A passenger plane crash-landed at an airport in Somalia's capital Mogadishu on Monday, with no deaths reported and all those on board - more than 30 passengers - rescued. Video from the scene showed the plane upside down after having apparently flipped over on landing. Black smoke and flames rose into the air as fire trucks approached on the runway and firefighters started hosing down the crashed plane.<br/>
unaligned
The president of Dubai's Emirates, which has clashed with London's Heathrow over the introduction of a capacity cap, said on Monday a disrupted air travel industry would return to equilibrium in 2023 and must "tough it out" until then. Tim Clark, speaking at an event at the Farnborough Airshow, criticised Heathrow managers for failing to anticipate the travel rebound until it was too late, sparking delays. Air traffic problems had also played a role. "There are many, many late runners," Clark told aerospace executives. The comments came after Emirates on Thursday angrily rejected demands by Heathrow to cut capacity and pledged to keep its six daily A380 superjumbo flights running. The airline and airport later announced a deal to cap sales on flights out of Heathrow through mid-August. Clark said Emirates could eventually look at transferring one of its six daily Heathrow flights to London Gatwick as part of an agreement to relieve pressure. "The way we left it with Heathrow (was that) today we still have our six flights operating. What I needed to do with them was to look at how we can possibly switch over one of the flights into Gatwick." Last-minute airport curbs are more complicated for Emirates than many European carriers because of the large variety of destinations served beyond its Dubai hub, meaning passengers coming from across the globe can be affected, Clark said.<br/>
Air Marakanda, the operator of Samarkand Airport, has announced the launch of a new route from Samarkand – with flydubai, the Emirati government owned low-cost airline. The twice-weekly service will connect the historic Silk Road city of Samarkand, and the UAE’s largest city, Dubai. The service will launch on September 20. The service is the 12th and latest route to be announced from the newly expanded and redesigned Samarkand International Airport, with further, new route announcements scheduled for the following weeks and months. Gairat Nematov, CEO of Air Marakanda, said: “We are delighted to welcome flydubai to Samarkand, and connect the UAE to the history and heritage of our Silk Road city and region. The UAE is an important trade and cultural link for Uzbekistan, and we are proud to play our part in cementing and extending these links. Today’s announcement is just the latest in Samarkand Airport’s expansion and redevelopment. We expect to announce many more routes very soon, regionally and internationally - to match the demand we are witnessing to visit Uzbekistan’s leading tourist area.”<br/>
India's Jet Airways is near a deal to buy 50 A220 jets from Airbus (AIR.PA), two people familiar with the matter said. The airline's board was expected to meet on Monday to finalise the deal. "We are in an advanced stage of discussions with lessors and OEMs (manufacturers) for aircraft, and we will announce our aircraft choice and fleet plans as we make our decisions," a spokesperson for Jet Airways said. "As we have said before, we are studying all possibilities to find the one that works best for us."<br/>
Japanese start-up Feel Air Holding has signed a letter of intent (LOI) with Avions de Transport Régional for the proposed purchase of thirty-six ATR42 and ATR72 aircraft. Announced during the 2022 Farnborough Air Show, the tentative order consists of ATR42-600s, ATR72-600s, as well as the STOL-capable ATR42-600S. The company plans to launch services in 2024 with Feel Air East, growing to five regional franchises by 2028. It aims to develop new regional routes throughout the Japanese archipelago, which has close to 100 operational airports. “Over the coming years, Feel Air Holdings will establish at least five regional airlines, with a fleet that will ultimately comprise 36 ATR aircraft," Hideki Ide, Chief Executive Officer of Feel Air Holdings, said in a statement. "Our fundamental goal is to improve regional air mobility in Japan by connecting local destinations that currently do not have air service, thereby creating stronger links between regional businesses and people, generating new markets, and enriching local economies. ATR aircraft play an essential part in our business strategy because they are the ideal size for such regional operations and demonstrate exceptional operational efficiency.”<br/>