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Air Tanzania receives Africa's first direct Boeing 767F

aPeaford — Sat, 03 Jun 2023 13:05:39 +0000

The airplane arrived today at the airline’s hub in Dar es Salaam and will provide the operator with dedicated air freight capacity to serve the country’s growing cargo market. This is the first direct 767 Freighter delivery from Boeing to an African carrier.

“We are thrilled to welcome the 767-300 Boeing Freighter to our fleet. The 767 will cater to the growing cargo demand which was previously carried by passenger airplanes,” said Eng. Ladislaus Matindi, Air Tanzania managing director. “The 767 will enable Air Tanzania to support a journey towards a more sustainable future and time critical cargo schedules across Africa and beyond. We are looking forward to expanding our imports and exports industry that require timely delivery. The arrival of the airplane will open opportunities for global businesses to transport commercial cargo goods to various parts of the world, which will boost national economic growth.”

According to Boeing, the 767-300 freighter’s excellent fuel efficiency, operational flexibility and low noise levels will enable Air Tanzania to support time-critical cargo schedules across Africa and beyond. Capable of flying 3,255 nautical miles with a revenue payload of more than 52 tonnes, the 767-300 Freighter is the ideal airplane for growing e-commerce and express cargo markets. This is Air Tanzania’s first dedicated freighter as the country looks to expand imports and exports of perishable goods, pharmaceuticals and other products that require timely delivery.

“The 767 Freighter will enable Air Tanzania to significantly grow its existing operations with greater efficiency and flexibility across its network,” said Anbessie Yitbarek, vice president, Africa Sales and Marketing, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “Air Tanzania’s cargo customers now have far more options as the airline boosts freight connectivity between Africa, Europe, the Middle East and Asia.”

Air Tanzania currently operates commercial service across Africa and to destinations in Asia with a fleet that includes two 787-8 Dreamliners. The airline also has orders for an additional 787-8 and two 737 MAX jets.

Posted date

Sat, 03/06/2023 - 12:00

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Boeing and Air Tanzania are today celebrating the delivery of the airline’s – and Africa’s first 767-300 Freighter.

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Pegasus Airlines receives credit rating upgrade

eNethersole — Wed, 31 May 2023 08:55:03 +0000

Pegasus Airlines' long-term credit rating was upgraded from B+ to BB- by Fitch Ratings Limited (Fitch) on 14 April 2023 and from B to B+ by S&P Global Ratings (S&P) on 23 May 2023. Fitch and S&P announced their credit ratings with “Negative Outlook", mirroring that on the current macroeconomic conditions. The international credit rating agencies have also revised the credit rating of the senior unsecured debt issued by Pegasus Airlines accordingly.

In the reports published by Fitch and S&P, the rating upgrade is attributed to Pegasus Airlines' strong operational and financial results in 2022 and the subsequent quarterly period. Among global airline operators, Pegasus Airlines recorded the highest EBITDA margin with 34.1% and the lowest non-fuel unit cost (CASK, non-fuel) with 2.18 euro cents, based on public data. In 2022, Pegasus Airlines increased the number of passengers it carried by 34%, and grew its revenue by 139%, year-on-year. The airline also achieved €69 million EBITDA and a 15.1% EBITDA margin in the first quarter of 2023, making it highest first quarter performance in the company's history.

Barbaros Kubatoğlu, chief financial officer (CFO) of Pegasus Airlines, said: “Despite 2022 starting with challenges for the aviation industry due to the Omicron variant and a backdrop of macroeconomic and geopolitical tensions, it ultimately became a year of rapid travel demand recovery compared to the pandemic period. The year continued with a strong summer season and presented a favourable operating environment for airlines that were well-prepared for this resurgence. In 2022, which we started operationally and financially well prepared, we achieved the best financial performance in the global aviation sector, by managing our operations effectively in parallel with robust demand. It is of great significance to us that our 2022 performance, which continues with the same success in the first quarter of 2023, is recognised by independent rating agencies, and that this performance is also emphasised as sustainable.”

Posted date

Wed, 31/05/2023 - 12:00

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Turkey’s Pegasus Airlines' strong financial performance in 2022 has resulted in an upgrade in its credit rating.

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Digitalise borders to unlock Africa’s full potential

aPeaford — Tue, 30 May 2023 10:43:53 +0000

Air transport 30 May 2023

Digitalise borders to unlock Africa’s full potential

Africa’s immense potential to become a global powerhouse is undeniable. It has all of the ingredients including a market of 1.2 billion consumers (rising to 1.7bn by 2030) and a combined GDP worth US$2.5 trillion. So what is holding it back? - Jeremy Springall, senior vice-president, SITA at Borders, gives his analysis.

The African Union’s (AU) members have all indicated their support for and recognition of the benefits of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area, the Single Africa Air Transport Market and the Free Movement of Persons Protocol. All of them are intended to unlock free trade, tourism, economic opportunities and promote widespread prosperity across the continent.

At the SITA Borders Management Africa Summit in Nairobi this month, speakers and delegates from governments across the continent identified and discussed solutions to resolving the biggest hinderance to these AU flagship programmes realising their full potential, i.e. efficient borders to enable the frictionless flows of people and goods.

In our deliberations we were continually reminded that it is easier and faster to transport mobile phones from China to Africa than to move a few bags of maize across an African border post. At the root of this are inconsistencies in the criteria and processes applied by immigration and customs authorities for issuing visas, travel authorisations, goods import and transit permits, the use of unsuitable and often incompatible equipment and the vulnerability to agile international organised crime and terrorism. All of these have to be tackled with shrinking budgets and diminishing resources.

Therein lies the rub: For economies to grow and a free trade area to work, governments need to balance protecting their countries from trafficking, terrorism, pandemics, and crime while making it easier to move people and goods across their borders and at the same time respecting personal data privacy and its underpinning legislation.

The good news is that proven digital border management technology and emerging digital identities put Africa in pole position to lead the way. A key advantage for Africa is that it faces fewer legacy challenges in the digital space and in many ways, it can move faster. The digital transformation of borders will be inevitable if the continent is to achieve its ambition.

Airlines and airports understand the potential of digitalizing border processes. At the coal face of international travel, the industry has long recognized the need for digital immigration processes. The challenges of COVID accelerated this trend. For example, SITA’s 2022 Air Transport IT Insights showed that 75% of airline executives will invest in passenger biometric identity solutions by 2025. This means passengers will be identified by a simple facial scan, making the identification process fast and secure.

However, it can’t be done by one industry in isolation. It needs government and broader industry support.

SITA, the global air transport industry-owned IT and solutions provider, is leading this push. Over the past 30 years, SITA has helped 70 governments – including South Africa and Egypt – make their border crossings faster and more secure. We pioneered what is now the global standard for Advance Passenger Information processing and we are helping governments digitalise key immigration processes so that they can be completed ahead of travel. This helps governments to effectively extend their borders and assess who enters their country long before they arrive. Travelers, on the other hand, only have to complete a simple check on arrival.

The benefit of this approach has been shown to work time and again, particularly at big sporting events such as the World Cup. We helped South Africa in 2010, Brazil in 2014, and Qatar in 2022 to manage the vast influx of visitors.

Digital identities will take this to a new level. Driven by the UN’s International Civil Aviation Organisation, which sets global passport standards, the industry is shaping a new digital identity that will replace physical documents such as identity cards or passports. A key driver is that holders will choose what data they would like to share with whom. It is privacy by design. These digital identities can be used at the airport but also at land and sea borders or other touchpoints, such as hotels or major events, as we did in Qatar for the World Cup. All that is needed is a simple scan of your face a biometric touchpoint or on your mobile phone. We see these digital identities being extended to goods and services.

Together these technologies will reshape how borders are managed.

The technology exists today to make an African free trade area a reality. It allows the balancing of protectionist measures to keep national borders safe with a more welcoming face to visitors. It is scalable. And it is inclusive, allowing all elements of public life to be managed from a single identity.

With the right support from governments across Africa, we can pull many levers to unlock free trade and tourism across the continent. Policy and intergovernmental co-operation the two most obvious but digitalisation must surely be essential among them.

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Pipistrel's African boost with Absolute Aviation deal for 11 countries

aPeaford — Tue, 30 May 2023 10:23:28 +0000

Already a longstanding channel partner of Textron Aviation as an authorized sales, service and parts representative for Cessna and Beechcraft in southern and central Africa, Lanseria airport headquartered Absolute Aviation will take on responsibility for sales, service support and training for Pipistrel’s ultralight, light sport and type certified aircraft, which include the Alpha Trainer, Velis Electro, Explorer and Panthera.

Absolute Aviation will also showcase demonstration aircraft across the region to promote Pipistrel’s offerings.

The distributor will serve Angola, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

“We’re fully committed to building our network of distributors so that we can precisely meet the needs of our customers across Africa,” said Pipistrel’s, director of sales and sarketing, Steve Mckenna. “As an established Textron Aviation channel partner, Absolute Aviation’s customer-centric approach is well known to us and we’re looking forward to extending this collaboration to showcase Pipistrel.”

Posted date

Tue, 30/05/2023 - 12:00

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Slovenian-based electric aircraft manufacturer Pipistrel, now part of Textron, has appointed Absolute Aviation in South Africa, as its distributor to 11 countries across southern and central Africa.

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Emirates Group reports annual profit of US$ 3.0 billion

eNethersole — Fri, 12 May 2023 12:49:13 +0000

Emirates achieved new record profits, a complete turnaround from its loss position last year.

Both Emirates and dnata saw significant revenue increases in 2022-23 as the Group expanded its air transport and travel-related operations following the removal of nearly all pandemic-related restrictions around the world.

For the financial year ended 31 March 2023, the Emirates Group posted a record profit of AED 10.9 billion (US$ 3.0 billion) compared with an AED 3.8 billion (US$ 1.0 billion) loss for last year. The Group’s revenue was AED 119.8 billion (US$ 32.6 billion), an increase of 81% over last year’s results. The Group’s cash balance was AED 42.5 billion (US$ 11.6 billion), the highest ever reported, up 65% from last year mainly due to strong demand across its core business divisions and markets.

HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates airline and Group, said: “We’re proud of our 2022-23 performance which is not only a full recovery, but also a record result. This achievement would not have been possible without HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai, whose leadership has been critical to our success today and through the years. The architect of Dubai’s progressive economic policies, HH Sheikh Mohammed is also the engine behind the Emirates Group’s trajectory. Without his drive and support, Emirates will be half the size of what we are today.”

He added: I’m proud of the Emirates Group’s performance for 2022-23, and our contribution to the restoration of air transport and tourism across the markets we serve, including Dubai’s astounding 97% year-on-year growth in international visitors for 2022. The Group is the biggest player in the UAE’s aviation sector, which supports over 770,000 jobs and generates an estimated contribution to GDP of over US$ 47 billion (AED 172.5 billion). With our growth plans, and in line with the Dubai Economic Agenda D33, we expect to significantly increase our contribution to the UAE’s GDP over the next decade through direct and indirect employment, supply chain spending, tourism spend, and trade and commerce benefits from the movement of cargo.”

Commenting on the Group’s 2022-23 turnaround performance, Sheikh Ahmed said: “We had anticipated the strong return of travel, and as the last travel restrictions lifted and triggered a tide of demand, we were ready to expand our operations quickly and safely to serve our customers. Our ongoing investments in our brand, and in our products and services, helped drive customer preference and position us favourably in the market. As a result, we have delivered a record financial performance and cash balance for our financial year 2022-23. This reflects the strength of our proven business model, our careful forward planning, the hard work of all our employees, and our solid partnerships across the aviation and travel ecosystem.”

To support expanded operations and to bolster the Group’s future capabilities, Emirates and dnata ramped up recruitment activity across the globe during the year. As a result, the Group’s total workforce increased by 20% to 102,379 employees, representing over 160 different nationalities.

In 2022-23, the Group collectively invested AED 7.2 billion (US$ 2.0 billion) in new aircraft, facilities, equipment, companies, and the latest technologies to position the business for future growth. Our commitments include: a massive multi-billion dollar aircraft cabin retrofit programme; an order for 5 new 777 freighters; the building of a new pilot training centre; the opening of Bustanica, the world’s largest vertical farm in Dubai under a partnership with CropOne; new training aircraft for its cadets at Emirates Flight Training Academy; dnata’s acquisition of 30% shares to gain full ownership of its ground handling operations in Brazil; and the building of a new advanced cargo facility in Erbil, Iraq.

The Emirates Group also continued to progress on its sustainability journey during the year. Notably, it signed up to the United Nations Global Compact, a voluntary initiative where Emirates and dnata will work towards making the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Principles part of their strategy, culture, and operations. The Group also signed the UAE Gender Balance Council’s pledge to increase female representation at mid-senior management positions to 30% across the country by 2025.

Amongst its numerous environmental initiatives, a key highlight for Emirates was the successful conduct of a demonstration flight with 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in one engine of a Boeing 777. This first-in-region initiative contributes to collective industry data and efforts to enable a future of 100% SAF flying. dnata in 2022-23 pledged to invest US$ 100 million (AED 367 million) over 2 years, to improve environmental efficiency across its global business, supporting its goal to reduce its carbon footprint by 50% by 2030.

During the year, the Group supported various community and humanitarian initiatives across its markets including relief efforts for the floods in Pakistan and the earthquake in Turkey and Syria. It also continued to participate in innovation incubators, and support programmes that build a pipeline of skilled aviation talent and develop future solutions for the industry.

Sheikh Ahmed said: “In 2022-23, we’ve not only brought back most of our operations but also grew our footprint and capabilities by investing in people, product, and new technologies – demonstrating our agility and ability. We continue to lay strong foundations for future success and join hands with partners to grow our business and to collaborate on innovative solutions for travel and aviation. As our business expands, so does our ability to make a positive impact on the communities we serve. We are steadfast in our commitment to deliver value to our customers and stakeholders while minimising our environmental impact.

“We go into 2023-24 with a strong positive outlook and expect the Group to remain profitable. We will work hard to hit our targets while keeping a close watch on inflation, high fuel prices, and political and economic uncertainty.”

Emirates performance

Emirates’ total passenger and cargo capacity increased by 32% to 48.2 billion ATKMs in 2022-23, as the airline continued to reinstate passenger services across its network in line with the lifting of pandemic-related flight and travel restrictions.

In addition to launching services to Tel Aviv, Emirates relaunched flights to six destinations and increased operations to 62 cities across its network throughout the year to serve strong customer demand. By 31 March 2023, the Emirates network comprised 150 destinations across six continents, including 9 cities served by its freighter fleet only.

Emirates also deployed its flagship A380 aircraft to even more cities during the year, bringing its A380 network to 43 destinations as of 31 March 2023.

Enabling its customers access even more destinations, Emirates signed agreements with new codeshare partners in 2022-23 most notably with United Airlines and Air Canada, expanding the airline’s connectivity in the Americas to over 200 new points, in addition to mutual frequent flyer programme benefits. Emirates also reinforced its strategic partnerships with Qantas and flydubai and added new interline and codeshare partners: Airlink, AEGEAN, ITA Airways, Air Tanzania, Bamboo Airways, Batik Air, Philippine Airlines, Royal Air Maroc and Sky Express.

Emirates received two new 777 freighter aircraft during the financial year. It also phased out 4 older aircraft comprising of 2 A380, 1 Boeing 777-300ERs and 1 Freighter. Its total fleet count at the end of March was 260 units, with a youthful average fleet age of 9.1 years.

Emirates’ order book stands at 200 aircraft, including 5 additional Boeing 777-300ER freighter orders announced during 2022-23. The airline’s long-standing strategy of operating modern and efficient aircraft remains unchanged, a commitment which underpins its Fly Better brand promise as a young fleet is better for the environment, better for operations, and better for customers.

With significantly enhanced capacity deployment across most markets, Emirates’ total revenue for the financial year increased 81% to AED 107.4 billion (US$ 29.3 billion). Currency fluctuations in some of the airline’s major markets, notably the Euro, Pound Sterling, and devaluation of the Pakistani Rupee, significantly impacted the airline’s profitability negatively by AED 4.5 billion (US$ 1.2 billion).

Total operating costs increased by 57% from last financial year. Cost of ownership (depreciation and amortisation) and fuel cost were the two biggest cost components for the airline in 2022-23, followed by employee cost. Fuel accounted for 36% of operating costs compared to 23% in 2021-22. The airline’s fuel bill increased by 143% to AED 33.7 billion (US$ 9.2 billion) compared to the previous year, due to a higher uplift of 49% in line with capacity expansion and a higher average fuel price which was up by 48%.

With the removal of pandemic-related travel restrictions globally, the airline substantially improved its financial results and reported a record profit of AED 10.6 billion (US$ 2.9 billion) after last year’s AED 3.9 billion (US$ 1.1 billion) loss, and an exceptional profit margin of 9.9%, reflecting the best performance in the airline’s history.

Emirates carried 43.6 million passengers (up 123%) in 2022-23, with seat capacity up by 78%. The airline reports a Passenger Seat Factor of 79.5%, compared with last year’s passenger seat factor of 58.6%; and a 7% increase in passenger yield to 37.5 fils (10.2 US cents) per Revenue Passenger Kilometre (RPKM), due to a change in cabin and route mix, fares and currency.

Emirates continued to invest in delivering ever better customer experiences. During the year, it launched its full Premium Economy experience to hugely positive customer feedback, brought into service the first 6 of its newly retrofitted A380s with completely refreshed cabin interiors, and opened ‘Emirates World’ - a modern concept retail store which will gradually be introduced to other key markets. It also announced a US$ 350 million investment in new generation inflight entertainment systems for its A350 fleet.

With a continued focus on digital initiatives to provide customers with speedy and secure journeys, Emirates also signed a landmark biometric data agreement with the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai to fast-track travellers’ journey on arrival.

Emirates SkyCargo delivered a solid performance, contributing 16% of the airline’s revenue despite a reduction in available capacity as aircraft that were temporarily converted into “mini freighters” during the pandemic returned to full passenger service.

In 2022-23, Emirates’ cargo division reinforced its leadership in cool chain transport, building on the advanced expertise and infrastructure that made it the carrier of choice for the transport of temperature sensitive medicines during the pandemic, and other perishable items.

Emirates SkyCargo maintained its edge in the global airfreight industry by focusing its customers, bringing innovative solutions to the market, and leveraging its fleet and network capabilities. During the year, the cargo division signed commercial MoUs with United Airlines and Air Canada to expand its network reach and capacity for customers; introduced a new digital channel, WebCargo, for customers to directly access and book its flights for their cargo shipments; and launched Emirates Delivers UK, expanding its e-commerce shipping solution to UAE customers.

Emirates SkyCargo also deployed its expertise and capacity to transport relief goods to Pakistan, Turkey and Syria in partnership with Dubai’s International Humanitarian City.

With steady air freight demand throughout the year, Emirates’ cargo division reported a solid revenue of AED 17.2 billion (US$ 4.7 billion). This was a 21% decline over last year’s exceptional performance caused by the pandemic.

Freight yield per Freight Tonne Kilometre (FTKM) increased by 3% despite more cargo capacity returned to the global market, but generally remained at high levels compared to the pandemic marketplace due to steady and strong demand.

Tonnage carried declined by 14% to reach 1.8 million tonnes, due to the reduction in available freighter capacity for the entire year with the reinstatement of more passenger services. At the end of 2022-23, Emirates’ SkyCargo’s total freighter fleet stood at 11 Boeing 777Fs.

Emirates’ hotels portfolio revenue over last year increased by 12% to AED 675 million (US$ 184 million) reflecting the uptick in tourism traffic, particularly to Dubai.

Emirates has consistently demonstrated the ability and commitment to fulfil its contractual obligations. In addition to repaying aircraft related financing liabilities as they fall due, it successfully repaid AED 3.0 billion (US$ 817 million) more of the total AED 17.5 billion (US$ 4.8 billion) raised during the COVID-19 crisis. This assurance continues to strengthen the confidence of its financing partners in its business model and allowed Emirates to reprice AED 4.5 billion (US$ 1.2 billion) of debt during this financial year and further raise AED 1.2 billion to finance the acquisition of two new B777 freighter aircraft through an Islamic finance lease at highly effective margins.

In the face of rising interest rates, Emirates adeptly managed its net exposure and effectively mitigated the impact of rate fluctuations on the bottom line. Additionally, the proactive currency risk management programme ensured ongoing financial stability and resilience by employing a range of hedging strategies including forward contracts and natural hedges

Emirates closed the financial year with an exceptional level of cash assets of AED 37.4 billion (US$ 10.2 billion), 79% higher compared to 31 March 2022.

dnata performance

Recovery from the pandemic was felt across almost all dnata businesses, and in 2022-23 dnata increased its profit by 201% to AED 331 million (US$ 90 million)

With growing flight and travel activity across the world, dnata's total revenue increased by 74% to AED 14.9 billion (US$ 4.1 billion). dnata’s international businesses account for 72% of its revenue, an increase of 10%pts from the previous year. Through the year, dnata worked closely with its customers through the challenges of labour shortages and rising inflation in its major markets such as UK, US, Europe and Australia.

Laying the foundations for future growth, dnata’s investments in 2022-23 amounted to AED 467 million (US$ 127 million). Significant investments during the year included: a new cargo centre in Amsterdam, the Netherlands; new modern cargo and ground service equipment facilities in Erbil, Iraq; the global roll-out of its advanced “OneCargo” system to digitise and automate business functions; the expansion of marhaba operations in Dubai and Zanzibar; and the re-opening of renovated catering facilities in Sydney with energy efficient installations and equipment upgrades.

In 2022-23, dnata’s operating costs increased by 74% to AED 14.6 billion (US$ 4.0 billion), in line with expanded operations in its Airport Operations, Catering and Travel divisions and impacted by inflationary pressure across all markets mainly for labour and food supply.

dnata’s cash balance improved by more than AED 200 million to AED 5.1 billion (US$ 1.4 billion). Net cash used in financing activities, primarily payments for loans and leases, amounted to AED 906 million (US$ 247 million), while the business utilised net cash of AED 528 million (US$ 144 million) in essential investing activities. The business saw a positive operating cash flow of AED 1.4 billion (US$ 381 million) in 2022-23, a reflection of the substantial improvements in revenue.

Revenue from dnata’s Airport Operations, including ground and cargo handling increased to AED 7.2 billion (US$ 2.0 billion).

The number of aircraft turns handled by dnata globally grew by 35% to 712,383, cargo handled declined by 8% to 2.7 million tonnes, reflecting the increased flight activity across markets as the last pandemic restrictions lifted and dnata’s customers reinstated services.

During 2022-23, dnata launched its ground handling operations at the newly built terminal of Zanzibar Abeid Amani Karume International Airport, together with Emirates Leisure Retail (ELR) and MMI as master concessionaire for all food and beverage, duty free and commercial outlets at the terminal. It also expanded operations in Canada, partnering GTA Group to offer quality and safe cargo services in Calgary and Vancouver.

dnata’s Catering & Retail business accounted for AED 4.8 billion (US$ 1.3 billion) of dnata’s revenue, up by 187%. The inflight catering business uplifted 111.4 million meals to airline customers, almost three times the number of meals from last year, as its airline customers across the world restored their flight operations.

dnata’s Catering & Retail division substantially increased production to support airlines to restart their flight operations after the pandemic particularly in Australia, and its key markets of UK and the USA. It also worked extensively with its customers on flexing their menus to address supply chain issues and food inflation.

In the UAE, Alpha Flight Services (Alpha), dnata’s subsidiary, signed a concession agreement under which it will provide flight catering services to over 10 airlines at Ras Al Khaimah International airport, operate three F&B outlets, as well as the airport lounge.

Notable contract wins for the catering division in 2022-23 include: multi-year catering contracts with Australia’s newest airline, Bonza, and with Air India for its flights in London, Birmingham, and Milan; contracts with United Airlines and Edelweiss Air for their flights in Jordan; and with Lufthansa and Swiss International Air Lines in Singapore.

Revenue from dnata’s Travel Services division grew by 227% to AED 2.3 billion (US$ 618 million). The reported total transaction value (TTV) of travel services sold increased by 203% to AED 7.0 billion (US$ 1.9 billion), a substantial growth from last year. This reflects last year’s abnormal situation where the business was recovering from COVID-19-related booking cancellations.

In 2022-23, dnata Representation Services boosted its existing customer service support for Lufthansa in Europe and grew its relationship with American Airlines by providing a range of sales and marketing services to the carrier as its general sales agent in India. dnata became the preferred travel partner in the Middle East for American Express Global Business Travel, the world’s leading B2B travel platform; and enhanced its long-standing partnership with Club Med to bring tailor-made, all-inclusive holidays at exclusive rates closer to the GCC travellers.

In the UAE, dnata expanded its retail footprint with the opening of a new travel store in Dubai Hills. Reflecting the increased visitor numbers and demand for Dubai experiences, Arabian Adventures expanded and enhanced its popular ‘Overnight Safari’ experience in the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve and re-launched an enhanced edition of its signature Jeep Adventure Safari.

Posted date

Fri, 12/05/2023 - 12:00

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The Emirates Group has released its 2022-23 Annual Report, reporting its most profitable year ever.

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Go First files for bankruptcy

eNethersole — Wed, 03 May 2023 08:51:00 +0000

Go First's total debt to financial creditors was US $798 million as of April 28, it said in a bankruptcy filing with the National Company Law Tribunal.

Go First said in a statement its filing followed a refusal by Pratt & Whitney, the exclusive engine supplier for the airline's Airbus A320neo aircraft fleet.

The company "had to take this step due to the ever-increasing number of failing engines supplied by Pratt & Whitney," Go First said in a statement.

Go First said that the problem forced it to ground 25 aircraft - about half of its fleet of Airbus A320neo planes - which caused around $1.3bn in lost revenue and expenses.

The airline also accused Pratt & Whitney of not following an order by an emergency arbitrator, which included supplying "at least 10 serviceable spare leased engines by 27 April 2023".

In response, Pratt & Whitney said it was "complying with the March 2023 arbitration ruling" and it cannot comment further as "this is now a matter of litigation.”

India's Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said: "The government of India has been assisting the airline in every possible manner."

Posted date

Wed, 03/05/2023 - 12:00

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Indian airline Go First has officially filed for bankruptcy blaming ‘faulty’ Pratt & Whitney engines for the grounding of about half its fleet.

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Jazeera Airways achieves US $7.5 million net profit in first quarter 2023

eNethersole — Tue, 02 May 2023 11:34:03 +0000

Total revenue for the quarter reached KD48.3 million, up 35.2%, while operating profit was at KD3.62 million.

Passenger traffic rose by 56.6% to 1.1 million in this quarter and load factor reached 82.1% with an increase of 6.9% compared to the Q1 2022.

Marwan Boodai, chairman, Jazeera Airways said: “2023 has started off on a positive note for Jazeera Airways. Despite fuel prices putting pressure on margins for the first quarter, a continued focus on operating costs enabled us to deliver profits in line with our aggressive growth targets and on the track to be a fantastic year. Load factor in this quarter reached 82.1%, the highest ever for Jazeera in any quarter, especially for Q1 which is typically not the strongest. This demonstrates the strength of our business model and sound validation from our customers.”

First Quarter 2023 review

Jazeera Airways launched direct flights in February from Kuwait to Moscow, the first airline to fly the route. In March, the airline also started flying to Samarkand, its third destination in Uzbekistan following Tashkent and Namangan. New destinations have been announced for Q2 including Larnaca, Cyprus, Belgrade, Serbia and Tirana, Albania. In addition, the airline also announced the resumption of its flights to Prague, Czech Republic and Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina in the summer months.

The Jazeera T5 terminal, was under refurbishment with three new restaurants opening for travellers – two on landside and one airside, operational since February.

2023 Outlook

Over the next few months of this financial year, Jazeera will welcome four additional aircraft into its fleet.

Following an “Approved Training Organisation” certification from the Kuwait’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) last year, Jazeera Airways placed an order for an Airbus simulator. Expected to be delivered by the end of 2023, this simulator will enable in-house pilot training and monitoring to ensure the highest levels of safety for both crew and passengers.

Posted date

Tue, 02/05/2023 - 12:00

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Jazeera Airways has achieved a net profit of KD2.3 million (US $7.5 million ) for the first quarter (Q1) of 2023.

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Turkish Airlines announces its strategic plan for the next 10 years

eNethersole — Tue, 25 Apr 2023 08:51:07 +0000

And now the national carrier has shared its goals for its 100th anniversary and vision for 2023.

Turkish Airlines Chairman of the Board and Executive Committee, Prof. Dr. Ahmet Bolat said: “Being able to grow from our humble beginnings of 90 years ago into one of the world’s leading airlines is a great honour for us.

“Today, Turkish Airlines, a 90-year-old giant, is in our view a dynamic and young adult, actively continuing its development. Yes, our journey is still very long, and as our country's national airline, we consistently implement and set our short, middle and long-term goals on this adventure where we reach all four corners of the world.”

The airline has a number of goals including for its vision 2033, including:

Achieving consolidated revenue of over 50 billion USD by 2033,
Attaining an EBITDAR margin between 20% and 25% during 2023-2033,
Improving efficiency, maintaining cost discipline and creating new opportunities to generate additional revenues in order to sustain the airline’s strong financial performance,
Contributing 140 billion USD of added value to Türkiye’s economy by 2033,
Expanding the fleet to 435 aircraft by 2023 and to over 800 aircraft by 2033; expanding the passenger network to 400 destinations,
Doubling the passenger capacity in 2023 by 2033 with an annual average growth rate of 7%,
Servicing 170 million passengers by 2033 compared to over 85 million in 2023,
Reaching 150 thousand employees including its subsidiaries,
Doubling the transported cargo volume and positioning Turkish Cargo among the top three cargo carriers globally by 2033; leveraging the capabilities of its cargo hub, SmartIST, which is currently one of the largest air cargo terminals in the world,
Establishing the airline’s low-cost arm AnadoluJet as a separate subsidiary; repositioning its brand, restructuring its revenue and cost structures, and reaching a fleet size of 200 new generation aircraft to strengthen its competitive positioning,
Improving passenger experience and brand recognition

Bolat said on the goals: “We are happy to share our goals that will significantly contribute to our country's economy and development in the next 10 years by declaring our strategic planning for our 100th anniversary, which we will celebrate 10 years from now.

He concluded: “As a member of this beautiful institution, which is Türkiye’s most well-known global brand in the international community, we assure that we are walking confidently towards our goal of becoming the world's best airline company, and thus, we will continue to make our nation proud for many more long years. We wish our 2033 goals, which we announced, to be auspicious for all.”

Posted date

Tue, 25/04/2023 - 12:00

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Founded in 1933, Turkish Airlines has made significant contributions to the Turkey’s economy and employment.

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TCR releases Sustainability Report 2023 highlighting progress

eNethersole — Wed, 19 Apr 2023 15:01:33 +0000

The report outlines the company’s progress in meeting its sustainability goals and provides insight into how it is working to reduce its environmental impact.

“TCR is a key player in the aviation sector and sees it as its responsibility to continue to take a leading role in ESG within its niche in the aviation industry. We also believe it is our task to encourage and support the rest of our ecosystem to implement ambitious ESG goals. TCR is a strong advocate for greenification of airport equipment and for fleet reduction initiatives through pooling and telematics,” said CEO Tom Bellekens.

“Over the last few years, Environment Social Governance (ESG) has become an increasingly important topic for organisations across the world. TCR is very proud to be a frontrunner in ESG, having started our ESG journey already more than 10 years ago. Our first official CSR report, and related initiatives, date back to 2012. TCR is a market leader in its sector and sees it as its responsibility to continue to take a leading role in ESG within its niche in the aviation industry. During the COVID crisis, the aviation industry and TCR went through tough times in terms of overall business and financials. Notwithstanding this, TCR took benefit of this period to further accelerate its ESG journey. We further fine-tuned our strategy, making sure to focus on those areas that matter most and on which we can have significant impact as an organisation. This is what led to the creation of our "3×3 Strategy for Sustainability" in March 2020.”

He added: “Apart from an important internal focus for continuous improvement, we also see it as our task to encourage and support the rest of our eco-system to implement ambitious ESG goals. TCR is a strong advocate for greenification of airport equipment and for fleet reduction initiatives through pooling and telematics. This is what our society at large expects from the aviation industry, for very valid reasons. Through this report we hope to not only give a good overview of our ambitious ESG initiatives, but also to inspire the rest of the eco-system to fiercely pursue our common ESG goals.

The full report can be found at its website: www.tcr-group.com

Posted date

Wed, 19/04/2023 - 12:00

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TCR, a global provider of GSE Solutions, has released its 2023 Sustainability Report.

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