The sixth edition of the Bahrain International Airshow which was held from the 9th to the 11th of November has successfully ended with a number of business deals that were amicably closed, with about 100 exhibitors, and more than 50,000 international attendees. Let’s take a look at some of Bahrain International Airshow 2022’s main highlights.

Emirates and Gulf Air signed a codeshare agreement

Emirates and Gulf Air officially signed a codeshare agreement on the first day of the airshow, which was unusual for two Middle Eastern airlines. Through a convenient stopover at Dubai International Airport, the new codeshare agreement will enable Gulf Air passengers to connect to a number of Emirates destinations in Africa, the Far East, Europe, and South America.

With Gulf Air set to introduce its marketing code “GF” on Emirates-operated flights outside of Dubai in December, the agreement would also provide Gulf Air customers with the helpful convenience. There are also competitive single fares on multi-airline flights when connecting with Emirates, a unified policy and seamless baggage transfers, and combined ticketing and check-in.

You also might be interested in reading: Emirates & United Airlines Announce a Codeshare Agreement

Emirates’ new Premium Economy Class

The codeshare agreement made the first day of the airshow promising, and the optimism persisted as Emirates made a significant splash by displaying its recently upgraded four-class Airbus A380. Emirates brought the largest commercial aircraft in the world to the Bahrain Airshow for the third time, and this year the airline was showcasing its brand-new Premium Economy Class service.

Since the Premium Economy cabin class was only gradually introduced last year, it was eagerly anticipated by travellers. It offers 56 seats in a tidy 2-4-2 configuration. The updated Onboard Lounge and Shower Spa were only available to First Class passengers on the Airbus superjumbo. The Emirates Airbus A380 alone attracted about 8,000 visitors at the Bahrain Airshow thanks to these aircraft attractions.

Bahrain Airport Company unveils Women in Aviation Bahrain Chapter

And while airlines dominated the news with their offerings and business deals, Bahrain Airport Company made headlines by announcing the launch of the Bahrain Chapter of Women in Aviation. The Chapter will offer a platform for collaboration with the goal of highlighting women’s contributions to the aviation industry, celebrating professional milestones, and advancing gender equality.

The board currently consists of men and women from different aviation organisations who were temporarily appointed to aid in the Chapter’s establishment. With membership open to both men and women in the aviation industry, a new president and board members will soon be elected. As stressed by Mohamed Yousif Al Binfalah, chief executive officer of Bahrain Airport Company:

“Establishing the Women in Aviation Bahrain Chapter is a significant milestone for our industry. Women continue to play a crucial role in the development of aviation in the Kingdom. We look forward to working with the Chapter to further its goals, which align with the Supreme Council for Women’s 2013-22 National Plan for the Advancement of Bahraini Women.“ Mohamed Yousif Al Binfalah, chief executive officer of Bahrain Airport Company

Once the Chapter is finished, all members are eligible to participate in Annual General Meetings to share their knowledge and opinions and even to cast votes on all issues that are brought up. Members will also have the opportunity to enter industry awards, speak at significant events, apply for educational scholarships, and attend pertinent conferences.

Bahrain International Airshow 2022

With the participation of aviation organizations from over 30 countries, the Bahrain International Airshow 2022, which took place after a two-year suspension, undoubtedly concluded with monumental success despite only lasting three days. The Bahrain International Airshow is currently being prepared for its 2024 edition thanks to the Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications of Bahrain’s renewed long-standing partnerships with the event’s organizer Farnborough International.

Here is an interesting video by Aviation World Group showing a glimpse of the first day:

Cover Image source: aviationworld.in

RIYADH – To unite international leaders from both sectors; the public and private, as well as international CEOs and regulators to initialize the evolution of international air travel as well providing new solutions, Saudi Arabia’s first future-aviation forum was held on the ninth and tenth of this month mainly focusing on passenger experience, sustainability, and aviation business recovery post the global pandemic; COVID19. Without further ado, here’s a recap of the two days of the first Future Aviation Forum ever.

After two challenging years in the industry of aviation, HE Eng. Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser, Saudi Arabia’s minister of transport and logistics and the chairman of the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), opened the first-of-its-kind aviation event in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Riyadh, that brought together more than 120 speakers, attended by more than two thousand visitors from the industry of aviation, by welcoming the guests and speakers to the event, highlighting that his country is into the start of a significant reform of the aviation industry in the 21st century:

“Saudi Arabia today is at the start of the most significant aviation industry reform in the 21st century. In line with our vision 2030 goals, we are opening the Kingdom and welcoming the world, we are unlocking the aviation potential to ensure sustainable practices and to create world-class employment for our people.”

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Eng. Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Transport and Logistics and the Chairman of the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA)

The forum began with the Saudi’s minster opening speech that included important goals and vision to be achieved in the aviation sector in Saudi Arabia as well as revealing the National Aviation Sector Strategy; a 100-billion-dollars strategy, that aims to increase connections from Saudi Arabia to 250 destinations, reaching 330 million passengers by 2030 and 5 million tons of freight.

“Over the next 10 years the Kingdom will emerge as the middle east’s leading aviation hub, and as a partner of choice for the aviation operators throughout the world, to do this, the government will drive investment of more than US$100BN of public and private investments by the end of the decade. We forecast to fly more than 330 million passengers in 2030 and 5 million tons of freights establishing connections to more than 250 destinations.”Eng. Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Transport and Logistics and the Chairman of the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA)

And talking about Saudi Arabia, the investment will be mainly for upgrading the existing airports, naming King Abdelaziz and King Khalid International Airports in Jeddah and Riyadh respectively, KSA’s main hubs, and launching a new national carrier.

Greener Skies

The president of the council, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), Salvatore Sciacchitano, began his speech by congratulating Saudi Arabia for its commitment to greener skies and a sustainable future.

Under the slogan “Keeping the World Moving” ICAO council’s president focused on the following points:

• Digitilizing travel documents will play a big role in transforming the travel experience for passengers and will lead global aviation operations seamless.
• Dealing with climate change needs in the aviation industry is a must, considering that it is a matter of urgency.
• The development of international civil aviation is key to global cooperation and understanding.

Also pleasingly, the ICAO council’s president has confirmed the recovery of 75% of air traffic by the end of 2022, compared to 2019.

The Future Aviation Forum demonstrated the evolution of Saudi Arabia in developing a substantial aviation environment. Besides that, the forum highlighted that to achieve sustainability; biofuels must be relied on, as said by Saudi Arabia’s Energy Minister, prince Abdelaziz bin Salman; that a low-carbon fuel for aviation could emerge as the transitionary fuel for the future.

During the forum, it was interesting that although oil is an essential factor in Saudi Arabia’s economy, many speakers mentioned that Saudi Arabia is properly placed to be a major player in renewable energy and, principally, in the production of green hydrogen

Finally and after two days of all-aviation-related sessions, talks, interviews, and expert speakers, HE Al-Jasser closed the Future Aviation Forum 2022, announcing that the forum will be hosted by the Kingdom every two years.

DAY 1 BRIEF VIDEO BY @FAF

DAY 2 BRIEF VIDEO BY @FAF

Sources:

• Airways Magazine
• Saudi Gazette
• EuroNews
• FAF_SAUDI
• allplane
• SPA.GOV.SA

AVIATION FOR AVIATORS

Youssef Yahya

“This is the Captain,” the captain’s voice said over the intercom, “Brace for impact!”. A hush fell over the passengers. They thought they were going to die as the flight attendants were screaming: “Brace! Brace! Brace! Heads down! Stay down!”