All in a good cause

Singapore Airlines is to auction off most of the 480 seats on the maiden flight of its new A380, the first commercial flight for the Airbus super-jumbo. The auction will be held on eBay in October and one-third of the revenues will go to charities.

Well done, Singapore Airlines. The charities make good money, the flight creates the feel of a global event, and the airline generates plenty of favorable publicity. Everybody’s a winner.

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Still the place to be

Hidden costs to business may hamper Dubai’s ability to thrive, says a story in today’s Gulf News. The new municipality fee on property, health care, and the Salik toll are helping dilute the benefits of tax-free living, says Eckart Woertz, economist at the Gulf Research Centre.

The paper goes on to say that rising rents, warehousing, education and foodstuffs are seriously jeopardizing Dubai’s prospects. “And with the possibility of a value added tax being introduced, the situation can further deteriorate,” says Woertz, now clearly into his stride.

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CEOs don't grow on trees

If one thing is certain it is that we’ll never be certain why Andre Dose resigned as CEO of Gulf Air. Clashes with the board, disagreements over management style, intrusive external audits…many theories are mentioned, the only truth is that Gulf Air is once again looking for a new chief.

There are few good times to have a CEO quit, but this looks like particularly one. Qatar Airways is going great guns, Emirates is sailing on serenely, and Etihad, helmed by former Gulf Air boss James Hogan, is stepping up. In comparison Gulf Air, with one rebranding and several restructuring plans under its belt, looks dead on its feet.

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Not every loser wins

Emirates has been among the most prolific sponsors of world sport in the last decade. Football, golf, rugby (league and union), sailing, Australian Rules, horse racing and cricket have all been touched by the Fly Emirates tag. Some estimates put the spend at $200m, and that was before the $195m splurged on sponsoring the next two football world cups.

The airline has earned a reputation for picking winners. Critics snipe it has more success buying winners.

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