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Emirates said more carriers will go bust this year as fuel costs and sluggish economies undermine profitability.

Airline profits will plunge 62 per cent in 2012 to $3 billion, equal to a 0.5 per cent margin on sales, as oil prices rise, the International Air Transport Association said this week. Emirates’s fuel bill accounts for 45 per cent of costs and may jump by an “‘incredibly challenging'” $1.7 billion in the year ending March 31.

Emirates president said some private airlines will need to be bailed out by governments in the countries where they’re based, though that will raise aid issues with the European Union and other parties.

In the United States, more filings for Chapter 11 protection are likely, while smaller carriers operating in the Indian Ocean region and in Africa face “difficulties,” the executive said.

Dnata, the holidays and baggage handling arm of Emirates Airline, has bought control of one of the biggest online travel agents in Britain.

The deal struck at the end of last month for an undisclosed sum is the latest in a buying spree of travel firms by Dnata asit seeks to strengthen its position in the lucrative online travel market.

The acquisition of Travel Republic also has the potential to channel more UK traffic through the Dubai company.

source: thenational.ae

Emirates, one of the world’s fastest-growing international airlines, is celebrating the New Year by offering exceptional discounts on airfares to more than 100 cities, when booking from now until January 9, 2012.

Customers can save up to 25 per cent off all published First Class, Business Class and Economy Class fares departing between 22 January and 30 June 2012, when travelling round-trip to any destination on Emirates’ extensive global network.

Renowned for its excellence in service and innovation, both on board and on the ground, Emirates holds an array of prestigious awards, including Air Transport World’s 2011 “‘Airline of the Year'” award and the Skytrax World Airline Award for “‘World’s Best Airline Inflight Entertainment,'” for the seventh year in a row.

Real Madrid fans may be more tempted to take flights to Dubai organised by Emirates after the airline began a sponsorship deal with the iconic Spanish club.

The carrier already supports a host of other teams worldwide, including Premier League side Arsenal.

Following the announcement, senior vice president of commercial operations for Europe and Russia Federation at Emirates Salem Obaidalla noted that it was one year ago almost to the day when it launched flights to Spanish capital.

Dubai-based Emirates Airline and TUI Travel Plc have teamed up to launch ‘Emirates Live’, a package of services offering customers easy-to-book access to major international events.

In partnership with TUI Travel’s Sport Division, Emirates Airline now offers packages to tournaments such as the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand, the F1 British Grand Prix in Silverstone and the England v India npower Test Series in Birmingham.

Via Emirates Live, customers can book event tickets, flights, hotels and transport and tailored individual and group packages can also be arranged.

source: hoteliermiddleeast.com

Ryanair has made an unprecedented alliance with full-frills carriers Emirates and Etihad Airways to lobby for an extension of government  credit to airlines.

The budget carrier is among the leading members of a group of 10  airlines calling themselves the Aviation Alliance,  which is demanding an overhaul of Export Credit rules.

The Aviation Alliance wants no limit on the amount of export credits  extended to airlines, no increase in the fees for credit and no  reduction in the proportion of the cost of an aircraft that can be  financed.

The US and leading European Union governments, including the UK,  offer credit to overseas purchasers of expensive technology and  infrastructure, including aircraft, to encourage exports. Most overseas  airlines take advantage of these export credits to buy Airbus and Boeing  aircraft.

source: travelweekly.co.uk

Dubai’s Emirates launched a double challenge to European airlines yesterday, setting out ambitions to own a fleet of more than 100 Airbus A380 superjumbos and stepping up a war of words over rivals’ subsidy claims.

Emirates, which surprised the aviation world by lifting its orders of the world’s largest airliner by a third to 90 aircraft in June, is only constrained by a shortage of space to park them, airline president Tim Clark said.

“‘120 was the baseline figure that the planners worked to get where we needed to be, but we couldn’t order that amount because it was too many for here, so 90 was a compromise.'” he added.

source: smh.com.au

Emirates announced an order for 30 Boeing Co. 777-300ER aircraft valued at $9.1 billion, as the largest Arab airline expands its fleet of long-range jets.

The airline disclosed the order today during the Farnborough Air Show in the U.K. Of the 30 planes, 18 had already been ordered and were listed in Boeing’s backlog as coming from an undisclosed customer.

The order “‘affirms Emirates’ strategy to become a world leading carrier and to further establish Dubai as a central gateway to worldwide air travel,’” Emirates Chairman Ahmed bin Saeed al-Maktoum said in an e-mailed statement. “‘Our latest deal signals Emirates’ confidence in the growth of the thriving aviation sector.’”

source: Business Week

Emirates says Baghdad will be among the new destinations it will begin serving this year. Emirates will begin flying to Baghdad in July, making it “‘the latest carrier to add routes to Iraq as the nation struggles to recover from war.'”

Other Middle East carriers (FlyDubai and Qatar Airways) have also recently announced Baghdad service, writing that “‘the flights also are a possible sign of increased Arab investment in Iraq’s oil and commercial sectors.'”

source: USA Today

The Dubai-owned airline Emirates has announced a 60m-euro (£52m, $82m) sponsorship deal with AC Milan.

The four-year deal, due to begin in July, will see Emirates become Serie A team AC Milan’s shirt sponsor in place of the Austrian betting company BWin.

Emirates already sponsors several football teams including Paris Saint Germain, Hamburg and Arsenal.

source: BBC News