Aviation Lease And Finance Company (ALAFCO), the Kuwait-based international aircraft leasing company, announced in a press release on Tuesday that it has finalized a purchase order for 35 A320neo Family aircraft bringing its total backlog for the type to 85. The firm contract is an increase of the previous agreement signed at the 2011 Dubai Airshow for 50 A320neo aircraft. "After a full analysis, we concluded that the A320neo will continue to be in strong demand, therefore, we are seizing the opportunity to secure an additional 35 aircraft to meet"...

Low-cost carrier flydubai has welcomed moves by Saudi authorities to open up the domestic market to foreign airlines but has remained silent on whether it plans to bid for a licence.

“The announcement that Saudi Arabia is opening up domestic operations to international carriers is positive news for the region. Providing passengers with more flight options will also encourage them to travel more often, benefiting the aviation industry in the GCC,” a flydubai spokesperson told Arabian Business.

The Dubai-based low cost carrier announced last week it had increased its coverage...

The 2011 report showed that the airline operated at a high on-time performance of 95% during the year, making it once again one of the most punctual airlines in the Middle East.

The today-issued report, based on data from Kuwait's Directorate General for Civil Aviation (DGCA), also showed that Jazeera Airways was the leading airline on the Alexandria, Luxor, Aleppo, Assiut, Sharm El Sheikh, Sohag, Deir Ezzor and Damascus routes.

Jazeera Airways captured the largest market share on routes operated between Kuwait and five Egyptian cities, grabbing a 38% market share on the Kuwait-Alexandria...

Online Raffles are an additional redemption option for Sindbad members who can now spend their Miles for raffle tickets in addition to Flight tickets and Upgrade Rewards.

Wayne Pearce, Oman Air's Chief Executive Officer, said: "With the huge success of our inaugural online Raffle, we are delighted to announce a greater and finer second Raffle. We have associated with the exclusive Park Hyatt Zurich, a luxurious 5-star boutique Hotel with views overlooking picturesque Zurich. All Sindbad Members can participate in this Raffle by visiting sindbad.omanair.com and buying Raffle tickets online...

Emirates celebrated its first full year of operations to Basra today, marking the occasion with a celebratory cake for the station’s employees.

Since the operation began on 2nd February 2011 Emirates has operated over 400 flights between Dubai and Basra, flying thousands of passengers on the route.

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"Emirates' complimentary Chauffeur-drive service is one of the many ways we extend our exceptional service in the air, to the ground. With the update of our fleet to luxury cars, we endeavour to not only provide convenience and ease of transfer but also a relaxing, stress-free way for our First Class customers to begin or end their journey," said Mohammed H. Mattar, Divisional Senior Vice President, Emirates Airport Services.

Emirates offers chauffeur-driven airport transfers to both its First Class and Business Class passengers across 45 destinations - the current fleet of Volvo cars...

Total passenger traffic, including transit and transfer passengers, through Muscat International Airport increased by 13 per cent to 6,479,860 passengers for the period ending December 2011, compared to 5,751,516 passengers for the same period of 2010.

Statistics from the Air Transport Department at the Civil Aviation Affairs at the Transport and Communications Ministry show passenger arrival rose 15 per cent, to 3,276,650, for the period ending December 2011, compared to 2,840,906 passengers for the same period of 2010. The number of departing passengers increased by 12 per cent...

Bahrain was the first export customer for the UH-60M Black Hawk, currently the most advanced variant in the UH-60/S-70 family, and is proudly displaying one of its new helicopters at BIAS.

Sikorsky Aircraft has manufactured the UH-60 Army Black Hawk since 1978, and the UH-60M originated as an upgrade configuration for the US Army’s fleet of UH-60A, UH-60L and medevac UH-60Q aircraft.

In the end, the US Army revised its acquisition strategy for the UH-60M so that it will now procure new-build UH-60M helicopters in lieu of upgrading 1217 UH-60A and L aircraft, and building a much...