MidEast Airlines Going Global

As the airline sector continues to break industry records, Middle East carriers are contributing more than their fair share to the global growth trend.
According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the Middle East airline sector grew three times as fast as the world average over the first half of the year. It’s a figure that has the Middle East busting out as the frontrunner in industry growth – a distinction due in large part to regional carriers' rapid expansion of intercontinental flights.
Emirates Airlines is certainly leading the pack with its go-global approach; the Dubai-based carrier is launching five new transcontinental routes starting September. Venice and Newcastle saw recent route launches, and next in line are Newcastle (September 1) Sao Paulo (October 1), Ahmedabad (October 28), Toronto (October 29) and Houston (December 3).
Regional rival Qatar Airways is proving to be internationally inclined as well.
The airline currently serves 78 destinations across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Indian subcontinent, the Far East and America.
The Doha-based carrier is planning even further expansion into India, adding Nagpur and Ahmedabad to its current list of eight destinations in the country.
Etihad Airways, the national carrier of the United Arab Emirates, is also eyeing India in its upcoming expansion. The airline, which currently offers four destinations in India, plans to double its destinations in the country in the next few years, according to chief executive James Hogan.
17/09/07 Hadas Kroitoru/The Media Line, US

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Categories: Foreign Sep 2007