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More IATA news from Dubai: The World Air Transport Summit and International Air Transport Association (IATA) wrapped its Annual General Meeting (AGM) and the World Air Transport Summit yesterday in Dubai and we have a roundup of updates from the final day.
BIG FUEL AGENDAS-
The UAE is looking to position itself as a regional hub for SAF with aims to produce 700 mn liters of SAF annually by 2030, Wam reports, citing statements by the UAE’s Economy Minister Abdullah bin Touq. The SAF volumes are anticipated to curb some 4.8 mn tonnes of CO2 emissions. The initiative comes as part of the UAE’s recently launched National Sustainable Aviation Fuel Roadmap
IATA also launched an advanced analytics solution to optimize fuel consumption on flights, according to a press release. The IATA FuelIS tool allows carriers to benchmark fuel efficiency of different aircraft types and fuel quantities at landing to industry standards by using aggregated and anonymized flight and fuel data, the statement said. The tool enables airlines to make operational and strategic adjustments to optimize fuel use, cut fuel costs, and boost environmental performance.
MORE ORDERS IN THE PIPELINE-
Budget airline and Saudia subsidiary Flyadeal could purchase between 10 and 20 wide-body jets in an order worth up to USD 5 bn as it looks to expand its passenger capacity, CEO Steven Greenway tells Reuters. The airline is still “in the early stages” of mulling the order and is comparing the Boeing 787 and Airbus A330ne, with no formal competition between the aircraft manufacturers yet.
Does Flyadeal need the excess capacity? Although budget airlines have historically struggled with operating large aircrafts Greenway dismissed these concerns, highlighting the potential for increased seat capacity for popular destinations such as Dubai. The wide-body jets can seat up to 400 passengers in an all-economy configuration, almost twice the capacity of Flyadeal’s current 240-seater planes.
The order is part of Flyadeal’s long-term vision, which includes securing a minimum of 10 wide-body aircraft within the next 3-5 years, Greenway said.
Saudia placed an order for 105 Airbus narrow-bodies last month, marking the largest aircraft order in its history. Saudia is set to receive 54 A321neo, while Flyadeal will get 12 A320neo and 39 A321neo.
BOOSTING CONNECTIVITY-
PIF-owned Riyadh Air has secured two new Asian partnerships, signing two separate MoUs with Air China and with Singapore Airlines on the sidelines of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Dubai, it said in two separate statements here and here. The airline has been looking to expand its partnership network.
Etihad airways signed an MoU with Royal Air Maroc to boost commercial and operational cooperation, according to a press release. The agreement promises to bolster cooperation between both airlines, including on codeshare arrangements to cover more domestic routes in Morocco and Africa, developing a frequent flier program, and strengthening cooperation on ground handling, maintenance and engineering.
SAFETY AND SCHEDULING COMMITMENTS-
40 airlines inked an agreement to provide scheduling data to IATA’s Schedule Data Exchange Program which is slated to kick off in March 2025, according to a press release. The program — open to both IATA and non-IATA member carriers — collects schedules, capacity, and minimum connecting time used in IATA products and services that support network development, revenue management, slot coordination, and interline agreements. Airlines will have access to schedule data on the platform on a “give-to-get” basis. An additional 40 carriers are lined up to join the initiative at a later date.
73 airline CEOs have committed to the IATA Safety Leadership Charter which looks to promote a “positive safety culture” within companies, according to a press release. The charter was developed in consultation with IATA and the global aviation community, and looks to promote leadership principles to boost safety in the aviation sector.
