Travel: good for business

In 1492 the Christian monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella won control of Spain, forcing the Moors to leave the Iberian peninsula after seven centuries of rule. Today, for UAE travelers wanting to get from Dubai to Madrid or Barcelona it must have seemed the Spanish were still holding a grudge. Despite the huge growth in Emirates and Etihad, and with Spain being one of Europe's busiest tourist destinations, it has been impossible to fly direct between the UAE and Spain.

That is set to change following a deal to allow the designated airlines of each country to operate unlimited weekly flights in each direction with any type of aircraft. The deal also includes cargo services.

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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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