Singapore's A380 Superjumbo Starts London Route

The world's biggest passenger plane left Singapore for London on Tuesday, marking the Airbus A380's first commercial flight to Europe.

The Singapore Airlines flight, carrying 449 passengers, lifted off the tarmac at 9.20 a.m. from Changi Airport, bound for London Heathrow Airport.

Passengers paid between SGD$2,000 (USD$1,447) and SGD$20,000 to be the first on the superjumbo's new daily service, which will take off on its return flight on the same day.

Among the passengers on Tuesday's flight were 17 customers who had been on the inaugural flight to Sydney, wearing custom-made polo shirts with "A380" emblazoned across the back.

"It's an experience, it's something special in my life, something that gets me away from my job and my desk," said Nicolas Dirac, a 32-year-old Swiss national who works as a computer professional at a pharmaceutical firm.

Singapore Airlines now has three superjumbos in service, with a further 16 on order and options for six more, and is planning to put the aircraft on daily flights to Tokyo from May 20.

(Reuters)

Airlines top list of consumer complaints

Airline-related issues overwhelmingly outnumber all complaints tour operators receive from travelers, according to an informal member survey conducted by the U.S. Tour Operators Association. The association - whose members send 11 million people on vacation yearly - reported that over 70% of responding tour operators cited airline problems as the most common complaint, followed by money-related issues, reported by 20% of members.

Missed connecting flights because of airline delays and cancellations were the most common airline-related complaint, with lack of service coming in second. Other complaints cited were airline cutbacks, full/overbooked flights, and lengthy check-in procedures including security. The hassle of flying caused one responding tour operator to say: "Airline travel is not fun," noting that the vacation now begins once the traveler arrives at the destination, rather than the flight being considered part of the vacation.

Money-related concerns such as high air fares, added taxes, fuel surcharges and the European exchange rate came in a distant second in terms, of consumer complaints. Of these, the most common complaints concerned airlines and the weak dollar.

A minority of USTOA tour operators and vacation packagers cited dissatisfaction with hotel accommodations as a source of complaints."In the past, most complaints centered around accommodations due to unrealistic expectations among some travelers who expected to find U.S. standards in other countries. However, today the type of complaint has shifted, where airline-related issues account for the vast majority of complaints," says Bob Whitley, USTOA president.

The survey was based on responses of 33 total operators representing over half of USTOA's Active Corporate members.

Exclusive Lufthansa terminal area opened in Frankfurt

The new passenger handling area between the C and D concourses in Terminals 1 and 2 was officially inaugurated at Frankfurt Airport yesterday (17 March). With two waiting levels and amply dimensioned bridges, the new pier in the passageway linking the C and D concourses meets optimally all the requirements for operations with Lufthansa’s future flagship, the Airbus A380.

Entirely new is the pier concept allowing passengers to board their flights direct from two separate levels.

“The new and exclusive Lufthansa gate area located on two levels is unique, worldwide. Even before the first 380 enters service with the Lufthansa fleet, we are already laying on more space and comfort for passengers prior to flight departure,” said Karl Ulrich Garnadt, Executive Vice President Services and Human Resources at Lufthansa Passenger Airlines.

With the new two-level boarding concept, Lufthansa can now channel First, Business and Economy-Class passengers into separate areas as soon as they access the waiting and boarding zone at the airport. Once through the security controls, First and Business-Class passengers as well as status customers go straight to the Priority Gates on Departures Level Three. These gates, designed in Lufthansa business-lounge style, offer comfortable waiting zones with easy chairs to relax in, as well as workstations equipped with wireless Internet access and spacious bistros serving drinks and light menus. First-Class passengers as well as HON Circle members or Senators also have the use of an exclusive Senator Lounge with a panoramic view of the airport apron, and the take-off and landing strips.

Four open gates for Economy-Class passengers on the second level are equipped with ample seating arrangements and snackbars. Spacious glass facades give the interior a bright, friendly and airy atmosphere. The open gates allow passengers to move around freely in the entire handling areas and afford a good view of traffic on the airport apron.

Extra comfort is also characteristic in the passageway from the check-in counters to the new pier. Wider moving walkways and escalators help passengers easily negotiate their way through the passageway, daylight and a daylight-adaptive lighting system light up the gangways and air-conditioning keeps the temperature at a pleasant level. Three A380s and a Boeing 747 can be handled, simultaneously, at the new C/D pier. Gates C15 and C16 are each additionally equipped to accommodate two smaller aircraft, e.g. of the A320 type.

Royal Jet takes WTA Award

Royal Jet, the international luxury flight services company headquartered in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, has been named the ‘World’s Leading Private Jet Charter’

The award was presented to Royal Jet’s President & CEO, Shane O’Hare by the WTA’s Executive Director Manon Han at a gala lunch reception in London’s prestigious Mosimann’s dining club in Belgravia.

Accepting the award in front of an audience of invited guests, including His Excellency Mohammed Al Zaabi from the UAE Embassy in the UK, O’Hare said the timing of the accolade could not have been better.

“Royal Jet this year celebrates its fifth anniversary – and to have achieved such an honour in such a relatively short time frame speaks volumes about the high esteem with which we are regarded throughout the industry and the very high level of service which our customers have come to expect from us,” said O’Hare.

The audience was told that although the selection process had been a difficult one, Royal Jet was picked for its reliability, fine aircraft interiors, its exceptional bespoke client services and dedication to delivering the ultimate in safety, efficiency and luxury.

“The award, which owes much to the direction Royal Jet has taken under the leadership of its Chairman, His Excellency Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, is even more valued because of the reputation we enjoy amongst our industry peers and partners,” O’Hare said.

The WTA award comes just four months after Royal Jet won another prestigious award - Business Jet Provider of the Year - at the Aviation Business Awards ceremony in Dubai.

Sheikh Hamdan said the awards were the culmination of a great deal of dedication and hard work by all at Royal Jet. “These accolades belongs to all our people who have worked tirelessly to ensure we represent the pinnacle of customer service and professionalism in the industry; and on their behalf, I can promise that we will live up to the expectations inherent in this solid vote of confidence.”

Teens Fly Into Record Books At CPM

Two Kids, 11 Solos!

Two 16-year olds from Tomorrow’s Aeronautical Museum flew into the record books this weekend, when they each set new world records on Saturday, March 15, 2008.

Kelly Anyadiki (above) became the youngest African American female to solo in four different aircraft on the same day, while Jonathan Strickland (below) established a new record as the youngest African American male to solo six different airplanes, and a second record for soloing six airplanes plus one helicopter all on the same day.

The records were set at Compton Woodley Airport in front a large crowd. Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca was on hand to witness the event, as were other members of the famed Tuskegee Airmen, many of whom flew in from across the country to attend the event.

"These new world records the kids set are an example of where the past meets the present and the future!" said Robin Petgrave, founder of Tomorrow’s Aeronautical Museum.

"What Robin and these kids are doing here would have made my dad very happy," said Chauncey E. Spencer II, whose father was instrumental in getting African Americans approved for flight training in Tuskegee, AL during World War II. Spencer flew in from Michigan just to witness the world record flights.

Located at Compton Woodley Airport (CPM) in Compton, CA, Tomorrow’s Aeronautical Museum offers aviation-themed afterschool programs for more than 800 kids from grades K-12. Kids can take part in projects ranging from washing airplanes to graffiti mitigation. Instead of earning money, kids earn 'museum dollars,' which they can apply toward flight instruction or continued education in any field.

Tomorrow’s Aeronautical Museum plans to open additional locations across the country. The Newport News, VA chapter of the Tuskegee Airmen will open a TAM operation this spring, and the city of Norwalk and the ‘Adopt A Bike’ program in San Bernardino, CA. have plans to open a TAM as well.

Low cost Indonesian airline Adam Air to be shut down

Jakarta: Indonesian low-cost carrier Adam Air will no longer be allowed to fly, Indonesian officials said on Tuesday, citing concerns over safety.

The director general for air transportation, Budhi Mulyawan Suyitno said the airline's operating license was being revoked starting Wednesday because safety procedures had been ignored. He added that the airline’s pilot training program was inadequate.

The carrier suffered a string of accidents last year and is facing bankruptcy after two if its largest shareholders announced that they would be pulling out of the company.

All 102 passengers died when an Adam Air plane plunged into the sea in 2007, while another broke in half on a hard landing. In the most recent incident, five people were badly injured when a Boeing 731-400 skidded off a runway.

India facing pilot shortage

Indian Civil Aviation Minister, Praful Patel, stated the country’s airlines are facing an acute shortage of “type rated” pilots.

According to Mr Patel, 994 foreign pilots were recruited recently by Indian carriers to meet their expansion needs. Foreign pilots are currently permitted to fly in India under an agreement with the International Civil Aviation Organisation.

To combat the pilot shortage issue, the government has raised the pilot retirement age to 65. In addition, it is investing heavily in pilot training infrastructure, as it aims to increase the number of local pilots graduating from 40 to 100 p/a.

With the Indian aviation sector expected to continue to boom, the demand for pilots, cabin crew, maintenance staff will also intensify.

CAE meanwhile, recently, signed a contract to become the managing partner of the Indian government’s flight training academy, Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uran Akademi. CAE also signed a JV agreement with the Airport Authority of India (AAI) to develop the Rajiv Gandhi National Flying Training Institute.

Monarch Airlines named the Official Airline Partner of The Golf Show 2008

Monarch Airlines has been named as the Official Airline Partner of the London Golf Show and NEC Golf Show for 2008, and will undertake a series of activity around the events to highlight its network of destinations which provides access to some of Europe’s golf courses.

Lufthansa introduces Non stop flights from Dammam to Frankfurt

As of April 1st, 2008, Lufthansa German Airlines will fly Non stop from Dammam to Frankfurt three times a week and four times a week from Bahrain on First, Business and Economy class with the Airbus 330-300, thus enabling the airline to offer daily non-stops flights throughout the week.

“Driven by its commitment to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and in order to further enhance its product in the Eastern province, Lufthansa offers its customer’s early arrivals into Frankfurt with connectivity and comfort they deserve. We see a definite growth in the Gulf region and the Dammam sector will prove to be an ongoing success,” said Mr. Rolf Koller, General Manager – Saudi Arabia, Lufthansa German Airlines and Swiss International Air lines (Swiss).

He added, “Lufthansa offers a strong signal of commitment to its customers. It seals our presence in the region for the long-haul number one choice for flight connections to Germany, Europe, USA as well as to our new oil destinations of the world such as Bergen, Calgary, Luanda and Malabo.“

nasair launches first international service

nasair, Saudi Arabia's first low-fare airline, commenced services to the UAE on Wednesday 12th March, adding its first international destination to an already extensive domestic route network in the Kingdom.

nasair will operate 10 flights a week linking Riyadh and Jeddah to Sharjah.

To celebrate this milestone, the airline will provide special launch fares starting from AED 89.

nasair has taken delivery of brand new Airbus A320 aircraft to operate its international routes. CEO Ed Winter commented "nasair is really proud to offer our customers the comfort and reliability of brand new aircraft. We are now operating the youngest fleet in the region."

"This is a welcome development for us and we expect the new route to UAE to attract not only outbound leisure passengers and boost incoming tourism, but also to appeal to a large sector of business travellers" said Taher Agueel, National Air Services (NAS) President. Seats are available for booking through flynas.com, the nasair reservation centre and travel agents, with special low rates for early bookings.

The airline is expanding its operations internationally, to answer a growing demand from passengers travelling between Saudi Arabia and UAE who are looking for value and affordable prices. The carrier is expected to launch other international destinations in the near future.

Philippines to boost ecotourism offerings

MANILA - The Philippines Department of Tourism (DoT) has stepped up its thrust to highlight ecotourism around the country through Magandang Pilipinas.

The project brings together the DoT, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, ABS-CBN Foundation’s Bantay Kalikasan and US-based nonprofit organization Conservation International to identify, develop and promote various ecotourism sites around the country.

"Our vision is for the Philippines to be recognized as a leading destination for ecotourism. The islands are already blessed with breathtaking natural beauty on land and underwater. The next step for us is to support our local communities and tourism establishments and stakeholders in conserving and properly utilizing this wealth," tourism secretary Ace Durano said.

The DoT will develop and implement activities to promote ecotourism sites to domestic and international travel markets.

Pilot areas and attractions under the Magandang Pilipinas project include whale shark interaction in Donsol, Sorsogon, the Verde Island Marine Passage Corridor between Batangas and Mindoro, the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, the marine protected area and limestone karst in El Nido, and the Tubbataha National Marine Park.

Also to be tapped are areas currently under the DoT’s ecotourism program with New Zealand's International Aid & Development Agency (NZAID). These include the Banawe Rice Terraces in Ifugao, dolphin watching in Pamilacan, Bohol, the Hundred Islands in Pangasinan, Sapang Bato in Pampanga and Lake Sebu in South Cotabato.

Singapore Airlines A380 Flies To Tokyo From 20 May 2008

Tokyo will become the fourth city in the world to receive A380 commercial flights, when Singapore Airlines starts services to the Japanese capital on 20 May 2008.

The inaugural A380 flight to Tokyo - SQ636 - will depart Singapore’s Changi Airport on Tuesday, 20 May 2008, at 0040hrs and arrive at Tokyo’s Narita Airport at 0830hrs (all times local), on a special schedule to coincide with the 30th anniversary celebrations of Narita Airport.

The return flight, SQ637, will depart Narita at 1300hrs on Tuesday, 20 May 2008. The aircraft will touch down at Changi Airport on the same day at 1905hrs.

Thereafter, the Singapore Airlines A380 will commence regular scheduled services, operating SQ638 daily on the Singapore-Tokyo sector from 20 May 2008, and on SQ637 for the return leg from 21 May 2008. A schedule of the flight times can be found in Annex 1.

Singapore Airlines is the first to fly the A380: the world’s largest commercial aircraft. Tokyo is Singapore Airlines’ third A380 destination, following the commencement of the Singapore-Sydney service on 25 October 2007 and the Singapore-London service on 18 March 2008.

“We are proud to operate the inaugural A380 flight into Japan, the A380’s first Asian destination. The fact that Tokyo is the A380’s first Asian city highlights Singapore Airlines’ 40 years of dedicated service to the Japanese market,” said Mr. Huang Cheng Eng, Singapore Airlines’ Executive Vice President, Marketing and the Regions.

“We are sure that our Japanese customers will be delighted to try our extensive range of new cabin products and the state-of-the-art entertainment system on board the A380,” Mr Huang added.

Besides operating to Tokyo 20 times weekly, Singapore Airlines also flies daily to Nagoya, five times weekly to Fukuoka and 17 times weekly to Osaka.

Those who wish to be part of this landmark experience may purchase tickets via the Singapore Airlines website, singaporeair.com, or through their travel agents.

Customers who hold ticketed bookings on flights to be operated by the A380 will be automatically accommodated on the new aircraft without any change required to their tickets. Customers holding bookings, but not yet ticketed, may need to check if there have been changes to their fares as a result of the aircraft change.

Qatar Airways Takes Part In World's Biggest Travel Trade Fair In Germany

Qatar Airways' imposing exhibition stand during ITB Berlin, at which the airline showcased its long-haul First Class seat (right) and a pair of Business Class seats pictured in the foreground

Berlin, GERMANY – Qatar Airways hailed its presence at the world’s largest travel fair in Berlin last week a great success with a huge exhibition stand and show-stopping entertainment promoting its new routes to China and America this year.

Qatar Airways was once again delighted to take part in the annual show, which attracted more than 150,000 visitors and over 10,000 exhibitors. The airline exhibited with a 200sqm two-tier stand, showcasing its world-renowned hospitality.

On display was Qatar Airways’ award-winning First and Business Class seats and a model of the New Doha International Airport, which is due to open in 2010. Qatar Airways also had a fabulous line-up on entertainment for visitors to enjoy.

To celebrate the launch of flights to the southern industrial city of Guangzhou in China on March 31, Qatar Airways had Chinese lion dancers performing regularly on the stand throughout the show.

Tourism officials from Houston are pictured with American cowgirl entertainers on Qatar Airways' stand promoting the airline's new route to the State of Texas later this year

And American cowgirls showed off their dancing talents with jaw-dropping entertainment attracting scores of visitors as the airline was also promoting its new flights to Houston, due to begin on November 10.

During an ITB Berlin conference panel discussion on climate change, Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker spoke of the airline’s environmental drive – in particular, its move towards using gas-to-fuel (liquefied gas) technology to power its aircraft in the future. Such a move would, he said, significantly reduce carbon emissions and create greater operational efficiency.

Qatar Airways walked off with the runner-up prize at the 2008 Golden City Gate International Film awards at ITB Berlin for its TV vignettes produced by CNN International.

Al Baker, who headed a delegation from head office in Doha to the five-day event, held a press conference on the opening day of ITB Berlin, where he spoke of the airline’s summer expansion plans focusing on additional flights to more than a dozen cities worldwide.

Qatar Airways proudly showcases its brand at the entrance of Messe Berlin, venue for the world's largest travel trade show - ITB Berlin

“ITB Berlin was once again a great event bringing together the world’s travel industry for five days of business,” he said.

“The show was a perfect platform to meet industry colleagues, make new and renew business relationships, but most of all, tell the world about our ever continuing success story.

“Over the years we have used the occasion at ITB Berlin to showcase our latest products, announce our newest routes and present our superb Arabic hospitality. And this year was no exception as we announced our new routes to Guangzhou and Houston, as well as unveil details of our summer capacity expansion.”

Qatar Airways currently operates a modern fleet of 62 Airbus and Boeing aircraft to 81 destinations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, Indian Subcontinent, Far East and North America.

Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker, pictured second night, showing guests on the exhibition stand a mock-up model of the New Doha International Airport which is due to open in 2010

Bombardier Sells Six CRJ900 NextGen Airliners To Iraq

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.

Based on the list price for the CRJ900 NextGen aircraft, the value of the firm contract is approximately $239 million U.S. If all options are exercised, the contract value could rise to approximately $400 million U.S..

“We are pleased that the Government of Iraq has selected the CRJ900 NextGen aircraft to help rebuild the domestic and regional airline services in Iraq,” said Steven Ridolfi, President, Bombardier Regional Aircraft. “We are confident that the CRJ900 NextGen airliner will serve commercial airline operations in the country very well.”

The order announced today increases firm orders for CRJ900/CRJ900 NextGen airliners to 248. As of January 31, 2008, Bombardier had delivered 1,471 CRJ Series aircraft - including 145 CRJ900/CRJ900 NextGen airliners - to operators around the world.

Source: Bombardier

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

Thursday March 13, 2008, witnesses the delivery of Royal Jordanian's first of four Airbus A319, named Al-Mafraq, one of the main cities in northeastern Jordan. RJ, a oneworld member, contracted to introduce this type of aircraft into its fleet during this year and the beginning of next year, in line with its aircraft modernization plan. The twin-engine aircraft carries 110 passengers; 96 on economy class and 14 on crown class. Its speed reaches 960 km/hour and it has a cargo capacity of three tons.
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.”