Although Air France is presenting its new airline Joon as an innovative development bridging the gap between low cost and tradition air travel, no-frills and fewer frills options have become a feature of flying.
An absence of free in-flight catering, in addition to baggage restrictions or charges, fees for basic seat reservations and an often rudimentary experience of air transport are no longer the preserve of low-cost operators. The major airlines have steadily followed their example in seeking to cut costs in difficult times for the industry.
And the bigger players in cheaper air travel are increasingly under pressure from upstarts such as Norwegian, previously Norwegian Air Shuffle, and Iceland’s Wow.
Indeed, the Norwegian carrier – now Scandinavia’s leading airline and Europe’s third-largest low-cost operator after Ryanair and easyJet – figured during the recent crisis caused by Ryanair’s sudden cancellation of thousands of lights.
Although the Irish airline eventually admitted to internal failings on pilots’ holiday schedules, having previously blamed air traffic control delays, strikes and weather disruption, defections of its flight deck crew to Norwegian - reportedly 140 in a year - are widely believed to have played a part.
Amid rumours of disgruntled flight and cabin crew plotting industrial action, Ryanair’s chief executive Michael O’Leary has caused a storm with a claim that Norwegian was running out of cash, “scrabbling around daily” and would probably go under.
Norwegian retorted with a glowing self-appraisal, describing itself as ambitious and growing with substantial aircraft orders - 30 Airbus 321 long-range jets scheduled for delivery in 2019-2021, underpinning future expansion of both long and short-haul services. Its 2016 annual report showed profits up nearly five-fold on a year to €128 million (Dh523m) with numbers of passengers, routes and aircraft maintaining the steady rise of recent years.
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Read more:
UK carrier easyJet lifts profit forecast as it fills more seats
Air France-KLM chief sees storm clouds ahead for airline
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Where does Joon fit into this? Air France has had serious problems of its own although fears about the impact of uncertainty arising from elections in Europe have been eased by the victory of the centre-right Emmanuel Macron in France and the re-election of the German chancellor Angela Merkel in her country’s general election.
The Dutch part of the Air France-KLM partnership has been the more successful of the two in improving efficiency but the group as a whole reported earnings 35 per cent up in 2016 despite serious pressure from Middle East carriers, including Etihad and Emirates, as well as budget airlines.
Lower fuel costs and KLM’s productivity achievements enabled the group to report operating profits up from €780m in 2015 to €1.05 billion in 2016. But Air France had to weather strikes by pilots and other staff.
Against this background, Joon’s launch has unsurprisingly received a mixed response. The French marketing and communication agency La Réclame raised eyebrows at the gimmickry, likened the new airline to an unidentified flying object and said: “Let us hope this unexpected, even avant-garde positioning is not ultimately confusing for its audience.”
Bernie Leighton, a US aviation specialist, is scathing in Airways magazine despite being a champion of Joon's parent airline. He mocks the declared aim of appealing to "millennials" as an attempt to "target the hollowest, shallowest, fakest, demographic that no one understands".
“Airlines within airlines never work," he writes.
“You know what Joon really is? Joon is a labour negotiation. You see, the major Air France unions all had to agree to the carve-out for lower pay for the flight and cabin crew to be part of Joon. They’re not lowering the unit cost on the passenger side that much, this is a ploy to lower labour costs.”
Still, with all the youthful optimism of a start-up, Joon says it will prove such critics wrong.
Company%C2%A0profile
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Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
SPECS
Mini John Cooper Works Clubman and Mini John Cooper Works Countryman
Engine: two-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Transmission: nine-speed automatic
Power: 306hp
Torque: 450Nm
Price: JCW Clubman, Dh220,500; JCW Countryman, Dh225,500
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
MATCH INFO
Chelsea 1
Alonso (62')
Huddersfield Town 1
Depoitre (50')
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
The Details
Article 15
Produced by: Carnival Cinemas, Zee Studios
Directed by: Anubhav Sinha
Starring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Kumud Mishra, Manoj Pahwa, Sayani Gupta, Zeeshan Ayyub
Our rating: 4/5
DUBAI SEVENS 2018 DRAW
Gulf Men’s League
Pool A – Dubai Exiles, Dubai Hurricanes, Bahrain, Dubai Sports City Eagles
Pool B – Jebel Ali Dragons, Abu Dhabi Saracens, Abu Dhabi Harlequins, Al Ain Amblers
Gulf Men’s Open
Pool A – Bahrain Firbolgs, Arabian Knights, Yalla Rugby, Muscat
Pool B – Amman Citadel, APB Dubai Sharks, Jebel Ali Dragons 2, Saudi Rugby
Pool C – Abu Dhabi Harlequins 2, Roberts Construction, Dubai Exiles 2
Pool D – Dubai Tigers, UAE Shaheen, Sharjah Wanderers, Amman Citadel 2
Gulf U19 Boys
Pool A – Deira International School, Dubai Hurricanes, British School Al Khubairat, Jumeirah English Speaking School B
Pool B – Dubai English Speaking College 2, Jumeirah College, Dubai College A, Abu Dhabi Harlequins 2
Pool C – Bahrain Colts, Al Yasmina School, DESC, DC B
Pool D – Al Ain Amblers, Repton Royals, Dubai Exiles, Gems World Academy Dubai
Pool E – JESS A, Abu Dhabi Sharks, Abu Dhabi Harlequins 1, EC
Gulf Women
Pool A – Kuwait Scorpions, Black Ruggers, Dubai Sports City Eagles, Dubai Hurricanes 2
Pool B – Emirates Firebirds, Sharjah Wanderers, RAK Rides, Beirut Aconites
Pool C – Dubai Hurricanes, Emirates Firebirds 2, Abu Dhabi Saracens, Transforma Panthers
Pool D – AUC Wolves, Dubai Hawks, Abu Dhabi Harlequins, Al Ain Amblers
Gulf U19 Girls
Pool A – Dubai Exiles, BSAK, DESC, Al Maha
Pool B – Arabian Knights, Dubai Hurricanes, Al Ain Amblers, Abu Dhabi Harlequins
Honeymoonish
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At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
EXPATS
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Destroyer
Director: Karyn Kusama
Cast: Nicole Kidman, Toby Kebbell, Sebastian Stan
Rating: 3/5
UAE release: January 31
A Cat, A Man, and Two Women
Junichiro Tamizaki
Translated by Paul McCarthy
Daunt Books
MATCH INFO
What: Brazil v South Korea
When: Tonight, 5.30pm
Where: Mohamed bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Tickets: www.ticketmaster.ae
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
