be illegal in the UK.


Tourism Observer

UAE: Emirates And Etihad Cancel Flights Due To Typhoon Mangkhut

Emirates and Etihad have cancelled flights to and from Hong Kong as the world’s strongest typhoon of the year makes its way to the Asian city.

Passengers travelling to and from the Philippines and China from today until Tuesday could also expect some delays.

The Dubai-based carrier said that flights EK384 (Dubai to Hong Kong) and EK385 (Hong Kong to Dubai) have been cancelled on September 16. Passengers flying between Dubai and Bangkok are not affected.

The airline also advised that there could be delays on Emirates flights to and from Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Cebu and Clark on September 16, 17 and 18.

Customers are advised to check their flight status and to ensure their contact details are correct by visiting - Manage Your Booking - to receive the latest updates, the airline said in a statement..

Emirates apologizes to its customers for the inconvenience caused. The safety of our customers and crew is of utmost importance and will not be compromised.

Etihad has also confirmed that flight EY834, which was scheduled to operate from Abu Dhabi to Hong Kong on September 15, has been cancelled.

As a result, the inbound service, EY833 on 16 September, from Hong Kong to Abu Dhabi, has also been cancelled.

Guests booked on these flights are being assisted with their travel arrangements and being rebooked onto the next available flights, the airline said.

We apologise for any inconvenience this cancellation has caused, and we remain committed to offering the highest level of service to our guests. As always, safety remains the airline’s number one priority.

The super typhoon roared through the Philippines on Saturday and is now heading towards Hong Kong.

Flights cancelled:

* EK384 – Dubai (DXB) - Bangkok (BKK) – Hong Kong (HKG) (Passengers travelling from Dubai to Bangkok will not be affected)

* EK385 – Hong Kong (HKG) - Bangkok (BKK) - Dubai (DXB) (Passengers travelling from Bangkok to Dubai will not be affected)

* EY 833 – Abu Dhabi to Hong Kong and Hong Kong to Abu Dhabi


Tourism Observer

Best, Worst Airlines And Airports In The World

Qatar Airways has been ranked the best airline in the world, according to a new study.

The research, carried out by consumer group AirHelp, has put the Middle Eastern airline on top with Hamad International airport, also based in Doha, the capital of Qatar.

The group ranked 72 airlines and 141 airports analysing a series of key performance indicators (KPI) including on-time performance and service quality. Twitter sentiment was also used to measure the KPI of the airports.

Closely followed by Qatar Airways is Lufthansa in second and Etihad Airways in third and Singapore Airlines and South African Airways in fourth and fifth respectively.

Among the worst airlines were Air Mauritius, EasyJet, Pakistan International Airlines, Royal Jordanian Airlines and Wow Air.

In terms of airports, Greece's Athens International came in second place, followed by Tokyo Haneda, Germany's Cologne Bonn and Changi, Singapore.

The worst were Stockholm Bromma, Sweden; Paris Orly; Lyon; London Stansted and Kuwait International.

London Heathrow did not make it into the top 10, coming in at number 81 out of the 141-strong list.

The report found that Stansted's poor standing was due to a large volume of negative tweets. Gatwick was the worst airport when considering this metric alone, it said.

AirHelp CEO and co-founder Henrik Zillmer said: For some time now UK airports have seemingly been in the news for all the wrong reasons and that has been realised in this data.

The UK is enviably positioned when it comes to physical movement of people globally, but this report needs to serve as a wake-up call when it comes to actual performance.

Passengers are clearly not happy and while it will be a challenge to address the issues highlighted in this report, it is also an opportunity to halt the decline in performance and provide consumers with a better experience.

Best And Worst Airlines

Best And Worst Airports

Tourism Observer

UNITED KINGDOM: Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) Is Most Compliant Airline At Heathrow Airport

London’s main gateway, Heathrow Airport (LHR) has unveiled its quarterly list featuring the top 50 noisiest, nastiest, most polluting airlines that fly into the busy airport.

The world’s seventh busiest airport, which registered the 78 million passenger mark in 2017, publishes this list on a quarterly basis, depicting those airlines that like behave, and those that don’t.

During the first quarter of 2018, EgyptAir hits the bottom of the list as the worst airline in the - noise quota count per seat measure.

This section measures the amount of noise a plane makes in relation to the number of passengers it carries.

The Egyptian carrier also scored the last spot, becoming the noisiest, and the one with most violations.

According to LHR, the Cairo-based airline flew routes, and that were less compliant with the noise abatement regulations around the airport.

The airline currently operates four flights per day to Cairo, departing at 13:30, 15:00, 21:05, and 22:35.

London-Heathrow has received thousands of complaints over the last decade because of the noise arriving and departing aircraft produce when operating in/out of the airport.

For this reason, there are pre-established arriving and departing noise preferred routes that airlines must comply with.

EgyptAir’s poor ranking is commensurate with its current flight schedule. The airline often runs delayed between the 23:30 and 04:30 curfew.

Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) scored the first spot as the most compliant airline of all.

Out of a possible score of 1,000 points, SAS landed at 944.

In the second place, LOT Polish Airlines follows with 938. Aer Lingus, Etihad Airways, Flybe, British Airways, Finnair, Delta, United, and Iberia complete the top-10.

During the same period in 2017, British Airways came up in the first spot, followed by Aer Lingus.

Etihad managed to keep the third spot for its second consecutive year.

As far as the local airlines are concerned, Virgin Atlantic keeps the 17th spot, scoring a modest 855 points.

The airline scored the 6th spot in noise quota per seat but dropped to the 36th spot in track keeping violations.

Flybe, however, was the number-one in noise certification, engine emissions certification, and early movements between 23:30 and 04:30.

British Airways (BA) long haul made the 22nd spot with an 824 mark.

The airline reached the second place in noise quota and emissions per seat. However, it fell to the last spot in engine emissions certification.

In the short haul segment, BA remains within the Top 10, scoring 935 points. The airline made the number-one position in noise quota and emissions per seat mark.

Overall, it’s a positive result for the British carriers, scoring decent points and remaining in acceptable positions against its competitors.

The middle of the table finds some interesting airlines.

In the 20th spot, Air India marked an 840 score, followed by Cathay Pacific, Aegean Airlines, Swiss, Qatar Airways, Air France, South African, Eurowings, Singapore, and Thai Airways.

Two of the Middle East Big Three carriers are outside the Top-10. Qatar Airways made the 29th spot in track keeping violations and 35th in continuous descent approach violations.

Emirates, on the other hand, made the 11th overall spot with 881 points.

The Dubai-based giant sometimes brings up to six Airbus A380s per day into LHR—one of the most silent aircraft in the industry.

However, it made the 16th spot in noise quota per seat, mainly because some of its flights operate between late night or early morning hours.

The worst 10 airlines, other than EgyptAir, are Kuwait Airways (49), Turkish Airlines [short haul] (48), El Al (47), Pakistan International Airlines (46), Turkish Airlines [long haul] (45), Korean Air (44), DHL (43), China Southern (42), Air China (41), and Gulf Air (40) complete the list.

Last year, El Al occupied the last spot, scoring 362 points.

This year, however, the Tel Aviv-based carrier scored 528, occupying the 47th place—a three-spot improvement.

In January, LHR announced that environmental charges over airlines increased 7%, starting from January 1, 2018.

The airport expects to reduce the impact on local communities by making it cleaner and quieter with the restructured environmental charge, encouraging airlines to deploy its newest aircraft on LHR-bound routes.

This is the best way to cut emissions and shrink the noise footprint around the airport.

It is a tangible step that will make a real difference to local communities, said John Holland-Kaye, Heathrow CEO.

The new environmental charge forms part of Heathrow’s sustainability strategy called Heathrow 2.0. The airport’s goal is to reach at least a 50% of its passengers to travel in “sustainable transport” by 2030.

This quarterly list is, therefore, a clever way of showing which airlines comply with the airport’s regulations.

By 2025, Heathrow 2.0, will establish an airside ultra-low emission zone, to improve quality of life of local communities through cleaner air.

Heathrow has also been recognized as the Best Airport in Western Europe and for the 9th year in a row, Best Airport for Shopping.

This achievement follows what has been a successful year for the airport, carrying 78 million passengers annually.

The 82% of passengers surveyed in 2017 rated their experience traveling through Heathrow as Excellent or Very Good.

On top of this, Heathrow recorded a personal best in improving flight punctuality with 80.2% of flights departing within 15 minutes of their scheduled departures.


Tourism Observer

UAE: Etihad Airways,SWISS Sign New Codeshare Agreement

Etihad A UAE carrier has confirmed that it has signed a new codeshare agreement with national carrier Swiss Air. The codeshare agreement will take place effective immediately with bookings already open.

The agreement will see Etihad Airways’ flight number EY, placed on Swiss Air flights between Geneva and Zurich, while Etihad’s flights between Zurich and Abu Dhabi will host the Swiss flight number LX.

Peter Baumgartner, Etihad Airways CEO said: This codeshare deepens Etihad Airways’ commitment to the Swiss travel market and Switzerland, a key destination for travelers from our UAE home, neighboring Gulf countries, and across our Asia Pacific network.

For travelers from Switzerland, our new relationship with SWISS will provide access to Etihad’s award-winning service and the hospitality for which our Abu Dhabi home is known.

This agreement continues to show Etihad’s commitment to the codeshare agreement it has with the Lufthansa Group of which Swiss Air and Etihad Aviation Group is a part of.

The daily service from Abu Dhabi to Zurich is operated by Etihad’s technologically advanced Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner and will keep its 2 class layout which seats 299 passengers, consisting of 28 Business Studios and 271 Economy seats.

This is the second time Etihad has made a codeshare investment in the Swiss market after last year when it had decided to sell its 33.3 percent stake in Swiss carrier Darwin Airline.

The change comes after the airline former CEO, James Hogan, left the company which was attributed to a controlled restructuring.

Etihad is not the only Middle Eastern carrier to invest in codeshare agreements with European airlines with both Emirates and Qatar dipping into the European pool also.

Qatar Airways and Iberia extended their code-sharing agreements between Madrid and Doha.

Emirates currently have agreements with Flybe, TAP Portugal and Air Malta, which shows how extensively into Europe they want to go even if the routes they themselves operate already.

Earlier this week, Qatar Airways and Iberia extended their code-sharing agreements between Madrid and Doha.

Currently, Emirates has agreements with Flybe, TAP Portugal and Air Malta, which shows how extensively into Europe they want to go even if the routes they themselves operate already.

For Etihad, this is an important agreement, especially as the carrier has been struggling in recent months, trying to regain profitability following the demises of Alitalia and Air Berlin, two carriers that they were massively involved in.

For Swiss, under the Lufthansa Group, to sign this agreement shows that the group overall still has confidence in Etihad to provide the routes to Abu Dhabi and beyond from Europe.


Tourism Observer

UAE: Etihad Refutes Plans To Sell Jet Airways Shares

Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Airways has rejected claims that it will sell its 24 percent stake in Jet Airways by Q3 2019, calling the Indian airline a valuable partner.

The Etihad statement comes in response to a recent report from aviation consultancy CAPA, which on Thursday also tweeted that CAPA research indicates Etihad may divest its 24 percent stake in Jet Airways, possibly by Q3 of FY2019.

This could lead to a rationalisation of capacity between India and the Gulf, particularly Abu Dhabi, CAPA added. In response, Etihad said the CAPA report was false and said the airline has no plans to divest.

Additionally, Jet Airways chairman Naresh Goyal said in India that the airline has no plans to sell its stake to another investor, following a September 2017 statement squashing similar rumours.

Etihad’s investment with Jet dates back to April 2013, when the Abu Dhabi-based carrier made a $379 million investment in the company.

Etihad also invested $150 million and acquired a 50 percent stake in Jet’s frequent flying programme, Jet Privilege.

Jet Airways is a major Indian international airline based in Mumbai. In October 2017, it was the second-largest airline in India after IndiGo with an 17.8% passenger market share.

It operates over 300 flights daily to 68 destinations worldwide from its main hub at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport and secondary hubs at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, Chennai International Airport, Indira Gandhi International Airport, Kempegowda International Airport and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport.

Incorporated in April 1992 as a limited liability company, the airline began operations as an air taxi operator in 1993. It began full-fledged operations in 1995 with international flights added in 2004.

The airline went public in 2005 and in 2007, it acquired Air Sahara. It became the largest carrier by passenger market share in the country by 2010, a position it held until 2012.

Jet Airways was incorporated as a limited liability company on 1 April 1992.It started operations as an air taxi operator on 5 May 1993 with a fleet of four leased Boeing 737-300 aircraft.

The airline was granted a scheduled airline status on 14 January 1995. On 12 May 1994, all the shares were transferred to Tailwinds International, whose equity capital was held by Naresh Goyal (60%), Gulf Air (20%) and Kuwait Airways (20%).

In October 1997, as per the directive of Ministry of Civil Aviation forbidding foreign investment in passenger airlines, Goyal took control of the entire company.

The airline launched its first international flight in March 2004 from Chennai to Colombo. The company was listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and became public company on 28 December 2004, with Goyal retaining 51% ownership of the stock.


In January 2006,Jet Airways announced its intention to acquire Air Sahara for US$500 million in an all-cash deal; however, the deal fell through in June 2006.

On 12 April 2007, the deal was back on track with Jet Airways agreeing to pay 14.5 billion (US$220 million). On 16 April 2007, Air Sahara was renamed as JetLite and was marketed between a low-cost carrier and a full service airline.

JetLite became a wholly owned subsidiary of Jet Airways. In August 2008, Jet Airways announced its plans to integrate JetLite into Jet Airways.

In October 2008, Jet Airways laid off 1,900 of its employees, who were later re-instated due to intervention from the Ministry of Civil Aviation.

In October 2008, Jet Airways entered into an alliance with rival Kingfisher Airlines for code-sharing on domestic and international flights, collaboration on frequent-flyer program and sharing crew and ground handling equipment.

On 8 May 2009, Jet Airways launched another low-cost brand, Jet Konnect. It operated a fleet of Boeing 737 Next Generation and ATR 72 aircraft and operated on profitable short-haul routes with higher passenger load factors.

In the third quarter of 2010, Jet Airways became the largest airline in India with a passenger market share of 22.6%. In July 2012, the airline officially sought government approval to join Star Alliance.

Jet Airways wass not a member of Star Alliance as of 2017. In June 2011, it became the first domestic airline in India to ban meat products and liquids in check-in baggage.

Jet Airways merged the JetLite brand into Jet Konnect on 25 March 2012 and started offering business-class seats after the demise of Kingfisher Airlines.

In 2013, Etihad Airways planned to buy a stake in the airline following the government's announcement in September 2012 that foreign airlines could take a stake of up to 49% in Indian carriers.

On 24 April 2013, Jet announced that it was ready to sell a 24% stake in the airline to Etihad for US$379 million. The deal which was expected to be signed in January 2013 was postponed and was completed on 12 November 2013.

In 2013, the airline lowered prices and entered into fare war with low-cost carriers IndiGo and SpiceJet due to falling passenger demand.

In February 2013, the airline's market value dropped by 4.84 billion (US$74 million) owing to falling share prices. Jet Airways made profits in the third quarter of the financial year 2013–14, after posting losses over the previous year.

Jet Airways announced on 11 August 2014 that it would phase out Jet Konnect by the end of the year as part of plans to re-position itself as a uniform full-service operator.

On 1 December 2014, Jet Konnect was fully merged with Jet Airways, making it the third full-service airline in India besides Air India and Vistara.

In December 2015, Jet Airways announced the closure of its scissor hub at Brussels Airport by March 2016 and the opening of new hub at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport effective 27 March 2016.

As of February 2016, it was the second largest airline in India after IndiGo with a 21.2% passenger market share.

The airline's head office is located at Siroya Center in Andheri, Mumbai. The head office was previously located at S. M. Center, a rented six-storey building in Andheri and was moved following criticism regarding the working conditions.

Jet Airways' original livery was designed by Lowe or Lintas then. It was navy blue with light grey and chrome yellow. The top and bottom of the aircraft were painted in light grey with the flying sun logo in the navy blue background.

In 2007, a new livery was created by Landor Associates which added yellow and gold ribbons; the design retained the dark blue and gold-accented colour scheme along with the airline's flying sun logo.

A new yellow uniform was simultaneously introduced, created by Italian designer Roberto Capucci. Jet Airways introduced its new identity in conjunction with a global brand re-launch which included new aircraft and seating.

The company is listed in the Bombay Stock Exchange. 51% of the stock is owned by Naresh Goyal through his company Tailwinds International and the remaining 49% by other investors.

Jet Airways serves 65 destinations including 45 domestic and 20 international destinations in 15 countries across Asia, Europe and North America.

The airline has its primary hub at Mumbai and secondary bases at Bangalore and Delhi. In March 2004, the airline introduced its first international destination Colombo with flights connecting to Chennai.

London was the airline's first long-haul destination and was launched in 2005.

Since 2007, Jet Airways has had a scissors hub at Brussels Airport for onward transatlantic connections to North America, which was replaced by Amsterdam Schiphol Airport from 27 March 2016.

In 2008, the airline was forced to discontinue international routes because these attracted losses due to global economic downturn; it terminated services to San Francisco and Shanghai.

The airline planned to restore the Mumbai–Shanghai route by the end of 2011 but never did so. In 2012, the airline withdrew flights to New York and closed the Delhi–Milan route in 2013.

On 1 March 2016, the airline announced the integration of domestic and international operations in Mumbai airport and moved its entire operations to the newly constructed Terminal 2.

Jet Airways codeshares with the following airlines:

- Aeromexico

- Air Canada

- Air France

- Air Seychelles

- Alitalia

- All Nippon Airways

- Bangkok Airways

- China Eastern Airlines

- Delta Air Lines

- Etihad Airways

- Fiji Airways

- Garuda Indonesia

- Hong Kong Airlines

- JetStar Asia

- Kenya Airways

- KLM

- Korean Air

- Malaysia Airlines

- Qantas

- South African Airways

- United Airlines

- Vietnam Airlines

- Virgin Atlantic

According to Business Traveller, SkyTeam CEO Perry Cantarucci admits that Jet Airways is the next target to join SkyTeam, although currently Skyteam is not out recruiting new members.

Perry added that We would love to talk to Jet about becoming a Skyteam member. And they know it.

Jet Airways has ceased its Frequent Flyer Partnership arrangements with Emirates and Gulf Air starting 31st March, 2018.

This comes as another surprising termination after Jet Airways also cut ties with four Star Alliance airlines — Austrian, Lufthansa, Swiss, and Turkish in 2017.

Jet Airways Operates a mixed fleet of ATR-72, Boeing 737NG, Boeing 777 and Airbus A330 aircraft.

Jet Airways placed its first order for four Boeing 737-400 and 30 Boeing 737-800 aircraft on 11 December 1996; and the first aircraft was delivered on 12 November 1997.

It placed its second order for six Boeing 737-700 and two Boeing 737-900 aircraft on 14 June 1999 with deliveries starting in May 2001. On 5 January 2012, it inducted five ATR 72–600 series aircraft to operate on domestic regional routes.

Long-haul routes are served using its fleet of Airbus A330-200, Airbus A330-300 and Boeing 777-300ER aircraft.

The airline placed an order for 10 Boeing 777-300ER aircraft on 29 September 2005 which was delivered in 2007.Jet Airways ordered 10 Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft on 29 December 2006 to operate on long-haul routes.

It placed a further order for 75 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft on 23 April 2013 as part of modernisation of its fleet of 737s.

Jet Airways has three classes of service: First, Premiere (Business) and Economy.

First class is available only in Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. The first class offers private suites; it features seats convertible to a fully flat bed, personal LCD TVs and in-seat power supply.

Premiere class available on long-haul international flights operated by Airbus A330-200 and Boeing 777-300ER aircraft features recliner seats, fully flat beds with personal LCD TVs and in-seat power.

Premiere class in domestic flights offers recliner seats with larger leg room in 2-2 configuration.

Economy class on long-haul aircraft has a 32 inches (810 mm) seat pitch with a footrest and the cabin is configured in 2-4-2 on the Airbus A330-200 and 3-4-3 on the Boeing 777-300ER.

Economy seats on the Airbus A330 and Boeing 777 have a personal 10.6 inches (270 mm) touchscreen LCD TV. Domestic flights operated by Boeing 737 aircraft have Premiere and Economy classes and the ATR 72–500 have an all-economy class configuration.

Economy class on Boeing 737 have a 30 inches (760 mm) seat pitch with personal LCD behind each seat. Being a Full Service Airline, meals are served on all classes of travel.

Jet Airways has a Panasonic eFX flight entertainment system on board the Boeing 737 aircraft and Panasonic eX2 entertainment system on board the Airbus A330 and Boeing 777 aircraft.

The system, known as JetScreen, offers on-demand programming and operates via an individual touchscreen monitor on each seat.

In 2012, the airline introduced a feature called eXport on their Airbus A330s, which allows passengers to plug-in their personal Apple devices.

In February 2016, Jet Airways announced the introduction of an in-flight entertainment service for streaming of entertainment content directly to Wi-Fi enabled personal devices of the passengers.

JetPrivilege is the airline's Frequent-flyer program. A member can earn JPMiles during travel which can be redeemed during future bookings.

JetPrivilege offers five classes namely: Blue, Blue plus, Silver, Gold and Platinum. Gold and Platinum members get access to Jet Airways' lounges and can avail additional benefits such as priority check-in, extra baggage allowance and priority baggage handling.

Jet Airways offers lounge service to First and Premiere class passengers, along with JetPrivilege Platinum and Gold members.

Premier lounges are available at Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kolkata and Mumbai in India and all international destinations.

Awards and recognition

- Best Airline - India' in the TripAdvisor's first annual Travellers' Choice awards for airlines, April 2017.

- Best Cargo Airline 2016, Air Cargo awards.

- Program of the Year 2008, Freddie Award.

- Best Domestic Full Service Airline 2008, Galileo Express TravelWorld Award.

- Best Airline Award 2007, Genius of the Web Award.

- Best Overall In-flight Entertainment 2007, AVION World Airline Entertainment Award.

- Best Domestic Airline 2005, TTG Travel Asia Award.

- Most Respected Company 2004, Business World Award.

- World Market Development Award 2001, Air Transport World Market Development Award.

Accidents and incidents

1 July 2007: Jet Airways Flight 3307, an ATR 72-212A (registered VT-JCE), flying on the Bhopal-Indore route was involved in an accident caused by bad weather.

There were no fatalities amongst the 45 passengers and four crew but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair and written off.

3 March 2016: Jet Airways Flight 354, a Boeing 737-900 (registered VT- JGD) flying on the New Delhi-Mumbai route, had a main landing gear collapse while landing at Mumbai.

This lead to a shut down of the main runway and traffic being shifted to secondary runway. Out of 127 passengers, no injuries were reported.

27 December 2016: Jet Airways flight 2374, a Boeing 737-85R (registered VT-JBG) on route to Mumbai from Goa skidded off the runway while preparing for takeoff.

15 of the 161 passengers and crew on board suffered injuries during evacuation.

22 January 2017: 168 people on board a Jet Airways flight operated by a Boeing 737–838 (registered VT-JTD) from Mumbai had a narrow escape after the tail of the aircraft hit the runway on landing at the Dhaka International airport, prompting the airline to remove the pilots from duty.

Jet Airways was expected to begin service to Newark via Brussels in June 2005. In March 2005, the airline submitted an application to the United States Department of Transportation.

The application was opposed by Nancy Heckerman, CEO of a US registered company Jet Airways Inc., based in Bethesda, Maryland, alleging trademark infringement and connections to terrorist outfit Al Qaeda. Jet Airways rebuffed the claims.

Asmin Tariq, a contractor working for the airline as a security agent at Heathrow airport was implicated in the foiled terror plot on 10 August 2006 to blow up several transatlantic airliners belonging to three different US airlines.

Subsequently, the Governments of UK and Singapore inquired security-related information from the Ministry of External Affairs on Jet Airways; clearance was further delayed to fly to the US.

The US State Department gave the go-ahead for the airline to fly to the US on 15 November 2006.

In August 2014, two pilots of Jet Airways were suspended after a plane carrying 280 passengers dropped 5,000 feet (1,500 m) mid-air en route from Mumbai to Brussels.

On 2 December 2016, Jet Airways flight 9W7083 from Bhopal to Mumbai was held up by a large group of passengers headed for a marriage in Mumbai.

There were allegations from other passengers that the wedding party was politically connected and attempted to coerce the cabin crew to disembark passengers, so that additional members of their party could be accommodated.

The airline claimed it was a technical glitch in their booking system which led to overbooking.

One Supreme Court lawyer alleged that his elderly mother was harassed by members of staff and she collapsed and suffered a laceration on her chin.

Among others, a member of staff in-charge at the airport was reported to have told him to go do whatever he could.

In 2016, the airline was implicated in the Gupta family controversy in South Africa when it was alleged by former African National Congress MP Vytjie Mentor that members of the business family had offered her the position of Minister of Public Enterprises.

This was allegedly on behalf of former President Jacob Zuma, if she agreed to arrange for South African Airways to drop their India route so that Jet Airways could acquire it instead.



Tourism Observer

UGANDA: Etihad To Stop Flights To Entebbe International Airport For Luck Of Business

According to a statement issued by Etihad yesterday, flights between Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates and Entebbe will be suspended from 25 March 2018 following a commercial assessment of the route's performance.

The airline assured ticket holders that they will be provided with alternative travel options to their final destination.

Etihad introduced service to Entebbe in May 2015.

At the time, James Hogan, president of Etihad Airways, said: Uganda is one of the continent’s fastest-growing business and tourism destinations and the launch of services to Uganda is consistent with our strategy of targeting areas of strong growth in emerging markets.

Etihad follows British Airways as a major airline to suspend service to Uganda in the last three years.

British Airways suspended its service to Entebbe in October 2015 after 24 years.

Other multinationals that have quit the struggling Ugandan economy in that period include supermarket chains Uchumi and Nakumatt and insurance giant AIG.

According to Bank of Uganda, the Ugandan economy slowed down to 3.9 percent annual growth in 2016-17.



Tourism Observer

GERMANY: airberlin Files For Insolvency

airberlin filed to commence insolvency proceedings under self-administration at the local District Court (Amtsgericht) of Berlin-Charlottenburg, in order to continue with the restructuring process that is already underway.

The Federal German Government, Lufthansa and other partners are supporting airberlin in its restructuring efforts. The Federal Government is supporting airberlin with a bridging loan of 150Mio Euro to maintain flight operations for the long-term.

•All flights operated by airberlin and NIKI will continue as planned

•The flight schedule remains valid

•Bookings remain valid

•All flights can still be booked

Negotiations with Lufthansa and other partners regarding the acquisition of business units of airberlin are far advanced and highly promising. These negotiations may be finalised shortly.

Thomas Winkelmann, CEO of airberlin: We are working tirelessly to achieve the best possible outcome for the company, our customers and employees, given the situation.

The background of today’s announcement is the notification by Etihad that it no longer intends to provide airberlin with financial support.

Etihad responds:

We have been informed that airberlin has filed for administration.

This development is extremely disappointing for all parties, especially as Etihad has provided extensive support to airberlin for its previous liquidity challenges and restructuring efforts over the past six years.

In April this year, Etihad provided EUR 250 million of additional funding to airberlin as well as supporting the airline to explore strategic options for the business.

However, airberlin’s business has deteriorated at an unprecedented pace, preventing it from overcoming its significant challenges and from implementing alternative strategic solutions.

Under these circumstances, as a minority shareholder, Etihad cannot offer funding that would further increase our financial exposure. We remain open to helping find a commercially viable solution for all parties.

We expect airberlin operations to continue during administration. We have a commercial relationship with airberlin across a range of areas, including codeshare operations, and we will support airberlin’s management during these difficult times.

Germany is an important market for Etihad and Abu Dhabi, and we remain committed to providing comprehensive air links as a key enabler of trade and tourism.


Tourism Observer

ITALY: Government Will Not Save Alitalia

Alitalia’s staff rejecting a last minute restructuring bid to keep the airline afloat, has not only pushed the European airline to begin bankruptcy proceedings for the second time in a decade, but has also put Abu Dhabi-based Etihad’s European future in question.

Etihad paid €560 million for its 49 percent stake in Alitalia in 2014, the largest individual share of companies invested in the airline, and part of a larger €1.76 billion deal to recapitalise and restructure the company.

At its shareholder meeting on Thursday, the airline has indicated it will stick to its stated position: no more funds to prop up Italy’s struggling national airline.

Staff at the struggling airline are hoping for government intervention.

But Italy has said it will refuse to in and save the company by nationalising it.

And it isn’t hard to imagine that Alitalia going under will have a much bigger affect on Etihad’s business than it will on Italy’s economy, thus putting more pressure on the UAE’s national airline to act to save its investment.

Etihad is invested via equity in Alitalia, Airberlin, Jet Airways, Air Serbia, Air Seychelles, and Virgin Australia.

But it is its European investments are its biggest source of concern.

With Air Serbia, Etihad invested $200 million in 2013 for a 49 percent stake and management rights for five years.

Air Serbia has managed to eke out profits that have grown to one percent of revenue over the last two years. But its profits come from a market where it is unimpeded from the threat of much low cost competition.

According to the Centre for Aviation, low cost carrier Wizz Air, with much smaller unit costs of operation, is beginning to make an entry in the Balkans which could increase the level of competition Air Serbia is currently facing.

Meanwhile, Etihad’s investment in Airberlin has yet to bear fruit.

Etihad has invested into the company four times since 2011, from raising its ownership from 2.99 percent to 29.21 percent, to buying the European carrier’s frequent flyer program for €70 million, all of its Austrian operations NIKI, as well as putting up €300 million in bonds.

Yet despite its shrink to survive strategy, the haemorraging airline reported a loss lost year that had widened 16 percent to €447 million from 2014.

Earlier this year, long time foe, Lufthansa, became a saviour of sorts when it announced a $100 million multi-faceted agreement with Etihad to streamline its European business and wet-lease 38 aircraft from Airberlin’s Niki for its Eurowings subsidiary.

The deal will help stem some of the loss that is expected to bear in on Airberlin’s results which will come out..

It has been suggested Etihad’s European debacle is what prompted the shakeup that will lead to CEO James Hogan and CFO James Rigney’s departure come the summer.

The airline is also speaking with turnaround specialist Christoph Mueller, who revived Ireland’s troubled Aer Lingus before moving on to bringing back Malaysian Airlines a year after two crashes crippled its business.

If Mueller is appointed, he will work with a new airline equity investment chief, Robin Kamark, to help draft a new strategy to save its European carrier business, after the previous appointee departed for personal reasons.



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New Private Jet Terminal For Sharjah Airport,Turkish Airlines Investments In Asia

Sharjah Airport Authority has signed an agreement with Gama Support Services to build and operate a new private jet terminal worth AED 110 million.

The new project will spread over more than 40,000 square metres and comprise two private jet hangars with a capacity of two large Boeing Business Jets each.

The facility will include resting areas and lounges, in addition to Duty Free shops and passport control and customs lanes. The project will also include an aircraft fuelling unit, aircraft parking apron for business jets and car parking spaces for terminal users and guests.

Gama Aviation is the sole service provider of ground services to the general aviation sector in Sharjah International Airport.

The agreements we have signed and the investment we are making here reflects our confidence in the prospective business of Sharjah economy, said Richard Lineveldt, general manager of Gama Support Services.

During the last few years, the general aviation market has witnessed growth in the number of business jets and private aircraft owners, and we expect this to continue on the short and long terms, he added.

Turkish Airlines chief is looking at buying stakes in airlines across India, China and the US. Speaking to reporters last month, the airline’s CEO Ilker Ayci mentioned he is looking at investing in equity stakes in airlines as a way to offset potential shocks from growing protectionism.

We have grown organically so far, but politicians are increasingly struggling for protectionism, Ayci was quoted to say. This is why we are investigating investment opportunities in other airlines with equity or as a non-equity partner.

This is a long-term strategy and it is too early to say whether it becomes a reality, he said.

Reports have mentioned Turkish Airlines is eyeing a stake in Italy’s troubled carrier Alitalia which is backed by Etihad. However, Ayci said he is averse to investing in weaker airlines.

Earlier this year Turkish Airlines signed an agreement with the government of Albania to create a joint venture and set up a new carrier to operate out of the country.

We will do our best, with all the accumulated experience we have as a company, to share it with our Albanian friends and brothers.

We are proceeding with great speed to take all the necessary steps for the realization of this project as soon as possible, Ayci during a press conference at the announcement.

UAE: Etihad Breaks Off Talks With TUI

Abu Dhabi-based Etihad, troubled Air Berlin had previously announced plans to form leisure airline through merger with TUI subsidiary TUI fly.

United Arab Emirates carrier Etihad has broken off talks with German travel group TUI to jointly create a leisure airline, both companies said Thursday.

Abu Dhabi-based Etihad and troubled Air Berlin, of which Etihad is a majority owner, had last October announced plans to form a new leisure airline by merging Air Berlin's Austrian subsidiary Niki with TUI subsidiary TUI fly.

But on Thursday TUI informed its employees in a letter that Etihad had "decided not to continue the negotiations with us ... this is unfortunate but can't be changed".

TUI then confirmed the collapse of joint venture talks in a statement in which it added that it generally "remains open to a partnership or the creation of joint ventures".

Etihad Aviation Group confirmed it had "terminated negotiations with TUI AG, in relation to a potential joint venture involving the leisure operations of Air Berlin Group and the German TUI fly company".

"Etihad has taken this decision following many months of negotiations, in good faith, during which time the parties have been unable to reach agreement on the final nature of such a joint venture.

"The leisure operations of Air Berlin group will now continue to operate as a separate business unit, under the NIKI brand. Further details of this structure will be announced in due course by Air Berlin."

The news raises fresh questions about the fate of loss-making Air Berlin, Germany's second largest airline, which depends on cash infusions from Etihad for survival.

The German airline booked losses amounting to 1.2 billion euros ($1.3 billion) for the last two years and said Wednesday it was open to working with Germany's biggest airline, Lufthansa.

Air Berlin had presented a restructuring plan in September that included renting 38 aircraft with crew to Lufthansa and slashing 1,200 jobs -- or one in seven of its workforce.

QATAR: Airlines In Trouble As Gulf Crisis Continues. Who Is The Winner?

Qatar Airways has made Doha a global hub in just a few years, but barring it from Gulf states' airspace threatens its position as a major transcontinental carrier, experts say.

Along with its Gulf peers Dubai's Emirates Airlines and Abu Dhabi's Etihad Qatar's national carrier has captured a sizable portion of transit travel, capitalising on the Gulf's central geographic location.

But political differences between Qatar and neighbouring Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, as well as Egypt, exploded last week into a full-blown regional crisis, including severing air links.

The measures meant cancelling dozens of daily flights by Qatar Airways and carriers from those countries, and also mean Qatari aircraft have to make long diversions, mainly around Bahrain and the vast airspace of Saudi Arabia.

The impact is already bad because it has driven up flight times and therefore costs. As the airspace tightens, the problem grows much worse,said aviation analyst Addison Schonland from the US-based AirInsight.

Operationally, this is a constraint for the airline that is almost certainly now seeing its profits cut deeply, he added.

Qatar is almost completely encircled by Bahraini airspace that covers a large part of Gulf waters, and its planes usually cross Saudi airspace on their way to the rest of the Middle East, Africa and South America.

Instead, Qatari planes are now using Iran's airspace to get to Europe and skirting the southeastern tip of the Arabian Peninsula to avoid Saudi territory.

The flight time for a Qatar Airways trip to Sao Paulo in Brazil, for example, has increased by around two hours, according to flight detecting websites.

Flights to North Africa are now travelling over Iran and Turkey towards the Mediterranean, instead of flying more directly over Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

However, flights to Europe appear largely unaffected as they continue to use the Iran route, with a just small diversion to avoid Bahraini airspace.

The Islamic republic has opened its airspace to around 100 more Qatari flights daily, increasing Iranian air traffic by 17 percent.

For the future, Qatar flights' routes and fuel burn will be increased as a result of this.

Longer routes will bring passenger numbers down.

Future long-haul reservations will come down, because even with the high service and excellent amenities, who wants to sit for longer on an airplane?

About 90 percent of Qatar Airways traffic through Doha is transit, according to a report by CAPA Centre for Aviation.

Saudi Arabia and the UAE represent the two largest markets for Qatar Airways.

Losing these will no doubt be devastating to the carrier's financial bottom line, wiping out about 30 percent of revenue.

Qatar Airways is also the largest foreign carrier operating in the UAE, and the fifth overall after the country's own airlines, according to the CAPA report.

Part of this transit traffic is likely to be scooped up by Qatar Airways' regional competitors Emirates and Etihad, experts say.

No question about it. Especially Emirates because they have the A380 (superjumbo) capacity to catch the traffic without even a hiccup.

There is no doubt that Emirates and Etihad would surely be reaping the benefits. In the long term, the increased passenger loads on the other carriers may push up demand causing ticket prices to go up on the other carriers," said Bailey.

The two UAE carriers have wide global networks, and together with Qatar Airways have drawn the ire of European and US legacy carriers who accused them of benefiting from state subsidies to expand into their traditional markets.

But Emirates and Etihad, as well as other carriers from countries involved such as the UAE's flydubai and Air Arabia, will also lose out with the suspension of their Doha routes.

There can be few winners from the ban, according to the CAPA analysis.

Contrary to the argument that Emirates and Etihad might boost their numbers of transit passengers, CAPA argued that the ban affects the reputation of Gulf aviation in general.

The nuances of the ban are too particular for the public to understand, but the broader shadow it creates spreads widely, it said.

Amidst growing security concerns and the existing laptop ban, passengers are unlikely to dig in to the reason for this ban. Gulf aviation becomes less attractive for all, it added.

The United States and Britain banned laptop and tablet computers on flights from certain Middle Eastern and Turkish airports in March for security reasons.

QATAR: Gulf Aviation May Change With Gulf Diplomatic Crisis

Qatar Airways has lost access to the airspace of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Egypt and all flights from Doha to those countries; all of them have been canceled. Subsequently, those countries have been joined by Libya, Yemen, and the Maldives.

The loss of access is part of a broader cessation of diplomatic ties between those four states and Qatar due to concerns over purported Qatari sponsoring of terrorism and other issues.

It’s proper to understand the context of why this action was taken by the seven nations in question. Ostensibly, the claim is that these countries are unhappy with Qatar’s sponsoring of supposed terrorist activity, most notably Palestinian group Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood. But there is clearly more at play.

As this Vox article points out, there are also tensions surrounding Qatar’s partially state-owned news agency Al Jazeera, and over Qatar’s relatively warm ties with the newly resurgent Iranian regime.

That last point speaks to what many consider to be the real driver behind this move—Saudi Arabia and the other Sunni nations fear an upset of the existing balance of power where Saudi Arabia is the regional leader of Sunni Islam and the de-factor regional kingpin of the Middle East.

Freed from sanctions by President Obama’s nuclear deal, the Shia Iranians are making a major push to get a seat at the table under the relatively reformist government of Hassan Rouhani. Saudi Arabia at least partially fears Iran’s rise and wants to bring Qatar more in line with other states in the region.

None of this has direct links to the aviation aspects per se, but it does suggest that even if Qatar gives in to some of Saudi Arabia’s demands such as cutting ties with Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood, and shutting down Al Jazeera, it is not a given that Qatar will once again be given free reign in the airspace of its neighboring countries.

First off, the shutdowns affect about 55 daily flights from Qatar Airways’ Doha hub, more than 10% of the total.

This is broken down as 25 flights to the UAE across four destinations including Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah, 20 flights to Saudi Arabia across ten destinations, six flights to Bahrain, and five flights to Egypt across three destinations.

Even if the number of seats isn’t quite 10% of Qatar Airways’ total traffic, these four spoke markets particularly the UAE and Saudi Arabia represent a non-trivial proportion of feed into Qatar Airways’ Doha hub. And there are certainly a few marginal routes whose business case will be impacted by not having this feed anymore.

The direct impact here is that 17 routes are being terminated, but the indirect impact on connectivity could kill another 10-15 or wipe out Qatar Airways’ profitability, forcing them to dip into the sovereign wealth fund to subsidize the airline.

The airspace impact for the moment is tangible but manageable so long as Bahrain continues to allow the one route through its airspace. The odd routings required by this airspace configuration add anywhere from fifty to several hundred miles to Qatar Airways’ flight paths, and that is a non-trivial cost impact,at first glance our estimate is $50-75 million on an annualized basis.

In the long run, this would also constrain Qatar Airways’ growth as that one pathway through Bahraini airspace is already bursting at the seams at Qatar Airways’ current level of operations.

Things get really crazy, however, if Bahrain blocks off that one pathway as well, thereby cutting Qatar off aerially from the rest of the world,remember the airspace ban also applies to other carriers operating in Qatar. At that point, Qatar Airways would have to shut down, or more likely its government would capitulate.

Now with the caveat as with the laptop ban that this could all be moot and resolved within 36 hours or so and certainly within a couple of weeks, either of the two scenarios would have a pretty massive impact on the shape of global aviation.

The traffic that currently flies Qatar Airways (26.6 million passengers) would be broken up and dispersed amongst the airline’s rivals in the Middle East Emirates, Etihad, and Turkish Airlines as well as back to home country carriers Saudia, Air India, etc.

Qatar Airways currently has 217 passenger aircraft on order (including 171 wide-bodies) and thus represents a nontrivial portion of Airbus and Boeing’s backlogs by aircraft value. The biggest adverse impact would be on the 777X,it has 60 on order or a fifth of that program’s backlog and the A350-1000 about a sixth of the program’s backlog.

To a lesser extent, the Airbus A380 and Boeing 777-300ER would also be affected, and those companies would lose at least hundreds of millions of dollars if not billions of dollars in market capital.

Even the less aggressive scenario of no service to the four feeder countries will likely trigger a series of deferrals and maybe the cancellation of 10% of the backlog,along with either the A320neo family or 737 MAX family order.

Here the major systemic risk is to the A380 and especially the 777X as the A350, and 787 have enough demand to fill deferred slots with other customers. On the airline side, the same effect would occur regarding traffic being redistributed to Middle Eastern rivals and to home country carriers,in this case Saudia and Egyptair are the big winners.

Once again that caveat is that this could all be resolved within a few days. But if things develop adversely, this has the potential to change the contours of global aviation.

INDIA: KLM And Jet Airways To Partner In Flight And Cargo Business

KLM- a part of one of the largest airlines in Europe, is looking to increase its presence in India as it plans to launch a new flight to Mumbai and enhance cargo co-operation within the country.

At present, the airlines, which is a part of the Air France-KLM group, however, operated in a limited capacity and faces intense competition from airlines based in Europe and the Gulf.

We hear KLM plans to resume Amsterdam-Mumbai service after nearly twenty years. Can you share details?

We are seriously considering launching a flight to Mumbai but it is not confirmed yet. There has been an enormous growth of business and relations between India and Netherlands. We have moved from having no connection between Amsterdam-Mumbai to a daily service by Jet Airways.

Moreover, the Airbus A330 aircraft, which had a capacity to accommodate 254-293 passengers, was upgraded to a Boeing 777 aircraft with 346 seats in six months' time.


How are your relations with Jet Airways shaping up? Does the partnership with Jet Airways allow you to bridge the gap with Lufthansa, which is largest European airline group in India?

Our strategy is to have a strong local partner in a country where we operate. Until now, the Air France-KLM group had three destinations in India including Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru. With Jet Airways launching flights between Paris and Chennai in winter, we will have a fourth destination and Bengaluru will be connected to both Paris and Amsterdam.

Together with Jet Airways, we will have 61 flights to Amsterdam and Paris during the winter season, thereby stepping up our presence in the market. That also makes us the second largest airline group after Lufthansa, which has 67 weekly flights, and we are catching up to become the first.

Our strategy is to connect the networks and passengers from tier II towns in India can travel to tier II towns in the US via Amsterdam. This is a win-win situation for the Air France-KLM group as well as the Jet Airways.

Is Air France-KLM expanding co-operation with Jet Airways to other areas such as cargo and aircraft maintenance?

We are exploring a partnership with Jet in cargo. We think we have a good opportunity with increasing trade between India and Europe. A Boeing 777 aircraft has 15-17 tonnes of cargo capacity and we are exploring an opportunities involving, cross selling, sharing of aircraft belly space and cargo handling with Jet.

We do have some co-operation on engineering but it is relatively on a small scale and there could be an opportunity to further it.

Last year Jet Airways signed an MOU to enter into a commercial joint venture pact with Air France-KLM. What is the status of the proposed JV.

We have put a lot of efforts to ensure daily operations work well. It is important for our customers to have a seamless connection and a smooth transfer at hubs. The way we conduct financial settlements among airlines is not relevant for customers. For customers, it is relevant that they have good products and a seamless service.

A JV is always a point on the horizon and at some point, it could happen. But if we look at the most successful and enhanced partnership like the one we have with Delta Airlines, it took us years for us to come to that point. Personally, I prefer to make sure everything is good for customers first and then take steps on financial settlements and JVs.

How is your relation with Etihad and other Gulf airlines? Do you see them as partners or adversaries?

We do have co-operation with Etihad. We do have code shares between our hub and Abu Dhabi. We have partnership with Etihad and we are competing with Qatar Airways and Emirates.

Airlines are now looking for partners outside their alliances. Is that going to be a new trend?

If you look at our code-sharing agreements, we have such pacts with Delta, China Southern, China Eastern, Kenya Airways (all Sky Team members). Our partnerships are with the core members of the Sky Team. There are a few exceptions and every airline has a few exceptions. I would not put it as a new trend.

Gulf Airlines Offer Guests Laptops On Board

US carriers are said to be livid over gestures made by the leading Gulf airlines like Qatar Airways to offer their premium guests on board laptops on loan, allowing uninterrupted work by busy executives flying on their aircraft.

Qatar Airways earlier announced a unique solution to the recently imposed Electronics Ban by offering passengers a laptop loan service that takes their award-winning five-star reputation to new heights.

Showing true commitment to travellers affected by the ban the Doha-based airline has taken the notable step to purchase laptops available for loan on all of their US flights; meaning uninterrupted productivity and service throughout their journey.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said when making the announcement: 'As an award-winning and global airline we truly appreciate the importance of being able to work on board our aircraft and that is why I have insisted on offering only the best possible solution for our customers.

By providing this laptop loan service we can ensure that our passengers on flights to the US can continue to work whilst on-board.

This unique ability to offer ‘business as usual’, above and beyond the competition, is yet another example of Qatar Airways justification for being the ‘World’s Best Business Class'.

The complimentary laptops will be available to Business Class passengers travelling on all US-bound flights from next week and and can be collected from the Gate just before boarding.

Customers will be able to download their work on to a USB before stepping on board to pick up where they left-off.

Qatar Airways is offering a special service at the gate for all passengers, whereby any electronic items prohibited by the new ban will be collected and securely packaged.

These will be tagged, loaded as check-in baggage and returned safely to the customer on arrival to the US.

In another move to guarantee the comfort and productivity of all passengers on board US-bound flights Qatar Airways is providing one hour of free Wi-Fi for all passengers and a special Wi-Fi package of US$ 5 to stay connected for the duration of the whole flight.

When most people’s smart phones will be the only device they can take on-board this generous offer will ensure passengers can stay connected and stay entertained.

Qatar Airways only a few days ago was once again named as the World's best airline by the Air Transport Awards as was reported at the time.

All passengers wishing to partake of the offer need to do is to bring their memory sticks with data onloaded, or an external hard drive,which is not included in the electronics ban and to work enroute to the United States.

Other airlines like Emirates and Etihad have made similar offers to their premium passengers, effectively defeating the discriminatory ban by the Trump regime against these airlines after the intended travel ban was twice defeated in the US court system.

Notably have US carriers not been affected by these arbitrary new rules which the rest of the world, apart from the UK, has also rejected, leaving US carriers again second best in comparison with the service levels offered by Gulf airlines.

Qatar Airways flies to daily to Entebbe and Kigali, Dar es Salaam, Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar and double daily to Nairobi presently using Airbus A320 aircraft though Nairobi will go widebody later this year.

INDIA: Passenger Hides At Indira Gandhi International Airport For Ten Days With Fake Ticket

An Indian man hid inside Delhi airport for 10 days without anyone noticing he was there.

Mohammad Abdullah from Hyderabad reportedly got into the airport with a fake ticket from Etihad and was supposedly bound for the United Arab Emirates.

He was finally discovered when a member of the housekeeping team reported him to India's Central Industrial Security Force (CISF).

The incident took place in January this year but has only now come to light.

Times of India reported that the man had forged his ticket and tried to check in with Etihad at Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi on January 11.

The fake ticket was discovered and the airline reported him to CISF.

However, the CISF subsequently let the man go and he was able to take a second print out of the ticket and re-enter the airport from another gate according to the report.

He remained in the airport but was eventually reported to the CISF again, this time by housecleaning staff who had noticed his continuous presence.

The man was eventually handed over to Delhi Police on January 20.

Delhi police have booked him for trespassing according to their report.

A senior police officer told the Times of India: 'Abdullah was jointly interrogated by the police and intelligence agencies.

'He revealed that he had been waiting to receive some money to fly to UAE.

'He was arrested under relevant sections and an FIR (First Information Report, equivalent of a criminal record) was registered against him.'

Etihad Airways said 'The safety and security of our passengers and staff is Etihad Airways' main priority.

'We are extremely vigilant with tight safety and security procedures in place at airports around the world with all travel documents thoroughly checked during the check-in and boarding process.

'Reports have been circulating about a passenger discovered in the terminal building at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi in January without a valid ticket.

'As per airport procedures in India, all passengers must have valid travel documents checked by airport security officials before being allowed to enter terminal buildings. Etihad Airways immediately escorted the passenger out of the airport when he tried to check-in with a void ticket.'

Between 1988 and 2006 iranian Mehran Karimi Nasseri made Terminal 1 in Charles de Gaulle Airport his home, a feat that inspired the 2004 film starring Tom Hanks called The Terminal.

Nigerian Airlines Record 5,399 Flights

The eight domestic airlines currently operating in Nigerian airspace recorded 5,399 flights, with 3,029 of the flights between January and March 2016 delayed and 120 cancelled.

The 5,399 flights bore a total of 714,137 passengers broken into 346, 579 inbound passengers and 367, 558 outbound passengers.

The figures were contained in a summary reports of complaints received against international and domestic airlines for the month of January, February and March 2016, as documented by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

For the period under review, a total number of 1,282 flights operated on international routes with total number of inbound passengers recorded by the 35 international carriers standing at 221,136 and 242, 711 outbound passengers.

Understandably, Arik Air recorded the highest number of local flights.

The airline operated 1, 779 flight in the month of February 2016; 866 flights delayed; 28 cancelled flights. The company had a total number 98, 010 total number of inbound passengers and 102, 103 outbound passengers.

For the month of January, a total of 1, 282 flights were operated by 35 airlines on international roiutes. The airlines are Aero, African World, Air Cote d'Ivoire, Air France, Alitalia, Altas Air, Arik, ASKY, British Airways, Camair-Co, Cronos Air, Dana, Delta Air, Egypt Air, Emirates, Ethiopian Air, Etihad, Gambia Bird, Iberia, Kenya Airways.

Others are KLM, Lufthansa, Max Air, Medview, Middle East Airlines, Qatar, Royal Air Maroc, Royal Jordan, Rwandair, Saudi Air, Sudan Air, South African Airways, Turkish Air, United and Virgin Atlantic Airways.

The report shows that Nigeria's flag carrier airline, Arik Air expectedly tops the chart with 205 flights, 96 delays, three cancelled flights, 27, 791 total number of inbound passengers, 33, 055 number of outbound passengers, 28 unresolved complaints and compensation.

French carrier, Air France ranks highest with the highest number of pilferage and discourtesy. A total of 104 cases involving passengers luggage pilfered were reported and documented.

The French carrier 81 flights in January, 31 delayed flights, no cancelled flights with 133 unresolved complaints and inability to compensate travellers.

The airline had a total number of 17, 294 inbound passengers, 18, 197 outbound passengers and 361 missing baggage found.

Dubai based Emirates Airlines has the highest number of inbound and outbound passengers.

The airline recorded 35, 774 inbound passengers and 36, 627 total number of outbound passengers, making the airline the highest revenue earner to Nigeria, followed by British Airways.

For the month under review, all the international airlines operated 1, 251.

They recorded 489 delays, eight cancellations, 571 missing baggage, 275 pilferage, 1, 23, 572 inbound passengers and 138, 855 outbound passengers.

On domestic route, Aero Contractors operated 840 flights in February.

The airline recorded 557 delays, 28 cancelled flights, 56, 186 total number of inbound passengers and 60, 227 outbound passengers.

For March 2016, a total number of 1, 508 flights operated on international routes while 4, 892 flights operated on domestic routes.