Qatar Airways Launches Flights To Nagpur

Qatar Airways Flight QR288 from Doha arrives on its maiden journey to Nagpur to a firemen's salute welcome ceremony.

Nagpur, INDIA (24 September 2007) - Qatar Airways today celebrated the launch of scheduled flights to the central Indian city of Nagpur marking the airline's seventh destination in India.

The Civil Aviation Minister of India, the Honourable Praful Patel, was among the guests at Dr. Ambedkar International Airport in Nagpur to welcome the first flight and the airline's Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker who flew on the inaugural from Doha.

Flight QR288 touched down at the city's airport this morning to a welcome ceremony, which included Indian dancing and the symbolic traditional lighting of the lamp, seen as an auspicious occasion to herald launches.

Qatar Airways is the only full-service scheduled international airline from the Middle East flying to Nagpur. The launch of twice-weekly flights between Doha, capital of the State of Qatar, and Nagpur takes the airline's burgeoning network across India to 44 services a week.

The Nagpur route is being operated with an Airbus A320 aircraft in a two-class configuration of 12 seats in Business Class and 132 in Economy.

Lighting the symbolic diya at the official airport ceremony following the arrival of Qatar Airways' inaugural flight to Nagpur are from left: Maharashtra State Minister, Anil Deshmukh; Qatar Airways Regional Manager India, Naveen Chawla; Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer, Akbar Al Baker; Honourable Minister of Civil Aviation of India, Praful Patel; Air India Chairman and Managing Director, Vasudevan Thulasidas.

Qatar Airways is today one of the largest foreign airlines serving India with flights to seven cities - Nagpur, Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Trivandrum, Cochin and Hyderabad. With the launch of daily flights between Doha and Gujarat state's largest city of Ahmedabad in western India starting on December 12, Qatar Airways will reach a milestone 51 services a week linking Qatar with India.

Speaking on arrival in Nagpur, Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker said the city was a welcome addition to the airline's family of destinations across India.

"Following on from our highly successful daily Mumbai flights, Nagpur will become Qatar Airways' second gateway city in Maharashtra, giving our passengers greater choice," he said.

"From Europe, Middle East, Africa and North America - Nagpurians have an ample number of cities on these Continents to choose from and I look forward to welcoming our new passengers on our award-winning Five Star service to Doha and beyond.

"We are proud to put Qatar Airways firmly across the Indian map and delighted to say that India has the largest number of routes for Qatar Airways than any other country we currently serve."

Traditional rose petals are laid in front of Qatar Airways' official delegation headed by Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker, accompanied by the Honourable Minister of Civil Aviation of India, Praful Patel, during the airport arrival ceremony and press briefing in Nagpur

Al Baker applauded Praful Patel, India's Civil Aviation Minister, for his drive, commitment and personal endeavours over the years to open up the Indian aviation industry to greater competition, which he said was good for the travelling consumer.

Bilateral relations between Qatar and India, he explained, were strengthening and the additional routes only reinforced the commitment between both countries to strengthen their ties.

Located in the State of Maharashtra, Nagpur has a population of over two million people, has a rich farming belt and is India's orange-growing centre. International companies have begun looking at Nagpur as India's next base of technological excellence.

Nagpur is an extremely resource-rich region of Maharashtra offering tremendous business opportunities as it is also one of India's largest inland container transport hubs. A new economic zone and airport are being planned in the city.

Added Al Baker: "2007 has been a fantastic year for Qatar Airways with the launch of nine new destinations so far, including two Indian routes of Chennai earlier this year, and now, Nagpur. With Ahmedabad coming on line in December, Qatar Airways will further strengthen its position in the Indian market."

Pictured left to right: Qatar Airways' Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker, the Honourable Minister of Civil Aviation of India, Praful Patel and Maharashtra State Minister, Anil Deshmukh.

With the growth of the Indian economy into a potential global powerhouse and Qatar's drive to spread its economic wings, increasing air links between the two countries is of paramount importance to boost trade and commerce. Bilateral trade between India and Qatar has an estimated value of just US$1 billion, the majority represented by the export of $690m worth of Qatari liquid natural gas (LNG) to India.

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

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

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

DOHA - NAGPUR Schedules:

Route	Days	Flight Number	Departure	Arrival
Doha - Nagpur	Wed, Sun	QR288	2200	0430*
Nagpur - Doha	Mon, Thur	QR289	0535	0705

* Arrival the following day

Munich gets green light for Maglev link

Munich gets green light for Maglev link Munich Airport is set to be linked to its city by a high speed magnetic-levitation train service provided by Transrapid International, a consortium which includes ThyssenKrupp and Siemens.

The long-awaited go-ahead for the project follows yesterday’s agreement between the Bavarian state government, Germany’s rail operator Deutsche Bahn and Transrapid International.

The Transrapid service will be the first to operate commercially in Germany – though the system is already in regular service in Shanghai, China. When it opens in 2014, the Euro 1.85 billion project will provide a 10-minute link for the 37km journey between the city of Munich and its airport, which is one of the fastest growing in Europe.

Speaking last year, Dr. Michael Kerkloh, CEO of Munich Airport, said that Transrapid would eliminate the biggest shortcoming of the airport. “Our airport is poorly situated in terms of good connections. Due to the airport’s geographical location, there is no chance of getting a direct high-speed intercity rail link, the nearby highways are hopelessly congested and the commuter rail system is already stretched to capacity.”

Sri Lanka commits funds to Weerawila

Progress in the development of Weerawila International Airport in Sri Lanka has received a boost with the news that the government plans to finance the construction project from its own funds until an investor is found in the US$125 million project.

"Around 1,100 hectares of land at Weerawila has been earmarked for the project. However, we have permitted persons residing in the outskirts of the proposed airport to remain in their houses until the work begins," says Deputy Ports and Aviation Minister Sarath Kumara Gunaratne.

State-owned Airport and Aviation Services (AASL) will provide US$44 million towards the US$110 million cost of the first phase of the airport project, which will include a modern terminal, a 4,000m runway and parking spaces for up to eight aircraft, including the giant Airbus A380.

Weerawila International Airport is due to open in 2009, and is expected to function mainly as a hub for planes flying to Europe via Southeast Asia.

A second phase in which the capacity of the airport will be increased to 14 aircraft is expected to be completed by 2011.

Frankfurt terminals to go non-smoking

The State of Hesse Non-smoker Protection Act will also apply to Frankfurt Airport with effect from 1 October. Both passenger terminals will become non-smoking facilities and the “smoking islands” currently located in the departure and arrival halls will be removed.

Passengers and visitors in the public areas will have to go outside the terminal to smoke. Smoking areas with ashtrays will be available at all entrances and exits to the terminals.

Airport operator Fraport is considering installing five glass-enclosed smoking cubicles with ventilation and carbon-filter systems in the transit areas of Terminals 1 and 2.

Swissport’s Tanzania monopoly set to end

Tanzania’s Civil Aviation Authority will this December liberalise the country’s airport services, including the passenger handling, cargo and aircraft services currently handled by Swissport Tanzania.

Swissport Tanzania is listed on the Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange and has operated an exclusive contract in the country since 1984. In the past six months, Swissport handled 8,100 flights and 11,609 tonnes of cargo.

TCAA says, “A general agreement emerged that the liberalisation of ground handling services is desirable and in line with existing policies.”

TCAA is expected to spend the next few months assessing and identifying key infrastructure facilities that prospective airport operators would be required to install within a year.

Air India approached for land deal in Mumbai

Air India approached for land deal in MumbaiAir India approached for land deal in Mumbai Mumbai International Airport (MIAL), the joint venture between the GVK-South African airports and Airports Authority of India (AAI), has approached Air India to acquire land for the proposed integrated terminal at the Mumbai airport. This latest move follows MIAL’s decision to cancel plans for a second runway at the airport, as set out in the airport master plan, due to difficulties in acquiring land around the existing airport.

“It makes sense to have an integrated terminal,” says an MIAL spokesperson. “It’ll be convenient for transit passengers as they won’t have to go from one end to another end of the airport. Hence, we are talking with Air India for land. In fact, that land belongs to the airport, but is in the possession of the airline.”

MIAL previously planned to have two terminals, one at Sahar for international traffic and the other at Santa Cruz for domestic passengers. The new plan calls for an integral terminal for both international as well as domestic passengers, while Santa Cruz would be used for dedicated cargo handling. The proposed terminal would have an annual capacity of 40 million passengers.

The new plan forms part of the airport’s US$1.7 billion master plan prepared by Netherlands Airport Consultants due to be rolled out in phases over the next 10 years. It must be approved by India’s civil aviation ministry before work can proceed.

British top EU airports complaints league

British airline passengers are the unhappiest in the European Union, according to a new study by the European Commission. The research looked at the number of complaints made to regulators in the union’s member states. Over a third of the 18,000 complaints recorded came from people flying through British airports.

A total of 6,080 complaints were made to the Airport Users Transport Council by British-based travellers in a 12-month period ending in 2006. That compares with 2,700 complaints made to the regulator in France and only 1,589 complaints made in Germany.

The reports authors predict that the British regulator is likely to attract more complaints in the current year following well-documented increases in flight delays and baggage losses at the country’s airports.

The most frequent causes for complaint in Europe were flight delays and flight cancellations. However, there was a preponderance of complaints from British passengers demanding compensation for being booked onto over-booked flights.

US Could Limit Flights At New York's JFK

Reuters - The US government has taken the first step toward possibly limiting flights as early as next summer at New York's John F. Kennedy Airport, one of the busiest and one of the worst for delays and congestion.

The Federal Aviation Administration has taken the rare early step of asking major carriers for their JFK scheduling information for next spring and summer, according to a regulatory notice obtained by Reuters.

A similar request also was sent to airlines at New Jersey's Newark Airport, another location hit hard by delays this year.

Airlines must respond to both requests by October 11.

The FAA only reviews schedule information this far in advance at a handful of airports nationally, and only controls flight operations at two, New York LaGuardia and Chicago O'Hare.

"We want to determine if there will be periods where scheduling exceeds capacity," said FAA spokeswoman Laura Brown.

The scheduling request, Brown said, does not mean the agency has decided to limit flight operations.

But the FAA said in its notice to airlines: "This could result in operational limits during peak hours."

JetBlue Airways is based at JFK and Delta Air Lines operates two terminals there. In a statement, JetBlue said it supported FAA efforts aimed at "getting ahead of congestion" and encouraged the agency to immediately convene a meeting of airlines to discuss scheduling.

"We look to their leadership to help resolve congestion issues," JetBlue said.

American Airlines operates international and some domestic service at Kennedy. United Airlines has significantly reduced its presence at JFK.

The International Air Transport Association, which represents international carriers, said the status quo of delays was not acceptable, noting that airlines waste fuel and emit more emissions if arrival and departure times are extended. About 100 international carriers serve JFK.

"By reviewing schedules in advance, we hope this will help FAA and Port Authority improve efficiency and better plan for the peak operations next summer," an IATA spokesman said.

Flight delays and departures are on a record pace for 2007, prompting consumer dissatisfaction and congressional attention to airline service.

Airlines are trying to maximize revenues to keep their modest recovery on track and would not welcome government interference. Carriers argue they are just meeting demand and that other aviation operations, like corporate jets, play a role in congestion, especially in New York.

Major airlines nationally operated more than 4.3 million flights for the first seven months of 2007, and reported 1.08 million delays. More than 106,000 flights have been canceled. In July alone, airlines scheduled a record number of flights, more than 647,000.

Airline operations at JFK jumped 23 percent between October 2006 and July 2007 compared to the same period a year earlier, Transportation Department figures show.

Average daily arrivals with delays greater than one hour at JFK increased 114 percent and the airport's on-time arrival rate fell from 69.7 percent to 61.2 percent. JFK's arrival rate in July alone was the worst of any major airport, 57 percent.

Marion Blakey, whose term as FAA administrator ended earlier this month, said in a speech before she left office that airlines needed to "take a step back" on scheduling, especially in the East, or the FAA could intervene.

According to the notice, the FAA wants to review scheduling between March and November 2008, particularly during the 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. and the 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. slots. Those periods are peak times for business travel.

SAS Q400s Grounded For At Least Another Week

Reuters - Scandinavian airline SAS said on Tuesday it expected its fleet of Dash 8-400 aircraft to remain grounded for at least another week after crash landings earlier this month due to undercarriage failures.

"We estimate that the required inspections and replacements of components will keep our Q400 (aircraft) on the ground for at least another week," SAS said in a statement.

SAS, which has cancelled hundreds of flights since September 12, has said grounding the 27 planes, made by Canadian firm Bombardier, costs up to SEK15 million kronor per day.

Last week, the Danish Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) said the flight ban on SAS's Dash 8-400 aircraft would be lifted gradually as each plane is inspected.

The CAA currently holds the rotating chairmanship of Scandinavian aviation authorities, which also include Sweden and Norway. Half of SAS is owned by the governments of Sweden, Denmark and Norway.

Cathay Says China Eastern Deal Halted

Reuters - Cathay Pacific Airways said on Monday it had wanted to enlist the parent of Air China to buy a slice of rival China Eastern but the deal would no longer go ahead.

Cathay, Asia's No. 3 carrier, said it had planned to team up with China National Aviation Holding Co to buy into China Eastern, which would have scuppered an agreed USD$918 million joint acquisition by Singapore Airlines and Temasek Holdings.

Analysts said Cathay feared competition from Singapore Airlines on its lucrative Chinese network.

Cathay did not explain why it had withdrawn its proposal, and did not give details of the intended purchase, which it said never got to the stage where it had to submit a proposal to China Eastern.

Executives were not available for comment.

Cathay said its shares, which were halted from Friday, would resume trading on Tuesday. They had gained 12.4 percent over the past week before the trading halt.

Singapore Air's shares ended Monday 0.53 percent higher.

Speculation of a Cathay-Air China investment in China Eastern had been spurred by newspaper reports and analysts' comments, which had buoyed stock in Cathay and the Chinese airlines involved.

China Eastern's shares, following a 50 percent gain last week, did a Monday afternoon about-turn as analysts cast doubt on the probability of a deal. The shares fell 10.5 percent after an 8 percent rally to a record earlier on Monday.

"It seems investors estimated the Cathay deal was only a rumour," said Castor Pang, a strategist with SHK Financial. "The rumour pushed the stock price up too high."

Air China confirmed Cathay's proposed deal, and also said it would not go ahead, at least in the next three months. It did not elaborate. Its shares, suspended from last Friday, would also resume trading on Tuesday.

Talk of a deal had ranged from a bidding war between Cathay and SIA to a government-led takeover of China Eastern.

Newspapers, including the South China Morning Post and the Wall Street Journal, cited sources as saying a concrete investment was imminent.

Air travel is booming in China, fuelled by double-digit rates of economic growth, international tourist and business travel and Beijing hosting next year's Olympic Games.

The sector had been devoid of major foreign investment until Cathay and SIA both engineered deals.

Singapore Airlines and government-run Temasek, a keen investor in China with a USD$108 billion global portfolio, this year proposed buying a combined 24 percent of China Eastern for USD$918 million. The deal awaits regulatory approval.

Cathay led an acquisition of mainland-focused Dragonair.

"Chinese carriers are under pressure amid a rapid open-sky policy taken by the authorities, and investors can help them speed up reform and improve standards," said an analyst at a European bank. Other Chinese airline stocks have also gained in the past week amid talk of consolidation or overhaul of the sector.

Aeroflot Not Considering Buying Alitalia

Reuters - Aeroflot is not considering buying Italian airline Alitalia at the moment and is inclined to drop the idea entirely, Deputy General Director Lev Koshlyakov said on Tuesday.

Aeroflot has said it wanted to see new, more attractive terms before deciding whether to bid for the Italian company.

Companies and associations call on Congress to strengthen America's economy and image abroad

More than 70 leading American companies and business organizations urged Congress to pass the "Travel Promotion Act of 2007" (S. 1661 and H.R. 3232). In a letter to all Members of Congress, an extraordinarily diverse group of organizations highlighted the economic and public diplomacy benefits of better communicating America's travel policies and competing for international visitors. "Support for travel promotion is vast and growing," said Geoff Freeman, executive director of the Discover America Partnership. "At no cost to the American taxpayer, the Travel Promotion Act of 2007 creates a true public-private partnership that can position the United States to welcome millions of additional visitors each year."

Since September 11, 2001, the United States has experienced a 17 percent decline in overseas travel, costing America $94 billion in lost visitor spending, nearly 200,000 jobs and $16 billion in lost tax revenue. The "Travel Promotion Act" would help reverse travel declines by placing the United States on a level playing field with its global competitors who often spend tens of millions of dollars recruiting visitors.

Oxford Economics projects that a $100 million promotion program would result in at least 1.6 million new overseas visitors per year, $8 billion in new visitor spending and $850 million in new federal tax revenue, at no cost to the America taxpayer.

ARINC introduces flight planning for mobile devices

ARINC DirectSM announced the addition of wireless mobile flight planning to its portfolio of services for business jet operators. According to the company, the new service, ARINC Direct MobileTM, is designed for pilots and flight departments who want to create and submit flight plans using portable BlackberriesTM or other personal wireless devices.

ARINC Direct Mobile service is available immediately, and offers most of the features of ARINC’s standard web-enabled flight planning service. Customers using the mobile interface can create and file flight plans, view their planned route of flight with weather radar overlays, update a departure time, retrieve text weather, or view the status of flight plans in their account. They can also create, and fax or e-mail a trip kit.

“Our Web interface only requires an Internet connection and access to a computer, and we process thousands of plans a day. But many customers have been asking for a wireless device option, to make last-minute changes or check on status when they cannot get to a computer,” stated Bob Richard, ARINC Direct Senior Director. “We wanted to be responsive to our customers’ needs and decided to dedicate a development team to accelerate our implementation schedule. Our beta version has just completed several weeks of successful testing with a select group of customers, and this feature is now available to everyone.”

Swiss names regional jet under local city in Switzerland

Swiss's Avro RJ100 HB-IXR has been named "Lufingen", coinciding with the town's current 850th anniversary celebrations. Lufingen is the first airport community to have its name and coat of arms borne by an aircraft of Swiss's European fleet. With the actual aircraft required for revenue-earning service, Rudolf Schumacher, Swiss's Head of Sales Switzerland, presented a model of the Avro RJ100 which will now bear the Lufingen name and crest to Jurg Badertscher, the present mayor, as part of the local Zurich Airport community's 850th anniversary celebrations. The Avro is the first aircraft of the Swiss European fleet to acquire the name of a local community around one of Switzerland's main airports under Swiss's new aircraft naming concept. Six of the company's long-haul jets have so far been named after Swiss cantonal capitals. Having previously given them names of Swiss mountains, the carrier has now adopted a policy of naming its long-haul aircraft after the capitals of the country's cantons. Under the same policy, the company's European aircraft are to bear the names of local communities around Switzerland's three main airports of Zurich, Basel and Geneva, along with those of selected Swiss tourist destinations.