Dynamic way to clear the training backlog
One problem facing everyone as coronavirus restrictions are lifted is operational currency for all aircrew – keeping vital skills up-to-date.
Features
in Training / Features On-The-Job learning a big plus for GCAS students
Posted 12 November 2020
Set on the apron of Al Bateen Executive Airport in Abu Dhabi, the Gulf Centre for Aviation Studies (GCAS) offers a portfolio of more than 300 courses.
in Maintenance / Features MROs: What will be the new normal?
Posted 11 November 2020
A ‘new normal’ for maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) is inevitable in the aftermath of Covid-19, but what exactly does that mean?
in Training / Features University challenge to grow the aviation industry
Posted 10 November 2020
The University of South Wales (USW) Dubai offers recognised British bachelor and masters courses in aerospace engineering, and multi-accredited postgraduate courses in aerospace engineering, business and management, and cyber
in Training / Features Spatial uses pandemic to catch up on orders
Posted 5 November 2020
Cabin crew training simulator manufacturer, Spatial, has been busy working through the Covid-19 pandemic with its ‘large’ order backlog.
in Training / Features Crews control for Alpha's cadets...
Posted 4 November 2020
Launched in 2008, Alpha Aviation Group is one of the largest and most-recognised providers of multi-crew pilot licences (MPLs) in the world.
in Training / Features Schools maintain Jordan's three spirit
Posted 3 November 2020
Flight-training is well established in Jordan with three schools for potential aviation professionals – the Royal Jordanian Air Academy (RJAA), Jordan Airline Training & Simulation (JATS), and MidEast Aviation Academy.
in Training / Features Wide-ranging return for L3Harris
Posted 2 November 2020
For a huge company like L3Harris with so many areas of business, picking up when Covid-19 restrictions ease will be complicated.
in Training / Features GAA’s decade of success… with much more to come
Posted 30 October 2020
Originally part of Gulf Air, when Gulf Aviation Academy (GAA) launched as an independent aviation training facility in 2010, it became the first European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) approved training organisation (ATO) outside
in Training / Features Pioneer keeps ESAT and AFA on the cutting edge
Posted 27 October 2020
Tunisia’s high-level training institutes are constantly updating their programmes to adjust to the growing need of the aeronautics sector.
in Training / Features Extra simulator set to ease pressure on PSAA
Posted 26 October 2020
The Prince Sultan Aviation Academy in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, evolved from the Saudia Pilot Training Institute, which opened in 1959.
in Air Transport / Features / Airports / People How outsourcing can help save the air transport sector
Posted 25 October 2020
Peter Mohring, Managing Director of Transport, Serco Middle East, explores why it has never been timelier for the air transport sector to embrace outsourcing to help with post pandemic recovery.
in Training / Features Big ambitions for Saudi’s Tayaran
Posted 23 October 2020
It’s a little over a year since the National Aviation Academy of Saudi Arabia, also known as Tayaran, had its inauguration at its King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC) HQ.
in Training / Features Good pilot prospects on the Horizon
Posted 22 October 2020
Part of the Edge group, Horizon is the region’s largest independent helicopter flight-training academy.
in Technology / Features Industry sees the light on protection
Posted 21 October 2020
Technology has a key part to play in the airline industry’s fight to win passengers back in a post Covid-19 environment.
in Training / Features Rabigh Wings to reopen with improvements to virtual capabilities
Posted 20 October 2020
Saudi Arabia's Rabigh Wings expecting to reopen and be fully operational.
in Training / Features OxfordSaudia links up with US university
Posted 15 October 2020
OxfordSaudia Flight Academy has launched an initiative for its pilot graduates to go on to a degree course with the renowned Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in the US.
in Training / Features EgyptAir ready to restart with new simulators
Posted 12 October 2020
EgyptAir Training Academy is poised to restart training and has been busy with brand new full-flight simulators.
in Features / Airports Big changes on the way in the post-Covid world
Posted 9 October 2020
As the airline industry begins to emerge from its Covid-19 hibernation, airports are going to be very different places for the foreseeable future.
in Training / Features EAT so hungry for success
Posted 6 October 2020
In 2014, Etihad Airways purchased the fixed-wing section of Horizon Flight Academy and, after re-launching and rebranding, Etihad Aviation Training (EAT) became the first European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) approved training organisation (ATO) in the UAE.
in Training / Features MROs focus on the engineers of tomorrow
Posted 1 October 2020
The worldwide shortage of aircraft engineers and technicians is still apparent, despite the reduction of flight hours during the pandemic.
in Training / Features Opening the door to the future
Posted 29 September 2020
Two years after it first opened, Emirates Flight Training Academy (EFTA) at Dubai South is looking forward to reopening when given the go-ahead.
in Business Aviation / Features A healthy outlook
Posted 28 September 2020
Business aviation is beginning to recover from the carnage caused by Covid-19.
in Defence / Features Defence battles on
Posted 25 September 2020
Military aviation in the MENA area has not been entirely unaffected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
in Defence / Features Phantom wing finally re-equipped with F-16s
Posted 23 July 2020
Egyptian and US military officers gathered at the formal re-opening of the fighter brigade at Cairo West Airport, which now operates the Block 52 F-16C/D.
in Features Propelling aircraft into the green age
Posted 20 July 2020
Rolls-Royce is developing amazing new engine technology to help make aviation greener and more efficient for the future. Steve Nichols has been finding out more.
in Defence / Features Egyptian fighters demonstrate buddy refuelling capabilities
Posted 16 July 2020
Egyptian Air Force Dassault Rafale and MIG-29M/M2 fighter aircraft conducted buddy-buddy aerial refuelling during the recent Qader-2020 military exercise.
in Business Aviation / Features Medevac ‘first’ for HondaJet
Posted 13 July 2020
What are the important considerations for an aircraft configured for medevac or air ambulance operations? Speed, certainly, but also a quiet cabin to reduce fatigue for both patient and medical staff – and that’s a key advantage of the innovative HondaJet’s
in Air Transport / Features Why a holiday company took a trip into the unknown
Posted 9 July 2020
Jordan has always been a tough location in which to operate. One young airline fighting to make its mark in the local market is Fly Jordan Airlines.
in Maintenance / Features MRO faces up to the ‘perfect storm’
Posted 3 July 2020
The MRO industry is braced for major fall-out from the global pandemic crisis. Will independents be able to weather this perfect storm? Chuck Grieve searches for answers.
in Defence / Features First Saudi F-15SR conversion flies
Posted 30 June 2020
Alsalam Aerospace Industries (AAI) has completed the first in-country conversion of an F-15S (Saudi) aircraft to F-15SA (Saudi advanced) standard, writes Jon Lake.
in Business Aviation / Features Saudi investment company making the sparks fly
Posted 26 June 2020
A Saudi investment company is backing one of the new crop of electric aircraft designs aimed at bringing pollution-free flight to the public.
in Air Transport / Features Weighed down under the weight of restructuring
Posted 24 June 2020
Three years after taking on the top job at Tunisair, Ilyes Mnakbi tells Martin Rivers the flag-carrier is still struggling to turn the corner.
in Features / Airports A new lounge… but no time to relax for Premium Plaza boss
Posted 19 June 2020
The latest Premium Plaza Lounge opened in Dubai International Airport Terminal 3 in January. The 1,260sqm facility is the third in the UAE, joining two at Abu Dhabi International.
in Defence / Features Leading Edge
Posted 17 June 2020
Since its launch in November last year, advanced defence technology group, Edge, has maintained a high profile. A major sponsor at the Dubai Airshow, the group has taken part in a number of defence, aviation and recruitment events in the region. Jill Stockbridge spoke to CEO and
in Business Aviation / Features Going to ground in Turkey
Posted 15 June 2020
Universal Aviation, the ground support division of Universal Weather and Aviation, has expanded its network in Turkey. Dave Calderwood reports.
in Air Transport / Training / Features / People BLOG: Flying without wings
Posted 15 June 2020
Dubai-based A320 pilot Tom Peaford looks at the changing world for airline pilots and manages expectations.
in Air Transport / Features Silver lining shines through the fog of war
Posted 12 June 2020
Like all Libyan carriers, Afriqiyah Airways is in a seemingly endless fight for survival. But chairman, Mustafa Maatug, tells Martin Rivers he’s full of hope for the future.
in Defence / Features Massive boost for Moroccan armed forces
Posted 11 June 2020
Morocco’s 2020 finance bill will increase in the kingdom’s national defense budget by 29% in 2020, allocating 45.438 billion Moroccan Dirham (MAD) (US $4.728 billion).
in Features / People Mind the gap… stark warning as next-gen talent goes missing
Posted 9 June 2020
Noureddine Mouaddib, founder and president of Rabat International University, made an appeal to tackle challenges regarding human resource development in aviation at a conference in Marrakesh, Morocco. Vincent Chappard
in Air Transport / Features A brand new way forward for FlyEgypt
Posted 8 June 2020
New domestic services, new branding and – hopefully – new aircraft will make this a significant year for FlyEgypt, its CEO tells Alan Dron.
in Maintenance / Features Access points...
Posted 5 June 2020
Engineering access equipment is the basic, yet essential, ingredient of any MRO operation. Though much of it is low tech, these pieces of equipment are anything but out of date in their conception and specification. Chuck Grieve reports.
in Features / Airports Why bigger may not be better
Posted 4 June 2020
The future for air transport? Perhaps a very different format from today’s that will require joined-up thinking from politicians, airports and airlines, suggests Dubai Airports’ CEO, Paul Griffiths. Alan Dron reports.
in Business Aviation / Features Muhiddin's taste for the big AMAC
Posted 3 June 2020
Swiss-based AMAC Aerospace is bolstering its presence in the MENA region. Vincent Chappard talked to group executive chairman and CEO, Kadri Muhiddin, to find out more.
in Air Transport / Features How Yemenia flies in the face of war
Posted 2 June 2020
For four years, Yemen Airways has attempted to keep services running during the country’s civil war. The company’s chairman, Ahmed Masood Alwani, explains how.
in Features Heroes of zero cook up a recipe to reduce waste
Posted 1 June 2020
Zero waste is a philosophy that’s encouraging people to recycle and re-use. Airlines in the Middle East have taken initiatives to slash waste and the use of plastic on board aircraft. Anuradha Deenapanray and Vincent Chappard report.
in Defence / Features $9.9 million pod spares for Saudi Arabia
Posted 29 May 2020
The US Defense Department has announced the award of a $9.9 million foreign military sales (FMS) contract to Collins Aerospace – a subsidiary of the United Technologies Corporation – for the “purchase of a necessary additional quantity” of parts
in Technology / Features Awakening the digital sleepers
Posted 27 May 2020
Product lifecycle management (PLM) is more important now than ever as complexity in products and processes skyrockets and digitalisation becomes the norm. Chuck Grieve looks at some approaches to this challenge.
in Business Aviation / Features Longitude in a world of its own
Posted 26 May 2020
Textron Aviation has started deliveries of its long-awaited Cessna Longitude business jet, writes Dave Calderwood.
in Defence / Features A game of high spy - with Project Dolphin
Posted 22 May 2020
The UAE has been quietly overhauling and improving its intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities for some years. Jon Lake looks at the latest situation.
in Business & Finance / Features A huge new lease of life for DAE
Posted 21 May 2020
Dubai-based lessor, DAE, has almost doubled the value of its portfolio of managed aircraft, following a deal with a major financial institution. Alan Dron reports.
in Business Aviation / Features Swiss roll out PC12 revamp
Posted 20 May 2020
Swiss manufacturer, Pilatus Aircraft, has revealed a thoroughly updated version of its long-running single-engine turboprop with the third-generation PC-12 NGX recently announced. Dave Calderwood reports.
in Defence / Features Aussies pitch in to fight the terror threat
Posted 19 May 2020
Australia has been heavily involved in combatting the recent terrorist threats in the Middle East. Dave Oliver has been finding out more.
in Air Transport / Features Kuwait at the crossroads
Posted 18 May 2020
Kuwait Airways is undergoing a second major wave of aircraft replacements and looking at ways to handle its increasing passenger numbers. Alan Dron reports.
in Features Reducing risk brings its rewards for Bakr
Posted 15 May 2020
International SOS company, MedAire, which specialises in medical and travel security services to aviation and maritime clients, recently appointed Hany Bakr to the newly created role of security director for Europe, Middle East & Africa
in Features / Airports When your face is your passport to faster travel
Posted 13 May 2020
Passports and other documentation are set to become things of the past for Emirates Airline passengers travelling between Dubai and the US, with the arrival of biometric boarding systems. Alan Dron reports.
in Business Aviation / Features The SKY’s the limit for Carthage's planned FBO
Posted 12 May 2020
Montasser Channoufi, founder and CEO of Carthage SKY Services, plans to launch a fixed-base operation in Tunisia this year. He told Vincent Chappard that the high-standard services provided will serve the country’s growing business
in Defence / Features Tactical Texans fit Tunisia to a T
Posted 11 May 2020
The US State Department has approved a possible $234 million foreign military sale (FMS) of 12 Textron Aviation Beechcraft T-6C Texan II trainers to Tunisia. Jon Lake reports.
in Technology / Features Thales unveils “game-changing” flight management system
Posted 7 May 2020
Thales has unveiled its new PureFlyt flight management system (FMS), which will be available from 2024 and promises enhanced safety and efficiency in the cockpit. Steve Nichols reports.
in Maintenance / Features ‘Perfect storm’ clouds the engine aftermarket
Posted 6 May 2020
The engine aftermarket is proving to be a moveable feast as numerous factors – some predictable, others not – converge. Chuck Grieve reports.
in Defence / Features World-class start-up gives UAE nationals the Edge...
Posted 5 May 2020
Edge, a new UAE-based defence and technology company, launched in Abu Dhabi on November 5 with a suitably explosive, high-tech and high-profile reveal. Jill Stockbridge reports.
in Air Transport / Features Progressive Jaz...
Posted 4 May 2020
Kuwaiti hybrid carrier, Jazeera Airways, foresees a list of potential new long-haul destinations in the coming years as it takes delivery of Airbus A320neos. Alan Dron found out more from CEO, Rohit Ramachandran.
in Features / Airports Expansion programme takes Qatar to a HIA level
Posted 1 May 2020
Qatar’s Hamad International Airport has unveiled plans for its Phase II expansion programme, designed to boost the airport’s capacity to more than 50 million passengers annually. Alan Dron reports.
in General Aviation / Features Game-changing 525 rising above the early tragedy
Posted 30 April 2020
Seven years after Bell Helicopter announced it was developing a brand new, clean-sheet design ‘super medium’ twin-engine helicopter, complete with a sophisticated fly-by-wire system, the company is now sparing no effort to get the 525
in Business Aviation / Features Eclectic G700 heads for Qatar
Posted 29 April 2020
Qatar Executive was named launch customer as Gulfstream Aerospace unveiled its new flagship private jet, the G700, calling it “the most spacious, best-performing aircraft in the business-jet industry”. Dave Calderwood reports.
in Defence / Features New aircraft… now the race is on to train enough people
Posted 28 April 2020
Alan Warnes looks at air forces throughout the Middle East and explains why personnel training has now become an urgent priority for many of them.
in Air Transport / Features Jonaid's private thoughts
Posted 27 April 2020
SaudiGulf Airlines chief executive, Abdulmohsen Jonaid, tells Martin Rivers that the boutique carrier is laying the foundations for a bigger, brighter future.
in Features The A to Z of Tunisia's rapid rise in aerospace
Posted 24 April 2020
Over the past decade, Tunisia has continued to build a solid, recognised and sustainable aeronautical industry. The leaders of the Tunisian Aeronautics and Space Industries Group – GITAS – have been explaining to Vincent Chappard some of
in Maintenance / Features SAMI in $5 billion MRO venture
Posted 23 April 2020
Saudi Arabia is to fund a new aircraft repairing and maintaining facility at an abandoned air base in Bangladesh. Jon Lake reports.
in Aircraft Interiors / Features Window on infinity
Posted 22 April 2020
An extraordinary interior, combining Italian design flair and Swiss completion, has raised the bar for VVIP aircraft and prompted Chuck Grieve to ask: “Is anything now possible?”
in Space / Features Ka sets the pace for connectivity revolution
Posted 21 April 2020
Inmarsat is planning the expansion of its GX Aviation Ka-band in-flight connectivity service with a raft of new satellites. Steve Nichols reports.
in Maintenance / Features Spares one click away
Posted 16 April 2020
The way spares and replacements are located and procured has been transformed by digital technology, with online marketplaces making life easier for buyers and suppliers, writes Chuck Grieve.
in Features How to build the perfect pricing plan
Posted 15 April 2020
How can airlines balance economic and operational realities with the need to offer attractive fares to each customer on every service? Last November Harald Eisenaecher, chief commercial officer at Infare, suggested some key strategies.
in Maintenance / Features Why older means new business for VD Gulf
Posted 14 April 2020
Older airliners are staying in service longer than anticipated, which, as Alan Dron reports, is good news for maintenance companies such as Sharjah-based VD Gulf.
in Defence / Features The smart Phoon
Posted 9 April 2020
Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft for Kuwait and Qatar will incorporate an advanced active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar that is claimed to be the most advanced in the world. Jon Lake reports.
in Maintenance / Features Speed merchants
Posted 8 April 2020
Few scenarios are more time-sensitive than aircraft on the ground (AOG) situations, and it has given rise to ultra-fast delivery of spares. Chuck Grieve looks at how leading players meet the demand.
in Defence / Features New squadron is Rafale prize for Qatar
Posted 7 April 2020
The Qatar Emiri Air Force has now received three batches of Dassault Rafales, totalling 15 aircraft, and the first squadron is working up at the new Tamim Air Base at Dukhan in western Qatar. Jon Lake reports.
in Training / Features Wings in full swing
Posted 6 April 2020
Saudi Arabia’s first aviation academy – Rabigh Wings – sees a bright future for aviation in the kingdom from both private to professional pilots, and is upgrading its fleet. Dave Calderwood found out more from general manager, Willem Marais.
in Defence / Features Jordan aims to balance books with aircraft sale
Posted 3 April 2020
Jordan is holding something of a super sale of military aircraft that are surplus to its current requirements. David Oliver reports.
in Defence / Features Pillar Hawk
Posted 31 March 2020
Locally-assembled BAE Hawks have become the first new Saudi-built fast jet aircraft to fly in home skies, marking a significant step forward for the kingdom’s aerospace industry. Jon Lake reports.
in Features / Airports Moroccan airports on course to hit new heights
Posted 26 March 2020
As part of its srategy to increase international and regional capacity, The Moroccan Airports Authority (ONDA) has carried out major infrastructure projects, including the extension of Terminal 1 at Casablanca International Airport and
in Defence / Features Saudi refines security after drone attacks
Posted 25 March 2020
Saudi Arabia’s northern oil refinery in Abqaiq and the Khurais oil field were the subject of a dramatic drone attack on September 14. Alan Warnes reports.
in Features Why emergency flights must be allowed to go ahead to help combat the COVID-19 crisis
Posted 24 March 2020
As we face a wall of blanket travel bans, why emergency flights must be allowed to go ahead to help combat the COVID-19 crisis, by By Mark Briffa, CEO of Air Partner plc.
in Air Transport / Features Gulf Air makes the French connection
Posted 23 March 2020
Gulf Air is increasingly looking towards France as it continues a modernisation process. Steve Nichols reports.
in Defence / Features Libya’s deadly game of drones
Posted 19 March 2020
The war in Libya has international backers on opposing sides supporting their own interests. In the first conflict where unmanned aerial systems (UAS) are making up the bulk of the air operations, both sides have successfully attacked opposition aircraft.
in Business Aviation / Features Talent supply chain the key to future sustainability
Posted 16 March 2020
Industry leaders converged on Morocco for the Middle East and North Africa Business Aviation Association (MEBAA) conference and show at Marrakech Menara Airport in late September. Vincent Chappard was there.
in Defence / Features Dawn of the Red Sky
Posted 13 March 2020
Major ideology differences with Iran, simmering tension with Turkey in Libya, ongoing war in Yemen, disagreements between Qatar and other GCC members, and the ongoing fight against terrorism, means tension is never far away in the MENA region. Now a new private consortium
in Air Transport / Features MAX impact
Posted 12 March 2020
Low-cost carrier, Flydubai, looks to the future as it operates against the backdrop of the grounding of the Boeing 737MAX. Alan Dron reports.
in Aircraft Interiors / Features Saudi Arabia presses ahead with A2G connectivity
Posted 11 March 2020
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is expected to release more details about its air-to-ground (A2G) in-flight connectivity roll-out before the end of the year, following on from an initial pilot project that was announced in October 2018.
in Maintenance / Features Joramco maintains its drive into Europe
Posted 10 March 2020
Joramco is going places. Its transformation from a regional maintenance, repair and overhaul operation to a global player with world-class standards – a work in progress – shows what’s possible with the right vision, strategy and approach. Chief
in Training / Features Partnership moves PSAA into a different class
Posted 9 March 2020
One of Saudi Arabia’s biggest aviation training establishments has taken a significant step forward in its development by becoming an IATA regional training partner. Alan Dron reports.
in Features / Airports Neom rises from the sands to tempt holidaymakers
Posted 6 March 2020
Saudi Arabia’s ‘vision 2030’ plan for the country’s future development is contributing to the growth of new airports, such as Neom Bay. Alan Dron reports.
in General Aviation / Features Check mates
Posted 5 March 2020
The international airports in the Middle East are some of the busiest in the world. They are also equipped with the most sophisticated navigation aids that have to remain operational 24/7 – but they also need to be totally accurate. David Oliver finds out more.
in Business Aviation / Features Dubai's aerospace hub starts to make some noise
Posted 4 March 2020
A change of thinking on the future development of Dubai World Central, the intended world hub for aviation, has stepped up interest in the aviation district – now renamed the Mohammad bin Rashid Aerospace Hub. Dave Calderwood reports.
in Defence / Features Saudi light transport plans still in the dark
Posted 3 March 2020
The Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) plans for a new light transport aircraft are still very much up in the air. Jon Lake looks at the issues.
in Air Transport / Features Maroc climbing
Posted 2 March 2020
Abdelhamid Addou, Royal Air Maroc chairman and CEO, wants to accelerate the national airline’s development to turn it into a continental leader. Vincent Chappard reports.
in Training / Features Teching a step forward
Posted 28 February 2020
A fast-growing Saudi aerospace company has teamed up with a German maintenance specialist to create a school for aviation technicians. Alan Dron reports.
in Features / Airports Hamad's smart way to become the airport of the future
Posted 27 February 2020
Doha’s Hamad International Airport is pressing ahead with initiatives to improve its services – including a project that transforms a passenger’s face into their identity card through the facility. Alan Dron reports.
in Business Aviation / Features Airbus targets corporate jets neo boost in the region
Posted 24 February 2020
Airbus Corporate Jets (ACJ) is looking for an upsurge in sales, especially the Middle East, as its new engine option (neo) aircraft – particularly the ACJ320neo family – start to enter into service. Dave Calderwood reports.
in Defence / Features Hercules still has the power
Posted 13 February 2020 · 1 Comment
Deserts, war and the vastness of many countries in the Middle East and north Africa, ensure there will always be a need for military tactical airlifters. Alan Warnes has been looking round the MENA region.
