Middle East Airlines

Air Arabia pilot’s crazy takeoff mistake

Air Arabia A6-AOD Airbus A320.

Air Arabia is a low cost airline based out of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates. The airline operates a fleet of 41 Airbus A320 aircraft. It operates flights to 14 destinations in India including Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Delhi and more. The Aviation Herald has published an article on what happened to an Air Arabia flight G9-111 that was departing …

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Qatar Airways upgrades first and business class on-board dining

Qatar Airways upgrades first and business class on-board dining

Oneworld member, Qatar Airways is upgrading its on-board dining for its business and first class passengers, initially on its European routes. The new concepts include newly-designed tableware, in-flight dining menus, cutlery and china. I am impressed that Qatar will place mini condiment grinders for fresh ground black pepper and Himalayan pink salt on the passengers’ tables. The airline has increased …

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Qatar invests in private jet company JetSuite

JetSuite Phenom 100. JetSuite Image.

Middle eastern carrier Qatar Airways has announced an investment for a minority stake American private aviation company JetSuite and indirectly into JetSuite X the companies scheduled regional service. Qatar is the second airline to invest in the company after JetBlue. Qatar has been investing in foreign airlines over the past few years, they have a 20% stake in IAG (British …

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Airbus delivers first A350-1000 to Qatar Airways

Middle eastern carrier Qatar airways has taken delivery of it’s first Airbus A350-1000. The airline which was the launch customer of the A350 is also the first to operate the new type. The aircraft’s first flight will be to London Heathrow this weekend. The -1000’s will soon be deployed to the US east coast. The aircraft MSN 88 will be …

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Emirates offers a new non-stop Dubai Newark flight. Goes daily to Florida

Emirates Boeing 777-300ER A6-ENN.

Dubai-based Emirates airline will start a new non-stop daily service between Dubai and Newark (EWR) effective June 1. 2018. The new flight will complement the existing daily flight which operates via Athens, Greece. Emirates will use a three class cabin Boeing 777-300ER, offering eight suites in first class, 42 flat-bed seats in business, and 306 bone-crunching narrow seats in economy …

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Airbus A380 rescue. Emirates orders 36 additional superjumbos for $16B

Emirates_A380-800 A6-EDF arrives at London.

The struggling Airbus A380 superjumbo program was just handed a lifeline by its largest operator, Dubai-based Emirates Airline. The Gulf behemoth has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to acquire up to 36 additional A380 aircraft. The firm commitment is for 20 A380s with options for an 16. Deliveries are scheduled to start in 2020. From the first A380 delivery …

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Inflight Review: Qatar Airways: Business: 777-300ER: Doha – Bangalore

Qatar Airways A7-BAC Boeing 777-300ER.

After getting off my last flight from Dallas (Read the review here.), I quickly went through security at Doha and headed to the Al Mourjan Business Lounge. I’ve written about this lounge before so I will not write about it again. I left the lounge late since I was stuck on a call over the lounge wi-fi and didn’t want …

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Inflight Review: Qatar Airways: Business: A350-900: Dallas – Doha

The center table - during the flight there is also a bottle of champagne and some flutes placed here.

On my trip back from the US, I was originally booked to fly with Etihad. However the lack luster experience I had with them on my last flight and the horrible response from the customer care, I changed my booking onto Qatar airways. The middle east ban seems to have had an positive (for passengers) effect on Qatar’s award availability …

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Lounge Review: Qatar Airways lounge at Dallas-Fort Worth

While I was flying back from Dallas, I had the opportunity to use Qatar airway’s lounge at The Club at Dallas-Fort worth airport. The club at Dallas airport is the lounge used by all the airlines – however it is not a lounge by itself – Its a a series of mini lounges where each airline has it’s own lounge. …

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Emirates orders 40 Boeing 787’s

The Boeing 787-10 rolled out at Boeing South Carolina. Boeing Image.

American airframer Boeing and middle-eastern carrier Emirates have announced a $15.1 billion deal to purchase 40 787-10 Dreamliners and related equipment at the opening day of the 2017 Dubai Airshow. The airline previously had an order for 70 Airbus A350’s which it cancelled in 2014. This order for 787’s will likely be used to replace some of Emirates’ older 777’s …

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Analysis: Qatar buys 9.61% of Cathay Pacific for $662 million for China foothold

After being rebuffed in its attempt to buy a stake in US carrier and fellow oneworld member, American Airlines Group, national carrier Qatar Airways Q.C.S.C. has bought a 9.61% stake in another fellow oneworld carrier Cathay Pacific Airways Limited. Qatar Airways bought 378,188,000 shares of Cathay Pacific from Kingboard Chemical Holdings and its allied companies for HK$5.2 billion (approximately US$662 …

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Etihad Airways to suspend Abu Dhabi Dallas-Fort Worth flights

Etihad Airways Boeing 777-300ER A6-ETK London Heathrow

Etihad Airways will suspend its Abu Dhabi – Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) flight effective March 25 2018 which be the end of the Winter schedule. The national airline of the United Arab Emirates claimed the route will become commercially unsustainable following American Airlines’ unilateral decision to terminate its codeshare agreement with Etihad. American Airlines had on June 29th, served notice to …

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Qatar Airways and Vistara sign interline agreement

Qatar Airways A7-BAC Boeing 777-300ER.

Flag carrier Qatar Airways entered into a new interline partnership with the Tata-Singapore Airlines Vistara effective today. The agreement allows passengers of each airline to travel seamlessly under a single ticket on the other’s network via Indian gateways where both airlines operate to. The baggage allowances of the passengers will be as per the issuing airline’s rules. Qatar Airways operates …

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Lounge Review: Etihad Lounge London Heathrow

This is the first in a three part article of my trip from London to Bangalore My trip with Etihad from London began badly. Knowing that I would be traveling with two large bags and a hand carry, I had requested the Etihad call center for a minivan or something similar which could accommodate all the luggage. A day before …

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Etihad Airways eliminates free chauffeur service for premium passengers

Etihad Chauffeur Service

Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways is eliminating its complimentary chauffeur service for its business and first class passengers at all its international destinations. A paid option “at specially negotiated rates” will replace the free service. Economy class passengers can also avail the new paid service, and Etihad Guest members will accrue frequent flier points. The cutback is part of a series …

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Qatar Airways: Operations largely unaffected by middle east ban

Qatar Airways A7-BAC Boeing 777-300ER.

Middle eastern carrier Qatar Airways has stated that operations out of it’s Doha hub are largely unaffected by the gulf ban with the vast majority of flights operating as scheduled. The airline has flown approximately 1,200 flights between Doha and its network in the past week and has said that 90 per cent of those flights departed within 15 minutes …

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Doha ATC and Qatar Airways overcome Arabian airspace restrictions

Qatar Airways Airbus A340-600.

One has to tip their hat to both the air traffic control at Doha as well as Qatar Airways for handling the airspace restrictions imposed by their immediate neighbours Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Egypt and Yemen in the wake of the cessation of diplomatic relations between these countries and Qatar. As their screen shots from FlightRadar24 …

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Emirates, flydubai, Etihad suspend Doha flights amidst middle-east diplomatic row

Gulf area map courtesy NOAA.

Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Yemen, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have severed diplomatic relations with the tiny peninsular state of Qatar claiming the latter’s support of terrorism. The four nations have cut all land, sea and air contacts too. Qatar, which boasts the highest per capita income in the world, shares its sole land border with Saudi Arabia which …

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Etihad speeds James Hogan’s exit. Ray Gammell is interim Group CEO

Etihad Airways Airbus A320 A6-EIC at Kempegowda Airport, Bangalore

Ray Gammell has assumed full management responsibilities as the new interim Group CEO of The Etihad Aviation Group (EAG). Current President and Group CEO James Hogan, will formally leave the company on July 1, 2017. Gammell was the Group’s Chief People & Performance Officer. In parallel Ricky Thirion the current SVP Group Treasurer, takes over full responsibilities of the Group …

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Inflight review: Emirates Economy: 777-300ER: Bangalore – Dubai

This review was contributed by BangaloreAviation reader Prathik N.P. Pre-Flight Tickets for this journey were booked exactly two months in advance. Emirates offered incredible fares for a round trip. Indigo and Etihad were also considered which were costlier by about 20% and 50% respectively. Considering the convenient flight times (both ways) and the cost, tickets were booked in a jiffy. …

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