The Saudi airspace deal and what it means for Qatar Airways
News broke yesterday that Saudi Arabia has agreed to reopen its borders – and its airspace – to Qatar. That’s a big development, and one that will have a distinct impact on aviation in the region. Saudi Arabia and a handful of other Gulf nations have held a blockade against Qatar for over three years. Read More
Gabriel LeighTale of two airports: Doha and Dubai in the pandemic
The novel coronavirus has impacted aviation worldwide, and the Persian Gulf region has been no exception. In fact the drop in traffic there has been especially striking. We’ve grown accustomed...
Gabriel LeighIsraeli airline El Al makes historic non-stop flight to United Arab Emirates
Israeli national carrier El Al made history today, operating its first ever flight between Tel Aviv, Israel and Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The 737-900ER performing flight LY971 took 3...
Gabriel LeighQatar gets a win as ICJ rules in its favor over air blockade by neighbors
This week the UN’s International Court of Justice (ICJ) delivered a ruling that will come as good news to Qatar and its national airline Qatar Airways. It concerns the three year-old blockade of Qatar by four of its neighbors – and specifically the fact that they are blocking Qatar-registered aircraft from flying through their airspace. Read More
Gabriel LeighEmirates to restart A380 flights this week
Emirates will restart service with its Airbus A380s this week after nearly four months on the ground. Flights by the A380 will restart to London and Paris beginning 15 July with additional services to follow. At 115 aircraft, the Emirates A380 fleet is the largest in the world. Read More
Ian PetchenikPegasus Airlines flight 2193 overruns runway in Istanbul
Pegasus Airlines flight PC2193 from Izmir to Istanbul (SAW) suffered a runway excursion on landing and broke into multiple pieces after sliding down an embankment. The aircraft was landing in poor weather at the time. Over 150 people on board were taken to local hospitals and the airline confirmed that three people have died as … Read More
Ian PetchenikEtihad takes delivery of its special 787 ‘Greenliner’
Etihad Airways has taken delivery of its special 787-10 ‘Greenliner’ (A6-BMH). The ‘Greenliner’, which features a special livery, will be used to research sustainability initiatives while in service on regular routes. The delivery flight also explored three efficiency projects in conjunction with Boeing engineers to examine their impact on fuel consumption. Read More
Ian PetchenikUkrainian flight PS752 shot down shortly after take off from Tehran
Ukrainian International Airlines flight PS752 was shot down shortly after departure from Tehran early morning 8 January 2020. The flight departed Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport at 02:42 UTC (06:12 local time) and the last ADS-B signal was received by the Flightradar24 network at 02:44 UTC. Read More
Ian PetchenikUpdates on the commercial aviation situation in Iraq and Iran
In the early hours of 8 January 2020 local time, Iran launched missiles into Iraq over the busy commercial corridor in eastern Iraq. In response, some flights have diverted around Iraqi airspace and the US Federal Aviation Administration has issued NOTAMs prohibited US civil aviation from operating in Iraq, Iran, and over the Persian Gulf … Read More
Ian Petchenik
