Civil Aviation

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 8th December 2023: Turkish Airlines (TK) and Riyadh Air (RX) have agreed a Strategic Cooperation Memorandum of Understanding to offer a comprehensive range of benefits for guests traveling between the Kingdom, Türkiye and points beyond their Riyadh and Istanbul hubs, as well as lay the ground for deeper future collaborations. Guest of both airlines will be able to take full advantage of each carrier’s worldwide network through a comprehensive interline and codeshare agreement that will allow customers to seamlessly connect between and combine sectors operated by either Riyadh Air or Turkish Airlines. Turkish Airlines Chief Investment & Technology Officer Levent Konukcu and Riyadh Air CEO, Tony Douglas, signed the agreement at a ceremony on the sidelines of the ICAO Air Services Negotiation Event (ICAN 2023) held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The intention of both carriers is that benefits will be made available to guests as soon as possible after Riyadh Air launches operations in mid-2025 and is subject to regulatory approvals by relevant authorities. The close cooperation will allow members of each carrier’s loyalty program to earn points or credits when traveling on codeshare services operated by the other, with both airlines also exploring opportunities to develop a broader loyalty agreement covering both global networks. In addition to offering a comprehensive range of guest benefits, the MoU also commits Riyadh Air and Turkish Airlines to work together to explore and implement broader synergies and efficiencies across the value chain, touching areas such as aviation related services, cargo and digital development. Turkish Airlines Chief Investment & Technology Officer, Levent Konukcu stated: “We are happy to start our relationship with Riyadh Air, a promising new player in the aviation industry. This Memorandum of Understanding is more than a collaboration; it’s a bridge between Türkiye and Saudi Arabia, further strengthening our ties. It’s also an opportunity to expand our reach and offer our guests more choices and convenience. We believe this partnership will not only benefit our customers but also contribute significantly to the tourism and business sectors of both countries.” Riyadh Air CEO, Tony Douglas said: “This agreement is another very significant step in the evolution of Riyadh Air as we partner with the world’s largest global airline by destinations served. Our close relationship will open up seamless connectivity via the global-leading hub at Istanbul Airport to some 130 destinations worldwide, especially within Türkiye, Europe and the Americas and accelerate our network footprint through the market-leading, guest-centric, digitally focused and like-minded global airline brand that is Turkish Airlines.” Douglas added, “Bilateral agreements with established network airlines are extremely important to Riyadh Air and there are significant benefits to this partnership, our passengers can enjoy greater connectivity to the world and deeper access to Türkiye, while an increased flow in volumes of tourism, religious and business travel into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is anticipated. Turkish Airlines is a world class aviation brand, and we are proud that they wish to play a part in the Riyadh Air story.” The establishment of Riyadh Air is in line with PIF’s mandate to unlock the capabilities of key sectors locally to drive the diversification of Saudi Arabia’s economy. The airline will also support the Saudi Aviation Strategy’s broader vision, and enable the National Tourism Strategy, unlocking Saudi Arabia’s cultural and natural attractions to international tourists and creating new jobs.

By Andy Kidd Airlines are already retailers. They want to be better, nimbler, more agile retailers. But they’ve got a problem in the form of the passenger service system (PSS), whose decades-old passenger-record and business-process models, while pioneering in their day, no longer keep pace in a digital world. Yet PSS continues to underpin airline reservation management. That’s a problem. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has been working on this problem for two decades now and has launched initiatives to address it over the years. Two current ones are noteworthy, with major airlines running pilots and issuing RFPs to build systems incorporating IATA standards and approaches to moving beyond PSS. The two key initiatives are New Distribution Capability (NDC) and ONE Order. NDC focuses on offer management. It’s about picking the right product at the right price to improve customer experience and boosting the likelihood of purchase, whether through Expedia and its ilk, credit card companies, or local tour, travel, and lodging providers. ONE Order then takes offers and turns them into orders, then orchestrates the service delivery and the settling of funds. Enter Offers and Orders Recently, IATA has combined NDC and ONE Order under the banner of what it calls “Offers and Orders.” That makes a lot of sense. Airlines have been able to expand their offerings using NDC for offer management and then use their old PSS systems for handling the reservation management. But PSS systems, designed in a much simpler, more stovepiped travel-and-retail era, struggle to reflect today’s airline-business complexity, much less provide a platform flexible enough to cultivate future business-model innovation. The nature of the market is part of that. You have hundreds of airlines that compete as well as form global alliances and a dizzying array of itinerary options, potential add-ons, ancillary services, product offerings, and so forth. What amounts to a global mesh of potential providers benefits consumers, but the underlying complexity is staggering. It’s understandable that PSS systems have been stretched to their limits. The question is no longer whether the transition from PSS to enable a modern offers-and-orders model is the right thing to do. Now it’s about how to actually do it. The ONE Order/order management side of the equation is the bigger challenge. It’s easier to sell something than to manage the delivery, accounting, and settlement that happens after a sale in a global mesh of providers – even more so when a storm rolls in and flights start getting cancelled.My thoughts as far as conceptual approach can be simply put – and they can also fill a 24-page white paper(“Mapping Your Journey to ONE Order: A Practical Guide for Airline Leaders”). Let’s stick with “simply put.” A long transition ahead Simply put, there’s no one answer as to how airlines should implement ONE Order. The “right” approach will depend on an airline’s systems, its business aims, and its appetite for risk. Unequivocal is that the transition from PSS to approaches that can achieve the Offers and Orders vision must also be able to exchange data and otherwise cooperate with legacy PSS systems for what will be a years-long transition period. That realization drove a major European airline to work with SAP and IATA on a proof-of-concept project that simulated a partner airline running an Offers and Orders system that then interfaced with the airline’s PSS. We showed that the two could inter operate and sell each other’s flights while maintaining full business-process integrity. Others are also doing more than just talking about the transition from PSS. A dozen major carriers have signed on to IATA’s Airline Retail Consortium. These players have committed to spearheading IATA’s Modern Airline Retailing program, which is aimed at speeding the move to Offers and Orders. They are backing a variety of pilot projects, and we are starting to see RFPs for systems that move them toward Offers and Orders. It will take time, and, as Neil Geurin, an American Airlines managing director, told the IATA with considerable understatement, “Completing the transition to 100% Offers and Orders will not be an easy task.” But airlines recognize that, if they want to provide dynamically tailored offerings to customers efficiently and confidently, order management can no longer be straitjacketed by PSS systems designed for an era long gone. (The writer is Industry Principal for Travel and ONE Order Evangelist at SAP.)

India,7th December 2023: Jazeera Airways today announced KD13.27 million in Group Net Profit for the first nine months of 2023. Total revenues for the period were up 12.8% to KD158.9 from KD140.8 million in 2022, while Operating Profit was at KD18.08million. Last year, the company’s profit also included a one-time gain of KD1.73 million resulting from the sale and lease-back of engines. The airline continued to lead the market with a 35.78% share, 17%higher than the same period in 2022. Jazeera’s passenger numbers maintained strong growth, increasing by 35.6% to 3.5 million. For the nine-month period, load factor also grew to 79% compared to 76.4% last year. Retail lease revenue at Jazeera Terminal (T5) was 52%higher compared to the previous year, while duty free revenue was KD 4.02 million, an increase of 22%. Marwan Boodai, Chairman, Jazeera Airways highlighted, “For the nine months period of 2023, despite the tough regulatory, geo-political and regional landscape, we carried a record number of passengers, delivered a strong loadfactor, and built an attractive network of destinations that resulted in Jazeera having the biggest market share in our home base of Kuwait. While depressed yields due to over-capacity remain a challenge, we are well placed to leverage our low cost-base to maintain margins and create value for our shareholders.” Third Quarter2023 Review In the third quarter, Jazeera launched direct flights from Kuwait to Islamabad and Tehran, now flying to a total of 64 destinations. As part of its planned expansion, the airline welcomed two additional aircraft to its fleet in the last quarter. Jazeera Airways now operates a fleet of 22 aircraft across its network in the Middle East, Central and South Asia, Africa, and Europe. In line with adopting sustainability practices into its operations, Jazeera in the last quarter, became the first low-cost carrier in the Middle East to switch from plastic to eco-friendly food service ware in-flight. By changing from plastic cutlery to 100% biodegradable spoons, forks, knives and napkins, Jazeera reduces 300 kilograms of plastic on its flights each month. This initiative is part of Jazeera’s goal to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. 2023 Outlook The outlook for 2023 continues to remains positive with a consistent demand for travel, Jazeera’s stringent cost control and solid balance sheet. However, overcapacity in the market continues to put yields under pressure which could impact margins.New destinations, aircraft and initiatives continue to be on the airline’s radar as it aims to grow further in countries such as Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and the Eastern European region. The airline was recently recognized by several organizations including listings in the first Fortune 500 Arabia compilation for its contributions to the regional business landscape, in the Best Workplaces in Asia 2023 by Great Place to Work and an ICT Leadership Award for actively embracing and pioneering digital transformation in its operations.

Muscat,22nd November 2023 SalamAir is gearing up to launch operations in five key destinations in India with Hyderabad, Calicut, Jaipur, Trivandrum and Lucknow. This expansion into the Indian market has been made possible with the support of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Of Sultanate Oman and close collaboration with Oman Air. The CAA played a pivotal role in facilitating this strategic expansion, which is poised to significantly enhance the connectivity between Oman and India, thereby providing travellers with more convenient travel options. This significant development represents substantial progress in strengthening Oman’s aviation industry and boosting the national economy. Dr. Anwar Mohamed Al Rawas, Chairman of SalamAir, expressed his excitement about this achievement, emphasizing the ongoing support SalamAir receives from the Oman Civil Aviation Authority and its partnership with Oman Air. Together, they are taking a significant leap forward to improve travel connectivity and enhance passenger experiences. This initiative seamlessly aligns with the goals of Oman Vision 2040. This network expansion perfectly reaffirming Oman’s commitment to establishing a prominent presence in the global aviation landscape while advancing economic growth and diversification objectives. SalamAir anticipates this expansion will lead to improved travel experiences, a wider array of flight options, and enhanced services. The airline remains unwavering in its dedication to delivering exceptional travel experiences for its passengers.

Dubai, 17th November 2023: Ethiopian’s flagship carrier, Ethiopian Airlines Group, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for 11 additional Airbus A350-900s to be added to its existing fleet. The latest agreement takes Ethiopian Airlines’ total order book and commitment for the A350 to 33, including four A350-1000s. Ethiopian Airlines currently operates a fleet of 20 A350-900s and with this commitment, it will confirm its position as Africa’s biggest A350 customer. The signing of the MoU took place at Dubai Airshow in the presence of Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Mr. Mesfin Tasew and Airbus Chief Commercial Officer and Head of International, Christian Scherer. Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Mr. Mesfin Tasew said, “We are excited to place this commitment for 11 Airbus A350-900s. As a customer focused airline, we are particularly excited for these fleet as it offers extra comfort to passengers with its features like the quietest cabin in its class and ambient lighting. We are keen to expand our fleet size, acquiring the latest technology aircraft to offer a convenient and memorable onboard experience to our esteemed passengers.” Christian Scherer, Airbus Chief Commercial Officer and Head of International, said, “Ethiopian Airlines is a great example of how to leverage the exceptional values of the A350 for long-haul travel, playing on the benefits of Ethiopia’s unique geographical position that offers the fastest connections between China and Latin America. We are delighted to further strengthen Ethiopian Airlines fleet, and through this, continue the great relationship we have built up together.” The A350 is the world’s most modern and efficient widebody aircraft and the long range leader in the 300-410 seater category, flying efficiently on any sector from short-haul to ultra-long-haul routes up to 9,700nm. Its clean sheet design includes state-of-the-art technologies, aerodynamics, lightweight materials and latest generation engines that together deliver 25% advantage in fuel burn, operating costs and CO₂ emissions, as well as 50% noise reduction compared to previous generation competitor aircraft. The A350 has won over 1,000 orders from leading carriers from around the globe.

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, 12 October 2023: Malaysian low cost carrier MYAirline has announced the suspension of its operations effective 12 October 2023 until further notice. The airline has been under significant financial pressures since long time which resulted in suspending operations pending the shareholder restructuring and recapitalization of the airline. In a statement from the Board of Directors, MYAirline said “We deeply regret and apologize for having to make this decision as we understand the impact it will have on our loyal passengers, dedicated employees and partners. We have worked tirelessly to explore various partnership and capital raising options to prevent this suspension. Unfortunately, the constraints of time have left us with no alternative but to take this decision.” We understand the inconvenience this may cause, and we are committed to assisting you through this situation. Kindly reach out to us at customercare@myairline.my, and our support team will be readily available to provide their assistance. In the meantime, we are advising affected passengers to not head to the airport and seek for alternative travel arrangements to their destinations. The Board, shareholders and all of us at MYAirline will be working tirelessly to resume operations as quickly as possible but at this stage we are unable to commit to any timeline. We reiterate our sincerest apologies for any difficulty and inconvenience arising from this suspension and will do our utmost to provide any updates which become available.

Gurugram, 29 September 2023: Air India has successfully acquired India’s first Airbus A350-900 aircraft through a finance lease transaction with HSBC. This is Air India’s first financing transaction from its orders for 470 aircraft. The transaction makes Air India the first scheduled carrier to have acquired an aircraft from an entity registered in Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City). Air India’s first A350-900 is also the first widebody aircraft to have been leased through India’s first International Financial Services Centre (IFSC). The transaction was facilitated by AI Fleet Services Limited (AIFS), a 100% subsidiary of Air India, and a GIFT IFSC-registered finance company. “This landmark transaction marks the beginning of our aircraft leasing business from GIFT IFSC, as AIFS will be the primary Air India Group entity for widebody aircraft financing, playing a pivotal role in the future aircraft financing strategy for us and our subsidiaries. It is also a shot in the arm for the development of a robust aviation ecosystem in India. As a flag-bearer of the country, Air India is happy to support the Government of India’s efforts to develop an aircraft leasing hub in GIFT IFSC,” said Nipun Aggarwal, Chief Commercial & Transformation Officer, Air India. “Govt. of India has taken several initiatives to develop the aircraft leasing ecosystem at IFSC in India. IFSCA has been working with the stakeholders to develop regulatory enablers for aircraft leasing and financing. The steps taken by Air India by establishing a finance company for the purpose of aircraft leasing and financing at IFSC will go long way in developing IFSC as a preferred destination for aircraft leasing and financing in India as well as globally,” mentioned Dr. Dipesh Shah, Executive Director, IFSCA. The first of Air India’s six Airbus A350-900 is expected to arrive in India by the end of this year, with the remainder aircraft scheduled for deliveries through March 2024. In addition to the six Airbus A350-900 aircraft, Air India’s firm orders for 470 new aircraft include 34 A350-1000, 20 Boeing 787 Dreamliners, 10 Boeing 777X widebody aircraft, as well as 140 Airbus A320neo, 70 Airbus A321neo and 190 Boeing 737MAX narrowbody aircraft. Air India had signed purchase agreements to acquire these aircraft with Airbus and Boeing on the sidelines of Paris Air Show held in June 2023.

New Delhi, 18th September, 2023: To meet the flying requirement for Flight Calibration of the increased number of Ground Navigational/landing aids installed at airports in India and PBN Procedures validation, Airports Authority of India (AAI) has added two new B-360 type of aircraft equipped with advanced state-of -the -art Flight Inspection system into the AAI Flight Inspection Fleet. With the induction of these new aircraft in its fleet, AAI will be able to accomplish the timely flight calibration of the Ground Radio Navigational/visual aids at all airports in the country. AAI will also provide necessary support by undertaking flight calibrations in the neighboring countries, which will also lead to generation of revenue. The induction of two new aircraft into active flight calibration service was flagged off by Jyotiraditya Scindia, Union Minister of Civil Aviation and Steel;General (Dr.) Vijay Kumar Singh, Union Minister of State for Road Transport & Highways and Civil Aviation & Vumlunmang Vualnam, Secretary, Civil Aviation, Sanjeev Kumar, Chairman, AAI in a Poojan Ceremony held at Safdarjung Airport, New Delhi. The Flight Inspection Unit of Airports Authority of India is a very critical component in the safety chain of Air Navigation Service provided by Airports Authority of India throughout the Indian airspace. Considering the importance of aviation infrastructures and expanding network of airports in the country, navigational aids are also being set up at all airports for safe flight movements. On this occasion HMCA said, AAI has inducted two new B-360 type of aircraft equipped with advanced technology into the AAI Flight Inspection Unit’s Fleet. Flight calibration services ensure efficient and safe operation of aircraft by validating various Air Navigation Services Procedures. These aircraft will be used in Calibrating the Category I, II and III Instrument Landing Systems, DVORs, DME, NDB, Radar, GBAS, PAPI, TACAN etc. They will also be validating the RNP and LPV procedures as also the Instrument Approach Letdown procedures for DVOR/DME and ILS. Flight Inspection being critical in ensuring the best international standards as set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), needs to keep pace to ensure Indian aviation gets this equipment to function to the strictest parameters. Presently, The FIU of AAI operates One Dornier-228 and One B-350 aircraft for Flight Calibration /Inspection purposes and calibrates the Navigational aids like, Doppler VOR, DME, NDB, Landing aids like Instrument Landing Systems and Precision Approach Path Indicator installed at the numerous airports around the country. Established in 1959 at Bamrauli, Allahabad known as Prayagraj, FIU was shifted to Safdarjung Airport in 1986. Starting with Dakota aircraft, FIU then moved on to HS748 AVRO and then on to Dornier DO-228 and Beechcraft King Air B350.

Almaty, 7th Sept.2023 Air Astana, Kazakhstan’s flag carrier, launched a new direct air services from Almaty to Tel Aviv, today. The new flight is scheduled to operate twice weekly on Thursdays and Sundays using Airbus A321LR aircraft. The outbound service from Almaty has a flight time of 6 hours 45 minutes, with the return flight from Tel Aviv taking 5 hours and 50 minutes. The cost of a round-trip Economy ticket starts from US$603 and Business Class ticket starts from US$1438. Israeli citizens can stay in Kazakhstan visa-free for up to 30 days. This new route is destined to strengthen business, trade, cultural and tourism links between the two countries.

Abu Dhabi,7th Sept 2023: Air France-KLM Group and Etihad Airways today signed a MoU aiming at enhancing their collaboration opportunities across passenger operations, loyalty programmes, talent development, and maintenance.The signing ceremony took place at the Air France-KLM Group’s headquarters in Paris, France in the presence of Angus Clarke, Chief Commercial Officer, Air France-KLM, and Arik De, Chief Revenue Officer, Etihad Airways. Through this partnership, and subject to any necessary regulatory approvals, Air France-KLM and Etihad contemplate expanding their codeshare and interline agreements initiated in 2012. As a first step, more than 40 new routes covering destinations across Europe, the Middle East, Asia Pacific and Australia have been made available for booking as of today, for travel as early as the winter 2023 season. The MoU also proposes the ability for frequent flyers of both Flying Blue and Etihad Guest to earn and redeem miles with Air France, KLM, and Etihad. The airlines will also explore terminal co-location, reciprocal lounge access and ground handling, among other initiatives. Etihad currently operates daily flights to both Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Amsterdam Schiphol from Abu Dhabi international airport. Air France will start operating daily flights between Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Abu Dhabi International Airport from October 29, 2023. Angus Clarke, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer Air France-KLM, said: “I’m delighted to further develop our partnership with Etihad Airways. This 11-year collaboration is now expanding even further, as we aim to explore opportunities in maintenance and loyalty, in addition to enhancing our route network for the benefit of our customers from all around the world. The attractiveness of Abu Dhabi as a destination and a hub, powered by Etihad’s large footprint spanning South and Southeast Asia, as well as Australia, brings significant richness to this partnership. This moment marks our shared commitment to providing seamless, premium, customer-centric travel experiences to our shared global customer base.” Arik De, Chief Revenue Officer at Etihad, said: “We are excited to expand our collaboration with Air France-KLM, with this MoU serving as a testament to our shared vision of creating premium journeys for our guests. This MoU builds on our existing partnership by exploring deeper network enhancements as we offer improved connectivity between Abu Dhabi and Paris, and leveraging the extensive AF-KL network to Europe and beyond. It reaffirms Etihad’s intent to bolster Abu Dhabi’s cultural and economic growth as we look forward to welcoming more guests to our home enjoying better travel benefits and enhanced customer experiences along the way.” Earlier this year, Air France-KLM announced it had signed a MoU with Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism with the aim of reinforcing connectivity between Europe and Abu Dhabi.