Ryanair’s passenger profile for the last 6 months included a greater proportion of ABC1 passengers than British Airways (BA) an independent survey commissioned by in-flight media company InviseoMedia and carried out by iCD Research revealed.
| ||||
October 12, 2007
Ryanair carries more ABC1 passengers than BA survey reveals
Boeing To Delay Delivery Of 787
Reuters - Boeing on Wednesday pushed back first deliveries of its 787 Dreamliner by at least six months as it struggles to assemble the new lightweight, carbon-composite plane.
The delay is a major embarrassment setback for Boeing, which has for months insisted it would meet its delivery timetable despite production problems, and mirrors delays suffered by rival Airbus on its A380 superjumbo.
"We are disappointed by today's schedule changes and deeply regret the impact these delays will have on our customers," said Boeing Chief Executive Jim McNerney.
Boeing, which has orders for more than 700 of the 787s from 48 airlines and leasing companies -- worth more than USD$100 billion at list prices -- said there would be no "material" impact to earnings and left its forecasts for this year and next unchanged.
The Chicago-based company said 787 deliveries are now slated to begin in late November or December 2008 versus an original target of May 2008.
Chief Financial Officer James Bell said some revenues would slip from 2008 to 2009 as about 30-35 plane deliveries are moved from one year to the next. The company is set to update its financial forecasts alongside its third-quarter earnings report on October 24.
The company said it is still aiming to deliver 109 787s by the end of 2009, only three fewer than originally planned.
The delay is a blow to Japan's All Nippon Airways, the first 787 customer, which was hoping to ferry passengers to next summer's Beijing Olympic Games in the initial planes of its planned 50-strong 787 fleet.
"Many outside Boeing had questioned the feasibility of meeting the first delivery date," Bank of America analyst Robert Stallard said in a note. "Boeing has now bitten the bullet and accepted that the schedule is beyond them. The firm has taken the only sensible move under the circumstances."
Boeing said the delay was due to problems putting together the actual structure of the plane, compounded by the scarcity of some parts.
It said that integrating the plane's flight control software, being produced by Honeywell -- which had contributed to a previous delay in the schedule -- was not the cause of the delivery delay.
The company said it now expects the first test flight of the 787 to take place "around the end of the first quarter" next year, suggesting it could be as late as March or even April 2008.
That is a drastic extension to its original plan to start airborne tests in August 2007. In early September, Boeing rescheduled the first test flight for mid-November to mid-December as it wrestled with software problems and a shortage of bolts.
Boeing said the new schedule restores some margin to deal with unexpected problems that might appear during ground and flight tests. If Boeing sticks to its new schedule, it could have eight months to complete flight testing and certification, as opposed to six months on its previous estimate.
Flight testing and certification on Boeing's last new airliner, the 777, took 11 months.
"We deeply regret the impact these delays will have on our customers, and we are committed to working with them to minimize any disruption to their plans," Scott Carson, chief executive of Boeing's commercial planes unit, said in a statement.
He said the main problems were installing parts of the plane's structure, which had been thrown out of sequence by some suppliers sending incomplete work to Boeing's main Everett, Washington plant, aggravated by a shortage of some small parts.
Boeing, which rolled out a shell of the first 787 model in front of many of its customers in early July, did not say whether it would have to pay any penalties or other compensation to airlines buying the plane, which is standard in the industry when a plane's delivery is delayed.
US Plans October Meeting On Airline Delays
The meeting planned for October 23-24 will address scheduling practices of domestic carriers at John F. Kennedy and Newark airports. Airlines were supposed to submit scheduling information for spring and summer 2008 travel to aviation authorities by Thursday.
Carriers expected to participate include: JetBlue Airways, Delta Air Lines, US Airways, American Airlines, and Continental Airlines.
JetBlue is based at JFK and Delta has major operations there. Continental operates a hub at Newark. Both airports have extensive international departures. Delta has already announced some schedule changes at JFK for next summer.
Like the first meeting of its kind in Chicago for O'Hare Airport in 2004, the US Justice Department will oversee the proceedings to ensure that no antitrust rules are violated.
The scheduling meeting seeks to wring a voluntary agreement from airlines to change scheduling by eliminating flights or moving them to less busy times of the day. The FAA could cap flights at either airport, if no agreement is reached.
JFK and Newark are two of the most congested airports in the United States and delays there can impact traffic in other cities as well as international flights.
Ground delays are on a record pace this year, especially those lasting between one and five hours. Chronic and widespread delays during the summer, partly blamed on scheduling, angered consumers and drew the attention of congressional lawmakers and the White House.
President George W Bush ordered deputies in September to devise a plan to shorten delays. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters will submit her recommendations in December. They could include forced schedule cuts, if voluntary efforts fall short, or a plan to charge airlines more to use congested airports at busy periods.
Germany`s hotel market keeps a strong pace
Germany’s hotel market expansion will not stop. In the next five years 179 first-class hotels and 49 luxury hotels with more than 37,000 rooms will be opened in Germany. According to tophotelprojects.com, the on-line databases for international hotel projects, most of the top hotel projects are planned for the major cities of Germany.
In the capital city of Berlin 49 first-class and luxury hotels with over 4,200 rooms are under construction and will be opened until 2013. In Hamburg 14 top hotels (with more than 2,500 rooms) are planned and in Munich 9 top hotels (with 1,700 rooms) are under construction. In Frankfurt the hotel market will welcome 12 new top hotels with more than 2,800 rooms.
A large number of planned top hotels will be managed by international hotel chains and operators, e.g. Hilton, Kempinski, Mandarin Oriental, Marriott and Rezidor. One of the most important top hotel projects this year will be The Charles hotel in Munich, No 3 of the Rocco Forte Collection in Germany (opening is scheduled for end of October 2007).
In Germany more than 12,000 hotels (from business to wellness hotels and boarding houses) and over 33,000 other accommodation facilities are currently under operation. 2,800 hotels are four star rated (first class), 224 are luxury hotels (five star rated). In total, over 4,480 hotels are focused on business travelers. Over 5,900 houses are conference hotels and more than 4,600 hotels are dedicated to leisure guests.
European MPs demand airport masterplan
It has called on the European Commission to develop a European masterplan for airports, including the development of up to 10 major airports and 15 medium-sized airports.
While acknowledging the importance and urgency of boosting existing capacity, notably by improving slot allocation and ground-handling services in airports, the Parliament urges the EU executive to “take a further step” and come up with a “Masterplan for enhanced airport capacity in Europe” before 2009, containing measures to “promote and coordinate any national and cross-border initiatives for building new airport capacities”.
“Airports are so congested that if one flight gets slightly delayed, it affects many other airports. The lack of airport capacity is therefore not just a national problem. It is a European problem,” says Danish Liberal MEP Anne Jensen, who drafted the report.
The report adds that building new capacity would help avert unnecessary air pollution caused by en route or ramp congestion, but says additional measures to limit greenhouse gas emissions and noise, such as including aviation in the EU’s Emissions Trading Scheme, taxing jet fuel or differentiating airport charges according to environmental performance, would be necessary.
October 10, 2007
Thai lands at Hong Kong’s Terminal 2
These six airlines now serve more than 100 departing flights a week from the terminal and airport officials predict Terminal 2 will account for about 15% of the passengers departing HKIA by te end of this year.
“Terminal 2 complements the facilities and services in Terminal 1, and gives us vitally important room to grow,” says Stanley Hui, CEO of Airport Authority Hong Kong. “In the months ahead, Terminal 2 will serve an even larger number of airlines and departing passenger traffic.”
In addition to offering passenger check-in services, Terminal 2 operates as a multi-modal hub where air, land and sea transport converge seamlessly. Each day, Terminal 2’s coach station serves over 6,000 passengers, who board buses to local hotels and 70 mainland destinations.
In 2009, an automated people mover will connect Terminal 2 to the new SkyPier which will receive ferries from the Pearl River Delta.
ICAO sets 2010 deadline for e-passports
All states should embrace machine-readable passports (MRPs), or e-passports, by 1 April 2010 in order to improve security and safety at airports, claims the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).
ICAO secretary-general, Dr. Taieb Cherif, says the technology “improves the overall national security of states in the fight against terrorism and criminal mobility. With the introduction of this infrastructure, we are witnessing the beginning of a new era in travel document verification and authentication.” He claims it will also support more efficient border control procedures.
Dr. Cherif says ICAO will support states’ plans to issue machine readable travel documents and will help to ensure standards and best practices are followed to establish and maintain confidence in the systems.
“I encourage those states that require assistance with their machine readable travel documents or electronic machine readable travel documents to contact the ICAO Technical Co-operation Bureau and see how they can benefit from its proven track record.”
ICAO estimates that up to 120 states have begun the process of introducing MRPs. Of these, around 50 states have included biometric details in their specifications.
ICAO is working with donor states, international organisations and other United Nations offices to support those states with insufficient resources to introduce MRPs by the deadline.
UK to switch taxes from passengers to flights
“It is right to tax emissions, not passengers. That means reflecting a combination of aircraft type and distance flown,” says EasyJet CEO Andy Harrison. “However, the reform should not be used as an excuse to further increase the burden of tax on passengers. EasyJet, for example, already covers its carbon costs more than four times over.”
British Airways says, “Our share of Air Passenger Duty (APD) revenue for the government is now £400 million (US$815.6 million) a year. With this money, the government could offset our entire CO2 emissions four times over.”
Ryanair says the reformed APD would be “just another tax on ordinary passengers from government ministers swanning around on private aircraft. This Labour government lied when it proposed to spend the £1 billion raised from doubling APD on the environment. Not a penny has been spent on the environment and they are back stealing more from ordinary passengers going on holidays.”
Airbus Orders Jump To 854 After Strong September
Airbus has reported 854 plane orders to the end of September versus 226 at the same point last year.
The Toulouse-headquartered company posted 141 orders in September versus just four in the same month a year earlier.
Thirty-six deliveries in September lifted the total for the first nine months to 330 from 320 at the same point last year.
US rival Boeing had 329 deliveries for the same period, its web site showed.
Boeing had 893 net orders as of October 2, subtracting 10 order cancellations.
Airbus uses gross figures which do not reveal how many plane orders were cancelled.
Wizz Air Orders 50 Airbus A320s
Wizz Air, a leading budget airline in eastern and central Europe, signed a deal with Airbus to buy 50 narrow-body A320 aircraft, the companies said on Wednesday.
Wizz Air, which is expanding its 70 route European network, also has an option to buy 25 additional A320's by 2016, they said in a presentation.
"The new deal increases the total order made by Wizz Air for A320 to 82," the companies said.
The 50 new planes are to be delivered in 2011-2014, while the option covers the period 2014-2016.
The total value of the order is USD$3.5 billion based on listed prices, but airlines usually receive a discount to the official price.
Boeing Says 787 On Track For May 2008 Delivery
Reuters - Boeing said on Monday it still expected to deliver its first lightweight 787 Dreamliner aircraft on time by May 2008, despite delays to its test flight schedule.
"It is still our objective to meet that May 2008 delivery but in doing that we have had to compress our flight-test schedule," Randy Tinseth, Boeing Commercial Airplanes Vice President for Marketing, told reporters.
"It is an aggressive schedule but we believe we can do it."
Tinseth said the plane was still set for its first test flight between mid-November and mid-December after a three month delay due to a shortage of bolts and problems programming the flight control software.
The plane must complete 1,300 flight-test hours and 3,700 ground-test hours between the first flight and certification of the plane, Tinseth said, describing the schedule as "challenging".
The first 787 is due to be delivered to Japan's All Nippon Airways.
Boeing, which competes with Airbus for the title of world's biggest plane maker, is forecasting 28,600 new aircraft worth about USD$2.8 trillion will be bought over the next 20 years on the back of rising demand for passenger travel and air cargo.
Tinseth, speaking on a visit to Australia, said Boeing now expected 580 planes worth USD$73 billion would be bought in Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific by 2026.
Boeing upped its forecast from 440 planes worth USD$60 billion previously due to rapid growth in low-cost airlines which were bumping up orders for single-aisle planes.
He said fuel prices were expected to remain volatile, although Boeing's 20 year forecast assumed they would moderate over the next 20 years.
October 06, 2007
Four Seasons Hotels strenghten its position in Egypt with fourth property
Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts further reinforced its committment to the Middle East region by opening Four Seasons Alexandria, its fourth property in Egypt earlier this year. This opening brings the total number of Four Seasons properties in the region to nine.
“We are very excited to have opened the Alexandria property,” says Cesare Rouchdy, Senior Director of Marketing Four Seasons Egypt.
“We believe this is an important addition to our portfolio both here in Egypt and in the region as a whole. This property complements our other two city Hotels in Cairo and our Resort in Sharm El Sheikh, and is already reaching maximum capacity on a regular basis,” he adds.
Four Seasons Cairo at the First Residence was the group’s first foray into Egypt. Opening in May 2000, the property set a new standard in luxury in the country’s capital. Capitalising on the success of its Cairo property, Four Seasons then opened its first resort in the region in Sharm El Sheikh, overlooking the Red Sea. The third chapter in the Four Seasons story in Egypt, is the Nile Plaza property in Cairo, which opened in 2005.
At Least 19 Killed In Congo Plane Crash
At least 19 people died when a Russian-made cargo plane crashed and exploded on Thursday in a busy area of Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of Congo's capital, officials said.
Seventeen passengers and crew on the Antonov 26 aircraft belonging to Congolese airline Africa 1 were killed when it came down on several houses in the Kingasani neighborhood, shortly after taking off from Ndjili Airport.
One father found the bodies of his young son and daughter crushed by a wall. Debris from the crash was widely scattered over neighboring streets and buildings.
"There has been heavy damage. Two houses have been completely destroyed," deputy Health Minister Ferdinand Ntua said at the crash site. "There are a lot of dead but for the moment we have no figures."
Air travel is notoriously dangerous in Congo. In 1996, at least 350 people died when a Russian-built Antonov 32 cargo plane ploughed through a crowded market in central Kinshasa, in the former Belgian colony's worst air disaster.
The Africa 1 aircraft was carrying 14 Congolese passengers and three Ukrainian crew, according to the plane's manifest.
"All the members of the crew and passengers are dead," a rescue official said.
An eye witness saw at least six corpses pulled from the wreckage of the plane as Red Cross and firemen joined family members picking through the devastation.
The stench of burning debris and jet fuel filled the air. Police struggled to hold back around 1,000 onlookers.
An airport security official who arrived quickly at the crash site said fire fighters had initially struggled to reach the wreckage in the crowded shanty town.
"There are at least four houses burning, the airplane is burning... There's a lot of smoke and flames, everybody in the houses must be dead," he said.
A spokesman for the 17,000-strong United Nations mission in Congo (MONUC), the largest in the world, said it had dispatched a rescue team and firefighters to the scene.
Ageing planes in Congo suffer from a lack of maintenance and spare parts but they are often the only way to transport people and goods across the vast central African country that is slowly recovering from a 1998-2003 civil war.
Eight people were killed in early September when another Antonov cargo plane overshot the runway and caught fire while landing in the eastern Congolese town of Goma.
Congo, a country the size of West Europe with only a few hundred kilometres of paved roads, has one of Africa's worst air safety records and was dubbed an "embarrassment" by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) last year.
Africa 1 is on the European Union's airline blacklist. All airlines certified by Democratic Republic of Congo authorities -- except for Hewa Bora Airways -- are banned from the EU.
Concorde Parts Under Hammer In French Auction
Reuters- Hundreds of components of the Concorde supersonic airliner, from headsets to toilet seats, are attracting strong bidding in a French auction which relives the era of luxury travel at twice the speed of sound.
Most of the 60 pieces sold on the auction's first day attracted around five times the asking price.
The Anglo-French aircraft was withdrawn from service in 2003 after ferrying the rich and famous across the Atlantic for 27 years at speeds up to 2,625 kph.
The auction runs until Monday in the French aviation capital of Toulouse where the sleek, droop-nosed aircraft was assembled in cooperation with Britain.
Items being sold to raise money for a museum include a pair of toilet seats weighing 5.8 kilos and available for auction prices starting at EUR400 euros (USD$567) each.
For the same asking price, collectors can bid for a Concorde pilot's headset.
A laminated cockpit window panel went for EUR3,100, 10 times the asking price, at the start of the auction on Friday.
If space is not a problem, the auction includes a couple of one-tonne Concorde landing gears on which the bidding starts at EUR2,000 - EUR3,000 -- wheels not supplied.
Among the most symbolic items for the plane's many fans, however, will be a "Machmeter" weighing just over a kilo and offered at a suggested price of EUR1,500 - EUR2,000. The instrument's dial recorded Concorde's speed as it slipped through the sound barrier, known as Mach 1.
"This sale has really got people carried away and we really welcome that because it is the last sale of Concorde accessories that will ever be organized," said auctioneer Marc Labarbe.
Designed in the 1960s, Concorde's cockpit instruments may look old-fashioned compared to the digital read-outs in modern passenger jets, but the plane's performance remains unmatched.
The plane carried 100 passengers and 9 crew at speeds up to Mach 2.2, almost three times the cruising speed of a Boeing 747.
The Mach number is the ratio of an aircraft's speed to the speed of sound.
Of the 20 Concordes built most are in museums or on display at London and Paris airports.
Concorde was suspended from service following its only crash outside Paris on an Air France flight in July 2000. It made only a temporary comeback before being withdrawn in 2003 as the two operating airlines cited heavy operating costs.
China's plane ambitions take off
By Michael Bristow 
BBC News, Beijing
China Aviation Industry Corporation I (AVIC I) is probably not a name that has executives at Boeing and Airbus quaking in their boots.
But the Chinese aircraft maker is currently assembling a regional passenger jet that it hopes will establish China as a major plane manufacturer.
The ARJ21 - which stands for Advanced Regional Jet for the 21st Century - is due to have its first test flight in March next year.
China believes this could be the start of a trend that will see the country build its own jumbo jets in the near future.
AVIC I, a state-run consortium based in Shanghai, says the regional plane is China's first independently developed passenger jet, although it will have engines made by US firm General Electric.
The plane, a model of which was on display at an aviation trade show in Beijing last month, has been primarily built for the Chinese market.
It has also been designed to cope with the high temperatures and high altitude runways it will encounter in China's western regions.
State-run media report that 71 ARJ21s, which will initially have 70 to 90 seats, have already been sold to domestic airlines, such as Shanghai Airlines. Other deals are pending.
These aircraft will be delivered from the end of 2009. A slightly larger version of the ARJ21, with 150 seats, will be produced later.
Expanding market
There will certainly be demand for more aircraft from China. In its latest forecast, Boeing said China would require 3,400 new planes worth about $340 billion over the next 20 years.
It expects China's domestic market to grow nearly fivefold by 2026, which will make it slightly larger than today's intra-North American market.
"Over the forecast period, China will have the fastest-growing market, making it the largest market outside of the US for new commercial airplanes," Boeing said.
With an expanding market, China is keen to develop its own manufacturing industry for passenger aircraft.
Li Zhiyong, from AVIC I's marketing and sales department, said: "At the moment, all aircraft that fly in China are made abroad so, sooner or later, China must produce its own planes."
But he added that the ultimate aim was to sell the ARJ21 abroad.
The firm already appears to have had some success. There are reports that Lao Airlines is considering buying two of the jets, becoming the plane's first foreign customer.
But, speaking at the Aviation Expo/China 2007, Mr Li said the most important hurdle had yet to be overcome.
"We have to get test flight licences from either Europe or the United States. This will allow us to sell the plane abroad more easily," he said.
Building expertise
AVIC I obviously hopes its plane will be a commercial success, but China does not hide the fact that the project has another role - to give technicians experience for future, larger projects.
"This is a big project for them," says Tom Ballantyne, of Orient Aviation magazine based in Hong Kong. "They are really hoping this will kick off airline production in China."
Earlier this year, the Chinese government confirmed that it wanted to build its own jumbo jets by 2020.
It believes it now has the expertise, and economic strength, to build a large passenger plane.
China also appears to think that, as one of the world's largest nations, it ought to have its own aircraft manufacturing industry.
"A home-made large aircraft may inspire the nation like the country's manned spacecraft program," said Liu Daxiang, from AVIC I's science and technology development department.
Mr Ballantyne agrees that China should be able to produce jumbo jets in the coming decades, but he says it might be difficult persuading airlines to buy the planes.
"One of the problems in China is that even Chinese airlines do not want to buy China's own planes," he said.
Boeing and Airbus, it appears, are not going to face any serious Chinese competitor any time soon.
September 29, 2007
Hoteliers Protest Against Low-Budget Andaman Tourism
Reuters - Hundreds of tour operators and hotel owners in the Andaman islands protested on Thursday against a scheme to fly budget tourists to the islands, saying it had stopped wealthier travelers from visiting.
India recently allowed all level of government employees to use their leave allowances to fly to the Andaman and Nicobar islands, the remotest part of its territory, as it tried to boost the tourism-dependent economy following the catastrophic tsunami of 2004.
Many low-wage workers jumped at the chance to take their first flight and visit the islands' famed beaches, forests, coral reefs and tribal cultures -- a perk once reserved for only senior state employees.
But islanders working in the tourism industry say crowds of cost-conscious tourists are straining resources without generating much income.
"They visit the Andamans for at most a day and go back hardly spending any money," said G. Bhasker, general secretary of the Andaman Chamber of Commerce and Industries.
"Agents are blocking tickets in bulk, preventing up-market tourists who are genuinely interested in visiting our islands."
Hundreds of protesters chose World Tourism Day to shout slogans outside the tourism directorate in Port Blair, the archipelago's capital, and threatened further protests if the government did not listen.
The island's chief secretary promised to look into their complaints.
Authorities expect more than 150,000 tourists will visit the islands this year, but some estimate that around 80 percent of those are low-wage state employees.
Etihad takes off to Singapore and Brisbane
Dubai: Etihad Airways has launched its new three flights-a-week service to Singapore and Brisbane.
Flight EY470 took off on schedule yesterday morning from Abu Dhabi airport bound for Brisbane via Singapore. Singapore is Etihad's fifth destination in Southeast Asia after Bangkok, Manila, Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur.
Brisbane is the airline's second destination in Australia following the highly successful Sydney route started in March this year.
"Demand has been great for the new flights to Singapore and Brisbane with the seat factor for both destinations approaching 70 per cent in economy class and 65 per cent in business class for the month of October," the airline said.
James Hogan, Etihad's chief executive, said: "Etihad continues to expand its global flight network offering our customers frequent connections to many of the world's most popular destinations.
"The UAE is building strong commercial and cultural ties with Singapore and the Australian state of Queensland and the new Etihad flights will give these ties a significant boost."
Other new destinations launched in 2007 include Dublin and Milan as well as the southern Indian cities of Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram.
Etihad is operating a two-cabin Airbus A330-200 on the new flights. The aircraft is configured to carry 262 passengers, with 22 in business class and 240 in economy.
Flight EY470 will operate every Friday, Sunday and Wednesday, departing from Abu Dhabi at 10.05am and reaching Singapore at 9.35pm. The flight will depart from Singapore at 10.50pm and arrive in Brisbane at 6.20am the following morning.
Flight EY473 will operate from Brisbane every Saturday, Monday and Thursday departing at 11.25am and arriving in Singapore at 7.05pm. The flight will depart from Singapore at 8.25pm and arrive in Abu Dhabi at 11.59pm.
Engine Fire Forces Jet Back To St Louis
Reuters-A fire in one of two engines on a Chicago-bound American Airlines MD-80 jet forced the plane to return to St. Louis Airport on Friday, officials said.
None of the 137 passengers and five crew members on board was injured, an airline spokesman said.
Flight AA1400, bound for Chicago's O'Hare Airport, took off at 2:12 p.m. EDT, and was back on the ground within 30 minutes, American Airlines spokesman Mary Frances Fagan said.
"It had a left-hand engine fire that occurred after take-off. The aircraft returned to Lambert International safely. No one was hurt, and the passengers were evacuated on stairs," Fagan said.
Firefighters put out a small fire in the engine after the plane landed, Lambert spokesman Jeff Lea said.
Demand for business jets soaring in Middle East
Dubai: The Middle East business aviation market is flush with "active buyers" of business jets, a customer survey by global aerospace giant Honeywell revealed.
The 16th Annual Business Aviation Outlook gave a bullish outlook for the private aviation market and said the region encompassing Asia, the Middle East and Africa "again ranks as the area with the highest purchase expectations".
Industry-wide, Honeywell Aerospace said deliveries of business jets would exceed 1,000 for the first time in 2007, up from 861 in 2006. So far, sales are up more than 12 per cent compared with the same period last year. In 2008, deliveries are expected to top 1,300.
Yesterday, Airbus' corporate jet division reported similar findings. It said it won a 36 corporate jet sales this year, setting a record.
The Honeywell survey highlights the growing importance of developing markets, while expectations of corporate jet sales in the United States declined slightly,
ICAO Opposes EU Emissions Plan
Reuters - The International Civil Aviation Organization has passed a resolution opposing a European Union plan to include foreign airlines in its emissions trading system, the UN body said on Friday.
"A resolution was adopted which said... that emissions-trading schemes are fine, but they should not be applied to the aircraft of foreign countries without mutual consent," Jeffrey Shane, the undersecretary for policy in the US Department of Transportation told reporters in Montreal.
He said that during recent ICAO meetings, about 42 European governments took "a formal reservation" from that wording.
"They did not want a clause that said, 'ICAO urges states not to apply emissions trading to foreign aircraft without mutual consent'."
The ICAO is a United Nations body created in 1944 to promote the development of civil aviation around the world.
The United States has opposed the plan to include foreign airlines in the EU's emissions trading scheme and pushed the ICAO to let individual countries decide the best way to manage greenhouse gas emissions from their airlines.
The EU Commission plans to include flights into and out of the 27-nation bloc from 2012 in its emissions trading scheme.
Environmentalists say the airline industry must contribute more to reducing greenhouse gases, blamed for global warming.
Shane said that all ICAO member states recognize the importance of emissions trading "as one of many tools for addressing emissions from aircraft."
He also that the ICAO will create a "very high-level group" tasked with coming up with an action plan on reducing the aircraft emissions.
September 28, 2007
Bush seeks answers to airport congestion
US President George Bush met yesterday (Thursday) with transportation secretary Mary Peters and acting FAA administrator Robert Sturgell to discuss how to reduce congestion at the country’s key airports. "There's a lot of anger amongst our citizens about the fact that they're just not being treated right," admits Bush. "We've got a problem. We understand there's a problem and we're going to address the problem."
Airport delays in the US rose almost 20% between October 2006 and August 2007, compared with the same period a year before and nearly half of the delays occurred in the Philadelphia-New York corridor.
Transportation Department officials are reportedly considering a plan to make airlines pay a premium to use congested airports at peak times – mainly the afternoon and early evening. However, industry experts suggest any congestion pricing policy would simply lead to higher ticket prices for passengers.
"The bottom line is that there is not much we can do once an aircraft leaves the gate and enters onto the taxiway. At that point, we come under the control of an antiquated air traffic control system," says Bob Reding, an executive vice-president at American Airlines.
Dublin signs T2 contracts: work starts next week
Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) has signed seven major construction contracts to allow work to start next week on T2, the new passenger terminal at Dublin Airport. The contracts, which have a combined value of Euro 180 million (US$254 million), were awarded following a major international tender process and cover areas such as concrete, steelwork, cladding and logistics.
The T2 project is a key element of the DAA’s Euro 2 billon (US$2.8 billion) Transforming Dublin Airport programme, which will improve, expand and modernise the passenger facilities at the airport.
“We were pleased with the level and quality of interest in this hugely important project and we are very happy that we have got the right skills at the best price,” says DAA Chief Executive Declan Collier. “We look forward to working in partnership with each of these seven contractors to deliver some of the key elements of T2.”
These first seven contracts represent the initial tranche of 17 separate construction packages that comprise the overall T2 project. The project includes a 75,000m² terminal building, a 24,000m² departures pier and a wide range of other airport campus upgrades. Each contract was tendered separately. The new terminal will cost Euro 395 million, while the overall T2 project has a price tag of Euro 609 million.
Collier says that this multipackage approach would allow T2 to be delivered on time and on budget. “We are focused on delivering T2 within a tight timeframe, and this process allows us to move at the required speed to have the project completed on target and T2 operational in April 2010.”
Bahrain to implement hand baggage rules on Sunday
On Sunday, Bahrain International Airport will belatedly introduce hand baggage regulations to bring it into line with security guidelines put in place by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) last December. Airport director Mohammed Al Kaabi says the implementation in Bahrain was delayed in keeping with the huge incoming traffic after the summer vacations. Under the new rules, all passengers traveling from or transiting through the airport will have to undergo extra security screening for liquids, gels and aerosols. Prescription medicines, accompanied by prescriptions, will be the only exceptions.
Lounge replaces jail for SFO arrivals
San Francisco International Airport has opened a holding lounge for international travelers who arrive with incorrect travel documents. The lounge will enable them to wait in comfort for a return flight instead of in jail, say airport officials. James Kosciuk, of US Customs and Border Protection, claims the holding facility is the first of its kind in the country and could serve as an example for other airports. He adds that around 520 people each year arrive at the airport with incorrect documentation. About 200 are immediately put on return flights, and the others were previously held in jail until a flight could be arranged.
World Tourism Day 2007 praises the role of women in tourism
On the occasion of World Tourism Day 2007 hosted by Sri Lanka in Bentota, a Think Tank was held on this year’s theme "Tourism Opening Doors For Women" and its inter-relationship with the UN Millennium Development Goals. Under the Chairpersonship of H.E. Mrs Nilofar Bakhatiar, a group predominantly of women who have played prominent roles in Tourism around the world discussed:
- The importance of women in the tourism sector.
- Improving the role of women in tourism.
- Accentuating the role of women particularly in developing countries.
The need for AWARENESS CREATION about the opportunities for women and their concerns amongst general policy makers and amongst women themselves.
Creating APPROPRIATE POLICY FRAMEWORKS FOR WOMEN/S ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT with tourism as a primary component so that the sector is integrated into mainstream policy making.
The requirement not only to open doors, but to MAKE IT POSSIBLE FOR WOMEN TO GO THROUGH THEM, including good training development programmes, targeted information, decent and equal pay, good career development, family support structures and frameworks for ensuring self-respect.
The PARTICULAR OPPORTUNITIES presented by agro tourism, ecotourism, health and wellness, and the creative sector.
The importance of GETTING THE DIVERSE PRIVATE SECTOR ACTIVELY INVOLVED AS WELL AS NGOs AND THE MEDIA; with a fundamental requirement for the Public Sector to put in place and implement legislation for equal opportunity, equal pay and fair working conditions. In respect to the latter, note was taken of the need to address unreasonable working hours particularly for women with families.
The value of SHOWCASING WOMEN with fulfilling jobs at all levels, as well as those showing leadership and career progression.
The timeliness of this discussion in relation to broader action on gender equality and of UNWTO, WITH THE SUPPORT OF UNIFEM (United Nations Development Fund for Women), CHAMPIONING THIS ISSUE, as well as the importance of carrying this forward into a defined programme and action plan.
The DANGER OF SELF-DELUSION in considering primarily the beneficial aspects of tourism and women while ignoring the darker side of exploitation, harassment, abuse and marginalization.
The significance of INCREASED ACCESS TO CREDIT FACILITIES to encourage women entrepreneurs, and the proven reliability of women in meeting the conditions.
The absence of RELIABLE INFORMATION at a global, regional and national level, and the importance of such information for effective decision making & monitoring.
Against this background the following conclusions were reached:
- To initiate a UNWTO – UNIFEM annual report on the state of Women in Tourism.
- To make this an ANNUAL FORUM and to establish a broader biennial worldwide conference.
- To foster a NETWORK of activists, ambassadors and advocates to support the work of the UNWTO Special Advisor on Women in Tourism, and the establishment of a TASK FORCE to develop a draft Programme of Activity. To put in place a DATA COLLECTION system including desk research, case studies and alignment with the Tourism Satellite Account where feasible.
- To expand the website www.tourismgender.com into a PORTAL for gathering and presenting information, and serving as a framework for continuing focus; as well as a resource pool for gathering and sharing.
- To develop with partners an AWARENESS CAMPAIGN aimed at the industry, governments, media and women themselves, as well as the creation of a global AWARDS SCHEME.
- To strongly urge UNWTO and its Member States to take affirmative action within their power to actively involve women, from all social, economic and cultural spheres, into strategy, policy and operational decision making.
- To urge UNWTO to emphasize these issues within the framework of its Global Code of Ethics for Tourism. World Tourism Day 2007 is an occasion to celebrate women’s achievements in the tourism sector and stimulate continuous action in support of UN’s 3rd Millennium Development Goal: Promoting Gender Equality and Women Empowerment through to 2015 and beyond.
SAS To Resume Dash 8 Flights
Reuters-Scandinavian airline SAS said on Friday it planned to restart flights using its Dash 8 Q400 planes on October 4.
SAS has been forced to cancel hundreds of flights because its fleet of Dash 8 Q400 aircraft have been grounded after two SAS planes crash-landed due to undercarriage problems.
"SAS will deploy the first Q400 aircraft on Thursday, October 4, with the remaining Q400 aircraft returning to operation during the following days," the company said in a statement.
Boeing To Conduct Biofuel Flight Demo
Reuters-Boeing said on Thursday that it, Air New Zealand and Rolls-Royce announced a memorandum of understanding to conduct a biofuel demonstration flight.
Boeing said the demonstration flight is planned for the second half of 2008 using an Air New Zealand Boeing 747-400 equipped with Rolls-Royce engines.
Boeing said additional details will be announced closer to the actual demonstration flight date.
Deccan Aviation Quarterly Loss Widens
Reuters - India's Deccan Aviation, which owns budget carrier Air Deccan, reported a wider net loss for the quarter to June 2007, hit by lower air fares and higher fuel costs.
A statement late on Thursday said the company's loss widened to INR1.7 billion rupees (USD$42.8 million) from INR1.1 billion a year ago.
For the year ended June, its net loss was INR4.2 billion on revenue of INR21.4 billion. It had reported a loss of INR3.4 billion on revenue of INR12.4 billion in the 15 month period ended June 2006.
The company reported a 15 month period as it changed its accounting year mid-way.
United Breweries, which runs Kingfisher Airlines, owns 26 percent of Deccan and has also made an open offer for a further 20 percent of the carrier.
Thailand reaches new record in visitor arrivals in the first half of 2007
REPORT - BALI - PATA TRAVEL MART: Thailand recorded a total of 6.95 million visitor arrivals in January – June 2007, an increase of 3.30% over the same period of 2006, according to figures made available by the Thailand`s Immigration Bureau, Police Department.
Although there was strong growth in arrivals from Europe (14.45%), the Middle East (19.97%), Oceania (20.66%), and South Asia (10.58%), there has been a decline in arrivals from key Asian source-markets like Malaysia (-11.64%), China (-17.72%), Japan (-6.54%) and Korea (-2.31%).
This has been attributed partially to reports about the situation in South Thailand as well as the strengthening of the baht. TAT officials have also noted that the number of Approved Destination Status countries by China is at an all-time high, giving Chinese visitors much more choice than previously about where to go.
TAT is projecting 14.8 million international visitor arrivals in 2007 and estimated revenue of 547.5 billion baht. The domestic tourism target is for 82 million trips with a projected revenue of 377 billion baht.
Mrs. Phornsiri Manoharn, Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand said “We are confident that our marketing efforts and strong co-operation between the public and private sectors will help us meet our targets for this year. We are also working to address the declines in arrivals from our key markets.”
“At the same time, we are encouraged by the strong interest shown in Thailand by emerging markets like Russia, the Middle East, India and Africa,” Mrs Phornsiri said. Details of visitor arrivals in January - June 2007 Overall:
Visitor arrivals tabulated by nationality showed a total of 6,954,752, an increase of 3.30% over the same period of 2006.
East Asia: Visitor arrivals from East Asia declined by 3.91% to 3,606,731. Markets that have shown good growth include Laos PDR. (+122.26%), Myanmar (+31.68%), Cambodia (+3.81%), Indonesia (+3.01%), and Hong Kong (+2.87%).
Europe:
Visitor arrivals from Europe were up by 14.45% to 1,954,239. Russia was the outstanding market with a growth of 50.94% during this period. Other main markets like the UK were up by 4.56%, Germany (5.79%), Sweden (24.99%), and the Netherlands (8.50%).
The Americas:
Arrivals from the Americas declined by 1.46% to 454,651. USA, the main source market declined by 2.88% but there were some markets that showed a positive growth such as Argentina (+64.38%) and Brazil (+24.77%).
South Asia:
Arrivals from South Asia were up by 10.58% to 346,261. India, the main source of arrivals from South Asia showed a total of 264,555, up by 14.06% over the same period of 2006.
Oceania:
Arrivals were up by 20.66% to 350,854. Visitors from Australia were up by 22.75% to 302,981 and arrivals from New Zealand were up by 8.98% to 47,011.
The Middle East:
Arrivals from the Middle East grew by 19.97% to 189,689 with all markets showing positive growth. Arrivals from the UAE were up by 16.10%, while arrivals from Israel rose by 17.04%, Kuwait (9.65)%, Egypt (+19.02%), and Saudi Arabia (+31%). The Middle East market is important to Thailand because the visitors are high spenders.
Africa:
Arrivals from Africa were up by 9.67% to 52,327.
JACOB Online opens a new office in India
REPORT - BALI - PATA TRAVEL MART: JACOB Online launched today (28 September) their new office in New Delhi, India at the PATA Travel Mart in Bali, by holding a ribbon cutting ceremony performed by PATA President & CEO , Mr Peter de Jong and Mr Ian Hawkes, Executive Director of PATA UK`s Chapter.
With the market in Asia growing exceptionally fast at all levels, JACOB Online is growing its activities in South East Asia with contracting offices now expanding into sales and growing throughout the region.
Ian Hawkes said: "JACOB is a great concept as it combines the latest in online distribution with a great team of people who firmly believe in providing service. I am sure their Indian office will be a great success".
Denise Atkinson, Sales Director for JACOB Online, says: "With the new office in India, we are expecting a huge increase in hotel sales into Asia and Europe and we are also planning on expanding our offices in Asia to cover more of the region, from a Sales point of view, over the next year."
Having launched JACOB Asia in Hong Kong at last year`s PTM, the first year has exceeded all expectations - and JACOB now offers a wide range of hotels and categories from Beijing to Bangkok and from Singapore to Siem Reap. In additional to offering hotels in Asia, JACOB Online has a comprehensive portfolio of hotels in Europe, Canada and the Middle East.
Bush Seeks Changes To Cut US Airline Delays
US President George W Bush directed deputies on Thursday to devise a plan to shorten airline delays, an initiative that could force carriers to change schedules and pay more to use crowded airports at the busiest times of the day.
"We've got a problem. We understand there's a problem and we're going to address the problem," Bush said after meeting Transportation Secretary Mary Peters in the Oval Office.
Transportation Department figures show that US airline delays are on a record pace for 2007. For the year to July, delays surpassed the 1 million mark, up more than 20 percent from the same period a year ago.
Nearly a third of flights are late or canceled and more than 50,000 by July had ground delays of between one and five hours, a 40 percent increase over the same period a year ago.
Some aviation experts, lawmakers and regulators blame airline overscheduling for delays while others say the government has failed to upgrade the aging air traffic system to handle the millions of arrivals and departures each year. Airlines scheduled a record 647,000 flights in July alone.
The focus of the White House discussion was congestion in the New York area, which handles a third of US air traffic. Delays in New York can affect flights throughout the country.
Of immediate concern are delays at John F. Kennedy airport, which is growing fast and is a major point for international service. The most concrete step to emerge from the White House meeting was a decision for government planners to meet the airlines to discuss scheduling changes at JFK.
Peters told reporters after meeting Bush that she preferred a cooperative approach but the Federal Aviation Administration could limit flights at JFK if necessary.
Any action at JFK would most affect JetBlue Airway, which is based there, and Delta Air Lines, which operates two terminals. American Airlines operates international and some domestic service at JFK.
Delays have been a chronic problem for the industry for nearly a decade, interrupted only by the aviation downturn that followed the hijacking attacks of 2001. Past efforts by airlines and regulators to reduce or rearrange schedules at some of the most congested airports have provided temporary relief at best.
Mike Boyd, an industry consultant, said the steps announced by the Bush administration are too late and only "dumb down" the system.
"Every flight is full, airlines are meeting the nation's demands. The air traffic system is behind," Boyd said, adding that airlines had failed over the years to forcefully demand improvements in air traffic services.
US officials will study the concept of charging airlines more to use crowded airports at the busiest times of the day. Recommendations are due in December.
The Transportation Department has already proposed congestion pricing pilot programs at 15 airports as part of legislation to modernize the air traffic system.
Airlines oppose congestion pricing, saying it will only raise fares as extra costs are passed along to consumers.
Peters did not discount the possibility that government action could affect airline business models, such as the trend toward using more regional jets in place of larger planes.
"We don't necessarily want to say you can't do that, but we do want to say at the end of the day we have to reduce congestion and delay. Everything is on the table," Peters told reporters.
Airlines quickly note shortcomings in the aging government-run air traffic system and the impact on operations in the New York area of corporate jets, a growing preference for business travelers.
"The bottom line is that there is not much we can do once an aircraft leaves the gate and enters onto the taxiway. At that point, we come under the control of an antiquated air traffic control system," Bob Reding, executive vice president for operations at American Airlines, told a Senate hearing on Thursday.
American, Delta and other carriers said they have already tweaked their schedules at peak hours at some airports, adjusted the time that planes sit at gates, and streamlined maintenance to ensure aircraft meet their schedules.
US air-traffic control needs more redundant safety systems says ACTE
Citing a major communications breakdown at a regional air-traffic control center in Memphis earlier this week as yet another cause for alarm regarding aviation infrastructure, the Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE) is demanding greater redundancy in systems used to direct aircraft.
A major telephone line failure at the Memphis center resulted in numerous delays and clearing the airspace over a central portion of the country for three hours. According to ACTE Executive Director Susan Gurley, the design, maintenance, and installation of updated equipment in control centers is as important as the aircraft themselves.
"Aircraft are built to the highest possible specifications, with redundant systems in place to respond to malfunctions," said Gurley. "I find it hard to believe, and unsatisfactory, that the functions of this air traffic control center became unhinged with the failure of a single telephone line. There should have been a number of redundant systems available to automatically switch around this problem."
Gurley added that this problem dramatically exposes the vulnerability of the air-traffic control system, at least in some parts of the country. ACTE`s executive director was swift to praise the swift actions of air-traffic controllers, who used their cell phones to contact other traffic control centers.
"It`s not a question of delays or air travel disruption, which are serious enough," said Gurley. "But an issue of overall safety. Three years ago, many of our members were disturbed to lean that some air traffic control systems in eastern Europe still used standard phone lines to direct traffic from one control center to the next. I can assure you this was an eye-opener for the industry."
Gurley stated that while this incident resulted in no loss of life, she noted that no one downplayed its significance. The air-traffic control system in the United States handles thousands of flights a day. Communications systems and radar need to be the best available. ACTE`s director concluded with the statement that terrorism is not the only threat to the international travel profession.
"Typically, this is the kind of improvement that would come out of the Airline Trust Fund, the primary source of funding for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). There is no question that FAA funding is stretched to the limit, and that it is unrealistic to bridge the funding gap for this agency to ticket prices or additional taxes on travelers. But this is question of safety. Airborne commerce is the pulse of the nation`s economy, and this makes a good argument for bridging the FAA funding gap from general tax revenue," said Gurley.
September 27, 2007
British Airways Ditches 747 For Airbus A380
LONDON - British Airways ended decades of loyalty to Boeing's 747 jumbo with a switch to Airbus's new A380 superjumbo on Thursday as it announced a mixed plane order worth up to USD$8.2 billion.
The order for 12 superjumbos from Airbus and 24 787 Dreamliners from Boeing will replace 34 of the airline's older long-haul planes.
BA Chief Executive Willie Walsh told reporters the airline would use the superjumbo to make best use of its limited take-off slots at London's crowded Heathrow Airport.
He denied the company had experienced political pressure to buy the superjumbo, the wings and engines of which will be built in Britain.
"There was absolutely none," he told reporters. "There was no contact, be it formal or informal. The decision was made in the best interest of British Airways. In the engines, the choice of Rolls-Royce was because British is best."
The A380 is the biggest airliner in production, and its first delivery due next month, to Singapore Airlines, comes after wiring troubles triggered a costly two-year delay and management upheaval at Airbus.
The double-decker has a maximum seating capacity of 853 passengers, though most airlines plan to use configurations of fewer than 650, which is still a jump from Boeing's jumbo, which BA currently flies with a maximum of 351 seats.
BA took delivery of its first jumbo on April 22, 1970, becoming just the fifth airline to get one.
"It's an excellent boost for UK manufacturing, with Airbus and Rolls-Royce plants benefiting," said Tony Woodley of Britain's biggest union, Unite. "This order will secure many thousands of jobs."
Analysts said BA had probably received significant discounts as Boeing and Airbus battled for the high-profile orders.
"With the A380 likely to have been heavily discounted, and a reasonable discount on 24 787s also applied, we'd estimate the real value of the order at around GBP3 billion pounds (USD$6 billion)," said analyst Andrew Fitchie at Collins Stewart.
Walsh declined to discuss discounts, which are common in the industry, but said: "I'm very pleased with the way Boeing and Airbus approached this."
The superjumbo will fly on routes from London to Hong Kong, Singapore, South Africa and the west coast of the United States.
The 24 mid-sized 787 Dreamliners, a model whose rapid sales have revived Boeing's fortunes, will be used to open up new routes and increase the frequency of flights on existing ones.
The 787 breaks new ground with a fuselage made of light-weight carbon composite, and is due to enter service next year.
The two types of new aircraft will be delivered between 2010 and 2014, and BA said it had also taken options for a further seven Airbus superjumbos and 18 of Boeing's Dreamliners.
The airline said both aircraft types would be powered by engines from Rolls-Royce, which said it could make up to USD$5 billion from the deal if all options become firm orders.
BA said it was considering aircraft to replace a further 37 Boeing 747s and is examining the Boeing 777-300 ER, the Airbus A350XWB, as well as a stretched version of Boeing's 787, the 787-10, which the planemaker has yet to launch.
"This puts big pressure on Boeing to actually launch the 787-10," said one London-based brokerage analyst.
Another said that while Airbus had scored a major victory in selling the superjumbo to BA, it had missed a key opportunity to secure a deal for its newest plane, the A350 XWB, and selling it to BA would remain a priority for the planemaker.
BA has arranged for a group of banks to provide USD$1.5 billion of debt financing to cover its firm orders to the end of 2011.
THAI MICE industry projecting huge growth
REPORT - BALI - PATA TRAVEL MART: Thailand’s Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE) sector is doing well. In the first six months of 2006, Thailand saw a growth of 70.54% in visitor arrivals for conventions and a 27.95% increase in business travellers.
The highest numbers for convention delegates were from the ASEAN region, led by Malaysia followed by Singapore and Indonesia. Delegates from Japan were up by 112.44% and Korea 358.50%.
According to the estimated figures for 2007 conducted by the Thailand Conventional and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), Thailand will receive a total of 814,000 MICE delegates, generating about 56 billion baht foreign exchange revenue for the Thai economy.
TCEB plans to build itself into an agile and professional organisation that will harness the power of marketing intelligence and databases and bolster industry knowledge and skills development.
TCEB also has profiled the local trade and industry associations, especially the medical fraternity which holds the biggest annual conventions. In the field of exhibitions, particular attention will be paid to the top global industries: jewellery, automotive, agriculture and fashion.
Facilities for international incentive travel, meetings, conferences, and exhibitions are being strongly promoted.
Currently, Thailand offers five high-class convention and exhibition centres including the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre (QSNCC), Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Centre (BITEC), Impact Muang Thong Thani, Bangkok Convention Centre (BCC) at Central Plaza, and Pattaya Exhibition and Convention Hall (PEACH).
Medium-sized convention halls are also available at the Siam Paragon complex and the Central World Trade Centre right in downtown Bangkok, surrounded by dozens of hotel facilities all within walking distance.
In addition, new centres are emerging in regional destinations like Chiang Mai and Phuket.
Several major events are to be held in Thailand this year, such as the World International Islamic Conference & Exhibition Thailand 2007, IT&CMA / CTW Asia-Pacific, ICCA 2007, Media Asia Expo 2007, Proud Asia 2007, and Worlddidac Asia 2007.
Gulf Air and Tourism Malaysia join hands
Gulf Air and Tourism Malaysia signed an agreement to jointly promote Malaysia’s 50 years of nationhood. The agreement, signed by Gulf Air and Tourism Malaysia, comes after last year’s Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the two sides to set up a task force to seek ways to jointly promote “Visit Malaysia”.
"Malaysia is an extremely popular destination for tourists from the Middle East and over the years the country has been witnessing a steady increase in the number of tourists’ arrivals from the region," says Gulf Air General Manager Bahrain Abdulmalik Al Saei.
Malaysia received as many as 12,404,377 tourists between Jan and July 2007, a 24 % jump over the same period last year.
Around 130, 000 tourists from the Middle East and Iran visited Malaysia in the first half this year, up nearly 42 percent when compared with the same period last year.
Visitors from Bahrain alone jumped 24.4 percent higher to 3,246 in the first seven months this year up from 2,610 during the same period in 2006.
Gulf Air’s Head of Marketing Peter Rothel says the airline is eager to tap into the influx.
"Gulf Air has been flying to Kuala Lumpur for years and with the strongest network in the Middle East, the airline is best positioned to cooperate with Tourism Malaysia," says Gulf Air Head of Marketing Peter Rothel adding that "the airline has lined up very attractive offers as part of the campaign."
Gulf Air, which operates daily flights to Malaysia, has slashed prices to 149 BHD for a roundtrip (Bahrain-Kuala Lumpur-Bahrain) starting October and until the end of the year.
"The campaign is timely as it gives visitors the opportunity to attend world-class events and festivals taking place in Malaysia over the next three months," adds Mr. Rothel.
Malaysian officials have welcomed the tie up with Gulf Air, which is the most established carrier in the region, and the Kingdom of Bahrain.
Events coming up during the next three months are the Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix (19 October-21 October) featuring the world’s greatest riders, Malaysian International Gourmet Festival (2 November- 29 November) which is the country’s premier gastronomic event featuring the world’s best chefs and the Malaysia Year End Sale Carnival (1 December 2007 to 1 January 2008) offering great bargains.
Airport News
Birmingham: third terminal yes, second runway no
Officials at Birmingham International Airport in the UK have unveiled a £1 billion (US$2 billion) vision for the facility, which involves the building of a third passenger terminal and the extension of the existing runway.
Plans to build an extra runway have been scrapped however, because officials believe projected increases in passenger numbers to about 27 million a year by 2030 can be accommodated by these extra services.
The latest plans will be submitted later this year and should be completed in time for the 2012 London Olympics.
Birmingham's acting managing director Joe Kelly says the £120 million (US$240 million) 400m runway extension will allow the airport to handle non-stop, long-haul flights to China, the Far East and the west coast of America.
A tunnel will be created as part of the extension project, to allow the A45 highway to pass under the runway.
The vision for Birmingham Airport is contained within an interim master plan published today, which has been approved by Australia's Victorian Funds Management Corp and Canada's Ontario Teachers Pension Plan, which last week together bought a 48.25% stake in the airport from Macquarie Airports Group and Ireland's Dublin Airport Authority.
Plans to produce a full master plan, as required by the UK Department for Transport, have been delayed pending the outcome of Coventry Airport’s appeal against the refusal of planning consent for a new terminal building.
Manchester to track passengers for retail boost
Manchester Airport is to begin trials of inexpensive UHF tags to track passenger movements in order to boost retail sales.
The UK’s third largest airport tried tracking passenger movements last year to understand passengers’ behaviour as they travel through the airport, but decided the RFID technology was too expensive to justify full rollout.Yemmi Agbebi, head of business development at the airport, says the investment in more affordable UHF tags to track passenger movements around retail areas is likely to provide a better return than employing the technology to maximise supply chain efficiency.
The system will be used to maximise the amount of time spent by passengers in the retail area, by highlighting occasions when passengers are delayed in security, for example. It will also alert staff to prevent passengers from accessing restricted areas, and improve staff identification and border security.
The recent introduction of a global UHF standard has brought down the cost of RFID tags, but the technology presents challenges in airport environments because UHF is affected by water in the human body and metal in luggage.
September 26, 2007
PATA Travel Mart strength reflects Asia Pacific growth
REPORT - BALI - PATA TRAVEL MART: PATA Travel Mart 2007 (PTM07) opened in Bali today (26 September) with a total built-up floor space of 4,294 square metres (sq m). PATA President and CEO Mr Peter de Jong said: “Going from strength to strength, the Mart is again setting records in 2007.”
“In today’s highly competitive marketplace, this strong sustained growth is a truly remarkable performance.”
Mr de Jong attributed strong member support and increased seller representations from South Asia, Northeast Asia and the Pacific as reasons for the Mart being recognised as one of the biggest travel contracting and networking shows in Asia Pacific.
“In many ways, the success of the Mart is a reflection of the dynamism and the strength of the Asia Pacific region.”
Helping to drive this growth is the strong performance of Asia Pacific travel and tourism, which last year came close to 356 million international arrivals for the first time.
Travel to Asia Pacific destinations will continue to outperform long-term average global growth rates, expanding by around 6% per annum to 2009, according to the ‘PATA Annual Statistical Report 2006’, which was launched yesterday (25 September) at the Mart.
“In 2007, Asia Pacific has so far added an additional 13.8 million international arrivals and expanded volumes by 7.1% year-on-year,” said PATA Director - Strategic Intelligence Centre Mr John Koldowski.
“Flows between China (PRC), Hong Kong SAR and Macau SAR continue to dominate the numbers, adding 3.8 million additional arrivals and expanding 6% in the first six months of 2007,” he added.
Mr de Jong confirmed the official delegate numbers for PTM07. A total of 423 buyers representing 343 organisations from 49 source markets have arrived at Bali International Convention Centre for PTM07.
Buyers have come to negotiate with 830 seller delegates representing 376 travel organisations from 38 destinations.
Mr de Jong described the global nature of Asia Pacific’s source markets: “We are pleased to welcome buyers from emerging source markets such as Cyprus, Fiji, Malta, Slovakia and Turkey.”
Mr de Jong said: “From a seller perspective, we have a good cross-section of inbound operators, hotels, national and regional tourism offices, cruise operators, airlines and airports. Seller representation which has also grown strongly over the last few years has this year extended to include Canada.”
He added: “Not surprisingly, we are still seeing a presence from mainland China, with 14 seller organisations, taking 144 sq m of floor space.”
Mr de Jong reaffirmed PATA’s commitment to growing its activities in the “critical market” of China (PRC).
Highlighting some of the features at this year’s Mart, Mr de Jong talked about the outbound workshops organised by PATA’s Strategic Intelligence Centre which will offer essential insights into the source markets of China and the USA; both collectively generated more than 90 million international arrivals to Asia Pacific destinations last year.
For the first time, the annual PATA Foundation Silent Auction and the PATA Gold Awards presentation ceremony is being held in conjunction with the Mart.
“The awards presentation lunch on Friday is dedicated to honouring our 2007 Grand and Gold awards winners for their exceptional achievements,” said Mr de Jong.
Mr de Jong cited PATA’s continued successful repositioning of the Mart and strong strategic support from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism – Republic of Indonesia, official airline Garuda Indonesia, the Bali Government Tourism Office, and PATA Indonesia and Bali & Nusa Tenggara chapters, as major contributors to the success of PTM07.
DOT opens US - China aviation routes
Flying from the United States to China will be more convenient, thanks to new direct routes from Atlanta and San Francisco announced by U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters. The Secretary also announced proposed awards for service from Chicago, Newark, Detroit and Philadelphia.
“By bringing China and the U.S. one step closer, we increase our ability to compete, boost our success in the global marketplace, and make international travel for all passengers easier and more affordable,” Secretary Peters said.
Secretary Peters announced that Delta Airlines had been awarded a new direct route from Atlanta to Shanghai, making them the first airline to fly that route. The Secretary also announced that United Airlines was awarded a direct route from San Francisco to Guangzhou, to begin flying in 2008. Both the Delta and United awards represent final decisions by the Department.
Peters also proposed awards for four new daily flights to begin in 2009: American Airlines for Chicago-Beijing service, Continental Airlines for Newark-Shanghai service, Northwest Airlines for Detroit-Shanghai service, and US Airways for Philadelphia-Beijing service. Final decisions of these proposed awards will be made in the near future after further public comment.
Secretary Peters said the announcement is the result of an agreement signed in July with the Chinese government to open up airways between the two countries and double the number of daily flights allowed between the U.S. and China over the next five years. The agreement also allows for new cargo flights operating to and from the U.S. and China.
By increasing competition, allowing more flight options, and reducing costly stops and layovers, these new direct routes are expected to lower fares and increase convenience for both business and leisure passengers to travel to China, Secretary Peters said.
Russia Aims To Sell 1,000 Superjet Airliners
Reuters - Russia plans to sell at least 1,000 of its new Superjet regional airliners, with 70 percent destined for export, manufacturer Sukhoi said on Tuesday.
The ambitious target exceeds the total number of comparable models on the backlog of the Canadian and Brazilian firms who currently dominate the market for planes under 100 seats.
The 78-98 seat Superjet will be unveiled on Wednesday at a Sukhoi jet fighter factory in Russia's Far East. It is the country's first significant civil aviation project since the end of the Soviet Union.
Sukhoi Chief Executive Mikhail Pogosyan said the state-owned company plans to reach a peak production rate of five or six aircraft a month in 2010 and would break-even after 300 planes.
So far it has sold 73 Superjets, mainly to Russian airlines for delivery starting in 2008. It aims to get the planes certified for use in Europe and the United States next year.
By the end of 2007 it plans to make the first test flight and bring the order book up to 100 jets valued at USD$2.8 billion.
Contractors said there were no signs of a further sale to coincide with Wednesday's roll-out, which is instead being presented as a symbol of Russia's industrial revival.
"This is a very serious step for the company and one of the most important steps towards the renaissance of the Russian aerospace industry," Pogosyan said.
About 1,000 visitors are expected in Komsomolsk for the roll-out, straining the resources of a town once forbidden to travelers as a nerve centre of Soviet submarine and military aircraft production.
Pogosyan, a charismatic engineer credited with selling his Superjet ambition to the Kremlin and foreign investors, gave journalists and suppliers a tour of the massive KnAAPO plant.
Guests were kept well clear of its 15,000 military workers or hardware from Russia's biggest war plane maker, apart from an occasional glimpse of a Sukhoi "Flanker" -- a legendary fighter designed to combat the McDonnell Douglas/Boeing F-15 Eagle.
Boeing is now advising Sukhoi on the Superjet but has not invested any cash, Pogosyan said.
"We have a serious past but the world has changed and we could not continue without a strong civil base," he said.
Russian aviation collapsed after the fall of the Soviet Union but President Vladimir Putin has promised to breathe new life into the sector in a move to reassert Moscow's clout.
Russian aerospace ambitions have caused some unease in Europe after a state-controlled bank grabbed a 5 percent stake in Airbus parent EADS last year. Nerves were also rattled when Moscow recently restored strategic bomber patrols.
In Sukhoi's workshops, traces of the Cold War remain as welding sparks fly under giant paintings depicting the strength of the Soviet worker. But Western industrialists were left with few doubts that Sukhoi is retooling for a commercial battle.
"They are moving forwards and bringing in the resources. When this gets going it will really get going," said Philippe Petitcolin, head of French engine firm Snecma.
Snecma, part of French conglomerate Safran, teamed up with Russia's NPO Saturn to build the Superjet's engines. French firm Thales is providing avionics.
Key to the project's success or failure, according to analysts, is Italian firm Alenia Aeronautica, which took a 25 percent stake in Sukhoi's civil division. Its task is to coordinate after-sales service, seen as crucial for winning airline contracts.
Asked whether Sukhoi might open its civil subsidiary to other investors or a stock market flotation, Pogosyan said: "Everything is possible."
Giant ads planned for airport flight paths
Giant advert billboards the size of three football fields could be in place along the flight paths of some of the world’s busiest airports. UK advertising agency Ad-Air is hoping to kick off the initiative next month at Abu Dhabi, and similar installations are planned near airports in London, Paris, Geneva, Los Angeles, Tokyo and Los Angeles from early next year.
Ad-Air spokesperson Kate Rosser says the 20,000m² ads will be on private property and will easily be visible to passengers on flights approaching the airport. They will be printed on a fabric mesh-type material that will be suspended above the ground, facing skyward.
“This record breaking new medium delivers a captive audience of millions of premium international passengers,” she adds, though she refuses to say which companies will be advertising.
Officials at Hartsfield-Jackson, the world’s busiest airport, say they have not heard about the giant ads
