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01 April, 2009

Jumbo camel jet

Forget the Airbus A380s, Dubai's national airline has a much more exciting way to fly:

Camel flies high over Dubai

Wed 1 Apr, 2009 1:23 AM GMT

DUBAI, 1 April (Reuters) - Emirates airline will put 50-metre high aerodynamic camel humps onto its aircraft in a $30 billion rebranding.

The airline is adopting the camel, the national animal of the United Arab Emirates, as its official corporate symbol.

Airbus engineers have worked closely with Emirates marketing team over the past nine months to design the extensions.

Emirates executive vice president of marketing Jamal Al Majnoon said the move was a "perfect synergy" for the airline.

"The camel is the ship of the desert and the aircraft is the ship of the sky," Mr Al Majnoon said.

"Qatar Airways has the oryx and Gulf Air has the falcon, and Etihad will soon have the desert hamster, so we are adopting Arabia's most noble animal for our own airline," he said.

Airbus senior director of engineering Frederic Fouchameau described the move as "an exceptional feat of aviation dromedisation".

Other world airlines are believed to be considering similar redesigns.

Air Astana is in talks with Boeing to improve on Emirates' design by creating a two-humped, bactrian aircraft.

But some of the construction workers at Dubai airport who caught an early glimpse of the redesigned planes are unimpressed, including indentured labourer Shamsil.

"What is the use of putting the camel's hump onto the plane?" he said.

"For it to be interesting and useful, they should have included the sensitive parts of the camel."


(Reporting by Fitz Lodd; Editing by Laila Smith)

© Thomson Reuters 2009. All Rights Reserved.



Comments

Labels:

34 Comments:

Blogger Unknown said...

Yes. You're a little early; it's only the 31st.

01 April, 2009 00:09  
Blogger Dubai Jazz said...

ah, too stereotypical. It gave you away right away ;)

happy 1st of april everyone.

01 April, 2009 00:11  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

just like most of your other posts.. you're making a fool of yourself!

01 April, 2009 02:13  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

al majnoon ?
fou-chameau ?

hardy har har...har..

01 April, 2009 07:13  
Blogger Kyle said...

SD: I was going along fine until I reached Al-Mad.

The Al Majnoon gave you away - LOL

Jumbo camel jet; get outta here - LOL

Enjoy the first & avoid being made!

01 April, 2009 07:54  
Blogger Rupert Neil Bumfrey said...

Really, can you be surprised at being blocked?

01 April, 2009 10:13  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

also from 'Thomson Reuters',
http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=1449502

Guantanamo 'relaxing, calm place': Miss Universe

01 April, 2009 11:47  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Rupert Murdoch, the new regulator of UAE Blogs stopped by to say Hi

01 April, 2009 12:15  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

omg hilarious...

01 April, 2009 12:18  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

mr bumfrey, for a change that was a good one.

01 April, 2009 13:56  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Why not udders? Let us adopt a cow.

01 April, 2009 17:18  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

holy crap, I had posted the article at 11:47 thinking it's an April fools joke:
"Guantanamo 'relaxing, calm place': Miss Universe"



according to BBC ITS NOT:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/7976288.stm

01 April, 2009 17:34  
Blogger * said...

HAHAHHAHA! Maybe they should ask Black Eyed Peas to do the theme song.
WOW! I didn't know I could access the comments page. This is good coffee....

02 April, 2009 09:19  
Blogger Johnonymous said...

Well, what do we have here? This is truth served only in UAE. Fresh, hot and distorted...

One's description of insanity is the other's description of ambitious drive.

But straight thinkers would call this insanity.

02 April, 2009 10:48  
Blogger Johnonymous said...

Oh wait.. Jamal al Majnoon means Crazy Camel in English... if I'm not mistaken.

02 April, 2009 10:54  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

LOL! Well done SD, make sure you copyright the idea, I can see some slimy local trying to pawn it off as his own.

02 April, 2009 15:31  
Blogger CG said...

I like.

02 April, 2009 18:36  
Blogger Rupert Neil Bumfrey said...

@Anonymous 01 April, 2009 12:15

Before I respond to your one line diatribes, may I ask your nationality?

And by the way "Stalker" is not a country that issues passports.

03 April, 2009 21:42  
Blogger AM said...

Hi,

My name is Alberto Mota, I'm currently looking for job opportunities in Dubai and came accross your blog.

I'm trying to develop a blog about "pre-Dubai" process, describing the efforts in the way to getting there, the scams to avoid, the best practices, the experience overall.

I've just added a link to you blog in the new blog I'm creating (http://movingtodubai.wordpress.com), please feel free to link back if you want.

Thank you and best of lucks,

Alberto

05 April, 2009 02:54  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

latest on dubai's success:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/panorama/hi/front_page/newsid_7981000/7981320.stm

06 April, 2009 18:13  
Anonymous Baldwin said...

@ Bumfrey

I don't c why this April fool joke can justify SD being banned by etisalat. In fact I don't c any reason why SD is blocked.

Are locals, wait, are Sheiks that worried about their control of the locals that even even a blog posses a threat. Is their dictatorial hold on their subjects that fragile. Moreover are locals feeling disenfranchised with the current state of affairs in Dubai.

Are locals that devoid of humour that they wouldn't even crack a smile at the idea of a two humped Emirates A380? Is what we here about locals (tribal, greedy, mean) true. You seem to know the place well, maybe you can get some of the locals to tell us how they feel.

07 April, 2009 00:50  
Blogger Rupert Neil Bumfrey said...

@ Baldwin 07 April, 2009 00:50

Dare I ask your nationality?

Irony; facile; sarcasm; pun; sardonic. None are acceptable nationalities, as I am discovering!

This, je pense, was an April Fools jest, or do you prefer joust?

09 April, 2009 19:39  
Blogger Rupert Neil Bumfrey said...

@ Baldwin

Sorry, possibly my response was too convoluted, so I would direct you to the contents of my April 1st, 2009, Blog output.

http://rupertbumfrey.blogspot.com/2009_04_01_archive.html

09 April, 2009 20:17  
Anonymous Baldwin said...

@ Rupert

Hi,
I am Lebanese. Have you visited my country. Pls do. You will not leave once here. Is great.

You have not answered my questions. Pls do. Happy easter.

12 April, 2009 00:28  
Blogger Rupert Neil Bumfrey said...

@ baldwin 12 April, 2009 00:28

Sorry for delayed response, I had notr expected to come back nearly two weeks!

Yes I have visited Lebanon, had a great day in the hills overlooking Beirut, very civilised.

Sorry I have no control over the censorship within UAE and as it rained today, which I complained about to the UAE Nationals, who go to the same coffee shop as me, I fear I may be on a plane out of here, later tonight!

13 April, 2009 19:36  
Blogger Rupert Neil Bumfrey said...

Again, I must apologise, my "tic" is affecting my fingers!

First line in my comment above should have read:
"Sorry for delayed response, I had not expected to come back nearly two weeks later!"

I will not be leaving tonight, no seats available, apparently I will have no problem booking a flight back!

13 April, 2009 20:30  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

There is no human rights in UAE, A sheikh can make changes n edit in country law at anytime, police never catch local citizens, if ever they catch they released afterawrd a year or few months only even any kind of crime, they use to treat as slave to Asian Bangladeshes, Indian and Pakistanis. Do you know club dancer girls stay as prisoners after their club duty hours until club opening. So I have a question to the worldwide Human Rights Organization that where is the human rights in UAE? UAE is a jail itself for the expatriates. All expatriates passport are holding by local companies, A local or police man can hit on the face of any Indian without asking. They really treat others like dogs. Many Western male / female and filipinos got rape by local and all those local who rape are free, they just spend few months in jail. Therefore court always didn't mentioned criminals full name to the media. Worldwide tv channel never show any crime report on UAE, like usually they show on UK, India and Pakistan. I just want to say F.c.u.k Dubai - UAE

11 May, 2009 02:10  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I request to the government of US please provide nuclear to UAE, and in return got from them some Camel. Dr. Funny.

14 May, 2009 05:08  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Same panish should be to Sheikh.

http://wam.ae/servlet/Satellite?c=WamLocEnews&cid=1241072589848&pagename=WAM%2FWAM_E_Layout&parent=Collection&parentid=1135099399973

14 May, 2009 05:14  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

This site specializes in the education of consumers interested in car loans online.

17 May, 2009 19:56  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

The moslems call Deewana.

eddie brown
------------
Free Satellite TV

21 July, 2009 04:48  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Congratulations! Our selection committee compiled an exclusive list of the Top 100 Dubai Blogs, and yours was included! Check it out at http://thedailyreviewer.com/top/Dubai

You can claim your Top 100 Blogs Award Badge at http://thedailyreviewer.com/pages/badges

Cheers!

Ted...

24 August, 2009 09:24  
Anonymous amexchou said...

nice post but no pictures...hmmm

15 January, 2010 04:37  
Anonymous Dubai Film Festival Escorts said...

.........ihhhhh...camel flies...that is not nice....ughhhh

18 February, 2010 03:52  

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