Photo: Do you have to add feathers when it's so obviously a turkey?
We got dragged into this disaster some time ago. The old CEO bought some pricey new planes, and it was downhill from there.
Whoever got us out of owning this airline, well, I think they deserve a medal.
We would have lost 100s of millions by now, with more to come, if not for that bold act of disposal.
Gulf Air 'may renegotiate plane orders'
Bahrain's Gulf Air may renegotiate plane orders with Airbus and Boeing, the carrier's recently-appointed chief executive Samer Majali said.
The struggling airline, which is fully owned by the Bahraini sovereign wealth fund Mumtalakat, also said it was open to merging with other airlines, but is not in talks yet.
Speaking to Reuters in a telephone interview, Majali said the company would "honour the terms of the contract" with manufacturers but may negotiate amending airplane numbers and sizes. Gulf Air has 35 Airbus and 24 Boeing aeroplanes on order.
Majali said passenger numbers were down 3 percent in the first seven months of 2009, while yields were 15 to 20 percent lower, compared with the same period last year. Capacity deployment is "very tight", said Majali, who hopes to achieve results close to last year's in the second half.
"Yields are still quite low and I'm not sure anything, globally speaking, has put major brakes on yields," he said.
The airline has seen three chief executives attempt to turn its loss-making operations around since 2002, cutting jobs and realigning its network as previous shareholders Abu Dhabi, Qatar and Oman gave up their stakes in the ailing carrier.
In 2007, the airline cut jobs and trimmed its network after reporting losses of more than $1 million a day. - Reuters
CAUTION: BELOW NOT RAMADAN COMPLIANT
Fasting? look away now
Meanwhile...
I signed up Muscat Confidential with the simply drop-dead sexy
Violet Blue
Photo: Cute.
and her new, amazing URL shortener vb.ly.
So now, if you type www.vb.ly/dragon
you should end up here!
Note: You may be unable to go to her blog from the country you happen to be in. Either way, I'd be interested to know what countries do allow access and which don't. Try and go to www.tinynibbles.com and report back via comments the country and either yes [Violet's blog accessible] or no [blocked].
It's a very good site or the borderline of taste. Photography is excellent and provocative without being in your face (or other places!). It is an adult site, well, experienced adults! It's a pity the powers that be in Oman don't seem to think there are any adults in Oman who can be trusted not to be corrupted by this. I guess the worst that could happen is they see this and fly of to Thailand and get an underage whore and we wouldn't want that to happen would we?!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI guess we all have proxy servers in Oman now, I can't be the only one!
Indeed, I could have already started the survey off:
ReplyDeleteOman - access blocked by 'Omantel' filters; Reason cited - pornography.
As for the site itself, and its degree of borderlineness, I guess it depends where ones own region of taste begins and ends!
As a committed supporter of free speech and freedom of expression, along with the libertarian view that the State has no business with whatever consenting adults wish to do in private, I think its a great site on both points. Plus she presents a very sensible intellectual treatment of pornography, erotica, censorship, and the variety of human sexuality.
She does a good job DA. It is in its-self educational. There is a lot of valuable information there for young people. The denial of Omantel can only harm those seeking information. With sexually transmitted diseases and aids still a threat where does the average Omani go for advice?
ReplyDeleteThere are none so blind as those who do not wish to see!
I suppose if we had such open sites then the women would not be 'protected' and might learn more about sex, God forbid that they even find out what an orgasm is and threaten the relationship(s), or even the stability of the country!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteDA
ReplyDelete"...where does the average Omani go for advice?"
Well, some learn at home.
Some learn at "Health Centres" hence thinking that shouting a price out the window of a car will yield the same result.
And some Omani youths think that the following will get you laid (not work safe but needs showing....does anyone recognize them?
Click here
May be you should see what American women also missing , while they have access to all sexual channels and products beside the freedom,,, so this issue has nothing with Omani women or Arab women. Check the latest Oprah subject:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSZVP5aRadI&NR=1
Again we are still in a dominated society to men and their pleasure before female pleasure. So we need to reduce male selfishness to give the women their pleasure too. I hope you agree with me.
As a female and Muslim I believe in one thing: Fair, equality, my rights as logic not as stupid Sharia law. Look at the Kuwaiti or Saudi why do you think they travel always during Ramadan? They can’t even respect their own religion. This is why I mention about DOUBLE STANDARD, like the evangelical gay or preacher who preaches people about morality while he is hiring a whore end of the day or the Catholic priests raping young men in the name of Lord love.
So, your link really is not that educating one, there are better channels to look into. Your link is a money making business. Any person can borrow book from the library or check any magazine free at the book store if they want to learn what God gave them,, even the prophet hadiths and is written in the Quran to please their women too which they avoid such translation.
Did you notice that you are not getting more responses from the locals who commented before? Because we are not ready for the truth, even in US when I address some issues as a consumer advocate, they try to avoid my concern because always politician want to silence open minded free will people SO there is no free speech after all as much business and money making.
Comparing small entity like Oman to the world also it is not a just comparison. I my self don’t like the Gulf keeping their women in the blind while they are brining all diseases to their vulnerable partners, this go to some brainless women too not knowing right from wrong. This issue will never finish till people learn how to address it honestly in a healthy matter.
By the way your Omani picture as hidden camera in a public bathroom reminded me with the congress man who turn to be a gay in his old age trying to do some sexual move on another male….What is new…..OOops sorry it looks like on some store floor because they don’t put fire alarms in bathroom….I hope Nadia or Reality see such to educate her people too…
Dragon-
ReplyDeleteI believe in freedom of expression and personal liberity as much as you do, but that belief in these principles does not mean you have to trash up your blog site with yet another web site offering 'free' sex information, even if it is well written and has a short URL. People can find out this information for themselves if they want it.
This is Ramadan, and even if you are not celebrating it with fasting, it is a time for everyone to switch gears and concentrate on the important things. Whatever religion or non-religion we practice, it is really good to take time to think about more than just the physical.
I think your blog is very important to us in Oman. Please get back on track. Abd
By posting a comment that contains what you say after "I believe in freedom of expression and personal liberity as much as you do" - you've kind of proven that you don't.
ReplyDeleteIt's Ramadan. For you. In fact, it isn't a time for "everyone to switch gears," any more than I would insist that you hang up stockings in December or put out a Menorah at Chanukah time.
UD isn't eating in front of you, isn't, heaven forbid, drinking alcohol in front of you - he's writing in his own space. If that offends you...go elsewhere.
And, much as I love Violet Blue - she's no Dan Savage...
Ramadan or not we are all human. I don't get this morality and purity thing for one month of the year! As NS said women get a raw deal in all religion and in all religions there are devients!
ReplyDeleteThis site is about open minded adult thinking, it seems some are uncomfortable with honesty! With the net and other forms of international medium women are realising there is more to life and love that what they are told!!!!
There isn't one religion that has any benefit to woman...''God made man, it was man that made religion''!
Muscato-
ReplyDeleteWhat I have noticed lately is that most of the comments in the various blogs come from other bloggers. To me, one of the purposes of the blogs is to involve the 'community' in the issues raised. The skill comes in interesting us in an issue but not turning us off or offending us. Dragon was an expert in this. He used humor and other methods to make his writing interesting. But now look at who has commented so far on this article. I think many have taken your 'go elsewhere' option.
A much better comment wording on my part would have been "Ramadan is a good time to switch gears." Its certainly not mandatory. I do celebrate the spirit of Christmas with my friends (no stockings on the chimney though). I believe there is more to life than just the physical- but you are entitled to believe the way you want.
Abdullah, you make good points but certain matters have to be discussed and this is a good forum of letting it out, in particular, for some Omani ladies who are very limited in their medium!
ReplyDeleteIf you don't like it, don't go, just lay back and think of Oman ;-)
Talking about Omani ladies and being one.. I would like to chip in...
ReplyDeleteYes, we discovered that there is more to this life than what we have been told. I'm sad to agree with DA about 'God made man, it was man that made religion'!. The problem I am facing is that I see our culture and "in some cases" our religion is based on the male's needs and wants.
It is a male dominant culture, and yes.. they are very selfish! and in many times ignorant and arrogant.
Just to chip in even more. I've had relationships with Omani women and it was enlightening as well as enjoyable. Still very good friends and and an amazing experience to hear her open her heart and mind to me!
ReplyDeleteDA- sssssshhhhh- The maturity, warmth, and depth of Arabic women is one of the best kept secrets in the world. Even a lot of Arab men don't know it.
ReplyDeleteBe gentle with me, I'm still appreciating the culture ;-)
ReplyDeleteUD, your article/ blog is appreciated as I said let us see how many of your fans will respond regarding the 2-3-4 wives and repeating my talk as men especially Middle Eastern or pretends to be Muslim ignoring the real translation of the Quran or backing it up with the prophet hadiths.
ReplyDeleteInstead fighting each others with words I believe what was wrong that you added a link which wasn’t the right timing for many even you said your warning, but what do you know who is behind this electronic wall and it was offensive to the culture that are still playing with their own religion.
For me as an individual I like to respect people when I live in their own county, even I’m a female and Muslim and I know better that we respect others religions too, I tried not to mention about any celebration in the West except the car accidents 4th of July as an example.
So there is no need for others also to insult Christmas, Jewish holidays…Honestly I celebrate every day and eat well every day except such occasions to give the needy and feel their festivity by letting them have the goods. Muslim too are missing the meaning of Ramadan beside giving, fasting what I call it: It is a plumping work to flush your system of everything emotionally, physically to balance your health and sanity and live longer exactly sorry to say like your plumbing of bathrooms, kitchen (sewer) to keep clean house.
When I’m questioned about God as an image or holy presence or some power, can any one define if it is: He, She, or It.? Just because the power of the language to be used in masculine form doesn’t mean HE / MAN is in power, then we should say if it wasn’t for Eve,, Adam would have never exist or be.
DA, I think this Omani lady your friend has the right in her choice to cry on your shoulder and thank God that she found some one to open her misery, because if she had her fellow local understanding her, she will never open to a stranger. It starts at home to be open and free and let God be your own judge and this is the way I was raised with real Muslim grand mother saying: God is love not force.
Since I like fairness and equality,,, Do you think all men understand their own needs (sexuality) to begin with since we got the brain to know the differences. We don’t need the saying such men are NO difference than animal. Again, we need to open to realty, the truth what is called: Intellectual conversation not attacking each others.
Abdullah said in a way: Don’t underestimate Arab women which I myself don’t like secrecy as it is another form of sick mentality which will lead to trouble and depression. I walk away of such people whether they are Arab or Western- male or female. Life is short; just let your brain lead you the right way and sex is not the only desire that makes you a man or woman (Integrity and self respect). Stay away also from the media-politic and how they wash your brains and suppress your intellectual not to grow fearing such. When you turn a society into such misleading sexual practices it is another form of abuse and violence.
NS
ReplyDeleteGood points put over very well.