Jan. 19--QATAR SETS DATE FOR HOUSTON FLIGHT: The launch date of Qatar Airways new one-stop flight linking Bahrain with Houston is to be March 30. The daily flight departs Bahrain at 0520 hrs to arrive in Doha at 0610 hrs to connect onto Qatar Airways' new long-haul service to Houston, Texas. Qatar Airways' will also launch its first Boeing 777-200 Long Range aircraft on the Houston leg.

DUBAI AEROSPACE SEALS $800M LOAN: Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE), has confirmed that it has closed an $800m equivalent Term Loan and Revolving Credit Facilities. The financing was jointly arranged by Citibank, Deutsche Bank AG, Emirates Bank International PJSC, Lloyds TSB and an Islamic tranche managed by Noor Islamic Bank. The tenor of the facility is three years.

AIRBUS TO MOOT MIDEAST JOINT VENTURES: European aircraft maker Airbus has announced that it is in discussions with prospective partners in Dubai and other places in the Middle East to setting up more regional joint venture facilities for parts manufacturing and services. Habib Fekih, President of Airbus Middle East, said the objective was to develop low-cost efficient parts.

ABU DHABI PASSENGER TRAFFIC UP 30 PERCENT: Abu Dhabi International Airport today released its traffic figures for 2008, which showed an airport record of 9.02 million passengers were handled through its facilities during the last calendar year. With passenger traffic up 30.2 percent, from 6.9m in 2007, Abu Dhabi International Airport closed the year having reached its target milestone.

As world-wide industry trends show a general slowing of passenger traffic, growth rates for December reflected a more modest growth pattern but were still extremely positive at an industry-busting 12.1 per cent increase.

RAK TO RESUME FLIGHTS IN APRIL: RAK Airways, which last month suspended flights and made redundant 60 employees, plans to begin flying scheduled routes again in April, reported The National, citing the airline's CEO Mouin Yassine. The carrier, based in Ras al Khaimah, cut staff and terminated its regular service to Dhaka, Chittagong, Calicut and Colombo after seeing its fleet reduced from three aircraft to one. To help it resume operations by April, the airline was in negotiations to lease and purchase up to four Boeing single-aisle 737s, which would also support its charter services.

DAE SECURES $800M LOAN: Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE), confirmed today that it has closed an $800m equivalent Term Loan and Revolving Credit Facilities jointly arranged by Citibank, Deutsche Bank, Emirates Bank International, Lloyds TSB Bank, and an Islamic tranche managed by Noor Islamic Bank. The tenor of the facility is three years and will be used for DAE's general corporate purposes.

NEW AIR SERVICE FOR SIR BANI YAS ISLAND: A new air service has been launched that will link Abu Dhabi with nearby Sir Bani Yas Island. The service provided by private operator Empire Aviation on behalf of Tourism Development & Investment Company, the master developer of Desert Islands project in the emirate's Al Gharbia western region, will operate return flights every Thursday and Saturday to Sir Bani Yas Island with more flight soon to be announced.

NASAIR BUYS 3 NEW EMBRAERS: Nasair has received three brand new 110-seat Embraer 190, delivered to King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. The new fleets coincide with the activation of National Air Services total component support agreement with Lufthansa Technik that involve Embraer 190 spare parts support.

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