New medical intelligence system will help identify public health threats

The European Commission has developed a medical intelligence system that constantly collects and sorts information from more than 1000 news and 120 public health websites in 32 languages. Complementing traditional approaches, the system, called MediSys, will provide health authorities with real-time knowledge about disease outbreaks or industrial accidents, thereby helping to identify such incidents as early as possible and so react in a timely way. It can also provide invaluable information to authorities tackling a major incident such as a bio-terrorist attack.

Traditional surveillance systems monitor death rates, the utilisation of health services (e.g. emergency room admissions, drug prescriptions), abnormal patterns, changing laboratory characteristics and exposure to risks related to the environment, food or animals. Yet, certain public or animal health threats may go unnoticed but can be reported in the local press or by other less known sources. The challenge is how to find them.

Using pre-defined keywords and combinations, MediSys crawls through the web and sorts information into three primary categories: "Diseases", "Bioterrorism", and "Other Threats". Articles or "hits" are then classified in more precise categories such as "AIDS-HIV", "Respiratory infections", "Avian flu", "Legionella", "Anthrax" or "Nuclear safety". Statistics are stored on the filtered categories and "breaking news" is detected in a given category. Based on the level of new articles retrieved and the detected keywords, an automatic alert can then be sent by e-mail and SMS to decision-makers who are on permanent standby. For example, in the recent case of the outbreak of foot and mouth disease in the UK, MediSys detected a sudden jump in news reports and automatically sent email and SMS alerts to Public Health officials across Europe.

Working with the University of Helsinki, an automatic incident detection system has also been put in place. This analyses English reports and extracts structured data on the number of cases, the location and the date. This then feeds an automatic incident database used by the Member States and the European Commission. Citizens can also have free access to this automatic information scanning tool, which includes alert statistics, articles in various languages, and e-mail alerts.
Theodore Koumelis - Friday, August 17, 2007

Bermuda's Tourism Minister to speak at second WTMS

Dr. The Hon. Ewart F. Brown, JP, MP, Premier and Minister of Tourism and Transport, Government of Bermuda, has accepted the invitation as the Strategic Global Partner and distinguished Speaker of the 2nd World Tourism Marketing Summit (WTMS), which will take place in Beijing, China, October 28-30, 2007.

The announcement was made by Sujit Chowdhury, Secretary General of the Summit and President of the Canada- based World Trade University Global Secretariat (WTU). The Summit, hosted by the Beijing Tourism Administration of the People`s Republic of China, will bring together more than 400 travel and tourism industry leaders from over 50 countries around the globe.

"We view Bermuda`s support of this World Tourism Marketing Summit in China as a natural part of our tourism objectives and strategy, keeping up with the rapidly and radically changing travel industry. Many of these changes are driven by a more mature, experienced and demanding consumer. Now, more than ever, it is essential that our marketing, advertising and product development teams obtain the knowledge and in-depth analysis of what travelers truly desire. I am confident that the Summit in Beijing, with its high level speakers and experts from around the globe, will provide the Bermuda delegation an opportunity to glean new ideas for expanding our tourism reach and explore new joint venture opportunities," said Dr. The Hon. Ewart F. Brown.

Mr. Chowdhury, in making the announcement, said “Dr. The Hon. Ewart F. Brown,

The Premier, will bring to the Summit the outstanding leadership and creative thinking that he has already brought not only to Bermuda`s tourism strategy, but also to the Caribbean Region as a whole.” Following the success of the historic first Summit in Nanjing China in 2004, the 2nd World Tourism Marketing Summit will provide an opportunity to network, explore joint ventures and learn from the brightest how to develop strategies to enhance cooperation between the international business community and one of the world`s largest tourist markets.

Registration for ITB Asia starts

The countdown for the new market place for the global travel industry has now begun. October 2008 will mark the debut of ITB Asia, aimed primarily at buyers from the Asian-Pacific region and taking place annually in Singapore as the Asian meeting platform for the travel industry. It will be held at the Suntec Exhibition and Convention Centre. The three-day B2B trade show will be accompanied by a convention and take place from 22 to 24 October 2008.

ITB Asia offers a highly attractive product for small and medium-sized companies of the Asian travel industry. Provided they are not state-owned or part of a franchise, companies with up to 50 employees can present their innovative products and services at special rates.

In addition to traditional travel products, ITB Asia will also focus on the rapidly expanding areas of MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Events) as well as business travel. International exhibitors from all parts of the value-added chain will be represented at ITB Asia, including the main destinations of all continents, international tour operators, airlines and hotels, as well as online and other reservation systems. This presentation of the entire spectrum of the global travel industry at ITB Asia will enable buyers from Asia to search for new products in order to market them throughout Asia and the world, as well as assisting international sellers to expand into new markets.

One of the main features of ITB Asia will be the conference taking place at the same time. Based on the successful ITB Berlin Convention “Market, Trends & Innovations”, which has now evolved into the largest event of its kind in Europe, the ITB Asia Convention is also tailored to meet the needs of the new generation of Asian travel entrepreneurs.

Dr. Martin Buck, Vice President CompetenceCenter Travel & Logistics of Messe Berlin: “Asia is already the continent that is driving the global economy. For many Asian countries, tourism is not only an important industry but, as a result of the growing economies of these regions, it is enabling growing numbers of people from Asia to travel, not only within Asia, but also to other parts of the world. With our expertise of over forty years of ITB Berlin, and together with Singapore as the ideal venue for buyers from all over Asia, we believe that ITB Asia will provide a market place for the travel industry of the future, which accurately reflects the importance of this continent both as a destination and as a source of tourists.”
Michael Verikios - Friday, August 17, 2007

A380 world tour Ccontinues with major airports in Asia and US

Airbus‘ A380 will embark for a series of demonstration tours starting on 30th August. Key airports in South-East-Asia and the U.S. will be visited. The Asia-A380-tour will be conducted with flight-test-aircraft MSN (Manufacturer`s Serial Number) 007, powered by four Rolls Royce Trend 900 engines. The world’s largest and most innovative passenger jet flying today is equipped with a full passenger cabin, which can comfortably carry 520 pssengers in an extra quiet and relaxing three-class cabin-environment.

The International Airports to be visited are:

• Thailand Bangkok / Chiang Mai: 31st August – 2nd September
• Vietnam Hanoi: 2nd – 3rd September
• China Hongkong (Asian Aerospace): 3rd – 5th September
• Korea Seoul: 5th – 7th September

The US-tour will take the A380 flight-test-aircraft MSN009, powered by four Engine Alliance GP7200 engines, to the United States. The visits are part of the ongoing route proving process for this aircraft/engine-combination. The aircraft, which has no passenger-cabin, is on static display at the following airports:

• Connecticut Bradley International Airport (BDL): 2nd – 3rd October
• Kentucky Cincinnati/N. Kentucky Airport (CVG): 3rd – 4th October
• California San Francisco International Airport (SFO): 4th – 5th October

Both demonstration tours are part of the extensive campaign to prepare the A380 for a smooth entry into service. Operating under typical airline conditions, both aircraft will undergo airport compatibility checks, ground handling and maintenance procedures to confirm its readiness to enter service. The A380 has already visited more than 45 airports and by 2011, more than 70 airports will be ready for A380 operations.

Total orders and commitments for the A380 are 173 by 14 customers. The first customer A380 will be delivered to Singapore Airlines in October. Subsequent aircraft, for delivery to Singapore Airlines, Emirates Airlines and Qantas, are also well on track.
Vicky Karantzavelou - Friday, August 17, 2007

Jet Airways launches Mumbai to New York services

Jet Airways launched its historic flight connecting India with United States with daily flights from Mumbai to New York (Newark) via its European hub in Brussels. Jet Airways will use a brand new Boeing 777-300 ER aircraft to fly this very important route, which will carry 312 passengers in a three-class layout.

Wolfgang Prock-Schauer, Chief Executive Officer, Jet Airways said, “This is truly a historic moment for us, to commence service on this important sector connecting India with the United States. We are also proud to present to our traveling public, this state-of-the-art Boeing 777-300ER aircraft offering superior cabin comfort, equipped with the world’s best flat beds and an In-flight Entertainment system (IFE) which promises to offer unmatched passenger delight. We are proud to be launching our transatlantic service, and taking the spirit of New India, into one of the world’s most important markets.

”For the operations of the Boeing 777-300 ER aircraft, Jet Airways have signed up with Lufthansa Technik for maintenance support and assignment of qualified engineers.
Vicky Karantzavelou - Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Royal Jet expands air fleet

Royal Jet, the international luxury executive flight services company, headquartered in the UAE, has expanded its current fleet of executive jets with the addition of a fifth Boeing Business Jet (BBJ). The multi-million dollar deal has been made in partnership with First Gulf Bank (FGB) which has financed the purchase of the aircraft. This is the second such financing deal that Royal Jet has made with FGB.

At the contract signing ceremony, which was attended by Royal Jet’s President and CEO Shane O’Hare and Andre Sayegh, CEO, First Gulf Bank, O’Hare said that this latest purchase is a direct response to massive demand for the current fleet of Royal Jet’s BBJs.

“Each of our BBJs is typically flying around 1,300 hours each year. They are based all over the world, not limiting themselves purely to local markets. They can be found in Africa, China, India, North America and Europe and are a highly popular and cost effective choice for businesses not wishing to be tied down by restricted flight times offered by commercial airline companies,” O’Hare stated.

In addition to the two CEOs, the signing ceremony was attended by Mr. Nadir Ahmed Al Hamadi – a Royal Jet Board Member, and Mr. Ramzi Zaroubi – Royal Jet’s Chief Finance Officer, together with Mr. Shafiqur Rahman Adhami – FGB’s Senior Vice President Corporate Banking Group, Head of Financial Institutions, Syndications, MNC and Energy and Oil Sector.

Royal Jet CEO Shane O’Hare added, that FGB had been chosen as the preferred business partner because it was the most competitive in terms of pricing and flexibility and its fast turnaround of loan documentation. FGB had been selected out of five competing proposals. “Royal Jet has a long-standing relationship with First Gulf Bank, and together offer financing and operations solutions allowing corporations and individuals to acquire their own business/private aircraft,” he said.

Commenting on the deal, Andre Sayegh, CEO, First Gulf Bank, said that the institution viewed Royal Jet as one of its premier customers and was very pleased to have been selected once again as Royal Jet’s partner of choice.

“First Gulf Bank continues to take impressive strides to ensure its status as a fully-fledged financial institution. This growth is buoyed by our commitment to expanding our offerings, delivering world-class financial services and products, and developing new client investment opportunities. As a leader in its field, Royal Jet fits this strategy and our partnership is one that brings great benefits to both parties,” he said.

Royal Jet has steadily built up an enviable fleet, which, in the past year, has grown from eight to 12 fixed wing aircraft and a VIP helicopter.

The BBJ is a derivative of Boeing’s New-Generation 737-700 series of commercial passenger aircraft. It can be arranged in multiple configurations to carry between 36 and 52 passengers, including the option of having a private bedroom aboard, a conference/dining area, and a living area in the most common layouts. It has a maximum range of 5,500 nautical miles – equivalent to about 10 hours flying time – at altitudes of up to 41,000 ft (12,500m).

“We are constantly striving to increase our presence in important international markets and we always assess industry movements to keep up with the increasing demand for aviation services,” said Ramzi Zaroubi, CFO, Royal Jet. “Last year alone, Royal Jet reported a 60 percent increase in charter services revenue, and with our expanding fleet, we are well placed to capitalise on the ever-growing demand for private aviation services.”

“This BBJ addition will be subject to high demand like all its earlier companion aircraft and will allow us to successfully grow out business regionally and internationally,” Ramzi added.

Vicky Karantzavelou - Monday, August 13, 2007

Singapore to begin works for F1 grand prix circuit

The process to get the street circuit ready for the inaugural Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix in 2008 has been set in motion. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) is slated to begin road works sometime next month, while the design of the Paddock building is also being finalised.

This milestone comes after three months of intense planning by various government agencies with the race promoter, Singapore GP Pte Ltd, since Singapore announced it will host the world’s third most-watched sporting event from next year. A fortnight ago, on 27 July 2007, the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA, or the World Motor Sports Council) set the date of the first Singapore Grand Prix as 28 September 2008.

The 5.05km long street circuit offers a number of overtaking opportunities, fast turns and technically challenging sections for F1 race drivers, which, in turn, will present viewers with compelling race action to keep them on the edge of their seats. More than 70 per cent of the street circuit is made up of Singapore’s existing road network. The Paddock building will house the control tower, garages for the teams, hospitality lounges, Press Room and other facilities.

Mr Lim Neo Chian, Deputy Chairman and Chief Executive of the Singapore Tourism Board, who chairs the event’s working committee, said, “I am pleased that the planning for the F1 Singapore Grand Prix is progressing well. We have refined the proposed street circuit and submitted the plans to the FIA, the international governing body for motorsports, for its assessment and endorsement. Concurrently, we are combing through the details for the rest of the infrastructure works, such as finalising the design concept and construction schedule of the Paddock building. We are confident that both the circuit and Paddock building will be officially endorsed very soon.”

The project team needs to work within a tight timeframe of fewer than 16 months to put in place the necessary infrastructure for the 2008 race. A high level of coordination between Government agencies and related stakeholders is required to ensure that the necessary infrastructure can be delivered in time.

Mr Lim added, “It is heartening to note the commitment and professionalism demonstrated by every member of the team in delivering a Grand Prix that all Singaporeans will be proud of.”

Mr Colin Syn, deputy chairman of Singapore GP, said that while the track layout, “hasn’t changed dramatically” from what was originally released, over the past two months the circuit has developed from a couple of lines sketched on a map into something that resembles a proper racetrack, with all the attendant infrastructure marked in.

“It’s going to be very exciting to see all this take shape. The sheer scale of the task required is simply staggering, but the support that we’ve received from all the government agencies involved has been tremendous,” he added.

Proposed road works

The following works, which will be managed by LTA, are expected to commence in September 2007, once the race route is confirmed by FIA:

1. Construction of a 1.2 km road that will form the eastern section of the circuit
   
   
2. A new vehicular/pedestrian underpass and service road leading to the Pit Building
   
   
3. Widening of a stretch of the promenade between the existing outdoor seating gallery and floating platform in Marina Bay
   
   
4. Widening a section of Raffles Boulevard from Nicoll Highway to Temasek Avenue
   
   
5. Modifications to existing road kerbs and traffic islands

Michael Verikios - Monday, August 13, 2007

Egypt and Sudan combine tourism forces

Several meetings have taken place in Egypt to discuss means of cooperation and coordination of forces to help strengthen tourism between Egypt and Sudan. Representatives of the Egyptian Tourist Authority, Egyptian Tourism Federation and Egyptian Travel Agents Association met with members of the Sudanese Ministry of Tourism and the Embassy of Sudan in Egypt.

The discussion agenda included:

• Labour training in the Sudanese tourism sector
  
  
• Collaborating forces between the two parties for promoting Sudanese tourist products
  
  
• Investment facilities from the Sudanese Government granted to Egyptian

In order to help strengthen tourism integration between the two countries, the Sudanese delegation expressed that their Ministry of Tourism will invite the Egyptian party to visit Sudan in order to experience the Sudanese tourist product first hand.

Theodore Koumelis - Monday, August 13, 2007

Travellers want to spend at Indian Airports

In India, nearly half of all travellers expressed a willingness to spend at airports according to a new survey by the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation. 44% of Full Service Carrier (FSC) passengers, and nearly 40% of Low Cost Carrier (LCC) passengers would like to buy goods either at their departure or arrival airport.





In regard to retail behaviour, the findings reveal that there are only minor – near insignificant – differences between FSC and LCC buying sentiments. Furthermore, in each case, the propensity to buy appears strong across a range of products.

• 56% of FSC passengers and 52% of LCC passengers are attracted by the opportunity to buy chocolates at airports.
• 49% of LCC passengers would buy books, as compared to 44% for FSC.
• 47% of FSC passengers would be interested in purchasing luxury goods, as compared to 42% of LCS.

At present, India’s airports are still relatively under-developed in retail activity. These findings should be attractive to would-be retail operators, as the figures suggest that a real growth potential may exist in this sector.

Michael Verikios - Monday, August 13, 2007

Tahiti Plane Crash Voice Recorder Located

Search teams have located the cockpit flight recorder of a passenger aircraft that crashed last week killing at least 14 people, but authorities said they would need specialist deep-water equipment to recover it.

The conversation voice recorder on board the Twin Otter could tell investigators why the aircraft with 19 passengers and a pilot came down on Thursday shortly after taking off from the island of Moorea on a short hop to the local capital Papeete.

But local authorities in Papeete said none of their vessels was stable enough to provide a platform for the underwater robot being sent from Paris to recover the recorder, discovered at a depth of around 430 metres.

France may ask nearby countries to lend it a vessel to conduct the recovery operation, the authorities said in a statement late on Sunday.

Fourteen bodies have been recovered but six people remain missing and authorities hold out no hope of any survivors. Senior official Anne Bocquet said teams would continue to search for wreckage and bodies for a further two weeks and had asked local fishermen to report objects found at sea.

Two police air crash investigators have been sent to the zone to work with three civilian experts in situ since Saturday.

Moorea is one of around 118 islands scattered across an area the size of Europe in the South Pacific that make up France's overseas territory of French Polynesia.

(Reuters)

Pakistani Flight Attendant Caught With Weapon

A Pakistani flight attendant was caught trying to carry a pistol on board a Pakistan International Airlines flight on Monday, police and airlines officials said.

The stewardess, in her mid-20s, was carrying the pistol in her hand luggage as she tried to board a PIA flight from Karachi to the port city of Gwadar, they said.

"She was caught this morning by Airports Security Force personnel and has been handed over to the police now," Maqsood Ahmed, a Superintendent of Police said.

It was not immediately clear as to why the woman tried to take the weapon onto the flight. Ahmed said the police were investigating.

PIA spokesman Nasir Jamal confirmed the incident, but did not give more details.

"The matter is still under investigation," he said.

(Reuters)

Travellers seek sustainable options survey reveals

Travellers are keen to make significant changes to their behaviour to travel sustainably as a new global survey by travel information company Lonely Planet reveals. Lonely Planet’s annual Travellers’ Pulse survey, which polled over 24,500 people worldwide, showed 84% of respondents said they would consider offsetting their emissions in the future, where only 31% had done so in the past.

One of the strongest changes for the future was in volunteering. A huge 79% of respondents said they would or might volunteer overseas in the future, with only 25% having done so in the past.

70% of travellers said they had purposefully travelled in a low-impact way in the past, (for example catching a bus rather than flying) and over 90% of people said they would or might do so in the future.

Travellers also have good intentions when it comes to protecting the environment. Although 36% of people had never purposefully considered the environment in their past travels, 93% of people said they would or might purposefully partake in environmentally friendly travel in the future.

Lonely Planet’s Adam Stanford said it was encouraging to see travellers embracing change, “The survey reveals that 73% of respondents feel that travel is ‘in their blood’, so its fantastic to see that people are consciously considering their impacts, and are willing to alter their actions to protect the destinations they love. It will be encouraging to watch whether these intended behaviours follow-through.”

The survey also revealed that the majority of travellers are worried about carbon emissions from flying, with only 7% saying that they did not think aircraft carbon emissions were a concern.

In the survey, respondents were given several options and asked to choose the one that they would primarily support for being most effective in reducing emissions from flights. While offsetting came out on top, with a quarter of all votes, surprisingly 43% chose one of the more radical options: boycotting flying for other less damaging modes of transport; airlines reducing the number of flights; increasing flying costs via a carbon tax; or everyone having an annual carbon allowance into which they must fit their travel.

Activity or interest has been a strong reason for travel in previous Travellers’ Pulse surveys. This year it was even stronger with 32% saying activity was their main purpose for travel, highlighting the growing trend towards exploring niche experiences rather than simply visiting destinations for sightseeing.

Lonely Planet has encouraged responsible travel since its first guide was published more than 30 years ago, and in recent years has stepped up its sustainable travel advice. Recently, Lonely Planet released a new volunteering handbook called Volunteer: A Travellers Guide to Making a Difference Around the World, and in November 2007 Lonely Planet’s new Australia guide will feature a new GreenDex – a quick-reference index of sustainable accommodation, tours and experiences.

Lonely Planet’s annual Travellers’ Pulse Survey was conducted online at lonelyplanet.com and via 49 partner websites, and is arguably the world’s most authoritative independent travel survey. The survey’s 24,500 respondents were from 144 countries.

Data for ASIA respondents only:

(Respondents from Asian countries including India, Singapore, Malaysia and China)

• 45% of respondents in Asia said they had offset their carbon emissions from flying in the past, and 88% of respondents in Asia said they would or might offset their emissions in the future
  
  
• 22% of respondents in Asia say they have volunteered in a foreign country in the past. 85% said they would or might do so in the future
• 80% of Asian travellers said they had purposefully travelled in a low-impact way in the past, (for example catching a bus rather than flying). And 94% said they would or might do so in the future
  
  
• 24% of Asian travellers had never purposefully considered the environment in their past travels, however 97% of Asians said they would or might purposefully partake in environmentally friendly travel in the future

Visa Waiver expansion good news for travel industry says NTA

The National Tour Association, a strong supporter of the Visa Waiver Program expansion, welcomed this latest legislation which has been signed by President Bush, noting that it will help the United States regain lost market share in international travel and improve the U.S. image abroad.

"As part of NTA`s 2007 advocacy priorities, NTA is committed to addressing border crossing issues to ensure a secure, timely and seamless transportation experience," said NTA Legislative Counsel Jim Santini. "This is welcome news for NTA tour operators and other travel companies that stand to benefit from the new spending that will be generated by the millions of additional annual visitors to the United States."

The new legislation will expand the program — which currently allows citizens from 27 countries to visit the United States for up to 90 days without a visa — by 12 nations. Countries can qualify for the program by demonstrating that their citizens observe visa stay deadlines and maintain a refusal rate of 10 percent or lower for applicants seeking U.S. travel visas. Previously, the refusal rate was set at three percent. The new language also gives Homeland Security flexibility to approve a country`s application based on its law enforcement and anti-terror cooperation with America.

The legislation, which addressed recommendations proposed by the 9/11 Commission, also contained provisions to improve the welcoming and arrival process at America`s top 20 overseas inbound airports. The provisions should decrease the time it takes to get through customs, since more than 200 customs officers will be hired, and provide better information in the Federal Inspection Services area through promotional videos and brochures.

"The new Visa Waiver provisions will allow more legitimate travelers to visit the United States visa-free while enhancing our security," said Santini. "NTA believes this will stimulate international inbound tourism to the United States, welcoming friendly nations that deserve to be incorporated into the existing Visa Waiver program."
Theodore Koumelis - Wednesday, August 08, 2007

Viva Macau beefs up flights for Macau — Jakarta direct route

Viva Macau has increased flight frequency to its Macau-Jakarta direct service to four times a week. Currently flying three times a week directly between Macau and Jakarta, Viva Macau will launch one additional flight to its weekly schedule, commencing August 28, 2007.

The new schedule will see the airline flying from Macau to Jakarta every Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday. In return from Jakarta to Macau, the schedule will be every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.

The service is operated by the airline’s Boeing 767 wide-body aircraft, offering two-class seating — Premium Class and Economy Class.

Viva Macau’s Chief Executive Con Korfiatis said the increase of frequency offers flexibility to different travelers in both Macau and Indonesia.

Korfiatis said, “Business travelers, especially for Indonesians who come to Macau for meetings, events, and exhibitions, will find it more convenient with our additional flights. The new schedule with Saturday and Sunday flights will also be attractive to more leisure travelers who are looking for weekend getaways.”

With Jakarta also being one gateway to Bali, Korfiatis said the new schedule will also benefit Macau holidaymakers looking for a beach holiday.
Vicky Karantzavelou - Wednesday, August 08, 2007

Czech Airlines wins top awards

Czech Airlines (CSA) have been awarded as "Best Airline in Central Europe" Skytrax, an independent British organisation, as part of the World Airline Awards, in which airlines are ranked, based on the votes of millions of passengers from all over the world.

In addition to this regional recognition – as the best airline in Central Europe – CSA`s cabin crews were also recognized by receiving the "Best Cabin Staff" award for the Central European region. On a European-wide scale, CSA`s cabin crews took third place. T

"We greatly value this recognition. The fact that CSA has been able to win this award at a time when competitive pressures are continuing to build throughout the industry confirms CSA`s strong position on the market – especially in Central and Eastern Europe. This award is also evidence that the ongoing restructuring taking place at CSA has not had any impact on the quality of the delivery of our product, which continues to be among the best offered in Europe," said Czech Airline`s President, Radomír Lašák, in commenting on the award.

The award received from Skytrax is not the only professional recognition recently received by CSA. For the fourth year in a row, the Airline has been able to maintain its rating as the "Best Airline Based in Central and Eastern Europe", which is an award given out annually by the Official Airline Guide (OAG), an international airline organisation. These awards are voted on by frequent business travellers. Earlier this year, CSA also received – for the seventh time – the "Best Airline" award, given out as part of the TTG Travel Awards 2007 competition, organised by the travel sector magazine TTG Czech.

Vicky Karantzavelou - Wednesday, August 08, 2007

Easyjet to charge for all luggage

Easyjet 's hand luggage allowance is unchangedBudget airline Easyjet has said that it is to charge customers for every piece of luggage that they check in to the plane's hold.

Each bag - weighing up to 20kg - will cost £2. Currently the first bag is free but each subsequent bag costs £5.

The airline said it was trying to reduce the number of passengers who travelled with checked-in bags.

"It's about getting people to pack smarter, travel lighter and travel cheaper," Easyjet said.

Its policy on carry-on luggage will not be affected.

Rival Ryanair already charges for all bags that are checked in.

The airlines say that handling fewer bags can help airports run more smoothly - and argue that those who do not have luggage should not have to pay for those who do require the service.

In February British Airways announced that some travellers would pay to check in a second piece of luggage.

Rome police probe luggage chaos

Italian police are investigating the chaos surrounding handling of luggage at Fiumicino Airport in Rome.

Thousands of pieces of baggage have gone astray during the heaviest travel weekend of the year.

More than 100,000 people passed through the airport on Sunday alone, and many have not seen their uitcases since.

Italy's Civil Aviation Authority claims that baggage handlers have been sabotaging outdated or obsolete equipment, causing huge delays.

Both arriving and departing passengers have been affected.

Piles of thousands of pieces of luggage have accumulated in various parts of the airport, and angry passengers have been demanding compensation for lost or delayed baggage.

After one MP dubbed the crisis a national disgrace, government ministers have called for an immediate inquiry into the chaos at one of Europe's busiest airports.
By David Willey BBC News, Rome

Budapest Airport Workers Strike

Two unions started a strike at Budapest's Ferihegy Airport on Sunday after they failed to reach an agreement with airport operator Budapest Airport over this year's wage rise.

Budapest Airport spokesman Domokos Szollar said passenger safety controllers and fuel service workers went on strike from 1430 GMT but so far no flights had to be cancelled.

"It may cause disruptions, depending on how many people take part in the strike action," Szollar said.

Wage talks failed to result in an agreement after unions demanded a 10 percent wage rise for 2007, while the company was offering 6.2 percent.

The unions had earlier said the strike would end at 2200 GMT.(Reuters)

Indian business travelers prefer full service carriers

In India, Full Service Carriers (FSC) still carry the bulk of business travellers. Nearly half of FSC clients travel on business (47%), and 42% do not pay for their own tickets according to a new Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation survey. In the case of Low Cost Carriers (LCC), only 29% of passengers are business travellers, with 21% holding sponsored tickets.

Not only do FSC travellers, or their sponsors, pay a premium of about 60% for the privilege of flying with an FSC. As previously revealed in Part 1, FSC clients also have a low propensity to book online, and will generally buy through a travel agent (61%, as compared to only 21% using the internet).

These findings reveal some uniquely Indian features in the domestic FSC market which may explain such consumer behaviour. “Grey” cash in the Indian market may be influencing the choice of FSC point of sale.However, it can be assumed that even apart the more “hands-off” behaviour of the more affluent travellers in India (where there is often someone else to do the work), there is a significant overhang of prestige attached to travelling on FSCs.

If this is true, the message should be loud and clear for the established full service operators in India. Prestige can be a strong factor in brand allegiance, especially in the field of business travel, and easily leveraged by smart loyalty programs.
Vicky Karantzavelou - Monday, August 06, 2007

Singapore Airlines Redefines Air Travel In All Classes

Every class onboard the Boeing 777-300ER has been re-invented to reflect the desires of our customers. The new First Class and Business Class cabins feature the widest seats with the largest fully flat beds, each with its own dedicated sleeping surface for unrivalled comfort. The new Economy Class offers increased knee room and legroom as well as other intelligent touches. All of this is complemented, as always, by the inflight service even other airlines talk about.
Click on the banners to experience the romance of travel with Singapore Airlines.

These new cabin products will be fitted on Singapore Airlines' new Boeing 777-300ER aircraft.Available only on selected flights from Singapore to Barcelona, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Los Angeles, Milan, Paris, San Francisco, Seoul, Taiwan, Zurich, and progressively on other routes.