Bombardier Aerospace announced today that the Government of Iraq has placed a firm order for six CRJ900 NextGen airliners which will be used for civilian airline services in Iraq. The transaction includes options on an additional four CRJ900 NextGen aircraft.
March 13, 2008
Bombardier Sells Six CRJ900 NextGen Airliners To Iraq
Ministry of Civil Aviation to complete modernisation of non-metro airports by March 2010
The Minister for Civil Aviation, Shri Praful Patel informed the Parliament the target date for completion of modernization process of the 35 non-metro airports by the Airports Authority of India (AAI), is March 2010.
New Terminal Buildings expandable on modular basis are being constructed at Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Aurangabad, Agatti, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh, Dehradun, Goa, Jaipur, Lucknow, Indore, Khajuraho, Madurai, Mangalore, Port Blair, Ranchi, Raipur, Rajkot, Trivandrum, Trichy, Udaipur, Varanasi and Vishakhapatnam airports. Modification/expansion of existing Terminal Buildings is being undertaken at airports in Agra, Agartala, Coimbatore, Dimapur, Guwahati, Imphal, Jammu, Nagpur, Patna, Pune and Vadodara.
Airside works including expansion and strengthening of runway for wide bodied aircraft operations, extension/new construction of Apron for more parking of aircrafts, link taxiways and parallel taxi tracks are being taken up at these airports as per requirement. At 24 of these airports, cityside development through Public Private Partnership is being undertaken. Bids for pre-qualification have been received for Amritsar and Udaipur airports.
SriLankan Airlines carries 3.2 million passengers in 2007
SriLankan Airlines carried 3.2 million passengers around its global network in 2007, an increase of more than 100,000 over the previous year.
It was the largest number of passengers carried by the airline in a calendar year since its inception in 1979.
Significant increases were recorded in all regions – Europe, India, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. The largest improvements were in traffic to and from Frankfurt, Bahrain, Doha, Bangkok, and Singapore.
Manoj Gunawardena, Head of Worldwide Passenger Sales, said: “our worldwide team has achieved an excellent performance during the calendar year 2007. We remained strong in all regions, and our focus on the Indian market yielded excellent results”.
In India substantial increases were seen in the number of passengers carried to and from Mumbai, Calicut, Goa, Madras, and Bangalore. SriLankan last November became the first foreign carrier to operate 100 flights per week to India and now serves 11 cities there. During 2007 it launched services to Coimbatore and increased services to several other cities, including its double-daily service to Mumbai.
“It was not an easy year since some tourists were deterred by strong travel advisories issued by key tourist generating countries. We also faced increased competition from other carriers in India, the Middle East and Southeast Asia,” said Gunawardena.
The airline’s other traditional markets continued to be rock solid, including London, Male, Dubai, Kuala Lumpur, Kuwait, Trivandrum, Trichy, and Cochin. All of the airline’s offices contributed by supporting sales efforts throughout the route network.
Services to new destinations launched in 2007 – Coimbatore and Jeddah – lived up to their potential, and more is expected from them in the future.
Apart from carrying travellers to and from Sri Lanka, the airline has focused on turning Colombo into a hub in the region, connecting East and West and serving as the gateway to India.
Biman Bangladesh Airlines considers suspending domestic routes
Biman Bangladesh Airlines is considering suspending all domestic routes, with the exception of Dhaka-Sylhet and Dhaka-Chittagong, which will remain on the network due to their large expatriate population.
The move is part of the carrier’s turnaround plan, which focuses on rebuilding its international network. According to a member of Biman’s Fleet Committee, Capt Shah Alam, “we don't want to enter in that saturated and small market; we want to do our core business and that is operating international flights".
Over the years Biman has been forced to discontinue or reduce frequency on many of its international services due to aircraft shortages. With its latest aircraft order, the carrier hopes to resume operations on its profitable international routes.
As domestic competition in Bangladesh heats up, the government is expected to deregulate the domestic market for private airlines. Several local entrants launching operations this year, including United Airways, Best Air, Royal Bengal and A2Air.
Biman reported a USD100 million net loss in the 12 months ended 30-Jun-07, due to rising fuel prices and weak passenger demand. The government has since launched an emergency rescue plan, which included transforming the carrier as a public company in Jul-07 and retrenching a large number of staff. Biman currently operates to 19 international destinations with a fleet of 12 aircraft, although only eight are currently in service.
Dubai International Airport installs new landing system
A new category of Instrument Landing System became fully operational following certification from the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) on 10 March 2008 at . Diversion and delay of flights due to fog are now a thing of the past at Dubai International Airport. A major upgrade over the Cat I and Cat II systems that were in use at Dubai International Airport, the newly certified CAT IIIA Instrument Landing System (ILS) enables a pilot to land even with visibility as low as 200 metres. Dubai international airport is the first CAT IIIA compliant airport in the region, including the subcontinent.
Welcoming the certification from GCAA, UAE's federal authority, HH Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA), and Chairman of Dubai Airports, said 'It is a big achievement for Dubai Airports and will positively impact our operations at Dubai International. Disruption or diversion of flights due to low visibility is a major inconvenience for passengers and a logistical challenge for the airlines and airports alike. The new system will translate into great benefits for the passengers, airlines and Dubai International airport by enabling low visibility operations.'
The new category of landing system has been in use for some time at Dubai International according to Mohammed Ahli, Director General of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA) and CEO of Air Traffic Services (ATS).
'We have been using the system for some time now; as a prerequisite for the certification from the federal authority we have tested it for 6,000 hours,' he said.
He added: 'This upgrade was part of our plans for Dubai International for a long time now but could not have been fully operational due to activities connected to the expansion project.'
Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports said that it is part of the company's strategy to constantly work on enhancing our efficiency to benefit our customers. 'This technological upgrade certainly will go a long way in ensuring better services for our customers, both airlines and passengers,' he said.
Griffiths added: 'We will continue to assess our systems to determine the best possible upgrade requirements. While the new system, Cat IIIA, is fully operational, we will be working over the next few months to upgrade it to Cat IIIB. We intend to accomplish this by October 2008,' he said.
According to Griffiths, Dubai does not need a Cat IIIC which is a category that allows landing even when visibility is zero. 'UAE experiences fog for only two or three weeks a year and it is not as dense as in Europe. The next upgrade (Cat IIIB) will enable us to operate in visibility of 50 metres,' he explained. About Dubai Airports
Dubai Airports owns and manages Dubai International Airport and the upcoming Dubai World Central - Al Maktoum International.
A319 joins Royal Jordanian fleet
The newly manufactured Airbus A319 brings a new standard of amenities and comfort to RJ passengers traveling to medium-range destinations in Europe, the Indian Subcontinent and the Arab Gulf. The airliner is distinguished by modern features, such as spacious seat pitch and state-of-the-art audio channels and personal video screens available for each passenger on economy and crown classes.
This type of aircraft, belonging to the Airbus A320 family, will boost the company's services, enabling it to better serve the regional and medium-haul route network. It will also augment RJ's existing fleet of Airbus A320 and A321 aircraft assimilated in the fleet in the past two years.
The second Airbus A319 will join the fleet in October this year and the remaining two in February and March next year. Four other planes will be introduced during the coming three months; two Airbus A321 and two Embraer 175, whereas two Airbus A321 will be phased out. The number of aircraft will reach 30 in June this year, reaching over 55 worldwide destinations.
The airline designated names of Jordanian cities on its new aircraft that joined the fleet in the last two years and the ones that will join as a part of its mission of promoting Jordan to the world.
CAAS to expand Singapore’s Budget Terminal
The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) announced plans to invest USD7.2 million expanding Singapore’s Budget Terminal (BT). The expansion project, which will commence from Jul-08 to early 2009, will increase Singapore’s Budget Terminal’s handling capacity from the current 2.7 million passengers p/a to 7 million. In addition, the expansion will also increase the floor area of the terminal from 25,000 sqm to 28,700 sqm.
After almost two years of operations, the terminal’s expansion is necessary to keep ahead of the air traffic growth at the BT. In 2007, 1.77 million passengers passed through the BT. In all, the BT has served about 2.9 million passengers since it opened on 26 March 2006. The number of weekly scheduled flights at the BT, operated by Tiger Airways and Philippines-based carrier, Cebu Pacific Air, has also increased from 124 in Mar-06 to 248 in Feb-08, representing a growth of 100%.
CAAS Director-General and Chief Executive Officer, Mr Lim Kim Choon, said " When we first decided to build the Budget Terminal about three years ago, no one could accurately predict the success of low cost travel in this region. With increased air transport liberalisation in this region, airlines, including low cost carriers, have now greater opportunities to rapidly expand their air network and increase their flight operations.”
The expansion project will include the addition of seven check-in counters as well as the installation of additional baggage handling equipment. Three more passenger boarding gates will be constructed, bringing the total number of boarding gates to ten.
Mr Lim Kim Choon added, “The expansion of the Budget Terminal to increase its handling capacity is timely as we expect passenger traffic to increase further with ASEAN’s goal to remove all restrictions on passenger flights between ASEAN capitals by Dec-08. The increased handling capacity can last us through the next few years.”
PATA honours IHG'S Low
BANGKOK – The 2008 Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Face of the Future is Kenneth Low, Director Strategy, Asia Pacific for the InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG).
Low will receive his honour during the PATA Foundation Gala Dinner at the Galle Face Hotel in Colombo, Sri Lanka on April 6.
Based in Singapore, Low, who just turned 35, is responsible for planning IHG's growth strategy in Asia Pacific, with a particular focus on the key markets of China (PRC), India and Japan.
He joined IHG in November 2005 from Abacus International, where he was Head of Corporate Planning and Development.
Announcing the award, PATA President and CEO Peter de Jong said Low was a high achiever who had risen rapidly though the management ranks of two highly successful travel companies.
Low was chosen from an impressive shortlist of candidates from private and public sector organisations across the region.
AIRPORT NEWS
China clamps down on airport security
New measures to tighten airport security have been introduced today (Thursday 13 March 2008) by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC). The measures are designed to prevent a recurrence of a failed attack last Friday in which a terrorist attempted to set fire to a plane en-route to Beijing using petroleum carried onto the plane.
Passengers are now prohibited from carrying any liquids on domestic flights in China. The prohibition follows 12 months after the CAAC introduced restrictions, which permitted domestic passengers to carry up to one litre of liquid (not including alcohol), providing it was opened for inspection by security officials. Under these former restrictions, any additional liquids had to be checked-in.
CAAC has also announced a crackdown on security procedures in VIP lounges at some airports in China. The administration is concerned that some VIP lounges allow passengers to pay to board planes with minimal security checks. It is threatening to close any lounges that fail to comply.
There are no changes to the security restrictions for passengers who are departing from China on international or regional flights. They will continue to be allowed to take up to 100 millilitres of liquid in each container and the container in which the liquid is kept must be put in a small transparent plastic bag that can be re-sealed. Any extra liquids must be delivered as luggage in a transparent plastic bag. International passengers who need to transfer between flights in China will be required to abide by these rules.
Zurich enjoys buoyant February
During February 2008 more than 1.5 million passengers passed through Zurich Airport, up 13.1% compared with February 2007.
The number of transfer passengers rose 13.3% to 512,738 in February and the number of local passengers (originating or departing from Zurich) rose by 13.7% to 1,019,453.
Zurich officials say the low cost market grew by 39.9% in February, raising its share of Zurich traffic to 10.3%.
Hanoi to grow by 2010
The Noi Bai International Airport in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi is to be expanded with a new passenger terminal, due to be finished in 2010. The country’s Civil Aviation Administration says the enlarged airport will have a capacity of 50 million passengers a year.
Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Sinh Hung says construction of the terminal should begin in October 2008 and will be finished within two years.
Have bones will travel
Right: Munich customs officers found some of the remains of a man in a sealed suitcase this weekWhen Munich customs officers asked two women to open their sealed suitcase this week, they discovered that the travellers, both in their 60s, had placed the skull and several bones of a man inside.
Flying to Italy via Munich from Brazil, the women had brought along the man’s remains to fulfil his wish of finding his final resting place in Italy. According to documents, he had died 11 years earlier in Sao Paolo.
While the Bavarian officials were understandably surprised about the mode of transport, they did allow the women to continue their journey as they had all the necessary documents to bring the bones to Naples.
Branson plans V Australia launch
Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson will visit Australia at the end of this month to reveal details of the much-anticipated V Australia operation. V Australia is the new airline formed to operate trans-Pacific services between Australia and the US, and potentially other routes.
The trans-Pacific route has been virtually controlled by Qantas until last month’s signing of an open skies agreement between the US and Australian governments. United Airlines offers a lower-quality service on the route but the majority of passengers are flown by Qantas.
Branson’s participation in the public launch of the airline’s plans will ensure optimum publicity for the new airline. He is also expected to announce a new Australian airport to be served by Malaysia-based AirAsia X in which Virgin Group has a 20% stake. That airline has been evaluating offers from Melbourne International Airport and Avalon, near Geelong, Victoria.
Branson will visit Melbourne on 27 March with AirAsia CEO Tony Fernandes and AirAsia X CEO Azran Osman-Rani.
Lufthansa refurbishes network lounges
Lufthansa has revealed plans to invest approximately US$233 million (Euros 150 million) to refurbish lounges at airports throughout its global route network over the next six years.
“We never stop working on expanding our position as a premium carrier and lounges are a key element of our product philosophy,” says Thierry Antinori, executive vice president marketing and sales at Lufthansa Passenger Airlines.
Recently Lufthansa opened new Senator and Business lounges at Cologne/Bonn Airport. Centrally located within the new departures and arrivals concourse, the lounges encompass 800m² and accommodate 170 guests.
At Hamburg Airport, lounges are currently undergoing expansion and renovation and are due to be completed this summer.
In the new Terminal area at Frankfurt Airport a completely new lounge concept is being developed between gates C and D. Passengers will board flights from two levels, with the upper level reserved exclusively for First- and Business-Class travellers as well as status customers. A new Senator Lounge with priority gate connections and a new Lufthansa Business lounge are also being planned.
Enhancements are not confined to Germany. Improvements are being made to Lufthansa lounges throughout the world, including the expansion and modernisation of the lounges at New York’s John F Kennedy Airport where a new third level that is dedicated exclusively for First-Class and HON Circle customers is scheduled to open in late 2008.
At Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, the renovation and expansion of existing facilities is due to be completed in spring 2009. Renovations and new projects are also planned at other international airports, among them Mumbai.
Cocaine seized at Vienna
Police at Vienna’s Schwechat International Airport have seized more than 20 kilograms of cocaine with an estimated street value of US$3 million.Authorities say the drugs were intercepted on 17 January and that three suspects, two men and a woman from the Dominican Republic, were arrested. Details of the case were withheld until this week.
Police say the cocaine was hidden in bottles and containers.
Singapore Airlines receives third A380
With the addition of this third aircraft into its fleet, Singapore Airlines will commence A380 flights to London Heathrow airport on Tuesday 18 March 2008. This will be the first-ever A380 commercial service to Europe.
Fitted with the luxurious Singapore Airlines Suites, the award-winning 4-abreast Business Class and a new, more comfortable Economy cabin, the A380 allows Singapore Airlines customers to travel to London in unprecedented comfort, space and luxury.
Scheduled daily services to London (SQ322) will commence from the evening of Tuesday 18 March, and on SQ 317 for the return leg from 19 March. Singapore Airlines currently operates daily A380 scheduled flights between Singapore and Sydney.
Singapore Airlines is the first to fly the A380, and currently the only airline in the world operating the aircraft. The Airline has firm orders for a further 16 A380s and options on six more.
Emirates launches flights to Los Angeles
Emirates is set to expand its network even further this year with the start of services to the West Coast of the U.S. On 1st September 2008 Emirates will open its third U.S. gateway with non-stop flights between the Californian city of Los Angeles and Dubai.
Operating daily, the service will be the first non-stop operation connecting Dubai, the Gateway to Arabia to L.A., the Gateway to Hollywood. Emirates will fly its Boeing 777-200LR on the route, offering 266 seats in a three class configuration.
HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline and Group said: “Los Angeles represents Emirates’ commitment to the American market. We have evaluated the U.S. for expansion opportunities and have carefully examined our existing services in Houston and New York- both of which have been very successful. We look forward to recreating this success by connecting Los Angeles to Dubai and beyond.”
Antonio Villaraigosa, Mayor of Los Angeles said: “I am pleased that Emirates has chosen L.A. as its U.S. West Coast gateway and I look forward to the start of service later this year. The route opens a new destination for business and leisure travellers in the Gulf region, a part of the world not previously served from Los Angeles. It will also enable travellers to reach every region of the world non-stop from LAX.”
The new service will operate out of the Tom Bradley International Terminal at Los Angeles International Airport, (LAX).
L.A. is the fourth new destination that Emirates has announced it will be introducing in 2008. The airline has already announced its plans to start services to Cape Town on 30th March plus Calicut, India and Guangzhou, China, both on 1st July of this year. The new route joins Emirates’ growing network of American destinations including a double daily service to New York’s JFK International Airport and its daily service to Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport.
SriLankan Airlines set to launch new Frequent Flyer Progam
SriLankan Airlines will be launching a new Frequent Flyer Program (FFP) offering rewards to all its loyal passengers, commencing April 1, 2008. The FFP, which will include a range of benefits, prizes and ways to spend earned air miles, will be unveiled soon.
"Our new frequent flyer program will have its own unique identity and logo and its membership will be open to passengers who fly SriLankan Airlines to any destination on our route network of 54 destinations,” said Mohamed Fazeel, Regional Manager of the Commercial Department who will be spearheading the new FFP.
The program will take into consideration the preferences of the airline’s passengers around the network and it will include a range of new and improved offers to provide more convenience and benefits to frequent flyers said the carrier.
All current Skywards members holding mileage balances will have the option of transferring their miles to the new FFP.
All SriLankan Airlines’ Skywards members will continue their membership and rewards will continue to be available on Emirates flights and from other leisure and lifestyle partners. SriLankan’s agreement with Skywards will expire with the ending of the airline’s management contract with Emirates on 31 March 2008. Nevertheless, SriLankan Airlines will continue to honour Skywards reward tickets, for a further period of 12 months commencing 31st March 2008.
Jet Aviation Handling rebranded as Dnata Switzerland
Dnata, the airport services provider in the Middle East, welcomed Jet Aviation Handling AG into the group as Dnata Switzerland AG. The rebranding of the company is the final part of the process to integrate the two companies following the acquisition of Jet Aviation Handling AG, the airport handling division of Swiss-based Jet Aviation Group, by Dnata in November 2007.
Stewart Angus, Divisional Senior Vice President of Dnata, said: "Jet Aviation Handling has always provided quality service to its airline customers in Switzerland and we are very proud to be able to include Dnata Switzerland AG, as part of our global business. Dnata is committed to developing the strengths of Dnata Switzerland AG, and ensuring that its airline customers continue to enjoy the highest possible levels of customer service.”
Urs Zorn, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Jet Aviation Handling AG said: "We are proud to be joining the global Dnata group and look forward to carrying the name Dnata Switzerland AG forward as we embark on this new stage in our company’s history. These changes do not affect the underlying focus and direction of the company, which remains to provide the highest levels of service to our customer airlines in Zurich and Geneva.”
The former Jet Aviation corporate identity will be updated to reflect the change to Dnata Switzerland AG. The logo, uniforms, airport vehicles and sign-posting at Zurich and Geneva airports will receive a fresh new look and contact numbers and e-mail addresses will be updated accordingly.
ASTA survey determines most popular second honeymoon destinations
In its annual “Hot Spots for Summer” survey, ASTA polled 585 travel agency owners and managers to determine the most popular second honeymoon destinations and uncover other emerging travel trends for 2008.
“Agents typically recognize travel trends long before anyone else,” said Cheryl Hudak, CTC, ASTA president and CEO. “However, ASTA conducts these surveys to keep all of its members informed, especially those who specialize in one or two specific areas of travel and are generally less affected by trends. When agents are aware of current consumer demands, they are able to prepare and assist any client regardless of their travel expertise.”
According to respondents, Hawaii was the most popular second honeymoon destination with 24.4 percent share of the total response. While Hawaii can be more expensive than other destinations, respondents reported that money was less of a determining factor for couples who were taking a second honeymoon destination, compared to couples taking their first.
Cruising was ranked number two, with 11.6 percent share of the total response. Respondents routinely book cruises for second honeymooners because this type of vacation offers variety, convenience and, on-shore excursions, dining and shopping excluded, an all-inclusive package. The third most popular second honeymoon destination, the Caribbean, also offers travelers endless options due to the number of islands that comprise this tourist-friendly oasis.
Jamaica and Cancun, ranked fourth and fifth respectively, rounded out the top five most popular second honeymoon destinations. Although in the bottom half of the top 10, Europe, ranked number six, and Italy, ranked number seven, prove that interest in European vacations is still strong despite the current weakness of the US dollar. With 3.5 percent share of the total response, Mexico claimed the number eight position. Tahiti, with 3.2 percent, and St. Lucia, with 3.0 percent of the total response, fell into ninth and tenth place respectively.
DHS signs Visa Waiver Program agreements with Estonia and Latvia
U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Michael Chertoff signed yesterday (12 March) Visa Waiver Program (VWP) Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) with Estonian Minister of Internal Affairs Juri Pihl in Tallinn, Estonia, and with Latvian Minister of Foreign Affairs Maris Riekstins in Riga, Latvia. The agreements outline security enhancements that put both countries on the path toward visa-free travel to the U.S., and possible designation as VWP members later this year.
"I commend Estonia and Latvia for their commitment to these security measures, and for the leadership they demonstrate to other aspiring partners," said Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff. "We have a common adversary whose stated intent is to strike at our freedoms, wherever and whenever they can. But, we also have a common resolve and vision with the European Union and its member states to enhance security in a way that facilitates travel for our citizens. We respect European Union law and will continue to work collaboratively, particularly in the areas where the European Union has unique authority, as we enter into agreements with aspiring Visa Waiver Program countries."
The VWP has been authorized by U.S. law for over 20 years, with 27 current members from Asia and Europe. The U.S. Congress authorized DHS in August 2007 to reform the VWP and strengthen the security arrangements required of existing participant countries, as well as to expand the conditions for aspiring countries to join the program.
Among the security enhancements required, DHS will establish an electronic system of travel authorization for air passengers. VWP travelers will be asked to provide some basic information online, which will generate an authorization number for travel. DHS will announce complete details on how the authorization systems will work, and when they will begin, later this year. VWP partners also must ensure reporting of lost and stolen passports to avoid fraudulent use and enhance security measures for airports that originate flights to the U.S., to include permitting air marshals on certain flights.
The department signed the first enhanced VWP agreement with the Czech Republic on Feb. 26, 2008, who committed to meeting the new requirements of the program, to include an electronic system of travel authorization.
March 03, 2008
Qatar Airways Installs Additional Instant Frequent Flyer Enrolment Kiosks At Doha International Airport
Doha, QATAR – Qatar Airways has invested in additional frequent flyer enrolment kiosks at Doha International Airport as part of its commitment to provide more self-service capabilities to Privilege Club loyalty members.
Privilege Club Enrolment Kiosk at Qatar Airways Premium Terminal in Doha
Each of the four airport lounges now has a kiosk, which allows passengers to enrol into the airline’s frequent flyer programme and receive their personalised and magnetically encoded membership card within seconds of enrolling.
New kiosks are now available at the recently refurbished Gold and Silver Frequent Flyer Lounges in the main terminal, in addition to the First and Business Class sections of Qatar Airways’ state-of-the-art Premium Terminal.
In 2006, Qatar Airways made headlines when it introduced the world’s first instant loyalty card dispensing kiosk at Doha International Airport, which earned privilege Club the FFP Gold Innovation Award in Vancouver last year.
The machines are modern and designed to save passengers the hassle of going through the traditional sign-up process, which involves membership cards being sent by mail. So passengers from around the world checking-in or transiting at Doha International Airport and using any of the four airport lounges, will be able to enrol on the spot and receive their burgundy card instantly.
Using simple touch screen technology, the kiosk enables Qatar Airways’ First and Business Class passengers as well as its frequent travellers using the lounges, and who are not already members, to enrol into Privilege Club and receive a 500 Qmiles welcome bonus.
Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker said the additional kiosks were yet another service-led initiative from the airline to bring more convenience and advantages to its highly valued passengers.
“Qatar Airways is proud to be an innovator, and we are more than satisfied with the positive response of our passengers towards these enrolment kiosks,” he said.
“The Privilege Club enrolment kiosks enable passengers who are not already members to enrol easily, quickly and receive their loyalty card instantly. This is a unique feature, which we believe more and more passengers will take advantage of.”
Qatar Airways strongly believes in product innovations to meet the needs of passengers – and is now looking to invest in additional kiosks at other locations. The kiosks are provided by UK-based company Trident Loyalty Systems.
Since its launch in 2000, Qatar Airways’ Privilege Club has developed into one of the largest airline loyalty schemes in the Middle East and one of the most generous reward programmes. Last year, Privilege Club scooped an unprecedented eight accolades at the prestigious Freddie Awards in America.
Qatar Airways currently operates a modern fleet of 60 Airbus and Boeing aircraft to 81 destinations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, Indian Subcontinent, Far East and North America from Doha, the airline’s hub and capital of the State of Qatar.
Qatar Airways’ Privilege Club website gives members great benefits, including the ability to manage their accounts with ease. Through the Privilege Club website, www.qmiles.com members are able to log on to and check their account balance online, as well as book reward tickets for travel on Qatar Airways and partner airlines.
EMIRATES’ A380s TO WING THEIR WAY EAST AND WEST
DUBAI, U.A.E., 2nd March 2008 – Emirates’ giant Airbus A380s will spread their wings to some of the furthest points on the airline’s network – New York, London Heathrow, Sydney and Auckland – reinforcing the airline’s extensive reach and span.
Emirates is scheduled to operate its new A380s non-stop from Dubai to New York on 1st October, London Heathrow on 1st December, and Sydney-Auckland on 1st February 2009. The aircraft on these routes will offer 489 seats – 14 in First Class, 76 in Business and 399 in Economy.
Tim Clark, President Emirates Airline said: “Our A380s will take to the skies in late summer, signalling an end to our long wait and ushering in a new era for Emirates. We have played an integral role during the design and development stage to tow the aircraft from the drawing board to the production line, and we look forward to bringing them into commercial service.”
"While we are still debating our first commercial A380 route, it has always been our intention to fly the aircraft on capacity-constrained trunk routes. The cities that we have now scheduled for A380 services, starting this autumn, bring our plans to fruition."
He added: “Our customers can rightly anticipate an exhilarating experience on the state-of-the-art aircraft, which will be especially appointed and equipped to Emirates’ exacting standards. We will unveil our exciting inflight features and facilities shortly.”
Emirates, the first, and by a large margin, the leading customer for the A380s with 58 on order, will take delivery of five of the double-decker aircraft this year. Other configurations in the A380 fleet will feature a medium-range three-class 517-seater; and a medium-range two-class aircraft with 604 seats.
The arrival of the first Emirates A380 will prove to be a major milestone for the airline as it takes the first step in the gradual build-up towards becoming the world’s largest operator of the super-jumbo. By the end of the decade, Emirates' distinctive livery colours on the A380 will have become a familiar sight to millions of travellers worldwide.
With a route network that currently spans over 90 destinations in 62 countries, Emirates will launch services to Cape Town on 30th March. The airline has also announced services to Kozhikode (Calicut) from 1st July.
Biman Bangladesh Airlines considers fleet order
Biman Bangladesh Airlines confirmed it is considering bids from Boeing and Airbus for a total of 12 aircraft. A decision is expected by 15-Mar-08.
According to Reuters, Biman's Managing Director M. A. Moman stated, “we will evaluate both the offers soon and will make a decision, as we badly need aircraft to maintain flight schedules”.
A shortage of funds and aircraft forced Biman to suspend services to New York, Paris, Tokyo, Frankfurt, Brussels, Yangon and Mumbai in 2006.
The carrier reported a USD100 million net loss in the 12 months ended 30-Jun-07, due to rising fuel prices and weak passenger demand. The government has since launched an emergency rescue plan, which included transforming the carrier as a public company in Jul-07 and retrenching a large number of staff.
Biman currently operates to 19 international destinations with a fleet of 12 aircraft.
SpiceJet to launch international operations by 2010
SpiceJet confirmed it was keen to launch international operations within the next three years, and is reportedly considering destinations with large migrant populations, such as the Gulf, Southeast Asia and Central Asia region.
Executive Chairman, Mr Siddhanta Sharma, confirms, “if the government relaxes the present rules, then we would fly even earlier, otherwise we plan to fly overseas by June 2010”.
India’s current policy stipulates Indian carriers must have five years’ operating experience in the domestic market before gaining rights to launch international routes.
SpiceJet plans to deploy a fleet of ten aircraft on initial international operations, and from 2013 will consider expanding this fleet, depending on the future environment.
Meanwhile, SpiceJet announced plans to launch operations from Visakhapatnam on 30-Mar-08. The carrier plans to launch daily services to Mumbai and New Delhi, and twice daily services to Hyderabad, using new B737 equipment
Visakhapatnam becomes the carrier’s 19th domestic destination in India.
Jazeera Airways to fly to Istanbul
Jazeera Airways announced plans to operate a three times weekly, non-stop service from Kuwait to Istanbul, commencing from 29-Mar-08.
Jazeera Airways currently operates a fleet of six A320s and will increase its fleet size to 40 by 2014. The carrier now operates 26 non-stop services to destinations throughout the Middle East, North Africa, Europe, Iran and the Maldives from hubs in Kuwait and Dubai.
February 17, 2008
AirAsia X Gets Two New Investors
Japanese leasing firm Orix and Bahrain-based Manara Consortium have taken a 20 percent stake in Malaysian budget long-haul carrier AirAsia X for MYR250 million ringgit (USD$77.26 million), the airline said on Thursday.
The airline, which counts British billionaire Richard Branson as a shareholder, said Manara, comprising four Saudi investment groups and Orix, would each receive 16.7 million new shares of AirAsia X.
"The share placement represents an important phase of AirAsia X's growth plans with proceeds raised from the transaction allowing the airline to fund aircraft orders already placed with Airbus and further fleet expansion," AirAsia X said in a statement.
The airline, 16 percent owned by Malaysian budget carrier AirAsia, has ordered 25 Airbus A350 planes.
Following the share placement, Aero Ventures, which is owned by AirAsia Chief Executive Tony Fernandes and his business associates, would hold 48 percent of AirAsia X and Britain's Virgin Group, controlled by Branson, a 16 percent stake.
AirAsia X, which currently flies from Kuala Lumpur to Australia's Gold Coast and Hangzhou in China, aims to fly 10 million passengers a year within five years and expects to list its shares on the Malaysian stock exchange by 2010. (Reuters)
Korean Air To Buy 3 More Airbus A380s
The additional purchase by South Korea's largest carrier came through exercising an option contained in the original contract, the official added, but declined to give the value of the deal.
Delivery of the planes in the contract will start in 2010. (Reuters)
Tourism acting on climate and poverty imperatives
The tourism sector has the potential to act effectively on the evolving common agenda of climate change response and the fight against poverty. UNWTO put forward this message during the thematic debate "Addressing Climate Change: The United Nations and the World at Work", at UN Headquarters in New York.
“This is the message that we took to the UN Conference on Climate Change in Bali. It fits into the road map laid out by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for the broader UN System Agenda. UNWTO’s position has evolved through a comprehensive preparation which started back in 2003 with a shared vision of three Agencies - UNWTO representing tourism, the United Nations Environment Programme representing environment and the World Metereological Organization representing science that we will need to act comprehensively on this issue. Throughout last year we brought together all the key Tourism players to draw up guidelines for a more climate conscious future and to support the MDGs”, said UNWTO’s Secretary-General, Francesco Frangialli. “The resultant “Davos Declaration Framework” gives us both principles and new directions for the task ahead.”
Throughout 2008 UNWTO will campaign for a constructive approach by the tourism industry – public, private and civil society – calling on them to work together to support the Davos Declaration Framework to help transform the sector to meet the climate and poverty imperatives. “Tourism Responding to the Challenges of Climate Change” has been designated as the theme for this year’s World Tourism Day, celebrated every September 27 around the world.
Tourism is one of the main services exports with a strong comparative advantage in the world’s poorest and emerging countries. These are markets that are growing at twice the rate of industrialized countries. At the same time our product is tied to climate and like other sectors we are green house gas contributors. Responsible growth patterns must now address economic, social, environmental and climate sustainability.
“This is the quadruple bottom line challenge which is at the heart of our campaign” according to UNWTO Assistant Secretary-General Professor Geoffrey Lipman who addressed the Assembly Session. “UNWTO will mobilize its more than 150 Member States and its Affiliate Members in the private, academic and destination communities, representing a network of thousands around the world in an effort to raise awareness of the magnitude of the challenge and contribute to the global response.”
Airport privatisation and environment: two leadership challenges for Japan
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) delivered two leadership challenges to Japan: (1) to make the privatisation of Japan’s airports an example of global best practice and (2) to champion efforts towards a zero carbon emission industry at the upcoming G-8 Summit to be held in Japan.
Giovanni Bisignani, IATA’s Director General and CEO raised the challenges in a keynote speech hosted by the international business community in Japan.
Airport Privatisation
Amid the debate in Japan on caps for foreign ownership of Japan’s privatised airport assets, Bisignani said, “I don’t care who owns the airport. That is for politicians to decide. For the economy, an airport is important for what it delivers.”
Bisignani noted that airport performance is measured in three key areas. “Airports must deliver adequate capacity to ensure that markets are well served. They must ensure service levels that meet customer expectations. And they must do that at prices that reflect efficiency. It is not rocket science. It is just good business,” said Bisignani.
“Providing the right incentives is the most critical part of the privatisation process. We have seen too many privatisations fail because governments sold the crown jewels without appropriate guidance and incentives for the new owners. Effective and transparent economic regulation is in the interest of everybody, including the potential new owners. They will want to clearly understand what they are buying and what the expectations are. I look forward to working with the MLIT and the airports to ensure that the world’s largest airport privatisation to date will also be the most successful,” said Bisignani.
Environment
Aviation is 2% of global carbon emissions. IATA has aligned the industry with a four pillar strategy to address climate change: (1) invest in new technology, (2) fly planes effectively, (3) build and operate efficient infrastructure and (4) call for positive economic incentives to encourage improved fuel efficiency and a reduction in CO2 emissions. This strategy, along with a target to improve fuel efficiency 25% by 2020, was endorsed by the States of the International Civil Aviation Organization at their Assembly in September 2007.
“Now it is time for results,” said Bisignani. “Japan’s plans to implement performance based navigation systems at its top 20 airports by 2012 will reduce fuel burn by 2% and save 162,000 tonnes of CO2 annually. This is a great example of our strategy at work.”
In June 2007, IATA put forward a vision for air transport to achieve carbon neutral growth, leading to a zero carbon emission industry. “As the host of this year’s G-8 Summit, Japan must take a leadership role in the climate change debate. I encourage the Japanese government to push the G-8 leaders to aim high and build the political will to achieve a zero emission industry. We went from the Wright Brothers to the jet age in 50 years. If government and industry are aligned, I am convinced that together we can turn dreams into reality,” said Bisignani.
Thomas Cook trading for winter and summer 08 continues steady growth
Thomas Cook trading for winter 07/08 and summer 08 continues to be encouraging and "we are in a strong position for the rest of the year", as the tour operator stated. The Board continues to look to the future with confidence. In the short term, the company is encouraged by the business’s performance since the year end and ongoing current trading.
"In the longer term, merger synergies of at least €200m provide a sound platform for the achievement of our target of at least €620m operating profit in 2009/10," said Thomas Cook.
Financial Performance
The unaudited Group operating loss before exceptional items and amortisation of business combination intangibles in the two months to December 2007 was reduced by €39.6m, or 27%, to €106.8m (2006 pro forma loss: €146.4m). The result for this period is in line with the company's expectations and reflects the seasonality of its business.
The improved Group operating result reflects costs savings and improvements in underlying margins, partially offset by increased costs of fuel. Significant year on year improvements were seen in the UK and Continental Europe with smaller improvements reported in Airlines Germany and North America. Northern Europe continued to perform strongly, in line with the prior year. Corporate costs were broadly flat year on year.
The improvement in the UK reflects cost savings achieved through the integration process. In Continental Europe, the company has seen a strong start to the year in Germany, with improvements in margins achieved and lower overhead costs than in the prior year.
In Airlines Germany, increased volumes in third party and seat only business have resulted in improved margins year on year. In North America, Thomas Cook has also achieved improved margins despite the continuing difficult trading conditions in Canada.
Operating exceptional items in the period were €9.9m, and largely reflect the continued integration of the UK businesses. Amortisation of business combination intangibles amounted to €14.9m.
Acquisition of hotels4U.com
The Group also announced that it has agreed to acquire the entire issued share capital of hotels4U.com Limited from Centurion Holiday Group Limited. The initial consideration, net of amounts to be reinvested by Haim Perry, MD of hotels4U and Jacky Bedlow, Finance Director, is £21.8 million payable in cash from internal resources. The management’s reinvestment is subject to earn out arrangements based on the profitability of hotels4U up to 2013.
Austrian resumes service to Erbil
Three flights a week to Iraq from 2 April onwards, four flights a week from June.
For Austrian Airlines, the highest priority at all times is the safety of the passengers and employees of the company. Additional improvements for more security have been implemented during the last months together with the local authorities.
Having conducted a detailed examination of conditions in Iraq, and based on the security situation as it stands at present, Austrian Airlines will resume flights to Erbil from 2 April 2008 onwards. The situation in the region is still being continuously monitored in cooperation with the security authorities, enabling the company to act without delay in the event of any irregularities or changes in the situation.
Three flights a week (on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays) are planned for April and May and four a week (including Sunday) from June onwards. As a result, a direct service to Erbil will be reincorporated into the Austrian route network, opening up numerous new connecting flights for passengers.
Austrian Airlines was the first European airline to receive landing rights in Iraq. The route to Erbil, which was opened up on 11 December 2006, developed extremely positively.
Due to the strong demand at the time, it proved possible to expand the service from two connections a week at first to four connections a week. The flights had to be temporarily removed from the schedule from 24 August 2007 onwards following a reevaluation of the security situation.
From end-September 2008 onwards, the new Premium Service, in which the Business Class sections of four Airbus A320 will be equipped with 24 Business Sleeper Seats by Recaro, will also begin operating on the route to Erbil.
Features of the new service including 116 cm of legroom between seats, a pleasant angle of recline, electronically adjustable back- and footrests and an integrated massage function are guaranteed to provide relaxing travel conditions.
CAAS awards contract for upgrading of Changi Airport T1
The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) has awarded the tender for the project to upgrade Singapore Changi Airport’s Terminal 1 to Takenaka Corporation. The upgrading works will commence in May 2008 and are scheduled to be completed in 2011. The works, at an estimated project cost of about $500 million, will rejuvenate the 27-yearold terminal and enhance the passenger experience at Changi Airport.
The concept for Terminal 1’s face lift is “Tropical City”. Works will refurbish the terminal’s interior design and finishes, as well as improve passenger flow at key areas. Areas to be upgraded include the exterior façade, Departure Kerbside, Departure Checkin Hall, Departure Transit Mall and Arrival Hall.
In line with the theme, the architectural and interior design will create a warm and familiar feeling for travellers. Landscaping will be integrated with the interior design to maintain the original warmth and welcoming ambience of the terminal.
On top of enhancing the aesthetics of the terminal, the processing capacity of key areas, such as the Departure Check-in Hall, will be improved. Older sections of the finger piers will be expanded and seating in the gate holdrooms enhanced.
As part of Terminal 1’s upgrading works, services and facilities offered will be improved. The building will also be expanded to allow for the provision of new passenger facilities while expanding the retail and F&B offering.
Director-General and Chief Executive Officer, CAAS, Mr Lim Kim Choon, said, “Many of us have fond memories of Terminal 1, which is synonymous with the birth of Changi Airport in 1981. It is timely for our grand old dame to get a refreshing makeover.”
He added, “Terminal 1’s upgrading is part of our infrastructure upgrade plans. With the recently renovated Terminal 2 and newly opened Terminal 3, Terminal 1’s face lift will ensure that all passengers at Changi Airport can enjoy the same exciting, vibrant and enjoyable Changi Experience.”
Changi Airport started operations with Terminal 1 in 1981.
ITB Berlin focuses on travel e-business
Following the successful launch of Travdex@ITB in 2006 and PhoCusWright@ITB in 2007, Messe Berlin will offer, for the third year running, another information-packed technology programme in the context of the ITB Convention from the renowned market research and travel intelligence company, PhoCusWright Inc.
“The ongoing potential and impact of technology on global travel distribution is so significant,” says Michaela Papenhoff, Managing Director PhoCusWright in Europe, “that this year’s PhoCusWright@ITB is being dedicated to a confluence of forces: technology and business.”
A collection of keynotes, talkback round tables, case studies, executive interviews, ‘Five Minutes of Fame’ presentations, and points/counterpoints will cover essential trends and in-depth insights that surround the theme ‘Success in Travel E-Business’. “Getting technology right is mission critical to travel, tourism and hospitality success,” says Papenhoff.
With this novel, highly focused concept, PhoCusWright@ITB will take place from 5-6 March in Hall 7.1b, Auditorium London 3. The first ever PhoCusWright Bloggers Summit is scheduled for 5 March, while Thursday 6 March will be devoted entirely to the Success in Travel E-Business programme, from 10.15-18.15.
Online Travel Agency (OTA) leaders speak out
The conference kicks off with a candid Executive Roundtable involving the CEOs or similar high-level executives of some of the world’s leading OTAs – such as Opodo, Expedia, ebookers.com, eDreams and lastminute.com – moderated by Philip C. Wolf, President and CEO of PhoCusWright.
Discussions are focused on changing OTA business models, as well as transaction commissions and merchant fees, which are being challenged by a recently introduced ‘pay per click’ model. Industry leaders will share their points of view on these and other critical issues.
Another conference highlight will be Philip Wolf’s one-on-one interview with industry veteran, José Antonio Tazón, President and CEO of the global distribution system (GDS), Amadeus IT Group S.A. Tazón will share his two decades of experience at the helm of Amadeus, and his vision for the future, as well as talking about the success strategies adopted by Amadeus through changing times to ensure that the GDS maintains its former success in the global travel marketplace.
Re-inventing the holiday booking
Also generating widespread interest is the session on holiday travel, which will be preceded by a keynote presentation by John Kohlsaat, Regional General Manager, easyJet Airline Company. The low-cost carrier has entered the holiday market with easyJet Holidays, so the group’s strategies will be of particular relevance to other tour operators, representing industry peers such as TUI Travel, which will be participating in the ensuing panel discussions.
Among the other conference highlights, delegates will be able to compare and contrast travel strategies of Google and Yahoo, learn more about the evolution of metasearch and how it can influence their businesses, listen to experts talking about the implications of Travel 2.0 and 3.0, and gain insight about next-generation mobile travel applications. Travel industry start-up CEOs will also present executive summaries of their compelling business cases in sessions entitled: Five Minutes of Fame.
“The importance of this rich programme is that it calls for speakers to explain travel technology in business terms, for business people,” says Papenhoff. “Sales, marketing and business development professionals in the travel, tourism and hospitality industry will learn how to leverage technology developments for revenue gains, margin improvements and operational efficiencies.”
“The conference theme, Success in Travel E-Business, makes travel technology relevant for everybody!” says Papenhoff.
February 16, 2008
AIRPORT NEWS
More drugs seized at Dublin
Irish customs officers at Dublin Airport yesterday (Thursday 14 February) seized 1kg of cocaine valued at US$100,000 (Euro 70,000) in a freight consignment from Canada. The drugs were reportedly concealed in a child’s toy house.
This latest seizure at the airport follows just one day after a 24 year-old UK national was arrested for trying to pass through the airport with 5.5kgs of cannabis, valued at US$97,000 (Euro 66,000). The passenger was remanded in custody.
Mysore upgrade in progress
The first phase of work to turn Mysore airport in India into an international facility will be completed by December this year, paving the way for international flights soon after. Civil works on the runways have already been completed and tenders have been invited for construction of the car parking area and terminal building.
The Karnataka state government has agreed to provide free electricity and water to the airport for the next five years, worth an estimated US$7.5million for the water supply and US$3.6million for the electricity.
The state will also provide the necessary 125-hectare of additional land required for the expansion and upgrading of the airport.
HKIA prepares gold depository
A gold depository being built at HongKong International airport will open later this year. According to Professor K. C. Chan, secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury Of HongKong Special Administration Region, the facility will be the third major gold depository in the world following the ones in USA and the UK, and will serve to boost Hong Kong’s status as a financial hub.
The precious metals depository will provide a central, secure storage facility for traders, institutional investors, gold producers and refineries, and will serve as a physical settlement platform for trades made on the Chinese Gold and Silver Exchange and other Asian markets. The depository will also minimise risk, and reduce settlement time, transportation and insurance costs for the industry.
The depository will initially be a wholly-owned subsidiary of the HongKong Airport Authority (AA), but the authority aims long-term to divest its holding to major users of the depository. To ensure that the depository’s services and physical infrastructure meet industry needs, the AA has established an advisory committee, which is chaired by AA finance director Raymond Lai.
HKIA officials claim the airport is well suited to the establishment of a precious metals depository because it has state-of-the-art security, handles a wide range of high-value cargo and serves 150 destinations worldwide, including 40 cities in mainland China, where demand for gold is expanding rapidly.
Left: A gold depository being built at HongKong International airport
Penang chooses SITA check-in
Dato’ Sri Chan Kong Choy, Malaysia’s transport minister says, “This agreement with SITA will ensure that our international airport in Penang – the pearl of the orient – will provide the highest levels of services not only to the passengers but to all the international airlines that use the airport.”
The installation at Penang International follows the introduction of advanced self-service facilities by SITA earlier this year at Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
Malaysia welcomed a record figure of close to 20 million overseas visitors during 2007.
AirportConnect Open is SITA's latest generation IATA CUTE-compliant common use passenger-processing system, which supports CUTE, proprietary and web applications on common use check-in and boarding gate workstations, with shared peripherals.
Elyes M’Rad, regional vice president SITA, says, “The adoption of AirportConnect Open at Penang International Airport will provide not only the airport, but its airline partners, greater operational flexibility and cost reductions because it is a solution that is both cost-effective and scalable. It is the perfect choice for this growing airport.”
In 2007, Penang airport handled more than 3.1 million passengers.
Frankfurt makes good start to year
Frankfurt Airport (FRA) reports a good start to the 2008, with passenger traffic rising by 3.7% in January. A total of 3,957,951 passengers used the FRA international air transportation hub last month.
A 4.6% rise in European traffic proved to be the major force driving growth in FRA’s passenger figures.
Fraport to take over Bulgarian JV
BM Star, Fraport’s Bulgarian partner in the concession for the Black Sea airports of Varna and Bourgas, has decided to withdraw from the consortium.
The company transferred its shares to majority shareholder Fraport yesterday (14 February 2008) and Tihomir Trifonov, the executive director of the Fraport Twin Star airport management consortium, has stood down from the role.
The consortium won the concession for the Bourgas and Varna airports’ in September 2006, and last month announced a record-breaking 323.2% growth in the number of passengers serviced at Bourgas Airport, compared to the same month of last year.
The increase was caused mainly by the fog problems at Sofia Airport and the re-direction of flights to Bourgas. Varna Airport registered a 3% increase.
Kuwait Airways provides Ground Handling services for Royal Aviation
Kuwait Airways signed an agreement to provide ground handling services for Royal Aviation at Kuwait International Airport, such as passenger and ramp services, engineering services, in addition to cargo handling services.
Kuwait Airways has also renewed some services at Kuwait International Airport, such as "Marahib" service, which provides a special service to travelers and starting from the arrival of the passenger to the airport, both during departures and arrivals.
Emirates invests in RFID trials at three airports
Emirates Airline announced it is partnering with London Heathrow, Dubai International and Hong Kong International airports, to trial the latest RFID (radio-frequency identification) technology in baggage handling. Emirates will be investing close to AED 2 million, to test the effectiveness and benefits of RFID against the existing barcode tracking system.
The largest-ever trial of its kind for the airline industry, some half a million bags on Emirates flights will be tagged with RFID chips over the 6-month duration of the trial.
The Dubai-based airline hopes its investment will help revolutionise the way bags are tracked and monitored, and present innovative solutions to handle the increasing volumes of baggage every year as more people around the world use air travel more frequently.
Dale Griffith, Emirates’ Divisional Senior Vice President Airport Services said: "This is about embracing the latest technology for the benefit of our customers, and we are very glad to be able to embark on this extensive trial together with our airport partners. Our investment in this project is a small price to pay to give our customers greater peace of mind.
"Previous RFID trials by other parties on a smaller scale have shown that the technology almost eliminates scanner ‘misreads’, significantly improving the efficiency of the baggage system and customer experience. We are now applying this on a much larger scale at three major airport hubs, including Emirates’ Dubai home-base, thus allowing the trials to include most possible baggage handling scenarios, including international transit."
With 58 of the double-decked A380 aircraft entering Emirates’ service, each doubling the number of bags handled per aircraft, the airline is keen to find innovative technologies and new ways to improve baggage handling infrastructure and safeguard the level of trust of its customers.
Mr. Griffith added: "We look forward to sharing the results of this trial with IATA, who we know will be following developments closely. If this trial is as successful as we expect, Emirates will be encouraging airports across its network to embrace this technology. This could become a new industry standard for baggage handling."
RFID equipment has been installed at some of Emirates’ check-in desks at the three participating airports. During the trial, trained staff will apply tags containing RFID chips to bags as part of the normal check-in process. The chips contain stored information including the bag unique ID number and route. In addition to the embedded RFID chips, these tags will also continue to display the traditional bar code.
The chips are read as they pass through the airport’s baggage system, enabling effective sorting, security screening and delivery to the aircraft. Arriving bags are read on entry to the baggage system and receipted into the system for effective tracking. Essentially, the chips will enable bags to be tracked at every stage of their journey, and minimise the possibilities for mishandling baggage.
In the future, RFID technology could also make it possible for airlines to send a text-message alert to notify passengers the moment that their luggage has arrived on the baggage carousel - meaning customers will have one less thing to worry about as they begin their holiday or business trip.
Air India and Jet Airways in talks with Boeing for widebody aircraft orders
(XFN-ASIA) US aircraft maker Boeing Co is in talks with India's Jet Airways and Air India over the sale of 60 wide-bodied aircraft, the Business Standard reported quoting company officials. The deals is expected to be valued at USD15 billion.
Dinesh Keskar, Boeing's senior vice-president (sales), told Business Standard, Jet Airways and Air India have firm orders with Boeing for deliveries until 2011 and they are planning beyond that because of expected market growth.
Air India is studying how many aircraft it requires and Jet Airways plans to acquire more wide-bodied aircraft as its international network expands, Business Standard said.
S Venkat, executive director (finance), Air India, told Business Standard the carrier will finalise orders in the next three months.
Jet Airways executive director, Saroj Datta, said the company will take a decision on the number of aircraft it will buy after studying the market situation.
Australia and United States reaches historical “open skies” agreement
The Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, Anthony Albanese, announced that Australia and the United States have settled the terms of a new “open skies” air transport agreement.
Australian and US carriers will now be able to operate unlimited services between the two countries, via other countries and beyond to other countries without government interference.
Previously, new entrants to the route were only guaranteed four services weekly, making it difficult for new carriers to start services.
The new agreement will be effective immediately, pending formal approval of the new treaty by the respective Governments.
Key Features of the Agreement:
• Allow carriers unlimited number of services between any city in the two countries and beyond to other countries;
• Facilitate V-Australia’s plans to launch services on the route from late-08, subject to regulatory approvals. It will also make it easier for US carriers, or new Australian carriers, to enter the route, further building competition, and for Qantas and Jetstar to securely plan for future growth;
• Allow cargo only services to exercise seventh freedom rights, operating from the other country to a third country, without the need to pass through that carrier’s home country;
• Provide new opportunities for Australian carriers to transport US government travellers on certain categories of flights after Oct-08.
UK cuts visa price for Chinese tourists
BEIJING – British Ambassador to China, Sir William Ehrman, made a parallel announcement here yesterday as Immigration Minister Liam Byrne announced in London that the UK is to substantially lower the price of its group tourist visa in China. It will be reduce from GBP63 (US$123.60) to GBP44 (RMB660 or US$91.70) for a pilot period of three months from March 3, 2008.
“Our growing relationship with China is of critical importance to UK. Outbound Chinese tourism is growing rapidly and we want the UK to be the destination of choice,” Byrne said.
'The visas system has rigorous controls but we also want to make it as easy as possible for people to visit the UK legally. We are developing a new group tourist visa and it is fitting that we are trialling the lower cost aspects of this in China,' he added.
February 13, 2008
Air India and Kingfisher to launch non-stop Bangalore-San Francisco services
Air India and Kingfisher to launch non-stop Bangalore-San Francisco services
Air India announced plans to launch non-stop Bangalore-San Francisco service in Aug-08, using B777-300ER equipment. Kingfisher Airlines plans to launch international services on the same route on 27-Aug-08, with A340-500 equipment. Jet Airways is also reportedly considering launching Mumbai-San Francisco service via Shanghai. According to media reports, Executive Director Commercial, Jitender Bhargava, statedthe Bangalore-San Francisco route, “would connect India's silicon valley with the Silicon Valley of the US, which has a sizeable population of Indians.”
Kingfisher is yet to comment on Air India’s competitive move.
Air India currently operates one-stop services from India to Newark, Chicago, Los Angeles and New York JFK. The carrier also plans to offer more non-stop services to the US in the future, having expressed interest in launching services to Chicago, Newark, Boston, Dallas/Fort Worth and Delhi-Washington DC.
The carrier forecasts revenues from the India-US sector to grow 26% year-on-year to USD832 million for the 12 months ending 31-Mar-08.
However, according to CMD, V. Thulasidas, load factors on new non-stop US services are still quite low, especially in economy class. He earlier stated, “It is doing well in business class, reasonably well in first class, but it has not done very well in economy class”. He added, "perhaps it was because the economy segment looks for a better price, and we had priced it higher than our normal economy fares”.
UAE Company to launch regional Indian carrier in October 2008
Emirates Trading Agency-Associated Construction (ETA-Ascon), a diversified UAE-based company, confirmed plans to launch a regional Indian based carrier in Oct-08, under a JV agreement. Local partner(s) were not disclosed.
According to IANS, ETA-Ascon’s Managing Director, Syed Salahuddin stated, “we have already got the license to start the airline. We are preparing for commercial launch around October 2008. It will be a regional airline… India provides the biggest opportunity for us and we see so much scope for growth”.
The upcoming carrier reportedly plans to establish a based in Chennai and/or Bangalore, and will launch services to South Indian destinations, including Madurai, Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Vizag.
The company is also currently in discussions with Embraer, Bombardier and ATR to acquire 70-90-seat regional jets to launch the carrier’s operations.
ETA-Ascon recently launched leasing company, Star Aviation, with a portfolio of eight aircraft.
ETA-Ascon was established in 1973, and is jointly owned by Dubai's Al Ghurair Group and a group of non-resident Indian business men. The company has a diverse range of business operations including, real estate, hospitality, cement production, steel manufacturing, retail, jewellery and food services.
Pakistan International Airline's Flight Kitchen awarded HACCP Certification
Pakistan International Airline's (PIA) Flight Kitchen has been awarded the HACCP � Food Safety (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) Certification by Bureau Veritas Netherlands’s Pakistan Chapter.
To bring PIA’s Flight Kitchen at par with international standards, PIA management had entered into collaboration with SATS (Singapore Airport Terminal Services) two years back. With the combined efforts of PIA’s Flight services (Flight Kitchen), Works and Procurement & Logistics Divisions the entire kitchen was renovated with improvements in its systems and processes PIA is now HCCAP Certified by Bureau Veritas.
A simple ceremony was held in this regard at PIA Head Office. CEO of Bureau Veritas Pakistan Mr. Abul Kalam Siddiqui presented HACCP Certificated to Chairman PIA, Mr. Zaffar A Khan. Chairman PIA, Mr. Zaffar A Khan while addressing the gathering congratulated the employees of the airline on achieving the certification which he said was an achievement for PIA and will further improve standards and provide more credibility to the airline by increasing confidence in food safety reputation. Other than Safety and Reliability which is of paramount importance for national carrier, we should also focus on customer services which are an important gauge for passengers, he added.
HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) is yard stick for measuring Food Safety Control and comprises several principles including analyzing food hazards and identifying critical control points starting from raw materials procurement, storage, processing/ production and finally distribution i.e. till it reaches the aircraft.
Bureau Veritas Certification (being the world’s largest accredited certification body) holds accreditations from more than thirty separate national and international accreditations bodies, allowing clients appropriate recognitions of their value all over the world. It is also backed by WHO, FAO and WTO.
The HACCP certification is valid for a period of three years with regular surveillance audits to be conducted very six months. With this Certification PIA will be able to provide inflight catering to airlines that prefer uplifting food from HACCP certified Flight KitchensSpiceJet offers Aviation Management programme to its employees
SpiceJet has partnered with University of Petroleum and Energy Studies to provide its employees full-time MBA and BBA programme in Aviation Management, as part of it human resource startegy to train, empower and retain its staff.
This programme is a fully sponsored opportunity from SpiceJet to its employees and also includes free facilities like travel and stay while employees attend classes at Gurgaon campus. This is the second major step towards employee empowerment announced by the airline, the first being ESOP offerings to all its employees.
Speaking on this, Siddhanta Sharma – Executive Chairman & CEO – SpiceJet Ltd. said,“Our people are our most valued assets and we believe in investing in our employees for their individual growth and for the development of the company. Programmes like these, offer opportunities to our young talents and help them groom to become tomorrows Managers.”
SpiceJet has selected first batch comprising of 15 students who have qualified for the MBA programme. The objective of starting this programme is to provide managerial education to junior and middle level managers and enable them to develop skills and talent required for higher managerial positions in the organization.
The Aviation Management programme imparts knowledge to the candidates on application of modern management concepts, methods and tools to the challenges of aviation industry. The special intricacies of aviation sector are woven into a strong, traditional business foundation and examined in greater detail through the wide variety of specified electives. The curriculum is oriented towards brand management, customer satisfaction, passenger services and fleet management, allied services and fueling management.
SpiceJet operate over 100 flights daily to 18 cities viz. Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Bagdogra, Chennai, Cochin, Coimbatore, Delhi, Guwahati, Goa, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Jammu, Kolkata, Mumbai, Port Blair, Pune, Srinagar and Varanasi, and operates a fleet of 18 Boeing 737-800 / 737-900ER aircraft.Tourism Australia to roll out new business at AIME 2008
SYDNEY – Tourism Australia (TA) is rolling out a new brand to underpin all marketing to position Australia as a Business Events destination.
The new brand will be showcased through TA’s bigger presence at the Asia-Pacific Incentive and Meetings Expo (AIME) to be held in Melbourne on February 19 and 20 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.
TA managing director Geoff Buckley said TA’s increased profile at AIME 2008 would provide an excellent opportunity to highlight Australia’s credentials amongst increasingly tough international competition - many of which will be exhibiting.
Head of Tourism Events Australia, Joyce DiMascio said more destinations than ever were competing for the business events dollar and that Australia needed to have a strong positioning to be able to compete.
“Australia can connect businesses and people – whether it’s holding a meeting in our world-class facilities or rewarding employees with experiences that capture our unique environment and lifestyle,” Di Mascio said. “Australia combines professionalism and first class infrastructure with a track record of delivering outstanding business events,” she added.
January 27, 2008
AIRPORT NEWS
CIAL in talks on Sri Lankan airport project
Sri Lanka’s President Mahinda Rajapaksa has invited Cochin International Airport Ltd (CIAL) for six days of talks starting on 28 January, concerning construction of a new airport in the country.
CIAL built Cochin Airport, which is India’s first public-private partnership airport project. CIAL managing director S. Bharath says, “The invitation for this came from Rajapaksa and we have taken this opportunity with a lot of excitement.
“If what they want is just the building of the airport, we are prepared for that and if they want us to take care of the operations part also, we are ready for that too. We are ready for what they want,” he adds.
Stakes in CIAL are owned by the Kerala state government, the company’s directors, public sector banks and public sector organisations, including Air India, non resident Indians and Indian residents, while private commercial banks hold a 2% stake in the company.
CAA lists pricing options for Stansted
The UK Civil Aviation Authority has published five different options for the way it calculates fees charged by Stansted Airport. The options would come into effect for a five-year period starting 1 April 2009.
It has invited comment on the options by 17 March and will make a recommendation to the Competition Commission in April. The commission will take about six months to conduct an inquiry before reporting back to the CAA, which will make a decision in March 2009.
The publication of the pricing options follows last week’s decision by the UK government that passenger charges at London Stansted should continue to be regulated (see: CAA drops Manchester fees regulation - news.php?NewsID=2924). The CAA recommended last summer that Stansted price controls be dropped, but the government says there is insufficient capacity in London to ensure charges are competitive.
London’s three main airports, Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted, are all operated by BAA, a unit of Madrid-based Grupo Ferrovial.
- Option one: an inflation plus option that includes reference to airport investment plans.
- Option two: involves price caps for current airport facilities, but allows unregulated fees for new developments.
- Option three: competitive tendering of terminal developments to minimise costs and therefore fees.
- Option four: a market-led approach that caps fees according to forecasts of the airport’s costs and competitive position.
- Option five: a precautionary price cap, which is set to prevent excessive prices in the event that the airport acquires a dominant position.
The options are described in detail here.
Dr Harry Bush, the CAA’s Group Director of Economic Regulation, says, “We fully accept the Secretary of State’s decision that Stansted Airport should continue to be price-regulated… our job is now to develop proposals that are proportionate, taking into account the market power held by Stansted Airport; do not prejudice the commercial position of other, competing airports; and encourage the efficient investment in capacity that passengers in the market want. The consultation we have begun today represents a first step in the process of developing an appropriate framework and price cap proposals for Stansted. We welcome views on them.”
Manchester to give Concorde new home
From July, passengers travelling through Manchester Airport will be able to view the supersonic plane Concorde in a specially-built US$2.2 million (£1.1 million) hangar and visitor centre.
The 68m x 38m covered glass, steel and hi-tech PVC structure will form the central part of the airport’s exhibitions, which last year attracted some 250,000 visitors.
The new visitor centre is designed to protect Concorde from the elements – it has been on display at Manchester for the last five years. It will also feature an education centre for school tours, a corporate hospitality suite, an aviation exhibition, and a glass-walled restaurant with views of Concorde and the airport’s runway.
Manchester’s operations manager, Andrew Holl, says, “Concorde is very close to our hearts here at the airport and we know that her many thousands of visitors feel passionately about her care for the future. The hangar will not only protect Concorde for future generations to enjoy, it will also provide a great day out for the thousands of people we expect to visit in the future.”
Light aircraft causes Singapore airspace shutdown
Two Australians aboard a Cessna 208 Caravan floatplane caused a 50-minute shutdown of Singapore's airspace, aviation officials said today
On Tuesday night the aircraft approached without an approved flight plan, prompting two Singapore Air Force F16 fighter jets to scramble during Changi Airport's busiest period. The two missile-armed fighters intercepted the Cessna and signalled it to land. The two Australians were escorted away by police, who are investigating the incident.
Altogether, the shutdown of commercial airspace affected 23 aircraft, disrupting flights in and out of Changi. Passengers were delayed and many thousands of dollars in fuel was lost as the airliners circled Singapore while awaiting permission to land.
The Cessna began its flight from Thailand's Koh Samui island.
Singapore Air Criticized Over Elephant Ad
An animal rights organization criticized Singapore Airlines on Thursday for an advertisement using an elephant to sell flights.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) said the offending advertisement, calling on travellers to "visit colourful India", featured a man holding a bullhook forcing an elephant to bow.
"There's nothing colourful about tearing elephants away from their families and habitats and forcing them to perform for tourists under the threat of beatings," Ingrid Newkirk, PETA's president, said in a statement.
Singapore Airlines said the scene was depicted in a drawing and that the ad had not been used recently.
"That this group chooses to pick on a drawing... shows they clearly aren't aware of the work that our airline is supporting, to facilitate well-managed conservation projects," said a Singapore Airlines spokeswoman. (Reuters)
Jet, Kingfisher Eye SriLankan Air Stake - Report
"Indian carriers Jet Airways and Kingfisher Airlines are eyeing the stake held by Emirates in SriLankan Airlines, the Economic Times said, citing unnamed industry officials.
Emirates, the largest Middle East airline, said earlier this month it was interested in selling its 43.6 percent stake in SriLankan Airlines and wanted around USD$150 million for it.
The Sri Lankan government already owns 51 percent of the airline and has said it may buy Emirates' stake. The management of SriLankan Airlines will revert to the government on April 1.
"For Indian carriers, a major attraction in acquiring a stake is the booming business from India to Colombo with over 100 flights a week," the paper said.
A spokeswoman for Jet declined comment, while a spokesman.
Jet Airways already operates flights to Colombo and is boosting its international operations to counter growing competition in the domestic market.
Jet acquired India's Air Sahara last year. It has approached British airline bmi's majority shareholder about the sale of his stake, the Sunday Telegraph reported at the weekend.
Kingfisher is controlled by India's biggest alcoholic beverage maker, the UB Group. It is merging with Deccan Aviation and is scheduled to start flying overseas this year.
