JERUSALEM, Nov 26 (Reuters) – Israel on Friday imposed a travel ban on most African states, after reporting cases of a new and potentially vaccine-resistant coronavirus variant first detected in South Africa.

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett widened a banannounced on Thursday on the entry of foreigners from seven African countries and travel to them.

“We are currently on the verge of a state of emergency,” he said, adding that the B.1.1.529 variant had “arrived at a very complicated time”, coinciding with the Hanukkah vacation when children, mostly unvaccinated, are out of school.

Bennett said a few cases had been reported in Israel, including at least person who had already received a vaccine booster shot.

“That doesn’t mean the vaccines are no good (against the new variant). It might mean they are effective to a certain degree,” said Bennett, who met Israeli health experts before the travel edicts were announced.

Under the broader restrictions, all African nations, except those in North Africa, were added to Israel’s “red list” of high-risk countries.

Other authorities including in the EU and Britain also reacted with alarm to the new variant, while the World Health Organisation (WHO)cautioned countries against hastily imposing travel restrictions, favouring a “risk-based and scientific approach”. 

Bennett told journalists a national lockdown was not an option at the moment, though Israel’s coronavirus panel of experts would reconvene on Saturday night to discuss possible additional measures.

Israel has recorded 1.3 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 and more than 8,000 fatalities since the pandemic began.

Around 43% of Israel’s population of 9.4 million have received three doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

Source: Reuters

Rwanda will effective Sunday, November 28, reinstate the mandatory 24-hour quarantine for all arriving passengers as officials move to control potential entry and spread of the new deadly Covid-19 variant detected in Southern Africa.

The health ministry announced Friday that the government would soon issue additional measures in a bid “to limit the spread of the new variant and protect gains made so far in managing the Covid-19 pandemic and reopening the economy.”

“The health ministry is reinstating the obligatory 24-hour quarantine in designated hotels at own expense for all persons arriving into Rwanda effective Sunday, November 28 , 2021 at noon,” reads the statement in part. It further calls on members of the public, including vaccinated people to strictly observe Covid-19 preventive measures.

Months of the Covid-19 lull that enabled lifting of almost all restrictions on movement, gatherings and near full reopening of economic activities had seen fully vaccinated travellers no longer required to quarantine at hotels on arrival in Rwanda.

A PCR test for all arriving passengers was, however, required.

Arriving and departing passengers at Kigali International airport equally present a negative PCR test taken with 72 hours prior to departure.

With over 3.1 million people fully vaccinated and 5.9 million people jabbed with the first shot as at Friday, November 26, the number of people who got the full doses of Covid-19 vaccine represent 21 percent.

Rwandan government recently extended the mass vaccination campaign to teens under eighteen years in a bid to further accelerate the uptake of the jab.

The country has not detected any case of the new variant to date but officials remain on high alert. The national carrier RwandAir flies to South Africa which is among the countries where the variant was first detected.

Rwanda recorded eight new Covid-19 cases Friday out of 12,065 tests conducted.  More than 115 new cases were confirmed in 84,028 tests taken over the last seven days with the positivity rate remaining below one per cent.  The country recorded only two Covid-19 linked deaths over the past week.

Health minister Daniel Ngamije said existing diagnostic capacity using PCR testing was up to task to detect the new Covid-19 variant, therefore won’t require infrastructure upgrades.

Source: The East African

South Africa on Friday slammed as “rushed” Britain’s travel ban from six southern African countries, following the discovery of a new Covid-19 variant with a large number of mutations.

Just hours after scientists in South Africa announced they had detected a new variant, Britain said all flights from South Africa and its neighbours Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Zimbabwe and Botswana would be prohibited starting 1200 GMT on Friday.

“Whilst South Africa respects the right of all countries to take the necessary precautionary measures to protect their citizens, the UK’s decision to temporarily ban South Africans from entering the UK seems to have been rushed as even the World Health Organization is yet to advise on the next steps,” the foreign ministry said in a statement Friday.

The ministry said it would speak to the UK government to try persuade it to reconsider its decision.

South Africa has in recent days experienced a surge in infections — recording 2,465 new infections in a 24-hour cycle on Thursday — nearly double the previous day’s tally.

Scientists blamed the spike in infections on the variant, which goes by the scientific label B.1.1.529.

The number of fatalities shot to 114 on Thursday from 22 the previous day, in Africa’s hardest-hit country.

In the meantime, Britain, which has been among the hardest hit by Covid-19, recorded more than 47,000 positive cases in a 24-hour period to Thursday.

South Africa was hoping for increased tourist numbers during its southern hemisphere summer and year-end festive season after the UK removed it from its “red list” in October, which had forced travellers into a pricey hotel quarantine on their arrival in Britain.

“Our immediate concern is the damage that this decision will cause to both the tourism industries and businesses of both countries,” bemoaned South Africa’s international relations and cooperation minister Naledi Pandor.

Source: AFP

Kenya has not banned travel to southern Africa but its Ministry of Health says it will carefully screen people arriving from South Africa, Botswana, and Hong Kong for the new COVID variant discovered in South Africa.

The Kenyan government directs passengers arriving from southern African countries to take the COVID test before being allowed into the country.

South Africa and Botswana have reported a new variant in their countries that scientists say is highly transmittable and vaccine resistant.

Kenya’s Director General for Health Patrick Amoth told VOA his country is on high alert to combat the new variant.

“We are working to ensure that our surveillance system is top-notch and looking specifically at people coming from South Africa, Botswana and Hong Kong to put them through a robust surveillance system,” said Amoth. “We insist on having you fully vaccinated before you come to the country. And you also need to have a negative PCR test taken 96 hours before your arrival in the country.”

This week, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta traveled to South Africa, where he signed deals to boost trade and economic cooperation between the two countries,

To combat the spread of the virus in the population, the East African nation launched a ten-day mass vaccination campaign Friday. Kenya has vaccinated at least 6.5 million people.

Amoth says they have enough vaccines to inoculate even more.

“It’s part of the ongoing vaccination process and we wanted to scale up in view of the events that are happening in Europe and the rest of the world,” said Amoth. “So to ensure we reach herd immunity and the entire population is protected and now we have more vaccines available we thought to be able to scale up so that we can be able to reach more people.”

Amoth expressed confidence that more Kenyans will get vaccinated.

“For example, yesterday we vaccinated close to 111,000 people from the previous daily rate of about 50,000-60,000,” said Amoth. “So Kenyans are enthusiastic to be able to take the vaccine and also now this emerging information we believe will sway the public opinion towards going for the vaccine instead of vaccine hesitancy.”

Kenya has a policy of not providing government services to unvaccinated people as a way of encouraging them to get inoculated. Kenya hopes to vaccinate 10 million people by the end of the year.

Source: VOA

Hundreds of passengers from South Africa were being held at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam on Friday after the Netherlands imposed new travel restrictions amid concerns over an aggressive mutation of the novel coronavirus.

The European Union and other major destinations, including the United States and Canada, have moved to block flights from African countries following the discovery of the Omicron variant, echoing previous emergency responses that triggered a global freeze on travel.

Two flights from South Africa, one from Cape Town and one from Johannesburg, landed Friday late morning local time at Schiphol, an airport spokesman said. The passengers had to remain on board the flight while a separate, secure location in the airport was being located and are waiting to be tested, he said.

The spokesman estimated the two flights were carrying between 400 and 600 passengers between them. Given the large number of travelers involved, “it will take time to test everyone,” he said.

The new strain has so far been detected in South Africa, Botswana, and in two travelers quarantining in Hong Kong. A case has also been reported in Belgium.

European Union states have agreed to introduce temporary restrictions on all travel into the EU from southern Africa over the new coronavirus variant, the bloc said Friday. The countries concerned are Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zimbabwe, EU Commission spokesman Eric Mamer said.

Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden will restrict travel from South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique and Malawi starting Monday, administration officials told CNN.

Biden told the press he had “decided we’re going to be cautious” about the variant. “We don’t know a lot about the variant except that it is a big concern and seems to spread rapidly,” he said.

Canada will be “banning the entry of foreign nationals… that have traveled through southern Africa in the last 14 days,” due to the Omicron variant, Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos told a press conference on Friday.

Anyone who has traveled through southern Africa in the last 14 days should get a Covid-19 test and quarantine until they get a negative test result, said Duclos. The countries include South Africa, Mozambique, Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Lesotho and Eswatini, he said.

“Canadians and permanent residents and those with a right of entry into Canada will be tested on arrival, [and] they will quarantine until they get the result of a negative test,” according to Duclos.

The United Kingdom, Japan, Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Jordan are also among those imposing restrictions on flights and travelers from southern African nations in light of the new variant.

The World Health Organization announced Friday it had designated the newly identified variant, B.1.1.529, as a variant of concern, named Omicron.

While only dozens of cases have been identified so far, news of the variant, which has around double the amount of mutations as the Delta variant, is already sparking fears around the world.

On Friday, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) warned against travel bans, stressing such restrictions are “not a long-term solution” when it comes to managing coronavirus variants.

“Governments are responding to the risks of the new coronavirus variant in emergency mode causing fear among the traveling public. As quickly as possible we must use the experience of the last two years to move to a coordinated data-driven approach that finds safe alternatives to border closures and quarantine,” said IATA Director General Willie Walsh in a statement.

Tourism fears

The cascade of closures began late Thursday as the UK announced it would be temporarily suspending flights from South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lesotho and Eswatini, with Health Secretary Sajid Javid describing the variant as the “worst ever” strain of the virus.

The move prompted the South African government to issue a statement describing the UK’s decision as “rushed,” and expressed concern about the damage it would cause to “both the tourism industries and businesses of both countries.”

In the hours since, Japan has tightened border controls for travelers from the same six countries, bringing in a 10-day quarantine beginning 12 a.m. November 27.

Meanwhile, Germany planned to declare South Africa a “virus variant area” from Friday night, which will mean airlines may only enter from the country to repatriate German citizens.

Fellow EU nations Austria, France, Italy, the Netherlands and Malta have all announced imminent entry bans to all travelers who’ve entered South Africa, Lesotho, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Namibia and Eswatini in the past two weeks.

KLM said passengers will only be allowed on flights from South Africa to the Netherlands if they comply with the entry restrictions imposed by the Dutch government.

The entry ban does not apply to people with Dutch passports, EU citizens, Schengen Area residents, medical emergency staff, airline staff and people traveling under exceptional circumstances, such as family emergencies.

French Health Minister Olivier Véran said the “rapid” circulation of the variant in South Africa “means that it’s probably contagious or very contagious,” justifying France’s precautionary stance.

After Belgium reported one person recently arrived from Egypt had tested positive for B.1.1.529, France said it was “reinforcing” control at its border with Belgium.

Singapore has opted to ban all non-residents from Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe from entering, while nationals and permanent residents returning from any of these countries will be required to serve a 10-day stay home notice (SHN). Malaysia and the Philippines have taken similar steps.

Dubai will restrict travelers originating from or transiting from the same seven African countries starting Monday until further notice, Emirates airline said, citing Dubai’s Covid-19 Command and Control Center.

Outbound passenger flights from Dubai to the countries listed are permitted, however, the Emirates statement said.

Saudi Arabia on Friday announced a temporary suspension of flights to and from South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Lesotho and Eswatini, and urged both citizens and residents to avoid travel to the region until further notice.

Meanwhile, Jordan has announced any Jordanians arriving from several countries including South Africa will have to go into government quarantine for 14 days, according to a report Friday by Jordanian public broadcaster Al Mamlaka TV.

Non-Jordanians traveling from South Africa, Lesotho, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Namibia, Eswatini and Botswana will only be allowed entry if they spend 14 days outside those countries in a third country, Al Mamlaka TV said, citing the country’s Interior Ministry. The new measures will go into effect Sunday.

Turkey has issued a travel ban from five African countries — Botswana, South Africa, Mozambique, Namibia and Zimbabwe — as of Friday night, Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said on Twitter.

The developments have led to speculation that strict curbs on travel brought in at the start of the pandemic could be on their way back.

The trade group representing major US airlines said it has “many unanswered questions” about the Biden administration’s travel restrictions.

“We remain in communication with the US government as specifics remain unknown at this time and there are many unanswered questions,” Airlines for America spokesman Carter Yang said. “Amid this rapidly evolving situation, it is critical that US government decisions regarding international travel restrictions and requirements be rooted in science.”

Delta Air Lines said it will not stop service to and from South Africa. United Airlines said it will not scale back its service to Johannesburg and will restart its route to Cape Town next week as planned.

Source: CNN Travel

Air Tanzania has announced plans to launch direct flights to Nairobi, Bujumbura and Lubumbashi in November this year.

The airline says it will operate two daily flights from Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam to Nairobi, with effect from 26th November 2021.

The airline will then start flying to Burundi starting from 8th November 8, in addition to operating three flights a week to Ndola in Zambia and the eastern DR Congo city of Lubumbashi, respectively, starting 18th November 2021.

Air Tanzania is the flag carrier airline of Tanzania, based in Dar es Salaam with its hub at Julius Nyerere International Airport. It currently operates 12 domestic routes, namely Zanzibar, Arusha, Kilimanjaro, Mwanza, Geita, Bukoba, Kigoma, Mpanda, Mbeya, Tabora, Dodoma, and Songea.

Internationally, the airline flies to Uganda, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Comoros, India, and China.

The airline recently acquired two Airbus A220-300 aircraft with a capacity of 132 passengers and take-off weight of 68.9 tonnes, raising its fleet of A220s to four, and boosting its plan to introduce more international routes.

The Tanzanian government has ordered four new planes to boost its national carrier’s capability in Africa and abroad.

On Tuesday, at the 2021 Dubai Airshow, Boeing and Tanzania announced an order of a 787-8 Dreamliner, a 767-300 Freighter and two 737 MAX jets.

The airplanes, valued at more than $726 million at list prices, will be operated by Air Tanzania.

The planes will help expand service from the country to new markets across Africa, Asia and Europe.

“Our flagship 787 Dreamliner is popular with our passengers, providing unrivalled in-flight comfort and ultra-efficiency for our long-haul growth,” said Air Tanzania CEO Ladislaus Matindi.

Mr Matindi said the introduction of the 737 MAX and 767 Freighter will give Air Tanzania exceptional capability and flexibility to meet passenger and cargo demand within Africa and beyond.

Based in Dar es Salaam, the carrier will expand its current fleet of 787s, leveraging the new 737s for its regional network and the 767 Freighter to capitalise on Africa’s burgeoning cargo demand.

Boeing senior vice president of Commercial Sales & Marketing, Ihssane Mounir, said the procurement of the four airplanes will boost air travel for the Tanzanian national carrier.

“Africa is the third fastest-growing region worldwide for air travel, and Air Tanzania is well-positioned to increase connectivity and expand tourism throughout Tanzania. We are honoured that Air Tanzania has chosen Boeing for its fleet modernisation programme by adding an additional 787 and introducing the 737 MAX and the 767 Freighter into its expanding network,” Mr Mounir said.

Boeing’s 2021 Commercial Market Outlook forecasts that, by 2040, Africa’s airlines will require 1,030 new airplanes valued at $160 billion and aftermarket services such as manufacturing and repair worth $235 billion, supporting growth in air travel and economies across the continent.

Boeing’s heritage in Africa began more than 75 years ago, with more than 60 airline customers operating as many as 500 Boeing airplanes.

Boeing has an office in Johannesburg, South Africa, in addition to field service representatives supporting commercial customers across the continent.

As a leading global aerospace company, Boeing develops, manufactures and services commercial airplanes, defense products and space systems for customers in more than 150 countries.

As a top US exporter, the company leverages the talents of a global supplier base to advance economic opportunity, sustainability and community impact. Boeing’s diverse team is committed to innovating for the future and living the company’s core values of safety, quality and integrity.

Source: The East African

The global aviation industry is showing signs of recovery as more countries open their borders with an increase in the rate of vaccinations, giving hope to the sector that was hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic.

International Air Travel Association (IATA) says the sector recorded an 18 percent growth in September when compared with the previous month, coming as good news to the sector.

Major economies across the world including the US, India, China and a host of European countries have opened up their borders to tourists.

Last month, the US announced that it had started allowing fully vaccinated tourists following months of restriction, with India following suit this week.

“Air travel picked up in September, after a slight deterioration in the previous month,” said IATA.

“Vaccination rates have been rising around the world, albeit slowly. Nearly half of the global population has received at least one vaccine dose as of October, but large differences remain across advanced and emerging markets,” the agency added.

The latest developments in key demand drivers and travel bookings indicate that air travel recovery will continue, although any significant improvement looks unlikely before the year-end, according to IATA.

According to Kenya’s Ministry of Health, a total of 5,997,816 vaccines had so far been administered across the country as of Sunday. Of these, 3,887,459 are partially vaccinated while those fully vaccinated are 2,110,357.

The relaxation of Covid-19 protocols has seen Kenya Airways ramp up its frequencies to a number of countries in the last couple of weeks.

For instance, the airline has increased flights to Ethiopia from four to seven a week, DRC from five previously to eight, Dare salaam and Entebbe from 14 to 16.

“All this (increase in frequencies) is occasioned by demand increase due to relaxation of travel restrictions by many countries,” said KQ.

The national carrier has so far resumed flights to India and UK with increased frequencies to London after Kenya was removed from the red list, which had barred travellers from Kenya to go to Britain.

The government announced last week that Kenya’s aviation market had picked up by 90 percent as the sector is recording a steady growth in air travel following the effects of Covid-19 that slowed down the industry.

Principal Secretary for Transport Joseph Njoroge said the sector is now recording an improvement in traffic and the aviation industry has begun the process of recovery.

“In Kenya our domestic market is vibrant and we are at 90 percent compared to the levels in 2019. International traffic has also picked up to 71 percent,” said Mr Njoroge.

Freight business, however, has been growing faster than the passenger segment of aviation due to high demand for cargo with Africa recording the highest growth globally in September.

Data from IATA indicates that Africa recorded a 34.6 percent growth in the review period to mark a ninth consecutive increment on month to month.

The volumes, according to IATA, are 20 percent above the pre-crisis 2019 levels but have been trending sideways for the past six months.

All the regions across the world saw their cargo volumes increase, an indicator that the aviation sector is now more dependent on cargo in the wake of dwindling number of passengers seeking air travel.

Source: Business Daily

During the first week of October, when the Taliban takeover of the country and the ensuing chaos were still fresh in the minds of Expo 2020 Dubai visitors, the Afghanistan pavilion found itself in a conspicuous position despite being closed.

However, the unit has been open since then, thanks in part to the support of the host government. It is the same story for the pavilions of Lebanon, Yemen, Syria and the Bahamas.

On display inside the Afghanistan pavilion, located in the Sustainability District, is an impressive collection of carpets, precious stones, daggers, antique jewelry and traditional attire — totems of a country with a diverse cultural heritage, the result of being a crossroads of many civilizations and empires for centuries.

The collection belongs to Omar Rahimy, who fled Afghanistan in 1978 at the urging of his father to escape the turmoil that followed the communist takeover. When Rahimy left for Austria, he took items from his father’s antiques shop in Kabul, which have now found their way to the expo pavilion.

The opening of the Afghanistan pavilion was the result of efforts by the UAE government, coupled with the commitment and dedication of Rahimy himself, sources told Arab News.

While the host government provided generous support, Rahimy went out of his way to prevent the pavilion falling victim to the vagaries of Afghanistan’s politics.

The rationale behind underwriting the construction and maintenance of pavilions of states in the grip of severe economic or governance crisis is to avoid any country going unrepresented at Expo 2020 Dubai, the latest iteration of a global event that aims to educate the public, share innovation, promote progress and foster cooperation.

It is part of the expo’s mission to make sure all the world’s 192 countries (as designated by the UN) are present in Dubai through their own specially designed pavilion.

As a result, Expo 2020 Dubai can justifiably claim to be the first ever World Expo in which all nations are represented and where no participating entity is at a disadvantage in terms of opportunity and economic possibility.

Like Afghanistan, Lebanon’s inclusion is a remarkable feat given the political, economic and social challenges the country faces, which run from power outages, fuel shortages and civil unrest to the collapse of the central banking system

Inside the Lebanon pavilion, located in the Opportunity District, are showpieces of the country’s rich creative scene, including artworks, design objects, crafts, fashion and food.

“Our pavilion space and its construction took place thanks to a generous grant from the UAE to Lebanon,” Mohammed Abu Haider, Lebanon’s director general at the Ministry of Economy, said.

“It wasn’t a surprise to us because the UAE has always stood by Lebanon and its people through good and bad times. We are truly thankful, especially since without this grant Lebanon would have been unrepresented at the world’s largest expo.”

The pavilion provides a platform for Lebanon’s manufacturers and dealers to network as well as explore new avenues of trade and cooperation.

“Being situated in the Opportunities District of the expo allows Lebanon to meet other cultures, visions and success stories in order to tap into every available opportunity that can benefit the Lebanese economy and the Lebanese people,” Abu Haider said.

Syria’s pavilion is another case in point. Located in the Sustainability District, the structure pays homage to the country’s heritage as the cradle of some of the world’s earliest known alphabets and musical notation, alongside contemporary arts and designs under the theme “We will rise together.”

The UAE paid for the entire pavilion.

“Syria has been going through a crisis since the civil war started in 2011,” Hala Khayat, adviser to the Syrian pavilion, said.

“Participating in Expo 2020 Dubai was a dream that, as a nation, we did not originally think possible because we had internal issues to solve. However, thanks to the generosity of the UAE that paid for the pavilion, we were lucky to open a new chapter to show the best of Syria to the world.”

Through its pledge of “one nation, one pavilion,” the UAE made available architectural and design guidance to make sure that every country is represented.

Often at global events, participation is dependent on a nation’s economic means and cultural influence. Those that come up short tend to get relegated to the sidelines or excluded altogether.

“At the Milan Expo in 2015, I remember how most African countries were placed in a large hall with no distinct features,” Ahmed Al-Enezi, senior manager for arts and culture at Expo 2020, said.

“It’s an incredible feat that the UAE has allowed for every country to be represented no matter what economic hardship and conflicts they are undergoing.”

Expo 2020’s mission is to offer a global platform for “cross-pollination” between cultures, Maha Al-Gargawi, an Expo 2020 Dubai spokesperson, said.

“There are 192 countries participating which not only makes this the most international World Expo, but the most inclusive,” she said.

It is not just the UAE’s Middle Eastern and Central Asian neighbors who have benefited from grants and support. Take the Bahamas, an archipelago and country on the northwestern edge of the West Indies.

Although the Bahamas is well known for its luxury tourism and offshore-banking industries, its economy is grappling with an unprecedented crisis wrought by a combination of natural disasters and the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The Bahamas originally started as a self-build participant in Expo 2020 Dubai to construct a 15,000 sq ft pavilion in conjunction with architectural students from the University of the Bahamas,” Tony S. Joudi, the Bahamian ambassador to the UAE and Qatar, said.

“But since the time of that commitment, a major hurricane hit the Bahamas and caused severe devastation to our economy’s infrastructure and left thousands of people dead with many others homeless.

“This was followed in 2020 by the COVID pandemic which didn’t spare the Bahamas and thus caused another major setback in the health system, adding a further dent to the economy and devastating the lives of the Bahamian people.”

Located in the Sustainability District, the pavilion’s message is tied to Expo 2020 Dubai’s collective vision of working in harmony with the environment to live more sustainably.

“The UAE has been extremely supportive, generous, and passionate about our cause and helped the Bahamas in many ways … granting all the rights and privileges given to any friend in need,” said Joudi.

Al-Gargawi, the Expo 2020 Dubai spokesperson, put it this way: “Every country has a voice, and every country has an equal standing here. It’s the first time in World Expo history that countries are not segregated by their economy or their geography. It’s one nation for one pavilion unit.

“This stems from the vision of the leaders of the UAE who believe that the city of Dubai and the UAE is a platform for the whole world and that is what Expo 2020 tried to do.”

Source: Arab News

Global aircraft manufacturers secured deals, touted new freighters, reconnected with customers and expressed optimism about the future at the Dubai Airshow that ended on Thursday amid signs of recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic that has hammered the aviation industry.

The world’s first major aerospace exhibition in two years since the onset of the pandemic concluded after a week in which dozens of multibillion-dollar commercial and military deals were signed, while aviation industry players emphasised their efforts at addressing climate change concerns.

The National provides a round-up of the biennial event’s highlights.

Airbus received orders and commitments for 408 aircraft, comprising 269 firm orders and 139 provisional orders, covering the range of its commercial aircraft families, including a first commitment for the new A350 freighter version.

The manufacturer, based in Toulouse, France, bagged a major order for narrow-body jets from private equity company Indigo Partners. The group’s airlines placed a firm order for 255 A321 Neo family aircraft, valued at $32 billion at 2018 list prices, although customer discounts are customary. The order includes 102 planes for Europe’s Wizz Air (75 A321 Neos and 27 A321XLRs), 91 A321 Neo aircraft for US-based Frontier, 39 A321 Neos for Volaris and 23 aircraft for JetSMART (21 A321 Neo and two A321XLRs).

The European plane maker also won a debut commitment for seven A350 freighter jets from US leasing company Air Lease Corp, as the global air cargo market booms.

The letter of intent for the 111 jets included 25 A220-300s, 55 A321 Neos, 20 A321XLRs, four A330 Neo wide-bodies and seven A350 freighters. The order will be finalised in coming months, Airbus said, without providing a deal value.

Kuwait’s Jazeera Airways placed an order for 28 A321 Neos and the option for five more jets in a deal worth $3.4bn at list prices, while Nigeria’s Ibom Air became a new Airbus customer with a firm order for 10 A220s.

On the third day of the air show, US rival Boeing scored an order for 72 737 Max jets valued at nearly $9bn at list prices. Smaller deals included an order by Air Tanzania for the 787-8 Dreamliner, a 767-300 freighter and two 737 Maxs. Emirates ordered two 777 freighters. Sky One FZE announced a sales agreement for three 777-300 planes.

Best things to see

Boeing’s mammoth 777X, the world’s biggest passenger jet, dominated the skyline of the air show’s static display, looming large with its signature wings and a queue of visitors waiting to see the interior. The international debut of the long-delayed aircraft came as customer Emirates and Boeing held discussions at the event about the timeframe to deliver the aircraft.

Russia displayed a prototype of its new fifth-generation warplane, the Sukhoi Su-75 Checkmate, for the first time outside the country.

State-owned Rostec revealed a perfume to commemorate the Checkmate’s international debut in a YouTube video.

“Checkmate is a fifth-generation fragrance for masters of the game,” the video says, revealing the Checkmate aircraft against the outline of a black knight chess piece. A full-size bottle appears through the rotating metal engine blades, a gift box unfolds into a black-and-white chessboard to highlight the slogan ‘Turn the Chessboard’.

Russia presented the Checkmate as a cost-efficient fighter jet with flight speeds of Mach 1.8 and a range of 2,800 to 2,900 kilometres.

Military spending

The UAE’s Ministry of Defence announced 22 deals worth Dh22.5bn during the first four days of the air show, awarded to local and international companies, according to its official Twitter account.

Abu Dhabi-based defence conglomerate Edge, whose exhibitor stand was among the biggest at the site, signed a slew of deals during the event. The latest included an agreement with weapons maker Israel Aerospace Industries to jointly develop advanced unmanned surface vessels for military and commercial use.

Airbus sold two additional Airbus A330 multi role tanker transports to the UAE Air Force and Air Defence, and secured a new export order for two A400M new generation airlifters from the Indonesian Ministry of Defence.

Emirates

The Dubai-based airline had a busy week at the air show. It signed an agreement with GE Aviation committing to develop a programme under which an Emirates Boeing 777-300ER powered by GE90 engines will conduct a test flight using 100 per cent sustainable aviation fuel by the end of 2022. The collaboration is expected to show how widebody commercial aircraft using jet fuel made from alternative sources can lower lifecycle CO2 emissions, it said.

Emirates SkyCargo announced that it will introduce two new Boeing 777 freighters into its fleet in 2022, and signed an agreement with Israel Aerospace Industries for the conversion of four Boeing 777-300ER passenger aircraft into full freighters, starting in early 2023.

The airline said at the air show that it will retrofit 105 of its Boeing 777 and A380 aircraft with its Premium Economy cabin. The entire 18-month retrofit programme, starting in 2022, will take place in its home base in Dubai.

During the show, Emirates was engaged in positive talks with Boeing regarding the delivery time and supply chain for the 777X programme, said Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed, chairman and chief executive of Emirates airline and group.

When asked if state-owned Emirates could be among the 10 government entities that Dubai plans to list on its bourse, Sheikh Ahmed said: “We have successful businesses within the group that can be [listed].”

Etihad Airways

Sustainability was top of the agenda for the Abu Dhabi-based carrier at the show. Etihad Airways, which has been focused on its fleet of GEnX-powered Boeing 787’s under its Greenliner sustainability programme, will now include the Rolls-Royce XWB-powered Airbus A350 fleet. The first of Etihad’s A350s, launched at the air show as the “Sustainability50”, marks the airline’s commitment to the 2050 target of net-zero carbon emissions.

Aviation outlook for the Middle East

Middle East airlines will require 3,020 new passenger and freight aircraft deliveries by 2040, according to the 2021 Airbus Global Market Forecast launched at the show. This will bring the total fleet to 3,210 from a 2019 fleet baseline of 1,300 aircraft.

Airbus forecasts that air traffic in the Middle East will achieve full recovery to 2019 levels between late 2022 and mid 2024.

Source: The National News