AVIATION-

Emirates is set to resume flights to Nigeria starting 1 October with daily flights between Lagos and Dubai, it said in a statement released on Thursday. The airline’s SkyCargo division will also offer over 300 tonnes of bellyhold cargo capacity in and out of Lagos weekly, in a bid to support trade between the UAE and Nigeria. The resumption to Nigeria opens up 19 more gateways in Africa with 157 flights per week from Dubai, and will reach an additional 130 points in Africa through its interline partnerships with South African Airways, Airlink, Royal Air Maroc, Tunis Air, among others, according to the statement.

What's being transported? SkyCargo will help Nigerian businesses export their goods and commodities including kola nuts, food and beverages, and urgent courier material to key markets including the UAE, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Bahrain, according to the statement. Emirates SkyCargo will also import pharma products, electronics, and general cargo from the UAE, India, and Hong Kong.

UAE’s GCAA partners with Skyports to enhance air mobility standards: The General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) inked an MoU with the UK’s SkyportsInfrastructure to enhance regulations for clean energy powered vertiports in the UAE, according to a statement released on Thursday. The agreement aims to develop standards for hybrid vertiport operations, maximize the use of existing infrastructure, and advance the UAE’s adoption of air mobility. Building on the world's first national regulation (pdf) for vertiports published by the GCAA in 2023, the MoU seeks to integrate emerging technologies into the aviation sector.

BACKGROUND- The GCAA granted operational approval to Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) and Abu Dhabi Mobility (AD Mobility) to launch the country’s inaugural vertiport — a micro-scale airport designed for electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircrafts last month. AD Mobility — which represents Abu Dhabi’s Department of Municipalities and Transport — is set to regulate the advanced air mobility sector in Abu Dhabi by working in conjunction with GCAA. The GCAA plans to launch air taxis by 1Q 2026.

Daily flights between Cairo and Delhi? EgyptAir is considering launching daily flights between Cairo and Delhi on the back of stronger traffic between the two capitals, The Times of India reports, citing a statement from the airline. EgyptAir has been running four weekly flights between the two capitals since August 2023.

PORTS-

KSA’s General Ports Authority (Mawani) has introduced new licenses and permits to boost port services in the Kingdom, according to a statement released last week. The new measures aim to enhance efficiency, quality, and transparency in maritime guidance, port operations, ship maintenance, and container handling. The permits also cover services including vessel refueling and waste management.

OTHER STORIES WORTH KNOWING THIS MORNING-

  • Bahrain returning Syria flights: Bahrain is set to resume flights to Syria from Bahrain International Airport, with the flight details to be announced soon. (BNA)
  • Noatum expands into Turkey: AD Ports subsidiary Noatum Logistics has opened a Noatum Maritime office in Turkey. The office will offer integrated services across the maritime operation chain locations in Istanbul and Izmir. (Press release)
  • Iran + Turkey kickstart electricity trade: CEO of Iran’s Power Generation, Distribution, and Transmission Management Company (Tavanir) Mostafa Rajabi Mashhadi and Turkey’s Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar discussed commencing electricity trade between Iran and Turkey. (Tasnim News Agency)
  • DP World’s Chennai Terminal receives its deepest vessel yet: DP World’s Chennai Container Terminal Pvt Ltd (CCTPL) has welcomed its deepest container vessel yet, the APL Boston, which boasts a 14.9 meter draft and a capacity of 9.3k TEUs. (Statement)
  • Invest Qatar + Boeing set up Boeing Aerospace Doha: Qatar’s Investment Promotion Agency (Invest Qatar) and Boeing have inked an agreement to establish a permanent legal entity — Boeing Aerospace Doha LLC — in Qatar to strengthen the local aerospace sector through research, technology, and innovation, as well as to drive sustainable aviation. (Press release)
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