NEWS UPDATENEWS UPDATE || FACTS & FIGURESFACTS & FIGURES || IN-DEPTH ANALYSISIN-DEPTH ANALYSIS || TRADE COLUMNSTRADE COLUMNS INDUSTRY GATHERS The 2019 Aviation Business Awards PROJECT SUNRISE Dawn of ultra long-haul fl ights on the horizon AN ITP MEDIA GROUP PUBLIC ATION THE MAGAZINE FOR AVIATION EXECUTIVES IN THE MIDDLE EAST | VOLUME 18 ISSUE 11 NOVEMBER 2019 FUTURE FOCUS Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury on paving the way for point-to-point travel and the unfolding role of the A380 Download the free Aviation Business app and be the fi rst to read the latest issue on your mobile devices. DUBAI AIRSHOW WHAT TO EXPECT AT THE REGION’S BIGGEST AVIATION EVENT CUTIVESESSESESESESSSSESSSSSSESESESSSSSESSSSSSEESSSSESESESSSSSEESSSSSSEEESSSESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSESSSSSESSS IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTHTHHTHTHHTHTHTHTHHTHTHTHTTTTTTTTTHTHHHHTHHTHHTTTTTHHHTHHHHTTTTTHHTHTHTHHTTTHHHHTTTTTTHTHHHHTTTTTTTTHTTTTTTHTHHTTTHHHHTTTTTHTTHHTHHTTTHHTTTTTHHTTTTTHHTTTHHHTHTTHHTTHHTTHEEEEEEEEEEEEE EE E EE MIMIMMIMMIIMMMIMMIIIDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDLELLELLLEEEELLLELLELELELELELELELLELEEEELELEELLELELLEEEEEEEELEE EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEASASASASASASASASAAASSSSSSSSSSSAAASASASASASAASSSSSAAASASSSAAASSAAAASSSASASASASSASASSSASASAASSAAAASSTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| UUUMMEMMMMEMMMMMEMEMEMEEMEEMEEMEEEMMMMEMEMMEMEMEMEEEMMEEEEMMEEEEEEMEMEEMEMEMEMEEEMMEMEMEMEEMEMMMMMEMMMEMMEMMEMM1111111111111111111111111111111888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 ISISISISIISISISISISISSISISISSSSISISIISISISISSISSIISISSSSISIISISSISISSSISSSISISISSSSISISISISISISISISISISSIISSSISISIISSSSSIIIISSSSIISSSSISIIIISISISISSSSSIISISSISSISSIIIIIISSSUSSSSSSSUSUSUSSSUSUUUUUSUSUSSUSUSUUSSSSSSUSUUUUSSSSSSSSSSSUSSSSUSUUUSSSSUUSSSSUUUSSSUUSSSUSSSSSUUSSSSSSSUSSSSSSSUSSSSUUUUSSSUUUSSSUSUSSSSUSUUSSSSSSSSSSSSSUSUUUSSSSSSSUEVVVVVOVVVVVVOVOVOVOVOVOVOVOOVOVOVOVOVOVOVVVVVVVOVOVOVOVOVVVVOVVVVVOVVOOVOVOVVVVVVOOVOVVVVOOVOOVOOVOVOVVVOVOVOVOOOVOVOVVVOVOOOOOVVOVVVVOOVLULULULULLULLULLLUUULULUUUULLULLLLUUUULUULULUUULLUULUUUUULULUULULULULULULULULULULULUMM11OUT OF SIGHT. INSIGHT. In the air and everywhere. Round-the-clock service representatives, a growing global network, full-flight data, and an app that tracks your orders – solutions have never been more clear. enginewise.com3 November 2019 · AVIATION BUSINESS www.aviationbusinessme.com CONTENTS November 2019 Volume 18 Issue 11 NEWS UPDATENEWS UPDATE || FACTS & FIGURESFACTS & FIGURES || IN-DEPTH ANALYSISIN-DEPTH ANALYSIS || TRADE COLUMNSTRADE COLUMNS INDUSTRY GATHERS The 2019 Aviation Business Awards PROJECT SUNRISE Dawn of ultra long-haul fl ights on the horizon AN ITP MEDIA GROUP PUBLIC ATION THE MAGAZINE FOR AVIATION EXECUTIVES IN THE MIDDLE EAST | VOLUME 18 ISSUE 11 NOVEMBER 2019 FUTURE FOCUS Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury on paving the way for point-to-point travel and the unfolding role of the A380 Download the free Aviation Business app and be the fi rst to read the latest issue on your mobile devices. DUBAI AIRSHOW WHAT TO EXPECT AT THE REGION’S BIGGEST AVIATION EVENT CUTIVESESSESESESESSSSESSSSSSESESESSSSSESSSSSSEESSSSESESESSSSSEESSSSSSEEESSSESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSESSSSSESSS IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTHTHHTHTHHTHTHTHTHHTHTHTHTTTTTTTTTHTHHHHTHHTHHTTTTTHHHTHHHHTTTTTHHTHTHTHHTTTHHHHTTTTTTHTHHHHTTTTTTTTHTTTTTTHTHHTTTHHHHTTTTTHTTHHTHHTTTHHTTTTTHHTTTTTHHTTTHHHTHTTHHTTHHTTHEEEEEEEEEEEEE EE E EE MIMIMMIMMIIMMMIMMIIIDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDLELLELLLEEEELLLELLELELELELELELELLELEEEELELEELLELELLEEEEEEEELEE EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEASASASASASASASASAAASSSSSSSSSSSAAASASASASASAASSSSSAAASASSSAAASSAAAASSSASASASASSASASSSASASAASSAAAASSTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| UUUMMEMMMMEMMMMMEMEMEMEEMEEMEEMEEEMMMMEMEMMEMEMEMEEEMMEEEEMMEEEEEEMEMEEMEMEMEMEEEMMEMEMEMEEMEMMMMMEMMMEMMEMMEMM1111111111111111111111111111111888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 ISISISISIISISISISISISSISISISSSSISISIISISISISSISSIISISSSSISIISISSISISSSISSSISISISSSSISISISISISISISISISISSIISSSISISIISSSSSIIIISSSSIISSSSISIIIISISISISSSSSIISISSISSISSIIIIIISSSUSSSSSSSUSUSUSSSUSUUUUUSUSUSSUSUSUUSSSSSSUSUUUUSSSSSSSSSSSUSSSSUSUUUSSSSUUSSSSUUUSSSUUSSSUSSSSSUUSSSSSSSUSSSSSSSUSSSSUUUUSSSUUUSSSUSUSSSSUSUUSSSSSSSSSSSSSUSUUUSSSSSSSUEVVVVVOVVVVVVOVOVOVOVOVOVOVOOVOVOVOVOVOVOVVVVVVVOVOVOVOVOVVVVOVVVVVOVVOOVOVOVVVVVVOOVOVVVVOOVOOVOOVOVOVVVOVOVOVOOOVOVOVVVOVOOOOOVVOVVVVOOVLULULULULLULLULLLUUULULUUUULLULLLLUUUULUULULUUULLUULUUUUULULUULULULULULULULULULULULUMM11 Flydubai cuts losses as it grapples with 737 MAX grounding Over 100 operators instructed to inspect 737 NGs after ‘cracking issues’ Etihad Cargo targets major US gateways in winter schedule plan Saudia’s fi rst 787-10 Dreamliner arrives on the tarmac SpiceJet evaluating deal for 100 Airbus jets in wake of Max troubles IATA launches campaign to advance gender diversity by 2025 Joramco marks fi rst in certifi cation for MENA region 8 8 9 9 10 11 12 AIRLINE NAVIGATING EMIRATES Sir Tim Clark must guide airline through Thomas Cook fallout MRO ETIHAD ENGINEERING Exploring what makes the ME’s largest MRO provider tick 16 AVB AWARDS ON THE RED CARPET Shots from the glamarous red carpet at this year’s Aviation Business Awards 32 COVER STORY FUTURE FOCUS Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury is not allowing the manufacturer’s plans for the fu- ture of avitation to be derailed by industry pressures THE FRONT 18 16 14November 2019 · AVIATION BUSINESS CONTENTS 4 www.aviationbusinessme.com RESEARCH FIRST LOOK DEPARTURE Historic 19-hour research fl ight touches down in Sydney Qantas to overhaul 12 A380 cabins as it prolongs jet’s life Captain Tilmann Gabriel offers views on sustainability 24 56 58 AVIATION PARTNERS SHOW PREVIEW DUBAI AIRSHOW 2019 Your exclusive guide with all the information you need to know for the region’s largest aviation expo PROCUREMENT SHOW BUYER’S GUIDE A look at the most sought-after kit and exhibitors set to impress at this year’s Dubai Airshow 50 INDUSTRY EXCLLENCE AVB AWARDS 2019 WINNERS AND HIGHLIGHTS FROM THIS YEAR’S AVB AWARDS 25 40November 2019 · AVIATION BUSINESS www.aviationbusinessme.com 6 EDITOR’S LETTER Joe Peskett Editor, Aviation Business joe.peskett@itp.com Twitter: @AVB_ME Facebook: facebook.com/AviationBusinessMiddleEast LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/aviation-business-me With the current economic climate as it is, it cer- tainly came as a surprise to me when Etihad and Air Arabia jointly announced last month a new low-cost carrier. Air Arabia Abu Dhabi will be based at its namesake airport and from there, open affordable new routes and possibilities for passengers. The move is seen as a bold one by many in the industry. The UAE’s relatively small population has led some to question whether there is room for another low-cost airline in what some regard as an already saturated market. Nevertheless, Etihad and Air Arabia clearly believe they can grab a healthy slice of the regional market – and they certainly have the infrastrucutre to do so. I think everyone in the market was excited by the news and I hope to see more collaborations and investments an- nounced at the upcoming Dubai Airshow this month. Punters are expected to reach deep into their pockets and tens of bil- lions will be spent on the very best aviation hardware. Other investments I picked up on recently came from the shortlist of the 2019 Aviation Business Awards. I was in awe of the sheer number of initiatives and innovations developed by operators and suppliers alike, who are obsessed with giv- ing themselves an edge. On top of that, an interview with Airbus’ CEO (see page 18) proved to me that the market’s larg- est manufacturers are committed to ploughing money into unexplored and untested areas, despite trade feuds and a vi- cious economic climate. What all this says to me is that both the Middle East and global market are demonstrating a sizeable appetite for in- vestment, acquisition and growth. The fact that the largest players are not shying away from arguably risky investments is, for me, an indication of optimism. Time will tell whether the ventures are succesful. But for now, let us celebrate the audacity of the industry this year, and more importantly, look ahead to yet more daring over the next 12 months. Safe Travels! Audacity in adversity PO Box 500024, Dubai, UAE Tel: + 971 4 444 3000 Web: www.itp.com Offices in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, London & Mumbai ITP MEDIA GROUP CEO Ali Akawi Managing Director Alex Reeve EDITORIAL Editor Joe Peskett Tel: +971 4 444 3305 email: joe.peskett@itp.com ADVERTISING Sales Manager Siobhan Gillespie Tel: +971 4 444 3635 email: siobhan.gillespie@itp.com ITP LIVE General Manager Ahmad Bashour Tel: +971 4 444 3549, email: ahmad.bashour@itp.com PHOTOGRAPHY Senior Photographers Efraim Evidor, Adel Rashid Staff Photographers Aasiya Jagadeesh, Yuliya Petrovich, Fritz Asuro, Ajith Narendra, Jessica Samson PRODUCTION & DISTRIBUTION Group Production & Distribution Director Kyle Smith Production Manager Basel Al Kassem Senior Image Editor Emmalyn Robles CIRCULATION Head of Circulation Vanessa D’Souza CIRCULATION EXECUTIVE Loreta Regencia MARKETING Director of Awards & Marketing Daniel Fewtrell Events Manager Teri Dunstan ITP GROUP CEO Ali Akawi CFO Toby Jay Spencer-Davies Subscribe online at www.itp.com/subscriptions The publishers regret that they cannot accept liability for error or omissions contained in this publication, however caused. The opinions and views contained in this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers. Readers are advised to seek specialist advice before acting on information contained in this publication which is provided for general use and may not be appropriate for the reader’s particular circumstances. The ownership of trademarks is acknowledged. No part of this publication or any part of the contents thereof may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form without the permission of the publishers in writing. An exemption is hereby granted for extracts used for the purpose of fair review. Published by and © 2019 ITP MEDIA GROUP FZ-LLC MEDIAThe ProFlight Series 2 builds upon the advanced technology of the original, and is the most lightweight, compact and comfortable aviation headset Bose has ever produced. The ProFlight Series 2 is engineered and refined for the way professional pilots fly, and now offers numerous updates and enhancements based on pilot input. Experience the changes for yourself – learn more at Bose-Aviation.eu NEW Engineered by Bose. Refined by pilots. INTRODUCING PROFLIGHT SERIES 2 Connect with us @BoseAviation © 2019 Bose Corporation. All rights reserved. New lighter, thinner, more flexible cable allows improved stability and freedom of movement. FAA TSO and EASA E/TSO-C139a certified and compatible with TSO certified systems. Three modes of noise cancellation, now with improved low mode. Improved tap control for talk-through communication. Incorporates more than 30 U.S. design and utility patents. Lighter 128 grams (4.5 ounce) on-head weight provides improved stability and comfort on long flights. AVIATION AVIATION BOSE-14543 PF Series 2 advert 205mm x 275mm_RZ.indd 124.10.19 13:05RADAR November 2019 · AVIATION BUSINESS 8 www.aviationbusinessme.com Turkish Cargo sees 21% jump in luxury vehicles carried Firm transported 70 vehicles in the fi rst seven months of 2019 Flydubai reduced its losses by 38% down to $54 million (AED 197 million) in the fi rst half of 2019 as it aims to claw back a shortfall caused in part by the ground- ing of Boeing’s 737 Max in March. The company’s six-month results for the peri- od ending 30 June 2019, showed revenues were steady, at $759 million, compared to the same time last year. Passenger numbers fell to fi ve million – down 7.5% – during the fi rst six months of the year, as a result of the reduction in the airline’s capacity. Ghaith Al Ghaith, CEO at fl ydubai, said that the company was “cautiously optimistic” at the start of 2019, prior to the pair of 737 MAX crash- es in March. “We had seen positive results as our routes matured and during the fi rst few months of the year we saw strong demand across the network. Our performance has however been signifi cantly impacted by the grounding of the Boeing 737 Max aircraft and our half-year results are not Flydubai cuts losses by nearly 40% as it grapples with 737 Max grounding OPERATORS Steady revenues as airline deals with reduction in capacity and passengers following Max ban representative of what we had expected to report; we were expecting a signifi - cantly improved performance.” Francois Oberholzer, CFO at the com- pany, said: “In light of the grounding we have taken every effort to minimise fl ight cancellations and maximise revenue op- portunities. Unavoidably, this led to a re- Dubai’s LCC maintains steady sales considering circumstances More than 100 operators of Boeing’s 737 Next Generation (NG) will need to inspect the aircraft after ‘cracking issues’ were discovered on some of the manufacturer’s planes. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered the inspections after Boeing warned the US regulator that issues had been un- covered during modifi cations on heav- ily used aircraft. Cracks were found in the pickle-fork area of some planes, where the wings meet the body of the aircraft. The FAA Over 100 operators instructed to inspect Boeing 737 NGs MAINTENANCE FAA orders inspections after cracks found in pickle-fork area of some Next Generation 737s said it is instructing all operators of the aircraft to conduct specifi c inspections and make any repairs in addition to re- duction in ASKM by 14.9% which meant that we were not able to fully exploit de- mand opportunities. “The cost effi ciency programmes, we introduced at the beginning of the year, have yielded the planned benefi ts with the exception of the fuel effi ciencies from the Max deployment plan.” porting their fi ndings. In total, 117 air- lines use the 737 NG, including the likes of Spice Jet and EgyptAir. It is unclear how many of Boeing’s aircraft will be inspected but it was reported that the company will work with airlines to “implement a recommended inspection plan”. In a statement, the FAA said that subsequent inspections uncovered “sim- ilar cracks in a small number of addi- tional planes.” The ‘cracking issues’ do not affect 737 Max or P-8 Poseidon planes, according to reports.RADAR 9 November 2019 · AVIATION BUSINESS www.aviationbusinessme.com ‘Crying baby tweet’ sparks interest in Japan Airlines Feature maps where children are sat on fl ights so passengers can fi nd quieter areas Etihad Cargo has announced its win- ter schedule and network plan, which includes new weekly freighter services marking an increased presence in the US and other global markets. Leading Etihad Cargo’s annual refresh is the enhancement of its freighter services to Columbus, Ohio. A weekly service, now via Europe to Ohio’s Rickenbacker International Airport (LCK), will be supported by an extensive road feeder network between LCK and other US destinations includ- ing Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Houston and Philadelphia. The outbound fl ight will operate via Frankfurt (FRA) and return via Am- sterdam Schipol (AMS). Etihad Cargo plans to introduce a second weekly fl ight to LCK, opening up an additional Eu- ropean gateway before 2020. The LCK freighters are designed to complement existing bellyhold capacity on Etihad’s direct widebody services between Abu Dhabi and major US gateways. Etihad Cargo targets major US gateways in winter schedule plan FREIGHT New weekly freighter services mark an increased presence for cargo arm in North America Etihad Cargo’s updated freighter network also introduces a weekly Boe- ing 777 freighter service into Johannes- burg’s Tambo International Airport (JNB), which establishes the South African city as a seasonal African gate- way hub for trade fl ows of perishables and other goods to and from Europe and Asia. Additional bellyhold capacity has also been introduced through increased fl ights between Abu Dhabi and London Heathrow Airport (LHR) with a fourth daily frequency confi rmed from 27 Oc- tober, as well as tactical aircraft chang- es from A380 to Boeing 777 on the second daily frequency to Charles De Gaulle International Airport (CDG). Etihad Airways will also replace its current Airbus 330 operations on routes to Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport (CGK), Banga- lore’s Kempegowda International Air- port (BLR) and Johannesburg (JNB), with a Boeing 787 to further increase additional cargo capacity. Abdulla Mohamed Shadid, Etihad Aviation Group’s managing director, cargo and logistics services, said: “This season’s network review has allowed us to make key changes to our schedules and routes in response to the evolving market conditions and trade patterns. The refresh ensures we can adequately support demand from our growing and valued customer base. The network expansion has been achieved through effi cient route streamlining resulting in minor service reductions on some routes without any route cancellations.” Christel Alaimo has assumed the role of area manager for North America to strengthen the operator’s presence in the region. Shadid added: “As a strategic addi- tion to our US team, Christel will sig- nifi cantly boost our Stateside operation as an invaluable in-market resource to drive growth across North America and spearhead plans to provide ad- ditional connectivity to our customers across the US.” Etihad Cargo is targeting lucrative US gateways in its network refreshNext >