Gulf companies

Updated on Thursday 26 March at 5.30pm Since 28 February, the skies over the Middle East have been in turmoil, with many airspaces closed and airports running at a standstill. Here's an update on flight cancellations, airline by airline. The situation at Air France-KLM Air France has suspended flights from and to...

For years, the Gulf airlines have used their global hubs strategy to take some of their Asian traffic from European carriers. And vice versa. But now the war in the Gulf, with Iran regularly attacking its neighbours, has shaken - temporarily, it seems - the balance of power.

The launch by the United States and Israel of large-scale attacks against Iran has had an immediate consequence for all travellers: the dislocation of the Persian Gulf as the world's hub. While airlines had decided a few weeks ago to temporarily suspend some of their routes for security reasons...

Oman Air is continuing its international expansion with the launch of two new routes this summer. The airline has announced the launch of direct flights between Muscat and Tashkent from June 1, as well as a new route between Dubai and Salalah from July 3. The Muscat-Tashkent route, operated twice weekly,...

The momentum initiated in 2025 does not appear poised to halt, nor even to slow down: airlines are signing up for Starlink connectivity one after another. On January 26th, it was Gulf Air that officially announced its contract with SpaceX. The national airline of the Kingdom of Bahrain will begin equipping its fleet starting...

After Etihad and at the same time as MEA (Lebanon), Saudia is preparing to receive its first Airbus A321XLR, the long-haul version of the Airbus A321, in 2026. The aircraft can fly non-stop over a distance of around 8,700 km. This step forward will enable the Saudi national carrier to introduce a business class cabin with...

It's certainly not easy to get a foothold in Algeria, whatever your business or nationality. That's what the directors of the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, Etihad, must think. As early as November 2024, the Abu Dhabi-based carrier had announced the launch of four weekly flights to the Algerian capital. The carrier had...

It's becoming almost commonplace. Etihad has once again announced the opening of five new destinations. Since November 1, the carrier has landed three times a week in Tunis from Abu Dhabi (Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday); in Hanoi five times a week (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and twice on Sunday); in Chiang Mai in...

Are you satisfied with Emirates' current presence in France? Cédric Renard - We're very happy with our current schedule, with three flights a day between Paris and Dubai, all by A380, plus one flight a day from Nice, also by A380, and daily service to Lyon by A350. For...

Aircraft seem to be falling victim more and more to in-flight turbulence. And it's not just an impression: it's an increasingly serious challenge for airlines because of the frequency and growing severity of turbulence. Dubai-based Emirates has therefore decided to take a proactive approach. With...

Flydubai is taking the next step in its transformation from a low-cost airline to a traditional full-service carrier. From November 2025, the Dubai-based airline will offer free meals and an in-flight entertainment system for all Economy Class passengers. "Redefining our Economy Class offer on all our flights...

Qatar Airways has announced a new partnership with Klarna, the global digital bank and provider of flexible payment solutions. The collaboration introduces a range of new payment options designed to offer passengers greater control, convenience and flexibility when booking their flights. Klarna will now be available as...

Riyadh Air is having some bad luck. The new Saudi airline, which is to compete with the current national carrier Saudia, has been slowing down its development for several months. The reason: the aircraft manufacturer Boeing, which has been unable to deliver the company's first eight aircraft on time. Instead of the 8 Boeing 787 Dreamliner...

Emirates Airlines' Skywards frequent flyer programme has announced the possibility of earning rewards on Premium Economy flights. This announcement was eagerly awaited by the 35 million or so members of the programme. The new rule allows travellers to redeem Skywards miles for Classic Rewards tickets or upgrades...

Etihad continues to build on its expansionist momentum with the addition of new destinations and new aircraft. This is reflected in its financial results. The carrier recorded 10.2 million passengers in the first half of 2025. This represents a year-on-year increase of 17%, supported by a 14% rise in available seat kilometres. The...

"The largest fleet of wide-body aircraft equipped with Starlink in the world": this was the milestone reached by Qatar Airways in July. It will therefore have taken the airline less than a year to complete this programme, which was launched in October 2024, instead of the two years initially planned. To achieve this, the management of Qatar Airways has indicated that it...

Qatar Airways is strengthening its position in South-East Asia through a new codeshare agreement with Philippine Airlines. This strategic partnership will build a virtual air bridge between Doha and Manila, improving connectivity for French passengers travelling to the Philippines via Qatar. From 16...

On 1 February 2026, Etihad will offer four additional weekly flights by Airbus A321neoLR on the Paris CDG-Abu Dhabi route. The total number of flights operated by the UAE national airline will then increase from 14 to 18 weekly flights from the French capital. Currently, Etihad offers a morning flight on this route with an Airbus A380 and another...

At the ITB tourism trade fair in Berlin, Etihad presented its new network offer, its business headquarters and the new Abu Dhabi pass offering a host of advantages to travellers in the Emirati capital. We spoke to Javier Alija, Vice President Global Sales & Distribution. What is the growth of Etihad's offer...