The first Boeing 777 Freighter to enter Qatar Airways’ fleet has been placed into service after the Dohabased carrier took delivery of the aircraft on 17 May. “The 777 Freighter will expand on the great track record that Qatar Airways’ 777 passenger airplanes have established,” said Marlin Dailey, vice president of sales for Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Qatar Airways ordered three 777 Freighters in May 2006, for deployment on Far East and European routes. Qatar … [Read more...] about INDIA & MIDDLE EAST: First of three B777 Freighters joins Qatar’s fleet

Despite unarguably difficult times for the airline sector last year, the Emirates Group – comprising Emirates Airline, Dnata and their subsidiary companies – has posted a record profit increase of 248 per cent, posting a net profit for the financial year ended 31 March 2010 of AED 4.2 billion (US$ 1.1 billion). “It has been an exceptional year of continued profitability against a backdrop of the worst global recession in generations,” said His Highness … [Read more...] about INDIA & MIDDLE EAST: Emirates posts record profit increase

Mangalore airport’s new terminal building was inaugurated recently by India’s minister of state for civil aviation Praful Patel. Speaking to reporters at the event Patel said a proposal seeking international airport status for Mangalore would be placed before the cabinet in the near future. The new integrated terminal building was a pre-requisite for upgrading the status of the airport, he said adding that the other requirement is the availability of a 9,000 ft (2,743 … [Read more...] about INDIA & MIDDLE EAST: Mangalore to go int’l and get cargo complex

India’s Deccan 360 will hire a chief executive officer (CEO) and finalise its new business plan over the next two months as it prepares to expand operations after raising funds through a stake sale last month to Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL), its founder G.R. Gopinath said recently. At least nine candidates have been short-listed for the post of CEO to replace Jude E. Fonseka who was let go as part of a cost-cutting effort at the company. “We are looking for somebody … [Read more...] about INDIA & MIDDLE EAST: Deccan 360 hiring CEO, set to expand ops

Investigators have recovered the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) and Digital Flight Data Acquisition Unit (DFDAU) from the wreckage of the Air India Express aircraft that crashed while attempting to land at India’s Mangalore airport early in the morning on 22 May. The Boeing 737-800 was en route from Dubai when it overshot the runway and crashed in a ravine at the end of Runway 24 at Mangalore Airport in southern India before bursting into flames. There are eight survivors from the … [Read more...] about INDIA & MIDDLE EAST: Air India Express ‘black boxes’ recovered

A B747 freighter was diverted to Adelaide, Australia last month after smoke was reported in the cockpit. The aircraft, operated by Southern Air, had been flying from Sydney to Kuala Lumpur when the pilot diverted to Adelaide Airport. Airservices Australia had firefighters on standby after the pilot raised the alarm but they were not needed and Qantas engineers in Adelaide subsequently checked the aircraft. … [Read more...] about AUSTRALIA & NZ: Smoke forces B747F diversion to Adelaide