Page 10 - ARUBA TODAY

A10 WORLD NEWS
Monday 18 noveMber 2019
Dubai Airshow opens as big Gulf airlines slow down purchases

By AYA BATRAWY neys at lower costs.
Associated Press There may be no starker ex-
DUBAI, United Arab Emir- ample of this trend than the
ates (AP) — The Middle Airbus A380. Emirates was
East’s biggest aviation a lead customer of the su-
event, the Dubai Airshow, perjumbo, which can carry
opened Sunday without more than 800 passengers,
any major deals as flagship but the airline reduced its
Gulf carriers rein back big- orders of the aircraft and it
ticket purchases. is now being phased out of
This year’s lackluster start production.
could be seen as a reflec- Forrester, a principal ana-
tion of the various chal- lyst at Jane’s IHS Markit, said
lenges facing the industry companies are also finding
but may also be due to ways to extend the life of
the hundreds of planes al- the aircraft they already
ready on order by Mideast have, potentially hamper-
airlines that have yet to be ing the pace of new sales.
delivered. In the only major “Fleets are now actually liv-
announcement of the day, ing a bit longer than they
Boeing and Biman Ban- used to. Companies are
gladesh Airlines signed a able to keep their aircraft
deal for two 787-9s aircraft, running a bit longer,” he
which list at $292.5 million French aircrafts of the Patrouille de France spray colored smoke during a performance on the said. “Rather than con-
apiece. However, buyers opening day of the Dubai Airshow in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2019. stantly having to buy new
often get better deals from Associated Press aircraft all the time, just re-
manufacturers. riers. The region’s biggest deal worth $15.1 billion. tralia to compete against furbish them, refit them, get
In contrast, there were $140 airline, Emirates, recently The airline, which feeds Emirates and fellow rival them going, they’re good
billion in new orders an- signed a commitment for Dubai’s busy international Qatar Airways exposed the as new.”
nounced at the start of the 70 new Airbus planes worth airport, posted significantly company to major losses. The biennial airshow runs
2013 airshow, but that was $21.4 billion at list prices to lower earnings of $237 mil- Qatar Airways, based out for five days, leaving still
an era before global oil be delivered over the next lion last year due to spikes of Doha, is also struggling some time for deals to be
prices collapsed, sparking five years. At the last Dubai in fuel costs at the end of under the weight of a con- announced.
a slowdown in economic Airshow in 2017, the airlines 2018, a strengthened U.S. tinued blockade by neigh- The show draws major
growth across the Gulf announced a purchase of dollar, lower airfreight de- boring Arab states, which commercial and military
Arab region — home to the 40 American-made Boe- mand and weakened trav- have barred the carrier firms from around the
Middle East’s largest car- ing 787-10 Dreamliners in a el demand. from their airspace and air- world, as well as smaller
Meanwhile, Abu Dhabi’s ports. manufacturers competing
Etihad Airways has lost a Analyst Charles Forrester for business in the Middle
total of $4.75 billion since said airlines around the East. The United States has
2016 as its strategy of ag- world are looking more at the largest foreign country
gressively buying stakes in smaller aircraft that can presence with around 140
airlines from Europe to Aus- make more frequent jour- exhibitors.q

Palestinian journalist may lose eye after

shot by Israel

Associated Press
BETHLEHEM, West Bank (AP)
— Relatives of a Palestinian
freelance photographer
said Sunday that he has
lost vision in one eye after
apparently being struck by
Israeli fire while covering a
demonstration last week in
the occupied West Bank.
Muath Amarneh's case has
drawn significant attention
among Palestinians and in
several Arab countries, with
journalists voicing solidarity Palestinian journalists help a colleague who fell running away
by posting photos on so- from tear gas and sound bombs thrown by Israeli border
cial media with themselves police during a journalist's protest in support of a 35 year-
wearing eye patches. old photographer Muath Amarneh in Bethlehem, West Bank,
Israeli paramilitary border Sunday, Nov. 17, 2019.
police fired tear gas Sun- Associated Press
day at Palestinian journal- Protests were also held in ed by Israeli forces during
ists who held a protest in Gaza City. a demonstration Friday
solidarity with Amarneh Palestinian colleagues say near the West Bank city of
in the city of Bethlehem. Amarneh, 35, was target- Hebron.q