Tag Archives: DXB

National Geographic Magazine introduces a new TV series called “Ultimate Airport Dubai”

National Geographic Magazine (Washington) through its National Geographic Channel has introduced a new TV series called “Ultimate Airport Dubai” which will focus on the operations of fast-growing Dubai International Airport (DXB), the home of Emirates.

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Less than 55 years ago, Dubai International Airport was a vast desert of sand.

Today, it is a modern mecca of international air travel.

With a staggering 344,000 flights, 57 million passengers and 2 million tons of cargo flying in and out each year, it is the world’s third busiest airport for international passengers.

In Ultimate Airport Dubai, step behind-the-scenes of Dubai International’s three massive terminals, including Terminal 3 – the largest building on earth by floor space, measuring 359 football pitches in size!

With unprecedented access to all facets of this mega facility, the series follows some of the 60,000 staff working hard to keep it safe, secure, and on schedule.

EPISODE GUIDE

Series 1

Ultimate Airport Dubai: Episode 1

The new concourse is trialed to test if it’s on schedule to receive 15 million passengers and 33 of the mighty 389-million-dollar Airbus A380s.
Ultimate Airport Dubai: Episode 2

The construction team behind the new concourse feel the heat as more than 200 volunteers test whether it’s ready to be used by the public.

Next Showing:
Wednesday 1 January at 3:00AM – National Geographic Channel
Ultimate Airport Dubai: Episode 3

The pressure is on as engines, cargo and construction materials all go missing – pushing an airport already near-capacity to breaking point.

Next Showing:
Wednesday 1 January at 3:45AM – National Geographic Channel
Ultimate Airport Dubai: Episode 4

Over a million passengers pass through Dubai International Airport every week. Meet the people behind the scenes making everything run smoothly.

Next Showing:
Wednesday 1 January at 4:30AM – National Geographic Channel
Ultimate Airport Dubai: Episode 5

Over a million passengers pass through Dubai International Airport every week. Meet the people behind the scenes making everything run smoothly.

Next Showing:
Wednesday 1 January at 5:15AM – National Geographic Channel
Ultimate Airport Dubai: Episode 6

Duty Manager Khalil has to help a family stranded in the terminal, while Controller Nargis must free a cargo of meat stuck in the desert heat.
Ultimate Airport Dubai: Episode 7

David Robson must greet some temperamental VIP passengers and Dispatcher Nizel has a problem when a brand-new A380 goes missing.
Ultimate Airport Dubai: Episode 8

Passenger Operations has to cope with a group of stranded tourists, and a missing passenger puts a curfew-critical flight to Sydney in jeopardy.
Ultimate Airport Dubai: Episode 9

Although Dubai International tries to prepare for every scenario, more than one million passengers each week inevitably bring unusual challenges.
Ultimate Airport Dubai: Episode 10

John has seconds to drive on runways looking for debris and engineer Mian must work out why a jet won’t move after its parking brake is released.

Copyright Photo: Paul Denton/AirlinersGallery.com. Completing its final approach into DXB is Emirates’ Boeing 777-31H ER A6-EGZ (msn 41081).

Emirates:

Watch Season 1, Episode 1:

Qatar Airways orders five additional Airbus A330-200F freighters

Qatar Airways (Doha) has placed a firm order for five new Airbus A330-200 Freighter aircraft in an agreement signed at the Dubai Airshow 2013. These new aircraft will complement the airline’s rapidly growing network, which includes more than 40 routes that have dedicated freighter services. Included in the order are eight additional A330-200F options – which would make today’s deal potentially worth over $2.8bn at list prices for a total of 13 aircraft. These aircraft on order will complement three A330-200Fs Qatar Airways already operates since earlier this year.

Copyright Photo: Paul Denton/AirlinersGallery.com. Qatar Airways Cargo Airbus A330-243F A7-AFY (msn 1386) arrives in Dubai.

Qatar Airways:

Flydubai commits up to 100 Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft and 11 Next-Generation 737-800s

Flydubai (Dubai) and Boeing (Chicago) today announced a commitment for up to 100 737 MAX 8 airplanes and 11 Next-Generation 737-800s on the opening day of the Dubai Airshow.

The commitment from the airline of the emirate of Dubai, valued at $11.4 billion at list prices (including orders and purchase rights), is the largest ever Boeing single-aisle airplane purchase in the Middle East. The investment continues Flydubai’s legacy operating an all-Boeing 737 fleet.

The 737 MAX will build on the Next-Generation 737’s popularity and reliability while delivering customers unsurpassed fuel efficiency in the single-aisle market. The 737 MAX 8 is expected to be 8 percent per-seat more fuel efficient than the future competition.

Development of the 737 MAX is on schedule with firm configuration of the airplane achieved in July 2013. First flight is scheduled in 2016 with deliveries to customers beginning in 2017. Already a market success, the 737 MAX has accumulated more than 1,600 orders to date.

Flydubai placed its first order for 50 Next-Generation 737-800s in 2008. The airline took delivery of its first airplane in 2009 and was the first airline in the world to debut the Boeing Sky Interior, an enhanced onboard experience. To date, flydubai has taken delivery of 33 Next-Generation 737-800s.

In the past two years, Flydubai has more than doubled the number of destinations it flies to and has around 1,200 weekly flights. flydubai carried 5.1 million passengers in 2012 and has become the second largest carrier, by passenger numbers, operating out of Dubai International.

In only four and a half years flydubai has, in this short time, built up a network of more than 65 destinations, served by a fleet of 33 Boeing 737-800 aircraft. The remaining aircraft from its 2008 order will be fulfilled by 2015. It achieved profitability in its third year of operation. It continues to focus on the needs of its passengers most recently launching Business Class services. It made this service available, for the first time, on several of the 46 previously underserved destinations it flies to.

The first aircraft, Next-Generation Boeing 737-800s from this order, will be delivered between 2016 and 2017. Deliveries of the first Boeing 737 MAX will commence in the second half of 2017 and continue until the end of 2023. As one of the most reliable and efficient single-aisle aircraft models of its type currently available today it will support Flydubai’s continued growth.

Flydubai:

Route Map:

Video:

Gulf Air clarifies its role in Saudi Arabia

Gulf Air (Bahrain) has clarified its position regarding its involvement in a new domestic airline in Saudi Arabia. The flag carrier is acting as a consultant to the Al Qahtani Group. The airline has issued this statement:

Gulf Air, Bahrain’s national carrier, has issued a statement clarifying the recent awarding of two licenses by the General Authority of Civil Aviation of Saudi Arabia (GACA) to operate domestic services within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Gulf Air did not bid and has not been awarded domestic traffic rights to operate in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The airline’s involvement is in a consultative capacity only to the Al Qahtani Group, a consortium of privately owned companies based in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Accordingly, Gulf Air’s name and brand remain independent of the venture.

An initial contract signed last year appointing Gulf Air in an advisory role to support the Al Qahtani Group’s bid for national traffic rights in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, has concluded with the consortium being awarded one of the two licenses. A second consulting agreement between Gulf Air and the Al Qahtani Group is currently being negotiated whereby Gulf Air will support the Al Qahtani Group in obtaining its Saudi Arabian Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC).

Gulf Air has been operating to Saudi Arabia for over 63 years, amassing extensive operational and logistical knowledge of the Kingdom. As such, the national carrier is in a position to support Al Qahtani obtain its Air Operator’s Certificate and further facilitate its entrance into the market.

Copyright Photo: Paul Denton/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A320-214 A9C-AH (msn 4218) with Grand Prix 2012 markings arrives at Dubai.

Gulf Air:

Qatar Airways’ grounded Boeing 787-8 A7-BCB returns to service

Qatar Airways‘ (Doha) grounded Boeing 787-8 A7-BCB (msn 38320) was returned to service yesterday (July 31) after being grounded by the airline since July 21 due to unspecified “technical issues” according to this report by Reuters. A7-BCB successfully operated a round trip between Doha and Frankfurt.

Read the full report: CLICK HERE

Qatar Airways:

Kuwait Airways to add A320s, A321s, A330s and A350s

Kuwait Airways (Kuwait City) will expand and modernize its fleet with a new tentative order with Airbus according to Muscat Daily. Subject to finalization, Kuwait Airways intends to acquire 10 A350-900s, options for five more or five of the larger A350-1000s. The MOU also includes 15 A320neo aircraft and options for five more of the same type or A321neo aircraft. Deliveries are due to start in 2019.

In the interim period, the airline will lease 22 Airbus A320s and A330s with deliveries starting in late 2013. Additionally two A321-200s will be leased starting in July 2014.

The new aircraft are expected to replace the aging five Airbus A300B4-605Rs, three A310-300s, three older A320s, four A340-300s and the two Boeing 777-200 ERs.

Copyright Photo: Paul Denton/AirlinersGallery.com. The Airbus A310s will be one of the types to be retired. A310-308 9K-ALA (msn 647) prepares to land at Dubai.

Kuwait Airways:

Emirates to fly to Kiev, Ukraine starting on January 16, 2014, the A380 will operate to Mauritius

Emirates Airline (Dubai) unveiled new expansion plans for Eastern Europe, with the launch of daily services to Kyiv Boryspil International Airport in Kiev from January 16, 2014, marking its first route to the Ukraine. The new route will be operated with operated by an Airbus A340-500 equipment. Kiev will be the 35th passenger route to Europe for Emirates.

In other news, Emirates has announced it will deploy its airbus A380s from Dubai to Mauritius starting on December 16.

The aircraft will operate as flight EK 701 on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays and EK 3701 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, departing from Dubai International Airport at 03.10 hours and arriving in Mauritius at 09.40. The return flight EK 702 and EK 3702 will depart Mauritius’ Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport at 18.20 hours and arrives in Dubai at 01.10 the next day.The announcement of this daily service follows the special one-off A380 flight that the airline operated to Mauritius in March 2013 to celebrate the island’s 45 years of independence.

The new flight will replace one of the existing three class Boeing 777-300 services the airline currently operates to Mauritius. This means Emirates will continue to serve the country on a double daily basis with an additional 153 seats on the route each day across First Class, Business Class and Economy Class.

Copyright Photo: Paul Denton/airlinersGallery.com. Airbus A340-541 A6-ERH (msn 611) prepares to arrive back at the Dubai hub.

Emirates:

Ethiopian Airlines today starts a new route to Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro via Lomé, Togo

Ethiopian Airlines (Addis Ababa) has announced that it has added South America, the fifth continent in its route network, with the launching of new services to Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil as of today – July 1, 2013.

The inaugural flight to these destinations is operated using Ethiopian Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, the most technologically advanced commercial aircraft offering unparalleled on-board comfort to passengers with high ceiling, the biggest windows in the sky, greatly reduced noise, unique lighting system and higher level of humidity.

Ethiopian flight to Brazil are operated through its second hub in Lomé, Togo, three times a week. The addition of Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro will bring the number of its international destinations across five continents to 75. The flights will be the only connection between West Africa and Brazil.

Ethiopian Airlines:

Oman Air to become a new Boeing 737-900 ER operator

Oman Air (Muscat) and Boeing (Chicago) today announced an order for five Boeing Next-Generation 737-900 ER airplanes at the 2013 Paris Air Show. The order, previously unidentified on the Boeing Orders and Deliveries website, is valued at $473 million at current list prices.

With this order, Oman Air becomes the first customer in the Arabian Gulf region to order 737-900 ERs. Currently, the airline operates a fleet of 15 Boeing Next-Generation 737-800s and two 737-700s. With this new order, the airline now has a backlog of six 737-800s and five 737-900 ERs. In addition, Oman Air has six Boeing 787-8s on order.

Copyright Photo: Paul Denton/AirlinersGallery.com. Operated by Travel Service Airlines in full Oman Air colors, Boeing 737-86N OK-TVU (msn 38025) prepares to land at Dubai.

Oman Air:

SriLankan Airlines signs MOU for six Airbus A330-300s and four A350-900s

SriLankan Airlines (Colombo) has signed an MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) with Airbus for six A330-300s and four A350-900s. The MOU will have to be finalized into a firm contract.

Copyright Photo: Paul Denton/AirlinersGallery.com. SriLankan already operates the Airbus A330-200. The A330-300 and A350-900 will be new types for the flag carrier. Airbus A330-243 4R-ALB (msn 306) prepares to land at Dubai.

SirLankan Airlines: