Qantas launches carbon offset program

The Qantas Group launched a Carbon Offset Program, backed by a pledge to offset the carbon emissions of every international and domestic Qantas, QantasLink and Jetstar flight on 19 September - the first day of the Program`s operation.

The Chief Executive Officer of Qantas, Mr Geoff Dixon, said Fly Carbon Neutral Day would involve almost 950 flights carrying over 100,000 passengers across the Group`s worldwide network.

"Qantas will pay to offset the equivalent of approximately 40,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases associated with these flights, with the money to be used to plant and maintain around 90,000 Mallee Eucalyptus trees across Australia in an agreement with CO2 Australia," Mr Dixon said.

"These trees will not only sequester carbon from the atmosphere but will also aid in the prevention of salinity, erosion and soil degradation and provide income for farmers."

Mr Dixon said that under the new program, Qantas and Jetstar passengers could elect to offset their share of flight emissions by making a small contribution through qantas.com and jetstar.com.

"We have undertaken a full Life Cycle Assessment of all operations, calculating the emissions associated with carrying a passenger from one point to another. An online calculator assesses data about the flight sector and automatically advises customers of their emissions and the cost of offsetting them. We have also committed to offsetting the emissions for all staff travelling for business purposes as well as those generated by the Group`s ground transport vehicles," added Mr. Dixon.

"All contributions will go towards Australia-based Greenhouse FriendlyTM approved abatement programs, which may include energy efficiency measures, generation of renewable energy and tree planting projects. These programs have been independently verified and subsequently authenticated by the Commonwealth Government`s Australian Greenhouse Office and either remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere or avoid their release in the first place."

Mr Dixon said the Qantas Group was focused on achieving a carbon dioxide savings target of more than two million tonnes by June 2011 through a range of environmental initiatives.

He said that in addition to its Carbon Offset Program, the Qantas Group was committed to driving improvements in fuel efficiency as a world leader in the development and application of technological innovation.

"Under our $25 billion fleet investment program, we are taking advantage of the latest airframe and engine designs, with both the B787 and A380 set to deliver improved fuel efficiency and reduced emissions in the range of 10 to 25 per cent."

Mr Dixon said other technology-based and operational initiatives included:

• the establishment of a dedicated, business-wide Environment and Fuel Conservation department, which was working to deliver sustainable carbon dioxide emission reductions, with 130,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide saved in 2006/07 through its fuel conservation program alone, equivalent to the removal of 30,000 cars from Australian roads



• the use of Required Navigation Performance (RNP) advanced satellite navigation procedures that utilise Global Positioning System (GPS) technology to optimise flight approach and departure tracks


• the development of User Preferred Routes, enabling the airline to alter its flight paths where possible to make the best use of higher level wind patterns


• the introduction of Variable Cost Index Flight Planning to ensure aircraft operate at optimal speed, based on daily variation in wind, temperature and weight - maximising efficiency and reducing fuel burn and emissions.

He said Qantas would continue its focus on existing conservation strategies relating to energy, water, and waste usage in all areas of the operation - inflight and on the ground.

Finnair adds ARINC seatback messaging on new long-haul jets

Finnair, the national flag carrier of Finland, has asked its satellite solutions provider ARINC to deploy the ARINC seatback SMS / e-mail messaging service on Finnair’s newest A340 aircraft, used on Asian routes. The service is now operational on Finnair’s two newest A340’s, which were delivered in May and June, and ARINC will deploy the service on additional A340s after delivery in 2008.

Finnair joins five other airlines offering ARINC’s seatback messaging solution, with more airlines to be announced imminently. ARINC’s seatback messaging solution is a joint initiative of ARINC and Panasonic which runs on Panasonic’s 2000e, 3000, 3000i and latest eX2 platforms. Seatback messaging allows airline passengers to stay in touch with the ground by exchanging simple e-mails and SMS text messages using Panasonic’s In-Flight Entertainment handsets and seatback screens already installed on the aircraft.

Finnair, with its hub strategically located in Helsinki, is enjoying strong 30% annual traffic growth on its ten Asian routes. It is currently renewing its long-haul fleet with the new wide-body A340s.

“ARINC congratulates Finnair on its vision and its success in expanding service between Europe and Asia,” stated Ed Montgomery, ARINC Managing Director. “ARINC`s experience indicates seatback messaging is a convenience very much appreciated by passengers on today’s long international flights.”

“Finnair is pleased with the initial response of our customers to ARINC’s seatback messaging service,” stated Lohimaki Tero, Finnair, Director IFEC and Cabin Interiors. “We believe by allowing passengers to stay in touch during long flights we can make a positive contribution to their overall comfort and customer satisfaction.”

Durban International prepares for 2010 World Cup

As predicted in PassengerTerminalToday.com, work has officially started on a new international airport in Durban to cope with the expected influx of tourists for the 2010 World Cup.

South African transport minister Jeff Radebe says the new airport will be able to handle 7.5 million passengers annually and accommodate long-haul and the largest new generation commercial passenger aircraft. "The work we are doing here should bury whatever doubts that might still exist about our state of readiness for hosting the 2010 Soccer World Cup," he said at a ceremony marking the start of construction and the start of a 1,000-day countdown to the tournament.

King Shaka International airport is being constructed by the Ilembe consortium, led by Group Five and Wilson Bayly Holmes-Ovcon. The Indiza group, which included Grinaker-LTA.

Officials are playing down suggestions that the Indiza consortium, led by Grinaker-LTA, will challenge the tender award in the courts. Radebe says the contract was fairly awarded to the Illembe consortium. "It is now all systems go for the construction," he said.

Rohan Persad, CEO of Dube Tradeport, which awarded the contract, says, “It is not a threat at all.” He says the consortium lodged a dual application and that Dube Tradeport is prepared to defend its decision in court.

South Africa is undergoing a major overhaul of its transport system in preparation for the World Cup, which it hopes will act as a catalyst for economic growth and a boom in tourism. The airports at Johannesburg and Cape Town are being expanded, new roads are being built and rail links upgraded in a package costing more than US$5.6 billion.

Golden triangle services before year end

By the end of the year, business executives will be able to fly on a so-called ‘golden triangle’ of direct routes between the main business centres in China, Japan and Korea. Services between Tokyo's Haneda Airport and Shanghai's Hongqiao Airport will begin on 29 September, while flights to Seoul's Kimpo Airport will begin shortly.

There will be four exchange flights between Haneda Airport and Hongqiao Airport every day. Two Japanese carriers, JAL and ANA, and two Chinese Carriers, China Eastern and Shanghai Airline, will operate the flights.

Hongqiao International Airport (SHA) is located only 13km from Shanghai's city centre, and central Tokyo is 16km, or just under 30 minutes, from Haneda Airport. "Most of the passengers are travelling on business," says a representative of ANA Sky's business department.

Interestingly, both Hongqiao and Haneda are domestic airports. Hongqiao switched to domestic flights when Pudong Airport was finished in 1999.

Monkey business in New Delhi

Airport officials in New Delhi were forced to close the VIP lounge and security area for more than an hour when a monkey scampered into the international departures terminal. Wildlife experts were called upon to capture the animal, and they used fruit to lure it into a net. The animal reportedly entered the building through a hole in the ceiling during construction work.

Phuket Airport reopens after crash

Phuket International Airport has reopened following Sunday's crash of a budget passenger airliner in which 89 people were killed and more than 40 injured. More than a thousand passengers were stranded at the airport after the crash, and services were suspended Sunday afternoon. The crashed plane, which was operated by Thai budget carrier One-Two-Go, skidded off a runway at Phuket International Airport during a landing attempt in heavy rain and strong crosswinds.

Gulf Air heralds new aviation era for the Kingdom

Bahrain`s aviation achieved a new milestone as the Kingdom`s flag carrier Gulf Air made its first flight with a Bahrain registered aircraft. Flight GF056, operated by Airbus A340 under the Bahraini registration A9C-LB, flew to Mumbai, India on the maiden voyage under the command of Bahraini Gulf Air Captain Nabeel Al Khayyer.

Bahrain Finance Minister H.E. Shaikh Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Khalifa with Gulf Air Board Chairman Mahmood Al Kooheji and Civil Aviation Undersecretary Captain Abdulrahman Al Gaoud with other senior Civil Aviation and Gulf Air Management officials at the airport to see first Bahrain-registered Gulf Air aircraft take off.

"This is a milestone for the Kingdom of Bahrain, and it also reflects the commitment of the whole country towards the flag carrier," says Gulf Air Board Chairman Mahmood Al Kooheji.

"After the successful implementation of the new network, Gulf Air adds Bahrain`s aircraft registration as another milestone in its flight plan to success." "We want to thank everyone involved in the aircraft registration process, especially the Civil Aviation team, working under the guidance of H.H. Shaikh Ali bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, and headed by Captain Abdulrahman AlGaoud for their outstanding support and professionalism to make this happen," says Gulf Air Board Chairman Mahmood Al Kooheji.

"I also want to extend my sincere appreciation to Gulf Air employees for their hardwork, dedication and commitment to bring in a new era for our airline," says Mr. Al Kooheji, who also expressed gratitude to the Sultanate of Oman for making the start of this registration process, a smooth transition.

Gulf Air`s acting Chief Executive Bjorn Naf echoed similar remarks and signaled a positive direction for Gulf Air.

"Gulf Air is the most established carrier in the region and this milestone will see the beginning of more positive things to come," says Mr. Naf.

"We are thankful to the entire team, which has made this changeover happen in a record time," says Mr. Naf, adding that the re-registration process for the entire Gulf Air fleet will be completed by the end of the year.

Swissport and easyJet conclude ground handling agreement for Zurich Airport

Swissport International has concluded a new collaboration agreement with easyJet for the provision of ground services at Zurich Airport. Under the new accord, Swissport Zurich will handle some 12 flights a week for the rapidly-growing low-cost carrier from September 18 onwards.

EasyJet will initially operate two services a day on its new Zurich-London (Luton) route. Following the example of their developing bases at Basel & Geneva, the company could potentially further expand its Zurich-based network, and operate daily services to various destinations throughout Europe.

“We’re very pleased to have concluded our new Swissport agreement,” says Jean-Marc Thevenaz, Managing Director of easyJet Switzerland. “Our collaborations at Basel and Geneva and elsewhere in Europe have been very fruitful; and it’s these positive experiences that have prompted us to put our faith in Swissport’s quality handling product for our new Zurich operations.”

“We welcome this extension of our easyJet collaboration,” adds Adrian Melliger, Swissport International’s Senior Vice President Ground Handling Switzerland & Germany. “And we’re delighted that the excellence of our value-for-money services elsewhere has convinced our partner to make use of them in Zurich, too.”

The low-fare segment remains extremely popular among air travellers, as its above-average growth continues to confirm. By 2010, one European passenger in three is expected to be travelling with a budget airline.

Changi Airport breaks record in international airport survey

In the latest poll conducted among business travellers in the United Kingdom and Europe, Singapore Changi Airport is lauded the ‘Best Airport in the World’ for 20 consecutive years. Changi Airport has held this title since 1988, making it the longest reigning champion in the history of this survey. Business Traveller (United Kingdom/Europe) magazine, which conducted the annual readers’ poll, presented the award to Changi at a ceremony in London on 17 September 2007.

Just three days ago at the 2007 Business Traveller Asia-Pacific Awards ceremony, Changi clinched the ‘Best Airport in the World’ award for 16 years in a row, and another ‘Best Airport Duty Free in the World’ title, which it has held for the past 10 consecutive years. The Middle East edition of Business Traveller magazine also accorded Changi its fourth ‘Best Airport in the World’ award in April this year,

Besides maintaining a strong foothold in long-running surveys, Changi performed equally well in newer surveys. In a poll organised by two-year old UltraTravel, a British upmarket travel publication, Changi topped the charts when the magazine’s readers voted it the ‘Best Airport Worldwide’. An award was presented to Changi at The Ultras awards ceremony held in May 2007.

Changi also receives recognition for its efforts in its retail offerings. This year is the second time that saw Changi winning two ‘Airport Authority withthe Most Supportive Approach to Travel Retail’ awards from Duty Free News International & Travel Retailer International. One was presented at the Raven Fox Global Travel Retail Award while another at the Raven Fox Awards for Travel-Retail in Asia/Pacific 2007.

Other than these awards, Changi has also won best airport awards given out by two UK magazines - Buying Business Travel and Wanderlust, and two Asia Pacific publications – DestinAsian and Cargonews Asia. This brings to total 11 best airport awards so far this year.

Reflecting on Changi’s awards record, Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore’s Director-General and Chief Executive Officer, Mr Lim Kim Choon said, “Changi’s consistent performance in many of these international airport surveys may not surprise most people. Winning these awards is an endorsement that we are doing most things right. Nonetheless, we are also aware that there are areas we can do better and we are seeking ways to continuously improve our service standards and facilities further.”

Dubai Metro Trains to undergo dynamic tests in Japan

On the progress of trains manufacturing in Japan, the first two trains are expected to complete manufacturing by early September'07.

These trains will then undergo train functional tests like Auxiliary Power Supply, Air Supply, Brake, Air-conditioning and Doors systems under both static and dynamic conditions.

Adnan Hammadi, Director of Rail Construction Projects, Rail Agency, said, "Another important milestone in September will be the starting of Train dynamic tests where the propulsion and brake systems will be tested at the factory's test track in Osaka, Japan. This initial dynamic test will be carried out at slow speed in anticipation for the November'07 dynamic tests in Mihara, Japan where the train will be tested at up to 60km/h."

These tests will be witnessed by project Consultants and Independent Safety Assessor, in ensuring the train's compliance to the project contractual and safety requirements.

"These tests are carried out in order to ensure that the train and its equipment are compliant to the project specifications and international best practices. The trains will also be fully tested for noise, vibration, Electromagnetic Compatibility compliance as well as for Dubai environmental conditions. The train equipment suppliers of Dubai MetroDubai Metro train are well-known internationally for their railway products," he added.

The 1^st train is envisaged to be delivered to Dubai in Mar'08. While the remaining 43 trains will be delivered to Dubai by the last quarter of 2008 in preparation for passenger service commencement in Sept'09."

International Hospitality Furniture Expo 2007 meets expected demand for high-end hospitality furnishings in the gulf region

Bahrain - The recently concluded International Hospitality Furniture Expo 2007 (IHFEX 2007) was reaffirmed the potential of a dedicated furniture trade show targeted at the hospitality industry of the Gulf region, with active participation from leading, high-end furniture contract manufacturers from Asia and the Middle East.

Held from 3^rd to 5^th September at the Bahrain International Exhibition Centre, IHFEX 2007 featured 18 leading furniture makers and interior fit out specialists from Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates. In addition, high profile contract manufacturers from Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong and Indonesia also showcased their latest designs during the exhibition.

According to Mr Tony Chan, Project Director, IHFEX 2007, "We are pleased that the inaugural IHFEX 2007 had achieved success, attracting some 300 buyers from the GCC, with exhibitors responding that the event was a small yet targeted platform for their products and services."

One of the exhibitors, Mr Andrew Ng, Managing Director, Getz Bros. & Co. (S) Pte Ltd, said, "For an inaugural show, I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the buyers who visited the show. The feedback I had from some of these buyers was that they felt the show could be very useful for them, as it is the only trade show in the region dedicated to hospitality furniture contract manufacturing. I am convinced that the next edition of the show will be much improved in terms of the size of the show, the contents, and the visitor attendance."
Another exhibitor, Mr. Chesley Masias, Managing Director, Classique Furnishings Pte Ltd, commented, "Our products are unique and specially designed to cater to this niche market segment. We have some very positive projects and retail leads to follow up after the show. Although the exhibition was small in size, it's the quality as opposed to quantity of buyers that was important and I am confident that the future shows will be better received."

Catering to the hospitality industry, an interesting array of exquisite furniture pieces and accessories were displayed, which included bedding and bathroom amenities, closets and woodworks, fabrics and carpets, tile and flooring coverings, lightings and fixtures, as well as winning products of the Furniture Design Award, which was organised by the Singapore Furniture Industries Council.

The Organisers also hosted 35 buyers from KSA, Qatar, UAE, Kuwait and Oman. A profile breakdown revealed that this niche event attracted high-level decision makers who were property owners, developers, architects and interior designers.

One of the more prominent buyers at the show, Mr. Anthony Ow, General Manager-Gulf Region, Ascott International Management, Dubai, said, "We are the largest global serviced residence operator in Asia Pacific, Europe and the Gulf Region and have ambitious plans in the MENA region. The quality and standards of products and services offered at the recent IHFEX fits very well with the expectation level of the group."

According to another buyer present during IHFEX 2007, Mr. Vahe Tutunjian, Architect & Managing Director, Bin Ghanim Consulting, Qatar, "Having attended various shows in this region, it was refreshing to see new exhibitors with such high-end quality products and services. I will consider furnishing my upcoming projects with these products."

IHFEX 2007 was jointly organised by Singapore-based MP Congress & Exhibitions Pte Ltd and International Furniture Fair Singapore Pte Ltd (IFFS). It was endorsed by the Bahrain and supported by the Bahrain Ministry of Industry and Commerce Exhibition and Convention Authority and the Singapore Furniture Industries Council.

One-Two-Go`s plane crashed at Phuket International Airport

Ninety people killed and 42 injured yesterday, when One-Two-Go`s plane crashed at Phuket International Airport, while landing in heavy rain and low visibility. The plane, a McDonnell Douglas MD-82, had taken off from the Thai capital, Bangkok, with 130 passengers and crew members, to the famous tourist resort Phuket.

Almost half of the passengers were Thai, while the rest were from Australia, France, Holland, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Sweden and Great Britain. According to the airline`s list of dead passengers, which was obtained by The Associated Press, all the passengers from France, Sweden, Iran and Australia were killed, as well as the plane`s Indonesian pilot and Thai co-pilot.

Today, Thai`s authorities found the two flight data recorders from the plane, but as they claimed it`s too early to talk about what went wrong and caused the crash. Black boxes would be sent for analysis to experts in United States.

IMEX announces sustained growth

Following sustained year-on-year growth since its inaugural exhibition, IMEX – the worldwide exhibition for the meetings and incentive travel industry – announced further growth for its 2008 exhibition with record numbers of exhibitors seeking bigger stands. The hosted buyer programme is also expected to continue its worldwide expansion, due to significant increased demand.

This expansion is supported by several years of sustained and steady growth in the global meetings industry added to IMEX’s now well-established reputation for delivering new business opportunities year-on-year.

The demand for increased exhibition space is widespread across different territories and a variety of business sectors. Spain, the Czech Republic, Malta, The Canaries, Argentina, Greece, Kuoni and Steigenberger Hotels are among those exhibitors who have already confirmed sizeable space increases for 2008. New exhibitors confirmed include Capella Hotels & Resorts, GHM Hotels, China and the Chicago Convention & Tourism Bureau.

Explaining their decision to increase the size of their stand, Julia Hartmann, Global Sales Support at The Steigenberger Hotel Group said, “We first exhibited at IMEX in 2005 and the show turned out to be a big success for the Frankfurt based hotel group, so Steigenberger became a regular exhibitor. When all the Steigenberger brands came together to exhibit on the one stand in 2007 the result was 650 client contacts with the potential for more than 2.5 million euros of business each year - a good reason to increase our IMEX stand by 100 per cent.”

Commenting on the company’s decision to increase exhibition space at IMEX next year, Marc Schegg, Head of Marketing at Kuoni, says, “IMEX plays an important role in our sales and marketing activities. Last year`s IMEX was very successful for us and we hope that, with double the stand space in 2008, we will build-on this positive experience!”

Continued growth of the reach and quality of the IMEX hosted buyer programme, which this year welcomed over 3,500 international buyers to Frankfurt; including heightened demand for the long-haul programme from the United States, Asia and Eastern Europe, appear to be among the reasons why exhibitors have responded so positively.

Says Ray Bloom, IMEX Chairman, “Year on year we put an enormous effort into qualifying new buyers for our hosted programme to ensure that we maintain our high quality standards and deliver outstanding business opportunities for our exhibitors. This year in particular, the result of that focus has been a noticeably stronger appetite for increased space in 2008. This is also encouraging news for the wider meetings industry too. There’s a widespread buoyancy and eagerness to the market at the moment which is extremely rewarding to be a part of.”

The IMEX hosted buyer programme is also set to grow next year. It will be marked by a continued focus on all the main European markets with further expansion expected from across Eastern Europe. The long-haul buyer programme will again concentrate on North American meeting planners, although buyer groups from India, South Africa, Mexico, Brazil, Australia and the Middle East have also already been confirmed.

IMEX 2008 will take place from 22-24 April in Hall 8, Messe Frankfurt, Germany.

Increased the number of flights in Europe between June and August 2007

Between June and August 2007, there were 2,792,951 flights in Europe, an increase of 5.6% compared to the same period in 2006. Despite a higher-than-predicted growth, delays caused by en-route air traffic control were contained at 2.1 minutes per flight. Between June and August of 2007, airlines were responsible for 55% of all primary delays and 18% were attributable to airports. En-route air traffic control was responsible for 15% of all primary delays. Between January and August 2007, only 11/% of all flights were delayed, on average for under 20 minutes due to air traffic management restrictions.

“Despite the substantial growth in the number of flights during the year to date and the summer period in particular, delays in Europe due to air traffic control are being contained,” said Victor M. Aguado, Director General of EUROCONTROL. “Close cooperation between all stakeholders in the context of programmes such as DMEAN (Dynamic Management of the European Airspace Network) has played an important role in helping us to deliver this positive outcome and will help us to adjust to growing and changing patters of demand in air traffic across the continent.”

During the 2007 summer period, there were on average 1,600 more flights each day than between June and August 2006. Of these, 1,200 were low-cost flights and 230 business aviation. Spain and Italy contributed the most new departures and arrivals with an additional 420 flights a day in Spain and 350 flights a day in Italy. The UK and France had an average of 200 additional flights a day while Turkey saw an increase of 150 flights each day. The lowcost sector saw particularly strong growth in Italy and Spain, while Turkey’s growth came from a recovery of charter traffic. Business aviation grew strongly in Italy and there was a jump in traffic arriving from Russia.

The summer period also saw the busiest day ever in Europe with 33,506 flights on Friday 31 August 2007.

Libyan Airways Comes Out Of Isolation and Legacy Environment through SITA Communication Services

Dubai/Libya - SITASITA today announced that it has been awarded a ten year network contract by Libyan Airways, effectively bringing the airline into the 21^st century and making it more competitive and efficient.

As a result of the agreement, the airline will benefit from a homogenized modern Internet Protocol (IP)-based network infrastructure at all locations, opening the door to cost saving technologies such as Voice over IP (VoIP), and the ability to integrate new applications such as web-based reservation systems, making the airline more competitive and better able to respond to increasing regional competition.

In addition to technology, SITASITA will be providing Libyan Airways with Project Management services during the implementation phase (while migrating from the current legacy environment to a fully IP-enabled one), as well as Service Management to ensure all systems remain operational following deployment. This will allow Libyan Airways to better manage and control the overall network, and to identify and address any potential issues before they become critical.

Eng. Abdul-Latif Tajoury, Director IT and Telecommunications, Libyan Airways, said, "Legacy technology is costly to maintain and operate, but until recently we did not have any alternatives. By leveraging SITASITA's communication services we can not only modernize our infrastructure, but also benefit from technology. VoIP can reduce our costs; contact centres can improve our customer's experience; and online reservation systems can bring in new revenue."

Eng.Abdul-Latif Tajoury, added, "SITASITA is providing invaluable expertise at every stage of the migration process, from Project Management during the implementation to Service Management following deployment. They are more than a partner to us, and we look forward to a long and fruitful relationship."

Dubai braces for big Moscow fair participation

For the tenth consecutive year, Dubai will be making its presence felt at the international autumn trade fair for tourism in Russia and CIS being held in Moscow’s ‘Crocus Expo’ from September 25 to 28. Leisure-2006 has attracted a large number of co-participants from the emirate’s booming tourism industry.

Dubai’s participation in the travel trade show is being made under the umbrella of the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM).

At a pre-event meeting held at the DTCM Head Office on Wednesday (12 September), top officials from the department briefed the co-participants about the arrangements at Dubai Stand (3D101) at the 13th edition of the show. It measures 280 square metres. Besides a large number of co-participants others attending the meeting included officials of the Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF), Dubai Summer Surprises (DSS), Ski Dubai and Mall of the Emirates.

Representing the DTCM at the meeting was Khalifa Ali Buamaim, DTCM Director Overseas Promotions, who said the DTCM Office was leaving no stone unturned in making the participation in Leisure 2007 a big success as the Overseas Representative office in Moscow, covering Russia and CIS, has launched an extensive media campaign and has done all the groundwork to make things easy for all Dubai participants. The meeting was also attended by Khalid bin Nassar, Executive, Overseas Promotions.

Changi Airport unveils new high-definition entertainment lounge

The opening ceremony of Hi-D Lounge as officiated by CAAS
Director-General and Chief Executive Officer Lim Kim Choon

Changi Airport has officially unveiled its new high-definition entertainment facility - the Hi-D Lounge. The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) partnered Panasonic Asia Pacific Pte Ltd in the design and construction of the lounge. The lounge, located in Terminal 2’s Departure Transit Mall, houses highdefinition (HD) quality screens in various sizes for passengers to enjoy HD quality programmes and interactive entertainment. The ceremony was officiated by Mr Lim Kim Choon, Director-General and Chief Executive Officer, CAAS, last Friday.

The Hi-D Lounge features Panasonic’s massive 103-inch HD plasma display screen, the largest HD plasma screen available on the market, reproducing clear and brilliant images with exceptional detail. Besides enjoying high-definition quality programmes on Discovery and National Geographic channels in the Hi-D Lounge, passengers get to watch ‘live’ sporting events on the Nippura acrylic projection screen.

Mr Lim Kim Choon, Director-General and Chief Executive Officer, CAAS said, “At Changi Airport, our focus is on providing passengers the ‘Changi Experience’, one that is unforgettably exciting, vibrant and enjoyable. CAAS constantly reviews and upgrades facilities to enable passengers to enjoy a welcome respite from the stress of travelling. We are proud to offer cutting-edge entertainment at the Hi-D Changi Airport Unveils New High-Definition Entertainment Lounge (Page 2 o 2) Lounge to our passengers.”

Other features of the Hi-D Lounge include the “Virtual Book”. This is a touchscreen plasma which allows passengers to “turn the page” by touching the corners of the pages to read about the history and significance of popular sports and key international sporting events, like Wimbledon, the Olympics and PGA Golf. Other features within this 270 square metre lounge include an interactive floor projection system and a digital gaming zone.

Completing the multi-sensory experience is the integrated bar – Travellers Sports Bar - within the lounge. Passengers can indulge in their favourite beverage and snacks while enjoying their favourite programme, all within the comfort of the Hi- D Lounge.

US Airways is to hire record number of new pilots

US Airways announced plans to hire more than 350 new pilots with training dates beginning in November 2007. The airline will also move 140 pilots, who currently fly for US Airways Express carriers, back to the mainline flying seats they were furloughed from several years ago. The airline`s pilot staffing needs are being driven primarily by retiring mainline pilots. New hire pilots will move onto the airline`s growing Embraer 190 fleet, which in turn will drive current pilots to other aircraft like the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 family. President Scott Kirby stated, "It was only two short years ago that both the former US Airways` and America West`s futures were in the air. To stand strong two years later and announce that not only will we no longer have any pilots on furlough, but also will begin to hire new pilots is simply great news for our employees and our airline. Our pilots are among the most experienced and professional in our industry, and we look forward to welcoming our returning pilots from our Express partners as well as new pilots to our airline."

Positions will be filled over the next 12 to 16 months. The airline`s Philadelphia base is home to Embraer 190 flying.

Asia Pacific business travellers vote for Emirates

Emirates’ leadership in the industry is not lost on its Asia-Pacific travellers, who have voted the airline the “Best Middle East/African Airline” for the fourth time in a row. The airline received the accolade from Business Traveller Asia-Pacific at its Annual Travel Awards 2007 held in Hong Kong recently. Over 300 leaders from the travel trade industry attended the glittering gala dinner in conjunction with the 25th anniversary of the publication. The awards were presented by Guest of honour Ms Marina Mahathir, ICAAP (International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific) Liaison of The AIDS Society Asia Pacific.

Mike Simon, Emirates’ Divisional Senior Vice President Corporate Communications said: "We are delighted to receive this award, which is a vote of confidence from business travellers and our customers in the Asia-Pacific region. It’s timely, as we have recently unveiled our enhanced inflight products that maximise personal space onboard and provide an incredible choice of inflight entertainment. These innovations not only demonstrate our commitment to provide the best air travel experiences, but also sharpen our competitive edge in long-haul travel.”

In June this year, Emirates introduced an enhanced version of its First Class private suites; lie-flat massage seats in Business Class; and Economy Class seats with extra legroom; across its new Boeing 777 fleet. The airline’s cutting-edge ice [information, communication and entertainment] Digital Widescreen system, features many more firsts in the airline industry – including unique wireless handset controllers in premium classes that allow passengers to select entertainment, seat positions, lighting and massage functions. The personal digital widescreen LCD touch screens are amongst the largest in the skies at 23” in First Class; 17” in Business Class; and 10.6” in Economy.

Emirates offers passenger services to 10 countries in the Asia Pacific region – Greater China, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Australia and New Zealand – with a total of 208 flights every week.

The Business Traveller Asia-Pacific survey was conducted between May and July 2007 with poll forms distributed to magazine subscribers, who travel frequently not just within the region but around the world. Readers voted for the best travel industry service providers in over 40 categories.

Vicky Karantzavelou - Monday, September 17, 2007

Jazeera Airways starting to operate Maldives route

Dubai, UAE, 11th September 2007 - Jazeera Airways announced today during a meeting of assembled industry players and media, their ambitious new winter routes, bringing the total number of the young airline's destinations to 23. Jazeera Airways' Chairman and CEO, Marwan Boodai, also unveiled their tie-up with UAE-based travel supplier Dnata, easy-purchase travel insurance, and the launch of Jazeera Airways' new in-flight magazine; "J".

"We have a lot of exciting news today," said Chairman and CEO Marwan Boodai opening the session. “We have amazing new routes from Dubai and much awaited routes from Kuwait to Jeddah and Riyadh starting on October 27th. We will also be flying non-stop to the Maldives from Dubai, non-stop to Beirut from Dubai, and we will increase our Dubai to Mumbai service to 7 non-stop flights per week.”

Jazeera Airways also announced a breakthrough alliance with American International Group (AIG), which offers online customers the option of purchasing travel insurance at the time of their booking.

"Travel Guard covers our travellers against unforeseen circumstances such as lost baggage, missed flights, theft of personal items and other incidents that can potentially ruin a holiday. It is optional and has a one-time fee average of 10 USD," said Boodai.

Boodai also announced the recent alliance with Dnata, which links the Jazeera Airways booking system directly to Dnata's. The tie-up will enable customers to walk into any Dnata office throughout the region, and make a booking with Jazeera Airways.

Attendees of Freedom Forever 2 also got a sneak preview of Jazeera Airways new in-flight Magazine "J", which Boodai promises to be unlike any other magazine in the Middle East.

Jazeera Airways is a Kuwait Shareholding Company established with a capital of USD 34 million, raised through a nation-wide upfront IPO in 2004. The airline took flight on October 30, 2005 and last February expanded its operations to Dubai by opening its second hub in the region.

The airline is less than two years old and remains the only airline in the Middle East that is neither owned nor subsidized by any government. The airline has 36,500 shareholders.

China Southern Airlines and KLM parnter for Beijing 2008

China Southern Airlines, in cooperation with partner KLM, and upon request by the Dutch travel agent ATP, will transport Dutch participants and visitors to and from the Olympics in Beijing in 2008. China Southern Airlines , KLM and ATP, the official handling agent for the Dutch NOC*NSF Olympic organization, recently signed an exclusive agreement, stating to transport the many hundreds of athletes, coaches, sponsors and other people involved to the various locations for the Olympic Games, which shall officially start on August 8, 2008 in the Chinese capital of Beijing.

Mr. Ren Yongdong, General Manager of China Southern Airlines Europe stated: "As a Chinese airline we are honored to act as a bridge between The Netherlands and China for this world famous sports event."

For China Southern`s partner KLM, as well as for ATP, this agreement lies within a tradition of facilitating the flights to and from the Olympic Games. "We are very proud that ATP has granted KLM this prestigious honor once more", said Director of KLM the Netherlands, Bram Graber, after the signing of the agreement.

For China Southern, having operated the routing of Amsterdam - Beijing - Guangzhou for more than 10 years, and with the six year code-share service with KLM, this project is considered an important milestone of the partnership between the two airlines.

Mr. Ren stated to believe that the city of Beijing and its people in one year’s time will be fully prepared for the Olympic Games.

"We are very much content with this cooperation between China Southern Airlines, KLM and ATP", stated Mr. Ren Yongdong, China Southern`s General Manager of Europe. "We feel very proud to welcome the many Dutch athletes and visitors in our China in 2008. And of course we wish the athletes all the best of luck!"

Guam to exhibit at JATA

As in previous years, the Guam Visitors Bureau will be present at the “JATA World Tourism Congress & Travel Fair”, which will be held at the Tokyo Big Sight from September 13th to 16th, 2007. The JATA World Tourism Congress & Travel Fair is comprised of two separate but complementary events. The JATA World Tourism Congress is a marketing conference centered around a particular theme relevant to today`s travel and tourism professionals.

This year’s theme is ‘Revitalizing the Japanese Travel Market, An Industry-wide Debate on Japan`s Global Competitiveness.’ Over the past four years, the focus has been on building the foundation for a 20 million outbound traveler market. In 2007 there will be a consolidation of the knowledge gleaned from past conferences to critically assess how to revitalize the Japanese travel industry, taking into consideration such issues as positioning, travel and revenue volume and product and service quality.

The JATA World Travel Fair is both a trade fair featuring a dedicated day for exhibitors to meet one-on-one with the Japanese travel trade and a consumer travel show where destinations and suppliers can showcase their travel offerings and appeal directly to potential Japanese travelers. As in previous years, several Guam properties, optional tours and businesses have come aboard to join the bureau in its overall Guam marketing efforts.

In addition to providing information on all topics related to tourism at its Guam booth, which will also feature over 10 hotels, shopping centers and travel agencies with their own distinct sections, the GVB will further state its presence at JATA WTF 2007 through several attractions to be held on the performance stage of the booth.

In 2006, the fair came to a close with a total of 106,241 visitors attending the annual event. The total count exceeded 2005 numbers by 2,037. The travel trade, press and general public eagerly perused through the 924 exhibition booths showcasing food, culture, travel packages, products and other incentives from 131 countries and regions.

Beijing shows off new, expensive airport

BEIJING (AP) — Beijing showed off its new multibillion-dollar airport terminal Wednesday - a mammoth structure of glass and steel with a gracefully sloping roof that the owners said is meant to impress visitors to China's capital for the 2008 Olympics.

Terminal 3 at the Beijing Capital International Airport is a centerpiece project for the Olympics designed to relieve the overloaded airport's other two terminals and accommodate the city's torrid growth for the next seven years, executives with the airport's state-run holding company said at a tour for foreign media.

The terminal, which will be opened for testing in February, is outfitted with a state-of-the-art-baggage handling system, a rail terminal to carry passengers into the city, and gates and a runway capable of handling Airbus' huge A380 superjumbo.

The terminal building alone cost $2.8 billion, and $4.6 billion was spent on all the related infrastructure added in, the executives said.

The terminal is an "important non-competition venue" for the Aug. 8-24, 2008, Olympics, said Zhang Zhizhong, general manager of Capital Airport Holding Co. He said it is intended to "give an excellent impression when visitors arrive at the airport."

Designed by British architect Norman Foster, the building attempts to combine traditional architectural elements with up-to-date technology. Its red columns and muted gold roof are meant to evoke Beijing's imperial palaces and temples while the $250 million baggage system, made by German engineering giant Siemens AG, can handle 19,000 pieces of luggage an hour, the executives said.

Beijing desperately needs a new airport, with the double-digit economic growth of recent years outstripping city planners' original projections and stressing the capital's infrastructure. The capital airport's second terminal, which opened eight years ago, quickly reached its limits, and long lines for check-in and flight delays.

Sept. 11 Damages Trial To Hear Cockpit Tapes

Tapes of the final moments before one of the hijacked airliners in the September 11 attacks crashed into the ground in Pennsylvania may be played at the first case over damages from the attacks to go to trial, a judge has ruled.

The last four minutes of the recording of United Airlines Flight 93 with sounds of passengers trying to force entry into the cockpit and to retake the plane in 2001, was ruled admissible by US District Judge Alvin Hellerstein.

The first of 41 cases left filed by September 11 victims who sued airlines and their security contractors for wrongful death is set to begin September 24. That case was filed by the wife of Patrick Driscoll, 70, who died aboard United Flight 93.

The recordings have not been released publicly but were played in court at the trial of convicted September 11 conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui in 2006.

In a bid to encourage further settlements, the judge ruled in July that the first trials would only address damages and a second separate trial would address liability.

The plaintiff's lawyer, Donald Migliori, said the recordings that will be played, which will also include the voice of one or two of the hijackers saying they have a bomb on board, was the most important evidence at the trial.

He said most of the plaintiffs were "glad the process is starting" but frustrated the issue of damages will be decided before liability, which decides who is responsible.

"The remaining families want to be telling their stories in the full context as to why the aviation defendants should be held accountable for letting the hijackers on board with impermissible weapons," he said. (Reuters)

ANA Suspends All Bombardier Flights

All Nippon Airways said on Thursday it had suspended all flights using 14 Q400 aircraft made by Bombardier after the Canadian government said the craft must be inspected.

Bombardier asked airlines worldwide on Wednesday to ground 60 of its turboprop planes for inspections after landing gear failures forced two planes to make crash landings in the last couple of days.

ANA suspended 19 flights on Thursday morning and does not know when it will resume services using Q400s, ANA spokeswoman Keiko Ninomiya said.

Japan Airlines said it had grounded all 10 of its aircraft of the same model earlier in the day but some are now up and flying after having been inspected. The airline suspended flights using three aircraft on Wednesday.

Japan has a total of 24 of the aircraft concerned, an official at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said. (Reuters)

SIA, A380 Charity Auction Raises Over S$1.9 Million

Bidders have opened their wallets with generosity and enthusiasm to support the Singapore Airlines A380 First Flight Charity Auction. With almost all seats now sold, the total committed to charities from sold packages so far is approaching S$2 million.

Just 24 seats, listed especially for ‘last chance’ bids, remain for those who are still keen to be part of this historical flight. The seats, in Business and Economy Class in both directions, and Singapore Airlines Suites on the Sydney-Singapore leg, will be open for bids until the end of this week.

Throughout the two weeks of the auction – conducted on eBay, the world’s largest online marketplace – around 2,000 bidders pre-qualified by paying a security deposit, while several thousand others registered, so far buying 638 seats on both legs of the flight.

All the proceeds raised from the auction will be split three ways, between Singapore and Sydney charities, and a global humanitarian organisation:

• One third to Singapore’s Community Chest
  
• One third between the Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick, and The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, both in Sydney
  
• One third to Médecins Sans Frontières, also known as Doctors Without Borders.

Cheques will be presented to the beneficiary organisations in conjunction with the First Flight on 25 and 26 October.

Singapore Airlines Chief Executive Officer, Chew Choon Seng, thanked the thousands of bidders who participated, and congratulated those who were successful in their bids.

“The auction has provided many aviation enthusiasts around the world with the opportunity to bid to be a part of history. We are pleased that the charities will benefit meaningfully from the proceeds of the auction".

“We thank all participants who demonstrated such enthusiasm and generosity. Now we look forward to the delivery of this magnificent aircraft and introducing it into commercial service” Mr Chew said.

SOME INTERESTING FACTS

A record was achieved for the sale of the first Singapore Airlines Suites package on the Singapore-Sydney flight, which sold for US$100,380 (S$153,000). The bargain of the auction was a single Economy seat from Sydney to Singapore, which sold for US$560 (S$853).

One Singaporean purchased three Singapore Airlines Suites, two Business Class seats and an Economy Class seat on the Singapore-Sydney sector, paying US$56,000 (S$85,280) for the six seats.

Australians made up the largest nationality of successful bidders (15%), followed by Singaporeans (11%), Britons (6%), Americans (4%) and Germans (3%). The other 60% come from all over the world.

Successful bidders ranged in age, from a San Francisco man who will turn 22 on the day of the flight, to a 76 year old from Vancouver, Canada.

The auction was one of the largest charity auctions, and among the most complex, ever held on eBay, and the largest it has operated across the Asia-Pacific. Some 366 auction items have been listed over the last 2 weeks, including seats in all three classes, in singles, pairs and blocks.

The eBay pages hosting details of the Singapore Airlines A380 First Flight Charity Auction recorded over 26 million hits during the auction, with Australia, Germany, the US then Canada making up the most visitors to the sites. Data suggests internet users from over 160 countries visited the auction pages at some point during the auction.

SIA to begin A380 flights

Singapore Airlines will begin scheduled services with the new Airbus A380 between Singapore and Sydney on Sunday 28 October 2007 as the carrier announced. The A380 will operate a daily return flight, replacing one of the three Boeing 747-400 services on the route. The aircraft will operate SQ221, departing Singapore in the evening and arriving into Sydney in the early morning, and return as SQ220, departing Sydney in the morning and arriving into Singapore is the early afternoon.

The 471-seat aircraft is configured in three classes: 12 Singapore Airlines Suites (on the main deck), 60 Business Class (on the upper deck) and 399 Economy Class seats (on both decks).

"Singapore Airlines is delighted to begin its operations using the new A380 to Sydney," as the carrier stated

The Business and Economy Class cabin products are modelled on those launched in late 2006 and currently featuring on the Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, to global acclaim. The new Singapore Airlines Suites will be unveiled at the delivery of the A380 in October, and will feature inflight luxury, in a class beyond First.

Flight	Depart		Arrive
SQ 221	Singapore	2030	Sydney	0700 +1
SQ 220	Sydney	0850	Singapore	1345

Woman who bought £1.3m jet to beat the airport queues

By Amar Singh

A businesswoman has become the first Briton to own one of a new generation of relatively cheap private jets.

Jane Howell, a 47-year-old entrepreneur who made her fortune by developing and then selling an office interior design business, is planning to avoid the hassle and queues of airports by piloting her own £1.3 million Cessna Citation Mustang.

She plans to fly the six-seater jet over Europe, helping her to divide her time between homes in London, Salzburg and Portofino on the Italian Riviera.

She is also looking forward to stopping in the champagne region to stock up on wine.

Ms Howell, who used to fly propeller-driven aircraft, said flexibility meant she could beat the factors that delay commercial flights, such as fog or air traffic control problems.

"The difference is that I can check these things out before I leave home and alter my route or change the time I travel.

"I do not get stuck in packed airport departure lounges, waiting ages for announcements.

"The older I get, the more frustrating Peter Nicholls I find all the uncertainty and queuing of commercial f lights." Ascend, an aviation consultancy, announced today that British operators have ordered 200 very light jets which are deemed relatively easy to fly.

The six-seat Mustang, at about £1.3 million, is not the cheapest but Ms Howell said she chose it because it is simple for a solo pilot to fly.

She admitted having concerns about the environmental impact of flying but added: "The Mustang is one of the quietest and most fuel-efficient jets.

"Everyone has to make their own decision on how they want to live and mine is that I am going to fly my own jet." The Cessna Citation Mustang an "entry level business jet" costs about £150 per flying hour in maintenance and £150 an hour in fuel.

Ms Howell will also need to pay £10,000 in insurance, while airport parking can cost up to £5,000 a month.

"This is a significant day for Cessna," said Trevor Esling, vice-president of the company.

"The Mustang is ideally suited to the European marketplace and one third of our current order book is from European customers."

Bombardier Calls For Grounding Of Older Q400s

Bombardier said on Wednesday it recommended that Q400 aircraft with more than 10,000 landing gear cycles be grounded until an inspection is carried out after two crashes involving landing gear.

The Canada-based company said there were about 60 Q400 aircraft with more than 10,000 landing gear cycles. A cycle is one take-off and landing. Bombardier said it has delivered more than 160 Q400 aircraft to airlines around the world.

Bombardier, the world's third-largest manufacturer of civilian aircraft, said Transport Canada has been briefed on these recent events, and it is working with TC to establish the requirement for further possible corrective action.

Bombardier's recommendation follows crashes in Denmark on Sunday and in Lithuania on Wednesday. No one was seriously injured in either crash, according to officials.

"Until such time as investigations are concluded by the relevant aviation authorities, Bombardier cannot speculate or comment as to the cause of these incidents," the company said in a statement.

The Q400 turboprop can seat between 68 and 78 passengers, depending on configuration. (Reuters)

SAS Grounds Dash 8s After 2nd Crash Landing

Scandinavian Airlines grounded its entire fleet of Dash 8 turboprop planes and cancelled more than 100 flights after a second crash landing in four days.

An SAS plane with 52 people on board crash landed in Lithuania on Wednesday after the landing gear on the DHC-8-400 aircraft failed. Nobody was injured.

Another landing gear failure caused a similar SAS aircraft with 73 people on board to crash land on Sunday in Denmark, also without casualties.

SAS and its Wideroe subsidiary grounded their fleet of 27 Dash 8-400 aircraft until they can be inspected.

"If they are able to handle these problems through maintenance, the worst case scenario is they would lose SEK10 million Swedish kronor (USD$1.5 million) per day," said Jacob Pedersen, an analyst at Sydbank. "That's about half of a percent of what I expect SAS to earn pretax for the whole year.

"But they need to deal with this kind of fast. If they have to lease other planes there could be other costs. And if they have to change the whole landing gear on these planes it's an entirely different situation. That would be a very large bill."

The Dash 8-400 twin-engined turboprop is produced by Canada's Bombardier and can seat between 68 and 78 passengers.

SAS said Bombardier recommended that all Dash 8-400 planes worldwide with more than 10,000 landing gear cycles be grounded until inspections are carried out.

Aviation regulators in Denmark, Sweden and Norway also ruled that SAS's Dash 8-400 planes must not fly until they can be inspected.

"We grounded these planes immediately after this. Now we will conduct an investigation," said Anders Lundblad, a spokesman for the Swedish Civil Aviation Authority. "How long it will last, I guess we'll have a discussion with SAS about that." (Reuters)

Hoteliers take top honours at the Amadeus Thai Hospitality Awards

Weeks of speculation over who would take home the tourism industry’s top honours came to a close on Wednesday when 20 gold statuettes, or ‘Hospys’, were awarded at the 2007 Amadeus Thai Hospitality Awards. Prizes were awarded in 4 categories including one new category with a special trophy. This special category created by Amadeus was for the corporate division of a hotel chain which has proactively imbibed technology to streamline its processes and offer seamless service to its customers.

The official ceremony was held at the Royal Paragon Hall in Bangkok in conjunction with the International Food & Hospitality Show 2007.

Tom Aikins, the event founder, said: “The Amadeus Thai Hospitality Awards is an opportunity to recognize outstanding individual achievements, but also to celebrate the success of the Thai hospitality industry as a whole.”

The event was attended by more than 100 top hoteliers, restauranters and industry professionals. According to Bruno des Fontaines, Vice President of the Hospitality Business Group at Amadeus Asia Pacific, “The challenge for the Thai hotel industry is to continue its development in order to keep pace with growing tourism and an increasingly competitive market.”

“Hotels must look at ways to enhance the guest’s experience and improve the efficiency of their operations. These awards show that there are many hotels that are focusing on these areas, and Amadeus is proud to recognise these outstanding achievements. Our regional headquarters is based in Bangkok, where we work very closely with our partners in the hospitality sector to continually drive enhancements to our suite of industry-leading technology solutions,” said Bruno.

Full List of Winners

Small Hotels:

• For best Executive Housekeeper – Tassanee Prysi, Anantara Hua Hin
• For best Chief Engineer – Chockchai Siriwan, Sila Evason Samui
• For best Executive Chef – Donald Lawson, Anantara Koh Samui
• For best Food & Beverage – Panuphon Punmaneekul, Evergreen Laurel
• For best Human Resources – Thaweerat Suriyaphunt, Royal Princess Larn Luang
• For best Resident Manager – Andreas Kraemer, Sila Evason Samui
• For best General Manager – Pornthep Hantrakarnpong, Royal Princess Larn Luang

Medium Hotels:

• For best Chief Engineer – Ekachai Chucheepchai, Amari Orchid Resort
• For best Information Technology – Suwat Chawna, Amari Orchid Resort
• For best Human Resources – Varunyou Markpol, The Sukhothai
• For best Sales & Marketing – Andrew Cornelio, Dusit Laguna Resort
• For best Financial Controller – Kamonphan Ratanatikul, Royal President
• For best General Manager – Mongkolchai Thammachote, The Davis Bangkok

Large Hotels:

• For best Executive Housekeeper – Nathamon Wathananusak, Chaophya Park
• For best Restaurant Manager – Panicha Tailanan, Sofitel Centara Grand
• For best Public Relations – Sommai Yocapajorn, Dusit Thani
• For best Food & Beverage – Somjai Homcheunjai, Amari Atrium
• For best Financial Controller – Krisana Chirachinda, Pan Pacific
• For best Resident Manager – Niwatcharee Wungsoontorn, Amari Atrium
• For best General Manager – Andrew Wood, Chaophya Park

New Category: Amadeus Award for excellence in imbibing new technologies in the hospitality industry – Jean Marc Lafosse, Group Director of Operations, Centara Hotels and Resorts

Vicky Karantzavelou - Wednesday, September 12, 2007

UK Infrastructure must keep pace with travel & tourism growth

The United Kingdom’s Travel & Tourism economy is expected to generate over £190 billion in 2007, growing faster than the current rate of inflation at 3.3 per cent per annum between 2008 and 2017, according to the latest research from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC).

Despite this positive growth industry leaders convened in Canary Wharf in London’s financial district to raise their concerns about continued inaction to address deepening infrastructure constraints, which is jeopardizing economic prospects and seriously affecting the experience of millions of travellers across the world.

The United Kingdom, which stands as the 5th largest Travel & Tourism economy, contributing 9.1 per cent of GDP and 8.5 per cent of employment in 2007, has received increasing criticism in recent months for its mismanagement of increasing pressures on its infrastructure system, most notably at the main airport hubs.

Presenting these statistics, WTTC President Jean-Claude Baumgarten warned that the UK government must react now to maintain this strong economic position. The impact would heavily affect the UK’s Travel & Tourism industry and wider economy.

He added “The current focus is on climate change and this industry cannot be demonised as the cause. It is quite simple - efficient infrastructure and less congestion will have a positive impact on the environment.”

At the meeting, Manchester Airports Group CEO Geoff Muirhead CBE highlighted the importance of the aviation industry to the UK economy “The four Manchester Airport Group airports (Manchester, East Midlands, Bournemouth and Humberside) generate more than £3 billion for UK plc, and support thousands of Travel & Tourism jobs. Inbound tourism is clearly good news for the British economy, while overseas travel allows UK citizens the chance for a well earned break in a sunnier climate. We need to find ways of supporting both these aspects of tourism much more effectively, given their importance to the UK economy as a whole.”

Hospitality and leisure development will also continue to grow and will create greater jobs opportunities explained Whitbread Chief Executive Alan Parker “The hospitality industry depends heavily on the infrastructure of air, road and rail links, which transport clients to the hotels. If infrastructure does not keep pace with growth, then business and tourism could drift away from the UK to other markets on the continent.”

WTTC Chairman Geoffrey Kent concluded “The government must put in place a long term infrastructure plan with at least a 15 year horizon. The 2012 Olympic Games will provide the platform, focus and budget for this long-term plan, which will drive the forecasted tourism demand.”

EC updates black list of banned airlines

The fifth update of the Community’s list of airlines banned in the European Union has been adopted by the European Commission yesterday (11 Sptember). This was first drawn up in March 2006 and last amended in July. The new list replaces the previous one and can already be consulted on the Commission’s website[1]. With this update the Commission is banning in the European Union two new airlines that have been found to be unsafe: Ukrainian Mediterranean Airlines from Ukraine and the Iranian company, Mahan Air.

“This latest update illustrates once more that the black list is a dynamic instrument which the Commission can use whenever necessary, without having to wait for the quarterly reviews”, said Jacques Barrot, Commission Vice-President in charge of transport.

On the basis of notifications from several Member States, the Commission questioned the two carriers (Ukrainian Mediterranean Airlines and Mahan Air) and the respective national civil aviation authorities responsible for their supervision. It also consulted the committee of Member State air safety experts, whose task it is to assist the Commission in such matters and who unanimously approved the bans.

ASTA launches new web site

The development of a new Web site, with new and improved features has been announced by ASTA. The new site has a planned launch date of mid-November. According to the Society, the new site will look different from the current site and users will have a more personal experience when interacting with the site. Though the content will be the same, where the information is housed and managed will be different. Among the new features are a new buyer’s guide, which will make it easier for Allied members to participate and add information about their company, an electronic postcard service and interactive financial tools that will allow members to benchmark their financial status against others in the industry.

“The goal of the new site is to make it easier for our members to use and find resources. Although we will retain much of the current content, there will be new and rebuilt areas as well as different levels of access to the site depending on your membership. We`re confident, thanks to rigorous staff and member testing, that the new site will greatly enhance ASTA members` ability to find and use resources as well as enhance their overall membership satisfaction,” said Cheryl Hudak CTC, ASTA president and CEO.

ASTA has been working up to this goal since January 2007 when select new features were unveiled such as the eLibrary, the Learning Communities and recently, an electronic version of ASTAnetwork. ASTA’s white papers are currently kept in the eLibrary, along with other resources for agency operations, sales, legal and legislative issues, suppliers and technology and GDS. In the Learning Communities, there are a series of message boards under the topics of agency operations/legal, premium networking community, selling travel and technology. These boards allow members to share ideas, ask for collaboration from colleagues and share solutions to every day problems.

Banyan Tree`s Angsana Resort & Spa to operate first resort in Jordan

A new management contract has been signed by Banyan Tree for their first Angsana Resort and Spa by the Dead Sea in Jordan. This new management contract follows from the Groups’ continued strategy of expansion in the Middle East.

This is the Group’s ninth property in the region and adds a sixth project in the portfolio of Angsana properties which are currently being developed in Abu Dhabi, Dubai (two properties), Fujairah and Oman.

“We are very pleased to be able to bring our brand of Asian hospitality and wellness that is stepped in culture and historical significance into a destination that is equally rich in culture and history. Angsana Resort and Spa Dead Sea will further our desire to provide our guests with truly unique experiences throughout the Middle East,” said Executive Chairman, Mr Ho Kwon Ping.

Angsana Resort and Spa Dead Sea is developed by the British led Belavista Overseas Investment Corporation and is located on one of the last remaining beachfront sites of the world famous Dead Sea in Jordan. Designed by WATG, the development is scheduled to be completed in 2011 and will see a total of 220 hotel rooms and suites, 256 residential apartments and will be offered for sale, a first on the Dead Sea.

Toxic Spill At Tel Aviv Airport

Firefighters and hazardous material teams went into action at Israel's Ben-Gurion International Airport on Tuesday after a toxic substance spilled while being loaded onto a plane, officials said.

Zeev Sarig, director of operations at Ben-Gurion, outside Tel Aviv, described the substance as a fertilizer ingredient bound for the Czech Republic.

"One of the porters noticed an acrid smell and activated the appropriate (emergency) drill," Sarid told Israel's Army Radio. "The spill was located immediately and we took no chances."

An Israeli police spokesman said that though containment efforts were still under way, elsewhere at Ben-Gurion work was continuing as usual. The spill was being treated as an accident, police said.

Army Radio said three porters were hospitalized but described their condition as satisfactory.

Israeli media described the plane affected by the spill as belonging to Czech Airlines. (Reuters)

Changi Airport welcomes Air Bagan

Air Bagan, a private airline from Myanmar, launched its maiden flight to Singapore on 7th September. The aircraft touched down at Singapore Changi Airport’s Terminal 1 at 1500 hours. The passengers and crew onboard the flight were warmly received at a welcome ceremony organised by the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS). Besides senior officials from CAAS, the ceremony was attended by His Excellency, Win Myint, Ambassador of Myanmar to Singapore, and Mr Tay Za, Chairman of Air Bagan.

Air Bagan will operate 14 weekly scheduled flights between Singapore and Yangon using an Airbus A310-200 aircraft.

Air Bagan joins two other airlines at Changi Airport in offering passenger flights to Yangon. SilkAir operates 28 weekly scheduled flights between the two cities, while Jetstar Asia Airways operates six weekly scheduled flights. With Air Bagan onboard, there will now be 48 weekly scheduled flights between Singapore and Yangon.

CAAS’ Director-General and Chief Executive Officer, Mr Lim Kim Choon said, “The launch of Air Bagan’s flights comes at an opportune time when growth in passenger traffic between Myanmar and Singapore is at its strongest. Passenger traffic between our two countries reached 156,000 in 2006, representing an impressive growth of 23.5% compared with the previous year. This strong growth has continued into 2007. For the first 6 months of this year, passenger traffic between Myanmar and Singapore grew by a robust 24.5% to reach 92,000 passengers.”

Mr Lim continued, “CAAS would like to encourage Air Bagan to capitalise on this growth in passenger traffic, and consider mounting more flights to Singapore, in particular from new points in Myanmar. Air Bagan can be assured of maximum support by the whole Changi team in its operations to Singapore.”

Vicky Karantzavelou - Monday, September 10, 2007

Kingfisher Airlines partners with OnAir for mobile phone and internet services

OnAir has been selected by Kingfisher Airlines to offer its passengers a full range of passenger communication services as the company announced at the Aircraft Interiors Expo Asia. Starting in 2008, Kingfisher Airlines’ long-haul passengers will be able to use Webmail OnAir and Webchat OnAir, followed in 2009 by Internet and Mobile OnAir to access the Internet during flights, as well as send and receive emails and make and receive phone calls.

OnAir`s services will initially be installed on five new Airbus A330s and five new Airbus A340s with plans in place to install the system across its entire longrange fleet. Kingfisher Airlines will use its A330s on routes to Europe and Asia, while the A340s will service longer nonstop flights, such as to the USA.

Hitesh Patel, Executive Vice President, Kingfisher Airlines, said, “We pride ourselves on our high levels of service, including state-of-the-art inflight entertainment and Live TV at every seat. Being the first, not just in India but also in the world, to offer our guests all of OnAir’s communications services, is truly a great opportunity.”

Benoit Debains, CEO of OnAir, said, “We are pleased to be selected by Kingfisher airlines, a leading airline in passenger service and comfort. This decision is setting a new standard for air travel in one of the most dynamic regions for air travel and telecommunications.”

The service is based on an onboard server, and is connected to the ground infrastructure through SwiftBroadband, Inmarsat’s broadband satellite infrastructure.

Fees will be based on data download for Internet usage, and per flight for webmail and instant messaging, and for Mobile OnAir the cost will be similar to international roaming rates, with passengers being billed by their operator in their regular bill.

Vicky Karantzavelou - Monday, September 10, 2007

CAAS and GAI launches Changi Airport Advisory Group

Mr Liew Mun Leong, the Chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore officially launched today (11 September) the Changi Airport Advisory Group (CAAG). CAAG is intended to retain the expertise of some of the most experienced minds, who have been involved in the development and management of Changi Airport, for both the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) and Changi Airports International (CAI).

In his speech, Mr Liew said: “The first three advisors to join this group – Wong Woon Liong, Ho Beng Huat and Chiang Hai Eng – have collectively more than a century of dedicated experience in airport organisation, operations management and routes development. In the aviation sector, they represent the most respected names and as Singaporeans, they want to make a mark for Singapore in this field. They will have free-ranging roles to lead high level strategic or operational teams, to mentor the younger managers and to advise the management teams in both, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore and Changi Airports International.”

CAAG will be chaired by CAAS Adviser, Mr Sim Kee Boon, whom Mr Liew credited as “the person who was the key driver responsible for making Changi into an international name that is associated with the superlatives of airport planning and management.”

Mr Wong Woon Liong has developed a wide network of contacts with many airport authorities throughout the world during his 15-year tenure as Director-General of CAAS. He is a very well known figure in the aviation industry having led Changi Airport successfully for many years. His experience and contacts are very valuable for Changi to grow internationally as an air hub. Mr Wong speaks excellent Mandarin and has a special interest in China.He will be involved in helping to develop strategic relationships for many of CAI’s projects in that market.

Mr Ho Beng Huat was an important member of the team which was responsible for developing and managing Changi. He personally spearheaded the introduction of the airport processes which provides Changi with its characteristic efficiency and service quality. Mr Ho’s main task will be to review the management operations on the ground in the CAI operated airports and to help steer development proposals for new airports.

Mr Chiang Hai Eng is a specialist in air route development and the formulation of aviation regulatory frameworks. He will help CAI formulate strategies to market its airports to airlines and increase the connectivity of these airports. He will also help new airports and existing airports to improve their processes for the purpose of safety certifications.

Mr Chow Kok Fong, Chief Executive Officer of Changi Airports International welcomed the establishment of CAAG: “This arrangement means that these eminent persons are still actively helping Changi Airport but in a different way. They will be included as part of what we call our ‘helicopter teams’. In essence, they can be mobilized to any of our overseas airports to attend to any novel management or operational situation which we may encounter overseas. Few people can do this as well as they can because in order to handle these unexpected situations, you need to accumulate battle hardened experience through long association with a top airport like Changi. By having them on board, it gives us a very strong advantage against those of our competitors who are merely financial players in looking for airport investments.”

Vicky Karantzavelou - Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Ahmedabad prepares for Emirates

The Emirates wide-bodied aircraft in its distinctive livery will soon become a familiar sight over Ahmedabad skies, and the airline is leaving no stone unturned in its attempts to introduce the product to the city’s travel and cargo community ahead of the launch of its six-flights-per-week service.

Senior executives from the airline’s headquarters in Dubai and Mumbai office officially presented Emirates’ brands and products to over 500 travel and cargo agents at an elaborate road show in Ahmedabad on 10th September. The Emirates delegation includes Salem Obaidalla, Vice President Commercial Operations West Asia and Indian Ocean, and Orhan Abbas, Vice President India & Nepal, amongst others.

Effective 28th October, Emirates will power its Indian operation with the launch of direct, non-stop flights to Ahmedabad – the airline’s ninth Indian and 95th global destination, and its fourth new route in 2007, after Venice, Newcastle and Sao Paulo. The Dubai-based carrier which is on the threshold of one of the biggest and most exciting growth graphs ever witnessed by an airline will later this year launch services to Toronto (29th October) and Houston (3rd December).

Mr Obaidallah noted: “Last year, Emirates embarked on a major expansion in India focusing on Southern India, and this year, after a span of over two decades, we are re-entering the country’s western skies; our first footprint in West India being Mumbai in 1985. We are delighted with this development, as is Ahmedabad’s travel trade, who have already shown overwhelming interest in our product offerings that include Emirates SkyCargo, Emirates Holidays, and our Passenger Sales products.”

On the route Emirates will operate modern jets: the Airbus A330-200 in a three-class configuration of 12 First, 42 Business and 183 Economy Class seats, and the Boeing 777-200 in a two-class configuration of 42 Business and 304 Economy Class seats.