DUBAI / Reuters Lufthansa is in talks with Iran Air to provide catering, maintenance and pilot training as it seeks to take advantage of emerging business opportunities in the country, executives at the German airline group said. Foreign companies have been vying for contracts in Iran since economic sanctions were lifted last year in return for Tehran curbing its …

  Bloomberg American Airlines pilots will be surveyed about reactions to the carrier’s new uniforms after about 100 reported rashes, itching and other symptoms similar to those experienced by hundreds of flight attendants. Some aviators said recently they had red, swollen eyes and a general ill feeling even though they had been wearing the new clothing since September, according to …

  SARANAC LAKE, NY / AP Sunita Halasz has tips for ‘driving electric’ along lonely roads in New York’s Adirondack Mountains: know the locations of charging stations, bring activities for the kids during three-hour recharges, turn on the energy-hogging window defroster in just 10-second bursts. And have a backup plan. “When we really go anywhere, I have a whole list of …

  Bloomberg Oil-producing nations are moving closer toward ending a global glut and re-balancing the crude market, and OPEC will decide next month whether to extend its cuts in output beyond June, the group’s Secretary-General Mohammad Barkindo said. The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and other major producers are committed to reducing oil stockpiles, and all countries participating in a …

  ABU DHABI / WAM The National Bank of Abu Dhabi and First Gulf Bank reported AED2.93 billion in net profits for the 1st quarter of 2017, a 12.4 percent growth from AED 2.60 billion over the same period last year. The positive results are attributed to a robust operational performance and increasing investments yields in addition to a successful …

  ABU DHABI / WAM Etihad Airways Engineering signed an agreement with Diehl Aerosystems to jointly design, manufacture and install the first serial produced 3D-printed cabin plastic part on an aircraft for one of its customers. Additive manufacturing, commonly referred to as 3D-printing, reduces lead time in design, decreases production costs and enables speedier manufacturing. Etihad Airways Engineering and Diehl …

  DUBAI / AP Emirates, the Middle East’s biggest airline, said on Wednesday it is cutting flights to the United States because of a drop in demand caused by tougher US security measures and Trump administration attempts to ban travellers from Muslim-majority nations. The decision by the Dubai government-owned carrier is the strongest sign yet that the new measures imposed …

  DUBAI / WAM Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation, Empower, has announced that it has awarded contracts valued at AED62million in the first quarter of the year. According to Empower, the main reason behind the increase in the number and value of contracts is the customers’ growing trust in the district cooling service in terms of its efficiency compared to …

  Dubai / WAM The United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia have the main bulk of private equity (PE) investments in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) in 2014 at more than 75 percent by value, according to an international report. Emerging only in the late 1990s, MENA’s PE market is still at its infancy compared to other well-established ones, …

  Sharjah / WAM His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, on Wednesday opened the ninth Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival, SCRF 2017, the region’s largest children’s reading event, at Expo Centre Sharjah. Running until April 29, this year’s festival has the theme ‘Discover Beyond’ and features 2,093 cultural, artistic and entertainment activities, …