Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts further reinforced its committment to the Middle East region by opening Four Seasons Alexandria, its fourth property in Egypt earlier this year. This opening brings the total number of Four Seasons properties in the region to nine.
“We are very excited to have opened the Alexandria property,” says Cesare Rouchdy, Senior Director of Marketing Four Seasons Egypt.
“We believe this is an important addition to our portfolio both here in Egypt and in the region as a whole. This property complements our other two city Hotels in Cairo and our Resort in Sharm El Sheikh, and is already reaching maximum capacity on a regular basis,” he adds.
Four Seasons Cairo at the First Residence was the group’s first foray into Egypt. Opening in May 2000, the property set a new standard in luxury in the country’s capital. Capitalising on the success of its Cairo property, Four Seasons then opened its first resort in the region in Sharm El Sheikh, overlooking the Red Sea. The third chapter in the Four Seasons story in Egypt, is the Nile Plaza property in Cairo, which opened in 2005.
October 06, 2007
Four Seasons Hotels strenghten its position in Egypt with fourth property
At Least 19 Killed In Congo Plane Crash
At least 19 people died when a Russian-made cargo plane crashed and exploded on Thursday in a busy area of Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of Congo's capital, officials said.
Seventeen passengers and crew on the Antonov 26 aircraft belonging to Congolese airline Africa 1 were killed when it came down on several houses in the Kingasani neighborhood, shortly after taking off from Ndjili Airport.
One father found the bodies of his young son and daughter crushed by a wall. Debris from the crash was widely scattered over neighboring streets and buildings.
"There has been heavy damage. Two houses have been completely destroyed," deputy Health Minister Ferdinand Ntua said at the crash site. "There are a lot of dead but for the moment we have no figures."
Air travel is notoriously dangerous in Congo. In 1996, at least 350 people died when a Russian-built Antonov 32 cargo plane ploughed through a crowded market in central Kinshasa, in the former Belgian colony's worst air disaster.
The Africa 1 aircraft was carrying 14 Congolese passengers and three Ukrainian crew, according to the plane's manifest.
"All the members of the crew and passengers are dead," a rescue official said.
An eye witness saw at least six corpses pulled from the wreckage of the plane as Red Cross and firemen joined family members picking through the devastation.
The stench of burning debris and jet fuel filled the air. Police struggled to hold back around 1,000 onlookers.
An airport security official who arrived quickly at the crash site said fire fighters had initially struggled to reach the wreckage in the crowded shanty town.
"There are at least four houses burning, the airplane is burning... There's a lot of smoke and flames, everybody in the houses must be dead," he said.
A spokesman for the 17,000-strong United Nations mission in Congo (MONUC), the largest in the world, said it had dispatched a rescue team and firefighters to the scene.
Ageing planes in Congo suffer from a lack of maintenance and spare parts but they are often the only way to transport people and goods across the vast central African country that is slowly recovering from a 1998-2003 civil war.
Eight people were killed in early September when another Antonov cargo plane overshot the runway and caught fire while landing in the eastern Congolese town of Goma.
Congo, a country the size of West Europe with only a few hundred kilometres of paved roads, has one of Africa's worst air safety records and was dubbed an "embarrassment" by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) last year.
Africa 1 is on the European Union's airline blacklist. All airlines certified by Democratic Republic of Congo authorities -- except for Hewa Bora Airways -- are banned from the EU.
Concorde Parts Under Hammer In French Auction
Reuters- Hundreds of components of the Concorde supersonic airliner, from headsets to toilet seats, are attracting strong bidding in a French auction which relives the era of luxury travel at twice the speed of sound.
Most of the 60 pieces sold on the auction's first day attracted around five times the asking price.
The Anglo-French aircraft was withdrawn from service in 2003 after ferrying the rich and famous across the Atlantic for 27 years at speeds up to 2,625 kph.
The auction runs until Monday in the French aviation capital of Toulouse where the sleek, droop-nosed aircraft was assembled in cooperation with Britain.
Items being sold to raise money for a museum include a pair of toilet seats weighing 5.8 kilos and available for auction prices starting at EUR400 euros (USD$567) each.
For the same asking price, collectors can bid for a Concorde pilot's headset.
A laminated cockpit window panel went for EUR3,100, 10 times the asking price, at the start of the auction on Friday.
If space is not a problem, the auction includes a couple of one-tonne Concorde landing gears on which the bidding starts at EUR2,000 - EUR3,000 -- wheels not supplied.
Among the most symbolic items for the plane's many fans, however, will be a "Machmeter" weighing just over a kilo and offered at a suggested price of EUR1,500 - EUR2,000. The instrument's dial recorded Concorde's speed as it slipped through the sound barrier, known as Mach 1.
"This sale has really got people carried away and we really welcome that because it is the last sale of Concorde accessories that will ever be organized," said auctioneer Marc Labarbe.
Designed in the 1960s, Concorde's cockpit instruments may look old-fashioned compared to the digital read-outs in modern passenger jets, but the plane's performance remains unmatched.
The plane carried 100 passengers and 9 crew at speeds up to Mach 2.2, almost three times the cruising speed of a Boeing 747.
The Mach number is the ratio of an aircraft's speed to the speed of sound.
Of the 20 Concordes built most are in museums or on display at London and Paris airports.
Concorde was suspended from service following its only crash outside Paris on an Air France flight in July 2000. It made only a temporary comeback before being withdrawn in 2003 as the two operating airlines cited heavy operating costs.
China's plane ambitions take off
By Michael Bristow 
BBC News, Beijing
China Aviation Industry Corporation I (AVIC I) is probably not a name that has executives at Boeing and Airbus quaking in their boots.
But the Chinese aircraft maker is currently assembling a regional passenger jet that it hopes will establish China as a major plane manufacturer.
The ARJ21 - which stands for Advanced Regional Jet for the 21st Century - is due to have its first test flight in March next year.
China believes this could be the start of a trend that will see the country build its own jumbo jets in the near future.
AVIC I, a state-run consortium based in Shanghai, says the regional plane is China's first independently developed passenger jet, although it will have engines made by US firm General Electric.
The plane, a model of which was on display at an aviation trade show in Beijing last month, has been primarily built for the Chinese market.
It has also been designed to cope with the high temperatures and high altitude runways it will encounter in China's western regions.
State-run media report that 71 ARJ21s, which will initially have 70 to 90 seats, have already been sold to domestic airlines, such as Shanghai Airlines. Other deals are pending.
These aircraft will be delivered from the end of 2009. A slightly larger version of the ARJ21, with 150 seats, will be produced later.
Expanding market
There will certainly be demand for more aircraft from China. In its latest forecast, Boeing said China would require 3,400 new planes worth about $340 billion over the next 20 years.
It expects China's domestic market to grow nearly fivefold by 2026, which will make it slightly larger than today's intra-North American market.
"Over the forecast period, China will have the fastest-growing market, making it the largest market outside of the US for new commercial airplanes," Boeing said.
With an expanding market, China is keen to develop its own manufacturing industry for passenger aircraft.
Li Zhiyong, from AVIC I's marketing and sales department, said: "At the moment, all aircraft that fly in China are made abroad so, sooner or later, China must produce its own planes."
But he added that the ultimate aim was to sell the ARJ21 abroad.
The firm already appears to have had some success. There are reports that Lao Airlines is considering buying two of the jets, becoming the plane's first foreign customer.
But, speaking at the Aviation Expo/China 2007, Mr Li said the most important hurdle had yet to be overcome.
"We have to get test flight licences from either Europe or the United States. This will allow us to sell the plane abroad more easily," he said.
Building expertise
AVIC I obviously hopes its plane will be a commercial success, but China does not hide the fact that the project has another role - to give technicians experience for future, larger projects.
"This is a big project for them," says Tom Ballantyne, of Orient Aviation magazine based in Hong Kong. "They are really hoping this will kick off airline production in China."
Earlier this year, the Chinese government confirmed that it wanted to build its own jumbo jets by 2020.
It believes it now has the expertise, and economic strength, to build a large passenger plane.
China also appears to think that, as one of the world's largest nations, it ought to have its own aircraft manufacturing industry.
"A home-made large aircraft may inspire the nation like the country's manned spacecraft program," said Liu Daxiang, from AVIC I's science and technology development department.
Mr Ballantyne agrees that China should be able to produce jumbo jets in the coming decades, but he says it might be difficult persuading airlines to buy the planes.
"One of the problems in China is that even Chinese airlines do not want to buy China's own planes," he said.
Boeing and Airbus, it appears, are not going to face any serious Chinese competitor any time soon.
September 29, 2007
Hoteliers Protest Against Low-Budget Andaman Tourism
Reuters - Hundreds of tour operators and hotel owners in the Andaman islands protested on Thursday against a scheme to fly budget tourists to the islands, saying it had stopped wealthier travelers from visiting.
India recently allowed all level of government employees to use their leave allowances to fly to the Andaman and Nicobar islands, the remotest part of its territory, as it tried to boost the tourism-dependent economy following the catastrophic tsunami of 2004.
Many low-wage workers jumped at the chance to take their first flight and visit the islands' famed beaches, forests, coral reefs and tribal cultures -- a perk once reserved for only senior state employees.
But islanders working in the tourism industry say crowds of cost-conscious tourists are straining resources without generating much income.
"They visit the Andamans for at most a day and go back hardly spending any money," said G. Bhasker, general secretary of the Andaman Chamber of Commerce and Industries.
"Agents are blocking tickets in bulk, preventing up-market tourists who are genuinely interested in visiting our islands."
Hundreds of protesters chose World Tourism Day to shout slogans outside the tourism directorate in Port Blair, the archipelago's capital, and threatened further protests if the government did not listen.
The island's chief secretary promised to look into their complaints.
Authorities expect more than 150,000 tourists will visit the islands this year, but some estimate that around 80 percent of those are low-wage state employees.
Etihad takes off to Singapore and Brisbane
Dubai: Etihad Airways has launched its new three flights-a-week service to Singapore and Brisbane.
Flight EY470 took off on schedule yesterday morning from Abu Dhabi airport bound for Brisbane via Singapore. Singapore is Etihad's fifth destination in Southeast Asia after Bangkok, Manila, Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur.
Brisbane is the airline's second destination in Australia following the highly successful Sydney route started in March this year.
"Demand has been great for the new flights to Singapore and Brisbane with the seat factor for both destinations approaching 70 per cent in economy class and 65 per cent in business class for the month of October," the airline said.
James Hogan, Etihad's chief executive, said: "Etihad continues to expand its global flight network offering our customers frequent connections to many of the world's most popular destinations.
"The UAE is building strong commercial and cultural ties with Singapore and the Australian state of Queensland and the new Etihad flights will give these ties a significant boost."
Other new destinations launched in 2007 include Dublin and Milan as well as the southern Indian cities of Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram.
Etihad is operating a two-cabin Airbus A330-200 on the new flights. The aircraft is configured to carry 262 passengers, with 22 in business class and 240 in economy.
Flight EY470 will operate every Friday, Sunday and Wednesday, departing from Abu Dhabi at 10.05am and reaching Singapore at 9.35pm. The flight will depart from Singapore at 10.50pm and arrive in Brisbane at 6.20am the following morning.
Flight EY473 will operate from Brisbane every Saturday, Monday and Thursday departing at 11.25am and arriving in Singapore at 7.05pm. The flight will depart from Singapore at 8.25pm and arrive in Abu Dhabi at 11.59pm.
Engine Fire Forces Jet Back To St Louis
Reuters-A fire in one of two engines on a Chicago-bound American Airlines MD-80 jet forced the plane to return to St. Louis Airport on Friday, officials said.
None of the 137 passengers and five crew members on board was injured, an airline spokesman said.
Flight AA1400, bound for Chicago's O'Hare Airport, took off at 2:12 p.m. EDT, and was back on the ground within 30 minutes, American Airlines spokesman Mary Frances Fagan said.
"It had a left-hand engine fire that occurred after take-off. The aircraft returned to Lambert International safely. No one was hurt, and the passengers were evacuated on stairs," Fagan said.
Firefighters put out a small fire in the engine after the plane landed, Lambert spokesman Jeff Lea said.
Demand for business jets soaring in Middle East
Dubai: The Middle East business aviation market is flush with "active buyers" of business jets, a customer survey by global aerospace giant Honeywell revealed.
The 16th Annual Business Aviation Outlook gave a bullish outlook for the private aviation market and said the region encompassing Asia, the Middle East and Africa "again ranks as the area with the highest purchase expectations".
Industry-wide, Honeywell Aerospace said deliveries of business jets would exceed 1,000 for the first time in 2007, up from 861 in 2006. So far, sales are up more than 12 per cent compared with the same period last year. In 2008, deliveries are expected to top 1,300.
Yesterday, Airbus' corporate jet division reported similar findings. It said it won a 36 corporate jet sales this year, setting a record.
The Honeywell survey highlights the growing importance of developing markets, while expectations of corporate jet sales in the United States declined slightly,
ICAO Opposes EU Emissions Plan
Reuters - The International Civil Aviation Organization has passed a resolution opposing a European Union plan to include foreign airlines in its emissions trading system, the UN body said on Friday.
"A resolution was adopted which said... that emissions-trading schemes are fine, but they should not be applied to the aircraft of foreign countries without mutual consent," Jeffrey Shane, the undersecretary for policy in the US Department of Transportation told reporters in Montreal.
He said that during recent ICAO meetings, about 42 European governments took "a formal reservation" from that wording.
"They did not want a clause that said, 'ICAO urges states not to apply emissions trading to foreign aircraft without mutual consent'."
The ICAO is a United Nations body created in 1944 to promote the development of civil aviation around the world.
The United States has opposed the plan to include foreign airlines in the EU's emissions trading scheme and pushed the ICAO to let individual countries decide the best way to manage greenhouse gas emissions from their airlines.
The EU Commission plans to include flights into and out of the 27-nation bloc from 2012 in its emissions trading scheme.
Environmentalists say the airline industry must contribute more to reducing greenhouse gases, blamed for global warming.
Shane said that all ICAO member states recognize the importance of emissions trading "as one of many tools for addressing emissions from aircraft."
He also that the ICAO will create a "very high-level group" tasked with coming up with an action plan on reducing the aircraft emissions.
September 28, 2007
Bush seeks answers to airport congestion
US President George Bush met yesterday (Thursday) with transportation secretary Mary Peters and acting FAA administrator Robert Sturgell to discuss how to reduce congestion at the country’s key airports. "There's a lot of anger amongst our citizens about the fact that they're just not being treated right," admits Bush. "We've got a problem. We understand there's a problem and we're going to address the problem."
Airport delays in the US rose almost 20% between October 2006 and August 2007, compared with the same period a year before and nearly half of the delays occurred in the Philadelphia-New York corridor.
Transportation Department officials are reportedly considering a plan to make airlines pay a premium to use congested airports at peak times – mainly the afternoon and early evening. However, industry experts suggest any congestion pricing policy would simply lead to higher ticket prices for passengers.
"The bottom line is that there is not much we can do once an aircraft leaves the gate and enters onto the taxiway. At that point, we come under the control of an antiquated air traffic control system," says Bob Reding, an executive vice-president at American Airlines.
Dublin signs T2 contracts: work starts next week
Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) has signed seven major construction contracts to allow work to start next week on T2, the new passenger terminal at Dublin Airport. The contracts, which have a combined value of Euro 180 million (US$254 million), were awarded following a major international tender process and cover areas such as concrete, steelwork, cladding and logistics.
The T2 project is a key element of the DAA’s Euro 2 billon (US$2.8 billion) Transforming Dublin Airport programme, which will improve, expand and modernise the passenger facilities at the airport.
“We were pleased with the level and quality of interest in this hugely important project and we are very happy that we have got the right skills at the best price,” says DAA Chief Executive Declan Collier. “We look forward to working in partnership with each of these seven contractors to deliver some of the key elements of T2.”
These first seven contracts represent the initial tranche of 17 separate construction packages that comprise the overall T2 project. The project includes a 75,000m² terminal building, a 24,000m² departures pier and a wide range of other airport campus upgrades. Each contract was tendered separately. The new terminal will cost Euro 395 million, while the overall T2 project has a price tag of Euro 609 million.
Collier says that this multipackage approach would allow T2 to be delivered on time and on budget. “We are focused on delivering T2 within a tight timeframe, and this process allows us to move at the required speed to have the project completed on target and T2 operational in April 2010.”
Bahrain to implement hand baggage rules on Sunday
On Sunday, Bahrain International Airport will belatedly introduce hand baggage regulations to bring it into line with security guidelines put in place by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) last December. Airport director Mohammed Al Kaabi says the implementation in Bahrain was delayed in keeping with the huge incoming traffic after the summer vacations. Under the new rules, all passengers traveling from or transiting through the airport will have to undergo extra security screening for liquids, gels and aerosols. Prescription medicines, accompanied by prescriptions, will be the only exceptions.
Lounge replaces jail for SFO arrivals
San Francisco International Airport has opened a holding lounge for international travelers who arrive with incorrect travel documents. The lounge will enable them to wait in comfort for a return flight instead of in jail, say airport officials. James Kosciuk, of US Customs and Border Protection, claims the holding facility is the first of its kind in the country and could serve as an example for other airports. He adds that around 520 people each year arrive at the airport with incorrect documentation. About 200 are immediately put on return flights, and the others were previously held in jail until a flight could be arranged.
World Tourism Day 2007 praises the role of women in tourism
On the occasion of World Tourism Day 2007 hosted by Sri Lanka in Bentota, a Think Tank was held on this year’s theme "Tourism Opening Doors For Women" and its inter-relationship with the UN Millennium Development Goals. Under the Chairpersonship of H.E. Mrs Nilofar Bakhatiar, a group predominantly of women who have played prominent roles in Tourism around the world discussed:
- The importance of women in the tourism sector.
- Improving the role of women in tourism.
- Accentuating the role of women particularly in developing countries.
The need for AWARENESS CREATION about the opportunities for women and their concerns amongst general policy makers and amongst women themselves.
Creating APPROPRIATE POLICY FRAMEWORKS FOR WOMEN/S ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT with tourism as a primary component so that the sector is integrated into mainstream policy making.
The requirement not only to open doors, but to MAKE IT POSSIBLE FOR WOMEN TO GO THROUGH THEM, including good training development programmes, targeted information, decent and equal pay, good career development, family support structures and frameworks for ensuring self-respect.
The PARTICULAR OPPORTUNITIES presented by agro tourism, ecotourism, health and wellness, and the creative sector.
The importance of GETTING THE DIVERSE PRIVATE SECTOR ACTIVELY INVOLVED AS WELL AS NGOs AND THE MEDIA; with a fundamental requirement for the Public Sector to put in place and implement legislation for equal opportunity, equal pay and fair working conditions. In respect to the latter, note was taken of the need to address unreasonable working hours particularly for women with families.
The value of SHOWCASING WOMEN with fulfilling jobs at all levels, as well as those showing leadership and career progression.
The timeliness of this discussion in relation to broader action on gender equality and of UNWTO, WITH THE SUPPORT OF UNIFEM (United Nations Development Fund for Women), CHAMPIONING THIS ISSUE, as well as the importance of carrying this forward into a defined programme and action plan.
The DANGER OF SELF-DELUSION in considering primarily the beneficial aspects of tourism and women while ignoring the darker side of exploitation, harassment, abuse and marginalization.
The significance of INCREASED ACCESS TO CREDIT FACILITIES to encourage women entrepreneurs, and the proven reliability of women in meeting the conditions.
The absence of RELIABLE INFORMATION at a global, regional and national level, and the importance of such information for effective decision making & monitoring.
Against this background the following conclusions were reached:
- To initiate a UNWTO – UNIFEM annual report on the state of Women in Tourism.
- To make this an ANNUAL FORUM and to establish a broader biennial worldwide conference.
- To foster a NETWORK of activists, ambassadors and advocates to support the work of the UNWTO Special Advisor on Women in Tourism, and the establishment of a TASK FORCE to develop a draft Programme of Activity. To put in place a DATA COLLECTION system including desk research, case studies and alignment with the Tourism Satellite Account where feasible.
- To expand the website www.tourismgender.com into a PORTAL for gathering and presenting information, and serving as a framework for continuing focus; as well as a resource pool for gathering and sharing.
- To develop with partners an AWARENESS CAMPAIGN aimed at the industry, governments, media and women themselves, as well as the creation of a global AWARDS SCHEME.
- To strongly urge UNWTO and its Member States to take affirmative action within their power to actively involve women, from all social, economic and cultural spheres, into strategy, policy and operational decision making.
- To urge UNWTO to emphasize these issues within the framework of its Global Code of Ethics for Tourism. World Tourism Day 2007 is an occasion to celebrate women’s achievements in the tourism sector and stimulate continuous action in support of UN’s 3rd Millennium Development Goal: Promoting Gender Equality and Women Empowerment through to 2015 and beyond.
SAS To Resume Dash 8 Flights
Reuters-Scandinavian airline SAS said on Friday it planned to restart flights using its Dash 8 Q400 planes on October 4.
SAS has been forced to cancel hundreds of flights because its fleet of Dash 8 Q400 aircraft have been grounded after two SAS planes crash-landed due to undercarriage problems.
"SAS will deploy the first Q400 aircraft on Thursday, October 4, with the remaining Q400 aircraft returning to operation during the following days," the company said in a statement.
Boeing To Conduct Biofuel Flight Demo
Reuters-Boeing said on Thursday that it, Air New Zealand and Rolls-Royce announced a memorandum of understanding to conduct a biofuel demonstration flight.
Boeing said the demonstration flight is planned for the second half of 2008 using an Air New Zealand Boeing 747-400 equipped with Rolls-Royce engines.
Boeing said additional details will be announced closer to the actual demonstration flight date.
Deccan Aviation Quarterly Loss Widens
Reuters - India's Deccan Aviation, which owns budget carrier Air Deccan, reported a wider net loss for the quarter to June 2007, hit by lower air fares and higher fuel costs.
A statement late on Thursday said the company's loss widened to INR1.7 billion rupees (USD$42.8 million) from INR1.1 billion a year ago.
For the year ended June, its net loss was INR4.2 billion on revenue of INR21.4 billion. It had reported a loss of INR3.4 billion on revenue of INR12.4 billion in the 15 month period ended June 2006.
The company reported a 15 month period as it changed its accounting year mid-way.
United Breweries, which runs Kingfisher Airlines, owns 26 percent of Deccan and has also made an open offer for a further 20 percent of the carrier.
Thailand reaches new record in visitor arrivals in the first half of 2007
REPORT - BALI - PATA TRAVEL MART: Thailand recorded a total of 6.95 million visitor arrivals in January – June 2007, an increase of 3.30% over the same period of 2006, according to figures made available by the Thailand`s Immigration Bureau, Police Department.
Although there was strong growth in arrivals from Europe (14.45%), the Middle East (19.97%), Oceania (20.66%), and South Asia (10.58%), there has been a decline in arrivals from key Asian source-markets like Malaysia (-11.64%), China (-17.72%), Japan (-6.54%) and Korea (-2.31%).
This has been attributed partially to reports about the situation in South Thailand as well as the strengthening of the baht. TAT officials have also noted that the number of Approved Destination Status countries by China is at an all-time high, giving Chinese visitors much more choice than previously about where to go.
TAT is projecting 14.8 million international visitor arrivals in 2007 and estimated revenue of 547.5 billion baht. The domestic tourism target is for 82 million trips with a projected revenue of 377 billion baht.
Mrs. Phornsiri Manoharn, Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand said “We are confident that our marketing efforts and strong co-operation between the public and private sectors will help us meet our targets for this year. We are also working to address the declines in arrivals from our key markets.”
“At the same time, we are encouraged by the strong interest shown in Thailand by emerging markets like Russia, the Middle East, India and Africa,” Mrs Phornsiri said. Details of visitor arrivals in January - June 2007 Overall:
Visitor arrivals tabulated by nationality showed a total of 6,954,752, an increase of 3.30% over the same period of 2006.
East Asia: Visitor arrivals from East Asia declined by 3.91% to 3,606,731. Markets that have shown good growth include Laos PDR. (+122.26%), Myanmar (+31.68%), Cambodia (+3.81%), Indonesia (+3.01%), and Hong Kong (+2.87%).
Europe:
Visitor arrivals from Europe were up by 14.45% to 1,954,239. Russia was the outstanding market with a growth of 50.94% during this period. Other main markets like the UK were up by 4.56%, Germany (5.79%), Sweden (24.99%), and the Netherlands (8.50%).
The Americas:
Arrivals from the Americas declined by 1.46% to 454,651. USA, the main source market declined by 2.88% but there were some markets that showed a positive growth such as Argentina (+64.38%) and Brazil (+24.77%).
South Asia:
Arrivals from South Asia were up by 10.58% to 346,261. India, the main source of arrivals from South Asia showed a total of 264,555, up by 14.06% over the same period of 2006.
Oceania:
Arrivals were up by 20.66% to 350,854. Visitors from Australia were up by 22.75% to 302,981 and arrivals from New Zealand were up by 8.98% to 47,011.
The Middle East:
Arrivals from the Middle East grew by 19.97% to 189,689 with all markets showing positive growth. Arrivals from the UAE were up by 16.10%, while arrivals from Israel rose by 17.04%, Kuwait (9.65)%, Egypt (+19.02%), and Saudi Arabia (+31%). The Middle East market is important to Thailand because the visitors are high spenders.
Africa:
Arrivals from Africa were up by 9.67% to 52,327.
JACOB Online opens a new office in India
REPORT - BALI - PATA TRAVEL MART: JACOB Online launched today (28 September) their new office in New Delhi, India at the PATA Travel Mart in Bali, by holding a ribbon cutting ceremony performed by PATA President & CEO , Mr Peter de Jong and Mr Ian Hawkes, Executive Director of PATA UK`s Chapter.
With the market in Asia growing exceptionally fast at all levels, JACOB Online is growing its activities in South East Asia with contracting offices now expanding into sales and growing throughout the region.
Ian Hawkes said: "JACOB is a great concept as it combines the latest in online distribution with a great team of people who firmly believe in providing service. I am sure their Indian office will be a great success".
Denise Atkinson, Sales Director for JACOB Online, says: "With the new office in India, we are expecting a huge increase in hotel sales into Asia and Europe and we are also planning on expanding our offices in Asia to cover more of the region, from a Sales point of view, over the next year."
Having launched JACOB Asia in Hong Kong at last year`s PTM, the first year has exceeded all expectations - and JACOB now offers a wide range of hotels and categories from Beijing to Bangkok and from Singapore to Siem Reap. In additional to offering hotels in Asia, JACOB Online has a comprehensive portfolio of hotels in Europe, Canada and the Middle East.
Bush Seeks Changes To Cut US Airline Delays
US President George W Bush directed deputies on Thursday to devise a plan to shorten airline delays, an initiative that could force carriers to change schedules and pay more to use crowded airports at the busiest times of the day.
"We've got a problem. We understand there's a problem and we're going to address the problem," Bush said after meeting Transportation Secretary Mary Peters in the Oval Office.
Transportation Department figures show that US airline delays are on a record pace for 2007. For the year to July, delays surpassed the 1 million mark, up more than 20 percent from the same period a year ago.
Nearly a third of flights are late or canceled and more than 50,000 by July had ground delays of between one and five hours, a 40 percent increase over the same period a year ago.
Some aviation experts, lawmakers and regulators blame airline overscheduling for delays while others say the government has failed to upgrade the aging air traffic system to handle the millions of arrivals and departures each year. Airlines scheduled a record 647,000 flights in July alone.
The focus of the White House discussion was congestion in the New York area, which handles a third of US air traffic. Delays in New York can affect flights throughout the country.
Of immediate concern are delays at John F. Kennedy airport, which is growing fast and is a major point for international service. The most concrete step to emerge from the White House meeting was a decision for government planners to meet the airlines to discuss scheduling changes at JFK.
Peters told reporters after meeting Bush that she preferred a cooperative approach but the Federal Aviation Administration could limit flights at JFK if necessary.
Any action at JFK would most affect JetBlue Airway, which is based there, and Delta Air Lines, which operates two terminals. American Airlines operates international and some domestic service at JFK.
Delays have been a chronic problem for the industry for nearly a decade, interrupted only by the aviation downturn that followed the hijacking attacks of 2001. Past efforts by airlines and regulators to reduce or rearrange schedules at some of the most congested airports have provided temporary relief at best.
Mike Boyd, an industry consultant, said the steps announced by the Bush administration are too late and only "dumb down" the system.
"Every flight is full, airlines are meeting the nation's demands. The air traffic system is behind," Boyd said, adding that airlines had failed over the years to forcefully demand improvements in air traffic services.
US officials will study the concept of charging airlines more to use crowded airports at the busiest times of the day. Recommendations are due in December.
The Transportation Department has already proposed congestion pricing pilot programs at 15 airports as part of legislation to modernize the air traffic system.
Airlines oppose congestion pricing, saying it will only raise fares as extra costs are passed along to consumers.
Peters did not discount the possibility that government action could affect airline business models, such as the trend toward using more regional jets in place of larger planes.
"We don't necessarily want to say you can't do that, but we do want to say at the end of the day we have to reduce congestion and delay. Everything is on the table," Peters told reporters.
Airlines quickly note shortcomings in the aging government-run air traffic system and the impact on operations in the New York area of corporate jets, a growing preference for business travelers.
"The bottom line is that there is not much we can do once an aircraft leaves the gate and enters onto the taxiway. At that point, we come under the control of an antiquated air traffic control system," Bob Reding, executive vice president for operations at American Airlines, told a Senate hearing on Thursday.
American, Delta and other carriers said they have already tweaked their schedules at peak hours at some airports, adjusted the time that planes sit at gates, and streamlined maintenance to ensure aircraft meet their schedules.
