Royal Jordanian considers expansion of its Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet

Jordan's state airline Royal Jordanian is looking to expand its current fleet of Boeing 787s to 11 Dreamliners — from seven currently — over the next five years, its chief executive said.

The 787-8 jet operator is also planning to replace the older model with the newer 787-9 and 787-10 variants of the wide-body jet, Royal Jordanian boss Samer Al Majali said at a press conference during the Bahrain International Airshow on Wednesday.

“We will probably approach both the leasing market and Boeing for purchases on these aircraft,” he said.

“It's a problem of deliveries: we're actually quite rushed to be able to at least change our current fleet, let alone expand. The earliest you can get 787s is probably 2025 and we're trying to push harder, but not possible.”

This comes after the airline in October signed an initial pact with Brazil's Embraer to acquire 10 of the E2 regional jets, including the E190 and E195 variants, to serve short-haul routes in the Middle East. The airline also signed an agreement with Airbus to introduce 20 new A320 Neo family jets to its fleet.

“As we introduce the narrow-body and regional jet fleet, that allows us to provide a stronger feeder network that will support additional wide-bodies in the future,” he said.

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On Wednesday, the airline selected engine maker Pratt and Whitney to power up to 30 of its coming Airbus A320 Neo-family jets and Embraer E-Jets E2 aircraft with geared turbofan engines.

Pratt and Whitney will also provide the airline with engine maintenance through a long-term service agreement.

Aircraft deliveries are expected to begin in late 2023.

“These aircraft will allow us to modernise our fleet and offer new routes, all while keeping airfare affordable and significantly reducing our carbon emissions,” Mr Al Majali said.

GTF-powered aircraft reduce fuel consumption and carbon emissions by between 16 per cent 20 per cent, NOx emissions by 50 per cent and noise by 75 per cent.

Certified for operation on 50 per cent sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and successfully tested on 100 per cent SAF, GTF engines are capable of further reductions in carbon emissions, which will help the aviation industry meet its goal of net-zero emissions by 2050, Pratt and Whitney said in a statement.

Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme

Priority access to new homes from participating developers
Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
Flexible payment plans from developers
Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates

ESSENTIALS

The flights

Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.

The hotels

Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.

The tours

A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.

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COMPANY%20PROFILE

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The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting

2. Prayer

3. Hajj

4. Shahada

5. Zakat

Specs

Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric

Range: Up to 610km

Power: 905hp

Torque: 985Nm

Price: From Dh439,000

Available: Now

Volvo ES90 Specs

Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)

Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp

Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm

On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region

Price: Exact regional pricing TBA

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UK-EU trade at a glance

EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years

Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products

Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries

Smoother border management with use of e-gates

Cutting red tape on import and export of food

Key facilities

Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
Premier League-standard football pitch
400m Olympic running track
NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
600-seat auditorium
Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
Specialist robotics and science laboratories
AR and VR-enabled learning centres
Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills

Company profile

Name: Dukkantek

Started: January 2021

Founders: Sanad Yaghi, Ali Al Sayegh and Shadi Joulani

Based: UAE

Number of employees: 140

Sector: B2B Vertical SaaS(software as a service)

Investment: $5.2 million

Funding stage: Seed round

Investors: Global Founders Capital, Colle Capital Partners, Wamda Capital, Plug and Play, Comma Capital, Nowais Capital, Annex Investments and AMK Investment Office