مطار القاهرة ٌستقبل أول فوج «ترانزٌت» لمعتمرٌن من دولة الجزائر إنجً خلٌفة
انطلقت الٌوم أولى رحالت العمرة للشركة الوطنٌة مصر للطٌران قادمة من الجزائر الشقٌق وعلى متنها 6٠معتمرا. وصل المعتمرون الجزائرٌٌن من الجزائر ترانزٌت إلى مطار القاهرة ومنها على أولى رحالت مصر للطٌران لالفتتاح موسم العمرة الحالى إلى مطار الملك عبد العزٌز الدولً بجدة. كانت أصدرت وزارة السٌاحة فً أغسطس الماضً ،الضوابط الخاصة بتنفٌذ رحالت العمرة لموسم 1441هـ ،وحددت ضوابط العمرة اإلجراءات التنفٌذٌة الخاصة بالتعامل على بوابة العمرة المصرٌة التً وافق مجلس الوزراء على إنشائها من خالل وزارة السٌاحة. وتمنح وزارة السٌاحة الشركات السٌاحٌة اسم مستخدم وكلمة مرور للبوابة ،وتلتزم الشركات السٌاحٌة بوضع برامج العمرة التً تنظمها وتحمٌلها على البوابة. االدارة العامة للعالقات العامة والمراسم الشركة القابضة لمصر للطيران
زٌادة أعداد الركاب على متن رحالت "مصر للطٌران" محمود السعدى
صرح مصدر مسئول بمبنى الركاب رقم 3بمطار القاهرة الدولً ،بؤن رحالت شركة "مصر كبٌرا فً عملٌات اإلقالع والهبوط لكافة للطٌران" شهدت خالل الساعات الماضٌة انتظا ًما ً الرحالت الجوٌة الدولٌة والداخلٌة. وأضاف المصدر أن رحالت "مصر للطٌران" تشهد خالل اآلونة األخٌرة كثافة فً الحركة الركابٌة والجوٌة خاصة مع قرب بدء االحتفال بؤعٌاد الكرٌسماس وعٌد المٌالد المجٌد ،والذي ٌحرص فٌه آالف الوفود السٌاحٌة والمصرٌة على قضاء تلك المناسبات بٌن ذوٌهم بالقاهرة والمدن السٌاحٌة المصرٌة. وأشار المصدر إلى أن رحالت الشركة المتوجهة إلى المطارات ذات المقاصد السٌاحٌة تشهد حال ًٌا زٌادة فً األعداد الركابٌة والوفود السٌاحٌة ،خاصة فً ظل اعتدال الطقس. االدارة العامة للعالقات العامة والمراسم الشركة القابضة لمصر للطيران
"مصر للطٌران" تشارك فً بورصة السٌاحة WTM
شاركت مصر للطٌران ،بجناح خاص ،فً بورصة السٌاحة ،WTMأكبر المعارض السٌاحٌة على مستوى العالم ،المنعقدة فى لندن بدورته األربعٌن خالل الفترة من 4حتى 6نوفمبر . 2٠19 وٌشارك فً المعرض عدد كبٌر من العارضٌن من مختلف دول العالم وممثلى كبرى شركات السٌاحة و الطٌران العالمٌة ومنظمى الرحالت والعدٌد من الخبراء فى مجال السٌاحة والسفر ،وقد زار جناح مصر للطٌران الوفد المصرى برئاسة الدكتورة رانٌا المشاط وزٌرة السٌاحة والسفٌر المصرى بالمملكة المتحدة السفٌر طارق عادل . وكان فى استقبال زوار جناح مصر للطٌران بالمعرض سعٌد فكرى مدٌر مصر للطٌران بالمملكة المتحدة و فرٌق عمل المكتب . وتم عقد اجتماعات مع اهم وكالء السٌاحة والسفر من أجل الحصول على شرٌحة أكبر من السوق البرٌطانى للسفر الى مصر بصفة عامة وشرم الشٌخ بصفة خاصة بعد رفع الحظر للسفر إلى شرم الشٌخ ،و قد قامت مصر للطٌران بعرض أسعار تشجٌعٌة للسفر إلى شرم الشٌخ .
االدارة العامة للعالقات العامة والمراسم الشركة القابضة لمصر للطيران
طلب إحاطة بشؤن دور هٌئة تنشٌط السٌاحة فً روسٌا كتب -أحمد علً: تقدم النائب الدكتور إبراهٌم عبدالعزٌز حجازي ،عضو مجلس النواب عن دائرة مدن شرق القاهرة ،بطلب إحاطة عاجل إلى وزٌرة السٌاحة بخصوص دور هٌئة تنشٌط السٌاحة فى التروٌج للسٌاحة المصرٌة بدولة روسٌا االتحادٌة ،بعد رفع الحظر عن مطار القاهرة منذ ٌناٌر .2٠18 وقال "حجازي" فً طلب اإلحاطة :إننا نثمن النجاح الذى حققته وزٌرة السٌاحة فى تخطى حاجز عدد السائحٌن الوافدٌن لمصر 11 ملٌون سائح فى نهاٌة 2٠18متخطٌا أرقام ما قبل ثورة 2٠11فلها كل االحترام والتقدٌر على هذا اإلنجاز. وأوضح أن األرقام الرسمٌة من الحكومة المصرٌة تشٌر إلى أن عدد السائحٌن الوافدٌن من روسٌا االتحادٌة فً عام 2٠18بلغ 14٠ ألفا 642سائحا على الرغم من ان الرئٌس الروسى فالدٌمٌر بوتٌن أصدر مرسوما رئاسٌا باستثناء الطٌران إلى مطار القاهرة فى قراره السابق الصادر فى 5نوفمبر 2٠15بمنع الطٌران إلى كافة مطارات مصر باستثناء الرحالت الحكومٌة والرسمٌة ،كما أن عددا كبٌرا من هذا العدد الموضح عالٌه ( 14٠ألفا 642سائحا روسٌا) وفدوا إلى مصر عن طرٌق مطار إسطنبول من خالل شركة الخطوط التركٌة. وتابع :لالستفادة من تلك التعدٌل فى قرار الحظر فى 2٠18-1-22تقدمت مجموعة من شركات السٌاحة المصرٌة الخادمة للسوق الروسى بمذكرة إلى هشام الدمٌرى رئٌس هٌئة تنشٌط السٌاحة السابق توضح مقترح تلك الشركات لالستفادة من التعدٌل المعلن من الرئٌس الروسى بخصوص استثناء مطار القاهرة من الحظر المفروض على الطٌران من روسٌا الى كافة مطارات مصر ،وتضمنت تلك المذكرة مقترح االتفاق الموقع مع شركة مصر للطٌران بعرض سعر خاص للطٌران المباشر من موسكو إلى مصر عن طرٌق مطار القاهرة شامل تكلفة وصلة داخلٌة الى شرم او اى جهة سٌاحٌة اخرى تشجٌعا للسٌاحة المصرٌة الوافدة من روسٌا بعد رفع الحظر عن مطار القاهرة. وأضاف :ذلك الفكر اإلٌجابى له أكثر من مردود إٌجابى وهو تنشٌط السٌاحة الروسٌة الوافدة إلى مصر عن طرٌق مطار القاهرة استفادة من قرار االستثناء الصادر من الرئٌس الروسى ،وتنوٌع المقاصد السٌاحٌة داخل الجمهورٌة لتشمل القاهرة باإلضافة إلى أى جهة سٌاحٌة أخرى بمصر ٌرغب السائح زٌارتها مما ٌإدى إلى زٌادة عدد اللٌالى السٌاحٌة من السائح الروسى فى مصر ومحاولة االرتقاء بنوعٌة السائح الروسى من الناحٌة االجتماعٌة واالقتصادٌة. وقال إن هناك هدفا إٌجابٌا آخر وهو األمن القومً وٌتمثل فى إبعاد الخطوط التركٌة عن نقل السائح الروسى إلى المقاصد السٌاحٌة المصرٌة عن طرٌق مطار اسطنبول وتعظٌم فرص زٌادة مبٌعات شركة الخطوط الوطنٌة المصرٌة مصر للطٌران لنقل السائح الروسى إلى المقاصد السٌاحٌة بمصر عن طرٌق مطار القاهرة. واستطرد حجازى :طالبت مجموعة الشركات السٌاحٌة المصرٌة العاملة بالسوق الروسٌة فى تلك المذكرة هٌئة تنشٌط السٌاحة بالقٌام ببعض االنشطة التروٌجٌة المتواضعة داخل عدد من المدن الروسٌة للتروٌج عن تلك الفكرة بنقل السائح الروسى من مطار موسكو مباشرة إلى مطار القاهرة ومن ثم إلى احدى المقاصد السٌاحٌة االخرى داخل الجمهورٌة ،ولكن بكل أسف وحتى كتابة هذا الطلب فشلت محاوالت مجموعة الشركات السٌاحٌة المصرٌة فى الحصول على اٌة ردود من هٌئة تنشٌط السٌاحة على تلك المذكرة وتلك االتفاق الخاص مع شركة مصر للطٌران والمخصص للسٌاحة الوافدة من دولة روسٌا االتحادٌة. وطالب عضو مجلس النواب عن دائرة مدن شرق القاهرة ،وزٌرة السٌاحة باإلجابة عن أسباب عدم الرد على تلك المذكرة الجماعٌة من كبرى الشركات السٌاحٌة المصرٌة العاملة فى السوق الروسى ،على الرغم من احتوائها على العدٌد من االٌجابٌات التى لها المردود اإلٌجابً لٌس فقط على السٌاحة المصرٌة الوافدة من دولة روسٌا االتحادٌة والتى كان عدد السائحٌن الوافدٌن منها عام 2٠1٠تخطى حاجز 2.8ملٌون سائح وبنهاٌة عام 2٠18بلغ 14٠ألفا 642سائحا ،وهناك أٌضا المردود اإلٌجابً على أمن الوطن القومى من سحب البساط من الخطوط التركٌة عند قٌامها حالٌا بنقل عدد ال بؤس به من السائحٌن الروس عن طرٌق مطار إسطنبول مباشرة إلى المقاصد السٌاحٌة المصرٌة.
االدارة العامة للعالقات العامة والمراسم الشركة القابضة لمصر للطيران
فً اول مشاركة بؤسبوع الكوٌت ..طٌران الجزٌرة تكشف عن استثمارات جدٌدة بمصر على صالح -عدسة :صالح مهدي
أعربت رٌهام كامل مدٌر مبٌعات شركة الجزٌرة الكوٌتٌة للطٌران عن تقدٌرها للدور البارز والمتمٌز لمعرض األسبوع الكوٌتً الثانً عشر فً مصر ،والذي حقق نجاحا واسعا فً دورته الحالٌة وقالت رٌهام فً تصرٌحات لموقع "صدى البلد" ان ٌوم االسبوع الكوٌتً الثانً عشر ٌتزامن مع عٌد للشركة حٌث أعلنت شركة طٌران الجزٌرة أمس أن أرباحها الصافٌة بلغت 16.1ملٌون دٌنار فً األشهر التسعة االولى من 2٠19بزٌادة نسبتها 9٠.2% مقارنة بالفترة ذاتها من العام الماضً عندما حققت 8.5مالٌٌن دٌنار. واضافت مدٌرة المبٌعات بشركة الجزٌرة أن هذا تحقق بالفعل وشركة طٌران الجزٌرة نجحت فً فتح وجهات جدٌدة لها مإخرا فً لندن من الكوٌت وعدد من العواصم فً العالم وتابعت ان الشركة تفتتح مإخرا خط طٌران حصري لها من العٌن فً االمارات إلى اسٌوط ضمن المقاصد والوجهات الجدٌدة التً خططت الشركة لتدشٌنها ضمن توسعاتها الكبٌرة فً الربع األخٌر من العام. واستطردت :اننا داخل مصر تصل رحالتنا الى مطارات االقصر ومشركة طٌران توجه رحالت الى مصر بعد الناقل الجوي الرسمً مصر للطٌران وعلى مستوى العالم ،لفتت إلى أن شركة طٌران الجزٌرة تطٌر رحالت الى معظم دول الخلٌج الى الرٌاض وجدة ودبً والدوحة والبحرٌن وغٌرها والى العالم فً اوروبا واٌضا الى شرق اسٌا حٌث الهند ،فالشركة لها 5مقاصد هناك وعن المشاركة فً االسبوع الكوٌتً الثانً عشر ،فإن الشركة كان لها الحظ ان تشارك للمرة االولى فً هذه الفعالٌات الضخمة لتمثل قطاعا من اكبر القطاعات الكوٌتٌة التً لها استثمارات فً مصر ،منوهة أن شركة طٌران الجزٌرة لها رإٌة من اجل توسٌع تواجدها فً مصر من منطلق التؤكٌد على رإٌة رئٌس مجلس ادارة شكة طٌران الجزٌرة ،مروان بدي ،والتً تتضمن اهدافها االستثمار فً مجال المطارات اٌضا فً مصر وهذا من اهداف شركتنا فً الفترة المقلبة، واضافت من المعروف ان طٌران الجزٌرة من الشركات الكوٌتٌة المتفردة التً لها مطار خاص فً الكوٌت ونطمح لتوسعات اكبر للشركة فً الربع األخٌر من العام الجاري. واقٌمت فعالٌات االسبوع الكوٌتً الثانً عشر امس فً فندق رٌتز كارلتون فً القاهرة وافتتحت تحت رعاٌة الدكتور مصطفى مدبولً رئٌس مجلس الوزراء وبحضور نبٌلة مكرم وزٌرة الهجرة وسحر نصر وزٌرة االستثمار واحمد العصار وزٌر االنتاج الحربً ،والسفٌر الكوٌتً فً القاهرة محمد صالح الذوٌخ ومسئولً الوزرات والشركات من دولة الكوٌت
االدارة العامة للعالقات العامة والمراسم الشركة القابضة لمصر للطيران
تؤخر إقالع رحلتٌن لمدة ساعتٌن بمطار القاهرة بسبب أعمال الصٌانة كتب :أٌمن حمزة
تؤخر إقالع رحلتٌن دولتٌن أكثر من ساعة عن موعد اإلقالع المقرر لهما بمطار القاهرة الدولً، صباح الٌوم األربعاء ،وذلك بسبب ظروف التشغٌل وأعمال الصٌانة الدورٌة ،كما جرى إلغاء إقالع رحلة لعدم جدواها اقتصاد ًٌا النخفاض عدد الركاب. وأفادت مصادر مالحٌة بمطار القاهرة ،بؤنَّ رحلة الخطوط التركٌة المتجهة إلى إسطنبول تؤخرت ساعة ونصف لظروف التشغٌل ،كما تؤخرت رحلة شركة نسما للطٌران 17٠المتجهة إلى جدة ساعتٌن لظروف التشغٌل. إخطارا من الشركة المصرٌة العالمٌة وأضافت المصادر ،لـ"الوطن" ،أنَّ سلطات المطار تلقت ً للطٌران بإلغاء إقالع رحلتها 9٠5المتجهة إلى جدة لعدم جدواها اقتصاد ًٌا لقلة الركاب ،مشٌرة إلى أ َّنه جرى التنسٌق مع سلطات المطار لسفر الركاب على متن رحالت طٌران أخرى. وأوضحت المصادر ،أنَّ رحالت الشركة الوطنٌة مصر للطٌران الدولٌة والداخلٌة شهدت انتظام حركة إقالع وهبوط الطائرات دون تؤخٌر أو إلغاء وف ًقا لجدول التشغٌل المقرر لها.
االدارة العامة للعالقات العامة والمراسم الشركة القابضة لمصر للطيران
بسبب أعمال الصٌانة ..تؤخر إقالع رحلتٌن من مطار القاهرة نورهان خفاجً
شهد مطار القاهرة الدولً ،الٌوم األربعاء ،تؤخر إقالع رحلتٌن دولتٌن أكثر من ساعة عن موعد اإلقالع المقرر لهما بسبب ظروف التشغٌل وأعمال الصٌانة الدورٌة. قالت مصادر مالحٌة بمطار القاهرة إن رحلة الخطوط التركٌة المتجهة إلى إسطنبول تؤخرت ساعة ونصف لظروف التشغٌل ،كما تؤخرت رحلة شركة نسما للطٌران 17٠المتجهة إلى جدة ساعتٌن لظروف التشغٌل. وأكدت المصادر ،استقرار حركة إقالع وهبوط الطائرات فً مطار القاهرة ،وفقا لمواعٌدها المقررة بجداول التشغٌل ،دون وجود أي مإثرات خارجٌة على الحركة المالحٌة بالمطار على الرغم من التقلب فً األحوال الجوٌة. االدارة العامة للعالقات العامة والمراسم الشركة القابضة لمصر للطيران
تحالف ستار العالمى للطٌران ٌنقل 2٠٠٠راكب بمطار القاهرة محمود السعدى
صرح مصدر مسئول بشركة مٌناء القاهرة الجوى ،بؤن شركات تحالف ستار العالمى للطٌران س ُتس ٌّر طوال الٌوم األربعاء 18 ،رحلة جوٌة دولٌة إلى مختلف المدن والعواصم العربٌة واإلفرٌقٌة والعالمٌة ،لنقل ما ٌقرب من 2٠٠٠راكب من مختلف الجنسٌات. وأضاف المصدر أن مبنى الركاب رقم 3بمطار القاهرة الدولى والمخصص لرحالت شركة مصر ضا نسب ًٌا فى للطٌران وشركات تحالف ستار العالمى للطٌرانٌ ،شهد خالل الفترة الحالٌة انخفا ً حركتى السفر والوصول ،نتٌجة انتهاء الفصل الصٌفً واإلجازات المدرسٌة. وأشار إلى أن عملٌات التطوٌر والصٌانة بمبنى الركاب رقم 3ما زالت جارٌة ،خاصة فى ظل حرص مسئولى وزارة الطٌران المدنى على ضرورة تطوٌر جمٌع مبانً ومنشآت مطار القاهرة ،العتبار مطار القاهرة البوابة الرئٌسٌة لدخول البالد.
االدارة العامة للعالقات العامة والمراسم الشركة القابضة لمصر للطيران
إلغاء رحلة دولٌة بمطار القاهرة بسبب انخفاض األعداد الركابٌة
تسبب انخفاض األعداد الركابٌة فى إلغاء رحلة جوٌة دولٌة تابعة لشركة طٌران مصرٌة خاصة ،نتٌجة عدم الجدوى االقتصادٌة من إقالعها ،بمطار القاهرة الدولى صباح الٌوم األربعاء ،حٌث تم اتخاذ كافة اإلجراءات والتدابٌر االحترازٌة المتبعة فى تلك الحاالت لمنع التكدس واالزدحام داخل وخارج الصاالت .وكان برج المراقبة الجوٌة بمطار القاهرة الدولى ،تلقى إخطارا من الشركة المصرٌة العالمٌة للطٌرانٌ ،فٌد بإلغاء إقالع رحلتها رقم 9٠5والمتجهة إلى مطار جدة الدولى بالمملكة العربٌة السعودٌة ،نتٌجة عدم الجدوى االقتصادٌة بسبب انخفاض أعداد المسافرٌن على متن تلك الرحلة ،وعلى الفور تم استضافة المسافرٌن بصاالت الترانزٌت بمبنى الركاب رقم 1بمطار القاهرة القدٌم ،تمهٌدا لسفرهم على متن رحالت أخرى متوجهة الى نفس المقصد.
االدارة العامة للعالقات العامة والمراسم الشركة القابضة لمصر للطيران
1 Results of AACO 52nd AGM
Kuwait – AACO 52nd AGM discussed today strategic issues of relevance to the Arab and global air transport industry, whereby the AGM recalled the role of air transport as a major element in economic development through its role in promoting and facilitating trade and tourism. The AGM highlighted the principles that established the global air transport network which are the Chicago Convention of 1944 and the bilateral air services agreements, focusing on the basic principles of the Chicago Convention that stipulate that states have jurisdiction over their airspace, the air traffic rights given to other states, and all issues related to their own air transport activities. The AGM also discussed the unilateral initiatives being adopted by some states to impose their terms on other states highlighting the negative effect this brings to the sustainable development of international air transport. Air Transport Relations: Based on these discussions, AACO 52nd AGM adopted a resolution that encourages states to avoid protectionist policies in air transport; and to avoid adopting unilateral and extraterritorial measures that may affect the orderly, sustainable, and harmonious development of international air transport; the AGM also called on states to continue with flexible market access policies due to the benefits those policies bring to the consumer and the sustainable development as well as to the efficiency of airlines’ operations; and to resort to dialogue and consultations as the best approach to agree on any issue related to air transport services;
االدارة العامة للعالقات العامة والمراسم الشركة القابضة لمصر للطيران
2 Proliferation of Passenger Rights Regulations: AACO AGM highlighted that airlines are suffering from the proliferation of passenger rights regulations that in most cases contradict with international agreements that regulate the liabilities of airlines, are extraterritorial, do not reflect the fact that inconveniences to passengers are not always caused by airlines, and impose compensation levels and stringent requirements that are making it difficult for airlines to continue to meet the demand on air connectivity; accordingly the AGM encouraged states to formulate passenger rights regulations based on the following principles: Conducting consultations with all relevant stakeholders before adopting regulations, compatibility between regulations, respect of jurisdictions, joint liabilities, consistency with international treaties, service differentiation, looking into the reasons behind the inconveniences especially checking whether the reasons do not fall within the control of the airline or are related to the safety priority, proportionality between the damage and the relevant compensation, and clarity. Unruly Behavior onboard Aircraft AACO AGM also discussed that unruly behavior on-board aircraft could cause harm and inconvenience to passengers and airlines alike, and could affect the safety of the concerned flights, and accordingly the AGM encouraged states to accede to Montreal Protocol 2014 as an enhanced legal deterrent to unruly behavior on-board aircraft. Reducing the environmental Impact of Aviation AACO 52nd AGM reaffirmed the commitment of AACO member airlines to work vigorously with all stakeholders to mitigate the industry’s environmental footprint, and called upon all stakeholders to consider CORSIA as THE market-based measure for international aviation without imposing inappropriate economic burden on international aviation and to take into consideration ICAO 40th Assembly’s resolutions, particularly on studying the long-term economic impact of the 2050 goal. The AGM also highlighted that the development of infrastructure is crucial to delivering a better environment, safer air transport, and better service to the travelers. This development should expand, streamline, and defragment the airspace infrastructure to allow optimal flight paths, and should expand ground facilities. The AGM as well called upon all stakeholders to commit any financial returns resulting from environmental measures into developing low net emission fuel and make it commercially available for the aviation industry. And finally, the AGM called upon technology partners to invest in game-changing technologies that would maintain the economic accessibility of air travel while reducing its environmental impact.
االدارة العامة للعالقات العامة والمراسم الشركة القابضة لمصر للطيران
3 Arab-EU Aviation Summit 2020 The AGM was informed that an Arab – EU aviation Summit will be held in Beirut on 2324 March 2020 jointly organized by the Arab Civil Aviation Organization and the European Commission – DG MOVE, with the kind hosting of Middle East Airlines and the support of the Arab Air Carriers Organization.
In his report to the AGM, AACO Secretary General, Abdul Wahab Teffaha, described the state of the global and Arab economy which both registered a slowdown in economic growth where reasons of that slowdown differ from one region to the other. The Secretary General also presented Arab air transport statistics and the development of this sector through the decades in relation to regional and global factors that had an effect on the development of the sector. The Secretary General focused in his report on the role of the Arab airlines as major players in global transport by attracting inter-continental traffic through their hubs, where Arab airlines are now present on the global aviation map through their competitiveness which is fueled by the quality of their product, the modernity of their fleet, the competitiveness of their fares, the continuous development of their airport infrastructure, and, most importantly, by treating their passengers as guests so that they ensure they enjoy their travel experience. The Secretary General highlighted that Arab airlines are effectively managing capacity on the individual level to meet the fluctuations in demand. As a result, in recent years a slowdown was witnessed in the number of new aircraft introduced into the fleets of Arab airlines which resulted in the world's youngest, most efficient, and, most importantly, lowest emission producing fleet.
االدارة العامة للعالقات العامة والمراسم الشركة القابضة لمصر للطيران
4 AACO Secretary General also talked about the factors that give an optimistic outlook for the Arab air transport as follows: 1. The confidence of the passenger that Arab airlines’ level of service is among the best, if not the best, in the world. 2. An airport infrastructure that is being constantly developed to anticipate the needs of future growth. 3. The region’s central geographic location. 4. The region’s cultural, historical, religious, and civilizational heritage, and its natural diversity that position the Arab region as an important touristic attraction. 5. The young population. 6. Information technology that enabled today’s and tomorrow’s passengers to transcend geographical boundaries between countries. AACO Secretary General asked governments for supporting the crucial role of air transport in sustainable development and in job creation in sectors that depend on aviation, in particular to: 1. Continue adopting flexible policies with regards to traffic rights and market access. 2. Expand airspace capacity through flexible use of airspace between civil and military purposes, and through cooperation with other regions to smoothly manage air traffic flows. 3. Take into account, when considering taxes and fees on civil aviation, the negative impact of these taxes and fees on touristic attractiveness versus their direct impact on governmental revenues. 4. Consult with the concerned in the air transport sector with regards to regulating the relationship between airlines and their customers. The Secretary General went on to talk about the issues that airlines have to deal with and on top of those issues is addressing climate change and improving their environmental impact. AACO Secretary General reminded the AGM that the approach for addressing the environmental impact of civil aviation cannot seriously happen except through the cooperation of all concerned industry stakeholders. He reminded the AGM of the four pillars that the air transport industry adopted and which were adopted as well by the International Civil Aviation Organization and these pillars are: the development of technology, to enhance the airport and airspace infrastructures, the use of sustainable fuel with reduced net environmental impact, and market-based measures. He highlighted the worldwide wave of taxes and fees as well under the banner of the environment wondering about how those taxes would benefit the environment since none of the revenues coming from these taxes are re-invested in improving the environment.
االدارة العامة للعالقات العامة والمراسم الشركة القابضة لمصر للطيران
5 The Secretary General highlighted also the priorities of AACO’s work; being joint work, representing the interests of AACO member airlines, raising awareness and knowledge through a number of publications, statistical analyses and various forums, in addition to focusing on development of human resources through AACO’s regional training center. In particular, the Secretary General mentioned in the area of representing the interests of AACO member airlines the EU regulation no. 712/2019 that substituted EU regulation 868/2004 on fair competition. He referred to the Arab efforts that resulted in reducing some of the ideas that existed in the initial draft of the regulation, and focused on the importance of the way the European institutions would implement the regulation highlighting that in implementing the regulation, they should respect the sovereignty and right of other states to adopt economic, financial and social policies that they deem appropriate for their countries, and that this, or any other regulation, should not be used to impose a certain course of aviation relations between states. Within the framework of the relation between the EU and Arab regions, the Secretary General mentioned that the Arab Civil Aviation Organization and the European Commission, with the support of Middle East Airlines and AACO, are organizing an ArabEuropean Aviation Summit that will be held in Beirut on 23-24 March 2020. The Secretary General also highlighted the Montreal Protocol 2014, which amended Tokyo Convention 1963 regarding dealing with unruly passengers, and which still needs to be ratified by one more state to enter into force. The Secretary General called on member airlines to advocate to their governments the ratification of this Protocol since, even if the Protocol enters into force, it will be only applied on operations between states that have ratified it. Before concluding his report, the Secretary General announced the launch of the weblink www.a4g.org which redirects to AACO current website which remains www.aaco.org, whereby A4G means "Airlines for the Globe". The Secretary General concluded his report, expressing gratitude to the support of AACO member airlines, partner airlines, and industry partners, and partner associations such as ACAO, IATA and others. He also thanked the AGM chairman and his team for their outstanding efforts to make this AGM a success; as well as the Chairman and members of the Executive Committee, affirming AACO’s permanent credo: We are proud to serve you…
االدارة العامة للعالقات العامة والمراسم الشركة القابضة لمصر للطيران
6 AACO’s Annual Report and Annual Air Transport Statistics: The Annual Report and the Annual Arab Air Transport Statistics bulletins were distributed at AACO’s AGM, and we highlight below some of the data included: • The Arab air transport market grew by 5.6% in 2018 compared to 2017, reaching around 313 million passengers. • Passenger numbers using Arab airports in 2018 increased by 5.3% to reach 378.5 million passengers. • Cargo handled at Arab airports increased by 2% in 2018 reaching 9 million tons of cargo. • AACO members served 459 destinations in 128 countries with 4,092 average daily flights, offering 902,987 daily seats on 1,406 aircraft in 2018. • AACO members’ operating revenues increased by 4.8% in 2018 reaching USD 69.6 billion. • AACO members carried around 229.6 million passengers in 2018 (an increase of 2.8% compared to 2017) and 6.94 million tons of cargo. Other Highlights of AACO 52nd AGM: Speech by the Director General of the Arabi Civil Aviation Organization In his speech, Eng. Abdennabi Manar, Director General of the Arab Civil Aviation Organization (ACAO), focused on the industry issues that ensure a positive outlook for the future development of the industry reaffirming ACAO’s commitment to cooperate with the Arab Air Carriers’ Organization to jointly reach the common goals of enhancing the role of civil aviation in economic development. IATA’s Speech Mr. Alexander de Juniac, IATA Director General and CEO presented the IATA speech. Presentation by Speech by Mr. Mark Pilling on challenges facing the Arab Airlines Mr. Mark Pilling, Vice President for Publishing and Events from Flight Global, delivered a speech on the challenges facing the Arab Airlines CEOs’ Panel The Secretariat General of AACO invited member airlines, regional and international organizations, industry partners, partner airlines, air transport professionals, and press to participate in the CEOs’ Panel. The CEOs’ Panel is a discussion panel gathering Chief Executive Officers and decision makers on strategic issues in the aviation industry, and was moderated this year by Mr. Vijay Poonoosamy / Director International and Public Affairs / the QI Group. The Panelists were: • Mr. Henrik Hololei/ Director General for Mobility and Transport/ European Commission • Eng. Kamil Al-Awadhi/ Chief Executive Officer/ Kuwait Airways • Capt. Ahmed Adel/ Chairman & CEO/ EgyptAir Holding Company • Mr. Abdulmohsen Jonaid/ Chief Executive Officer/ SaudiGulf Airlines
7 Participation The General Assembly was attended by the CEOs of AACO member airlines, AACO partner airlines and industry partners from aircraft and engine manufacturers, Global Distribution Systems (GDSs), IT providers and other specialized companies relevant to the Arab air transport industry. The AGM also welcomed the Arab Civil Aviation Organization (ACAO), the European Commission, the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the African Airlines Association (AFRAA), and the Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association (ALTA), in addition to a number of aviation experts, where the number of delegates surpassed 300. Closing of the AGM As the AGM concluded, AACO members thanked the 52nd AGM Chairman, Mr. Yousef A. ALJassem Al-Saqer/ Chairman of Kuwait Airways, for leading this event and for the generous hospitality of Kuwait Airways.
Date and Venue of Forthcoming AGM The forthcoming 53rd AGM in 2020 will be convened in Beirut by kind invitation of Middle East Airlines.
االدارة العامة للعالقات العامة والمراسم الشركة القابضة لمصر للطيران
Air France sees 787s as 'leverage' in A330/777 replacement talks Air France's Boeing 787s could be phased out of its fleet but in the meantime provide "good leverage" in negotiations about the replacement of earlygeneration 777s and Airbus A330-200s, Air France-KLM chief Ben Smith has indicated. "Right now, we are assuming they [the 787s] stay in the Air France fleet," Smith said during a webcasted investor briefing on 5 November, but he noted that the airline's relatively small fleet of 10 787-9s – nine in service, one still on order – gives it "a lot of flexibility", and added: "We can look at moving those aircraft to KLM in future." In June, the group disclosed that Air France would take seven A350-900s previously on order for KLM, which in turn would take six 787s that had been scheduled for delivery to its French sibling. Air France received its first A350-900 in September and has a further 26 on order, including the seven destined for KLM. Smith says Air France's A350s will "balance out" its A330-200s depending on the "market environment". The A330-200s will be phased out "when it makes sense", he says. Crucially, Air France's future widebody fleet can be operated by just two rather than currently four pilot divisions with the airline, notes Smith. The A350 and A330 have a common type rating. KLM operates its 787s and 777s with a common type rating. This is not the case within Air France's operation, today, but may be an option in future, Smith says. Air France's long-haul fleet additionally includes four A340-300s and 10 A380s, which will be retired by 2021 and 2022, respectively. In the short-haul arena, Air France has decided to phase out its ATR 72 turboprops and Embraer ERJ-145s, and to concentrate its regional operations on E-Jets and Bombardier CRJs. The fleet includes CRJ700s, CRJ1000s, E170s and E190s. Smith says, however, that the carrier is evaluating the future of its CRJ700s and E170s.
االدارة العامة للعالقات العامة والمراسم الشركة القابضة لمصر للطيران
1 SIA sets 2022 date for 777-9 service entry
Singapore Airlines will place the Boeing 777X into service in 2022, updating earlier indications that the carrier would take delivery of the widebody from 2021. SIA chief executive Goh Choon Phong says at a results briefing that the 2022 timeline takes into account the production issues that currently plague the 777X programme. Boeing has delayed the 777-9’s first flight because of issues with the General Electric GE9X engines that power the variant. In September, the airframer suspended load testing for the widebody programme, reportedly over a cargo door failure. Advertisement End of ad break in 10 s You can close Ad in 5 s It has also put development of the ultra-long-range 7778 variant on hold, after reviewing customer needs and development schedules. Cirium’s fleets data indicates that SIA has 20 777-9s on order, with options for a further six. impact on capacity, which we have done so,‖ says Goh. االدارة العامة للعالقات العامة والمراسم الشركة القابضة لمصر للطيران
2 ―Our expectation is that, with all those announcements that have been made up to this point [the aircraft’s entry into service will] still [be] 2022,‖ Goh says, responding to FlightGlobal's question. At the briefing, Goh also shed some light on the integration of regional carrier SilkAir into SIA, a process that was jeopardised by the worldwide grounding of the 737 Max. SilkAir has six 737 Max 8s in storage and a further 31 on order. The 737 Max 8 is key to integrating SilkAir into the main SIA brand. The company intends to upgrade SilkAir’s service offering, which includes the addition of a new cabin product with lie-flat beds on the forthcoming 737 Max 8s. In turn, SilkAir would pass on its 737-800s to sister carrier Scoot. That has been put off for the moment, as the 737 Max remains grounded, to ensure sufficient capacity at SilkAir. At the results briefing, Goh gave reassurance that the integration process — like route rationalisation across the SIA group of carriers — is ―progressing on track‖. On cabin retrofits, Goh confirms that a number of "retained" 737-800s from SilkAir will be upgraded with the new product, which he says is being finalised. Asked by FlightGlobal how many 737-800s will be retrofitted with the new cabin product, Goh declined to delve into specifics: ―Those are details we will inform the market as it becomes clearer.‖ SilkAir operates 17 737-800s. At a previous results briefing in May, Goh would only say that SIA was still committed to SilkAir’s integration, when asked if a prolonged 737 Max grounding might prompt a retrofitting of 737-800s with the new cabin product. As for the ongoing 737 Max grounding, Goh remains cautious about its return to service, and reiterates that it is ―not our call‖, but that of regulators. ―When the 737 Max was grounded, it [presented] certain aberrations to our original plans. The way we have planned our fleet, is such that we will always build in some flexibility, for example, fleet extension and so forth, and we can actually manage and minimise the
االدارة العامة للعالقات العامة والمراسم الشركة القابضة لمصر للطيران
1 Airbus revises A320 logic after touch-and-go accident
Airbus is developing a retrofit to reduce the risk of system logic weaknesses that played a role in the SmartLynx A320 touch-and-go accident at Tallinn last year. While performing touch-and-go circuits for student pilots, the aircraft lost elevator control just after landing, a situation which the crew only discovered as the jet accelerated towards rotation again. It became airborne as a result of the horizontal stabiliser setting before bouncing heavily on the runway and entering a sharp climb with its engines damaged and elevators inoperable. Estonian investigation authority OJK found that, during each landing, the instructor pilot had been grasping the trim wheel to prevent the stabiliser from returning to neutral, in order to maintain a take-off setting. This action would have been observed as a discrepancy between the stabiliser's actual and commanded positions. In order for this situation not to be interpreted as a runaway, an override mechanism is designed to detect manual takeover, disengage the pitch-trim actuator and trigger three microswitches. But the inquiry found that the wrong sort of oil – with twice the viscosity of the oil required – was used in the override mechanism, resulting in a "non-standard" friction curve of the mechanism's clutch, and incorrect microswitch activation. Maintenance documentation does not require any test of the override during regular checks, it adds, and "could have contributed" to the wrong oil being left unnoticed.
االدارة العامة للعالقات العامة والمراسم الشركة القابضة لمصر للطيران
2 OJK says the instructor's manual grasping of the stabiliser trim wheel was not registered correctly by the override, generating erratic microswitch triggering and the loss of elevator aileron computer control. At the moment of the touch-and-go incident on 28 February last year, this sequence had rendered both elevator aileron computers unavailable. Airbus is developing a software modification for this computer, intended to "mitigate the consequences" of a failure to detect manual takeover of the horizontal stabiliser through the trim wheel, it adds. Certification of this upgrade and global retrofit is planned for mid-2020. When neither elevator aileron computer is available the system logic shifts pitch control to the spoiler elevator computer. But OJK also found that a "design flaw" allowed a single event – a shallow rebound during the landing – to trigger a consolidation logic discrepancy between the spoiler elevator computer's two channels, with one computing elevator orders in 'flight' law and the other computing orders in 'ground' law. It resulted in the loss of control of both elevators by both spoiler elevator computers, and subsequently to the elevators' moving and locking in the neutral position – setting up the failure to rotate when the A320 accelerated for take-off. Airbus has initiated developed of a modification which, the inquiry says, will improve the weakness in the consolidation logic and increase robustness of the spoiler elevator computer against landing-gear bounce. All seven occupants of the A320, including four student pilots, survived after the instructor and a safety pilot managed to use thrust from the damaged engines and horizontal stabiliser trim to return to Tallinn for an emergency landing. Both engines failed before the aircraft touched down and the jet was subsequently written off.
االدارة العامة للعالقات العامة والمراسم الشركة القابضة لمصر للطيران
Qatar Airways and JAL deny Malaysia Airlines interest Two out of three airlines reportedly shortlisted by Khazanah Nasional Bhd (KNB), the sovereign wealth fund of the Malaysian Government, to become the strategic partner of Malaysia Airlines (MH, Kuala Lumpur Int'l) have denied that they were eyeing a stake in the loss-making flag carrier. Qatar Airways (QR, Doha Hamad Int'l) and JAL - Japan Airlines (JL, Tokyo Haneda) have both dismissed recent reports linking them to a stake acquisition as part of efforts to turn around Malaysia Airlines. Talking to the New Straits Times (NST), a spokesperson for the Qatari stateowned airline said of the intention to acquire a stake: "We have no intention to do so, as our group Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker told the NST in Langkawi recently.‖ The spokesperson added that the recent reports that Qatar Airways was one of the bidders were ―erroneous‖. Japan Airlines also dismissed its interest in the process, suggesting recently to Bloomberg that it was not planning to take a stake in Malaysia Airlines. The news agency quoted a Japan Airlines spokesperson saying that instead, it was waiting for approval to begin a commercial tie-up with the carrier. In May the two Asian airlines applied to the Malaysian and Japanese aviation regulators for an exemption to form a metal neutral joint business partnership. Malaysia Airlines also recently deepened its ties with Singapore Airlines, as the two carriers signed a "wide-ranging partnership agreement" at the end of October. These clarifications from Qatar Airways and Japan Airlines are a result of an unconfirmed report in a business daily which recently reported that the KNB had shortlisted these airlines among the four entities as being tentatively interested in Malaysia Airlines, with a third airline being China Southern Airlines (CZ, Guangzhou). However, the KNB Managing Director Datuk Shahril Ridza Ridzuan, would only confirm that the four shortlisted candidates were global and regional airline operators and investors. ―I am afraid we cannot disclose details due to the non-disclosure agreements entered in order for them to participate,‖ Shahril added.
االدارة العامة للعالقات العامة والمراسم الشركة القابضة لمصر للطيران
Lufthansa Strike Update: Around 1,300 Flights Cancelled
Lufthansa is cancelling over 1,000 flights scheduled for Thursday and Friday this week ahead of a planned strike by the German cabin crew union UFO. Somewhere around 180,000 passengers on Lufthansa flights are expected to be impacted by the cancellations. Lufthansa said that it will be able to operate 2,300 of Thursday’s 3,000 planned flights and 2,400 of those planned for Friday, the Associated Press reported. Lufthansa said it will provide a new, updated schedule on its website later Wednesday. Though, as of midday, the website was experiencing ―technical difficulties‖ due to high demand, according to Lufthansa. ―Lufthansa regrets any inconvenience to our customers and is working to solve these issues asap,‖ the airline said in a statement on its social media. Ahead of the strike, Lufthansa is offering all passengers with a booked flight through Frankfurt or Munich on Thursday and Friday a fee waiver for rebooking a new flight within the next 10 days. Lufthansa is also offering passengers who have flights cancelled outside of Frankfurt and Munich the ability to rebook free of charge on another flight. The UFO union is striking because of a dispute over pay and pensions, and the union’s legal status. Lufthansa has strongly condemned the strike ―in the strongest possible terms.‖ االدارة العامة للعالقات العامة والمراسم الشركة القابضة لمصر للطيران
Lufthansa crew strike set to go ahead on Thursday after court ruling
FRANKFURT (Reuters) - A two-day strike by Lufthansa (LHAG.DE) cabin crew was set to begin on Thursday after a German court ruled late on Wednesday against management’s efforts to stop it. The strike over pay and pensions, due to last through Friday, will result in the cancellation of 1,300 flights and affect 180,000 passengers, the German carrier said. That amounts to about one in five of Lufthansa’s planned 6,000 flights over the two-day period. It will affect both long- and short-haul flights, a spokeswoman said. The UFO union, representing cabin crew, said it would inform the public on Thursday about a possible expansion of strikes beyond Friday. Germany’s biggest airline had filed motions with courts to prevent the strike. The airline and the union have been at odds for months over the union’s legal status. Lufthansa says a union leadership team that took office earlier this year was not elected in a way that met legal requirements. Lufthansa said in a statement that it regretted the court decision not to block the strike. It said it would examine further legal steps, including a possible suit for damages. ―We will do everything we can to minimize the impact on our customers who are suffering from this massive strike,‖ Lufthansa said. Last month, the union staged an all-day strike at smaller German Lufthansa divisions, including Germanwings and Eurowings.
االدارة العامة للعالقات العامة والمراسم الشركة القابضة لمصر للطيران
Lufthansa Cargo re-launches MIA freighter service
For the first time in more than 25 years, Lufthansa Cargo will be flying a freighter service to Miami International Airport (MIA). The freighter service will fly weekly from Frankfurt to Miami, utilising B777 aircraft. MIA said Germany is a ―highly-valued European trade partner‖; last year, imports and exports between the two markets amounted to $2.2bn. MIA also processed a record of 1.9m tons of international freight in 2018, thereby retaining its position as the busiest US airport in that category. Norbert Pahlsmeyer, director sales and handling Florida for Lufthansa Cargo, explained: ―MIA is served by four daily flights to Europe with great connections to the world – and we are now adding the weekly freighter to serve additional demand for outsized and special cargo, connecting MIA to the global Lufthansa Cargo freighter network.‖ Lester Sola, MIA Director and chief executive, commented: ―We appreciate Lufthansa for choosing to expand its operations at MIA with cargo-only service. As the cargo gateway of the Americas, we expect them to see continued success on their new Miami cargo route.‖ Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez, added: ―Our community already benefits from the daily, world-class passenger service Lufthansa provides, and we look forward to the additional economic impact its cargo service will have on our community.‖ االدارة العامة للعالقات العامة والمراسم
الشركة القابضة لمصر للطيران
1 Lufthansa to cut inflight service on long-haul routes
Feeling peckish towards the end of a long flight? On most airlines a second meal typically shows up an hour or two before landing. For economy and premium economy class passengers on Lufthansa, however, the hot meal will no longer be provided as of the end of November. It is being replaced with a cold veggie option. As a small give back those passengers will also now receive a 0.5 liter bottle of water on board. The news was first noted on a German frequent flyer message board this week. Lufthansa will also change the headsets it distributes to passengers, opting for a lighter, disposable offering. The company expects to save 175 tons of fuel, which translates to 500 tons of CO2 emissions as a result of the shift. No word on the impact of manufacturing and disposing of the new headsets, however, to offset those emissions gains. Delivering on the 5 Star promise?? The changes come as Lufthansa’s 777X deliveries are delayed, owing to production troubles at Boeing. The new planes were a large part of the carrier being awarded a 5 Star ranking from SkyTrax. Putting aside the part where those rankings are generally meaningless in terms of objective review of the product, the fact that Lufthansa will further delay introduction of the award-winning cabins and trim other services while waiting is not a good look.
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That the cuts are also affecting the premium economy cabin is particularly unfortunate for Lufthansa passengers. Yes, the meals are the same for the two cabins so it would be difficult to not have the spillover impact in this way. But the cuts serve to highlight a focus only on the extra space as a justification for buying premium economy now. Given that other carriers Lufthansa competes with do vary the premium economy service offerings as well, the ability for the carrier to attract discretionary passengers into the premium – and best yielding per on board space – cabin could prove more difficult going forward. Any way you slice it, cutting the on board service is a poor development for passengers. Trying to offset it with a water bottle )presumably heavier than the headsets being dropped( doesn’t solve that problem.
1 Qatar Airways and Etihad set to battle over Indian market Two Middle East airlines are set to battle it out on who gains the most out of one of the fastest-growing markets in the world, India. Reports indicate that Qatar Airways will announce a codeshare agreement with IndiGo, the biggest airline in the South Asia country, while Etihad, partnered with Air Arabia, is looking to establish a new low-cost carrier to make use of Etihad’s slots acquired when Jet Airways, a former partner in business, closed its doors for good. For the two Middle East airlines, the move is important – for different reasons, both are not exactly living in their Golden Ages. Etihad reported a net loss of $1.28 billion in 2018, while Qatar Airways announced very frugal results in FY2019 – a loss of $639 million. While the former suffered a lot of financial damage due to failed investments in several airlines, including airberlin and the aforementioned Jet Airways, the latter is operating under a blockade of airspace in the region, massively increasing Qatar Airways’ expenses bill. Nevertheless, the message is clear – as India’s market is set to grow over the coming years, the two carriers are looking to make a move into the country and strengthen their commercial positions there. Middle East – India connections For the past few years, international traffic has been growing steadily in India. Throughout 2015-2016, the total international traffic amounted to 49.7 million; in 2016-2017 it was 54.6 million and the latest data indicates that in 2017-2018, 60.5 million international passengers landed or departed from India’s airports. Going further back, international traffic has not stopped growing since 20042005, according to data provided by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in India. Looking at country-specific statistics, DGCA data indicates that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is by far the biggest international market: In Q1 2019, 28.7% of passengers either landed or flew to UAE, while traffic to Qatar amounted to 5.3%. In Q1 2018, UAE’s share was 30.2%, while Qatar’s was 5.5%. Similarly, in Q1 2017, UAE traffic was 33.2%, while Qatar’s was 5.1%. االدارة العامة للعالقات العامة والمراسم
الشركة القابضة لمصر للطيران
2 However, most of this traffic is served by India-registered airlines. The biggest foreign carrier in terms of international traffic market share was Emirates, with 8.8% of the market. Qatar Airways transferred 3% of international passengers to and from India, while Etihad is not present on the top ten airline list in Q1 2019. There is a reason for such an amount of traffic and attention to the Indian market. Both Qatar and the United Arab Emirates have very big Indian expatriate communities: over 700,000 Indians live in Qatar (21.8% of total population), while over 2.6 million Indian expatriates reside in the United Arab Emirates (27.4% of total population), according to data. Serving these communities is a huge business opportunity for airlines and both Etihad and Qatar Airways have made previous attempts to establish themselves in the air corridor between India and the Middle East. Etihad’s investments The Abu Dhabi-based airline had a 24% in the now-bankrupt Jet Airways, which has been on the brink of collapse much throughout 2019. For Etihad, the final result of the Jet Airways crisis was that it has an abundance of slots in India – reports by Bloomberg indicate that the number of slots currently held by Etihad is 100. And the plan to make use of those slots is to establish a new low-cost carrier that will focus on flights between India and Abu Dhabi, with Air Arabia dedicating the most crucial resource to the project – around 70 aircraft out of more than 100 jets the low-cost carrier plans to order. A decision on what type of aircraft to order is set to be announced by January 2020, reports Reuters.
االدارة العامة للعالقات العامة والمراسم الشركة القابضة لمصر للطيران
3 Establishing a new airline can pose a risk for Etihad, which already is in dire straits financially. Yet it is mitigating some of the risks – Etihad has a partner Air Arabia and the LCC will be based in Abu Dhabi, instead of India, where foreign ownership laws prevent non-Indian entities from owning more than 50% of airline shares. In addition, launching a low-cost carrier dedicated to serve the Indian market makes a lot of sense – despite rapid growth, full-service carriers in India are struggling, including the national flag carrier, Air India. One foreign investment example, which is also running at a loss, is Vistara – a joint venture between Singapore Airlines (49% stake) and Tata Sons (51% stake) so far has not been profitable, with the latest results in FY2019. But a low-cost carrier still requires a hefty sum of investment, as shown by AirAsia India, a joint venture between AirAsia Berhad (49% stake) and Tata Sons (51% stake). Despite rapid growth as passenger numbers jumped up by 54% in 2018 compared to 2017 (6.8 and 4.4 million, respectively), the airline is still running at a loss – $87 million (INR6.19 billion) read the last line in the airline’s FY2018 financial report. AirAsia India is yet to achieve a profitable year. This might point to the fact why Qatar Airways aims to establish a partnership with IndiGo, instead of launching their own airline. Qatar Airways to announce partnership with IndiGo The Qatari flag carrier plans to announce a codeshare partnership with the Indian low-cost carrier on November 7, 2019, reports Bloomberg. ―It is not something about buying a stake, it’s commercial,‖ Chief Executive Officer of Qatar Airways, Akbar Al Baker, has reportedly noted. But the airline was interested in a stake at IndiGo for a long time now. Reports in 2015 indicated that Qatar Airways was looking to invest in SpiceJet, another Indian low-cost carrier. The Doha-based airline denied the rumors by claiming that ―Qatar Airways confirms that the only airline it is interested in is the Indian carrier Indigo‖.
االدارة العامة للعالقات العامة والمراسم الشركة القابضة لمصر للطيران
4 Interest in IndiGo never dwindled. When Al Baker confirmed that it will not establish an Indian domestic airline in September 2018 due to confusing ownership laws, he once again reiterated that Qatar Airways would be interested in acquiring a stake in the Indian carrier, as IndiGo ―is efficiently run, it is the largest domestic airline in India,‖ said Al Baker, ―other than them, I’m not really interested,‖ he added. Qatar Airways has been running at a loss since 2018, as the imposed blockade negatively impacted its expenses. Meanwhile, IndiGo has recently posted its biggest quarterly loss of $149.50 million (INR 10.6 billion) related to severe operational issues with its Airbus A320 aircraft. However, the problems seem to be piling on for IndiGo. The Indian civil aviation authority, DGCA, has ordered both IndiGo and GoAir to replace their Pratt & Whitney PW1100G engines fitted on their A320neo aircraft by January 31, 2020, else they would be grounded. On August 28, 2019, DGCA issued a status update on the P&W engines, stating that the power plants are still suffering from issues with third stage Low-Pressure Turbine blades (LPT), main gearbox (MGB) failures and severe vibrations – already then, airlines were not permitted to accept aircraft deliveries or leases without LPT and MGB changes, or accept engines coming in from maintenance without the aforementioned changes. Two co-owners of IndiGo are in a public fallout as well. On October 2, 2019, Rahul Bhatia sued his business partner, Rakesh Gangwal, for failing to keep in line with a shareholder agreement, reports Bloomberg. In July 2019, Gangwal accused Bhatia of fraudulent and unaudited deals with Bhatia’s companies, while the former accused Gangwal of not giving up his management rights and control within IndiGo. Yet it seems like the low-cost carrier is resilient to the combination of engine issues and public feuds within its shareholder board – on October 29, 2019, the airline signed a record-breaking deal for 300 Airbus A320neo aircraft. ―The choice of engine manufacturer for this order will be made at a later date,‖ noted IndiGo’s Chief Aircraft Acquisition and Financing Officer, Riyaz Peermohamed. However, it is more than likely to be CFM – on June 17, 2019, the engine manufacturer announced that it had reached a deal with the Indian airline for 280 LEAP-1A engines to power IndiGo’s 280 Airbus A320neo aircraft.
االدارة العامة للعالقات العامة والمراسم الشركة القابضة لمصر للطيران
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Thus, if Qatar Airways signs a partnership with the biggest airline in India without assuming any commercial risk from the codeshare agreement, allowing the Qatari flag carrier to save money while still increasing capacity between Qatar and India. Potentially, Qatar Airways is also laying down the foundation to eventually acquire a stake at IndiGo. On the other hand, Etihad, together with Air Arabia, will have a lot more control and flexibility over their new entity. With a huge Indian expatriate community in the United Arab Emirates, the same country where the low-cost carrier will be based, the potential market there is substantial enough to warrant such a move. In addition, slots will not be a headache, as Etihad has leftover slots from the demised Jet Airways. However, one operational burden is the fact that the new low-cost carrier will receive the majority of its aircraft together with Air Arabia, which plans to order new aircraft by January 2020. Growth under such circumstances will be difficult, as the queue for new narrowbody aircraft is only growing, whether it would be Airbus or Boeing jets.
االدارة العامة للعالقات العامة والمراسم الشركة القابضة لمصر للطيران
ادارة العالقات العامة -الشركة القابضة لمصر للطيران