Gregory Polek has spent his entire career in aviation journalism with AIN, starting as a proofreader and assistant to then-managing editor Mary Mahoney in 1995 after serving an internship with&nbsp;New Jersey Monthly&nbsp;magazine and completing his B.A. degree in English/Writing at New Jersey’s William Paterson College. By 1997 Polek accepted a position as an associate editor, covering the regional airline beat for&nbsp;Aviation International News&nbsp;in place of retiring industry veteran Don Anderson. The assignment took Polek across North America and Europe to profile regional airlines varying in size and mission from the likes of floatplane operators Kenmore Air and Chalk’s Ocean Airways to regional jet operators such as SkyWest and American Eagle. Today, in his dual role as Air Transport Editor and International Airshow Editor, Polek writes, edits, and manages AIN’s commercial aviation content while overseeing each of the company’s daily international air show publications in Paris, Farnborough, Singapore, and Dubai. Most recently Polek has assumed oversight of daily coverage of the Helicopter Association International’s annual Heli-Expo convention.

Senior Editor

Gregory Polek

Qatar Airways has agreed to take a 9.61-percent stake in Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific for $661 million in a surprise move that comes just five weeks after Qatar closed on a 49-percent acquisition of Italy’s Meridiana. The new acquisition sends another signal of the Qatari carrier’s aggressive pursuit of equity stakes in other airlines following a rebuke by fellow OneWorld member American Airlines. Cathay Pacific, another OneWorld member, now becomes the fourth airline in which Qatar owns a major equity stake. Qatar also owns a 20-percent share in British Airways parent International Airlines Group, a 10-percent stake in Latam Airlines Group and 49 percent of Italy’s Meridiana.

 


“Cathay Pacific is a fellow&nbsp;OneWorld member and is one of the strongest airlines in the world, respected throughout the industry and with massive potential for the future,” commented Qatar Airways Group CEO Akbar Al Baker.

 


Over the summer Cathay Pacific reported a $73.8 million loss for 2016 and announced it would lay off 600 staff from its headquarters, prompting it to pressure frontline service crew to “deliver greater efficiencies and productivity.” The retrenchment marked the biggest such exercise since 1998, following the Asian financial crisis.

 


Cathay Pacific said it consideres the second half of 2017 a continuing challenge, and while it begins to introduce new routes this year, its hopes lay with new aircraft such as the Airbus A350 to increase productivity and reduce costs over time. As of late last month, Cathay had taken delivery of 16 A350-900s and most recently replaced a Boeing 777-300ER with one of its new Airbus widebodies on its Newark-Hong Kong service.

News about commercial airlines, including regulations, aircraft orders, safety, acquisitions, and mergers.

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News and developments about airplanes, helicopters and unmanned air vehicles used in all varieties of operations, including airlines, military, business, commercial, general aviation and private.

News about environmental issues relating to aircraft operations, including noise issues, emissisions, and regulations. See Fuel for biofuel.

News and issues relating to international air transport and cargo carriers, national airlines and regional airlines, including aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

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News and issues relating to the aerospace industry that are related to the science, engineering and business of flight in space involving civil, industrial and military applications, and similar topics related to flight in the atmosphere of the Earth that are not covered more directly by other AINonline subject channels. In other words, both astronautical and aeronautical subjects, except for those aeronautical topics that are specifically covered elsewhere on this website.

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New developments at airports including regulations and noise issues; legal disputes; openings, acquisitions and mergers.

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News and developments about everything that goes into the cabin of an aircraft, from floor coverings to headliners, with a special emphasis on in-flight entertainment, communications and other electronics for passengers. If it is in the cabin of an aircraft, it’s covered here.

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