Red Arrows wow Doha with dazzling display as Qatar Airways turns 20

Agencies
October 1, 2017

Doha, Oct 1: Thousands of people watched in admiration as a Qatar Airways aircraft flew in formation over Doha with the world-famous Red Arrows aerobatic display team, an event taking place as the airline celebrates its twentieth anniversary.

The event, hosted by the British Ambassador to the State of Qatar, His Excellency Mr. Ajay Sharma, and Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, included a number of other ambassadors as well as Qatar’s Minister of Municipality and Environment, His Excellency Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Rumaihi, and Chairman of Qatar’s Civil Aviation Authority, His Excellency Mr. Abdullah bin Nasser Turki Al Subaey. Many representatives of the Qatar British Business Association were also present to celebrate the auspicious occasion, which included an incredible display over Doha’s sweeping corniche from the Sheraton Grand Doha Resort and Convention Hotel, which offered ideal views of the fly-by.

The thrilling display took place in the skies above Doha as a state-of-the-art Qatar Airways Airbus A350, for which the airline was the global launch customer, flew in formation with the British Royal Air Force’s (RAF) iconic Red Arrows. Their distinctive fleet of Hawk jets were on hand to display the speed, agility and precision of the RAF and fly in their trademark diamond nine formation to join in the salute to Qatar Airways and its 20 years of operations.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “It has been an honour to have one of Qatar Airways’ Airbus A350 aircraft join forces with the world-famous Red Arrows and take part in today’s historic fly-by over the impressive Doha skyline.

“The Red Arrows have helped Qatar Airways celebrate in style with a thrilling display to mark our twentieth anniversary. In just two decades, Qatar Airways has exceeded all expectations, to rise from humble beginnings to become one of the world’s leading and most admired airlines. This year we were named Airline of the Year by Skytrax, which is the fourth time we have won this prestigious award.

“I am very proud of all that Qatar Airways has achieved in the past 20 years and as we embark on the next 20 years I look forward to continuing to demonstrate the passion, innovation and award-winning customer service that we have become renowned for.”

The British Ambassador to the State of Qatar, His Excellency Mr. Ajay Sharma, said: “I am delighted with the welcome that the UK’s Red Arrows have received during their visit to Qatar this weekend. Residents and visitors alike have come out in force to see the air display, demonstrating the close relationship between our two countries. I am glad that the Red Arrows’ visit coincides with Qatar Airways’ twentieth anniversary celebrations. Qatar Airways is an important partner for us and plays a key role in moving UK-Qatar relations forward.”

The fly-by and special aerobatics display had been carefully planned in advance by Qatar Airways and the Red Arrows, working in partnership the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority (QCAA). Also involved in the careful preparations were the Ministry of Defence, the Emiri Guard and Qatar Civil Defence representatives.

Qatar Airways’ flight operations experts produced a special flight plan that enabled one of the airline’s Airbus A350 aircraft, capable of carrying up to 283 passengers, to fly empty in close formation with the Red Arrows Hawk jets. The highly-agile jets can fly at speeds of up to 1,028 km per hour or Mach 0.84. Qatar Airways Chief Flight Operations Officer, Captain Konstantinos, was at the helm of the A350 to fly the state-of-the-art aircraft throughout the impressive display.

The nine-strong fleet of Red Arrows aircraft and their pilots visited Qatar as part of an extensive global tour, acting as ambassadors for the United Kingdom to promote ‘the best of British’ goods and services. Since they were formed in 1965, the Red Arrows have performed over 4,700 displays in 56 countries worldwide.

Also on display was a Rolls Royce Trent XWB engine used on the Qatar Airways Airbus A350.

Following its re-launch in 1997, Qatar Airways has become one of the fastest growing carriers in the history of aviation with unprecedented expansion averaging double digit growth year on year. Now the 2017 Airline of the Year, as awarded by Skytrax, has a host of exciting new destinations planned for the remainder of this year and 2018, including Canberra, Australia, Chiang Mai, Thailand and Cardiff, U.K. to name just a few.

As well as being voted Skytrax Best Airline by travellers from around the world, Qatar’s national flag carrier also won a raft of other major awards at the ceremony, including Best Airline in the Middle East, World’s Best Business Class and World’s Best First Class Airline Lounge.

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News Network
November 24,2025

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Israel has launched a new act of aggression on a residential neighborhood in Lebanon's capital, Beirut, killing and injuring about two dozen civilians.

The Israeli regime's military said in a statement that its forces carried out a so-called precise strike in a residential apartment in Dahiyeh in the southern suburbs of Beirut on Sunday.

The aggression targeted residential areas, killing at least five people and injuring more than 28 people, Lebanon's Health Ministry said. 

Hezbollah announced the martyrdom of senior Hezbollah commander Haytham Ali Tabatabai and four resistance fighters.

Lebanese President Michel Aoun condemned the airstrike, calling it a clear demonstration of Tel Aviv’s disregard for repeated international calls to halt violations on Lebanese soil.

“Israel refuses to implement international resolutions and all efforts aimed at ending the escalation and restoring stability,” Aoun said, urging the international community to take action to prevent further aggression.

The Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement also condemned the attack, holding the international community accountable. 

“The international community bears responsibility and continues to provide cover for these attacks as long as it does not restrain the occupiers,” said Ali Abu Shahin, a member of the group’s political bureau.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced that the Israeli army carried out a strike “in the heart of Beirut."

Netanyahu reportedly approved the operation following recommendations from top Israeli security officials.

Two senior US officials commented on the Israeli strike.

The first official said that Israel did not notify Americans in advance about the attack. "We were informed immediately after the strike was carried out."

The second senior official said that the "US knew for several days that Israel was planning to escalate its strikes in Lebanon, but did not know in advance the timing, location, or target of the strike."

Speaking from the site of the Israeli strike, Lebanese MP Ali Ammar condemned the attack as part of a broader campaign of aggression that has targeted "all of Lebanon since the Washington-sponsored ceasefire."

He stated that "any attack on Lebanon is a violation of red lines; this aggression is part and parcel of the entity that targets Lebanon's dignity, sovereignty, and security of citizens."

Ammar went on to say the resistance is responding with "utmost wisdom, patience, and will confront the enemy at the appropriate time."

"Unfortunately, the enemy is emboldened to commit its aggression by voices within Lebanon that have turned themselves into tools that support its aggression," he added.

The Israeli attack on the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital is the latest blatant violation of the ceasefire Israel signed with Hezbollah in November 2024, which was intended to end hostilities that had escalated into full-scale war.

An Israeli strike on the Ain al-Hilweh camp near Sidon in southern Lebanon late Tuesday killed at least 14 people. It wounded several others, including young students, according to the Lebanese health ministry.

The military claimed the attack targeted “a Hamas training compound” used to plan and carry out attacks against the regime -- a claim that has frequently been made without evidence.

Hamas rejected the allegations as “a blatant lie aimed at justifying the massacre,” stating it had “no military installations in the Palestinian camps in Lebanon” and that the targeted site was merely “an open sports field.”

According to Lebanese authorities, Israeli attacks have killed approximately 4,000 people and displaced more than 1.2 million residents across the country since October 2023.

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News Network
December 2,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 2: Mangaluru International Airport responded to a medical emergency late on Monday night. Air India Express flight IX 522, travelling from Riyadh to Thiruvananthapuram, was diverted to Mangaluru Airport after a passenger in his late 30s experienced a medical emergency on board.

The Airport’s Operations Control Centre received an alert regarding the passenger’s health condition. The airport activated its emergency response protocol, mobilising the airport medical team and coordinating with stakeholders including CISF, immigration, and customs. 

Upon landing, airport medical personnel attended to the passenger, assessed his condition, and arranged to shift him to a local tertiary-care hospital for further treatment. The passenger’s relatives accompanied the passenger, who incidentally received necessary medical care on board, which helped stabilise the situation.

Following the handling of the emergency, the flight departed for Thiruvananthapuram at 2:05 am on Tuesday.

"We appreciate the cooperation of all parties involved, and this incident reaffirms our ongoing commitment to prioritising passenger safety and readiness to respond to unforeseen emergencies with professionalism and care," the Airport spokesperson said. 

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News Network
November 24,2025

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Israeli forces have pushed over the Syrian frontier, erecting a checkpoint and stopping vehicles in the southwestern city of Quneitra, in yet another breach of the Arab country’s sovereignty.

The violation took place on Sunday, when the troops made their way across the border, setting up the outpost near the Ain al-Bayda junction in northern Quneitra, Syrian outlets reported.

According to the al-Ikhbariya paper, an Israeli detachment positioned itself at the junction, halting cars and conducting searches.

The Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported that three Israeli military vehicles then moved further into the northern countryside, deploying between the town of Jubata al-Khashab and the villages of Ofaniya and Ain al-Bayda. The agency added that a separate Israeli unit mounted a new incursion in the central region, approaching the villages of Umm Batina and al-Ajraf.

Residents said such activities have surged in recent months, pointing to Israeli advances onto farmland, leveling of extensive forested areas, arrests, and spread of mobile checkpoints.

The Israeli regime began markedly increasing its military aggression against Syria last year.

The escalation coincided with increasingly ferocious onslaughts throughout the country by the so-called Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) Takfiri terrorist group, which the government of President Bashar al-Assad had confined to northwestern Syria. The HTS, however, managed to overthrow the government as the Israeli attacks would pummel the country’s civilian and defensive infrastructure.

Various reports have shown that, during the escalation, the regime conducted more than 1,000 airstrikes on the Syrian territory and over 400 ground raids into the south.

Following the collapse of the Assad government, Tel Aviv also widened its grip over the occupied Golan Heights by taking control of a demilitarized buffer zone, in defiance of a 1974 Disengagement Agreement. Earlier this month, senior Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, visited the buffer zone, prompting expressions of alarm on the part of the United Nations.

The United States, the regime’s biggest ally, has, meanwhile, been fraternizing the HTS head Abu Mohammed al-Jolani amid the widely reported prospect of rapprochement with Tel Aviv.

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