Maldives Travel News

Qatar Airways Reaches Milestone 100th Destination

2011-04-09T00:45:00.000-07:00

Carrier Launches Flights To Syrian City Of Aleppo
6 April 2011

Pictured on arrival of Qatar Airways flight QR430 in Aleppo following its maiden journey from Doha, are dignitaries, including the airline’s Senior Vice-President Commercial Ali Al Rais (centre), the Governor of Aleppo Ali Ahmad Mansoura (fourth right) and the Charges d’Affaires of the Syrian Embassy in Doha, His Excellency Bashar Samara (fifth left)

Aleppo, SYRIA – Award-winning Qatar Airways today began operations to the northern Syrian city of Aleppo, marking the carrier’s historic 100th destination. Flight QR430 arrived from Doha to the key economic gateway city to a water salute and airport ceremony.

On board the maiden flight to Aleppo was Qatar Airways’ Senior Vice President Commercial Ali Al Rais, who led a delegation, including Mr. Bashar Samara, Charge D’Affaires of the Syrian Embassy in Doha. They were met by senior airport officials and local dignitaries, including the Governor of Aleppo, Ali Ahmad Mansoura.

Addressing guests on arrival at Aleppo International Airport, Al Rais said: “We are celebrating this momentous occasion for the airline, and we are pleased to share it here with the people of Aleppo.

Qatar Airways arrives in Syria’s northern city of Aleppo to a water salute – a momentous occasion as the carrier launches its 100th destination

“Aleppo is an attractive tourist and business destination, and is an economic driving force behind Syria’s textile, manufacturing and trading industries. The city is also a destination that has long been on Qatar Airways’ list of under-served markets, where we have wanted to expand to. We are grateful to the authorities for their support in welcoming our expansion in Syria.”

Today, Qatar Airways operates a modern fleet of 97 aircraft to 100 diverse cities across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, South Asia and North and South America.

MALAYSIA AIRLINES LAUNCHES EVERYDAY LOW FARES, OFFERS 1 MILLION ZERO FARES FOR TRAVEL IN MALAYSIA

2008-05-09T11:38:00.000-07:00

Subang: Malaysia Airlines today launched Everyday Low Fares, offering 1 million zero fares for all its domestic destinations to enable Malaysians to keep traveling, and to boost tourism.

Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer, Dato’ Sri Idris Jala said, “We recently declared that Malaysia Airlines is transforming into the World's Five Star Value Carrier (FSVC) and we promised that customers will be able to enjoy 5 Star Services at low prices.

“We have successfully maintained our excellent products and services, and significantly reduced our cost by over RM1.3 billion over the last 2 years. At the same time, we have improved our pricing and inventory systems, and returned the company to profitability. We are now delighted to launch Everyday Low Fares, which offers competitive fares daily.”

To enjoy Everyday Low Fares, customers must purchase the tickets online and at least 30 days before flight departure. These tickets are non-refundable and the flight dates cannot be changed. All fares exclude airport tax and surcharges, RM76 (one way) for domestic travels and RM120 (one way) for travel between West and East Malaysia.

Customers will enjoy Malaysia Airline’s 5 Star services including refreshments on board, convenient schedules, on time departures, 20kg baggage allowance, allocated seats and many other benefits.

“This is a win-win situation for all; our customers enjoy low fares and 5 Star services while we fill up our planes. We are not losing any revenue from this as the seats represent 30% of surplus seats which would otherwise be unsold.

“This also provides us with the ability to recover some of the fuel costs which would otherwise be lost as the seats are perishable. At the time, we are providing a boost to the Malaysian economy. A study done by Khazanah and Bain Consulting shows that aviation has a multiplier effect of 12.5 to the Malaysian economy (i.e. every ringgit spent on aviation generates RM12.5 in the economy),” Jala also said.

To prevent dilution, Everyday Low Fares are only offered on lean flights and stringent terms and conditions have been put in place.

He added, "We are the first full service airline to do this in a big way. If we are successful, we will redefine the rules in the travel industry."

Low fares for ASEAN routes will be rolled out soon. The routes include Kuala Lumpur to Jakarta, Bangkok, Manila and Surabaya. Low fares from Penang to Singapore, Kota Kinabalu to Singapore, Langkawi to Singapore and Kuching to Singapore will also be offered.

With Everyday Low Fares, Malaysia Airlines also aims to change customers’ booking behaviour.

“We have studied our customers’ booking profiles very carefully, on a route-by-route and flight-by-flight basis. We know passengers usually book their tickets only within the last 30 days before the flight departs. With Everyday Low Fares, we want them to plan their travels and book early."

The booking period for Malaysia Airlines’ zero fares is from 5 to 19 May 2008, and travel period between 10 June and 14 December 2008.

Qatar Airways Future Expansion Tops 200 Aircraft Orders Worth Over US$30 Billion

2008-05-09T11:35:00.000-07:00

Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker Spells Out Airline's Growth Plans At Arabian Travel Market In Dubai

Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker today spoke of the airline’s aggressive expansion plans over the next few years highlighting orders for more than 200 aircraft worth over US$30 billion.

The national carrier of the State of Qatar is pursuing an ambitious growth strategy in line with the country’s dynamic economic boom where huge infrastructure development projects are fuelling the growth.

Addressing international media at Arabian Travel Market (ATM), the Middle East’s leading travel trade show being held in Dubai this week, Al Baker said the airline’s aircraft orders would help facilitate the country’s economic drive forward and turn Qatar into both a leading regional and global aviation hub.

He said a new wave of aircraft deliveries begins this summer with Qatar Airways’ third Boeing 777 joining the carrier’s 62-strong fleet.

From November this year, Qatar Airways takes delivery of the first of its Long Range Boeing 777-200 aircraft capable of flying to virtually any key city in the world non-stop from Doha. The first Boeing 777-200 will be introduced on the Doha – Houston route from November 10 with a non-stop flying time of 17 hours.

With impressive outstanding orders, including 80 of Airbus’ new-generation A350s, five twin-deck A380s, 60 of Boeing’s new 787 Dreamliners and 30 Boeing 777s, Qatar Airways’ fleet expansion will take it well into the next decade.

A brand new international airport under construction in Doha will help facilitate the growth with the first phase slated to open in 2010.

Qatar Airways currently has a diverse network of cities it serves across Europe, Middle East, Africa, Indian Subcontinent, Far East and North America.

Al Baker explained that Qatar Airways’ young fleet of Airbus and Boeing aircraft, which have an average age of just three years, will grow significantly to 70 by the end of 2008, rising further to 110 within five years. And he said that the number of global destinations in Qatar Airways’ international network, which currently stands at 82, will rise sharply over the next few years.

“Our vision at Qatar Airways is simple – to invest in, and maintain, a growing fleet of young and modern aircraft flying to key business and leisure destinations worldwide,” he said.

“Our long range Boeing 777s will open up tremendous new opportunities for us from the end of 2008 with the aircraft capable of flying to all corners of the globe non-stop and provide our customers with a unique flying experience and ultimate levels of comfort.

“Qatar’s strategic and geographical location in the heart of the Middle East presents us with excellent opportunities – but more importantly, give the travelling public from the region and around the world excellent connections via our Doha hub.”

Added Al Baker: “The new generation Boeing 787s and Airbus A350s will create even more opportunities, opening up new medium- and long-haul routes with greater operational efficiency.”

Qatar Airways currently has a diverse network of cities it serves across Europe, Middle East, Africa, Indian Subcontinent, Far East and North America.

Al Baker highlighted this year’s route expansion to include three new destinations. Having launched scheduled flights from Doha to the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou at the end of March – with a fifth weekly frequency introduced only last week – Qatar Airways now operates 21 services a week across China, covering also Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong.

Beginning June 15, Qatar Airways launches daily services between Doha and the south-west Indian coastal city of Kozhikode (formerly known as Calicut). Kozhikode will be the airline’s ninth Indian destination taking capacity across India to 58 weekly services.

And starting November 10, Qatar Airways launches its third US destination with direct non-stop flights to Houston, initially with three services a week, rising to daily in December 2008.

“This year, Qatar Airways is celebrating three exciting route launches of Guangzhou, Kozhikode and Houston, together with increased frequencies on many existing routes to give our passengers greater choice,” said Al Baker.

He also updated the media on progress of the New Doha International Airport. Reclamation work on the multi-billion dollar project has been completed as 60 per cent of the site is built on land dredged from the sea. Both runways are taking shape and terminal infrastructure is well under construction. The airport is due to open in 2010 with an initial capacity of 24 million passengers a year, rising to 50 million during the final development phase from 2015 onwards.

Qatar Airways is having its biggest ever presence at ATM this year, promoting a new corporate look and featuring a brand new exhibition stand, which includes a model of the New Doha International Airport and its long-haul First Class seat.

Entertainment promoting Qatar Airways’ three new routes for 2008 features prominently on the airline’s exhibition stand throughout the four-day show taking place at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Regional work needed to further enhance air safety

2008-05-09T11:29:00.000-07:00

The 2007 global accident rate of 0.75 hull losses for every million flights by Western-built jet aircraft was slightly higher than the 0.65 rate recorded in 2006 according to the 44th annual Safety Report released by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) yesterday (8 May). This was largely the result of tragic accidents in Africa, Indonesia and to some extent Brazil. IATA member airlines performed better than the industry average with an accident rate of 0.68 hull losses per million flights.

The number of global fatalities declined 19% from 855 to 692, even as passenger numbers increased by 6% to over 2.2 billion passengers in 2007. In absolute numbers, there were 100 accidents in 2007 (57 jet, 43 turboprop) compared with 77 accidents in 2006 (46 jet, 31 turboprop).

“Air travel is the safest mode of transportation. In the ten years from 1998, the accident rate was reduced by almost half - from 1.34 accidents per million flights to 0.75. And the number of fatalities dropped significantly in 2007. That’s good news. But our goal is always to do better: zero fatalities and zero accidents,” said Giovanni Bisignani, IATA’s Director General and CEO.

The IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) is the global standard for airline safety management and a key tool in driving further improvements in global safety. All IATA carriers are required to complete audits and close all findings to join the IOSA Registry by the end of 2008. “Making IOSA a condition of IATA membership is a strong commitment by the industry to raise the bar on safety even higher. Our Partnership for Safety programmes are in place to help our members meet the standards and join the Registry. Safety is our number one priority and starting in 2008, IATA will finance the costs of the IOSA audits for its members. The results are transparent on iata.org/registry for all to see. And we will be tough. By the end of the year, carriers are either on the Registry, or they are out of IATA,” said Bisignani.

Regional Results: Regional accident rates varied. Russia and the CIS had zero accidents in 2007, following a disastrous year in 2006. At 0.09 and 0.29 accidents per million flights, North America and Europe had hull-loss rates significantly better than the global average. A spate of accidents in Indonesia pushed the Asia Pacific accident rate to 2.76 hull losses per million flights. Latin American accident rate was 1.61 hull losses per million flights. IATA is working with the Brazilian government on a comprehensive programme to improve safety - from IOSA to infrastructure improvements.

Africa had the worst record at 4.09 hull losses per million flights. “While this is an improvement over last year, it is still six times less safe to fly in Africa than the rest of the world. IATA is working side-by-side with our African members to bring them up to IOSA standards. And we just announced a US$3.7 million programme to give up to 30 African carriers access to IATA’s Flight Data Analysis service for a three-year period,” said Bisignani.

Contributing Factors: Almost half (48%) of the year’s accidents took place during landing. The majority of these accidents involved a runway excursion. Many of these accidents could have been prevented by the initiation of a timely go-around. IATA, in cooperation with the Flight Safety Foundation, is developing a toolkit that will address the issues linked to runway safety enhancement, including the prevention of runway excursions.

Almost 20% of all accidents in 2007 related to ground damage. Lack of standardisation can contribute to ground handling activities that result in damage to aircraft. IATA developed the IATA Safety Audit for Ground Operations (ISAGO) programme to drastically reduce aircraft damage and personal injuries in the ground environment. “Ground damage is a US$4 billion cost to the industry. The launch of the first global standards for ground safety with ISAGO will improve safety, cut costs and reduce redundant audits,” said Bisignani.

Almost half of the accidents in 2007 were linked to a technical issue; maintenance events contributed to almost 20% of all occurrences last year. IATA is revising its safety strategy to encompass maintenance activities and Safety Management System implementation for maintenance organisations.

Consumers: 50% of misleading airline websites corrected

2008-05-09T11:25:00.000-07:00

EU Consumer Commissioner Meglena Kuneva published the mid term report on an EU wide enforcement investigation - involving 15 EU national authorities as well as Norway – against misleading advertising and unfair practices on airline ticket selling websites. The report shows that there are "serious and persistent consumer problems" throughout the airline industry as a whole. 1 in 3 websites surveyed (137 out of 386 originally checked by the 13 reporting countries) have had to be followed up with enforcement action over the last 7 months for breaches of EU consumer law. Over 50% of those websites have been corrected during this time.

"It is unacceptable that 1 in 3 consumers going to book a plane ticket online is being ripped off or mislead and confused", said EU Consumer Commissioner Meglena Kuneva. "This report shows there are serious and persistent problems with ticket sales throughout the airline industry as a whole. I intend to work with Member States to do everything possible to wrap up this investigation by May 1st next year. But these findings send a political signal we cannot ignore. I hope operators have now realised the determination of the Commission to act on behalf of consumers where it is necessary. My message to industry is clear, act now or we will act. We will need to see credible evidence of improvement to clean up these sales and marketing practices within the airline sector by May 1st next year or we will be left with no choice but to intervene."

The Main Results

The Commission's mid term Report on the airline ticket investigation provides a "snap shot" of the state of play of the enforcement work, based on the available data for 13 countries, on Feb 22nd 2008. The investigation focused on misleading pricing, availability of offers and unfair contract terms (including pre-checked boxes, clear contract terms available in the language of the consumer). The key findings are as follows:

1 in 3 websites have required follow up enforcement action for breaches of consumer law.
Many sites had multiple problems. The overall trends of problems within the sector are as follows: misleading pricing has emerged as the biggest problem, found in 58% of the sites under investigation; irregularities related to contract terms were found in 49% of those sites (missing or wrong language version, and pre-checked boxes for optional services). Problems with non-availability of advertised offers appeared in 15% of the sites.
The problems exist across the airline industry as a whole – airlines and tour operators (the distinction between so-called low fare and traditional airlines is increasingly blurred in practice). Of the 79 sites being investigated because of problems of misleading pricing, 44 (56%) sites are airlines, 27 (34%) sites are travel agencies/tour operators, and 8 (10%) sites were other types such as price comparison sites. Of the 21 websites sites with problems to do with the availability of offers, 12 (57%) sites were airlines, 6 (28%) sites were travel agencies and 3 were "other". Of the 67 sites being investigated for unfair contract terms, 26(39%) sites were airlines, 34(51%) sites were travel agencies and 7(10%) sites were "other". (Many sites had multiple problems so the statistics for problems is therefore greater than the number of sites).
The problems persist amongst a wide range of companies. The 137 websites under investigation represent about 80 companies – including large brand names and lesser known companies.
Enforcement has now passed 50%. The tables in the mid term report (see summary table in attached memo) present the enforcement data as it stood on Feb 22nd 2008. Since then, enforcement has continued and further corrections have been made. Lithuania has reported that all the sites it flagged with confirmed irregularities have now been corrected, an additional 13 sites. This data puts the level of corrections at the end of April at over 50%.
Enforcement levels for national and cross border enforcement differ substantially. The report shows a 55% enforcement/correction rate (50 out of 90), for national sites, where authorities are dealing with companies based in their own country. This compares to a 12% enforcement rate (5 out of 42) for cross border cases, where national authorities are requesting assistance from an authority in another country to enforce the law with a company based in that member state.
Transparency. Legal constraints prevent the majority of Member States from publishing company names at this stage, while administrative or legal proceedings are ongoing. This is a key issue for the future functioning of the network. Norway and Sweden have made public lists of company websites under investigation (see link below).

What happens next?

Enforcement work within the network will be intensified, with a view to a further reporting back after 1st May 2009. The Commission will monitor developments in the airline sector over the coming year and assess the need for further action at that time. During 2008, updates on enforcement will be posted on national websites which can be accessed via the Commission's consumer affairs website.

Austrian Airlines May Take On Partner

2008-05-09T11:24:00.001-07:00

Austrian Airlines, which is struggling to complete a deal with a key investor, could also consider working with a strategic partner, its chief executive said in an interview on Friday.

Alfred Oetsch, who has previously said the troubled airline did not need to work with a rival, told ORF radio: "The environment has changed dramatically."

In a deal announced in March, Saudi-Austrian investor Sheikh Mohamed Bin Issa al Jaber was to take a 20 percent stake in the airline via a capital increase at 7.10 euros per share, substantially higher than the current market value, for about EUR150 million (USD$230 million).

However, al Jaber has threatened to pull out after the airline posted a first-quarter EBIT loss of EUR50.1 million (USD$76.80 million) in April, much worse than expected, sending the shares sliding.

Talks with al Jaber go on, but Oetsch said it was possible to take on both a major investor and a strategic partner.

"If because of the environment and the current high fuel price, which will probably remain, it is not certain that we can be sustainably profitable even in crisis times, then we have to reconsider, also taking account of Austrian interests and the brand," Oetsch said.

He did not say who the airline might work with, but some market players have mentioned Lufthansa and Emirates.

Oetsch also dismissed calls for his resignation from shareholders at this week's annual meeting as irrelevant. (Reuters)

British Airways To Move More Flights To T5

2008-05-09T11:22:00.000-07:00

British Airways and airports operator BAA said on Friday they would move a new phase of long haul flights to Heathrow's Terminal 5 building on June 5.

The two companies last month postponed the move to "at least June 5" following the chaotic opening of the new terminal, which saw flights cancelled, passengers stranded and baggage lost.

They confirmed flights to and from eight long haul destinations would now move to T5 on that date, including those to New York and Beijing. "Terminal 5 is now working well," BA Chief Executive Willie Walsh said in a statement. (Reuters)

Schiphol baggage workers strike

2008-05-09T11:18:00.000-07:00

Schiphol baggage workers strikeMenzies Aviation baggage workers at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport went on strike today (Friday 9 May 2008) in support of their claim for a 3.5% increase in wages. The company is offering 1.5%.

The company handles around 10% of services at Schiphol, including flights by Alitalia, Corendon, Cathay Pacific, Delta and Japan Airlines.

Around 100 of the company’s 500 Schiphol workers are taking part in the strike, claims the De Unie trade union, causing some delays to services on one of the busiest days of the year at the airport as passengers return from spring holidays.

2008-05-09T11:10:00.000-07:00

ARINC has completed the installation of its advanced common-use passenger check-in and baggage message distribution system at Singapore Changi Airport.

The project, which was completed in six months, includes 500 new common-use check-in and boarding gate workstations covering all three main terminals, including the newly opened Terminal 3. ARINC replaced all the common-use check-in and boarding equipment at Terminals 1 and 2 with the latest technology for enhanced operational efficiency and improved passenger handling.

“The speed with which we completed this large-scale project demonstrates ARINC’s commitment to service excellence in the region,” says Randy Pizzi, ARINC vice-president and managing director, Asia Pacific. “I’m also pleased to say the transition was a complete success, thanks to the close partnerships we enjoy with our airport customers, airlines and ground handling companies.”

ARINC’s Multi-User System Environment (MUSE®) technology allows airlines to share check-in desks and departure gates by using common workstations, thereby maximising airport operational efficiency and lowering costs.

Left: ARINC has completed the installation of its advanced common-use passenger check-in and baggage message distribution system at Singapore Changi Airport

Security boost at Burnie

Security cameras will soon be installed at Burnie Airport, Tasmania, Australia. The Australian Federal Government has given the airport US$85,000 for the cameras as part of its Regional Airport Funding Program. The chairman of the Burnie Airport Corporation, Paul Arnold, says, “With more than 87,000 passengers passing through the airport last year, it is important security is stepped up.”

SIA to increase capacity to Beijing with temporary A380 service

2008-05-09T11:03:00.000-07:00

SINGAPORE – To satisfy higher demand on its flights during the lead-up to the commencement of the Olympic Games, Singapore Airlines (SIA) will fly the Airbus A380 super-jumbo on one of its three daily flights between Singapore and Beijing for one week in early August.

The first A380 flight to China will depart Singapore at 0830 on Saturday August 2, 2008, arriving in Beijing at 1440. On the return journey, SQ805 will depart Beijing at 1705 and touch down in Singapore at 2320 (all times local).

Thereafter, it will operate daily till Friday 8 August 2008, after which service will revert to the normal scheduled Boeing 777 aircraft.

Customers who hold ticketed bookings on flights to be operated by the A380 will be automatically accommodated on the new aircraft.

SIA to increase fuel surcharge

2008-05-09T11:00:00.000-07:00

SINGAPORE – As a result of a sustained escalation in the price of jet fuel in recent months, Singapore Airlines (SIA) will increase its fuel surcharge for tickets issued on or after May 12, 2008.

The new levels will apply to SIA and SilkAir flights as follows: US$35 (up from US$30) per sector, for flights between Singapore and ASEAN countries; US$150 (up from US$130) per sector, for flights between Singapore and gateways in the US and Canada on a single-sector basis; and US$95 (up from US$80) per sector, on all other flights.

The new surcharge is subject to official approval in some markets, and some local variations may apply where regulatory approvals dictate.

SriLankan Airlines appoints CEO

2008-05-09T10:58:00.000-07:00

COLOMBO – SriLankan Airlines has appointed Manoj Gunawardena as the airlilne’s chief executive officer. Gunawardena has been with the airline for over 25 years and has over 17 years of direct sales and commercial experience with SriLankan. He was appointed as Head of Worldwide Sales in May 2006 and is currently responsible for the airline’s global sales activities. Prior to being appointed Head of Worldwide Sales, he was Regional Manager UK, Europe and Americas, a position that he held from 2005.

Viva Macau roars with additional flights and new charter destination to Okinawa

2008-05-09T10:51:00.000-07:00

(Macau) Traveling to and from Macau, Asia’s fastest-growing international destination, will become more convenient as value-for-money airline Viva Macau adds flight frequency to its Tokyo, Jakarta, and Sydney routes, as well as launching charter service to Japan’s resort destination, Okinawa.

Viva Macau, offering regular direct service from Macau to Tokyo, Indonesia, and Australia, announced expansion of frequency to its growing network.

The expansion will see the airline increasing its flights from Macau to Tokyo from two to four times a week, Jakarta from four to five times a week, and Sydney from three to four times a week.

In addition to the increase in flights to existing destinations, Viva Macau also announced its twice-weekly service to Okinawa, an international resort destination located southwest of mainland Japan. Its exotic sub-tropical climate, unique culture and breathtaking island sceneries are well-known among travelers in Macau, Hong Kong, as well as the Pearl River Delta Region.

This charter service which would open a new route for Macau not currently being operated by any airline, is subject to the approval of the Civil Aviation Authority in Macau.

Viva Macau CEO Con Korfiatis said the additional flights and Okinawa’s charter service would further strengthen Macau’s connectivity to the world.

‘The additional flights would bring in a new pool of air travelers into Macau, Asia’s hottest international destination of leisure, entertainment, events and conventions. The improved flexibility and convenience would be more appealing to those who wish to visit the booming Macau and provides a greater choice of direct access. It also provides the same flexibility and convenience to travelers from Macau and the Pearl River Delta,’ Korfiatis said.

Since Viva Macau commenced flights to Indonesia in December 2006, Australia in August 2007, and Japan in December 2007, visitor arrivals by air from these countries have grown by 71%, 290%, and 300% respectively, according to latest statistics between March 2007 and March 2008 from the Macau Government Tourism Office. The additional direct flights are expected to further promote growth in traffic between Macau and these exciting destinations.

‘The new Okinawa service opens up yet another new destination that has never been flown before out of Macau, offering more great-value travel options to travelers from Macau, Hong Kong and cities from the Pearl River Delta,’ Korfiatis added.

‘We are the only airline flying directly between Macau and our network on a regular basis. With the only direct links and value-for-money service, plus now the increased frequency and new destination, Viva Macau — together with Macau — is now an even more compelling destination,’ Korfiatis added.

The announced additional flights and new destination are ahead of further route expansion which will follow the acquisition of the airline’s third aircraft. Announcement of the new aircraft will be made in the very near future.

‘Macau’s tourism and economy will continue to prosper with more direct air links and new destinations offered by Viva Macau,’ Korfiatis said.

Libya, UAE sign air transport deal

2008-05-09T10:49:00.000-07:00

Libya and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have signed a cooperation agreement on air transportation and a memorandum of understanding allowing the UAE to have air links to some Libyan airports.

The agreement, signed by the head of the Libyan Office for Civil Aviation, Mohamed Chleibak, and the Emirati Ambassador to Libya, Abdallah M'Hamdi, compels both countries to accept each other's carriers.

Under the agreement, the UAE will accredit Libyan airlines (Libyan Arab Airlines and Afriqiyah Airways) while Libya will do the same for Emirati airlines (Etihad Airways, Emirat Airways, Ras Khaima Airways and Arabian Airways) as the UAE national carriers.

The two sides also signed a memorandum of understanding under which Emirati airline, Etihad Airways, will, from 2010, operate 21 flights to Libyan airports in Tripoli, Benina-Benghazi (1050 km east of Tripoli) and Sebha (800 km south of Tripoli).

Emirati Airways, on its part, will operate a Libya-UAE route with 28 flights linking Dubai to Tripoli, Benghazi and Sebha from 2009.

Boeing and Iraq Announce Aircraft Order, Discuss Support for Aviation Modernisation

2008-05-09T10:46:00.000-07:00

Boeing and the Government of Iraq announced an order for 30 Boeing B737-800 commercial aircraft, the first step in re-establishing Iraq’s scheduled commercial aviation operations. Iraq has also contracted options for ten additional B737s. Boeing and Iraqi officials are also in discussions on how Boeing can assist with the modernisation of Iraq’s aviation infrastructure. Valued at USD2.2 billion at current list prices, the order was previously accounted for on Boeing's Orders & Deliveries Web site attributed to an unidentified customer.

In addition, Iraq and Boeing are finalising an agreement for 10 Boeing B787 Dreamliners, which will allow an Iraqi national airline to provide longer-range commercial service. The B787s will be added to Boeing's order book when the contract is completed.

"Today marks a new beginning for Iraq," Minister of Finance, Bager M. Jabor Al Zubaidy, said during a signing ceremony that was also attended by Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki, and Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and Chief Executive Officer, Scott Carson.

In recent months Boeing and Iraqi officials have discussed how Boeing can assist with the reconstruction of Iraq's aviation infrastructure and preparation for delivery and operation of new aircrafts. Boeing will offer advice and expertise in areas such as the planning and development of airport infrastructure throughout Iraq; helping train aviation sector personnel; aiding in the selection and acquisition of airline support equipment; and arranging for cost-effective maintenance and service solutions for used aircraft obtained prior to new aircraft deliveries.

Revised air service agreement between India and Iran

2008-05-09T10:44:00.000-07:00

The delegations representing the Government of the Republic of India and the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran met in New Delhi recently to discuss Air Services matters.

The following understanding was reached between the two countries with regard to capacity entitlements:

• The designated airlines of Iran shall be entitled to operate a total of 23 passenger/combination services per week in each direction, with an aircraft not exceeding the capacity of B747.

• Within the overall capacity entitlement of 23 frequencies, the designated airlines of Iran shall be entitled to operate to points in India as follows:-

Mumbai : 2 services per week

Delhi : 7 services per week

Cochin : 7 services per week

Amritsar : 7 services per week

• The designated airlines of India shall be entitled to operate a total of 23 passenger/combination services per week in each direction, with an aircraft not exceeding the capacity of B747, in accordance with the Route Schedule for the designated airlines of India.

• The designated airlines of India and Iran shall be entitled to operate any number of all-cargo services to/from any point(s) in the territory of the other side, via any intermediate point(s) and to any beyond point(s), with any type of aircraft with full 3rd, 4th and 5th freedom traffic rights.

It was agreed that Amritsar shall be granted as an additional point of call in India for the designated airlines of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and Bandar Abbas shall be granted as an additional point of call for the designated airlines of India.

The two sides have also agreed that:

• The designated airlines of India may exercise intermediate 5th freedom traffic rights via any two points of their choice on flights operated to/from Tehran and Bandar Abbas, and beyond 5th freedom traffic rights only on flights operated to/from Tehran.

• The designated airlines of Iran may exercise intermediate 5th freedom traffic rights via any two points of their choice (except points in the Persian Gulf) on flights operated to/from Mumbai, Delhi, Cochin and Amritsar, and beyond 5th freedom traffic rights only on flights operated to/from Mumbai.

Homeless Man Thwarts STL Security, Found Napping On Plane

2008-05-09T10:37:00.000-07:00

Two contract security guards at Lambert International Airport in St. Louis, MO were suspended this week, after a homeless man was found sleeping onboard a parked regional jet.

KTVI-2 reports the man was able to slip past the two Whalen Security officers Wednesday morning, as they inspected a vehicle at a perimeter checkpoint. The 58-year-old homeless man was later found sleeping onboard a Trans States Airlines CRJ.

Local police called the incident a "hiccup" in airport security, according to KMOV-4. But airline analyst Mel Burkart said that doesn't begin to describe it.

"Obviously it was a thoughtless breach of security," said Burkart. "The potential is there. You know you have an airport like St. Louis that has hundreds of acres of ground and it has a fence up all the way around it but it's not monitored and it's not under total security vigilance day and night."

Airline employees found the man. TSA officials said the incident made clear the importance of "layered" security -- where airport, airline, and TSA officials are all watching for signs of something amiss.

"We all recognize that these layers are important because no single layer is 100 percent full proof, 100 percent of the time," said TSA spokewoman Carrie Harmon.

Viking Selects Seaplanes North As Spares Distribution Partner

2008-05-09T10:25:00.000-07:00

Will Distribute DHC Beaver And Otter Parts In Alaskan Region

Viking Air Limited told ANN Thursday the company recently selected Seaplanes North of Anchorage, Alaska as its material sales and distribution center for DHC-2 Beaver and DHC-3 Otter parts to better serve its Alaskan customers. The decision comes as a customer service enhancement effort to facilitate faster overnight deliveries to the region and to eliminate potential customs delays.

"After much discussion, it was determined there was a good fit between our two companies to move ahead with putting this service in the Alaska", says David Curtis, Viking’s president and CEO. "We look forward to this new collaboration, improving and enhancing our customer support to the Alaskan operators."

"We are excited to represent Viking by stocking Beaver and Otter parts to support local operators", says Jeff Walker, Seaplanes North’s owner and manager. "We specialize in customer service based on honesty and fairness and we look forward to providing the same service to Viking’s customers."

In business since 2000, Seaplanes North is a well-established parts distributor and an aircraft maintenance provider located at Lake Hood, the busiest seaplane base in the world.

Viking launched the all new DHC-6 Series 400 Twin Otter last year, with over 40 orders to date and deliveries to begin in 2009. Viking also provides OEM support for the worldwide fleet of de Havilland heritage line of aircraft (DHC-1 through DHC-7).

Thai Airways To Raise Fuel Surcharges

2008-04-24T11:43:00.000-07:00

Thai Airways International will raise its fuel surcharge by 20-25 percent on Monday to offset rising energy costs, a senior executive said on Wednesday.

Oil prices held above USD$118 a barrel on Wednesday after briefly hitting an all time peak of USD$119.90 on Tuesday.

"We will raise fuel surcharges on all routes by 20-25 percent on average due to rising oil prices," Thai Airways Executive Vice President Pandit Chanapai told reporters.

The carrier's cabin factor was more than 80 percent in the January-March quarter, up from 78 percent at the end of 2007, he said.

Its cabin factor averaged 77 percent in the 2007 fiscal year to September, he said.

(Reuters)

Malaysia Airlines Eyeing Merger Partners

2008-04-24T11:40:00.000-07:00

Malaysia Airlines is considering possible mergers, as the industry struggles to cope with soaring fuel prices and softer demand, Chief Executive Idris Jala said on Thursday.

The company would look at possible partners world-wide but Idris stressed he was only looking at opportunities and was not in any talks.

"It's very, very early days. We are just only looking at the landscape. We haven't identified (anyone). We have looked at all those airlines that we're working with today. They're probably looking at us too."

Crude oil is trading at record highs near USD$120 a barrel, hitting airlines and prompting mergers, including the planned union of Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines and the search for a partner for troubled Alitalia.

The International Air Transport Association, in downgrading its 2008 industry profit forecast recently for a second time in four months, called for more mergers saying the sector was overcrowded.

Idris said the industry in Asia would be plagued by overcapacity in five years' time and that state-controlled Malaysia Airlines would prefer a partner that helped raise revenues rather than just lowering costs.

"If you take a look at the orders of aircraft today -- the orders of aircraft against demand -- it will show in the next five years, there will be a period of overcapacity," he told reporters.

He ruled out any interest in code share partner Alitalia but said he planned to continue the code share arrangement.

"I prefer to look for someone that is not like us," he told an airline conference.

Mergers between airlines are traditionally difficult because many are controlled by governments who wish to keep them as national carriers.

Malaysian state funds control a combined 90.4 percent in the airline.

Malaysia Airlines had hedged about 43 percent of its fuel needs at around USD$89 a barrel and was reviewing its current level of fuel surcharge, Idris said.

(Reuters)

AIRPORT NEWS

2008-04-24T11:32:00.000-07:00

Ukraine plans Boryspil expansion

Right: Boryspil is one of eastern Europe's largest airports with more than five million passengers passing through it per year

Ukraine's prime minister, Yulia Tymoshenko and her cabinet have affirmed plans to upgrade facilities at Kiev's Boryspil Airport ahead of the European Football Championship finals, which will be held in both the Ukraine and Poland in 2012.

The opening match of the Euro 2012 finals will be held in Warsaw and the final in Kiev.

Both president Viktor Yuschenko and Yulia Tymoshenko have put their political weight behind the refurbishment, which will see Terminals D and E built to cope with the increased traffic.

Terminal D is due to be finished by the third quarter of 2010. Terminal E was originally scheduled for completion between 2010 and 2020, but planning for the project is to be accelerated to enable it to open in time for the soccer tournament.

Further terminals, F and G, are planned to allow the airport to handle Airbus A380 services in future. A refurbishment of Terminal B is also underway with the first stage due to open in late January next year.

Radisson and Hilton hotels also form part of the expansion plans.

Boryspil International Airport is one of three airports serving Kiev, with Zhulyany Airport serving domestic flights and Gostomel dedicated to cargo operations. Boryspil is one of eastern Europe's largest airports with more than five million passengers passing through it in a year, accounting for 60% of Ukraine's commercial air traffic.

Bush passengers face US$3 surcharge

Right: Surcharge will help to pay for expansion of Terminal B at George Bush Intercontinental Airport

Passengers flying from George Bush Intercontinental Airport will soon pay a US$3 surcharge per ticket to help pay for the planned US$1.1 billion expansion of Terminal B. Houston City Council approved the “passenger facility charge” on Wednesday 23 April.

The total amount raised could be almost US$400 million by 2015, say Houston officials.

Construction is set to begin by the third quarter this year and end in 2014. The US$3 surcharge could be levied as soon as 1 December. The fee will apply to outbound flights only. Passengers who redeem their frequent flier miles for a ticket will not pay the fee.

More than 330 US airports collect such fees, including 95 of the top 100 airports, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

Houston City Council also voted on Wednesday to approve a preliminary agreement with Continental Airlines, under which Continental will pay for a new central area, a new federal inspection building to provide customs and immigration processing for international arrivals, and two new concourses with up to 65 gates. Terminal B currently has 40 gates.

The city will pay for new parking, a new underground fuel system and other road and utility improvements, including an extension to the above-ground train, “the automated people mover,” to Terminal A.

Airport officials estimate that the airline’s share will be US$674 million, while the city’s US$458 million share will be funded through airport revenue bonds and the US$3 fee.

Budapest to launch terminal service team

On Monday 28 April Budapest Airport (BA) will introduce a Terminal Service Team to guarantee service quality on the forecourts and inside the terminal buildings.

The tasks of the Terminal Service Team include filtering out unauthorised traders, transporters and other persons performing commercial activities of an unverifiable standard. The team will also monitor traffic on the forecourts, and check compliance with traffic regulations and Airport Rules.

Budapest Airport, CEO Jost Lammers says, “Budapest Airport provides the first and the last impression of Hungary for the millions of people who arrive in the country by aircraft. Thus, the airport has to receive visitors in a manner that is worthy of Hungary. One of our key tasks is to increase service quality at the airport and to maintain the high standards.”

Runway hole causes chaos at Edinburgh

Flights to Edinburgh Airport were diverted yesterday (Wednesday 23 April) after a hole was found in the main runway. The hole was discovered at around 2pm and airport operator BAA says repair work was completed by 4.45pm.

Four flights bound for Edinburgh were diverted to other airports in Scotland, while the majority of flights in and out of Edinburgh faced delays throughout the evening.

A £16 million (US$32 million), eight-month resurfacing programme of the airport’s main runway began two weeks ago.

Bordeaux budget terminal to open in 2009

Right: Bordeaux Airport is building what it claims is Europe's first purpose-built budget airline terminal

France’s Bordeaux Airport, which claims to be creating the first purpose-built budget terminal in Europe, has received early expressions of interest from low-cost carriers including EasyJet and Ryanair.

The new 4,000m² terminal, which represents a US$8.7 million (Euro 5.5 million) investment, will have an annual capacity of around two million passengers.

Construction work is due to begin around February 2009, with completion scheduled for November 2009.

Bordeaux Airport’s development director, Jean-Luc Poiroux, says, “Two or three airlines have reacted so far. EasyJet says it is interested. Ryanair wants to speak with us. We know that Germanwings and BMIbaby would be interested and we haven’t had contact with the others.”

Poiroux says it is a “basic” terminal design and passengers will have to use manual check-in systems, take their luggage to a central point and will not have the luxury of air bridges.

Bordeaux’s existing budget carriers include Aer Arann, Easyjet, Aer Lingus, BMIbaby, Flybe, Germanwings, MyAir, Atlas Blue, FlyNordic and Norwegian.

Poiroux says, “All of them have the potential to use this terminal building. The airlines that are already present on the airport in the summer of 2009 will have an advantage to be transferred into the terminal when it opens.”

He adds, “Marseille and Lyon [which also have budget terminals] were refurbished from existing terminals. In Bordeaux it will be something totally new, from scratch. It is the first time a big airport in Europe is building something [for this purpose] from scratch. This is new in France, but also in Europe.”
Left: The new terminal will require passengers to do all the leg-work when checking in for flights

Louisville gets US$10 million relocation grant

The US Federal Department of Transportation has awarded a US$10 million grant to the Louisville International Airport's voluntary relocation programme, which allows officials to buy the homes of families living in neighbourhoods so close to the airport that federal officials say the noise level is too high.

Since 1994, when the programme began, US$240 million has been spent on relocating residents living near the Kentucky airport. The money pays for the homes, as well as moving costs and other associated expenses, such as title searches.

Those not eligible for the relocation programme may be eligible for a sound insulation programme starting once the relocations are complete.

Boeing, Biman Bangladesh Airlines Sign Deal for 777s, 787s

2008-04-24T11:21:00.000-07:00

DHAKA, Bangladesh,Biman Bangladesh Airlines and Boeing [NYSE: BA] today announced the airline’s order for four 777-300ER (Extended Range) and four 787-8 Dreamliner airplanes at a signing ceremony in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh.

Biman Bangladesh Airlines, which began as a government-owned national carrier in 1972, became Bangladesh’s largest public limited company in 2007. The order for new Boeing airplanes represents a major step forward in the airline’s reorganization and growth plans. The airline also has purchase rights for four 777s and four 787s.

“Clearly, Biman needs modern, fuel-efficient and reliable airplanes to move forward with our expansion and better serve our country’s growing travel needs,” said Dr. M. A. Momen, Biman’s managing director. “Our competitive assessment of both the 777-300ER and the 787-8 Dreamliner was extensive and has led to our making the very best decision based on our own defined operational parameters. We have selected the best airplanes to fulfill our mission requirements - and that mission is the continued growth and success of Biman Bangladesh Airlines.”

Biman currently connects Bangladesh with 18 countries around the world, and has agreements in place that will allow it to serve a total of 42 countries as it implements its growth plan.

“It’s always rewarding for us to work directly with an airline on a plan for success,” said Marty Bentrott, Boeing Commercial Airplanes vice president of Sales for the Middle East and Africa. “The 777-300ER and 787-8 provide seamless operational compatibility that will offer Biman greater flexibility and more opportunity to institute route planning and fleet operations that have a positive impact to its bottom line.”

Non-stop Lufthansa Business Jet service to Pune, India

2008-04-24T11:17:00.000-07:00

Lufthansa is further expanding its services to key Indian cities for business and leisure travellers alike. From 1 July 2008, Germany’s largest airline will launch a new route from Frankfurt to Pune in western India. In all comfort passengers will be able to reach Pune non-stop, six times a week in an Airbus A319 which has been refitted as a Business Jet. “The Lufthansa services are increasing in line with the ongoing, very dynamic economic development in India,” said Dr. Karl-Rudolf Rupprecht, Senior Vice President Hub Management Frankfurt. “With seven non-stop destinations and 55 flights per week, Lufthansa remains the leading European airline in India. We have almost quadrupled our flights to India since 2001, when we operated 15 flights per week to three destinations.”

Lufthansa will operate services to Pune as all-Business Class flights. The Airbus A319 has been refitted as a Business Jet and is operated by PrivatAir, a VIP and business aviation specialist.

The aircraft has 48 modern lie-flat seats which, when fully reclined, provide an almost horizontal sleeping surface measuring two metres (6’6”) in length. Bigger seat pitches, more generous table-top areas, power ports for notebooks as well as a reading lamp that is integrated into the seat provide ideal conditions for business travellers to work during the flight.

Thanks to the spacious layout of the cabin, passengers travel in an extremely quiet and relaxed atmosphere and can enjoy individualised inflight service.

Pune lies about 200 kilometres south-east of Mumbai (formerly Bombay) and is one of the most up-and-coming industrial cities in India. The greater Pune metropolitan area has a population of just under five million. Pune is home to many large international firms in the IT, biotechnology and biochemistry sectors. The region is also regarded as the centre of the automotive industry and a key manufacturing base for numerous international car manufacturing companies in India. European carmakers like Mercedes, Volkswagen, Renault, Fiat, Skoda and Audi as well as the large Indian automobile companies Tata Motors and Bajaj Auto manufacture cars in their plants in Pune mainly for the Asian market.

Pune, which is twinned with Bremen, has become an important location for German companies.

About 200 German companies are currently represented there. This, the second-largest city in the state of Maharashtra is also a major cultural centre for the region and home to the reputed Film and Television Institute of India. Pune has several universities and is a key centre of education. The hilly city, which used to be called Poona, has many historic sites and in the 1970s became a place of pilgrimage for thousands of people from all over the world.

The return fare in the Lufthansa Business Jet from Frankfurt to Pune can be booked at the special introductory fare of 2,199 euros from 24 April until the end of June 2008. This includes all taxes, fees and the Lufthansa Ticket Service Charge of 15 euros for bookings made online at www.lufthansa.com. Special fare conditions apply. Miles & More members can accumulate miles on these flights. For more information or to make a reservation, please visit our website or contact the Lufthansa Call Center on 0180 – LUFTHANSA (0180 5 83 84 26), Lufthansa designated travel agencies or Lufthansa sales counters at airports.

The new service at a glance: Frankfurt – Pune (India)

Airports/ Three-letter-code/ Time zone (summer):
Frankfurt, Terminal 1 (FRA); UTC + 2 hours
Pune International Airport (PNQ); UTC + 5½ hours

Schedule (all times are local times)
NEW from 1 July 2008 (inaugural flight)
LH 768 Frankfurt 16:15 hrs –Pune 04:00 hrs (next day) daily except for Saturdays
LH 769 Pune 05:29 hrs – Frankfurt 10:50 hrs daily except for Sundays

Flight time (average):
Frankfurt – Pune: 8 hours 15 minutes
Pune – Frankfurt: 8 hours 50 minutes

Distance:
6,673 kilometres / 4,146 miles

Aircraft type:
Airbus A319LR (Lufthansa Business Jet, operated by PrivatAir)

Seating capacity:
48 seats (Business Class)

Source : Lufthansa

Abu Dhabi International Airport welcomes nasair's inaugural flight to the UAE capital

2008-04-24T11:11:00.000-07:00

In only the airline's second international destination outside Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi International Airport has welcomed the Kingdom's first low-cost carrier, nasair, on its inaugural flight to the UAE capital. Welcoming nasair's Managing Director of Scheduled Airlines Husain Nalkhanday, who was on board the inaugural flight from Riyadh, Mohammed Al Bulooki, Director of Marketing & Communications at the Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC), said: 'The GCC is a natural growth area for low-cost aviation growth and we expect traffic flow between Abu Dhabi, Riyadh and Jeddah to grow significantly going forward.'

Also present to welcome nasair were Mohammed Irfan Siddiqui, UAE & Oman Country Manager - nasair, Ismail Juha, Sales Manager of Safar Travel & Tourism and Khaled Al Fahim, CEO of Products & Services of Al Fahim Group.

'We hope that with the addition of this new destination we will be able to boost ties between the two capital cities of Abu Dhabi and Riyadh,' said Nalkhanday.

Commenting on the four-times a week Abu Dhabi-Jeddah route which also saw its first flight into Abu Dhabi two-hours after the airline's inaugural flight, Nalkhanday mentioned he expected that this route would mainly cater to pilgrimage traffic.

The two inaugural flights from Riyadh and Jeddah that arrived at 19:10h and 21:10h respectively on Sunday will initially be part of four flights per week to and from Abu Dhabi from each destination; however, the frequency might later increase to 12.

Mohammed Al Amiri, General Manager of Safar Travel & Tourism added: 'Safar Travel & Tourism, a member of Al Fahim Group, will represent the airline in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, and will ensure feasibility of travel between both countries and assure our customers receive the best quality of services.'

'In addition, our agreement with nasair is to further develop travel and tourism and support Abu Dhabi International Airport's plans of expansion.'

To mark the occasion of its inaugural flights, nasair is offering introductory prices. As part of Abu Dhabi International Airport's expansion plans and commitment to quality passenger services, the airport has now succeeded in attracting 36 international airline operators.

IATA signs historic commitment to tackle climate change

2008-04-24T11:09:00.000-07:00

GENEVA – The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has signed a global declaration on aviation and climate change.

“IATA’s four-pillar strategy on climate change is now an industry commitment. This commitment will drive us forward - first to our 25-percent fuel efficiency improvement target, and more importantly towards our vision of carbon neutral growth leading to a carbon emission free industry,” IATA director general and CEO Giovanni Bisignani said.

“Environmental responsibility is a core promise of the aviation industry, alongside safety and security. All the industry partners have a common goal - to keep aviation as a benchmark of environmental responsibility for others to follow. But governments must play their part if we are truly to succeed. And they need to match our efforts at efficiency - such as implementing next generation traffic management systems globally. A Single European Sky could save 12 million tonnes of CO2 at a stroke.”

Thailand expects boost to cruise-generated arrivals

2008-04-24T11:08:00.000-07:00

BANGKOK – Five major cruise line companies have notified the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) that they plan to include Phuket and Laem Chabang in their regional itineraries by 2009.

The feedback from Holland American, Seabourn Cruise Line, Star Clipper, Oceania Cruises and Residen Sea was conveyed to representatives of the TAT New York Office at the Seatrade Cruise Shipping Convention held between 10-13 March 2008 in Miami, Florida.

The cruise-stops will generate over 5,000 tourists.

The TAT sees cruise-ship travellers as a high-end market group with high spending power. At present, about 7,000 tourists visit Thailand aboard 12 cruise-ship stops per year.

Prince William gets his wings.

2008-04-18T13:51:00.000-07:00

Flying Officer William Wales, better known to many as Prince William, joined 24 other graduates from the RAF’s Central Flying School to receive their flying wings from The Prince of Wales on Friday 11 April 2008.

The graduation ceremony took place at the school, located at RAF Cranwell in Lincolnshire and marks the completion of the four month pilot training course on both fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft that Prince William began in January 2008.

Wing Commander John Cunningham the Chief Flying Instructor at RAF Linton On Ouse, where Prince William spent five weeks training on the Tucano T1 plane, took Flying Officer Wales on his final handling test:

“He was surprisingly good,” he said. “It’s a credit to William that he worked very hard, he worked every hour he had spare and also mixed in with the boys well and took part in sports with them too.

“There’s naturalness to his piloting skill. For someone in five weeks to show that kind of skill really shows that he’s a natural.”

Prince Charles, accompanied by the Duchess of Cornwall, presented the RAF Pilots Wings to the graduates in his capacity as Air Chief Marshal and he also awarded trophies to graduates who have excelled in various aspects of the flying course.

RAF’s Tucano the trainer in witch William got his training, photo zap16.com

Afterwards they met flying instructors, the graduates and their families and viewed a display of various aircraft, including the Chipmunk T10 trainer plane in which Charles himself learned to fly almost 40 years ago.

Flying Officer HRH William Wales was fast-tracked through the RAF’s six month pilot training course in just four months. He graduated from Sandhurst Military Academy in December 2006 and has maintained his Army commission with the Household Cavalry.

He also plans to serve in the Royal Navy for a short period which, along with his RAF commission, will give him the Services’ full house that is traditionally expected of a British monarch.

Prince William flew his first solo flight with the RAF in a Grob Tutor training aircraft just nine days after beginning his training. He then trained on the faster Tucano T1 plane at RAF Linton-on-Ouse in North Yorkshire and his final placement was at RAF Shawbury, Shropshire, where he learnt to fly the Squirrel helicopter.

Wing Commander Cunningham, who was at today’s graduation ceremony and had helped develop the Prince’s course and supervised his training, added:

“William had a go at everything the other guys normally do. He did formation runs, night flying, low level, target runs, tail chasing and he led formations as well as being a wing man. And he performed all these to a high standard.

“I flew him at the end of the course and it was a pleasure for me to fly with someone with such natural skill.”

Source: RAF news

Bangkok Airways expands its ATR fleet with two more ATR 72-500s

2008-04-18T13:34:00.000-07:00

ATR announced today the signature of a contract for the purchase of two ATR 72-500s that will be operated by Thailand’s Bangkok Airways. The deal is valued at US $ 37 million and has been inked with Irish-based leasing company AIR Ltd (Aircraft International Renting), a subsidiary of TAT Group, which will lease the aircraft to the airline. With these two aircraft, Bangkok Airways will bring its ATR 72-500 fleet up to 10 aircraft. Deliveries of these two additional aircraft are scheduled for late 2008 and 2009.

The aircraft will be configured with 70 seats and will be used to increase the total capacity of the ATR fleet of the airline and thus face its increasing flight demand in Thailand and the surrounding region.

Bangkok Airways, which is celebrating this year its 40th anniversary, started operating ATR aircraft in 1994 and ordered their first ‘-500 series’ ATRs in 2000 and 2002. With the two aircraft announced today, Bangkok Airways will become one of the largest ATR operators in South East Asia.

Source: ATR

Berlusconi Coins "Love Italy, Fly Alitalia" Slogan

2008-04-18T13:33:00.001-07:00

Silvio Berlusconi, Italy's next prime minister and billionaire businessman, on Wednesday told Italians he flew near-bankrupt national carrier Alitalia despite owning several private jets.

"This morning I coined a new slogan, and now I'll let you in on it: 'I love Italy, I fly Alitalia,'" the prime minister-elect told a news conference.

Berlusconi made Alitalia a key part of his election campaign, attacking its planned takeover by Air France-KLM as a "colonization" attempt and stressing the need to keep the ailing carrier in Italian hands.

But he has so far failed to convince political rivals that his comments on Alitalia, which have ranged from talk of a rival Italian bid to his sons chipping in to buy the carrier, were anything more than pre-election rhetoric.

Italian newspaper La Stampa last week interviewed the media tycoon on one of his private jets, describing it as fitted out with 48 business seats with Playstation screens.

(Reuters)

Philippine Air To Create Budget Domestic Carrier

2008-04-18T13:29:00.000-07:00

Philippine Airlines, one of Asia's oldest carriers, will create a new budget airline, mainly to fly tourists to the smaller islands on the archipelago, officials said on Tuesday.

Philippine Airlines hopes to tap into rising tourism in the region, which should help offset record high fuel prices and concerns over growth in the sector following the collapse of Oasis Hong Kong Airlines.

PAL Express, a subsidiary of PAL Holdings, which is owned by one of the country's richest men, Lucio Tan, will launch on May 5 with flights between Manila and Caticlan, the nearest airport to island resort Boracay, with later plans to expand to Cebu, in the central Philippines, the officials said.

The new airline will acquire nine turbo-prop aircraft -- three Bombardier Q300s and six Q400s -- within a year at a cost of USD$150 million, Philippine Airlines president Jaime Bautista told reporters.

The airline plans to borrow up to USD$100 million from local lenders to fund the purchases, he added.

The Philippines' flagship carrier currently focuses on international routes and larger domestic destinations served by jet aircraft.

But many of the Philippines' top tourist destinations, including Boracay and the deserted tropical coves of northern Palawan are serviced by smaller airports accessible only by turbo-prop aircraft.

Last year was a record for Philippine tourism with over 3 million arrivals and the outlook is bright as increasingly wealthy tourists from nearby China seek warmer climes.

Bautista said the new airline would carry about one million passengers per year when it was fully operational.

"At full operation, we project that profits will increase to around 300 million pesos while revenues should be about one billion pesos," he said.

(Reuters)

Berlusconi Vows To Do All To Keep Alitalia Flying

2008-04-18T13:25:00.000-07:00

Silvio Berlusconi, who swept to power in Italy's election, vowed to do everything possible to keep Alitalia in the air and said "tens" of business owners were ready to invest in the struggling airline.

Berlusconi said the airline's survival would be one of the first "emergencies" he would tackle after taking office.

He told local television he had held a meeting about Alitalia on Monday evening as polling results showed he had won a clear majority in both houses of parliament.

"Everything that is necessary to keep the flag carrier working... to support tourism and the economy will be done," he was earlier quoted by the Ansa news agency as telling a radio station.

Alitalia's future looks uncertain after his victory because Berlusconi has opposed Air France-KLM's plans to take over the airline in a deal supported by the outgoing government.

Air France-KLM's deal to buy Alitalia was scuppered by union opposition, though unions and the outgoing government say its decision to back out is not final.

During his election campaign, Berlusconi said he favored an Italian buyer and often spoke of the interest in the business community to help save the airline.

But time is not on his side.

Alitalia is running out of money and Italy's aviation authority has warned it will be forced to suspend the airline's license if the airline cannot explain within three weeks how it plans to fund operations for the next 12 months.

Alitalia has said it has funds to last it "in the short term" but it loses more than EUR1 million euros (USD$1.6 million) a day. Further state aid is banned under European Union rules.

Alitalia has even entered talks with airline industry association IATA about possible guarantees to allow it to keep using the organization's settlements system if it were to go into administration.

Sergio Romano, a political analyst and columnist at the Corriere della Sera newspaper, told foreign journalists at a roundtable discussion on Monday he did not expect Berlusconi to find an alternative to Air France-KLM's offer despite his opposition to it.

"He will have to realize that there is nothing to be done," he said. "I think he will give it to the French."

Air France-KLM abandoned talks to buy Alitalia after the airline's unions refused to sign the deal, which would lead to the loss of about 10 percent of the work force.

(Reuters)

Thomson and First Choice join forces in joint offsetting and sustainable development scheme

2008-04-18T13:19:00.000-07:00

For all Summer 2009 bookings, Thomson will join forces with First Choice and introduce the ‘World Care Fund’. The scheme gives customers the opportunity to donate £1 per adult and fifty pence per child on an opt-out basis – a donation that is matched by the company. Originally launched by First Choice in 2007, the scheme has so far raised over £1,000,000 for The Travel Foundation, who organise projects benefiting local environments and communities overseas, and Climate Care, one of the UK’s leading offsetting providers.

In the past 12 months, more than one third of First Choice customers contributed to the scheme in which the payment is automatically added to the bill, and explained so the customer knows exactly what it is. The payment is easily removed if the customer does not wish to contribute. With other industry schemes traditionally having an uptake of around 15%, the opt-out system has proven to be a winning formula.

Sarah Perry, Sustainable Development Manager, TUI Travel PLC, said: “We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to help combat climate change - Thomson, First Choice and those travelling on their holidays can lead by example and make a genuine difference.

“Our success to date clearly shows that when you introduce an opt-out scheme at an amount that most customers find acceptable, you will get far greater results. If Thomson customers contribute to the fund at the same level we’ve seen with First Choice, once matched, we could be looking at a total of over £2.5 million in donations next year.

“While we know that off-setting and donation schemes cannot work in isolation – which is why the World Care Fund is supported by a robust carbon reduction programme, including fuel efficiency measures – the £2.5 million in is not an insignificant amount.

Our experience with the World Care Fund dispels the myth that sustainability is only for the well-off. When we analysed the contributions that First Choice customers made to the scheme in its first year, we found that young families with children were most likely to contribute – and that less well-off families were more likely to contribute than their more “affluent” counterparts. Therefore, the projected £2.5m we’re looking to raise next year could be exceeded if all of our customers, from all walks of life, contribute towards the new, joint initiative.”

The Travel Foundation, thetravelfoundation.org.uk which receives funding from the World Care Fund, helps to care for the places we love to visit, and is the first organisation of its type in the world. Its role is to ensure that local people get a fair deal from tourism, and it will receive twenty percent of monies raised from Summer 2009 bookings. Donations will support projects in many destinations worldwide similar to those that have helped 500 farmers in the Gambia supply their produce to 70% of the country's tourist businesses, and village families in the Masai Mara in Kenya to increase their income from tourism by 800% and have access to clean water and sanitation, and giving 300 children the opportunity to go to school.

Climate Care, climatecare.org is a leading carbon offset organisation, channelling money into carbon reduction and renewable energy projects in the developing world. It will receive eighty percent of the monies raised from Summer 2009 bookings. TUI UK estimates that the money raised will offset up to 20% of the carbon emissions from customers’ flights.

While offsetting alone can’t solve climate change, it’s a positive and immediate action that First Choice and Thomson customers can take to help make up for the carbon impact of their flights. The projects supported through Climate Care are Gold Standard, meaning that they are assessed to ensure that they’re not only good for the environment but also for local communities.

For example, in Zambia a hydro-electric project is providing a new reliable source of electricity to local schools and hospitals. This will help local people - in hospitals operations can be undertaken at all times, local school children will have greater access to computers in schools and households will have access to electric light, on demand, for the first time.

The World Care Fund features in all First Choice and Thomson Brochures for Summer 2009.

WEKO approves the acquisition of Edelweiss Air by SWISS

2008-04-18T13:16:00.000-07:00

WEKO, the Swiss Competition Commission, has given its green light for the merger of the two airlines. The authorities have not imposed any special conditions. Edelweiss Air will continue to operate as an independent member com-pany of the Swiss Group. Kuoni remains Edelweiss Air’s biggest customer.

The favourable decision taken by the Competition Commission now permits full imple-mentation of cooperation between Edelweiss Air and SWISS. Allowing for the neces-sary organizational system adjustments, operational completion is scheduled for the end of October 2008. In February, Kuoni and SWISS announced a strategic partner-ship. In addition to the acquisition of Edelweiss Air by SWISS, this also includes a comprehensive hotel offering by Kuoni on SWISS.COM.

With the consent of the authorities, Edelweiss Air will continue to operate as an inde-pendent airline with unchanged management, its own fleet and own crew. The three Airbus 320 short haul aircraft and the Airbus 330-200 for long haul flights will remain in service. Kuoni Switzerland is still Edelweiss Air’s biggest customer and will continue to offer high quality holiday flights to a wide range of destinations. All three parties look forward to the new Swiss partnership which can now be implemented.

Portimao Port opens its doors to large cruise ships

2008-04-18T13:14:00.000-07:00

The opening of the Portimao Cruise Port quay in April 2008 to large cruise ships without any tidal constraints is the main new feature presented by the Algarve port in southern Portugal. The dredging work, which is now complete, will reestablish the depth at -8 metres, both in the access channel and in the turning (350 metres diameter) and berthing basins, ensuring complete safety conditions for the entrance of ships over 210 metres in length.

In practice, almost all the ships that currently call at Portimao can dock at the quay, instead of anchoring off shore, providing greater safety and comfort for passengers.

The reestablishing of the depth by the Port and Sea Transport Institute began on 19 October 2007 and is now complete, with more than 435 thousand cubic metres of sand and mud will having been removed.

Complying with a strict environmental monitoring programme, the spoils resulting from the dredging will be deposited off shore, at two specific sites (at 6.1 miles and 7.3 miles), according to the level of contamination of the material to be deposited.

Well aware of its role in the good environmental management of the area, the port administration contracted the supervision of this work from the National Institute of Biological Resources for around 47 thousand euros. The contract programme includes the monitoring of surface water quality at the dredging site and at the sites where the spoils are deposited. An assessment is also made of their effects on the biota at the disposal site, through the capture of fish, molluscs and benthic communities (organisms that live in the substratum).

As Portimao Estuary is an important example of the maritime activities of the people who inhabited the Southwest of the Iberian Peninsula, the intervention also ensures the preservation of its valuable archaeological heritage. Preliminary archaeological prospection work was carried out on the bed river, to the value of almost 83 thousand euros, by a team from the National Centre of Maritime and Underwater Archaeology, which is part of the Institute of Architectural and Archaeological Heritage Management (IGESPAR). The objective was to ensure that the dredging work would not damage any archaeological traces.

Falling pound sparks boom in all-inclusive holidays

2008-04-18T13:12:00.000-07:00

The weakening pound against the euro has given a boost to the all-inclusive holiday market and one leading tour operator is predicting a boom in sales as savvy Brits cash in on all-in packages to popular tourist destinations in Europe.

Sales of all-inclusive holidays – which cater for all the food, drink, snacks and entertainment needs of holidaymakers – at tour operator Jet2holidays.com have shown a spike in sales of 63 per cent year-on-year. In the last week alone, sales have increased by 37 per cent.

Since the start of 2007 the pound-euro exchange rate has fallen from a high on 22 January 2007 when one euro cost 65.4p, to a low on 11 April 2008 when it cost 80.1p – effectively meaning the cost of living in European resorts has risen by 22.5%*.

A recent survey, carried out by Halifax Travel Insurance, shows that one-third of all holidays booked by Brits are all-inclusive, suggesting that consumers are taking the safer resort-based holiday option.

Mandy Round, General Manager, at Jet2holidays.com, said: “With the value of the pound devaluing so much against the euro, savvy customers are opting for all-inclusive deals.

“Just like fixing a mortgage deal, taking an all-inclusive break means you can pretty much fix your holiday spending in the sun as everything in resort – from ice creams, food, drink and snacks – is taken care of.

“We are not of the opinion that the credit crunch and mortgage rate worries are going to stop consumers taking holidays abroad – they are just being more sensible about their choices.”

*Source: European Central Bank.

Germany is on the way to the top of the world

2008-04-18T13:07:00.000-07:00

Germany is European Market Leader when it comes to meetings and congresses. This has been confirmed once again by the current "International Association Meetings Market 2007" study released by the International Congress & Convention Association (ICCA). Germany has achieved the lead position in Europe for the fourth year in succession and second place worldwide. Spain, in fifth place last year, has passed by England and France into third place.

German meetings industry representatives should not only be joyous about this continuity of excellent performance but also about their clear upwards trend: the gap between Germany and global leader U.S.A. has closed, whereas the distance between Germany and its other competitors has increased. And in the international city ranking: Berlin, last year at position number five, has taken a great leap forward to second place.

"This result has not come about by chance", comments Lutz P. Vogt, Managing Director of the GCB German Convention Bureau e.V. "It has been earned by the German meetings and congress branch as a whole for they have been continually developing offers and services while at the same time raising quality and standards." The GCB markets Germany both nationally and internationally as a destination for congresses, conferences, meetings, incentives and events and acts as a central point of contact or one-stop-shop for all clients planning meetings and events in Germany.

The annual ICCA "International Association Meetings Market" statistics present a comprehensive analysis of current trends and developments in the international meetings market. Association and federation congresses examined by ICCA have to have a minimum of 50 participants, be held on a regular basis and rotate between at least three countries. ICCA, founded in 1963, has its head office in Amsterdam and collates information since 1972 on association events worldwide.

"The ICCA results confirm the key messages of our "Meeting and EventBarometer 2008" study of the German events and meetings market. These will be presented during the course of our press conference at 12:30pm on Tuesday 22nd April 2008 at IMEX in Frankfurt" adds Lutz P. Vogt.

The comprehensive study carried out by the European Institute for the Meetings Sector (EITW) on behalf of the European Federation of Event Centres (EVVC), the German National Tourist Office (GNTO/DZT) and the German Convention Bureau (GCB) analyses this important economic segment, supplies up-to-date facts and figures and reveals forward-looking tendencies and trends.

AIRPORT NEWS

2008-04-18T12:57:00.000-07:00

Europe seeks visa-free trips to the USA

The European Commission has been given the go-ahead by EU ministers to open negotiations on visa-free travel to the USA for all the European Union’s citizens.

Many established EU member states are already part of a visa-waiver scheme, but Greece and many of the recent additions to the EU from former communist countries in Eastern Europe are not included.

The new talks will aim for all members of the 27-nation bloc to enjoy the same access to the USA.

A number of countries have struck deals with the USA in recent months to allow visa-free travel, but the EU as a whole has been concerned about the USA’s planned Electronic System for Travel Authorisation, known as ESTA. It is worried that ESTA will act as a visa-system but in another guise and name.

The main stumbling bloc is the free flow of security information on travellers between the USA and the EU. Under the Schengen agreement on open borders in the EU, data on stolen cars and people searches as well as fingerprints of asylums seekers are held. The Commission is seeking some form of reciprocity on any information swaps as part of the deal with the USA.

Changi traffic up 6.7% in first quarter

Changi Airport registered strong growth in passenger traffic in the first three months of 2008, with a total of 9.32 million passenger movements, up 6.7% compared to the same period in 2007. In March more than 3.26 million travellers passed through Changi, the highest monthly traffic registered so far this year.

Changi is served by 80 airlines operating more than 4,340 weekly scheduled flights to 188 cities in 59 countries.

Subang SkyPark to refurbish airport

Subang SkyPark, has allocated US$10.6 million (RM35 million) for the refurbishment of Terminal 3 (T3) of the Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Subang, Malaysia.

The refurbishment will see new interior design and facilities for to FireFly and Berjaya Air passengers.

Corporate strategy managing director Fariz Hashim says, “The refurbishment is expected to be completed within six months of commissioning and passengers will, in addition to the new check-in facilities, also enjoy an organised approach in the airport, the entire project would be privately funded.”

Industry mislaid 42.4 million bags in 2007

Leading IT provider SITA launched a major report yesterday (Thursday 17 April) at Passenger Terminal Expo, which claims the air transport industry now handles around 2.25 billion pieces of checked baggage every year and lost US$3.8 billion in 2007 because of growing pressures on baggage management linked to passenger volumes, tight aircraft turnaround times, and heightened security measures.

According to this year’s Baggage Report 42.4 million bags were mishandled or delayed in 2007. The air transport industry handles around 2.25 billion pieces of checked baggage every year. In 2007, the single largest cause of baggage delay was in transfer baggage mishandling, 49%, but this number has been falling steadily since 2005 when it was at 61%.

Commenting on the 4th annual SITA Baggage Report, Francesco Violante, SITA chief executive, says, “Once again, the past year has seen an increase in the amount of baggage mishandled worldwide. It also brings fresh hope, however, in the shape of new initiatives such as IATA’s Baggage Improvement Programme.

“It is important that we continue to move towards a comprehensive, fully-integrated global baggage management system that can direct, track and trace passenger baggage throughout the entire journey from check-in to final delivery at the destination. RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) also has a role to play and could save the industry as much US$700 million if it was fully implemented across the industry.”

Terminal 5 song hits web charts

Right: Heathrow's Terminal 5 - unlikely subject of a hit music video on YouTube

An amateur music video, which criticises the problems at Heathrow’s new Terminal 5, is proving an unexpected hit on the Internet site YouTube.

The song was first written by New Zealand bridegroom Tim Soong in 2006 after luggage containing his bride’s wedding dress and best man’s suit were lost by British Airways at Heathrow.

“BA found our luggage the day before the wedding,” says Soong, “but it wasn’t ideal preparation and we ran up a lot of unexpected bills.”

Soong updated the song in the light of BA’s current troubles at Terminal 5 and recorded the video with the help of his best man, Andy Baynes. The video is reportedly now attracting thousands of hits.

Watch the video here.

IAS to change flight timings to India

2008-03-30T03:39:00.000-07:00

Island Aviation Services (IAS) has revealed that the changes would be brought to its international flight schedule due to essential maintenance work on the runway at Trivandrum Airport. Airline revealed that changes would take effect from 1 of April 2008.

Ismail Shujau Assistant Director speaking to Miadhu Daily said as repair of the runway is due to carried out from 1 of April to end of June; the airline has decided to change its flight timings to Trivandrum. He revealed that this is due to closure of Trivandrum Airport for runway maintenance from 1330 hours to 1930 hours daily.

“Our schedule falls in to that period, we depart from Male’ at 1720 and arrive in Trivandrum at 1830, departure from Trivandrum is 2000 hours and land in Male’ at 2110.” Shujau said.

Shujau further revealed that even though flight timings are changed, there will be no change to the number of flights and daily flights would continue.

Island Aviation Services a fully government owned body commenced its international operations on 25 of January this year. At the present the airline only operates to Trivandrum in India although the airline has recently disclosed its intention to operate to Sri Lanka in the near future. (Miadhu News)

AIRPORT NEWS

2008-03-30T02:28:00.000-07:00

Problems continue at Heathrow T5

Problems continued at Heathrow T5 today, with BA cancelling 20% of is shorthaul flights – a total of 36. More cancellations are expected over the weekend, but according to a spokesman “Everything will be fine by Monday.” Today was a lot better than the chaos seen yesterday, however, with passengers able to check-in hold luggage.

BA blamed staff familiarisation, and said that it took much longer than anticipated for baggage handling staff to pass through BAA’s security checks and commence work in the correct pace in the morning. The two company’s report that they are now working together to ensure that procedures are faster and smoother in the future.

Apparently yesterday’s main baggage handling problems were caused by the failure of handling staff to remove bags from conveyors fast enough before loading them onto aircraft, thereby causing a jam throughout the system right up to the check-in desks.

Oneworld in Pudong

Five of the oneworld member airlines serving Shanghai Pudong are to co-locate in the airport’s new Terminal 2 starting on 26 March.

British Airways and Qantas transferred to the new facility for the new opening yesterday. Cathay Pacific and its sister Dragonair, along with Finnair, will follow on 29 April. American Airlines intends to move to Terminal 2 later but will remain in Terminal 1 for now, alongside fellow oneworld member Japan Airlines and their code-share partner China Eastern, which will also stay there.

Cathay Pacific and Dragonair will announce details of their new lounge in Terminal 2 ahead of their move. Situated airside opposite gate D68, the lounge will be available to Emerald and Sapphire tier cardholders in any oneworld airline frequent flyer programme when flying on any oneworld airline from the terminal, and also to First and Business Class passengers flying on any oneworld airline.

Once the airline moves have been completed, Shanghai Pudong’s airport operator will refurbish Terminal 1 to bring it up to comparable standards to Terminal 2. Oneworld airlines offer almost 200 flights a week from Shanghai Pudong.

Previously all star alliance members including Shanghai airlines, Air china, Lufthansa and ANA decided to move to the new terminal under one roof.

Pilot pioneer lands first T5 flight

British Airways’ first female pilot flew the first plane to land today at Heathrow’s new £4.3 billion (US$ 8.6 billion) Terminal Five (T5). Captain Lynn Barton, 51, became BA’s first woman pilot in 1987. She was the flight commander on BA026 from Hong Kong, which landed six minutes early at 04:50 GMT.

Before the flight Barton commented: “I was incredibly proud to have been British Airways’ first ever woman pilot and now I have another first to my name. I’m already planning my passenger announcement for the first ever landing at T5. I want to make sure that I mark the occasion so that every one of my passengers can be part of history too.”

Barton applied to operate the flight last month while she was on holiday. “It was my husband’s idea to bid for the flight, but the timing meant I had to tear myself off the beach and find a computer so that I could apply through the airline’s flight bidding system. I found out when I got back from my holiday and was absolutely thrilled. Terminal 5 has been the focus of the airline’s future for several years now, and to operate the very first flight is a huge honour.”

BA now has 175 female pilots.

Left: Captain Lynn Barton

Domodedovo rated tops in growth

In 2007 Moscow Domodedovo was first in terms of growth rate for its airport category. It was 19th among European airports and leader among the airports of Eastern Europe in terms of passenger service growth. The results were announced last week in Brussels during the annual ACI Europe conference.

The total growth in passenger service in Europe was 6.5% in the reported year, which demonstrates the stable development of European airports. Moscow Domodedovo was found leader in the second group, which comprised airports handling 10-25 million people annually.

The growth in passenger service at Domodedovo was 22%, followed by Berlin Templehof, Dublin, Athens, Milan Malpensa and Geneva airports.

Boeing Confirms 737 Order from Turkmenistan Airlines

2008-03-30T02:19:00.000-07:00

SEATTLE, — The Boeing Company confirmed an order for three Next-Generation 737s by national flag carrier Turkmenistan Airlines. The order for two 737-900ERs and one 737-700 is worth approximately $221 million at list prices.

Turkmenistan Airlines’ all-Boeing fleet also includes 717s, Classic and Next-Generation 737s, 757s, and one 767.

“Turkmenistan Airlines is taking maximum advantage of the commonality of the Next-Generation 737 family. By integrating the different model sizes, including the larger -900ER, into its fleet, Turkmenistan Airlines can grow its fleet with lower investments in parts, equipment and training,” said Craig Jones, Boeing Commercial Airplanes vice president of Sales for Russia & Central Asia.

The Next-Generation 737 family is the most technologically advanced airplane family in the single-aisle market. The Next-Generation 737’s market success is confirmed by air finance investors, who consistently rank it as the most preferred airplane due to its wide market base, superior efficiency and lowest operating costs in its class.

The 737 has logged more orders than any other commercial jet model in history, with more than 7,800 orders. Boeing has more than 2,100 unfilled orders for the Next-Generation 737, worth more than $150 billion at current list prices.

Bangalore International Airport Ltd to introduce domestic user charge

2008-03-30T02:18:00.000-07:00

Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL) has defied Ministry of Civil Aviation requests by proposing plans to issue a User Development Fee (UDF) of USD6 on outbound domestic passengers and USD13 on international passengers for the first two months after it launches operations. Thereafter, it plans to increase them to USD16.80 and USD23.80, respectively.

According to BIAL CEO, Albert Brunner, it would not be fair to charge only international passengers on the same facilities being used by domestic passengers.

Similarly, a UDF will also be levied by GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd (GHIAL) to domestic passengers at the new Rajiv Gandhi International Airport within the next three months. GHIAL will also introduce USD24.80 to outbound international passengers.

Indian Government originally approved the new airports to levy UDF to allow the greenfield airport operators to recover development costs.

However, the Ministry of Civil Aviation is reportedly now planning to mandate future greenfield airport developers to cross-subsidise aeronautical development with non-aeronautical revenues, although it would not be applicable to the new Bangalore and Hyderabad airports.

A spokesman for the Ministry stated, “rightly or wrongly, agreements have been signed with GHIAL and BIAL, and this allows them to collect UDF to recover their cost. But in Delhi and Mumbai airports, the operators are supposed to cross-subsidise aeronautical cost with 30% of their non-aeronautical revenue, it would be applicable for all future greenfield projects”.

Jet Airways to launch services to San Francisco via Shanghai

2008-03-30T02:13:00.000-07:00

Jet Airways will commence daily service from San Francisco International Airport to Shanghai and India on 05 May 2007, it was announced by founder and chairman of Jet Airways, Naresh Goyal.

With this launch, Jet Airways becomes the first Indian airline to fly from San Francisco to Mumbai and only the second airline worldwide to fly nonstop from San Francisco to Shanghai. The flight from San Francisco International Airport will also be the airline's fourth daily North American departure to India, following new launches of service from New York's JFK and Newark airports, and Toronto Pearson International Airport, within the past year.

"With the introduction of this new transpacific route to India aboard Jet Airways," observed Goyal, "we continue our airline's unprecedented expansion throughout North America. I am immensely proud of our team's accomplishments of launching four new long-haul routes in less than a year."

The new Jet Airways transpacific flights aboard Boeing 777-300ER aircraft will offer unprecedented levels of luxury, privacy and comfort in the air, including First Class suites with the world's longest airline beds, private closets, dining tables for two, and 23" flat-screens. Première (business) class pods offer what are considered the most comfortable Business Class seats in the sky that convert to 73"-long totally flat beds. Leg-room in Economy is more generous than the norm - and passengers in all three classes have access to the state-of-the-art Panasonic eX2 entertainment system, complete with 200+ movies, games and endless music choices - heard through Bose noise-cancelling headphones.

Emirates denies plans to buy Japan's first passenger jet

2008-03-30T02:10:00.000-07:00

Dubai-based airline Emirates denied reports it is planning to buy a new regional passenger jet under development in Japan -- the first such aircraft to be built in the country.

Emirates is in talks about buying the Mitsubishi Regional Jet (MRJ), which would seat 70 to 90 passengers, Japan's Kyodo News agency said, quoting an unnamed source familiar with the matter.

But a Dubai-based spokesman for Emirates said it did not plan to buy any of the jets, which are billed as the most quiet, light and fuel-efficient model in their class and are being developed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd.

"Emirates has always operated an all wide-body aircraft fleet and we have no intention of purchasing any regional jets for our business," he said.

Mitsubishi has begun marketing the MRJ and has chosen the new geared turbofan engine from Pratt & Whitney, part of United Technologies Corp, to power the aircraft.
It said it would decide by the end of March whether to go ahead with the project, based on the level of interest among airlines.

Kyodo News said Vietnam Airlines was considering buying about 20 of the jets, while US and European carriers were also showing interest in the aircraft, which could enter service in 2012.

Japan's All Nippon Airways has also said it is considering buying the new fuel-efficient regional plane if it is built and Japan Airlines is reported to have shown interest in the jet.
If it becomes a reality, the aircraft would be the first commercial passenger aircraft in four decades -- and the first ever jet aircraft -- to be built in Japan.

Japanese car maker Toyota Motor Corp said this month it was considering financial backing for the venture.

China Eastern Airlines, Jet Airways, Qatar Airways and United Airlines Ready for Take-Off at Changi Airport Terminal 3

2008-03-30T02:07:00.000-07:00

Four more airlines will begin their flight operations at Singapore Changi Airport's new Terminal 3 on Wednesday, 26 March 2008. China Eastern Airlines, Jet Airways, Qatar Airways and United Airlines will join Singapore Airlines and shift their operations from Terminal 1 to Terminal 3. Singapore Airlines has been operating at Terminal 3 since the terminal begins operations on 9 January 2008.

Among the four airlines, China Eastern Airline's flight will be the first to arrive and depart from Terminal 3. Flight MU545 from Shanghai will arrive at Terminal 3 at 2050 hours on Tuesday, 25 March 2008. The same aircraft will depart for Shanghai at 0055 hours on 26 March 2008.

For the other three airlines, United Airlines will handle its first arrival flight from Atlanta (via Chicago and Hong Kong) at 2325 hours on Tuesday, 25 March 2008, while its first departure flight will take off at 0650 hours on 26 March 2008. Jet Airways will handle its first arrival flight from Mumbai at 0735 hours and first departure flight to Chennai at 0920 hours. Qatar Airways will see its arrival flight from Jakarta at 0145 hours and first departure flight to Doha at 0245hours.

Since February 2008, the four airlines have undergone integrated airport system trials at Terminal 3 involving passenger check-in, baggage handling, staff familiarisation and "live" commercial trial flights to test the actual passenger departure and arrival processes. The objective of these trials is to ensure that the airlines establish, integrate and test their systems and procedures in a live-like environment ahead of their shift to Terminal 3. The trials also provide opportunities for the airlines' staff to familiarise themselves with the new terminal.

CAAS has put in place measures to communicate the commencement of operations by these four airlines at Terminal 3. These include the updating of airport directories and signs within the terminal buildings as well as dissemination of circulars and vehicle decals to ground transport service providers such as coach and taxi drivers to generate awareness.

Passengers and airport visitors can visit Changi Airport’s website www.changiairport.com for more details. Passengers can also check for flight information conveniently while on the move via their mobile phones or personal digital devices at http://wap.changiairport.com/fis. This wireless application protocol (WAP) complements the flight information sources already in place, such as Teletext (a text based television flight information service), Changi Airport's toll-free telephone flight enquiry system number 1800-5424422 as well as the airport website and flight information televisions within the terminals mentioned above. In addition, CAAS will also be deploying Customer Service Officers at the three terminals to provide assistance to passengers and airport visitors.

The four airlines operate a total of 148 weekly flights from Singapore to 12 cities viz. Shanghai, Kunming, Mumbai, Chennai, Delhi, Doha, Jakarta, Atlanta, Chicago, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Washington DC, bringing a total of more than 900 weekly scheduled flights at Terminal 3.

Oman Air renews GDS agreement with Sabre

2008-03-30T02:00:00.000-07:00

Oman Air and Sabre Travel Network Middle East renewed their distribution agreement on 24-Mar-08. This agreement will allow Oman Air to promote and support Sabre as its preferred GDS through joint sales and marketing activities in Oman and beyond. As part of the agreement Oman Air will be providing additional benefits to the travel agency community including the managing of group travel and limousine bookings. In addition Oman Air will have an option to expand its check-in services to its customers through its existing agreement with Sabre.

The expected result of this renewal is enhanced cost effectiveness, superior inventory management and increased product offerings, all benefits that Oman Air can pass on to its customers - the travel agents - locally, regionally and globally, due to the reach of Sabre's global distribution systems (GDS).

This agreement will provide a springboard for both partners, allowing further expansion in the region whilst capitalizing on the synergies created throughout the long term relationship. This is in a market where Sabre has achieved a significant increase in its market presence in less than two years. Oman Air has also enjoyed significant growth in recent years expanding both its routes and fleet.

Daniel Naoumovitch, CEO of Sabre, said: "We are extremely proud to be recognized as the preferred GDS of one of the fastest growing carriers in the region. Sabre's robust technology, innovative suite of products and excellent customer service has allowed us to enhance Oman Air's offer to its customers, the travel agencies, and therefore the end travel consumer."

Ziad Al Haremi, CEO of Oman Aviation Services (Oman Air) said: "We have invested significantly in our operations previously, as well as in recent years with a view to making Oman Air not only a regional player, but an international one. Our new corporate identity project has aided the carrier's transformation into a world-class airline. The airline has vigorously rejuvenated itself as a major carrier in the region. With our expanding fleet, we can offer new routes and more frequent flights regionally and globally, and the end result is more passenger choice. We look forward to continuing our mutually beneficial relationship with Sabre and to reaping the benefits of their constantly evolving technology and products."

Oman is a particularly buoyant market for Sabre which is looking forward to further signings with top travel agencies this year. The company is well placed to capture new business as they have recently increased their team on the ground, as well as opening several more offices in the Sultanate.

Emirates to launch a low cost carrier - 1,000 seat A380s coming to an airport near you?

2008-03-30T01:51:00.000-07:00

There is a need for an LCC in the region” - and with those words from the UAE Prime Minister and Vice President, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, a new Dubai-based LCC was born. In a major development for the global aviation industry (where another high profile full service airline develops an in-house LCC), Emirates Executive VP Commercial Operations, Ghaith Al-Ghaith, has been appointed CEO of the new airline.

The unnamed Dubai LCC will be part of the Emirates Group, operating to destinations up to 4.5 hours flying time from its base. This includes the Middle East, all the key points in the India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Northeast Africa (Nairobi, Dar es Salaam, Addis Ababa, Cairo) and as far as Greece in Southern Europe and Central Asia (where Emirates has no operations at present).

The new carrier plans to lease or buy single-aisle aircraft (B737s or A320s) and will begin operations within a year.

However, the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation believes it is only a matter of time before A380 equipment is eventually deployed at the airline – a move that would strike fear into airline managements in Europe and Asia.

Emirates has 58 A380s on order, or 30% of the entire global A380 orderbook. The carrier has previously indicated it could operate low cost services with A380 equipment. In Nov-07, Emirates President, Tim Clark, stated that, had the stretch version of the A380 been available today, “probably two-thirds” of the A380s the Dubai-based carrier had on order (or some 38 aircraft) would be for that model.

He indicated that Emirates (or now the LCC subsidiary) would configure the proposed A380-900 with around 750 seats on a typical service, although some of the aircraft could be configured with 1,000 seats for routes to countries such as Thailand and Saudi Arabia.

The airline is currently officially planning a higher density medium-haul configuration with 604 seats, although the A380-800 model is licensed to handle 853 in an all-economy layout.

The practical recognition of the potential of the A380 as a mass transport, low cost vehicle is sure to stimulate wider interest in the aircraft. Until now, its sales have not been spectacular; they were not helped by successive delivery delays. But as Singapore Airlines' first A380 landed in London this week, the tide may be turning.

The Emirates LCC move follows the success of Air Arabia, based in the neighbouring emirate of Sharjah, which has reported outstanding profitability since its launch and has recently established cross-border JVs in Morocco and Nepal to target the North Africa/Europe and Asian markets, respectively. Kuwait-based LCC, Jazeera Airlines, has also established a base in Dubai.

Dubai Airport is expected to overtake Singapore Changi this year, handling in excess of 40 million passengers. The emirate is developing a new airport at Jebel Ali that will ultimately become the biggest in the world, with capacity for 120 million passenger p/a. The Emirates LCC will become a key ingredient in making the Dubai world gateway vision a reality.

Air Arabia connects 11 Indian destinations in three years

2008-03-30T01:50:00.000-07:00

Air Arabia announced it will launch services to New Delhi on 31-Mar-08, increasing its Indian operations to 11 destinations in the space of three years. Air Arabia commenced operations to India with the launch of services to Mumbai in Mar-05. The current ten Indian destinations served by Air Arabia include Ahmedabad, Chennai, Jaipur, Kochi, Mumbai, Nagpur, Coimbatore, Thiruvanathapuram, Bangalore and Kozhikode.

Air Arabia commenced operations in Oct-03 and currently operates a fleet of 11 new Airbus A320 aircraft, serving 38 destinations across Middle East, North Africa, Indian Subcontinent and Central Asia through its main hub in Sharjah, UAE.

ANA considering launching or buying an Asian low cost carrier

2008-03-30T01:45:00.000-07:00

All Nippon Airways Co (ANA) stated it is seriously considering launching or buying a new Asian low cost carrier. ANA confirmed it could have a low cost carrier as soon as by Mar-09.

ANA spokesman, Rob Henderson, said "We are seriously examining the market and the likelihood of low-cost carriers flying into Haneda after it gets its fourth runway in Oct-10, and how we will take them on if they do… setting up an airline from scratch is an option, as is acquiring a new one, or possibly setting up a joint venture. We are seriously looking at the options now."

ANA stated that if it decides to go ahead with a regional low cost carrier, it might be based outside Japan. ANA already runs subsidiaries with niche markets, including a local low cost carrier, Air Next, which it set up in 2004.

Meanwhile, in 2007, larger rival, Japan Airlines Corp, commenced codesharing with Australian low cost carrier, Jetstar, which operates between Sydney and Kansai International Airport.

TUI Travel confident of TUIfly/Germanwings merger in 6-8 weeks

2008-03-30T01:40:00.000-07:00

TUI Travel PLC's CEO, Peter Long, stated he is confident that a deal to merge the group's TUIfly with Deutsche Lufthansa AG's Germanwings will be finalised in six to eight weeks.

In Jan-08, TUI Travel signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Lufthansa and its JV partner, Albrecht Knauf, the majority owner of Germanwings parent, Eurowings AG, with a view to merging the three charter and budget airlines to create a national rival to Air Berlin.

TUI Travel CEO, Peter Long, said "We are still in detailed talks with Lufthansa and I'm very confident that we will get a successful outcome. In terms of the timescale, it's probably 6-8 weeks."

Meanwhile, TUI Travel and Lufthansa will reportedly each hold 40% of the new entity, while Knauf will hold the remaining 20%.

WTM chairman: industry left behind in ethical thinking

2008-03-30T01:37:00.000-07:00

KERALA – Speaking at the second International Conference on Responsible Tourism here last weekend, Fiona Jeffery, chairman of World Travel Market (WTM) claimed: "There is evidence that travel and tourism is lagging behind this trend for ethical thinking. Despite some excellent responsible tourism work around the world, there's still a very long way to go."

"Certainly in the UK, WTM World Responsible Tourism Day has come at the right time. In the past eight years, ethical concerns have soared in the UK with household expenditure on ethical goods and services almost doubling in the past five years," Jeffery said in a keynote speech.

She said that the aim of WTM World Responsible Tourism Day is that it will act as a catalyst for change, spreading best practice throughout the industry. But she warned that much more than lip service was needed by larger companies and organisations.

"It is noticeable", she continued, "that much of the current examples of best practice are operated by smaller organisations and specialist operators, often steered by passionate individuals who have given their life to ensuring a better world. Much more must be done by the international travel and tourism industry if it is to catch up with other sectors and fulfill the growing demands of holidaymakers."

Thailand steps up tourism safety

2008-03-30T01:34:00.000-07:00

BANGKOK – Weerasak Kowsurat, Thailand’s new Minister of Tourism and Sports, is leading efforts to implement measures designed to increase tourist safety at all tourist attractions throughout Thailand. The new measures will continue all year round and are expected to be fully in place before the upcoming Songkran Thai New Year celebrations from April 13-15.

Locations targeted for immediate attention include remote areas such as secluded beaches and other natural attractions that are popular with tourists. These include upland areas, waterfalls and caves.

The Ministry of Tourism and Sports (MOTS) is also working with provincial authorities to distribute information leaflets on safety tips to guesthouses and various other forms of accommodation that are popular choices with the ever increasing number of Fully Independent Travellers (FITs) who generally rely on recommendations from guide books to find their preferred accommodation.

Additionally, the MOTS is working on the development of a self-help information service whereby visitors or tourists will be able to access vital information themselves.

“We hope that our immediate response and the urgent implementation of these stringent new security measures will send a clear signal that Thai authorities take safety for tourists very seriously,” Minister Weerasak said.

Singapore's A380 Superjumbo Starts London Route

2008-03-18T08:51:00.000-07:00

The world's biggest passenger plane left Singapore for London on Tuesday, marking the Airbus A380's first commercial flight to Europe.

The Singapore Airlines flight, carrying 449 passengers, lifted off the tarmac at 9.20 a.m. from Changi Airport, bound for London Heathrow Airport.

Passengers paid between SGD$2,000 (USD$1,447) and SGD$20,000 to be the first on the superjumbo's new daily service, which will take off on its return flight on the same day.

Among the passengers on Tuesday's flight were 17 customers who had been on the inaugural flight to Sydney, wearing custom-made polo shirts with "A380" emblazoned across the back.

"It's an experience, it's something special in my life, something that gets me away from my job and my desk," said Nicolas Dirac, a 32-year-old Swiss national who works as a computer professional at a pharmaceutical firm.

Singapore Airlines now has three superjumbos in service, with a further 16 on order and options for six more, and is planning to put the aircraft on daily flights to Tokyo from May 20.

(Reuters)

Airlines top list of consumer complaints

2008-03-18T08:49:00.000-07:00

Airline-related issues overwhelmingly outnumber all complaints tour operators receive from travelers, according to an informal member survey conducted by the U.S. Tour Operators Association. The association - whose members send 11 million people on vacation yearly - reported that over 70% of responding tour operators cited airline problems as the most common complaint, followed by money-related issues, reported by 20% of members.

Missed connecting flights because of airline delays and cancellations were the most common airline-related complaint, with lack of service coming in second. Other complaints cited were airline cutbacks, full/overbooked flights, and lengthy check-in procedures including security. The hassle of flying caused one responding tour operator to say: "Airline travel is not fun," noting that the vacation now begins once the traveler arrives at the destination, rather than the flight being considered part of the vacation.

Money-related concerns such as high air fares, added taxes, fuel surcharges and the European exchange rate came in a distant second in terms, of consumer complaints. Of these, the most common complaints concerned airlines and the weak dollar.

A minority of USTOA tour operators and vacation packagers cited dissatisfaction with hotel accommodations as a source of complaints."In the past, most complaints centered around accommodations due to unrealistic expectations among some travelers who expected to find U.S. standards in other countries. However, today the type of complaint has shifted, where airline-related issues account for the vast majority of complaints," says Bob Whitley, USTOA president.

The survey was based on responses of 33 total operators representing over half of USTOA's Active Corporate members.

Exclusive Lufthansa terminal area opened in Frankfurt

2008-03-18T08:45:00.000-07:00

The new passenger handling area between the C and D concourses in Terminals 1 and 2 was officially inaugurated at Frankfurt Airport yesterday (17 March). With two waiting levels and amply dimensioned bridges, the new pier in the passageway linking the C and D concourses meets optimally all the requirements for operations with Lufthansa’s future flagship, the Airbus A380.

Entirely new is the pier concept allowing passengers to board their flights direct from two separate levels.

“The new and exclusive Lufthansa gate area located on two levels is unique, worldwide. Even before the first 380 enters service with the Lufthansa fleet, we are already laying on more space and comfort for passengers prior to flight departure,” said Karl Ulrich Garnadt, Executive Vice President Services and Human Resources at Lufthansa Passenger Airlines.

With the new two-level boarding concept, Lufthansa can now channel First, Business and Economy-Class passengers into separate areas as soon as they access the waiting and boarding zone at the airport. Once through the security controls, First and Business-Class passengers as well as status customers go straight to the Priority Gates on Departures Level Three. These gates, designed in Lufthansa business-lounge style, offer comfortable waiting zones with easy chairs to relax in, as well as workstations equipped with wireless Internet access and spacious bistros serving drinks and light menus. First-Class passengers as well as HON Circle members or Senators also have the use of an exclusive Senator Lounge with a panoramic view of the airport apron, and the take-off and landing strips.

Four open gates for Economy-Class passengers on the second level are equipped with ample seating arrangements and snackbars. Spacious glass facades give the interior a bright, friendly and airy atmosphere. The open gates allow passengers to move around freely in the entire handling areas and afford a good view of traffic on the airport apron.

Extra comfort is also characteristic in the passageway from the check-in counters to the new pier. Wider moving walkways and escalators help passengers easily negotiate their way through the passageway, daylight and a daylight-adaptive lighting system light up the gangways and air-conditioning keeps the temperature at a pleasant level. Three A380s and a Boeing 747 can be handled, simultaneously, at the new C/D pier. Gates C15 and C16 are each additionally equipped to accommodate two smaller aircraft, e.g. of the A320 type.

Royal Jet takes WTA Award

2008-03-18T08:40:00.000-07:00

Royal Jet, the international luxury flight services company headquartered in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, has been named the ‘World’s Leading Private Jet Charter’

The award was presented to Royal Jet’s President & CEO, Shane O’Hare by the WTA’s Executive Director Manon Han at a gala lunch reception in London’s prestigious Mosimann’s dining club in Belgravia.

Accepting the award in front of an audience of invited guests, including His Excellency Mohammed Al Zaabi from the UAE Embassy in the UK, O’Hare said the timing of the accolade could not have been better.

“Royal Jet this year celebrates its fifth anniversary – and to have achieved such an honour in such a relatively short time frame speaks volumes about the high esteem with which we are regarded throughout the industry and the very high level of service which our customers have come to expect from us,” said O’Hare.

The audience was told that although the selection process had been a difficult one, Royal Jet was picked for its reliability, fine aircraft interiors, its exceptional bespoke client services and dedication to delivering the ultimate in safety, efficiency and luxury.

“The award, which owes much to the direction Royal Jet has taken under the leadership of its Chairman, His Excellency Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, is even more valued because of the reputation we enjoy amongst our industry peers and partners,” O’Hare said.

The WTA award comes just four months after Royal Jet won another prestigious award - Business Jet Provider of the Year - at the Aviation Business Awards ceremony in Dubai.

Sheikh Hamdan said the awards were the culmination of a great deal of dedication and hard work by all at Royal Jet. “These accolades belongs to all our people who have worked tirelessly to ensure we represent the pinnacle of customer service and professionalism in the industry; and on their behalf, I can promise that we will live up to the expectations inherent in this solid vote of confidence.”

Teens Fly Into Record Books At CPM

2008-03-18T08:39:00.001-07:00

Two Kids, 11 Solos!

Two 16-year olds from Tomorrow’s Aeronautical Museum flew into the record books this weekend, when they each set new world records on Saturday, March 15, 2008.

Kelly Anyadiki (above) became the youngest African American female to solo in four different aircraft on the same day, while Jonathan Strickland (below) established a new record as the youngest African American male to solo six different airplanes, and a second record for soloing six airplanes plus one helicopter all on the same day.

The records were set at Compton Woodley Airport in front a large crowd. Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca was on hand to witness the event, as were other members of the famed Tuskegee Airmen, many of whom flew in from across the country to attend the event.

"These new world records the kids set are an example of where the past meets the present and the future!" said Robin Petgrave, founder of Tomorrow’s Aeronautical Museum.

"What Robin and these kids are doing here would have made my dad very happy," said Chauncey E. Spencer II, whose father was instrumental in getting African Americans approved for flight training in Tuskegee, AL during World War II. Spencer flew in from Michigan just to witness the world record flights.

Located at Compton Woodley Airport (CPM) in Compton, CA, Tomorrow’s Aeronautical Museum offers aviation-themed afterschool programs for more than 800 kids from grades K-12. Kids can take part in projects ranging from washing airplanes to graffiti mitigation. Instead of earning money, kids earn 'museum dollars,' which they can apply toward flight instruction or continued education in any field.

Tomorrow’s Aeronautical Museum plans to open additional locations across the country. The Newport News, VA chapter of the Tuskegee Airmen will open a TAM operation this spring, and the city of Norwalk and the ‘Adopt A Bike’ program in San Bernardino, CA. have plans to open a TAM as well.

Low cost Indonesian airline Adam Air to be shut down

2008-03-18T08:28:00.000-07:00

Jakarta: Indonesian low-cost carrier Adam Air will no longer be allowed to fly, Indonesian officials said on Tuesday, citing concerns over safety.

The director general for air transportation, Budhi Mulyawan Suyitno said the airline's operating license was being revoked starting Wednesday because safety procedures had been ignored. He added that the airline’s pilot training program was inadequate.

The carrier suffered a string of accidents last year and is facing bankruptcy after two if its largest shareholders announced that they would be pulling out of the company.

All 102 passengers died when an Adam Air plane plunged into the sea in 2007, while another broke in half on a hard landing. In the most recent incident, five people were badly injured when a Boeing 731-400 skidded off a runway.

India facing pilot shortage

2008-03-18T08:24:00.000-07:00

Indian Civil Aviation Minister, Praful Patel, stated the country’s airlines are facing an acute shortage of “type rated” pilots.

According to Mr Patel, 994 foreign pilots were recruited recently by Indian carriers to meet their expansion needs. Foreign pilots are currently permitted to fly in India under an agreement with the International Civil Aviation Organisation.

To combat the pilot shortage issue, the government has raised the pilot retirement age to 65. In addition, it is investing heavily in pilot training infrastructure, as it aims to increase the number of local pilots graduating from 40 to 100 p/a.

With the Indian aviation sector expected to continue to boom, the demand for pilots, cabin crew, maintenance staff will also intensify.

CAE meanwhile, recently, signed a contract to become the managing partner of the Indian government’s flight training academy, Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uran Akademi. CAE also signed a JV agreement with the Airport Authority of India (AAI) to develop the Rajiv Gandhi National Flying Training Institute.

Monarch Airlines named the Official Airline Partner of The Golf Show 2008

2008-03-18T08:19:00.000-07:00

Monarch Airlines has been named as the Official Airline Partner of the London Golf Show and NEC Golf Show for 2008, and will undertake a series of activity around the events to highlight its network of destinations which provides access to some of Europe’s golf courses.

Lufthansa introduces Non stop flights from Dammam to Frankfurt

2008-03-18T08:17:00.000-07:00

As of April 1st, 2008, Lufthansa German Airlines will fly Non stop from Dammam to Frankfurt three times a week and four times a week from Bahrain on First, Business and Economy class with the Airbus 330-300, thus enabling the airline to offer daily non-stops flights throughout the week.

“Driven by its commitment to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and in order to further enhance its product in the Eastern province, Lufthansa offers its customer’s early arrivals into Frankfurt with connectivity and comfort they deserve. We see a definite growth in the Gulf region and the Dammam sector will prove to be an ongoing success,” said Mr. Rolf Koller, General Manager – Saudi Arabia, Lufthansa German Airlines and Swiss International Air lines (Swiss).

He added, “Lufthansa offers a strong signal of commitment to its customers. It seals our presence in the region for the long-haul number one choice for flight connections to Germany, Europe, USA as well as to our new oil destinations of the world such as Bergen, Calgary, Luanda and Malabo.“

nasair launches first international service

2008-03-18T08:12:00.000-07:00

nasair, Saudi Arabia's first low-fare airline, commenced services to the UAE on Wednesday 12th March, adding its first international destination to an already extensive domestic route network in the Kingdom.

nasair will operate 10 flights a week linking Riyadh and Jeddah to Sharjah.

To celebrate this milestone, the airline will provide special launch fares starting from AED 89.

nasair has taken delivery of brand new Airbus A320 aircraft to operate its international routes. CEO Ed Winter commented "nasair is really proud to offer our customers the comfort and reliability of brand new aircraft. We are now operating the youngest fleet in the region."

"This is a welcome development for us and we expect the new route to UAE to attract not only outbound leisure passengers and boost incoming tourism, but also to appeal to a large sector of business travellers" said Taher Agueel, National Air Services (NAS) President. Seats are available for booking through flynas.com, the nasair reservation centre and travel agents, with special low rates for early bookings.

The airline is expanding its operations internationally, to answer a growing demand from passengers travelling between Saudi Arabia and UAE who are looking for value and affordable prices. The carrier is expected to launch other international destinations in the near future.

Philippines to boost ecotourism offerings

2008-03-18T08:10:00.000-07:00

MANILA - The Philippines Department of Tourism (DoT) has stepped up its thrust to highlight ecotourism around the country through Magandang Pilipinas.

The project brings together the DoT, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, ABS-CBN Foundation’s Bantay Kalikasan and US-based nonprofit organization Conservation International to identify, develop and promote various ecotourism sites around the country.

"Our vision is for the Philippines to be recognized as a leading destination for ecotourism. The islands are already blessed with breathtaking natural beauty on land and underwater. The next step for us is to support our local communities and tourism establishments and stakeholders in conserving and properly utilizing this wealth," tourism secretary Ace Durano said.

The DoT will develop and implement activities to promote ecotourism sites to domestic and international travel markets.

Pilot areas and attractions under the Magandang Pilipinas project include whale shark interaction in Donsol, Sorsogon, the Verde Island Marine Passage Corridor between Batangas and Mindoro, the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, the marine protected area and limestone karst in El Nido, and the Tubbataha National Marine Park.

Also to be tapped are areas currently under the DoT’s ecotourism program with New Zealand's International Aid & Development Agency (NZAID). These include the Banawe Rice Terraces in Ifugao, dolphin watching in Pamilacan, Bohol, the Hundred Islands in Pangasinan, Sapang Bato in Pampanga and Lake Sebu in South Cotabato.

Singapore Airlines A380 Flies To Tokyo From 20 May 2008

2008-03-13T14:48:00.000-07:00

Tokyo will become the fourth city in the world to receive A380 commercial flights, when Singapore Airlines starts services to the Japanese capital on 20 May 2008.

The inaugural A380 flight to Tokyo - SQ636 - will depart Singapore’s Changi Airport on Tuesday, 20 May 2008, at 0040hrs and arrive at Tokyo’s Narita Airport at 0830hrs (all times local), on a special schedule to coincide with the 30th anniversary celebrations of Narita Airport.

The return flight, SQ637, will depart Narita at 1300hrs on Tuesday, 20 May 2008. The aircraft will touch down at Changi Airport on the same day at 1905hrs.

Thereafter, the Singapore Airlines A380 will commence regular scheduled services, operating SQ638 daily on the Singapore-Tokyo sector from 20 May 2008, and on SQ637 for the return leg from 21 May 2008. A schedule of the flight times can be found in Annex 1.

Singapore Airlines is the first to fly the A380: the world’s largest commercial aircraft. Tokyo is Singapore Airlines’ third A380 destination, following the commencement of the Singapore-Sydney service on 25 October 2007 and the Singapore-London service on 18 March 2008.

“We are proud to operate the inaugural A380 flight into Japan, the A380’s first Asian destination. The fact that Tokyo is the A380’s first Asian city highlights Singapore Airlines’ 40 years of dedicated service to the Japanese market,” said Mr. Huang Cheng Eng, Singapore Airlines’ Executive Vice President, Marketing and the Regions.

“We are sure that our Japanese customers will be delighted to try our extensive range of new cabin products and the state-of-the-art entertainment system on board the A380,” Mr Huang added.

Besides operating to Tokyo 20 times weekly, Singapore Airlines also flies daily to Nagoya, five times weekly to Fukuoka and 17 times weekly to Osaka.

Those who wish to be part of this landmark experience may purchase tickets via the Singapore Airlines website, singaporeair.com, or through their travel agents.

Customers who hold ticketed bookings on flights to be operated by the A380 will be automatically accommodated on the new aircraft without any change required to their tickets. Customers holding bookings, but not yet ticketed, may need to check if there have been changes to their fares as a result of the aircraft change.

Qatar Airways Takes Part In World's Biggest Travel Trade Fair In Germany

2008-03-13T14:43:00.000-07:00

Qatar Airways' imposing exhibition stand during ITB Berlin, at which the airline showcased its long-haul First Class seat (right) and a pair of Business Class seats pictured in the foreground

Berlin, GERMANY – Qatar Airways hailed its presence at the world’s largest travel fair in Berlin last week a great success with a huge exhibition stand and show-stopping entertainment promoting its new routes to China and America this year.

Qatar Airways was once again delighted to take part in the annual show, which attracted more than 150,000 visitors and over 10,000 exhibitors. The airline exhibited with a 200sqm two-tier stand, showcasing its world-renowned hospitality.

On display was Qatar Airways’ award-winning First and Business Class seats and a model of the New Doha International Airport, which is due to open in 2010. Qatar Airways also had a fabulous line-up on entertainment for visitors to enjoy.

To celebrate the launch of flights to the southern industrial city of Guangzhou in China on March 31, Qatar Airways had Chinese lion dancers performing regularly on the stand throughout the show.

Tourism officials from Houston are pictured with American cowgirl entertainers on Qatar Airways' stand promoting the airline's new route to the State of Texas later this year

And American cowgirls showed off their dancing talents with jaw-dropping entertainment attracting scores of visitors as the airline was also promoting its new flights to Houston, due to begin on November 10.

During an ITB Berlin conference panel discussion on climate change, Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker spoke of the airline’s environmental drive – in particular, its move towards using gas-to-fuel (liquefied gas) technology to power its aircraft in the future. Such a move would, he said, significantly reduce carbon emissions and create greater operational efficiency.

Qatar Airways walked off with the runner-up prize at the 2008 Golden City Gate International Film awards at ITB Berlin for its TV vignettes produced by CNN International.

Al Baker, who headed a delegation from head office in Doha to the five-day event, held a press conference on the opening day of ITB Berlin, where he spoke of the airline’s summer expansion plans focusing on additional flights to more than a dozen cities worldwide.

Qatar Airways proudly showcases its brand at the entrance of Messe Berlin, venue for the world's largest travel trade show - ITB Berlin

“ITB Berlin was once again a great event bringing together the world’s travel industry for five days of business,” he said.

“The show was a perfect platform to meet industry colleagues, make new and renew business relationships, but most of all, tell the world about our ever continuing success story.

“Over the years we have used the occasion at ITB Berlin to showcase our latest products, announce our newest routes and present our superb Arabic hospitality. And this year was no exception as we announced our new routes to Guangzhou and Houston, as well as unveil details of our summer capacity expansion.”

Qatar Airways currently operates a modern fleet of 62 Airbus and Boeing aircraft to 81 destinations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, Indian Subcontinent, Far East and North America.

Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker, pictured second night, showing guests on the exhibition stand a mock-up model of the New Doha International Airport which is due to open in 2010

Bombardier Sells Six CRJ900 NextGen Airliners To Iraq

2008-03-13T14:25:00.000-07:00

Bombardier Aerospace announced today that the Government of Iraq has placed a firm order for six CRJ900 NextGen airliners which will be used for civilian airline services in Iraq. The transaction includes options on an additional four CRJ900 NextGen aircraft.

Based on the list price for the CRJ900 NextGen aircraft, the value of the firm contract is approximately $239 million U.S. If all options are exercised, the contract value could rise to approximately $400 million U.S..

“We are pleased that the Government of Iraq has selected the CRJ900 NextGen aircraft to help rebuild the domestic and regional airline services in Iraq,” said Steven Ridolfi, President, Bombardier Regional Aircraft. “We are confident that the CRJ900 NextGen airliner will serve commercial airline operations in the country very well.”

The order announced today increases firm orders for CRJ900/CRJ900 NextGen airliners to 248. As of January 31, 2008, Bombardier had delivered 1,471 CRJ Series aircraft - including 145 CRJ900/CRJ900 NextGen airliners - to operators around the world.

Source: Bombardier

Ministry of Civil Aviation to complete modernisation of non-metro airports by March 2010

2008-03-13T14:22:00.000-07:00

The Minister for Civil Aviation, Shri Praful Patel informed the Parliament the target date for completion of modernization process of the 35 non-metro airports by the Airports Authority of India (AAI), is March 2010.

New Terminal Buildings expandable on modular basis are being constructed at Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Aurangabad, Agatti, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh, Dehradun, Goa, Jaipur, Lucknow, Indore, Khajuraho, Madurai, Mangalore, Port Blair, Ranchi, Raipur, Rajkot, Trivandrum, Trichy, Udaipur, Varanasi and Vishakhapatnam airports. Modification/expansion of existing Terminal Buildings is being undertaken at airports in Agra, Agartala, Coimbatore, Dimapur, Guwahati, Imphal, Jammu, Nagpur, Patna, Pune and Vadodara.

Airside works including expansion and strengthening of runway for wide bodied aircraft operations, extension/new construction of Apron for more parking of aircrafts, link taxiways and parallel taxi tracks are being taken up at these airports as per requirement. At 24 of these airports, cityside development through Public Private Partnership is being undertaken. Bids for pre-qualification have been received for Amritsar and Udaipur airports.

SriLankan Airlines carries 3.2 million passengers in 2007

2008-03-13T14:19:00.000-07:00

SriLankan Airlines carried 3.2 million passengers around its global network in 2007, an increase of more than 100,000 over the previous year.

It was the largest number of passengers carried by the airline in a calendar year since its inception in 1979.

Significant increases were recorded in all regions – Europe, India, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. The largest improvements were in traffic to and from Frankfurt, Bahrain, Doha, Bangkok, and Singapore.

Manoj Gunawardena, Head of Worldwide Passenger Sales, said: “our worldwide team has achieved an excellent performance during the calendar year 2007. We remained strong in all regions, and our focus on the Indian market yielded excellent results”.

In India substantial increases were seen in the number of passengers carried to and from Mumbai, Calicut, Goa, Madras, and Bangalore. SriLankan last November became the first foreign carrier to operate 100 flights per week to India and now serves 11 cities there. During 2007 it launched services to Coimbatore and increased services to several other cities, including its double-daily service to Mumbai.

“It was not an easy year since some tourists were deterred by strong travel advisories issued by key tourist generating countries. We also faced increased competition from other carriers in India, the Middle East and Southeast Asia,” said Gunawardena.

The airline’s other traditional markets continued to be rock solid, including London, Male, Dubai, Kuala Lumpur, Kuwait, Trivandrum, Trichy, and Cochin. All of the airline’s offices contributed by supporting sales efforts throughout the route network.

Services to new destinations launched in 2007 – Coimbatore and Jeddah – lived up to their potential, and more is expected from them in the future.

Apart from carrying travellers to and from Sri Lanka, the airline has focused on turning Colombo into a hub in the region, connecting East and West and serving as the gateway to India.

Biman Bangladesh Airlines considers suspending domestic routes

2008-03-13T14:14:00.000-07:00

Biman Bangladesh Airlines is considering suspending all domestic routes, with the exception of Dhaka-Sylhet and Dhaka-Chittagong, which will remain on the network due to their large expatriate population.

The move is part of the carrier’s turnaround plan, which focuses on rebuilding its international network. According to a member of Biman’s Fleet Committee, Capt Shah Alam, “we don't want to enter in that saturated and small market; we want to do our core business and that is operating international flights".

Over the years Biman has been forced to discontinue or reduce frequency on many of its international services due to aircraft shortages. With its latest aircraft order, the carrier hopes to resume operations on its profitable international routes.

As domestic competition in Bangladesh heats up, the government is expected to deregulate the domestic market for private airlines. Several local entrants launching operations this year, including United Airways, Best Air, Royal Bengal and A2Air.

Biman reported a USD100 million net loss in the 12 months ended 30-Jun-07, due to rising fuel prices and weak passenger demand. The government has since launched an emergency rescue plan, which included transforming the carrier as a public company in Jul-07 and retrenching a large number of staff. Biman currently operates to 19 international destinations with a fleet of 12 aircraft, although only eight are currently in service.

Dubai International Airport installs new landing system

2008-03-13T14:12:00.000-07:00

A new category of Instrument Landing System became fully operational following certification from the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) on 10 March 2008 at . Diversion and delay of flights due to fog are now a thing of the past at Dubai International Airport. A major upgrade over the Cat I and Cat II systems that were in use at Dubai International Airport, the newly certified CAT IIIA Instrument Landing System (ILS) enables a pilot to land even with visibility as low as 200 metres. Dubai international airport is the first CAT IIIA compliant airport in the region, including the subcontinent.

Welcoming the certification from GCAA, UAE's federal authority, HH Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA), and Chairman of Dubai Airports, said 'It is a big achievement for Dubai Airports and will positively impact our operations at Dubai International. Disruption or diversion of flights due to low visibility is a major inconvenience for passengers and a logistical challenge for the airlines and airports alike. The new system will translate into great benefits for the passengers, airlines and Dubai International airport by enabling low visibility operations.'

The new category of landing system has been in use for some time at Dubai International according to Mohammed Ahli, Director General of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA) and CEO of Air Traffic Services (ATS).

'We have been using the system for some time now; as a prerequisite for the certification from the federal authority we have tested it for 6,000 hours,' he said.

He added: 'This upgrade was part of our plans for Dubai International for a long time now but could not have been fully operational due to activities connected to the expansion project.'

Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports said that it is part of the company's strategy to constantly work on enhancing our efficiency to benefit our customers. 'This technological upgrade certainly will go a long way in ensuring better services for our customers, both airlines and passengers,' he said.

Griffiths added: 'We will continue to assess our systems to determine the best possible upgrade requirements. While the new system, Cat IIIA, is fully operational, we will be working over the next few months to upgrade it to Cat IIIB. We intend to accomplish this by October 2008,' he said.

According to Griffiths, Dubai does not need a Cat IIIC which is a category that allows landing even when visibility is zero. 'UAE experiences fog for only two or three weeks a year and it is not as dense as in Europe. The next upgrade (Cat IIIB) will enable us to operate in visibility of 50 metres,' he explained. About Dubai Airports

Dubai Airports owns and manages Dubai International Airport and the upcoming Dubai World Central - Al Maktoum International.

A319 joins Royal Jordanian fleet

2008-03-13T14:05:00.000-07:00

Thursday March 13, 2008, witnesses the delivery of Royal Jordanian's first of four Airbus A319, named Al-Mafraq, one of the main cities in northeastern Jordan. RJ, a oneworld member, contracted to introduce this type of aircraft into its fleet during this year and the beginning of next year, in line with its aircraft modernization plan. The twin-engine aircraft carries 110 passengers; 96 on economy class and 14 on crown class. Its speed reaches 960 km/hour and it has a cargo capacity of three tons.
The newly manufactured Airbus A319 brings a new standard of amenities and comfort to RJ passengers traveling to medium-range destinations in Europe, the Indian Subcontinent and the Arab Gulf. The airliner is distinguished by modern features, such as spacious seat pitch and state-of-the-art audio channels and personal video screens available for each passenger on economy and crown classes.

This type of aircraft, belonging to the Airbus A320 family, will boost the company's services, enabling it to better serve the regional and medium-haul route network. It will also augment RJ's existing fleet of Airbus A320 and A321 aircraft assimilated in the fleet in the past two years.

The second Airbus A319 will join the fleet in October this year and the remaining two in February and March next year. Four other planes will be introduced during the coming three months; two Airbus A321 and two Embraer 175, whereas two Airbus A321 will be phased out. The number of aircraft will reach 30 in June this year, reaching over 55 worldwide destinations.

The airline designated names of Jordanian cities on its new aircraft that joined the fleet in the last two years and the ones that will join as a part of its mission of promoting Jordan to the world.

CAAS to expand Singapore’s Budget Terminal

2008-03-13T14:03:00.000-07:00

The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) announced plans to invest USD7.2 million expanding Singapore’s Budget Terminal (BT). The expansion project, which will commence from Jul-08 to early 2009, will increase Singapore’s Budget Terminal’s handling capacity from the current 2.7 million passengers p/a to 7 million. In addition, the expansion will also increase the floor area of the terminal from 25,000 sqm to 28,700 sqm.

After almost two years of operations, the terminal’s expansion is necessary to keep ahead of the air traffic growth at the BT. In 2007, 1.77 million passengers passed through the BT. In all, the BT has served about 2.9 million passengers since it opened on 26 March 2006. The number of weekly scheduled flights at the BT, operated by Tiger Airways and Philippines-based carrier, Cebu Pacific Air, has also increased from 124 in Mar-06 to 248 in Feb-08, representing a growth of 100%.

CAAS Director-General and Chief Executive Officer, Mr Lim Kim Choon, said " When we first decided to build the Budget Terminal about three years ago, no one could accurately predict the success of low cost travel in this region. With increased air transport liberalisation in this region, airlines, including low cost carriers, have now greater opportunities to rapidly expand their air network and increase their flight operations.”

The expansion project will include the addition of seven check-in counters as well as the installation of additional baggage handling equipment. Three more passenger boarding gates will be constructed, bringing the total number of boarding gates to ten.

Mr Lim Kim Choon added, “The expansion of the Budget Terminal to increase its handling capacity is timely as we expect passenger traffic to increase further with ASEAN’s goal to remove all restrictions on passenger flights between ASEAN capitals by Dec-08. The increased handling capacity can last us through the next few years.”

PATA honours IHG'S Low

2008-03-13T13:52:00.000-07:00

BANGKOK – The 2008 Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Face of the Future is Kenneth Low, Director Strategy, Asia Pacific for the InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG).

Low will receive his honour during the PATA Foundation Gala Dinner at the Galle Face Hotel in Colombo, Sri Lanka on April 6.

Based in Singapore, Low, who just turned 35, is responsible for planning IHG's growth strategy in Asia Pacific, with a particular focus on the key markets of China (PRC), India and Japan.

He joined IHG in November 2005 from Abacus International, where he was Head of Corporate Planning and Development.

Announcing the award, PATA President and CEO Peter de Jong said Low was a high achiever who had risen rapidly though the management ranks of two highly successful travel companies.

Low was chosen from an impressive shortlist of candidates from private and public sector organisations across the region.

AIRPORT NEWS

2008-03-13T13:39:00.000-07:00

China clamps down on airport security

Right: New measures are designed to increase security on domestic flights ahead of this summer's Olympic Games

New measures to tighten airport security have been introduced today (Thursday 13 March 2008) by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC). The measures are designed to prevent a recurrence of a failed attack last Friday in which a terrorist attempted to set fire to a plane en-route to Beijing using petroleum carried onto the plane.

Passengers are now prohibited from carrying any liquids on domestic flights in China. The prohibition follows 12 months after the CAAC introduced restrictions, which permitted domestic passengers to carry up to one litre of liquid (not including alcohol), providing it was opened for inspection by security officials. Under these former restrictions, any additional liquids had to be checked-in.

CAAC has also announced a crackdown on security procedures in VIP lounges at some airports in China. The administration is concerned that some VIP lounges allow passengers to pay to board planes with minimal security checks. It is threatening to close any lounges that fail to comply.

There are no changes to the security restrictions for passengers who are departing from China on international or regional flights. They will continue to be allowed to take up to 100 millilitres of liquid in each container and the container in which the liquid is kept must be put in a small transparent plastic bag that can be re-sealed. Any extra liquids must be delivered as luggage in a transparent plastic bag. International passengers who need to transfer between flights in China will be required to abide by these rules.

Zurich enjoys buoyant February

During February 2008 more than 1.5 million passengers passed through Zurich Airport, up 13.1% compared with February 2007.

The number of transfer passengers rose 13.3% to 512,738 in February and the number of local passengers (originating or departing from Zurich) rose by 13.7% to 1,019,453.

Zurich officials say the low cost market grew by 39.9% in February, raising its share of Zurich traffic to 10.3%.

Hanoi to grow by 2010

The Noi Bai International Airport in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi is to be expanded with a new passenger terminal, due to be finished in 2010. The country’s Civil Aviation Administration says the enlarged airport will have a capacity of 50 million passengers a year.

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Sinh Hung says construction of the terminal should begin in October 2008 and will be finished within two years.

Have bones will travel

Right: Munich customs officers found some of the remains of a man in a sealed suitcase this week

When Munich customs officers asked two women to open their sealed suitcase this week, they discovered that the travellers, both in their 60s, had placed the skull and several bones of a man inside.

Flying to Italy via Munich from Brazil, the women had brought along the man’s remains to fulfil his wish of finding his final resting place in Italy. According to documents, he had died 11 years earlier in Sao Paolo.

While the Bavarian officials were understandably surprised about the mode of transport, they did allow the women to continue their journey as they had all the necessary documents to bring the bones to Naples.

Branson plans V Australia launch

Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson will visit Australia at the end of this month to reveal details of the much-anticipated V Australia operation. V Australia is the new airline formed to operate trans-Pacific services between Australia and the US, and potentially other routes.

The trans-Pacific route has been virtually controlled by Qantas until last month’s signing of an open skies agreement between the US and Australian governments. United Airlines offers a lower-quality service on the route but the majority of passengers are flown by Qantas.

Branson’s participation in the public launch of the airline’s plans will ensure optimum publicity for the new airline. He is also expected to announce a new Australian airport to be served by Malaysia-based AirAsia X in which Virgin Group has a 20% stake. That airline has been evaluating offers from Melbourne International Airport and Avalon, near Geelong, Victoria.

Branson will visit Melbourne on 27 March with AirAsia CEO Tony Fernandes and AirAsia X CEO Azran Osman-Rani.

Lufthansa refurbishes network lounges

Lufthansa has revealed plans to invest approximately US$233 million (Euros 150 million) to refurbish lounges at airports throughout its global route network over the next six years.

“We never stop working on expanding our position as a premium carrier and lounges are a key element of our product philosophy,” says Thierry Antinori, executive vice president marketing and sales at Lufthansa Passenger Airlines.

Recently Lufthansa opened new Senator and Business lounges at Cologne/Bonn Airport. Centrally located within the new departures and arrivals concourse, the lounges encompass 800m² and accommodate 170 guests.

At Hamburg Airport, lounges are currently undergoing expansion and renovation and are due to be completed this summer.

In the new Terminal area at Frankfurt Airport a completely new lounge concept is being developed between gates C and D. Passengers will board flights from two levels, with the upper level reserved exclusively for First- and Business-Class travellers as well as status customers. A new Senator Lounge with priority gate connections and a new Lufthansa Business lounge are also being planned.

Enhancements are not confined to Germany. Improvements are being made to Lufthansa lounges throughout the world, including the expansion and modernisation of the lounges at New York’s John F Kennedy Airport where a new third level that is dedicated exclusively for First-Class and HON Circle customers is scheduled to open in late 2008.

At Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, the renovation and expansion of existing facilities is due to be completed in spring 2009. Renovations and new projects are also planned at other international airports, among them Mumbai.

Cocaine seized at Vienna

Police at Vienna’s Schwechat International Airport have seized more than 20 kilograms of cocaine with an estimated street value of US$3 million.

Authorities say the drugs were intercepted on 17 January and that three suspects, two men and a woman from the Dominican Republic, were arrested. Details of the case were withheld until this week.

Police say the cocaine was hidden in bottles and containers.

Singapore Airlines receives third A380

2008-03-13T13:36:00.000-07:00

Singapore Airlines took delivery of its third A380, the world’s largest passenger plane, at the Airbus Delivery Centre in Toulouse, France, at noon yesterday (11 March - Toulouse time). After a delivery flight, the aircraft is expected to arrive in Singapore on Wednesday 12 March around 1010 hrs.

With the addition of this third aircraft into its fleet, Singapore Airlines will commence A380 flights to London Heathrow airport on Tuesday 18 March 2008. This will be the first-ever A380 commercial service to Europe.

Fitted with the luxurious Singapore Airlines Suites, the award-winning 4-abreast Business Class and a new, more comfortable Economy cabin, the A380 allows Singapore Airlines customers to travel to London in unprecedented comfort, space and luxury.

Scheduled daily services to London (SQ322) will commence from the evening of Tuesday 18 March, and on SQ 317 for the return leg from 19 March. Singapore Airlines currently operates daily A380 scheduled flights between Singapore and Sydney.

Singapore Airlines is the first to fly the A380, and currently the only airline in the world operating the aircraft. The Airline has firm orders for a further 16 A380s and options on six more.

Emirates launches flights to Los Angeles

2008-03-13T13:35:00.000-07:00

Emirates is set to expand its network even further this year with the start of services to the West Coast of the U.S. On 1st September 2008 Emirates will open its third U.S. gateway with non-stop flights between the Californian city of Los Angeles and Dubai.

Operating daily, the service will be the first non-stop operation connecting Dubai, the Gateway to Arabia to L.A., the Gateway to Hollywood. Emirates will fly its Boeing 777-200LR on the route, offering 266 seats in a three class configuration.

HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline and Group said: “Los Angeles represents Emirates’ commitment to the American market. We have evaluated the U.S. for expansion opportunities and have carefully examined our existing services in Houston and New York- both of which have been very successful. We look forward to recreating this success by connecting Los Angeles to Dubai and beyond.”

Antonio Villaraigosa, Mayor of Los Angeles said: “I am pleased that Emirates has chosen L.A. as its U.S. West Coast gateway and I look forward to the start of service later this year. The route opens a new destination for business and leisure travellers in the Gulf region, a part of the world not previously served from Los Angeles. It will also enable travellers to reach every region of the world non-stop from LAX.”

The new service will operate out of the Tom Bradley International Terminal at Los Angeles International Airport, (LAX).

L.A. is the fourth new destination that Emirates has announced it will be introducing in 2008. The airline has already announced its plans to start services to Cape Town on 30th March plus Calicut, India and Guangzhou, China, both on 1st July of this year. The new route joins Emirates’ growing network of American destinations including a double daily service to New York’s JFK International Airport and its daily service to Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport.

SriLankan Airlines set to launch new Frequent Flyer Progam

2008-03-13T13:34:00.000-07:00

SriLankan Airlines will be launching a new Frequent Flyer Program (FFP) offering rewards to all its loyal passengers, commencing April 1, 2008. The FFP, which will include a range of benefits, prizes and ways to spend earned air miles, will be unveiled soon.

"Our new frequent flyer program will have its own unique identity and logo and its membership will be open to passengers who fly SriLankan Airlines to any destination on our route network of 54 destinations,” said Mohamed Fazeel, Regional Manager of the Commercial Department who will be spearheading the new FFP.

The program will take into consideration the preferences of the airline’s passengers around the network and it will include a range of new and improved offers to provide more convenience and benefits to frequent flyers said the carrier.

All current Skywards members holding mileage balances will have the option of transferring their miles to the new FFP.

All SriLankan Airlines’ Skywards members will continue their membership and rewards will continue to be available on Emirates flights and from other leisure and lifestyle partners. SriLankan’s agreement with Skywards will expire with the ending of the airline’s management contract with Emirates on 31 March 2008. Nevertheless, SriLankan Airlines will continue to honour Skywards reward tickets, for a further period of 12 months commencing 31st March 2008.

Jet Aviation Handling rebranded as Dnata Switzerland

2008-03-13T13:28:00.000-07:00

Dnata, the airport services provider in the Middle East, welcomed Jet Aviation Handling AG into the group as Dnata Switzerland AG. The rebranding of the company is the final part of the process to integrate the two companies following the acquisition of Jet Aviation Handling AG, the airport handling division of Swiss-based Jet Aviation Group, by Dnata in November 2007.

Stewart Angus, Divisional Senior Vice President of Dnata, said: "Jet Aviation Handling has always provided quality service to its airline customers in Switzerland and we are very proud to be able to include Dnata Switzerland AG, as part of our global business. Dnata is committed to developing the strengths of Dnata Switzerland AG, and ensuring that its airline customers continue to enjoy the highest possible levels of customer service.”

Urs Zorn, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Jet Aviation Handling AG said: "We are proud to be joining the global Dnata group and look forward to carrying the name Dnata Switzerland AG forward as we embark on this new stage in our company’s history. These changes do not affect the underlying focus and direction of the company, which remains to provide the highest levels of service to our customer airlines in Zurich and Geneva.”

The former Jet Aviation corporate identity will be updated to reflect the change to Dnata Switzerland AG. The logo, uniforms, airport vehicles and sign-posting at Zurich and Geneva airports will receive a fresh new look and contact numbers and e-mail addresses will be updated accordingly.

ASTA survey determines most popular second honeymoon destinations

2008-03-13T13:25:00.000-07:00

In its annual “Hot Spots for Summer” survey, ASTA polled 585 travel agency owners and managers to determine the most popular second honeymoon destinations and uncover other emerging travel trends for 2008.

“Agents typically recognize travel trends long before anyone else,” said Cheryl Hudak, CTC, ASTA president and CEO. “However, ASTA conducts these surveys to keep all of its members informed, especially those who specialize in one or two specific areas of travel and are generally less affected by trends. When agents are aware of current consumer demands, they are able to prepare and assist any client regardless of their travel expertise.”

According to respondents, Hawaii was the most popular second honeymoon destination with 24.4 percent share of the total response. While Hawaii can be more expensive than other destinations, respondents reported that money was less of a determining factor for couples who were taking a second honeymoon destination, compared to couples taking their first.

Cruising was ranked number two, with 11.6 percent share of the total response. Respondents routinely book cruises for second honeymooners because this type of vacation offers variety, convenience and, on-shore excursions, dining and shopping excluded, an all-inclusive package. The third most popular second honeymoon destination, the Caribbean, also offers travelers endless options due to the number of islands that comprise this tourist-friendly oasis.

Jamaica and Cancun, ranked fourth and fifth respectively, rounded out the top five most popular second honeymoon destinations. Although in the bottom half of the top 10, Europe, ranked number six, and Italy, ranked number seven, prove that interest in European vacations is still strong despite the current weakness of the US dollar. With 3.5 percent share of the total response, Mexico claimed the number eight position. Tahiti, with 3.2 percent, and St. Lucia, with 3.0 percent of the total response, fell into ninth and tenth place respectively.

DHS signs Visa Waiver Program agreements with Estonia and Latvia

2008-03-13T13:23:00.000-07:00

U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Michael Chertoff signed yesterday (12 March) Visa Waiver Program (VWP) Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) with Estonian Minister of Internal Affairs Juri Pihl in Tallinn, Estonia, and with Latvian Minister of Foreign Affairs Maris Riekstins in Riga, Latvia. The agreements outline security enhancements that put both countries on the path toward visa-free travel to the U.S., and possible designation as VWP members later this year.

"I commend Estonia and Latvia for their commitment to these security measures, and for the leadership they demonstrate to other aspiring partners," said Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff. "We have a common adversary whose stated intent is to strike at our freedoms, wherever and whenever they can. But, we also have a common resolve and vision with the European Union and its member states to enhance security in a way that facilitates travel for our citizens. We respect European Union law and will continue to work collaboratively, particularly in the areas where the European Union has unique authority, as we enter into agreements with aspiring Visa Waiver Program countries."

The VWP has been authorized by U.S. law for over 20 years, with 27 current members from Asia and Europe. The U.S. Congress authorized DHS in August 2007 to reform the VWP and strengthen the security arrangements required of existing participant countries, as well as to expand the conditions for aspiring countries to join the program.

Among the security enhancements required, DHS will establish an electronic system of travel authorization for air passengers. VWP travelers will be asked to provide some basic information online, which will generate an authorization number for travel. DHS will announce complete details on how the authorization systems will work, and when they will begin, later this year. VWP partners also must ensure reporting of lost and stolen passports to avoid fraudulent use and enhance security measures for airports that originate flights to the U.S., to include permitting air marshals on certain flights.

The department signed the first enhanced VWP agreement with the Czech Republic on Feb. 26, 2008, who committed to meeting the new requirements of the program, to include an electronic system of travel authorization.

Qatar Airways Installs Additional Instant Frequent Flyer Enrolment Kiosks At Doha International Airport

2008-03-03T08:59:00.000-08:00

Doha, QATAR – Qatar Airways has invested in additional frequent flyer enrolment kiosks at Doha International Airport as part of its commitment to provide more self-service capabilities to Privilege Club loyalty members.

Privilege Club Enrolment Kiosk at Qatar Airways Premium Terminal in Doha

Each of the four airport lounges now has a kiosk, which allows passengers to enrol into the airline’s frequent flyer programme and receive their personalised and magnetically encoded membership card within seconds of enrolling.

New kiosks are now available at the recently refurbished Gold and Silver Frequent Flyer Lounges in the main terminal, in addition to the First and Business Class sections of Qatar Airways’ state-of-the-art Premium Terminal.

In 2006, Qatar Airways made headlines when it introduced the world’s first instant loyalty card dispensing kiosk at Doha International Airport, which earned privilege Club the FFP Gold Innovation Award in Vancouver last year.

The machines are modern and designed to save passengers the hassle of going through the traditional sign-up process, which involves membership cards being sent by mail. So passengers from around the world checking-in or transiting at Doha International Airport and using any of the four airport lounges, will be able to enrol on the spot and receive their burgundy card instantly.

Using simple touch screen technology, the kiosk enables Qatar Airways’ First and Business Class passengers as well as its frequent travellers using the lounges, and who are not already members, to enrol into Privilege Club and receive a 500 Qmiles welcome bonus.

Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker said the additional kiosks were yet another service-led initiative from the airline to bring more convenience and advantages to its highly valued passengers.

“Qatar Airways is proud to be an innovator, and we are more than satisfied with the positive response of our passengers towards these enrolment kiosks,” he said.

“The Privilege Club enrolment kiosks enable passengers who are not already members to enrol easily, quickly and receive their loyalty card instantly. This is a unique feature, which we believe more and more passengers will take advantage of.”

Qatar Airways strongly believes in product innovations to meet the needs of passengers – and is now looking to invest in additional kiosks at other locations. The kiosks are provided by UK-based company Trident Loyalty Systems.

Since its launch in 2000, Qatar Airways’ Privilege Club has developed into one of the largest airline loyalty schemes in the Middle East and one of the most generous reward programmes. Last year, Privilege Club scooped an unprecedented eight accolades at the prestigious Freddie Awards in America.

Qatar Airways currently operates a modern fleet of 60 Airbus and Boeing aircraft to 81 destinations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, Indian Subcontinent, Far East and North America from Doha, the airline’s hub and capital of the State of Qatar.

Qatar Airways’ Privilege Club website gives members great benefits, including the ability to manage their accounts with ease. Through the Privilege Club website, www.qmiles.com members are able to log on to and check their account balance online, as well as book reward tickets for travel on Qatar Airways and partner airlines.

EMIRATES’ A380s TO WING THEIR WAY EAST AND WEST

2008-03-03T08:41:00.000-08:00

DUBAI, U.A.E., 2nd March 2008 – Emirates’ giant Airbus A380s will spread their wings to some of the furthest points on the airline’s network – New York, London Heathrow, Sydney and Auckland – reinforcing the airline’s extensive reach and span.

Emirates is scheduled to operate its new A380s non-stop from Dubai to New York on 1st October, London Heathrow on 1st December, and Sydney-Auckland on 1st February 2009. The aircraft on these routes will offer 489 seats – 14 in First Class, 76 in Business and 399 in Economy.

Emirates’ giant Airbus A380s will spread their wings to some of the furthest points on the airline’s network – New York, London Heathrow, Sydney and Auckland – and by the end of the decade become a familiar sight to millions of travellers worldwide.

Tim Clark, President Emirates Airline said: “Our A380s will take to the skies in late summer, signalling an end to our long wait and ushering in a new era for Emirates. We have played an integral role during the design and development stage to tow the aircraft from the drawing board to the production line, and we look forward to bringing them into commercial service.”

"While we are still debating our first commercial A380 route, it has always been our intention to fly the aircraft on capacity-constrained trunk routes. The cities that we have now scheduled for A380 services, starting this autumn, bring our plans to fruition."

He added: “Our customers can rightly anticipate an exhilarating experience on the state-of-the-art aircraft, which will be especially appointed and equipped to Emirates’ exacting standards. We will unveil our exciting inflight features and facilities shortly.”

Emirates, the first, and by a large margin, the leading customer for the A380s with 58 on order, will take delivery of five of the double-decker aircraft this year. Other configurations in the A380 fleet will feature a medium-range three-class 517-seater; and a medium-range two-class aircraft with 604 seats.

The arrival of the first Emirates A380 will prove to be a major milestone for the airline as it takes the first step in the gradual build-up towards becoming the world’s largest operator of the super-jumbo. By the end of the decade, Emirates' distinctive livery colours on the A380 will have become a familiar sight to millions of travellers worldwide.

With a route network that currently spans over 90 destinations in 62 countries, Emirates will launch services to Cape Town on 30th March. The airline has also announced services to Kozhikode (Calicut) from 1st July.

Biman Bangladesh Airlines considers fleet order

2008-03-03T08:37:00.000-08:00

Biman Bangladesh Airlines confirmed it is considering bids from Boeing and Airbus for a total of 12 aircraft. A decision is expected by 15-Mar-08.

According to Reuters, Biman's Managing Director M. A. Moman stated, “we will evaluate both the offers soon and will make a decision, as we badly need aircraft to maintain flight schedules”.

A shortage of funds and aircraft forced Biman to suspend services to New York, Paris, Tokyo, Frankfurt, Brussels, Yangon and Mumbai in 2006.

The carrier reported a USD100 million net loss in the 12 months ended 30-Jun-07, due to rising fuel prices and weak passenger demand. The government has since launched an emergency rescue plan, which included transforming the carrier as a public company in Jul-07 and retrenching a large number of staff.

Biman currently operates to 19 international destinations with a fleet of 12 aircraft.

SpiceJet to launch international operations by 2010

2008-03-03T08:34:00.000-08:00

SpiceJet confirmed it was keen to launch international operations within the next three years, and is reportedly considering destinations with large migrant populations, such as the Gulf, Southeast Asia and Central Asia region.

Executive Chairman, Mr Siddhanta Sharma, confirms, “if the government relaxes the present rules, then we would fly even earlier, otherwise we plan to fly overseas by June 2010”.

India’s current policy stipulates Indian carriers must have five years’ operating experience in the domestic market before gaining rights to launch international routes.

SpiceJet plans to deploy a fleet of ten aircraft on initial international operations, and from 2013 will consider expanding this fleet, depending on the future environment.

Meanwhile, SpiceJet announced plans to launch operations from Visakhapatnam on 30-Mar-08. The carrier plans to launch daily services to Mumbai and New Delhi, and twice daily services to Hyderabad, using new B737 equipment

Visakhapatnam becomes the carrier’s 19th domestic destination in India.

Jazeera Airways to fly to Istanbul

2008-03-03T08:32:00.000-08:00

Jazeera Airways announced plans to operate a three times weekly, non-stop service from Kuwait to Istanbul, commencing from 29-Mar-08.

Jazeera Airways currently operates a fleet of six A320s and will increase its fleet size to 40 by 2014. The carrier now operates 26 non-stop services to destinations throughout the Middle East, North Africa, Europe, Iran and the Maldives from hubs in Kuwait and Dubai.

AirAsia X Gets Two New Investors

2008-02-17T00:55:00.000-08:00

Japanese leasing firm Orix and Bahrain-based Manara Consortium have taken a 20 percent stake in Malaysian budget long-haul carrier AirAsia X for MYR250 million ringgit (USD$77.26 million), the airline said on Thursday.

The airline, which counts British billionaire Richard Branson as a shareholder, said Manara, comprising four Saudi investment groups and Orix, would each receive 16.7 million new shares of AirAsia X.

"The share placement represents an important phase of AirAsia X's growth plans with proceeds raised from the transaction allowing the airline to fund aircraft orders already placed with Airbus and further fleet expansion," AirAsia X said in a statement.

The airline, 16 percent owned by Malaysian budget carrier AirAsia, has ordered 25 Airbus A350 planes.

Following the share placement, Aero Ventures, which is owned by AirAsia Chief Executive Tony Fernandes and his business associates, would hold 48 percent of AirAsia X and Britain's Virgin Group, controlled by Branson, a 16 percent stake.

AirAsia X, which currently flies from Kuala Lumpur to Australia's Gold Coast and Hangzhou in China, aims to fly 10 million passengers a year within five years and expects to list its shares on the Malaysian stock exchange by 2010. (Reuters)

Korean Air To Buy 3 More Airbus A380s

2008-02-17T00:54:00.001-08:00

Korean Air will purchase an additional three A380 superjumbo jets from Airbus on top of five jets it had earlier agreed to buy, a company official said on Wednesday.

The additional purchase by South Korea's largest carrier came through exercising an option contained in the original contract, the official added, but declined to give the value of the deal.

Delivery of the planes in the contract will start in 2010. (Reuters)

Tourism acting on climate and poverty imperatives

2008-02-17T00:44:00.000-08:00

The tourism sector has the potential to act effectively on the evolving common agenda of climate change response and the fight against poverty. UNWTO put forward this message during the thematic debate "Addressing Climate Change: The United Nations and the World at Work", at UN Headquarters in New York.

“This is the message that we took to the UN Conference on Climate Change in Bali. It fits into the road map laid out by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for the broader UN System Agenda. UNWTO’s position has evolved through a comprehensive preparation which started back in 2003 with a shared vision of three Agencies - UNWTO representing tourism, the United Nations Environment Programme representing environment and the World Metereological Organization representing science that we will need to act comprehensively on this issue. Throughout last year we brought together all the key Tourism players to draw up guidelines for a more climate conscious future and to support the MDGs”, said UNWTO’s Secretary-General, Francesco Frangialli. “The resultant “Davos Declaration Framework” gives us both principles and new directions for the task ahead.”

Throughout 2008 UNWTO will campaign for a constructive approach by the tourism industry – public, private and civil society – calling on them to work together to support the Davos Declaration Framework to help transform the sector to meet the climate and poverty imperatives. “Tourism Responding to the Challenges of Climate Change” has been designated as the theme for this year’s World Tourism Day, celebrated every September 27 around the world.

Tourism is one of the main services exports with a strong comparative advantage in the world’s poorest and emerging countries. These are markets that are growing at twice the rate of industrialized countries. At the same time our product is tied to climate and like other sectors we are green house gas contributors. Responsible growth patterns must now address economic, social, environmental and climate sustainability.

“This is the quadruple bottom line challenge which is at the heart of our campaign” according to UNWTO Assistant Secretary-General Professor Geoffrey Lipman who addressed the Assembly Session. “UNWTO will mobilize its more than 150 Member States and its Affiliate Members in the private, academic and destination communities, representing a network of thousands around the world in an effort to raise awareness of the magnitude of the challenge and contribute to the global response.”

Airport privatisation and environment: two leadership challenges for Japan

2008-02-17T00:40:00.000-08:00

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) delivered two leadership challenges to Japan: (1) to make the privatisation of Japan’s airports an example of global best practice and (2) to champion efforts towards a zero carbon emission industry at the upcoming G-8 Summit to be held in Japan.

Giovanni Bisignani, IATA’s Director General and CEO raised the challenges in a keynote speech hosted by the international business community in Japan.

Airport Privatisation

Amid the debate in Japan on caps for foreign ownership of Japan’s privatised airport assets, Bisignani said, “I don’t care who owns the airport. That is for politicians to decide. For the economy, an airport is important for what it delivers.”

Bisignani noted that airport performance is measured in three key areas. “Airports must deliver adequate capacity to ensure that markets are well served. They must ensure service levels that meet customer expectations. And they must do that at prices that reflect efficiency. It is not rocket science. It is just good business,” said Bisignani.

“Providing the right incentives is the most critical part of the privatisation process. We have seen too many privatisations fail because governments sold the crown jewels without appropriate guidance and incentives for the new owners. Effective and transparent economic regulation is in the interest of everybody, including the potential new owners. They will want to clearly understand what they are buying and what the expectations are. I look forward to working with the MLIT and the airports to ensure that the world’s largest airport privatisation to date will also be the most successful,” said Bisignani.

Environment

Aviation is 2% of global carbon emissions. IATA has aligned the industry with a four pillar strategy to address climate change: (1) invest in new technology, (2) fly planes effectively, (3) build and operate efficient infrastructure and (4) call for positive economic incentives to encourage improved fuel efficiency and a reduction in CO2 emissions. This strategy, along with a target to improve fuel efficiency 25% by 2020, was endorsed by the States of the International Civil Aviation Organization at their Assembly in September 2007.

“Now it is time for results,” said Bisignani. “Japan’s plans to implement performance based navigation systems at its top 20 airports by 2012 will reduce fuel burn by 2% and save 162,000 tonnes of CO2 annually. This is a great example of our strategy at work.”

In June 2007, IATA put forward a vision for air transport to achieve carbon neutral growth, leading to a zero carbon emission industry. “As the host of this year’s G-8 Summit, Japan must take a leadership role in the climate change debate. I encourage the Japanese government to push the G-8 leaders to aim high and build the political will to achieve a zero emission industry. We went from the Wright Brothers to the jet age in 50 years. If government and industry are aligned, I am convinced that together we can turn dreams into reality,” said Bisignani.

Thomas Cook trading for winter and summer 08 continues steady growth

2008-02-17T00:36:00.000-08:00

Thomas Cook trading for winter 07/08 and summer 08 continues to be encouraging and "we are in a strong position for the rest of the year", as the tour operator stated. The Board continues to look to the future with confidence. In the short term, the company is encouraged by the business’s performance since the year end and ongoing current trading.

"In the longer term, merger synergies of at least €200m provide a sound platform for the achievement of our target of at least €620m operating profit in 2009/10," said Thomas Cook.

Financial Performance

The unaudited Group operating loss before exceptional items and amortisation of business combination intangibles in the two months to December 2007 was reduced by €39.6m, or 27%, to €106.8m (2006 pro forma loss: €146.4m). The result for this period is in line with the company's expectations and reflects the seasonality of its business.

The improved Group operating result reflects costs savings and improvements in underlying margins, partially offset by increased costs of fuel. Significant year on year improvements were seen in the UK and Continental Europe with smaller improvements reported in Airlines Germany and North America. Northern Europe continued to perform strongly, in line with the prior year. Corporate costs were broadly flat year on year.

The improvement in the UK reflects cost savings achieved through the integration process. In Continental Europe, the company has seen a strong start to the year in Germany, with improvements in margins achieved and lower overhead costs than in the prior year.

In Airlines Germany, increased volumes in third party and seat only business have resulted in improved margins year on year. In North America, Thomas Cook has also achieved improved margins despite the continuing difficult trading conditions in Canada.

Operating exceptional items in the period were €9.9m, and largely reflect the continued integration of the UK businesses. Amortisation of business combination intangibles amounted to €14.9m.

Acquisition of hotels4U.com

The Group also announced that it has agreed to acquire the entire issued share capital of hotels4U.com Limited from Centurion Holiday Group Limited. The initial consideration, net of amounts to be reinvested by Haim Perry, MD of hotels4U and Jacky Bedlow, Finance Director, is £21.8 million payable in cash from internal resources. The management’s reinvestment is subject to earn out arrangements based on the profitability of hotels4U up to 2013.

Austrian resumes service to Erbil

2008-02-17T00:26:00.000-08:00

Three flights a week to Iraq from 2 April onwards, four flights a week from June.

For Austrian Airlines, the highest priority at all times is the safety of the passengers and employees of the company. Additional improvements for more security have been implemented during the last months together with the local authorities.

Having conducted a detailed examination of conditions in Iraq, and based on the security situation as it stands at present, Austrian Airlines will resume flights to Erbil from 2 April 2008 onwards. The situation in the region is still being continuously monitored in cooperation with the security authorities, enabling the company to act without delay in the event of any irregularities or changes in the situation.

Three flights a week (on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays) are planned for April and May and four a week (including Sunday) from June onwards. As a result, a direct service to Erbil will be reincorporated into the Austrian route network, opening up numerous new connecting flights for passengers.

Austrian Airlines was the first European airline to receive landing rights in Iraq. The route to Erbil, which was opened up on 11 December 2006, developed extremely positively.

Due to the strong demand at the time, it proved possible to expand the service from two connections a week at first to four connections a week. The flights had to be temporarily removed from the schedule from 24 August 2007 onwards following a reevaluation of the security situation.

From end-September 2008 onwards, the new Premium Service, in which the Business Class sections of four Airbus A320 will be equipped with 24 Business Sleeper Seats by Recaro, will also begin operating on the route to Erbil.

Features of the new service including 116 cm of legroom between seats, a pleasant angle of recline, electronically adjustable back- and footrests and an integrated massage function are guaranteed to provide relaxing travel conditions.

CAAS awards contract for upgrading of Changi Airport T1

2008-02-17T00:24:00.000-08:00

The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) has awarded the tender for the project to upgrade Singapore Changi Airport’s Terminal 1 to Takenaka Corporation. The upgrading works will commence in May 2008 and are scheduled to be completed in 2011. The works, at an estimated project cost of about $500 million, will rejuvenate the 27-yearold terminal and enhance the passenger experience at Changi Airport.

The concept for Terminal 1’s face lift is “Tropical City”. Works will refurbish the terminal’s interior design and finishes, as well as improve passenger flow at key areas. Areas to be upgraded include the exterior façade, Departure Kerbside, Departure Checkin Hall, Departure Transit Mall and Arrival Hall.

In line with the theme, the architectural and interior design will create a warm and familiar feeling for travellers. Landscaping will be integrated with the interior design to maintain the original warmth and welcoming ambience of the terminal.

On top of enhancing the aesthetics of the terminal, the processing capacity of key areas, such as the Departure Check-in Hall, will be improved. Older sections of the finger piers will be expanded and seating in the gate holdrooms enhanced.

As part of Terminal 1’s upgrading works, services and facilities offered will be improved. The building will also be expanded to allow for the provision of new passenger facilities while expanding the retail and F&B offering.

Director-General and Chief Executive Officer, CAAS, Mr Lim Kim Choon, said, “Many of us have fond memories of Terminal 1, which is synonymous with the birth of Changi Airport in 1981. It is timely for our grand old dame to get a refreshing makeover.”

He added, “Terminal 1’s upgrading is part of our infrastructure upgrade plans. With the recently renovated Terminal 2 and newly opened Terminal 3, Terminal 1’s face lift will ensure that all passengers at Changi Airport can enjoy the same exciting, vibrant and enjoyable Changi Experience.”

Changi Airport started operations with Terminal 1 in 1981.

ITB Berlin focuses on travel e-business

2008-02-17T00:23:00.000-08:00

Following the successful launch of Travdex@ITB in 2006 and PhoCusWright@ITB in 2007, Messe Berlin will offer, for the third year running, another information-packed technology programme in the context of the ITB Convention from the renowned market research and travel intelligence company, PhoCusWright Inc.

“The ongoing potential and impact of technology on global travel distribution is so significant,” says Michaela Papenhoff, Managing Director PhoCusWright in Europe, “that this year’s PhoCusWright@ITB is being dedicated to a confluence of forces: technology and business.”

A collection of keynotes, talkback round tables, case studies, executive interviews, ‘Five Minutes of Fame’ presentations, and points/counterpoints will cover essential trends and in-depth insights that surround the theme ‘Success in Travel E-Business’. “Getting technology right is mission critical to travel, tourism and hospitality success,” says Papenhoff.

With this novel, highly focused concept, PhoCusWright@ITB will take place from 5-6 March in Hall 7.1b, Auditorium London 3. The first ever PhoCusWright Bloggers Summit is scheduled for 5 March, while Thursday 6 March will be devoted entirely to the Success in Travel E-Business programme, from 10.15-18.15.

Online Travel Agency (OTA) leaders speak out

The conference kicks off with a candid Executive Roundtable involving the CEOs or similar high-level executives of some of the world’s leading OTAs – such as Opodo, Expedia, ebookers.com, eDreams and lastminute.com – moderated by Philip C. Wolf, President and CEO of PhoCusWright.

Discussions are focused on changing OTA business models, as well as transaction commissions and merchant fees, which are being challenged by a recently introduced ‘pay per click’ model. Industry leaders will share their points of view on these and other critical issues.

Another conference highlight will be Philip Wolf’s one-on-one interview with industry veteran, José Antonio Tazón, President and CEO of the global distribution system (GDS), Amadeus IT Group S.A. Tazón will share his two decades of experience at the helm of Amadeus, and his vision for the future, as well as talking about the success strategies adopted by Amadeus through changing times to ensure that the GDS maintains its former success in the global travel marketplace.

Re-inventing the holiday booking

Also generating widespread interest is the session on holiday travel, which will be preceded by a keynote presentation by John Kohlsaat, Regional General Manager, easyJet Airline Company. The low-cost carrier has entered the holiday market with easyJet Holidays, so the group’s strategies will be of particular relevance to other tour operators, representing industry peers such as TUI Travel, which will be participating in the ensuing panel discussions.

Among the other conference highlights, delegates will be able to compare and contrast travel strategies of Google and Yahoo, learn more about the evolution of metasearch and how it can influence their businesses, listen to experts talking about the implications of Travel 2.0 and 3.0, and gain insight about next-generation mobile travel applications. Travel industry start-up CEOs will also present executive summaries of their compelling business cases in sessions entitled: Five Minutes of Fame.

“The importance of this rich programme is that it calls for speakers to explain travel technology in business terms, for business people,” says Papenhoff. “Sales, marketing and business development professionals in the travel, tourism and hospitality industry will learn how to leverage technology developments for revenue gains, margin improvements and operational efficiencies.”

“The conference theme, Success in Travel E-Business, makes travel technology relevant for everybody!” says Papenhoff.

AIRPORT NEWS

2008-02-16T23:23:00.000-08:00

More drugs seized at Dublin

Irish customs officers at Dublin Airport yesterday (Thursday 14 February) seized 1kg of cocaine valued at US$100,000 (Euro 70,000) in a freight consignment from Canada. The drugs were reportedly concealed in a child’s toy house.

This latest seizure at the airport follows just one day after a 24 year-old UK national was arrested for trying to pass through the airport with 5.5kgs of cannabis, valued at US$97,000 (Euro 66,000). The passenger was remanded in custody.

Mysore upgrade in progress

The first phase of work to turn Mysore airport in India into an international facility will be completed by December this year, paving the way for international flights soon after. Civil works on the runways have already been completed and tenders have been invited for construction of the car parking area and terminal building.

The Karnataka state government has agreed to provide free electricity and water to the airport for the next five years, worth an estimated US$7.5million for the water supply and US$3.6million for the electricity.

The state will also provide the necessary 125-hectare of additional land required for the expansion and upgrading of the airport.

HKIA prepares gold depository

Right: Professor K. C. Chan

A gold depository being built at HongKong International airport will open later this year. According to Professor K. C. Chan, secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury Of HongKong Special Administration Region, the facility will be the third major gold depository in the world following the ones in USA and the UK, and will serve to boost Hong Kong’s status as a financial hub.

The precious metals depository will provide a central, secure storage facility for traders, institutional investors, gold producers and refineries, and will serve as a physical settlement platform for trades made on the Chinese Gold and Silver Exchange and other Asian markets. The depository will also minimise risk, and reduce settlement time, transportation and insurance costs for the industry.

The depository will initially be a wholly-owned subsidiary of the HongKong Airport Authority (AA), but the authority aims long-term to divest its holding to major users of the depository. To ensure that the depository’s services and physical infrastructure meet industry needs, the AA has established an advisory committee, which is chaired by AA finance director Raymond Lai.

HKIA officials claim the airport is well suited to the establishment of a precious metals depository because it has state-of-the-art security, handles a wide range of high-value cargo and serves 150 destinations worldwide, including 40 cities in mainland China, where demand for gold is expanding rapidly.

Left: A gold depository being built at HongKong International airport

Penang chooses SITA check-in

Penang International, Malaysia’s second largest airport has chosen SITA’s AirportConnect Open system for its passenger check-in service.

Dato’ Sri Chan Kong Choy, Malaysia’s transport minister says, “This agreement with SITA will ensure that our international airport in Penang – the pearl of the orient – will provide the highest levels of services not only to the passengers but to all the international airlines that use the airport.”

The installation at Penang International follows the introduction of advanced self-service facilities by SITA earlier this year at Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

Malaysia welcomed a record figure of close to 20 million overseas visitors during 2007.

AirportConnect Open is SITA's latest generation IATA CUTE-compliant common use passenger-processing system, which supports CUTE, proprietary and web applications on common use check-in and boarding gate workstations, with shared peripherals.

Elyes M’Rad, regional vice president SITA, says, “The adoption of AirportConnect Open at Penang International Airport will provide not only the airport, but its airline partners, greater operational flexibility and cost reductions because it is a solution that is both cost-effective and scalable. It is the perfect choice for this growing airport.”

In 2007, Penang airport handled more than 3.1 million passengers.

Frankfurt makes good start to year

Frankfurt Airport (FRA) reports a good start to the 2008, with passenger traffic rising by 3.7% in January. A total of 3,957,951 passengers used the FRA international air transportation hub last month.

A 4.6% rise in European traffic proved to be the major force driving growth in FRA’s passenger figures.

The Fraport Group’s six majority-owned airports (Frankfurt, Frankfurt-Hahn, Antalya, Lima, Burgas and Varna) served a total of 5,190,131 passengers in January 2008 - 3.9% more than in the same month last year.

Fraport to take over Bulgarian JV

BM Star, Fraport’s Bulgarian partner in the concession for the Black Sea airports of Varna and Bourgas, has decided to withdraw from the consortium.

The company transferred its shares to majority shareholder Fraport yesterday (14 February 2008) and Tihomir Trifonov, the executive director of the Fraport Twin Star airport management consortium, has stood down from the role.

The consortium won the concession for the Bourgas and Varna airports’ in September 2006, and last month announced a record-breaking 323.2% growth in the number of passengers serviced at Bourgas Airport, compared to the same month of last year.

The increase was caused mainly by the fog problems at Sofia Airport and the re-direction of flights to Bourgas. Varna Airport registered a 3% increase.

Kuwait Airways provides Ground Handling services for Royal Aviation

2008-02-16T23:20:00.000-08:00

Kuwait Airways signed an agreement to provide ground handling services for Royal Aviation at Kuwait International Airport, such as passenger and ramp services, engineering services, in addition to cargo handling services.

Kuwait Airways has also renewed some services at Kuwait International Airport, such as "Marahib" service, which provides a special service to travelers and starting from the arrival of the passenger to the airport, both during departures and arrivals.

Emirates invests in RFID trials at three airports

2008-02-16T23:14:00.000-08:00

Emirates Airline announced it is partnering with London Heathrow, Dubai International and Hong Kong International airports, to trial the latest RFID (radio-frequency identification) technology in baggage handling. Emirates will be investing close to AED 2 million, to test the effectiveness and benefits of RFID against the existing barcode tracking system.

The largest-ever trial of its kind for the airline industry, some half a million bags on Emirates flights will be tagged with RFID chips over the 6-month duration of the trial.

The Dubai-based airline hopes its investment will help revolutionise the way bags are tracked and monitored, and present innovative solutions to handle the increasing volumes of baggage every year as more people around the world use air travel more frequently.

Dale Griffith, Emirates’ Divisional Senior Vice President Airport Services said: "This is about embracing the latest technology for the benefit of our customers, and we are very glad to be able to embark on this extensive trial together with our airport partners. Our investment in this project is a small price to pay to give our customers greater peace of mind.

"Previous RFID trials by other parties on a smaller scale have shown that the technology almost eliminates scanner ‘misreads’, significantly improving the efficiency of the baggage system and customer experience. We are now applying this on a much larger scale at three major airport hubs, including Emirates’ Dubai home-base, thus allowing the trials to include most possible baggage handling scenarios, including international transit."

With 58 of the double-decked A380 aircraft entering Emirates’ service, each doubling the number of bags handled per aircraft, the airline is keen to find innovative technologies and new ways to improve baggage handling infrastructure and safeguard the level of trust of its customers.

Mr. Griffith added: "We look forward to sharing the results of this trial with IATA, who we know will be following developments closely. If this trial is as successful as we expect, Emirates will be encouraging airports across its network to embrace this technology. This could become a new industry standard for baggage handling."

RFID equipment has been installed at some of Emirates’ check-in desks at the three participating airports. During the trial, trained staff will apply tags containing RFID chips to bags as part of the normal check-in process. The chips contain stored information including the bag unique ID number and route. In addition to the embedded RFID chips, these tags will also continue to display the traditional bar code.

The chips are read as they pass through the airport’s baggage system, enabling effective sorting, security screening and delivery to the aircraft. Arriving bags are read on entry to the baggage system and receipted into the system for effective tracking. Essentially, the chips will enable bags to be tracked at every stage of their journey, and minimise the possibilities for mishandling baggage.

In the future, RFID technology could also make it possible for airlines to send a text-message alert to notify passengers the moment that their luggage has arrived on the baggage carousel - meaning customers will have one less thing to worry about as they begin their holiday or business trip.

Air India and Jet Airways in talks with Boeing for widebody aircraft orders

2008-02-16T23:10:00.000-08:00

(XFN-ASIA) US aircraft maker Boeing Co is in talks with India's Jet Airways and Air India over the sale of 60 wide-bodied aircraft, the Business Standard reported quoting company officials. The deals is expected to be valued at USD15 billion.

Dinesh Keskar, Boeing's senior vice-president (sales), told Business Standard, Jet Airways and Air India have firm orders with Boeing for deliveries until 2011 and they are planning beyond that because of expected market growth.

Air India is studying how many aircraft it requires and Jet Airways plans to acquire more wide-bodied aircraft as its international network expands, Business Standard said.

S Venkat, executive director (finance), Air India, told Business Standard the carrier will finalise orders in the next three months.
Jet Airways executive director, Saroj Datta, said the company will take a decision on the number of aircraft it will buy after studying the market situation.

Australia and United States reaches historical “open skies” agreement

2008-02-16T23:05:00.000-08:00

The Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, Anthony Albanese, announced that Australia and the United States have settled the terms of a new “open skies” air transport agreement.

Australian and US carriers will now be able to operate unlimited services between the two countries, via other countries and beyond to other countries without government interference.

Previously, new entrants to the route were only guaranteed four services weekly, making it difficult for new carriers to start services.

The new agreement will be effective immediately, pending formal approval of the new treaty by the respective Governments.

Key Features of the Agreement:
• Allow carriers unlimited number of services between any city in the two countries and beyond to other countries;
• Facilitate V-Australia’s plans to launch services on the route from late-08, subject to regulatory approvals. It will also make it easier for US carriers, or new Australian carriers, to enter the route, further building competition, and for Qantas and Jetstar to securely plan for future growth;
• Allow cargo only services to exercise seventh freedom rights, operating from the other country to a third country, without the need to pass through that carrier’s home country;
• Provide new opportunities for Australian carriers to transport US government travellers on certain categories of flights after Oct-08.

UK cuts visa price for Chinese tourists

2008-02-16T23:04:00.000-08:00

BEIJING – British Ambassador to China, Sir William Ehrman, made a parallel announcement here yesterday as Immigration Minister Liam Byrne announced in London that the UK is to substantially lower the price of its group tourist visa in China. It will be reduce from GBP63 (US$123.60) to GBP44 (RMB660 or US$91.70) for a pilot period of three months from March 3, 2008.

“Our growing relationship with China is of critical importance to UK. Outbound Chinese tourism is growing rapidly and we want the UK to be the destination of choice,” Byrne said.

'The visas system has rigorous controls but we also want to make it as easy as possible for people to visit the UK legally. We are developing a new group tourist visa and it is fitting that we are trialling the lower cost aspects of this in China,' he added.

Air India and Kingfisher to launch non-stop Bangalore-San Francisco services

2008-02-13T09:42:00.000-08:00

Air India and Kingfisher to launch non-stop Bangalore-San Francisco services
Air India announced plans to launch non-stop Bangalore-San Francisco service in Aug-08, using B777-300ER equipment. Kingfisher Airlines plans to launch international services on the same route on 27-Aug-08, with A340-500 equipment. Jet Airways is also reportedly considering launching Mumbai-San Francisco service via Shanghai. According to media reports, Executive Director Commercial, Jitender Bhargava, statedthe Bangalore-San Francisco route, “would connect India's silicon valley with the Silicon Valley of the US, which has a sizeable population of Indians.”

Kingfisher is yet to comment on Air India’s competitive move.

Air India currently operates one-stop services from India to Newark, Chicago, Los Angeles and New York JFK. The carrier also plans to offer more non-stop services to the US in the future, having expressed interest in launching services to Chicago, Newark, Boston, Dallas/Fort Worth and Delhi-Washington DC.

The carrier forecasts revenues from the India-US sector to grow 26% year-on-year to USD832 million for the 12 months ending 31-Mar-08.

However, according to CMD, V. Thulasidas, load factors on new non-stop US services are still quite low, especially in economy class. He earlier stated, “It is doing well in business class, reasonably well in first class, but it has not done very well in economy class”. He added, "perhaps it was because the economy segment looks for a better price, and we had priced it higher than our normal economy fares”.

UAE Company to launch regional Indian carrier in October 2008

2008-02-13T09:35:00.000-08:00

Emirates Trading Agency-Associated Construction (ETA-Ascon), a diversified UAE-based company, confirmed plans to launch a regional Indian based carrier in Oct-08, under a JV agreement. Local partner(s) were not disclosed.

According to IANS, ETA-Ascon’s Managing Director, Syed Salahuddin stated, “we have already got the license to start the airline. We are preparing for commercial launch around October 2008. It will be a regional airline… India provides the biggest opportunity for us and we see so much scope for growth”.

The upcoming carrier reportedly plans to establish a based in Chennai and/or Bangalore, and will launch services to South Indian destinations, including Madurai, Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Vizag.

The company is also currently in discussions with Embraer, Bombardier and ATR to acquire 70-90-seat regional jets to launch the carrier’s operations.

ETA-Ascon recently launched leasing company, Star Aviation, with a portfolio of eight aircraft.

ETA-Ascon was established in 1973, and is jointly owned by Dubai's Al Ghurair Group and a group of non-resident Indian business men. The company has a diverse range of business operations including, real estate, hospitality, cement production, steel manufacturing, retail, jewellery and food services.