Archive for the ‘Transport’ Category

Silverjet, the UK business-class airline, announced yesterday that it has found a UAE-based investor to avert its deteriorating working capital position. Under the terms of a memorandum of understanding, agreed on April 29, the unnamed investor will provide funds of approximately $25 million in debt and equity.

Silverjet’s working capital has decreased in recent months due to increasing fuel prices and tightening of credit conditions in the airline industry.

The airline commenced flights from London to Dubai International Airport in November 2007. Eos and MAXjet, two other business-class only airlines, have filed for bankruptcy in recent months.

Dubai’s Road and Transport Authority (RTA) has announced plans for a 14 km light rail system linking the Dubai Marina/Jumeirah Beach Residence to the Madinat Jumeirah/Burj Al Arab. The Al Sufouh tram project will cost Dh 4 billion and will feature 19 stations.

The tramline will run along the Al Sufouh Road and with connections to the monorail at the Palm Jumeirah and the Dubai Metro. Completion is expected in late 2009.

The Road and Transport Authority (RTA) had announced naming rights for the Dubai Metro. Companies will shortly be able to bid to have their names attached to 23 stations and the Red and Green Lines, due to open in 2009 and 2010 respectively. Companies wishing to be considered must have a presence in the United Arab Emirates and the company and its products must respect the culture and values of the region.

Serco has won a 10 year contract to run the Dubai Metro when it opens next year. The British services company currently operates the Docklands Light Railway in London. The first line (Red Line) is due to open next year.

Emirates have launched the world’s first in-flight mobile telephone service. The Dubai-based airline said first authorised mobile phone call on a commercial flight was made on March 21 on a flight from Dubai to Casablanca.

The Airbus A340-300 was the first in the fleet to be fitted with the AeroMobile system. A second system has been installed in another plane and will be operational shortly.

The service is only activated when the aircraft has reached cruising altitude and can be turned off by cabin crew at certain times, for example during the night. Callers are billed by their own networks at premium international roaming rates.

The severity of Dubai’s drug laws was highlighted yesterday when influential British DJ Grooverider was sentenced to 4 years imprisonment for possession of cannabis. Grooverider, the stage name of Raymond Bingham, is widely recognised as one of the founders of the drum and bass movement.

Grooverider was arrested at Dubai International Airport in Novemeber as he flew into to perform at The Lodge nightclub. He had forgotten to remove a joint containing 2.16 grams of cannabis from his trousers.

Earlier this month another British visitor, Keith Brown, was jailed for 4 years after 0.003 g of cannabis was found stuck to the bottom of his shoe. The piece of cannabis was so small that it could not been seen with the naked eye.

US-based business class-only airline Eos is to commence daily flights from London’s Stansted Airport to Dubai International Airport on July 6 2008. Tickets will go on sale in March.

The company’s fleet of Boeing 757’s have been adapted to seat only 48 passengers (normally 228), with each ‘suite’ offering 21 square feet of personal space and a 6’6” fully flat bed.

The Road Transport Authority (RTA) has announced that Dubai will build the world’s longest arch bridge. Measuring 1600 metres in length and 64 metres wide, it will span the Dubai Creek and connect Bur Dubai and Deira. The plans include a giant arch 205 metres high and 667 metres long, dwarfing the 550 metre main span of the current record holder, the Lupu Bridge in Shanghai, China.

The bridge will accommodate 12 lanes of road traffic and the Dubai Metro’s Green Line. The project will cost around Dh3 billion and is scheduled for completion in 2012.

Dubai’s increasing popularity, both as a tourist destination and airline hub, was highlighted this week when Dubai International Airport announced record passenger throughput. In 2007 the airport handled just over 34.3 million passengers, a 19 percent increase on the 2006 figure of 28.8 million.

Mohammed Ahli, Director General of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, said ‘We have had new airlines joining us periodically, thanks to Dubai’s envious position as the region’s best connection, and our destination network has also expanded rapidly especially in recent years. In 2007 the list of airlines serving Dubai rose to 120, seven more than in 2006, while our network now has 205 destinations.’

Silverjet, the UK-based business-class only airline, has announced daily flights between Dubai and London commencing November 19 2007. The airline becomes the only scheduled airline to use the executive terminal at Dubai International Airport. Passengers will enjoy similar luxury at the airline’s private terminal at London Luton Airport.

Onboard the Boeing 767 aircraft passengers will enjoy flat beds, a digital in-flight entertainment system, and the highest ratio of cabin crew to passengers of any commercial airline.