Arab airlines are breaking world records!

Since the time of Abbas Ibn Firnas, the first man who attempted to fly, the Arabs have been setting standards for the flying industry. Here are some of the remarkable records set by Arab aviation:

The largest airport in the world

The King Fahd international airport in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, spreads over 780 km2 (larger than the state of Bahrain), is, according to the Guinness book of world records, the largest airport in the world.

The largest order on civil airplanes

Emirates Airline broke the record for civilian aviation during the Dubai Airshow in 2013 when the company ordered 150 Boing 777X, in addition to 50 Airbus A380S. The order cost around 99 billion dollars, which is considered the largest order in the history of civil aviation.

The oldest Arab airline

Misr Airworks is the oldest Arab airline. It started service in 1933 and later changed its name to Misr Air in 1949. After the Union between Egypt and Syria to for the United Arab Republic, the airline merged with the Syrian airline and became the United Arab Airline until 1971 when it changed its name to Egypt Air.

The largest airport terminal in the world

Spread over 1,713,000 m2, Terminal 3 in Dubai international airport holds the record for the largest airport terminal in the world.

The Concorde airplane orders in the Arab world

The Middle East Airlines was the first Arab airlines, and the only one, to order not one, but two Concorde planes. The planes were supposed to fly the Beirut-London line in 90 minutes instead of 5 hours. The order was canceled after the Concorde failed commercially.

The largest operator of the Airbus A380

Emirates Airline is considered the largest operator of the Airbus A380.

The shortest A380 flight

Flight number EK857 from Dubai to Kuwait, lasting an hour 45 minutes is considered to be the shortest trip on an A380 today.

The 10 safest airlines in the world for 2016

3 Arab airlines are on the list for the 10 safest airlines in the world: Emirates Airline (2^nd), Qatar Airways (4^th) Etihad Airlines (8^th).

The best food service for 2016

In all service categories, Etihad, Qatar, and Emirates are listed in the top 10 for food.

The most expensive private jet

Saudi businessman Al-Waleed Bin Talal owns the most expensive private jet in the world: An Airbus A380, with two floors, costing $500 million.

The lowest flight delays and cancellations rates

Emirates Airline has one of the lowest cancellation rates, holding the 3^rd position in the world, while Gulf Air is the most punctual Arab airlines with 92% of flights taking off on time.

The 10 best flight crews in the world for 2016

Qatar Airways is in 6^th place while Emirates is in 10^th place. This is Arab hospitality in the air!