tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-92156882298927244492024-03-04T23:08:25.944-08:00Martin Leo RiversAviation article portfolioMartin Leo Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777693984722802643noreply@blogger.comBlogger509125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9215688229892724449.post-55671985243478137412023-11-01T05:00:00.001-07:002023-11-17T09:51:21.054-08:00Interview: Basheer Al-Shabbani, Fly Baghdad CEO<div style="text-align: left; clear: both;" class="separator"><a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/685239156/Fly-Baghdad-2023" target="_blank" imageanchor="1" align="top"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK7_Gjfns9bfwsw6zyPB92sgzY8fuBJrpsE5nh1GFgZMy84LJFZRij4A4VWEfAuO_TpUVp9QWTBcyREPXJ-0hlkca_e4XWIGfZhBsLoTOTRJLGRJf283Be2k1cqO4YHfMa0Ggsf44l/s1600/arabaerologo.jpg"></a></div><br />
<b>Full article in PDF format: <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="https://www.scribd.com/document/685239156/Fly-Baghdad-2023" target="_blank">page 17-18</a> & <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="https://www.scribd.com/document/685239149/Fly-Baghdad-Cover" target="_blank">cover</a></b><br />
<p>Back in 2013, Saad Al-Khafaji, the then director general of Iraqi Airways, beamed from cheek to cheek while talking to Arabian Aerospace about the coming “tsunami” in Baghdad.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, the surge in tourism and business traffic predicted by Al-Khafaji never materialised – replaced, instead, by a brutal Daesh insurgency that would paralyse Iraq and the Middle East for years. The devastating fallout of that conflict continues to this day. But, with security now largely restored, hopes are rising once again that Baghdad will rehabilitate its image on the world stage.</p>
<p>And, while the flag-carrier has succeeded in doubling its fleet and rebuilding much of its pre-war network, it’s the private sector that’s arguably taken the biggest strides forward for civil aviation...</p>Martin Leo Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777693984722802643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9215688229892724449.post-64527568957629769102023-11-01T05:00:00.000-07:002023-11-17T09:46:35.450-08:00Interview: Jahed Azimi, Kam Air CEO<div style="text-align: left; clear: both;" class="separator"><a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/685239151/Kam-Air-2023" target="_blank" imageanchor="1" align="top"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK7_Gjfns9bfwsw6zyPB92sgzY8fuBJrpsE5nh1GFgZMy84LJFZRij4A4VWEfAuO_TpUVp9QWTBcyREPXJ-0hlkca_e4XWIGfZhBsLoTOTRJLGRJf283Be2k1cqO4YHfMa0Ggsf44l/s1600/arabaerologo.jpg"></a></div><br />
<a style="font-weight: bold;" href="https://www.scribd.com/document/685239151/Kam-Air-2023" target="_blank">Full article in PDF format</a>
<p>On 26th August 2021, as US forces scrambled to escape from Kabul amid a sweeping return to power for the Taliban, Hamid Karzai International Airport became the scene of one of Afghanistan’s worst atrocities in recent memory.</p>
<p>At least 170 Afghan civilians and 13 US military personnel were killed in a Daesh-orchestrated suicide bombing of the international gateway.</p>
<p>Despite widespread fears of a return to civil war, it took the newly reinstated Taliban authorities just one month to declare their (now renamed) airport “fully operational” and open again for business. The hope was that former partners like Emirates Airline, Flydubai, Turkish Airlines, Air India and Pakistan International Airlines would flock back to the country.</p>
<p>Two years on, however, only Flydubai has accepted the invitation...</p>Martin Leo Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777693984722802643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9215688229892724449.post-7453638235418425912021-10-01T12:00:00.001-07:002021-10-27T02:58:39.907-07:00FlyWestaf eyes up Algerian LCC market<div style="text-align: left; clear: both;" class="separator"><a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/535435722/flywestaf-afae-2021" target="_blank" imageanchor="1" align="top"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjibTGXA8i4EcPFzwWKOVPh_9mileOrLViTQVbsqaRN1aHW_MqjbuVKYo9lnkE5U87P0BQfwt2GZrdYgbmeRjRmbqgRwoucWJiV3xXYtduHpeGASHaVbcmCeiPSkF6OJMQkglm8iKyg/s320/African+Aerospace+logo.jpg"></a></div><br />
<b><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="https://www.scribd.com/document/535435722/flywestaf-afae-2021" target="_blank">Full article in PDF format</a></b><br />
<p>FlyWestaf moved a step closer to becoming Algeria’s first low-cost carrier on 18 August, when its application for an Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) was formally received by the North African country’s civil aviation authority.</p>
<p>The start-up is headed by co-founders Chakib Ziani Cherif and Richard Powell, who are proposing to launch domestic passenger services with a fleet of De Havilland Dash 8 Q400s. Capital city Algiers will be the airline’s main operating base, with a secondary hub also being established in Tamanrasset, an oasis city in the far south of Algeria.</p>
<p>Longer-term, the business plan envisages subsidiaries or franchises being set up across West Africa – initially focusing on Gambia, the former British colony that has been without a domestic airline since 2014...</p>Martin Leo Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777693984722802643noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9215688229892724449.post-29269802016045859522021-07-01T12:00:00.000-07:002021-08-08T07:54:43.538-07:00Interview: Glenn Orsmond, Comair CEO<div style="text-align: left; clear: both;" class="separator"><a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/519326352/comair-afae-2021" target="_blank" imageanchor="1" align="top"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjibTGXA8i4EcPFzwWKOVPh_9mileOrLViTQVbsqaRN1aHW_MqjbuVKYo9lnkE5U87P0BQfwt2GZrdYgbmeRjRmbqgRwoucWJiV3xXYtduHpeGASHaVbcmCeiPSkF6OJMQkglm8iKyg/s320/African+Aerospace+logo.jpg"></a></div><br />
<b>Full article in PDF format: <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="https://www.scribd.com/document/519326352/comair-afae-2021" target="_blank">page 12-13</a> & <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="https://www.scribd.com/document/519326351/Comair-Afae-Cover" target="_blank">cover</a></b><br />
<p>
It was only two short years ago that Comair, the privately owned South African airline, chalked up its 73rd year of uninterrupted profitability – an achievement without parallel in the airline industry.</p>
<p>To say that the company fell from grace in 2020 would be a dramatic understatement.</p>
<p>Already on-track for its first ever annual loss, Comair unexpectedly ran out of cash in May and collapsed into bankruptcy protection. Its return to the skies in December was only possible after shareholders agreed to write off 99% of their equity in the insolvent airline.</p>
<p>For chief executive Glenn Orsmond, there must have been a temptation to blame everything on covid-19...</p>Martin Leo Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777693984722802643noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9215688229892724449.post-40276180895935719472021-05-01T12:00:00.007-07:002021-08-08T07:55:29.700-07:00Interview: József Váradi, Wizz Air CEO<div style="text-align: left; clear: both;" class="separator"><a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/507512616/Arae-Wizz-2021" target="_blank" imageanchor="1" align="top"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK7_Gjfns9bfwsw6zyPB92sgzY8fuBJrpsE5nh1GFgZMy84LJFZRij4A4VWEfAuO_TpUVp9QWTBcyREPXJ-0hlkca_e4XWIGfZhBsLoTOTRJLGRJf283Be2k1cqO4YHfMa0Ggsf44l/s1600/arabaerologo.jpg"></a></div><br />
<b>Full article in PDF format: <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="https://www.scribd.com/document/507512616/Arae-Wizz-2021" target="_blank">page 19-20</a> & <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="https://www.scribd.com/document/507512730/Arae-Wizz-Cover" target="_blank">cover</a></b><br />
<p>As Europe’s fastest growing low-cost carrier, it should come as no surprise that Wizz Air jumped on the chance to establish a subsidiary in the United Arab Emirates.</p>
<p>Wizz Air Abu Dhabi launched operations this year as a joint venture between the Hungarian airline group and ADQ, Abu Dhabi’s sovereign wealth fund. It is hoping to grab a large slice of the lucrative Gulf market, which has, to date, been relatively inhospitable to low-cost carriers.</p>
<p>Much more surprising was the willingness of Abu Dhabi to partner with Wizz Air in the first place...</p>Martin Leo Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777693984722802643noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9215688229892724449.post-38784336498677782972021-05-01T12:00:00.006-07:002021-08-08T07:55:25.731-07:00Interview: Abdelhadi Mansur, Berniq Airways General Manager<div style="text-align: left; clear: both;" class="separator"><a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/507512629/Arae-Berniq" target="_blank" imageanchor="1" align="top"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK7_Gjfns9bfwsw6zyPB92sgzY8fuBJrpsE5nh1GFgZMy84LJFZRij4A4VWEfAuO_TpUVp9QWTBcyREPXJ-0hlkca_e4XWIGfZhBsLoTOTRJLGRJf283Be2k1cqO4YHfMa0Ggsf44l/s1600/arabaerologo.jpg"></a></div><br />
<a style="font-weight: bold;" href="https://www.scribd.com/document/507512629/Arae-Berniq" target="_blank">Full article in PDF format</a>
<p>Libya’s Berniq Airways took to the skies in March with an inaugural service from home base Benghazi to capital city Tripoli.</p>
<p>The new airline, which is named after Princess Berenice II of ancient Egypt, launched operations with a nine-year-old Airbus A320.</p>
<p>Its largest shareholder, Benghazi’s Bank of Commerce & Development, has an opaque ownership structure that includes some public-sector entities. But, with 60% of the airline in private hands, general manager Captain Abdelhadi Mansur said he has no concerns about political interference...</p></p>
Martin Leo Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777693984722802643noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9215688229892724449.post-81404647773919899982021-02-24T12:00:00.001-08:002021-08-08T07:56:03.059-07:00How dangerous are aircraft-engine failures?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a align="top" href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2021/02/24/how-dangerous-are-aircraft-engine-failures" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz-jBnLV9uf1YVQWrefkzkAILQyR2Sp-PGGkE3bwIckhr7t3IoQ7mDii-LwIECZ9g-WHfdcFuuA7Hd3f0oi8jMINuZYQf3TThYtSPLAv1FaQPOoi7nhrEvCBxpl3x8TwERdyf640w9/s1600/the-economist-logo.gif"></a></div><br />
<a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2021/02/24/how-dangerous-are-aircraft-engine-failures" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Full article on economist.com</a><br />
<p>There are few things as bone-chilling as the thought of an aircraft engine exploding in mid-flight, particularly if you happen to be in a seat close to the fast-flying debris. Such accidents are exceedingly rare. But two incidents involving engine failures on February 20th—one affecting a passenger plane over Denver, the other a freighter over Meerssen, in the southern Netherlands—have raised worries. What causes an aircraft engine to blow up? And why are these accidents typically not as catastrophic as instinct suggests they should be...</p>Martin Leo Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777693984722802643noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9215688229892724449.post-44190285026968581362021-01-28T12:00:00.002-08:002021-08-08T07:56:25.005-07:00Why Wizz Air will be a structural winner from the coronavirus pandemic<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a align="top" href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/martinrivers/2021/01/28/why-wizz-air-will-be-a-structural-winner-from-the-covid-19-pandemic/" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibkWUdOTm6BBtfwTxIEM5WoKuA1VD90-dliscmn_lQYFpt8A-9K-DtAJS_prnwCQ8nGo4NbmDLQytL2HrVclawlep4KOlXygWVDPCx1X-hvzPGnbiqNi2gohbAMOYyhcErNTcqEx0j/s1600/forbes+logo.jpg"></a></div><br />
<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/martinrivers/2021/01/28/why-wizz-air-will-be-a-structural-winner-from-the-covid-19-pandemic/" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Full article on forbes.com</a><br />
<p>In December, nine months after Covid-19 swept around the world – plunging the air transport industry into its worst ever crisis – shares in European low-cost carrier Wizz Air reached an all-time high on the London Stock Exchange.</p>
<p>That the market shrugged off the grim outlook for airlines was no surprise: global indices have bounced back from their March lows as investors, flush with government stimulus, pile into risk assets and growth stock. Low-cost carriers are a compelling bet given their rapid expansion in recent years – fueled by insatiable passenger demand and the inferior cost structures of legacy rivals.</p>
<p>But Europe’s other budget airlines have not fared as well during the crisis. Shares in market leader Ryanair – more than three times the size of Wizz Air – fell short of their all-time-high by 14% during last month’s peak. Hybrid carrier EasyJet failed to come within even 50% of its highest-ever stock price.</p>
<p>For chief executive József Váradi, Wizz Air’s rising fortune in the midst of a global pandemic is recognition of the company’s obsessive focus on cost reduction, scalability and liquidity...</p>Martin Leo Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777693984722802643noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9215688229892724449.post-8428103947803834102020-10-01T12:00:00.001-07:002021-08-08T07:55:59.840-07:00Interview: George Uriesi, Ibom Air COO<div style="text-align: left; clear: both;" class="separator"><a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/487237858/ibom-afae-2020" target="_blank" imageanchor="1" align="top"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjibTGXA8i4EcPFzwWKOVPh_9mileOrLViTQVbsqaRN1aHW_MqjbuVKYo9lnkE5U87P0BQfwt2GZrdYgbmeRjRmbqgRwoucWJiV3xXYtduHpeGASHaVbcmCeiPSkF6OJMQkglm8iKyg/s320/African+Aerospace+logo.jpg"></a></div><br />
<b><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="https://www.scribd.com/document/487237858/ibom-afae-2020" target="_blank">Full article in PDF format</a></b><br />
<p>Before Covid-19 reared its ugly head, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) predicted
that air passenger numbers in Nigeria will rise by 174% over the next two decades.</p>
<p>Its forecast came as no surprise to anyone familiar with the country’s runaway demographics. Nigeria already has the largest headcount of any African nation: 206 million citizens as of last year. With annual growth rates of 2.5%, The Lancet expects it to become the second most populated country in the world by the end of this century.</p>
<p>That will mean overtaking China, whose own population is set to nearly halve during the same
period.</p>
<p>Yet, despite its rising fortunes, Nigeria is ill-prepared for the coming boom in aviation. There are currently no domestic airlines strong enough to compete on long-haul routes from the country, meaning the spoils of its growth are largely accruing to foreign operators...</p>Martin Leo Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777693984722802643noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9215688229892724449.post-24304028470536260452020-07-01T12:00:00.001-07:002020-07-01T12:00:03.646-07:00Time to take aim at shootdowns<div style="text-align: left; clear: both;" class="separator"><a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/467602006/Shootdown-Oped" target="_blank" imageanchor="1" align="top"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjibTGXA8i4EcPFzwWKOVPh_9mileOrLViTQVbsqaRN1aHW_MqjbuVKYo9lnkE5U87P0BQfwt2GZrdYgbmeRjRmbqgRwoucWJiV3xXYtduHpeGASHaVbcmCeiPSkF6OJMQkglm8iKyg/s320/African+Aerospace+logo.jpg"></a></div><br />
<b><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="https://www.scribd.com/document/467602006/Shootdown-Oped" target="_blank">Full article in PDF format</a></b><br />
<p>Few readers will be aware that, on 4 th May, an Embraer EMB-120 passenger plane operated by African Express Airways was shot down with the loss of all on-board.</p>
<p>The aircraft was making a humanitarian flight from Baidoa to Berdale in Somalia, carrying medical supplies for the country’s fight against covid-19. It was downed by Ethiopian soldiers who apparently mistook its “unusual” flight path for a “potential suicide mission” by Al Shabaab, the Islamist terror group.</p>
<p>Six people died, including Captain Hassan Bulhan, the son of the airline’s owner.</p>
<p>Four months earlier, Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 (PS752) was blown out of the sky by Iranian soldiers who feared it was a cruise missile launched by the US military. That catastrophe claimed 176 lives.</p>
<p>And six years ago – in what was supposed to be a watershed moment for the airline industry – Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 (MH17) was shot down by Russia-backed rebels over the skies of eastern Ukraine. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) pledged to honour the 298 victims of that tragedy by ensuring that “civilian airliners will never again be brought down by weapons of war”.</p>
<p>Clearly, those words now ring hollow...</p>Martin Leo Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777693984722802643noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9215688229892724449.post-50599090913421062002020-07-01T12:00:00.000-07:002020-07-01T12:00:05.630-07:00Interview: Cosmos Gombura, Sky Navigator Managing Director<div style="text-align: left; clear: both;" class="separator"><a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/467602043/Sky-Navigator" target="_blank" imageanchor="1" align="top"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjibTGXA8i4EcPFzwWKOVPh_9mileOrLViTQVbsqaRN1aHW_MqjbuVKYo9lnkE5U87P0BQfwt2GZrdYgbmeRjRmbqgRwoucWJiV3xXYtduHpeGASHaVbcmCeiPSkF6OJMQkglm8iKyg/s320/African+Aerospace+logo.jpg"></a></div><br />
<b><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="https://www.scribd.com/document/467602043/Sky-Navigator" target="_blank">Full article in PDF format</a></b><br />
<p>
Last year, Cosmos Gombura, the managing director of Sky Navigator, a new South Sudanese airline, drove to neighbouring Uganda to attend a friend’s wedding.</p>
<p>His group made the journey via the Nimule highway – the only tarmacked highway in South Sudan – which stretches from capital city Juba across the Ugandan border to the northern town of Gulu.</p>
<p>Shootings, bombings and sexual assaults are a common occurrence on the notorious road. So, when Gombura’s party became stranded, he inevitably feared the worst...</p>Martin Leo Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777693984722802643noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9215688229892724449.post-67714274042375649352020-05-01T12:00:00.000-07:002020-06-09T03:59:55.298-07:00Interview: Yossrey Abdel Wahab, Nile Air Managing Director<div style="text-align: left; clear: both;" class="separator"><a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/464953374/Nile-Air-Arae-2019" target="_blank" imageanchor="1" align="top"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK7_Gjfns9bfwsw6zyPB92sgzY8fuBJrpsE5nh1GFgZMy84LJFZRij4A4VWEfAuO_TpUVp9QWTBcyREPXJ-0hlkca_e4XWIGfZhBsLoTOTRJLGRJf283Be2k1cqO4YHfMa0Ggsf44l/s1600/arabaerologo.jpg"></a></div><br />
<a style="font-weight: bold;" href="https://www.scribd.com/document/464953374/Nile-Air-Arae-2019" target="_blank">Full article in PDF format</a>
<p>In recent years Nile Air had seemed to be a rare bright spot in Egypt’s civil aviation market, spreading its wings even as the country grappled with a series of political and security crises.</p>
<p>Former boss Ahmed Aly attributed the airline’s success to its varied customer base of business travellers, pilgrims, tourists, and visiting friends and relatives. Under his watch, the full-service carrier grew its fleet from two to seven aircraft while launching a host of new routes.</p>
<p>But the expansion ground to a halt in 2017 and Aly’s successor, Yossrey Abdel Wahab, is far from convinced about the wisdom of the strategy...</p>
Martin Leo Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777693984722802643noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9215688229892724449.post-15352148586681719352020-04-01T12:00:00.002-07:002020-07-06T08:14:27.417-07:00Interview: Bushra Abushora, Tarco Aviation Strategic Planning Director<div style="text-align: left; clear: both;" class="separator"><a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/456219552/tarco-afae" target="_blank" imageanchor="1" align="top"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjibTGXA8i4EcPFzwWKOVPh_9mileOrLViTQVbsqaRN1aHW_MqjbuVKYo9lnkE5U87P0BQfwt2GZrdYgbmeRjRmbqgRwoucWJiV3xXYtduHpeGASHaVbcmCeiPSkF6OJMQkglm8iKyg/s320/African+Aerospace+logo.jpg"></a></div><br />
<b><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="https://www.scribd.com/document/456219552/tarco-afae" target="_blank">Full article in PDF format</a></b><br />
<p>
Last November, Apollo Aviation Group, a US company that manages aircraft assets, was fined $210,000 by the US government for unwittingly leasing out engines that wound up in the hands of Sudan Airways, the flag-carrier of Sudan, in 2014.</p>
<p>The fact that America lifted its economic embargo of Sudan three years ago failed to deter the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the wing of the US Treasury responsible for sanctions enforcement, from pursuing Apollo.</p>
<p>So, too, did the many mitigating factors that OFAC acknowledged of the case: Apollo had no advance warning that its engines would be passed via intermediaries to Sudan Airways; the engines were ultimately in Sudan for just four months on wet-leased aircraft; and the contract was immediately dissolved when Apollo discovered the slip-up.</p>
<p>To even casual observers, this heavy-handed response leaves little doubt about the seriousness that Washington attaches to violations – deliberate or otherwise – of its sanctions regime.</p>
<p>But it also partly explains why the removal of the decades-old US embargo has done little to ease Sudan’s problems...</p>Martin Leo Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777693984722802643noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9215688229892724449.post-2599586569843069622020-04-01T12:00:00.001-07:002020-04-13T06:09:53.595-07:00Interview: Mustafa Maatug, Afriqiyah Airways Chairman<div style="text-align: left; clear: both;" class="separator"><a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/456218510/afriqiyah-2019" target="_blank" imageanchor="1" align="top"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjibTGXA8i4EcPFzwWKOVPh_9mileOrLViTQVbsqaRN1aHW_MqjbuVKYo9lnkE5U87P0BQfwt2GZrdYgbmeRjRmbqgRwoucWJiV3xXYtduHpeGASHaVbcmCeiPSkF6OJMQkglm8iKyg/s320/African+Aerospace+logo.jpg"></a></div><br />
<b><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="https://www.scribd.com/document/456218510/afriqiyah-2019" target="_blank">Full article in PDF format</a></b><br />
<p>Mitiga Airport, Tripoli’s only functioning gateway, resumed operations in December after it was closed for three months due to airstrikes by Khalifa Haftar, the country’s most powerful warlord.</p>
<p>The disruption was just the latest blow for Libya’s long-suffering airlines – their previous hub, Tripoli International Airport, was destroyed in 2014 – yet Mustafa Maatug, the chairman of Afriqiyah Airways, one of Libya’s state-owned flag-carriers, is quick to find a silver lining.</p>
<p>“This sort of problem is happening very rarely,” he told African Aerospace. “It happens from time to time, but these problems will not stop us from operating...</p>Martin Leo Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777693984722802643noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9215688229892724449.post-87745837471192199312020-04-01T12:00:00.000-07:002020-04-13T05:58:49.276-07:00Tunisair's Plan B<div style="text-align: left; clear: both;" class="separator"><a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/456218504/tunisair-2019" target="_blank" imageanchor="1" align="top"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjibTGXA8i4EcPFzwWKOVPh_9mileOrLViTQVbsqaRN1aHW_MqjbuVKYo9lnkE5U87P0BQfwt2GZrdYgbmeRjRmbqgRwoucWJiV3xXYtduHpeGASHaVbcmCeiPSkF6OJMQkglm8iKyg/s320/African+Aerospace+logo.jpg"></a></div><br />
<b><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="https://www.scribd.com/document/456218504/tunisair-2019" target="_blank">Full article in PDF format</a></b><br />
<p>Tunisair is working on a new restructuring plan after its government owner walked away from a proposed overhaul that would have cost $1.3 billion Tunisian dinar ($457 million).</p>
<p>“We will use another plan that doesn't need for us this quantity [of money],” Ilyes Mnakbi, the airline’s chief executive, said on the sidelines of an industry conference in Kuwait. “We will make our own plan – not the government's plan – for restructuring the company. It will be less money than the other one … The government doesn't give us this amount."</p>
<p>Mnakbi provided few details about the revised plan, insisting that management were still weighing up several options. But he reiterated his support for three strategic priorities: fleet renewal; rationalisation of the workforce; and an increased focus on Africa...</p>
Martin Leo Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777693984722802643noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9215688229892724449.post-21250033209576106892020-03-23T12:00:00.000-07:002020-04-13T06:27:40.888-07:00New charter airline Aero Georgia targets September launch<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a align="top" href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/martinrivers/2020/03/23/new-charter-airline-aero-georgia-targets-september-launch/" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibkWUdOTm6BBtfwTxIEM5WoKuA1VD90-dliscmn_lQYFpt8A-9K-DtAJS_prnwCQ8nGo4NbmDLQytL2HrVclawlep4KOlXygWVDPCx1X-hvzPGnbiqNi2gohbAMOYyhcErNTcqEx0j/s1600/forbes+logo.jpg"></a></div><br />
<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/martinrivers/2020/03/23/new-charter-airline-aero-georgia-targets-september-launch/" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Full article on forbes.com</a><br />
<p>The Caucasian country of Georgia could be served by a new charter airline as soon as this September following successful talks with two eastern European investors. </p>
<p>Aero Georgia is aiming to launch flights with a single narrow-body aircraft capable of carrying up to 150 passengers, Igor Aptsiauri, the company’s chief executive, told me in a telephone interview.<p>
<p>“This will be the first time that Georgia will have a purely charter airline,” he said.</p>
<p>“What we have noticed here in Georgia is that there's a very big demand for charters. And not only in Georgia … If we look at the big airlines in eastern Europe and the CIS [Commonwealth of Independent States] region, the ones that are doing more or less OK financially are all charter airlines...</p>Martin Leo Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777693984722802643noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9215688229892724449.post-41232615427155798822020-03-08T12:00:00.000-07:002020-04-13T06:30:04.787-07:00This is why flights are still operating from Milan’s airports<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a align="top" href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/martinrivers/2020/03/08/this-is-why-flights-are-still-operating-from-milans-airports/" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibkWUdOTm6BBtfwTxIEM5WoKuA1VD90-dliscmn_lQYFpt8A-9K-DtAJS_prnwCQ8nGo4NbmDLQytL2HrVclawlep4KOlXygWVDPCx1X-hvzPGnbiqNi2gohbAMOYyhcErNTcqEx0j/s1600/forbes+logo.jpg"></a></div><br />
<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/martinrivers/2020/03/08/this-is-why-flights-are-still-operating-from-milans-airports/" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Full article on forbes.com</a><br />
<p>When Italy’s government placed the northern region of Lombardy on lockdown this weekend, many assumed that Milan’s airports would immediately halt flights.</p>
<p>The reason for isolating Lombardy, after all, is to slow the spread of COVID-19, the coronavirus disease that has so far infected 109,500 people worldwide, killing 3,800. Italy is by far the European country worst affected by the outbreak, with 7,375 cases and 366 deaths. Lombardy is its worst hit region.</p>
<p>Several countries and airlines have already taken matters into their own hands by grounding flights and cutting frequencies to northern Italy.</p>
<p>Yet, as of Sunday March 8th, the day that the lockdown began, Milan’s Malpensa Airport and Bergamo Airport were both insisting that it’s business as usual in their terminals. Bergamo Airport’s operator is still sharing a video that encourages its customers to #keeponflying...</p>Martin Leo Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777693984722802643noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9215688229892724449.post-48590104223926994042020-03-04T12:00:00.000-08:002020-04-13T06:29:05.494-07:00South Sudan's most credible airline targets breakthrough year<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a align="top" href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/martinrivers/2020/03/04/south-sudans-most-credible-airline-targets-breakthrough-year/" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibkWUdOTm6BBtfwTxIEM5WoKuA1VD90-dliscmn_lQYFpt8A-9K-DtAJS_prnwCQ8nGo4NbmDLQytL2HrVclawlep4KOlXygWVDPCx1X-hvzPGnbiqNi2gohbAMOYyhcErNTcqEx0j/s1600/forbes+logo.jpg"></a></div><br />
<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/martinrivers/2020/03/04/south-sudans-most-credible-airline-targets-breakthrough-year/" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Full article on forbes.com</a><br />
<p>Sky Navigator, a South Sudanese virtual airline that launched operations in 2019, has laid out an ambitious plan to normalize air transport in its war-torn home nation.</p>
<p>The company is locally owned but relies on chartering aircraft from foreign partners due to the limited capabilities of the South Sudan Civil Aviation Authority, which lacks the ability to issue Air Operator’s Certificates (AOCs) and has ceded control of its airspace to Sudan since the two countries separated in 2011.</p>
<p>A pair of 12-seater Cessna Caravans is currently operated by the airline under short-term contracts with Horn Aviation of Kenya and Fly Zanzibar of Tanzania.</p>
<p>But managing director Cosmos Gombura is aiming to replace these units with five of Sky Navigator’s own Caravans this year – three on long-term leases and two purchased outright – as well as pressing the regulator to begin issuing local operating licenses as soon as possible...</p>Martin Leo Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777693984722802643noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9215688229892724449.post-61398204633006186502020-02-01T12:00:00.000-08:002020-03-06T05:21:36.499-08:00SaudiGulf's high hopes<div style="text-align: left; clear: both;" class="separator"><a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/450439320/saudigulf-2020" target="_blank" imageanchor="1" align="top"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK7_Gjfns9bfwsw6zyPB92sgzY8fuBJrpsE5nh1GFgZMy84LJFZRij4A4VWEfAuO_TpUVp9QWTBcyREPXJ-0hlkca_e4XWIGfZhBsLoTOTRJLGRJf283Be2k1cqO4YHfMa0Ggsf44l/s1600/arabaerologo.jpg"></a></div><br />
<b>Full article in PDF format: <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="https://www.scribd.com/document/450439320/saudigulf-2020" target="_blank">page 16-17</a> & <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="https://www.scribd.com/document/450439323/Saudigulf-Cover" target="_blank">cover</a></b><br />
<p>With just six aircraft in its fleet, SaudiGulf Airlines, a boutique carrier based in Dammam in eastern Saudi Arabia, has only a modest slice of the kingdom’s fast-expanding aviation market.</p>
<p>Owners Al-Qahtani Group, a family-run conglomerate, undoubtedly hoped to spread their wings faster when they were granted an operating licence in 2016.</p>
<p>But, for chief executive Abdulmohsen Jonaid, who joined the airline after heading up Saudia, the country’s much larger flag-carrier, quality is more important than quantity at this stage of SaudiGulf’s development...</p>Martin Leo Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777693984722802643noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9215688229892724449.post-57975367203812917602020-01-21T12:00:00.000-08:002020-02-19T04:39:29.076-08:00How to protect airliners from missiles<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a align="top" href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2020/01/21/how-to-protect-airliners-from-missiles" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz-jBnLV9uf1YVQWrefkzkAILQyR2Sp-PGGkE3bwIckhr7t3IoQ7mDii-LwIECZ9g-WHfdcFuuA7Hd3f0oi8jMINuZYQf3TThYtSPLAv1FaQPOoi7nhrEvCBxpl3x8TwERdyf640w9/s1600/the-economist-logo.gif"></a></div><br />
<a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2020/01/21/how-to-protect-airliners-from-missiles" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Full article on economist.com</a><br />
<p>The shooting-down of Ukraine International Airlines flight 752 over Iran on January 8th provoked outrage around the world—not least in Iran, where it triggered a new round of anti-government protests. Mixed with the grief and anger was disbelief that an international airline was willing—and allowed—to fly through a potential conflict zone. Such catastrophes are not as rare as they should be...</p>Martin Leo Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777693984722802643noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9215688229892724449.post-1770305659270192962020-01-13T12:00:00.000-08:002020-02-19T04:25:51.881-08:00The downing of flight 752 in Iran is a tragedy of complacency<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a 1em;"="" 1em;="" ;="" align="top" href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/jan/13/downing-flight-752-tragedy-complacency-airlines" imageanchor="1" margin-bottom:="" margin-right:="" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2MD2AMXV33edml2oBjSefHydD4ESl8imZrYtJwf9vwwypAPkPlyVzd58uTqoFeqDkECv15ADp5zVp0dnJrCyXnLjt6hBoQqJ6tnU0aaun_jseF4d7cr9ehSEEo6PIaECNfMv2Kqle/s1600/guardian-logo1.jpg"></a></div><br />
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/jan/13/downing-flight-752-tragedy-complacency-airlines" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Full article on guardian.co.uk</a><br />
<p>On 7 January, one day before Iran shot down a Ukrainian passenger plane near Tehran, as commercial jets piled into the busy air corridor over neighbouring Iraq, I tweeted: “I hope the lessons of MH17 are not being forgotten.”</P>
<p>That reference to Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 – which was shot down by separatist rebels over eastern Ukraine in 2014 – might seem like an eerie premonition. But it was simply common sense. My concerns were rooted in a basic grasp of the risks of flying through potential conflict zones. Last week’s tragedy has exposed the abject failure of western governments, intelligence agencies and airline industry groups to protect travellers, as they pledged to in the aftermath of MH17.</p>
<p>Consider what was known in the days leading up to the loss of Ukraine International Airlines flight 752...</p>Martin Leo Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777693984722802643noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9215688229892724449.post-33439025583046543482019-11-24T12:00:00.000-08:002020-02-19T04:36:40.058-08:00This digital startup is stamping out the ‘tax-free shopping’ scam<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a align="top" href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/martinrivers/2019/11/24/this-digital-startup-is-stamping-out-the-tax-free-shopping-scam/" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibkWUdOTm6BBtfwTxIEM5WoKuA1VD90-dliscmn_lQYFpt8A-9K-DtAJS_prnwCQ8nGo4NbmDLQytL2HrVclawlep4KOlXygWVDPCx1X-hvzPGnbiqNi2gohbAMOYyhcErNTcqEx0j/s1600/forbes+logo.jpg"></a></div><br />
<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/martinrivers/2019/11/24/this-digital-startup-is-stamping-out-the-tax-free-shopping-scam/" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Full article on forbes.com</a><br />
<p>I was awestruck last year when I visited Milan’s Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, the most famous and perhaps the most beautiful shopping mall in the world. Few can resist gawping upon entering this masterpiece of neoclassical architecture, with its sweeping mosaic tiles, palazzo-style facades and huge iron and glass dome. An even bigger shock awaits ordinary folk who glance at the prices in the posh fashion outlets lining its streets. But not everyone is left aghast. For some tourists the Galleria Vittorio is a place to spend, not gaze. And for non-Europeans, in particular, the splurging comes with the expectation of a 22% VAT refund at the airport. Yet few tourists receive their dues. By the time retailers and middlemen have had their fun, these shoppers are lucky to get 14% back. And it’s a problem that affects more than just super-rich visitors to Milan...</p>Martin Leo Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777693984722802643noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9215688229892724449.post-50130828596331000942019-11-06T12:00:00.000-08:002019-11-13T01:53:10.213-08:00Boeing needs a new boss<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a 1em;"="" 1em;="" ;="" align="top" href="https://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2019/nov/06/boeing-boss-737-max-crashes-consumer-confidence" imageanchor="1" margin-bottom:="" margin-right:="" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2MD2AMXV33edml2oBjSefHydD4ESl8imZrYtJwf9vwwypAPkPlyVzd58uTqoFeqDkECv15ADp5zVp0dnJrCyXnLjt6hBoQqJ6tnU0aaun_jseF4d7cr9ehSEEo6PIaECNfMv2Kqle/s1600/guardian-logo1.jpg"></a></div><br />
<a href="https://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2019/nov/06/boeing-boss-737-max-crashes-consumer-confidence" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Full article on guardian.co.uk</a><br />
<p>Dennis Muilenburg, Boeing’s chief executive, last week told US lawmakers that he would have grounded the 737 Max in a heartbeat – if only he’d known about the dangers posed by the aircraft’s anti-stall mechanism. His apparent ignorance of this design flaw led to the deaths of 189 people in October 2018, when Lion Air Flight 610 slammed into the Java Sea. Five months later, once Boeing had convinced most of the world that poorly trained Indonesian pilots were probably to blame for the disaster, another 157 people died on Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302.</P>
<p>To the ordinary person in the street, glaring similarities between the crashes – both of which involved the same, brand new aircraft type nosediving at the same stage of their flight – made it obvious that the 737 Max should be grounded...</p>Martin Leo Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777693984722802643noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9215688229892724449.post-19694768071387071162019-11-01T12:00:00.000-07:002019-11-13T02:17:27.576-08:00MEA: Beirut force<div style="text-align: left; clear: both;" class="separator"><a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/434773163/mea-2019" target="_blank" imageanchor="1" align="top"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK7_Gjfns9bfwsw6zyPB92sgzY8fuBJrpsE5nh1GFgZMy84LJFZRij4A4VWEfAuO_TpUVp9QWTBcyREPXJ-0hlkca_e4XWIGfZhBsLoTOTRJLGRJf283Be2k1cqO4YHfMa0Ggsf44l/s1600/arabaerologo.jpg"></a></div><br />
<a style="font-weight: bold;" href="https://www.scribd.com/document/434773163/mea-2019" target="_blank">Full article in PDF format</a>
<p>During the early years of Syria’s civil war, Middle East Airlines (MEA), the flag-carrier of neighbouring Lebanon, benefited from an uncomfortable spike in demand due to its proximity to the battleground.</p>
<p>With Syrian airspace all but closed to civilian traffic, most refugees who could afford airline tickets drove 110km from Damascus to Beirut before boarding their flights.</p>
<p>That footfall has subsided in recent years as the war-torn state hobbles towards some semblance of normality. At home, flag-carrier Syrian Arab Airlines is plotting to re-build its network with new Russian aircraft that are not subject to Western sanctions. Abroad, a handful of international airlines have tentative plans to resume operations in Damascus.</p>
<p>And while less cross-border demand seems like bad news for MEA, Mohamad El-Hout, the airline’s longstanding chairman, actually wants the trend to continue...</p>Martin Leo Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777693984722802643noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9215688229892724449.post-90445453552846355772019-10-01T12:00:00.001-07:002019-10-25T10:05:26.156-07:00Interview: Belarnicio Muangala, Fly Angola General Manager<div style="text-align: left; clear: both;" class="separator"><a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/432029783/Fly-Angola-2019" target="_blank" imageanchor="1" align="top"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjibTGXA8i4EcPFzwWKOVPh_9mileOrLViTQVbsqaRN1aHW_MqjbuVKYo9lnkE5U87P0BQfwt2GZrdYgbmeRjRmbqgRwoucWJiV3xXYtduHpeGASHaVbcmCeiPSkF6OJMQkglm8iKyg/s320/African+Aerospace+logo.jpg"></a></div><br />
<b><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="https://www.scribd.com/document/432029783/Fly-Angola-2019" target="_blank">Full article in PDF format</a></b><br />
<p>Angola’s aviation sector took a symbolic step forward in April, when the European Union lifted all restrictions on TAAG Angola operating in its airspace.</p>
<p>The state-owned flag-carrier had been trying to shake off its EU ban for more than a decade: first gaining an exemption for Portuguese flights; then securing the right to serve elsewhere in Europe with specific aircraft; and finally being given unfettered access to the continent.</p>
<p>By removing TAAG from its blacklist, Brussels signalled that the mismanagement and corruption associated with the airline no longer poses a danger to the safety of flight.</p>
<p>But, on a broader commercial level, there remains little positive to say about civil aviation in Angola...</p>Martin Leo Rivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777693984722802643noreply@blogger.com