Jazeera Airways launches flights to the Maldives

Kuwait and Dubai based Jazeera Airways announced today the launch of their non-stop route from Dubai to the Maldives. Attending the media launch event in the Maldives were Jazeera Airways senior officials, members of the Kuwait Civil Aviation Authority, officials from the Maldives Tourism Promotion Board, the Maldives Minister of Tourism and travel agents from Kuwait and Dubai.

Jazeera Airways who operate a fleet of new Airbus A320s, all fitted with signature leather seats, are only the second carrier

to operate non-stop flights to the Maldives from Dubai, which will fly every Sunday and Tuesday.

Low-fares to the Maldives can be booked online at jazeeraairways.com, and customers can also reserve their preferred seats at the time of booking.

AIRPORT NEWS

Belfast City receives Ryanair runway warning

Less than a month after it began operations at George Best Belfast City Airport, low-cost airline Ryanair has warned that it could pull out unless the runway is extended.

Deputy chief executive Michael Cawley says the company’s Belfast flights are contingent on the airport improving its runway so that it is able to land full aeroplanes. At present, Ryanair’s 189-seater planes cannot take-off from the runway at Belfast with more than 140 passengers.

Ryanair operates flights from Belfast to East Midlands, Glasgow, Stansted and Liverpool.

Belfast’s chief executive Brian Ambrose says “We would have room within the existing perimeter of the airfield to extend our existing 1,829m runway by 600m at the Holywood end.”

Greek airport police in cocaine bust

Police at Athens International Airport in Greece have arrested two people, both in their 20s, who were apprehended with 7kg of cocaine in their luggage following a tip-off by Interpol. The man and woman were arrested shortly after arriving on a flight from Amsterdam. The police say the drugs were covered by coffee to mask the smell from sniffer dogs.

BAA sells its Australian airport holdings

Above: Melbourne Airport - BAA has sold its near 20% stake

Australian investment company Hastings Fund Management has acquired BAA's interests in six Australian airports for a consideration of US$725 million (A$775 million).

The sale includes a 19.8% interest in Melbourne and Launceston, a 15% stake in Perth, and 10% of shares in three Northern Territory airports.

BAA says the sale represents a continuation of its strategy to dispose of non-core international assets following its acquisition last year by Grupo Ferrovial.

Proceeds of the sale will be used to repay debt.

Union threatens Christmas chaos for BAA

Unite, the union that represents around 6,000 BAA security, administrative and maintenance staff at BAA’s seven airports in the UK, is threatening industrial action in the weeks leading up to the Christmas holiday period. The union is opposed to BAA’s decision to close its final salary pension scheme to new employees from the beginning of December.

Unite has formed a committee to oppose the move and has called for a vote on industrial action, which is likely to take place at the end of the month.

Christmas is traditionally one of the busiest periods for BAA’s UK airports, but the airport operator has refused to comment on the matter until the ballot results are known.

If union members vote in favour of strike action, Unite will have 28 days time in which to take industrial action.

China to be first with 100% electronic ticketing?

Above: Receipt for electronic flight ticket - an increasingly familiar sight in China

China is expected to become the first country to use only electronic air tickets on both domestic and international routes by the end of this year.

Paper airline tickets will soon be phased out of the Chinese domestic market, and the International Air Transport Association will stop offering paper tickets for international routes to Chinese travel agencies this coming Monday (12 November).

The China Air Transport Association (CATA) stopped providing paper flight tickets in October 2006, as a response to a call by the IATA to popularise e-tickets.

While most passengers have yet to become accustomed to e-tickets, some says they had already benefited from it.

“I like e-tickets because they save the trouble of having to wait for the tickets to be delivered to me, because I travel a lot,” says Li Yi, 28, a software salesman. “And I won’t worry even if I lose it.”

According to IATA’s plan, all airlines around the world will stop using paper tickets by 1 June 2008, which will save the industry about US$2.5 billion annually.

IATA launched its drive for e-ticketing more than three years ago, and now 84% of travellers on IATA carriers fly without paper tickets.

Silver Diner plans airport restaurant programme

Silver Diner is planning a series of restaurant installations at US airports


Restaurant chain Silver Diner will open its first airport outlet at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport next week.

The diner chain will open a 560m² restaurant in BWI’s Southwest A/B terminal, one of the largest airport restaurants in the US. The 18-year-old company will offer guaranteed 10-minute service, electronic flight screens in the restaurant, prepared meals and the ability to pre-order a meal online or at airport kiosks.

Silver Diner says the US$3.5 million BWI location will serve as a prototype for its plans to introduce restaurants at other airports in 2008, including Philadelphia International and Pittsburgh International Airport.

Tbilisi opens rail link to city

Georgian officials have opened a new railway station at Tbilisi International Airport, which connects the airport to the city’s central railway station. The 100-passenger capacity electric train will take 20 minutes to complete the journey, and will operate at 40-minute intervals.

Officials claim the rail link will halve the journey time from the centre of Tbilisi.

The railway line was constructed by Transmsheni, following a tender and was designed by Delta-Project - 2000

Rostock-Laage expands to 24-hour service

German regional Rostock-Laage Airport has gone into 24-hour service. Expanded service will benefit both civil and charter flights, while airlines will be able to station their aircraft as well as personnel at the airport.

Qatar Airways Prepares For Dubai Air Show And World Travel Market

Doha-Based Airline Participates At Two Leading Travel Industry Events

Dubai Air Show Attracts Global Aviation Industry Figures

London Show Welcomes Travel Industry Elite From Around The World

Doha, QATAR - Qatar Airways is gearing up for two key travel industry events next week by participating at the prestigious Dubai Air Show and World Travel Market being staged in London.

Chairman of Qatar's Civil Aviation Authority, Abdul Aziz Al Nuaimi, will head a delegation, including Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer, Akbar Al Baker, from Doha to the Dubai Air Show, where the airline will have a dedicated chalet together with a stand in the exhibition hall.

The Dubai Air Show, now in its 10th year, takes place at Dubai International Airport between November 11 - 15 and will feature static displays of commercial and military aircraft, together with aerial displays. Tens of thousands of visitors from around the world are expected at the five-day event, one of the most prestigious in the aviation industry calendar.

The airline will showcase its fine hospitality with a luxurious chalet draped in its burgundy corporate colours. The airline's award-winning lie-flat First Class seat-cum-bed and two Business Class seats will be on display at Qatar Airways' exhibition stand.

World Travel Market is one of the industry's premier travel trade events bringing together airlines, hotels, car rental companies, tourist boards and cruise lines for four days of business.

Qatar Airways Airbus A340-600

Qatar Airways will be showcasing a mock-up of its unique First Class lounge which is fitted onboard the carrier's long-range Airbus A340-600 aircraft, currently used on flights between Doha and both London Heathrow and Washington DC.

Al Baker said both events were highly important for Qatar Airways to maintain its high profile across the travel industry.

"Dubai Air Show and World Travel Market are key events where we have traditionally enjoyed our participation - and this year is no exception as we are again privileged to be taking part in such prestigious shows," he said.

"We look forward to a highly productive week to build and renew business partnerships, welcoming visitors to our chalet and exhibition stands at both events."

Qatar Airways currently operates a modern fleet of 58 all-Airbus aircraft to 79 destinations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, Far East, Indian subcontinent and North America. The highlight of this year's expansion has been the launch of flights to New York (Newark) and Washington DC - the airline's first move into the North American market.

With a growing international network, more travellers have an opportunity to use Qatar Airways' Premium Terminal at Doha International Airport, exclusively for departing First and Business Class passengers.

The Premium Terminal features facilities including a spa, jacuzzi, exclusive duty free shopping, business centre and fine dining restaurants. Built in just nine months, the US$90 million terminal is the world's first commercial passenger building dedicated to First and Business Class passengers and offers departing and transit passengers an excellent opportunity to relax and unwind prior to their flight.

Brits consider their partner the most essential travel item

Cheapflights.co.uk poll results are out for their latest probe of the British public psyche – asking travellers ‘What’s your most essential travel item?’. 33% of respondents cited that they couldn’t travel without their partner, preferring to find a familiar face next to them when they wake up in hotel rooms abroad.

Intellect was not far behind romance, with just over a quarter of respondents, 27%, making sure they pack a good book with them before embarking on their travels. Taking condoms abroad rolls in at third place with 18% of people safely preparing themselves in the event of joining the mile high club en-route.

Cleanliness and tools for barricading out unnecessary noises make up the final three items – wash kits (10%), iPods (8%) and sleeping pills (4%) are must haves for a total of 22% of those polled. It can only be hoped that the 4% who take sleeping pills only need them on the flight and not when they arrive at their destination!

Francesca Ecsery, General Manager of Cheapflights.co.uk, comments “In an era when technology is at the forefront of daily life, it is good to see that iPods are taking a back seat to romance and good books when Brits go abroad”.

Second European Development Days focus on climate change

The second edition of "European Development Days" has opened in Lisbon with the impact of climate change on developing countries top of the agenda. Around 1000 decision-makers and stakeholders on development issues are set to attend the 3-day event in the Portuguese capital. This year’s forum aims to focus on climate change issues and how to respond to the needs of already vulnerable countries hardest hit by the impacts of climate change. On Thursday, speakers and participants will address the linkage between climate change, poverty and migration and examine how developing nations can best adapt.

President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso said: "Climate change is the greatest challenge of our generation. Developed countries have a special responsibility to take the lead in cutting emissions and pushing a comprehensive, global agreement on future climate action, in the UN framework. Last week in Lisbon, we launched the International Carbon Action Partnership, an initiative of pioneers from around the world to develop a global carbon market. Focusing the second edition of the European Development Days on climate change stresses this sense of global responsibility in tackling this issue. We are determined to help developing countries to face the impact of climate change on the environment and on human and social development."

European Commissioner for Development and humanitarian aid Louis Michel will be present throughout the three-day event in Lisbon. Commissioner Michel said: "Nobody does more for developing countries than Europe. We are on track with scaling up development assistance, we are making it more effective together with the Member States and we strive to ensure other EU policies like trade and environment more coherent with development goals. All this effort could go to waste if we do not act on climate change. This is the biggest single challenge which we need to tackle together with our partners in developing countries."

In September, the European Commission proposed a Global Alliance specific to climate change. The aim is to encourage adaptation measures, reduce emissions from deforestation, take advantage of the global carbon market and help developing countries be better prepared for natural disasters.

DEVDAYs 2007 takes place in the run up to the EU-Africa Summit on 8-9 December and the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Bali from 14 December.

Cape Town welcomes the first group of Scandinavian tourists

Cape Town Routes Unlimited (CTRU) welcomes today (8 November 2007) the first group of nearly 300 Scandinavian tourists flying in on MyTravel Airways – a Scandinavian charter airline based in Copenhagen, Denmark. The inaugural charter flight lands at Cape Town International Airport on Thursday 8 November.

This inaugural flight is expected to touch down at 13:00 and marks the first of 11 charter flights scheduled every second week from November 2007 to March 2008. The flights are excellent news for Cape Town and the Western Cape with 3,500 tourists from Scandinavia expected over the next five months.

According to Calvyn Gilfellan, CTRU’s Acting CEO: “I am very excited about this venture, the result of two years’ planning with our tourism partners. It underlines our goal in growing and maximising Cape Town and the Western Cape as a winning destination brand. By boosting our region’s true economic potential, this project fits perfectly with our readiness planning for hosting the 2010 FIFA World Cup.”

The announcement follows closely on news that the Western Cape has once again proved it is a premier international tourism destination. According to SA Tourism’s 2006 full year tourism report, the Western Cape achieved 1 737 937 international arrivals representing a record-breaking 9.19% growth from the previous year. There was also a 17.2% growth in Total Foreign Direct Spend from R16.9 billion in 2005 to R19.8 billion in 2006.

Each MyTravel Airways flight will bring in an estimated 300 Scandinavian visitors who will spend two weeks experiencing Cape Town, the Cape Winelands and the Cape Garden Route. While in South Africa, the visitors will be hosted by Your Africa, a local tour operator.

Chris Iuel, general manager in charge of marketing for Your Africa says: “This charter project is an incredibly positive development out of the Scandinavian market. MyTravel Airways expects every departure to travel with 80 to 100% occupancy and does not plan projects like this as a once-off, but takes a long-term view on this venture. Their aim is to look at expanding the project in 2008 and 2009.”

New Director Raises Profile of IATA's Environment Programme

GENEVA- The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced the appointment of Paul Steele to direct its environment initiatives effective
1 December 2007. Steele joins IATA from WWF International where he served for six years as the organisation's Chief Operating Officer.

Giovanni Bisignani, Director General and CEO of IATA welcomed the appointment, "Air transport takes its environmental responsibility seriously. Alongside safety and security it is a pillar on which we have built a great global industry. Despite our good track record, air transport's carbon footprint is growing. That is not acceptable. Our vision is for air transport to achieve carbon neutral growth in the medium-term, on the way to a carbon emission free future. I am pleased that this vision has impressed Paul Steele who comes to us with a strong track record and solid environmental credentials gained at WWF and elsewhere. He will lead our team in turning the vision into reality."

Paul Steele said, "Business must be actively engaged in building a sustainable future for our planet. Air transport faces many environmental opportunities. The combination of more effective operations, efficient infrastructure, best practices and investment in new technology can pave the way to a greener future. We can only tackle this global issue by using the effective leadership of an organisation like IATA. I look forward to my new and challenging role."

IATA's vision is based on a four-pillar strategy:

1. 1. Investment in new technology
2. 2. Environmentally efficient infrastructure
3. 3. Improved operations based on industry best practice
4. 4. Economic measures that provide effective incentives to improve environmental performance

"The US$132 billion fuel bill that airlines pay is the biggest green incentive of any industry to reduce its carbon footprint," said Bisignani. "Last year IATA's efforts to reduce this yielded up to 15 million tonnes in CO2 savings. I am counting on Paul to challenge us to produce even better results and to broaden our environmental perspective to all areas of the industry—from better ground facilities to more effective air traffic management. Green business is good business."

US Airline Execs Worry Over Oil Price

Reuters-Prospects of USD$100-a-barrel oil sent shares of US airlines tumbling on Wednesday, renewing talk in the industry of mergers and ticket price increases as a way to hold onto profit margins.

The oil spike comes as a softening US economy begins to threaten an industry only just recovering from years of cutthroat competition and a series of bankruptcies.

"I'm not certain that where we are today is a business that can handle USD$100-a-barrel oil," US Airways Group Chief Executive Doug Parker said at a Wall Street investor conference on Wednesday.

"We've been through a painful restructuring since 2001, but we're still not fixed," said Parker.

The chief financial officer of American Airlines stressed that higher ticket prices were necessary to compensate for soaring oil.

"We've got to find a way to pass on fuel expenses to our customers," CFO Tom Horton said at the same conference. "We're going to need to keep driving costs down in order to compensate for the fuel-revenue disconnect."

The price of NYMEX crude oil futures -- directly related to the price of jet fuel -- notched a record high above USD$98.50 on Wednesday.

Northwest Airlines' chief financial officer said forecasting companies were looking at oil costing anywhere between USD$70 and USD$110 per barrel next year.

"The key for us is continued capacity discipline," said Northwest CFO Dave Davis, referring to the number of seats the airline sells, as it tries to balance costs and revenue.

Fuel rivals labor costs as airlines' biggest expense. Since 2006, carriers have offset that cost by reducing the number of seats for sale and raising fares.

But if economic weakness crimps demand, airlines must consider mergers as a way to pull capacity from their systems, said Parker, the most visible advocate for industry consolidation.

Parker, who engineered the 2005 merger of US Airways and America West, failed this year in his attempt to merge US Airways with Delta Air Lines.

Delta rejected the US Airways bid, saying it had more long-term value as a stand-alone airline. But as oil prices continue to rise and the US economy shows signs of slowing, airline leaders have shown renewed interest in consolidation.

"We do believe the right transaction for Delta would add tremendous value within the industry," said Ed Bastian, Delta's chief financial officer, at the investor conference. "If there was to be a consolidating environment, Delta has the strong hand there, and views itself as a natural acquirer, not a seller."

At the same event, Continental Airlines Chief Financial Officer Jeff Misner said Continental would not likely be the one that started the merger wave.

"Continental will not be left behind," said Misner. "We just don't necessarily have the ability to start the dominoes falling."

Continental has an unusual obstacle to consolidation -- rival Northwest holds a "golden share" in Continental that gives it the right to block mergers involving the Houston-based carrier in a shareholder vote.

The unusual relationship dates back to 2001 when Northwest agreed to sell its shares in Continental after it was sued for anti-competitive behavior by the US Department of Justice.

Misner said, however, that Continental is better positioned than most to cope with expensive fuel. Continental's relatively young fleet of more fuel-efficient planes would cushion the company from the blow of higher fuel prices, Misner said.

"It's still cheaper to fly today than it is to drive," he said.

Largest convention of the global travel industry looks at the future of travel

As a think tank of the travel industry the ITB Berlin Convention Market Trends & Innovations has become an important part of the ITB Berlin. At the last ITB Berlin the leading convention of the travel industry in Europe registered a record attendance. A total of 9,000 trade visitors from around the world took part, an increase of 25 per cent over last year. From 5 to 8 March the ITB Berlin Convention Market Trends & Innovations will take place for the fifth time, with leading figures discussing the latest topics. Representatives of the worldwide travel industry will meet on the Berlin Exhibition Grounds to debate issues concerning the future of travel at this four-day convention.

ITB Future Day attended by leading figures

On Wednesday, 5 March 2008 the ITB Future Day begins, with distinguished guests discussing the latest topics. There will be leading figures taking part from the beginning, among them keynote speakers Dr. Asfa-Wossen Asserate, Prince of Ethiopia, author and management consultant for Africa and the Middle East, and Philip C. Wolf from PhoCusWright.

A panel under the same heading will devote itself to a current and much-discussed trend, “The new luxury markets”.

Guests who have registered their attendance to date include Prof. Thomas Druyen, from the Sigmund Freud Private University in Vienna, Klaus-Dieter Koch, founder and owner of Trust Brand Strategy Consultants, and Jurgen Maier from American Express. This is the first time that the ITB Berlin Convention Market Trends & Innovations will include the topic of cruises in its programme. It represents a genuine boom market, as according to a DRV survey, in 2006 the German cruise market alone grew by 11.2 per cent. The same organisation forecasts a further sales increase in 2007. The presentation by IPK International and the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) of the latest data forecasting worldwide travel trends is a long-established event at the ITB Berlin, and an indispensable source of information for tourism industry decision-makers.

Environmental protection in the hotel sector

Hospitality Day on Thursday, 6 March 2008 is a firm fixture on the convention calendar at the ITB Berlin. How “brands as destinations“ are affecting the hotel business is one of the issues hotly debated by trade experts, as are the environmental concepts of this sector. Welf Ebeling, Executive Vice President and COO of The Leading Hotels will chair the discussion on “Green Hotels“. Equally controversial are the panel discussion topics “Hotel and service design“ and ”Hotels under cost pressure“. Hotel experts, management consultants and international auditors such as Deloitte will be debating the issue of “Hotel benchmarking”.

Key air transport topics

The ITB Aviation Day is recognised as the leading event for the global air transport industry. On Friday, 7 March 2008 corporate executives will discuss key air transport topics. The question of “Is air transport a climate killer?” is a highly controversial issue, as there is currently an intense debate on the role of air transport and its effects on our climate. To date Andrew Harrison, CEO easyJet and Dr. Janina Scheelhaase from the German Aerospace Center have agreed to attend. The programme item “EU-US Open Skies over the North Atlantic“ is no less fascinating. Representatives of the three large carriers have agreed to attend: Marnix Fruitema, CEO Air France-KLM Europe, Karl-Ulrich Garnadt, Area Manager Lufthansa and Pat Gaffey, Area General Manager British Airways. The discussion will be chaired by Dr. Pablo Mendes de Leon of Leiden University. A competent panel of experts will also be examining the air transport market in Russia. Finally, audiences will no doubt be awaiting the speaker of Virgin Galactic, who will be talking about space flight.

ITB Business Travel Days and PhoCusWright@ITB

The ITB Business Travel Days will also be taking place alongside the forums mentioned above. This event has firmly established itself at the ITB as a platform for business travel managers, and offers practical workshops, national forums, and a suppliers’ day. The same can be said of PhoCusWright@ITB. This leading travel technology conference organised by a leading US consultancy takes place on Thursday, 6 March 2008.

The ITB Berlin will take place from Wednesday, 5 March to Sunday, 9 March 2008, and the ITB Berlin Convention Market Trends & Innovations will be held from Wednesday, 5 March to Saturday, 8 March 2008. The period from the Wednesday to the Friday is reserved for trade visitors. Next year Messe Berlin will be celebrating a premiere by holding the ITB Asia, which debuts in Singapore from 22 to 24 October 2008.

Cathay To Buy 17 Boeings For USD$5.2 Bln

Reuters-Hong Kong carrier Cathay Pacific said on Thursday it would buy 17 Boeing jets for USD$5.2 billion at list prices.

The order includes seven 777-300 ERs and ten 747-8 freighters. The aircraft are intended to replenish and expand the fleet capacity of Cathay, which is growing with the region's booming aviation market.

Virgin Atlantic launches onboard carbon offset scheme

Air passengers will be able to offset their travel during a flight as Virgin Atlantic introduces a Gold Standard Carbon Offset Scheme. The airline has partnered with myclimate to offer the scheme which is now available onboard and online, and will benefit projects in India and Indonesia.

Endorsed by 49 Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) worldwide including many environmental groups, Gold Standard credits are independently validated, adhere to best practice methodology and only support renewable energy or energy efficiency technologies (no tree planting or gas flaring).

Virgin Atlantic is the only airline to commit to Gold Standard projects because it believes that this is the only offset standard that guarantees a positive additional impact on the local communities and the environment.

Virgin Atlantic has also calculated exactly how much carbon is produced for each of its flights and had this verified through Greenhouse gas verification company, CICS. The airline then calculated how much this would equate to for each passenger by taking into account the different weights of equipment and seats in each class of travel, and also the amount of cargo on each route. So Upper Class passengers pay more than Premium economy and Economy passengers because their seat and Inflight Entertainment monitors are significantly heavier.

Sir Richard Branson, President of Virgin Atlantic commented: “Virgin Atlantic is offering the world’s first ever scheme enabling passengers to offset their air travel during their flight. This effective carbon offsetting option is unique as it supports only Gold Standard projects. We hope our passengers will be keen to become members of our Gold Standard Mile High Offset Club!”

myclimate are a Swiss based charity, whose vision is to find innovative solutions to climate change and to promote clean energy solutions particularly in developing countries.

One of the projects is based in India, with the money going towards supporting a power plant that runs on farming waste, such as sugar cane husks, turning them into electricity for the local community. The other main project is a hydropower plant in Indonesia, where the money is going towards rebuilding of the plant, which will employ and provide new skills to the local community, as well as providing a source of clean and reliable electricity for them.

In addition to buying offsets onboard, passengers can buy carbon offsets for their flights on the airline website when they book their tickets or any time they choose.

Jasmine Hyman, Marketing Director of the Gold Standard added: “The Gold Standard Foundation commends Virgin Atlantic's stringent and sincere climate programme. From cradle to grave, the Virgin Atlantic approach adheres to rigorous environmental standards and a strong commitment to sustainable development.”

Emirates marks another record half-year

UBAI, U.A.E., 7th November 2007 – Emirates Airline has announced another record performance for the first six months of its current financial year 2007-08 ending 30th September 2007, with net profits of Dhs 2.36 billion (US$ 643 million) up 99 per cent compared to Dhs 1.18 billion (US$ 323 million) for the same period last year.

The results reflect a strong revenue performance largely driven by higher passenger demand, combined with higher yields. Net margin was 13.7 per cent compared to 8.7 per cent for the corresponding period last year.

H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, Emirates’ Chairman and Chief Executive said: "Emirates has delivered another excellent performance which reflects healthy demand for our products and services. We have expanded our route network with new large capacity, fuel-efficient aircraft, and have continued to invest in a high quality product for our customers. These investments, matched with robust global demand for air travel, are paying off.

“Looking at the next six months, fuel costs remain a serious challenge for us with the price of crude oil now heading towards US$100 per barrel. There is also continued uncertainty surrounding the impact of recent credit issues in the financial markets on passenger demand. However, I remain confident that Emirates is well positioned to address these challenges and continue our profitable growth.”

Emirates' operating revenue at Dhs 16.96 billion (US$ 4.62 billion), was up 25.8 per cent compared to Dhs 13.48 billion (US$ 3.67 billion) during the corresponding period last year.

Passenger revenue recorded a growth of 30.5 per cent at Dhs 13.1 billion (US$ 3.56 billion), with passengers carried increasing by 1.9 million or 23 per cent to 10.3 million, compared to 8.4 million for the first half-year of 2006-07. Seat factor improved to 79.7 per cent for the period, on 17 per cent higher seat capacity in terms of available seat kilometers.

Emirates SkyCargo performed well against a subdued global airfreight market, posting a revenue increase of 13 per cent to Dhs 3.0 billion (US$ 822 million), with cargo tonnage up by 10 per cent to 637,000 tonnes, compared with 577,000 tonnes for the same period last year. Cargo contributed about 19 per cent of the airline’s total transport revenue.

Operating costs were higher by 19.3 per cent whilst Airline unit cost per available tonne kilometre increased by 4.8 per cent to 134 fils. Fuel costs for the first six months remained the top expenditure item accounting for 27.8 per cent of total operating costs.

Emirates’ cash position, including held to maturity investments and capital guaranteed notes, on 30th September 2007 was healthy at Dhs 11.7 billion (US$ 3.2 billion), compared to Dhs 11.5 billion (US$ 3.1 billion) six months earlier. This was after paying dividends pertaining to the past financial year of Dhs 400 million (US$ 109 million) to the shareholder, and funding capital outflows of around Dhs 2.3 billion (US$ 621 million) that included aircraft pre-delivery payments and other capital items.

Since April 2007, Emirates has launched passenger services to five new destinations - Venice, Newcastle, Sao Paulo, Toronto and Ahmedabad, bringing its global network to 97 cities on six continents, including 10 cargo-only destinations. The airline will soon commence operations to Houston from 3rd December. In addition to new destinations, Emirates has also increased the frequency of passenger services and added capacity with larger aircraft to many of its existing destinations during the half year.

Emirates’ current fleet size is 111, comprising 29 Airbus A330-200s, 30 Boeing 777-300ERs, two Boeing 777-200LRs, 12 Boeing 777-300s, nine Boeing 777-200s, 10 Airbus 340-500s, eight Airbus A340-300s, and 11 freighters – eight Boeing 747Fs and three Airbus A310Fs.