Qatar Airways is looking 鈥渟eriously鈥� at placing a large order for cargo aircraft, the Gulf airline精东影业 chief executive said at the Dubai Airshow. 

鈥淲e are seriously looking at placing a large cargo order, a freighter order, because [鈥 as we are also growing our freight business, we need to be sustainable in that and we are going to imminently place a large freighter order,鈥� Akbar Al Baker told reporters at the Dubai Airshow on November 17, 2021, in comments cited by Reuters. 

Al Baker said that Boeing had already made an interesting offer, raising the prospect that Qatar Airways could be the launch customer for a freighter version of Boeing精东影业 new 777X passenger aircraft. 

鈥淥f course, I cannot tell you with whom we are going to place the order. But one thing I can say is that the proposal we have received from Boeing is very attractive to the airline,鈥� Al Baker was quoted as saying. 

The COVID-19 pandemic and tight supply chains have boosted demand for air freight. Along with expected continuing demand from e-Commerce, many airlines are looking at expanding their cargo operations. 

Boeing said at the Dubai Airshow that it was in 鈥渁dvanced talks鈥� with customers over a freighter version of the 777X, which made its international public debut at the airshow. 
 

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Airbus, meanwhile, announced lessor ALC as the launch customer for the freighter version of its A350 passenger plane on November 15, 2021, despite an attempt by Boeing to woo ALC.

ALC chief executive Steve Udvar-Hazy said on November 18, 2021 that Boeing had proposed the 777X freighter to the lessor. 

Udvar-Hazy said the 777X would come to market around 2028, later than the A350F, which is targeting entry into service for 2025.  

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Still, maybe Boeing will have more luck with Qatar Airways, based on the comments by Al Baker and looking at the current composition of its current cargo fleet. 

鈥淲e don鈥檛 only look at the price, we look at the performance, and I think the aircraft that Boeing is developing will outperform the current fleet we have,鈥� Al Baker said. 

Qatar Airways Cargo currently operates 26 Boeing 777-200 freighters, two Boeing 747-8 freighters and six Boeing 777-300ER mini freighters.  
 

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The flag carrier of the United Arab Emirates wants the jet to be certified by 2023, with Boeing agreeing to the timeframe.

Emirates has been eager to discuss the delays with Boeing for some time, previously hinting that a 鈥済rown up鈥� conversation with the planemaker needed to take place. 

The latest discussion took place at the 2021 Dubai Airshow, where a prototype of the 777X was one of the the main attractions at the event. 

鈥淲e are not moving away from that airplane at all; it is just a question of when we are going to get it,鈥� Tim Clark, president of Emirates,  Reuters at the air show. 

According to Clark, the airline hopes that aircraft certification problems will be sorted by July 2023, and the manufacturer has agreed to this timeline. 

Clark also said that the airline hopes to gain more clarity about the jet精东影业 progress during the next 鈥渘ine months or a year鈥� as Boeing prepares for certification.

In April 2021, Clark said that Emirates required more 鈥渧isibility鈥� from Boeing in regards to both the performance and the delivery timeline of the 777X. Shortly after, in May 2021, Emirates threatened to refuse delivery of the jet if Boeing failed to meet its contractual obligations. 

The 777X, which is the latest variant of Boeing精东影业 wide-body long-range twinjet, has been several  years behind schedule and has encountered numerous problems in its development. Recently, the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said that the aircraft is not ready to be certified and cited various safety concerns.

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Due to these delays, many airlines have threatened to reduce or cancel their initial orders for the 777X. 

Emirates, the model精东影业 largest customer, has reduced its original order of 150 aircraft to just 115, and has been hinting at its intention to swap the remaining 777Xs for Boeing 787 Dreamliners. 

The order comprises the 737-8 and the higher capacity 737-8200, Boeing announced on the third day of the 2021 Dubai Airshow on November 16, 2021. 

The deal is worth almost $9 billion at list prices, though customers usually negotiate discounts. 

Akasa Air is an ultra-low-cost carrier backed by Indian billionaire Rakesh Jhunjhunwala. It plans to start operations in mid-2022.  The Indian market is likely to see more shake-ups in coming months after ailing flag carrier Air India was acquired by conglomerate Tata on October 8, 2021. 

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鈥淲e believe that the new 737 MAX airplane will support our aim of running not just a cost-efficient, reliable and affordable airline, but also an environmentally friendly company with the youngest and greenest fleet in the Indian skies,” Akasa Air CEO Vinay Dube said in a statement. Dube is the former chief executive of Jet Airways. 

Boeing said the order was a 鈥渒ey endorsement鈥� of the 737 family in the Indian market. 

“The 737 MAX, with its optimized performance, flexibility and capability, is the perfect airplane to establish Akasa Air in the Indian market and ensure it effectively grows its network,” Stan Deal, Boeing Commercial Airplanes president and CEO, commented.

The higher capacity variant of the MAX is in use with Ryanair. The Irish low cost carrier has ordered 210 of the 737-8200 variant, but ended talks with Boeing over a potential order for 737 MAX 10 aircraft on September 6, 2021 after disagreement over the price. 

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The memorandum of understanding comprises 20 A320neos and eight A321neos, Airbus said on day three of the 2021 Dubai Airshow. 

鈥�Jazeera Airways is pleased to extend its long-term relationship with Airbus further with this significant new order,鈥� said Marwan Boodai, Chairman Jazeera Airways, in a statement. 鈥淲e have exciting expansion plans ahead, which will further boost our contribution to the Kuwait economy and in particular the travel sector.

The airline, which started operations in 2005 and has an all-Airbus fleet, plans to double its current fleet size to 35 aircraft by 2026. Jazeera Airways highlighted that it returned to profitability in the third quarter of 2021.

Chief executive officer Rohit Ramachandran added: 鈥淏y taking both A320neo and A321 neo options we will have great flexibility to extend our network to medium and longer haul destinations from Kuwait, offering passengers more choice to travel and enjoy popular destinations as much as underserved ones.鈥�

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鈥淭he combination of range, fuel efficiency and passenger-comfort of the 777-300 has created success for carriers worldwide,鈥� said Tim Myers, president of Boeing Capital Corporation said in a statement.

鈥淲e are pleased to partner with Sky One FZE as they expand their service offerings and deliver greater value for their customers.鈥�

Based in Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, Sky One FZE provides a variety of aviation services including dry and wet leasing, maintenance, repair and overhaul services, pilot training, operations, Air Operator精东影业 Certificate management, as well as spares and logistics. The 13-year old company has a strong focus on growing airlines in Africa, the Commonwealth of Independent States and India.

鈥淲ith the addition of three 777-300s powered by Rolls Royce engines to their fleet, Sky One FZE plans to operate additional commercial flights and further diversify its air charter service offerings,鈥� Sky One FZE CEOCharles Szar said in a statement. 

鈥淪ky One FZE operates Hajj and Umrah charters and provides additional capacity seasonally by wet leasing to airlines and is pleased to move from four engine 747s to newer 777-300s.鈥�

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The letter of intent covers all Airbus families, from the A220 to the A350, Airbus announced on November 15 in Dubai. ALC described it as covering 鈥渢he most desirable and in-demand aircraft types鈥�.

鈥淭his is a major announcement for Airbus in 2021. ALC精东影业 order signals we鈥檙e moving beyond the Covid doldrums,鈥� commented Christian Scherer, Airbus Chief Commercial Officer in a statement.

The order comprises 25 A220-300s, 55 A321neos, 20 A321XLRs, four A330neos and seven A350Fs. Airbus said the order will be finalized in the coming months and will make ALC one of Airbus鈥� largest customers, as well as the lessor with the biggest A220 order book. 

鈥滱LC was the launch customer for the very popular A321LR and XLR versions. Now, we become the launch lessor for the A350F and by far the largest lessor customer for the A220鈥� ALC executive chairman Steven Udvar-Hazy said in a statement. ALC has so far ordered 496 aircraft.

Udvar-Hazy added: 鈥淲e had the vision to be first adopters of the A321 and are convinced we have made the right choice again on the A220 and A350F, responding to what we see the market will need in the period of recovery ahead.鈥�

Airbus confirmed it was launching a freighter version of the A350 on July 29, 2021. It is targeting entry into service for 2025, which it hopes will coincide with demand for replacement cargo aircraft. 

鈥淎LC精东影业 endorsement confirms the global enthusiasm we see for this quantum leap in the freighter space and we applaud its insightfulness in selecting it and in beating everyone to the finish line for the first A350F order announcement,鈥� added Airbus鈥� Scherer.

Rival manufacturer Boeing said on November 14 that it was also in talks with customers over a freighter version of its 777X jet. 

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The ALC deal is the second big announcement for Airbus of the Dubai Airshow, after it announced a firm order for 255 A321 family aircraft from private equity firm Indigo Partners on November 14. Indigo精东影业 portfolio airlines are Wizz Air, Frontier, Volaris and JetSMART.  

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The European manufacturer and ALC also said they were launching a multi-million-dollar fund to contribute investment into sustainable aviation development projects. The fund will be opened to multiple stakeholders from the aircraft leasing and financing community and others, Airbus said. 

The company also published a detailed interactive press release and a video, providing a glimpse into the specifications of the jet.

The video portrays an officer of a fictional middle-Eastern air force (referred to as 鈥楢ir Force commander of a foreign country鈥� in the press release) praising the advantages of the jet, as a video reel of the Checkmate in action plays.

The video shows the Checkmate performing various missions, including locking on the Bayraktar Akinci, an upcoming Turkish combat drone, and the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II fighter jet. The pilot of the Checkmate presses the trigger, opening fire at both aircraft. 

Later a sequence of the Checkmate overflying a row of F-4 Phantom and F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter jets plays, as the row gets obscured by smoke, seemingly being either bombed or dusted by the exhaust of the Russian fighter. Currently, Greece, Turkey and South Korea are the only countries that operate both types of American fighter jets.

The promotional video also includes a sequence where an actor opens an ammunition box only to find it empty, and shows a tablet displaying an error which reads 鈥淧lease renew your subscription鈥�. The segment can be interpreted as poking fun at the F-35, as the aircraft is often criticized as being over reliant on the monitoring of its manufacturer.

An interactive press release, on the webpage of Russia精东影业 state news agency TASS, presents a host of new information about the jet, including its specifications and manufacturer精东影业 outlook on the possible sales.

According to the release, the wingspan of the Checkmate is approximately 11.8 meters (38.7 feet), and the length is approximately 17.5 meters (57.4 feet). Thus, it is larger than other single-engine fighter jets, such as the F-35, the F-16 and the JAS 39 Gripen, and is very similar in its dimensions to the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet (wingspan 12.3 meters / 40.4 feet, length 17.1 meters / 56 feet).

The release also specifies that the jet精东影业 maximum range of 2,800 kilometers (1.740 miles) can be reached without the addition of drop tanks, and that the aircraft is going to have 11 hardpoints: five in internal weapon bays and four on external pylons.

In addition to that, a render of an unmanned version of the jet is shown in the press release and in the video, hinting at the possibility of using the drone Checkmate as a loyal wingman 鈥� an autonomous companion for manned fighter jets.

鈥淭he Checkmate can be built in a base one-seat version, a two-seat version, an optionally manned version and an unmanned version,鈥� the press release reads.

The release also claims that the work on the jet started in 2016, confirming earlier observations that the project may have had its roots in LFI (light frontline fighter) and PLIB (prospective light fighter-bomber) projects, outlined in the documents of the united Aircraft Corporation (UAC), a subsidiary of Rostec.

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Unmanned version of the Checkmate (Image: Rostec)

鈥淲e鈥檝e got to do some work on the runway at Dubai International Airport and with the reduction in capacity we鈥檒l start to move operations back to DWC,鈥� DWC chief executive officer Paul Griffiths said at Dubai Air Show on November 14, 2021.

鈥淏ut it精东影业 really determined by the recovery of traffic overall.鈥�

Airlines like Wizz Air, a number of Russian airlines and some FlyDubai operations will resume at DWC. Emirates, in the meantime, will carry out passenger flights out of Dubai International Airport (DXB) for the foreseeable future.

In order to prepare for higher tourist arrivals, concourse A at DXB is set to reopen on November 24, 2021, bringing the airport to full operation. 

Griffiths added that he is optimistic the airline industry will recover by the start of 2025. 鈥淚鈥檓 hoping that might be a fairly conservative estimate. We may well see a rather rapid recovery if the last few weeks are anything to go by.鈥�

Dubai World Central, also known as Al Maktoum International Airport, opened in June 2010 and is located at Jebel Ali, 37 kilometres southwest of Dubai. It first began its operations as a cargo airport, and passenger flights commenced at the airport in October 2013. 

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Boeing 777X, registered as N779XW, departed from King County International Airport (BFI), Seattle, the United States on November 8, 2021, and touched down at Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC), Dubai, the UAE. The flight lasted almost 15 hours, according to . 

On November 4, 2021, Boeing announced it will showcase its new 777X wide-body at the Dubai Airshow 2021. This will be the first international venue for the manufacturer精东影业 twin-jet, which initially intended to debut at the Paris Air Show 2019.

“Boeing is excited to participate fully in the Dubai Airshow, the first global airshow in almost two years, and to be able to engage directly with customers, partners, suppliers and other stakeholders from the region and beyond,” said Kuljit Ghata-Aura, president of Boeing Middle East, Turkey and Africa. 

A 777-9 prototype will feature in the flying program as well as the static display, alongside the reduced-emissions Etihad 787-10, the Alaska Airlines 737-9 ecoDemonstrator, the 737 MAX 9 and a host of other aircraft.

Boeing 777X, the new generation of the 777 family, was launched in 2013, accumulating about 300 orders during the years that followed. However, after numerous problems and delays, the first prototype conducted its first flight in January 2020.

The 777X family, comprising 777-8, 777-9, and 777-10 variants, is intended to replace earlier models of the 777, as well as compete with Airbus widebodies, such as the A350 aircraft.

In a press release Boeing also : 鈥淏uilding on the best of the industry-leading 777 and 787 families, the 777-9 will be the world’s largest and most efficient twin-engine jet, delivering 10% better fuel use, emissions and operating costs than the competition.鈥�

Soon to be showcased at the Dubai Airshow 2021, the Boeing 777-9 variant has a capability to carry up to 426 passengers. It also boasts a range of 7,285 nautical miles (13,500 kilometers), according to  

Boeing to showcase 777X at Dubai Airshow

• Aircraft

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