Pakistan's JS Group and Deccan Aviation join hands to launch airline in Lanka

The JS Group of Pakistan will be lunching a domestic airline service in Sri Lanka. The Ministry of Defence has cleared the venture.
The Company has already entered into a commercial partnership with Deccan Aviation Lanka, which is already operating helicopter operations.
JS Air and Deccan Aviation will initially operate flights to Palali, Trincomalee, Ampara, Weerawila, Koggala and other domestic destinations.
The aircraft will also be offered to corporate clients for charter for their travel to India and regional destinations.
The modern 17 seater US manufactured, fixed wing, twin engine Raytheon Beechcraft aircraft could be used for both cargo and passenger flights.
It is capable of flying non-stop to Maldives or India for corporate clients, and has the unique capability of being able to use virtually all of Sri Lanka’s airfields an official of Deccan Aviation said. With the induction of the $ 3 million Beechcraft, Deccan becomes the only company to offer both helicopters and fixed wing options to customers.
Deccan also announced plans to launch a service to co-ordinate ground handling arrangements for the increasing number of private aircraft visiting Sri Lanka, and whose owners tend to use Deccan services to travel internally.
31/03/07 Shirajiv Sirimane/Ceylon Daily News, Sri Lanka

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Jet, Sahara may get to fly Gulf routes next year

New Delhi: In a move that would enable carriers like Jet Airways and Air Sahara to operate flights to the lucrative Gulf sector, the government is planning to open up this market to private airlines early next year. The Gulf route, which has been reserved for state-owned Air India and Indian till now, is likely to see private competition in January 2008. The move is significant for Jet Airways, which is said to be keen on starting operations to the Gulf countries.
During a review of the civil aviation policy draft last year, the civil aviation ministry has proposed extension of the public sector monopoly over Gulf routes till 2010 - giving Indian and Air India two more years to benefit from restricted competition in this sector. However, officials of the ministry have now proposed, in the latest draft of the policy which was recently reviewed by civil aviation minister Praful Patel, that private carriers should be allowed to operate Gulf flights from next year.
The change in the government stand on giving private players the leeway follows the merger of Indian and Air India, which is currently under way. It is felt that the merged entity - with its large fleet and huge network - would be in a position to take on the competition.
31/03/07 Sunny Verma/Economic Times

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Foreign crew for Kingfisher intl ops

New Delhi: Vijay Mallya-promoted Kingfisher Airlines’s international service, which is expected to start by January 2008, will be staffed entirely by foreign cabin crew.
The airline has shortlisted Poland, Russia, west Asia and the US for its recruitment drive, which is expected to start soon.
Ahead of that, the crew will be trained on domestic flights over the next two months. A training module for foreign cabin crew is currently being worked out.
The airline would be flying Bangalore-San Francisco and Mumbai/Delhi-New York sectors initially. The direction – US to India or India to the US – would depend on government regulations.
31/03/07 Chanchal Pal Chauhan/Business Standard

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Boeing gets 75-acre land in Nagpur for MRO

The Maharashtra Airport Development Company has decided to allocate 75 acres of land in Nagpur to aircraft major Boeing to set up its prestigious $100 million maintenance repair and overhaul (MRO) facility.
MADC managing director and vice chairman R C Sinha said a decision on how much land should be given for the facility was delayed, as the aircraft manufacturer had initially demanded 80 acres adjacent to the 'Dr Babasahbe Ambedkar International Airport' in Nagpur which the MADC was reluctant to part with.
Boeing had, in April last year, announced the decision to set up the MRO in the city. It was part of an agreement with civil aviation ministry while giving final touches to procurement of a fleet of Boeing aircraft for national carrier Air India.
30/03/07 Rediff

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Indian tourists boost SriLankan Airlines

Thiruvananthapuram: The globe-trotting Indian tourists have just achieved a milestone closer home, having upstaged the British as the leading visitors, nationality-wise, to the island nation. The development has turned out to be a boon for SriLankan Airlines, which has established a significant presence in connectivity between India and Sri Lanka in recent years.
Confirming the development of Indian tourists emerging the top travellers to Sri Lanka, SriLankan Airlines manager Samantha Nagahawatte said the development also held potential for promoting tourism packages that would be to the mutual benefit of destinations in India and Sri Lanka.
SriLankan Airlines now operates 95 flights every week out of 10 cities in India, including 13 connecting Thiruvananthapuram, 11 to Kochi and eight to Kozhikode. Mr Nagahawatte said the 100-flights-a-week landmark was just around the corner.
31/03/07 Joe A Scaria/Economic Times

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Malik has not yet served lawsuit, province says

Vancouver: The B.C. government says it has yet to be served a lawsuit launched by Ripudaman Singh Malik over his prosecution in the Air-India case.
Mr. Malik faced several charges, including first-degree murder, in relation to the bombing of Air-India Flight 182, in which 329 people died. But he was acquitted on all counts two years ago this month, after spending more than four years behind bars.
30/03/07 Patrick Brethour/Globe and Mail, Canada

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British Airways announces cheap fares between India and USA

British Airways has announced new cheap fares for flights between India and USA. The company announced a low starting return fare of Rs 36,000 for travel between India and the US.
This scheme has been designed for the upcoming summer season. A company spokesperson said on this new development: “Holidaymakers looking to fly to popular destinations in the US this summer can now book seats on British Airways for fares as low as Rs 36,000 plus taxes.”
The airline company operates 43 flights a week from five Indian cities to London Heathrow. They have also announced a series of new services. They are offering children’s channels like Disney and Cartoon Network, toys, games and even baby-cots on these flights.
They are also promising faster luggage clearance at the airports.
31/03/07 TechWhack

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GAMCO installs satellite TV systems on board Kingfisher Airbus

GAMCO installed the Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS) system on the first Kingfisher aircraft early this year and will complete work on the first batch of the airline's A320s this month.
"This is an industry-first for GAMCO in Asia. Kingfisher is the first airline in Asia and the second in the world to install on-board satellite television on Airbus A320, and all of us in GAMCO are very proud that this was done at our facilities in Abu Dhabi by our engineers and technicians," GAMCO's Chief Executive Officer Saif Al Mughairy said.
In-flight entertainment for passengers has until recently focused on a menu of films, pre-recorded television programs and music. DBS systems enable aircraft to receive signals directly to provide passengers access to a full spectrum of satellite video and audio programming. The system installed on Kingfisher aircraft will enable passengers to receive 16 television channels distributed to each passenger seat via the in-flight entertainment system.
31/03/07 AME Info (press release), United Arab Emirates

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Business class sits well on airlines

Mumbai: Airlines, especially those operating on the European and South East Asian routes say business class seats are being snapped up way ahead of flight departures and they have much higher loads here than the economy.
The trend has prompted airlines like Lufthansa to rip off economy seats on their flights to increase the size of the high-yield business class. Fares on business class are typically three to four times that of economy tickets.
Some airlines like US carrier Delta have done away with the first class to increase the more popular business class.
While the return economy class fares between India and Europe cost between Rs 17,000 to Rs 35,000, the fare for a business class round-trip ticket is in the range or Rs 75,000 to Rs 1.5 lakh, depending on the airline. Business and first class fares also attract a 12.5% service tax, which is not levied on economy class tickets. Yet, most airlines are strengthening their business class products.
30/03/07 Cuckoo Paul/Economic Times

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A-I passengers from Doha asked to rebook

Doha: Consequent to the start of Air-India Express flights from Doha that have completely replaced Air-India operations, all passengers booked and ticketed on Air-India flights are being rebooked on to Air-India Express flights, a release said yesterday.
The Mumbai flights are on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. The Kochi flights are on Sundays (via Kozhikode), Mondays (via Thiruvanathapuram), Wednesdays (Kozhikode) and on Fridays (Kozhikode). The latest addition, Mangalore, will be served on Sundays and Tuesdays.
Since the timings of these new flights are different, all passengers holding Air-India tickets are requested to contact the Air-India office at 4324111/4427747/4418423 or their travel agent in Doha to change their tickets and also note the new timings for departures and report at the airport accordingly.
30/03/07 Peninsula On-line, Qatar

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Flying Eye Hospital lands in city, to conduct surgeries

Mumbai: A hospital that flies across the world to train doctors and conduct difficult eye surgeries has come to Mumbai for the first time for a two week stay.
The ORBIS Flying Eye Hospital (FEH)—part of the global sight saving organisatio—on its 16th India trip will be here till April 10 when they will conduct 45 surgeries in the specially modified aircraft. The inaugural session was held at the Leela on Thursday at the hands of actress Hema Malini.
The DC-10 flying hospital has been operating for over 25 years, earlier through a DC-8 aircraft, was in Delhi in 2004. The aircraft has been modified to have a lecture room, an operation theatre and a recovery room handled by 23 crew members including doctors, nurses and staff. FedEx and Lotus Eye hospital are the other partners of the stay in Mumbai. The FedEx pilots volunteer to fly the aircraft and also offer logistical support.
29/03/07 Mumbai Newsline

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Airports to roll out red carpet to global business execs

New Delhi:The government is planning to develop ground infrastructure at major airports ‘exclusively’ for non-tourists charters and private jets carrying top business executives and CEOs.
The infrastructure may be created in the form of a separate airstrip in airports coupled with small terminals to cater to the charter flights, the official said.
Even movement of private planes of global executives may be allowed, the official said. The government is likely to create such facilities at all the major airports.
With the modernisation of Delhi and Mumbai airports and 35 non-metro airports underway, the government may equip these airports to handle flights of executives travelling to India. Even the greenfield airports at Bangalore and Hyderabad and the upcoming one in Navi Mumbai could have such facilities.
30/03/07 Sunny Verma/Economic Times

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Damas allowed 51% in FDSPL venture

New Delhi: The government has cleared a proposal from Dubai-based Damas for investing 51% in a joint venture with Flemingo International’s Indian arm to set up duty-free jewellery outlets at Indian airports.
Damas Jewellery LLC has set up a JV firm with the Flemingo Duty Free Shop Pvt Ltd (FDSPL) to set up duty-free shops at airports for selling jewellery products and luxury watches. The new JV company, which has been registered under the Indian Companies Act, 1956, is called Flemingo Jewellery India Pvt Ltd.
The Foreign Investment Proposal Board (FIPB) has cleared the Damas-Flemingo joint ventrue, according to official sources. Damas will be selling its gold jewellery brands like harmony and legacy and its diamond brands at major airports. Damas has already been allowed to set up shops at Chennai, Trivandrum and Jaipur international airports. Operations at these airports are expected to begin within a month.
30/03/07 Economic Times

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Mallya desperate to break into UK via Stansted

Stansted Airport is edging closer to unveiling new services to India and China and is aggressively targeting a huge surge in European services that will see it achieve blanket coverage across every major commercial centre.
The airport already serves just over 160 European destinations – in itself stunning penetration of the continent.
Business Weekly understands that dialogue is progressing encouragingly with Indian carriers, including Kingfisher Airlines whose chairman and MD Vijay Mallya is desperate to break into the UK via Stansted.
He is currently fighting antiquated Indian legislation that prohibits start-up airlines flying such distances within five years of birth. He is lobbying for the law to be overturned.
Nick Barton, business development and planning director for the airport, refused to comment on individual airlines but said: “We are very encouraged by progress in our advanced talks with Chinese and Indian airlines. These things don’t convert overnight but we are well aware of demand in these tiger economies and are moving as fast as we can.
“We are aware that we have slots we can fill for incoming aircraft from Asia and the Far East in quiet times and can therefore comfortably accommodate flights from India, China, Malaysia and Dubai among other areas.
“Four major carriers from Asia are talking to us but they have to get their fleets right. The important thing for local business leaders is to know that we are on the case.”
28/03/07 Tony Quested/Business Weekly, UK

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Avaya Global Connect in talks with low-cost carriers

Leading business communication application company Avaya Global Connect, is in talks with low-cost airlines to implement its integrated voice response system, Avaya voice portal, reports Business Standard.
The company, claims that, this automated interactive voice response system will bring down the cost of customer service operations by 15-20%. Avaya GlobalConnect Director (marketing) Amit Mehta, said that the company, was in talks with leading budget carriers for implementing this system, enabling higher automation with lower ownership cost.
The cost of the new system, will be cheaper by one-third against the existing system. The company plans to offer a three-year contract, through a financial subsidiary for implementing the voice portal-based on charging per call.
It is said that, the company`s in talks with country’s second largest carrier and budget carrier Air Deccan, for implementing the integrated operations. Air Deccan spends around Rs 20 million per month on call centre operations.
29/03/07 Myiris.com

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Mihin Lanka takes off

Colombo: The ‘Mihin Lanka’ Airlines commenced its long-awaited air operations when it flew from the Colombo Katunayake International Airport to Bodhgaya in India last Tuesday morning, carrying around 165 passengers.
The A320 type aircraft which left Katunayake in the morning, landed at the Bodhgaya Airport around noon. It returned to Colombo the same evening.
The fully government-owned, limited liability company ‘Mihin Lanka’ Airlines had been a concept and the brainchild of President Mahinda Rajapaksa keeping in line with his ‘Mahinda Chintanaya’, to provide an indigenous, budget airline for the benefit of those Sri Lankans yearning to go on pilgrimage to Bodhgaya, a site considered to be one of the most sacred and holiest locations for Buddhists.
The budget airline will be of special benefit and advantage also to the Sri Lankan expatriate community working in the Middle-East.
29/03/07 Columbo Daily News, Sri Lanka

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GMR DIAL awarded license for Duty Free shops to Alpha - Pantaloon consortium

GMR Infrastructure Ltd has announced that the passengers arriving today at Indira Gandhi International Airport's International Terminal (Terminal 2) were in for a pleasant surprise with the opening of a brand new chain of duty free stores. Alpha Future welcomed customers to its first duty free shops in India offering an unparalleled collection of duty free items. Bigger than ever before - the duty free shops at IGI Airport present passengers with an exciting new duty free shopping experience.
Some of the world's most famous brands have now arrived at the Delhi airport. Earlier, Delhi International Airport (P) Ltd (DIAL) had awarded the Duty Free Shopping Contract for Indira Gandhi International Airport to 'Alpha-Pantaloon Consortium'. The consortium comprises the UK based Alpha Airports Group Plc and Pantaloon Retail (India) Ltd, a Future Group venture. The value of the contract for DIAL is at least Rs 500 crore. The term of the contract is 3.25 years.
28/03/07 Equity Bulls

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Finnair to fly to Mumbai, increase frequency to Delhi

New Delhi: As part of its expansion plans in India, Finnish carrier Finnair is all set to add Mumbai as the second destination and increase frequency to New Delhi to every day of the week.
Finnair, which currently operates three flights from here, will begin its daily flights from mid May. From Mumbai, it will operate five times a week starting June 17.
With Finnair's latest move, India will be connected by 12 flights a week to Finland. The carrier started its India operations in October 2006 and boasts of running the shortest route between India and any EU country, taking barely six-and-a-half hours.
28/03/07 Earthtimes.org

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Blind aviator makes a touchdown in Mumbai

He has walked to the South Pole, climbed the Himalayas, scuba-dived 20 km under the Red Sea, and circumnavigated the world using more than 80 different forms of transport — all in the past four years.
Having accomplished all that, Miles Hilton-Barber now has a new ambition — to fly a microlight aircraft more than halfway around the world from London to Sydney, Australia.
It is only when you meet the adventurer that the full depth of his achievements hits you. Miles lost total vision in both his eyes 20 years ago, and is using a revolutionary speech-output technology to fly his specially customised microlight plane on its 22,500 km journey from London to Sydney.
Mumbai is a stop-over en route, where Barber is scheduled to give motivational speeches to raise part of the $1 million he hopes to raise for his favourite charity, Seeing Is Believing.
The visually-disabled adventurer is accompanied by his co-pilot Richard Meredith-Hardy, a well known pilot who was the first person to fly a microlight from London to Cape Town 20 years ago.
28/03/07 Deepa Suryanarayan/Daily News & Analysis

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Air Canada may fly back to India after getting long-range 777s

Air Canada's strategy to expand its international reach will take flight Saturday as the airline's largest and most efficient aircraft to date makes its maiden flight into Canada, company executives told shareholders yesterday.
The country's biggest carrier believes the 349-seat Boeing 777 will allow it to serve additional international markets.
"We are truly offering a competitive product that is equal to the best in the world and better than anything in North America,'' CEO Montie Brewer said at the Air Canada's first annual meeting since its public offering of stock last fall.
The two-engine plane replaces the smaller Airbus 340s that have four engines.
Brewer said Air Canada will wait until it receives the new long-range 777s in 2009-2010 before deciding whether to return to the competitive market in India.
"We're out of that market until then," he said. "India is a very important market and we'll probably be back at some point in time.''
28/03/07 Ross Marowits/CP/Winnipeg Sun, Canada

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Indian Airlines flies more passengers in 2005-06

Indian Airlines in Doha flew more passengers in 2005-06, compared to the previous year, a top airline official has said.
The seat occupancy was 98%, up from 82% in 2004-05. Out of a seat quota of 62, an average of 61 passengers travelled from Doha to either Kozhikode or Kochi by the carrier every day, said Pankaj Srivastava, Indian Airlines regional manager based in Dubai.
The airline carried 45,000 passengers in 2005-06 as compared to 38,000 in the previous year, an increase of 19%, on the India-Doha-India route.
Srivastava was in Doha to attend the annual agents’ awards meeting on Monday.
The carrier shares its daily service to the two Kerala cities with Bahrain.
Indian Airlines would operate daily flights from Mumbai to Muscat from April 2. The airline used 45% of its capacity on international routes.
28/03/07 Gulf Times, Qatar

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Kingfisher to set up airline in US

New Delhi: Domestic private carrier Kingfisher Airlines, impatient to launch international services, will in the next six to eight weeks apply for launching an airline in the US that would enable it operate flights into India.
"Our detailed application is being compiled by our attorneys and it will be submitted in the next six to eight weeks," Kingfisher Airlines chief Vijay Mallya told reporters when asked about the status of his plans.
"Thereafter, it will take another six months to get the necessary clearances for launching the airline," he said.
Mallya said the domestic airline, which has ordered Airbus A340-500 aircraft among others, planned to start long-haul international operations after this wide-bodied plane is inducted. "It will be delivered to us in a year from now," he added.
Asked about Kingfisher operating on international routes from India, the liquor baron said: "We still continue to request the government to relax the five-year rule".
Under the present rules, a domestic airline can launch global operations only if it has a fleet of 20 aircraft and has put in five years of operations within India.
27/03/07 Chennai Online

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International air fares to rise 25% this summer

Mumbai: International fares are expected to increase by 20 to 25 per cent for the peak summer season (May to July), over last summer. They had witnessed an increase of 10 per cent and 5 per cent in 2006 and 2005, respectively.
Limited capacity addition this year despite burgeoning growth in international travel, easier visa norms for Europe and the US and huge cancellation charges have all led to an unprecedented seat shortage and an increase in ticket prices.
For instance, a British Airways business class return ticket for Mumbai-London will cost Rs 2.2 lakh (plus 12.24 per cent service tax), against just Rs 1.8 lakh last summer.
A first class return ticket on the same airline would come for Rs 2.8 lakh, against Rs 2.4 lakh last summer. Similarly, on an average, an economy class ticket on Air India for Mumbai-New York is for Rs 50,000 (including taxes), compared with Rs 42,000 last summer.
Even tickets for the traditional low-cost destinations in south-east Asia are getting expensive. A return ticket on Singapore Airlines for Mumbai-Singapore is available for Rs 21,000, against Rs 17,000 last summer.
28/03/07 P R Sanjai/Business Standard

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Sri Lankan Airlines reschedules flights; Flights diverted to Chennai

Colombo: Sri Lanka's national carrier yesterday urged travellers to check on rescheduled flights before heading to the island's only international airport after a rebel air raid forced it to shut down briefly.
Sri Lankan Airlines said that many incoming and outbound flights had been rescheduled following the Tamil Tiger raid on a military airbase adjacent to the civilian facility, which left three airmen dead and 16 others wounded.
"The Colombo BIA Airport re-opened to all traffic at 3:30 am (2200 GMT). All Sri Lankan Airlines aircraft and passengers and staff remain unharmed," the flag carrier said in a statement.
Officials said at least four inbound flights were diverted to neighbouring India's southern city of Chennai.
Sri Lanka's foreign ministry spokesman Ravinatha Aryasinha said operations at the airport were not affected by the Tiger raid.
"There is no damage to the international airport or the runway," Aryasinha said. "Flights were suspended only as a precautionary measure."
27/03/07 Peninsula On-line, Qatar

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Colombo airport not hit by attack: Lankan Ambassador

The situation at the Colombo Bandaranaike International Airport is normal, said the Sri Lankan Ambassador to Qatar, S B Atugoda. The envoy was speaking after a rebel attack on Sri Lanka’s main military airbase yesterday morning.
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels targeted the air force base at Katunayake and the airport was closed for two hours as a precautionary measure. The attack had no effect on the passenger traffic at the civilian airport, the ambassador said.
After the brief closure, arrivals and departures at the airport resumed as usual, the ambassador said. SriLankan Airlines manager in Qatar, Lakshman Weerasooriya, said the airline’s flight from Doha to Colombo too operated as usual.
Tourist traffic to Sri Lanka will not be affected by “this dastardly act of the terrorists on a security installation, which is away from the civil passenger terminals of the airport”, the envoy said.
However, the Sri Lanka Tourist Board yesterday set up a hotline to assist tour companies, hotels, tourists and other passengers. The board can be contacted in Colombo on telephone nos 2437759 or 2437061, operational throughout the day, Atugoda said.
27/03/07 Gulf Times, Qatar

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Air India Express to continue Sri Lanka service despite airbase attack

Indian budget carrier Air India Express (AIE), which started operations to Sri Lanka Sunday, will continue its Colombo-Chennai run, and look to add frequencies from Delhi and Mumbai later this year, officials said.
"Our morning flight arrived with a full load and left with a full load," Kishani Ganegoda, Director of Millenium Transport, a Hayleys group company that is the general sales agent to the airline told LBO.
"The airline is very positive and would continue to fly. There was only a slight delay toady because lots of aircraft were diverted to Chennai."
Arriving flights to Colombo were diverted to Chennai with the Bandaranaike International Airport being close till 3.30 am following a Tamil Tiger air raid at 12.45 am. Air India Express is looking to break the price barrier in the lucrative Colombo – Chennai run offering tickets at 12,000 rupees compared to 17,000 rupees to 20,000 rupees for a full service airline.
Cathay Pacific suspended services to Colombo Monday after the attack on the Katunayake Air Force Base.
A number of international airlines suspended services to Sri Lanka in the wake of a 2001 attack by Tamil Tigers on the airport due to declining tourist numbers and prohibitive insurance charges.
26/03/07 Lanka Business Online

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People not happy with Air India Express fares

Manama: Air India Express, a budget airline with all economy class seats, may reduce fares further between Bahrain and its India destinations from the beginning of April.
Air India Express launched its low-cost service on Sunday with the inaugural flight coming from Mangalore via Doha and returning the same way.
When asked by Khaleej Times to comment on why only about 20 per cent reduction on the previous normal fares of Air India for the same destinations compared with full on-board service other airlines are offering, he agreed that a lot of passengers were very upset with the fares we are currently charging because they expected them to be much lower than the other competing airlines that are offering full on-board service.
He said many had come to our booking office here, but left without booking, expressing their dismay. “We have brought this reaction to the attention of the Head Office,” he said.
“If they consider this issue and reduce fares further, it could be from April 1, but it all depends on their decision,” he said.
Air India, which had its strong presence in Bahrain since 1960, will no more be there with the introduction of Air India Express.
But on the price front, in general, many people have pointed out to us that they found Air India Express fares are comparatively higher than some other airlines that offer full on-board service.
27/03/07 Hemu Gorde/Khaleej Times, United Arab Emirates

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Qatar Airways launches two new destinations

The latest moves in Qatar Airways' huge expansion across Asia and the Indian sub-continent is on the roll with flights taking off from its base in Doha, capital of the State of Qatar, to Chennai (formerly known as Madras) and the tropical island of Bali.
Qatar Airways already serves five cities across India - Delhi, Mumbai, Cochin, Trivandrum and Hyderabad - and the Indonesian capital Jakarta, so the new destinations will strengthen the airline's operations in both countries.
Passenger demand for both routes is expected to be significant, according to Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer, Akbar Al Baker.
On the Chennai route, Qatar Airways operates daily flights using an Airbus A321 with a 12 Business Class and 132 Economy Class seat configuration.
27/03/07 AME Info (press release), United Arab Emirates

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Qatar-based company leads airline joint venture in Bahrain

Bahrain's second charter airline company was officially launched on Sunday with company officials sighting that they could take to the skies as early as April.
Rizon Jet, which was set up with an authorised capital of 30 million dollars and a paid-up capital of 10 million dollars, also plans to raise an additional 100 million dollars in the next two weeks to finance increasing its fleet size, officials said.
The total value of the initial aircraft will be 52 million dollars.
The airline aims to attract frequently-flying, high-profile, businessmen and company executives to meet the increasing demand for corporate aircraft charter within the Middle East, with a particular focus on the Gulf.
Rizon Jet aims to expand by November with operations for the Indian subcontinent and southern Europe with the arrival of longer-range airplanes.
The company also plans at a later stage to build a 6 million US dollar maintenance center to service private jets from the Gulf, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), and the Indian subcontinent.
25/03/07 Mazen Mahdi/DPA/Playfuls.com

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New visa issuing system for Lankans travelling to India

Colombo: Sri Lankans travelling to India need no longer go to the Indian High Commission in Colombo to collect their visas as the High Commission has decided to allow the respective travel agents to collect the visas on behalf of their clients.
Indian High Commissioner Alok Prasad disclosed the new programme participating at a ceremony held in Colombo to welcome the Air India Express Flight.
This new system of issuing visas to the Sri Lankans travelling to India will come into effect from today, the High Commissioner announced.
According to the High Commissioner, the agents could collect the necessary visas of their clients.
26/03/07 Shirajiv Sirimane/Columbo Daily News, Sri Lanka

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Govt rejects visa on arrival proposal

New Delhi: Saying that the ''security situation in the country is not conducive for it'', the Union Home Ministry has rejected the Tourism Ministry's proposal to give 'visa on arrival' to foreign tourists, Union Tourism Secretary A K Misra said on Sunday.
The Tourism Ministry had proposed that the country could initially give 'visa on arrival' to the tourists of about 15 countries and at two entry points of Mumbai and Delhi International Airports, said Misra while giving the valedictory address to the Kerala Health Tourism 2007 (KHT2007) meet at Kochi.
''The Home Ministry has not agreed to our proposal. But, we will still persevere,'' as quoted by UNI, Misra said.
25/03/07 CNN-IBN

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A380s wanna fly here - are the airports ready?

Along with Lufthansa, atleast three airline companies are attempting to bring the A380 planes to India. But these companies are still waiting for the infrastructure to be built, and only then will they be able to finalise their plans in India and in the route proving issue.
The A380 plane painted in the Lufthansa colours will only be available to customers/ flyers after 2009 but the preparations to bring this plane to India are in full swing. German airlines have ordered 15 of these huge birds and are planning to bring them to India.
Orders for over 150 such palatial planes have been placed, by companies like Virgin and Emirates who like Lufthansa, have expressed their intent to bring these planes to India. Now the wait begins - for Mumbai and Delhi's international airports to beef up infrastructure so they can operate these double decker planes. These planes can carry a minimum of 500 passengers at once, but if all seats were to be made only economy class, that number could go upto 800 passengers.
26/03/07 Shishir Sinha/ Moneycontrol.com

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From plane to jail, inmate’s chaos continues

Kolkata: The Barrackpur sub-jail authorities are spending sleepless nights, thanks to the latest inmate, Febles Ortiz Edwardo Antonio, the Mexican who recently sent an Indian Airlines flight into tizzy mid-air after declaring that he would blow up the plane.
Be it food, accommodation or language, the jail staff are having a tough time controlling the hot-headed inmate.
Antonio’s bail plea was rejected and he was remanded in jail custody on March 22 by the Barrackpore SDJM court.
Now, at the Barrackpore sub-jail, the man has raised a ruckus in ward number 3, where he has been kept with other undertrial prisoners. Jail officials say the first few nights he refused to have the food given to him and demanded special food which was refused by the authorities. He complained of bad food and created a scene after which the jail authorities and the warders on duty rushed to calm him down. He also got involved in fisticuffs with other inmates, and the warders had a hard time controlling the man.
25/03/07 Ravik Bhattacharya/Kolkata Newsline

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Air India Express in debut flight to Bahrain

Budget airline Air India Express made its first flight into Bahrain yesterday.
It is a subsidiary of Air India, which has been operating seven flights a week to Bahrain.
Air India Express takes over the Bahrain route from Air India and will operate 11 flights a week, with all-economy seats.
A Civil Aviation Affairs (CAA) delegation, headed by Assistant Under-Secretary for Aviation Services Ahmed Nemat Ali, welcomed the first flight.
The inaugural flight was from Mangalore, in southern India and was the first flight to land in Bahrain from the region.
Under the new operational pattern, there will be four flights to Mumbai, five flights to Kerala (four to Cochin , three to Calicut, and one to Trivandrum), and two to Mangalore, said Mr Debesh.
Air India's current fleet of A310s has been replaced by Air India Express' new Boeing 737-800 .
26/03/07 Soman Baby/Gulf Daily News, Bahrain

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Air India Express to begin Dubai-Trichy service

Dubai: Air India Express (AIE), the low-cost arm of India's national carrier, will now fly to Tiruchirapalli (Trichy) from Dubai International Airport.
Trichy will be the airline's 10th destination from Dubai, and it is the first time Trichy is being connected to Dubai with a direct non-stop flight.
The flight will start operating from tomorrow. There will also be flights on Wednesdays and Fridays. From Trichy the flight will proceed to Chennai on all three days.
The flight from Dubai to Trichy and Chennai will leave Dubai International Airport (Terminal 2) at 5.20pm and land at Trichy at 10.55pm.
It will leave an hour later and arrive at Chennai at 1.05am.
The return flight will depart Chennai at 11.40am and arrive at Trichy at 12.50pm. It will then take-off at 1.30pm and arrive in Dubai (Terminal 2) at 4.20pm.
26/03/07 Gulf News, United Arab Emirates

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Finnair to add Mumbai as its new route

New Delhi: As part of its strategy to focus on Asian countries including India, Finnish carrier Finnair on Sunday said it would launch a new service to Mumbai on June 17 and increase the frequency of flights to the national capital.
Mumbai is a completely new destination to be launched, with five days a week service, Finnair said in a statement.
Moreover, in mid-May the current three-weekly frequency for flights to national capital will be increased to daily.
"Mumbai was chosen as a new long-haul destination because of great demand and in response to requests from Finnish and Indian customers," Petteri Kostermaa, responsible for scheduled route strategy at Finnair, said.
Noting that Mumbai was India's centre of business and logistics, Kostermaa said there is big potential for tourist traffic to Europe as country's most affluent people live in the area.
25/03/07 PTI/The Hindu

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Bahrain-India route: Indian hits new high

Manama: Indian (formerly Indian Airlines) carried more than 45,000 passengers between Bahrain and points in India last year, it was revealed yesterday.
"This is in comparison to around 41,000 the previous year," said Bahrain area manager Niranjan Kumar.
"We also achieved a seat factor of 99 per cent last year, compared with 83pc in 2005.
"This also translated to Indian carrying an average of 62 passengers per day last year compared with 56 passengers per day the previous year."
He said the outgoing passengers from Bahrain also registered an increase, with 22,515 passengers travelling between Bahrain and points in India, a growth of 10pc over the 2005 figure of 20,264 passengers.
Mr Kumar said this was managed by the airline in spite of stiff competition from other carriers who have since increased their operations between Bahrain and points in India.
25/03/07 Mandeep Singh/Gulf Daily News, Bahrain

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Hawaiian Airlines to shift IT & accounting jobs to India

Honolulu, Hawaii : In order to cut costs, Hawaiian Airlines is moving much of its reservation call center abroad -- eliminating as many as 250 Hawaiian jobs.
Beginning April 15, the Hawaiian Airlines reservationists will likely be in the Philippines. The airline said that it's nothing uncommon.
Hawaiian Airlines is also shifting its information technology and accounting jobs to India to reduce costs.
"The bottom line is that we have to remain competitive," said Wagner.
In a plan that the airline called "groundbreaking," the union that represents the airline workers said it agreed to the outsourcing on the basis that Hawaiian Airlines guarantees its employees a job within the company and at the same pay.
24/03/07 Hawaii Channel.com, Hawaii

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Summons to Air France

Chennai: The Customs and Immigration Department has sent summons to officials of Air France for allegedly allowing two Indian passengers to board the plane without obtaining due immigration check at Chennai airport.
It is also said the two had reportedly boarded the flight to Paris via London yesterday using the fake immigration seal from here. The flight departed before they could be asked to disembark.
However, sources said Immigration officials had informed the airlines. The two passengers would be deported to Chennai soon and would be handed over either to the Customs or Immigration officials.
It is learnt that the two were travelling in the names of Ahmed Mahrof Amin and Kiran Kumar who were holders of original passports.
Meanwhile summons had been sent to Air France manager, pilot and air hostess who were on duty during the incident.
24/03/07 News Today

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Indian maid not to be sent to the Gulf

Mumbai: An Indian working as a housemaid in Riyadh, who had flown to Mumbai for treatment, was arrested by the immigration authorities earlier this week for travelling on a fake passport. And in a bizarre turn of events, the immigration officials here wanted to deport her to Riyadh.
She was made to spend two nights at the airport transit area after which she was placed in the custody of the Sahar police. Human rights activists argued that she had returned to the country in a traumatised condition for medical treatment and the authorities had no right to deport her.
Airport authorities told TOI that the housemaid was found to be carrying a passport with a false name-Kalayathil Haseena. Immigration authorities in Mumbai had sent a deportation notice to Air India, asking for her to be sent back to Riyadh, as her nationality had not been ascertained yet.
However, documents produced by her relatives in Mumbai showed she was from Nilambur in Kerala and her real name was Shobha Balakrishna. Since she is an Indian national, the immigration authorities have decided not to deport her for the moment and she will be tried in India instead.
25/03/07 Times of India

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Four Cyprus nationals detained for using forged passports

Vasco: The CID/Immigration Cell at Dabolim Airport (Goa) detained four Cyprus national youths while travelling to Manchester by Monarch Airlines flight with forged passport this morning.
According to information from Vasco police inspector, Mr Sammy Tavares, four youth - Cieslak Piotr Grezegorz (29), Kotendros Alexander (21), Menzynski Jacek Pawel (33) and Menzynski Jasen Peter (26) had obtained passports issued by the department of immigration and naturalisation, Muhaceret Hizmetler, Nicosia and were about to be cleared by the CID/immigration check up duty on the departure side.
However, four of them were detained with the alleged forged passport wherein the CID/immigration cell at Dabolim Airport (Goa), police inspector, Ms Terezinha D’Souza noticed that all the four passports had a counterfeit bio page, the security numbers on bio pages were also not correct, the page 31 and 32 contained darker print and counterfeit UV features when observed under UVlight, besides one among four passport had hand cut photo-edges and also damage was evident around the photo.
24/03/07 Navhind Times, India

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Kanishka probe may get secret papers

Toronto: The inquiry into the 1985 Air India bombing that killed 329 people may now gain access to secret Canadian documents that are crucial to the proceedings when the probe resumes next month.
Justice John Major, head of the commission that is conducting the inquiry was briefed by counsel Mark Freiman about the progress made in getting the government to produce the documents, the commission said in a release yesterday.
"Freiman is confident that the necessary evidence will be available to begin stage two of the Inquiry," the release said.
In February, Major threatened to shut down the inquiry unless a dispute about how much evidence will be made public by the government was resolved. He called for a progress report on the matter on March 26.
24/03/07 Chennai Online

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Doha-Bahrain-Mangalore flight from today

Mangalore: Air India Express, the low-cost airline of Air India, will start its Doha-Bahrain-Mangalore and Mangalore-Doha-Bahrain flight service from today. This will be the third international flight from Mangalore to West Asia.
The airline operates one service each from here to Dubai and Abu Dhabi-Muscat.
The Doha-Bahrain-Mangalore inaugural flight, Boeing 737, will arrive at the Bajpe (Mangalore) airport of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) at 9.50 p.m. and depart at 10.50 p.m.
According to official sources in the airport, the service will operate on Tuesdays and Sundays.
From next Tuesday the flight will arrive at 11 p.m. and depart at 11.59 p.m., the sources said, adding that this would be its regular schedule.
The sources said that the schedule of Mangalore-Dubai service would change from Monday.
The flight will arrive here at 7.10 p.m. and depart at 8.10 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. There will be no service on Sundays and Tuesdays.
25/03/07 Bhatkallys

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Jet to launch US flight by July-August

New Delhi: After a 15-month delay and getting stuck in a security probe, the country's top private airline 'Jet Airways' will launch its long-planned maiden flight to the US by July-August this year.
The Mumbai-Brussels-Newark flight was slotted for take-off on August 15, but efforts are now being made to advance the launch date, highly-placed sources said here on Friday.
Jet's American operations was originally scheduled in October 2005, but it hit a snag following an inquiry by US Department of Transportation. The probe was carried out after an American company, also named Jet, alleged that its Indian namesake had underworld links.
The charges were investigated and subsequently found to be untrue.
The flight, to be operated by a Boeing-777 aircraft with a three-class configuration, may have an inaugural offer for an economy class return ticket at Rs 45,000 plus taxes.
24/03/07 PTI/The Hindu

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Etihad to expand services to India

Dubai: Etihad Airways, the UAE's national airline, is set to expand its services to India with the launch of two new routes from Abu Dhabi to Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi in the southern Indian state of Kerala.
The new cities will double Etihad's destinations in India to four, joining highly successful services to the commercial capital Mumbai and national capital New Delhi.
Flights from Abu Dhabi to Thiruvananthapuram will begin on May 31, 2007 and to Kochi on June 3, 2007.
Etihad will also increase the frequency on its Abu Dhabi to New Delhi route from three flights-per-week to a daily service at the beginning of June 2007, which will see the total number of Etihad flights to India each week rise from 10 to 21.
Etihad will operate the Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi services three and four times-per-week respectively and both routes are expected to increase to daily flights from October 2007.
Etihad will operate a three cabin Airbus A340-500 aircraft on the new
24/03/07 Khaleej Times, UAE

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Haggling over secret documents delays Air India hearings – again

Ottawa: The much-delayed Air India inquiry has put off hearings once again due to legal wrangling over secret documents.
The inquiry won't resume until April 30 as lawyers continue to sort out how much of the evidence can be made public.
Spokesman Michael Tansey says the inquiry's chief counsel remains confident that the necessary evidence will be available for the commission to carry on with its work.
Former Supreme Court justice John Major, the head of the inquiry, threatened last month to shut down proceedings unless federal officials relented in their claims that key documents must be censored for national security reasons.
Mr. Major said the claims at that time were so excessive they would make the public paper trail meaningless for anyone trying to follow the investigation.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper responded by telling his national security adviser, Margaret Bloodworth, to instruct lower-level officials to adopt a less restrictive approach.
Freiman and government lawyers have said since then they are making progress.
24/03/07 Canadian Press/Globe and Mail, Canada

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Victory of accused in Air India crash lawsuit slim: experts

The chances of success of Ripudaman Singh Malik, one of the two Sikhs acquitted in the 1985 Air India jumbo jet crash case, in his suits against the Canadian government as well as that of British Columbia for malicious prosecution are extremely low, experts said.
Singh, a Vancouver-based wealthy textile businessman, has sued the governments seeking unspecified monetary compensation.
'It's possible, but it requires not just that you were tried and found not guilty and suffered damages,' Janine Benedet, a professor of criminal law at the University of British Columbia, was quoted as saying by the Globe and Mail newspaper.
Singh and co-accused Ajaib Singh Bagri were arrested in October 2000, 15 years after Air India flight 182 crashed off the coast of Ireland, killing all 329 passengers and crew. He spent approximately four years in jail and millions of dollars defending himself in the case.
Anthony Sheppard, who teaches at a law school here, said the critical issue in a lawsuit of this type is whether the prosecution was based on malice. Did the prosecution proceed with the case blindly, knowing it to be futile from the start?
'The standard for a conviction in a criminal case is proof beyond a reasonable doubt. The prosecutor could have a valid basis to believe that a person should be charged, even though the court says the evidence was not sufficient,' Sheppard said.
23/03/07 India eNews.com

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More IA flights to Kathmandu

Kolkata: From Sunday, March 25, the Indian Airlines is going to increase the frequency of its flights between Kolkata and Kathmandu to six from the existing four per week.
There will be no flight only on Friday, said the Indian Airlines sources in Kolkata on Friday.
They said that the Airbus A320 flight IC747 will operate on other days of the week, which will leave Kolkata at 1.50 pm and will land at Kathmandu at 3 pm. On the other hand, flight IC 748 will leave Kathmandu at 3.40 pm (Kathmandu time) and arrive at Kolkata at 4.50 pm (Indian time).
Also, between Kolkata and Jaipur/ Ahmedabad, an Airbus A 319 flight IC 267 would operate on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays on the Kolkata-Jaipur-Ahmedabad-Kolkata route leaving Kolkata at 3.45 pm.
23/03/07 Kolkata Newsline

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Israel seeks Indian investments in transportation sector

New Delhi: Seeking to expand its robust ties in defence sector to other fields, Israel has sought large Indian investments in its infrastructure and transportation sectors, saying this would greatly contribute to its economy.
“We have very good relations in the military and defence industries’ sphere. We need to enhance this with your investments in our infrastructure and transportation sectors,” Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Shaul Mofaz, a retired lieutenant general, said during an interactive session organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) here.
During his visit, Mofaz met External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Railway Minister Lalu Prasad, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel and Road Transport and Highways Minister T.R. Baalu.
Baghdad via Jordan for exports aimed at Europe and other destinations and vice versa.
“Investing in ports on a BOT (build, operate, transfer) basis is an option Indian companies should look at,” he added.
24/03/07 IANS/Gulf Times, Qata

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No chance of waking up next to corpse, say TAP

Following the fracas caused by a passenger dying on a British Airways long-haul flight, national Portuguese airline TAP has said its flight attendants have all been trained under a pre-determined protocol in the event of an in-flight passenger death.
TAP flight crew are trained to immediately create in area of isolation around a passenger, should they die during a flight, a TAP spokesperson explained this week.
The interest in the Portuguese airlines procedure was sparked following the issuing of an apology to first-class passengers on a flight between Delhi and London, who were awoken to find that they had been joined by an elderly lady that had died in economy class after take-off in India.
According to TAP, their procedures under similar circumstances are case-dependant, though certain rules are always followed when a passenger dies.
When there is a death on board, we always attempt to preserve other passengers which entails the creation of an area of isolation around the deceased, TAP explained in a statement.
TAP officials also said they could not recall a case similar to the BA incident having occurred on any of its flights, though admitted to a number of people having died in the past on TAP flights.
24/03/07 Portugal News, Portugal

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Two Indians travel on fake passports

Chennai: Immigration authorities in Chennai say two Indian nationals boarded an Air France flight to Paris using fake seals and they would be detained in Paris.
They took the flight at Kamaraj International airport with fake seals of the Chennai Immigration Department.
Officials said the duo travelled on fake passports issued to two other persons - one in Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu and one in Vishakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh.
The two had traveled in the names of Ahmad Maroof Ahmad Amin from Thanjavur and Kiran Kumar from Vishakapatnam.
"The duo boarded the flight using fake seals of the Chennai Immigration department. This was quickly detected and we informed the flight crew about the duo having used fake immigration seals. They will be detained on arrival at Paris," Avi Prakash, immigration officer said.
Since they gave the slip to immigration officials, details of their travel documents were not available. But the airline staff provided the names and passport numbers, he said.
23/03/07 Press Trust of India/NDTV.com

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Colombo to host Amadeus regional conference

Amadeus one of the leading aviation and travel booking systems is hoping to hold their regional conference in Sri Lanka the Head of Corporate Communications, Amedeus India, Karun Budhraja said.
There would be over 200 participants and their spouses for this three day event,” he said. Sri Lanka will be using e tickets by the end of 2007 and this would help the airlines to save nearly US $ 7 per ticket. He said that this would also help 15 percent of their costs to low cost airlines.
Amadeus in India has always been at the forefront of travel technology providing the very best in this field.
The new genre of online travel is fast sweeping the nation and Amadeus is right there in the leadership slot empowering all major players who at present account for almost 65% of total online travel in India.
24/03/07 Shirajiv Sirimane/Columbo Daily News, Sri Lanka

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Wipro, IATA Team up on the e-freight Initiative

Bangalore: Wipro Technologies, the global IT services business of Wipro Limited , today announced a strategic partnership with International Air Transport Association (IATA) for its e-freight initiative.
IATA's long-term vision is to free air cargo industry processes of paper. Currently, an average shipment travels with up to 38 documents that are exchanged between various parties, including shippers, airlines, freight forwarders, handling agents, import/export brokers and customs.
The IATA e-freight programme forms part of its strategic "Simplifying the Business" initiative, with the association committed to lead and support e-freight implementation for the air cargo industry. It also aims to align stakeholders to common goals and standards in order to facilitate the delivery of e-freight solutions.
23/03/07 TMC Net, US

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Telvent to enhance runway safety at eight airports in India

Madrid: The Global RealTime IT Company, today announced details of three navigational aid systems it is currently deploying to enhance safety at eight airports in India, including the Mumbai and Delhi international airports.
This project, awarded to Telvent by the Indian Meteorological Department and scheduled for completion in the first quarter of 2008, is valued at approximately EUR 1.6 million. The systems are part of an extensive upgrading of the meteorological systems used at Indian airports in response to the growth and rapid development the aviation market is experiencing worldwide.
The project consists of the integrated implementation of three fully complementary systems that provide pilots with critical information on runway weather and aeronautical conditions to make take-off and landing operations safer. The first system uses equipment installed in the area to capture data on runway meteorological conditions, such as ground temperature and humidity, wind speed and pressure. These data are processed and transmitted constantly to control centers, allowing decisions to be taken concerning aircraft operations. The second system provides direct information to pilots on meteorological conditions through auditory alerts in the aircraft. The third system provides pilots with information on runway visibility, translating the number of runway lights the pilot can see at the time into meters of visibility. By using critical meteorological data from all three systems, the pilot has greater safety in making take-off and landing decisions.
22/03/07 Primenewswire (press release), US

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Kingfisher Airlines Acquires Airlogica's Zeus Product

Kingfisher Airlines has signed a contract with Airlogica to purchase Zeus, a product used by many airlines to monitor and control Global Distribution Systems charges.
Kingfisher Airlines' Manoj Chacko , GM Global Sales, Distribution and Network Planning stated: "Zeus will enable us to continue to focus on controlling and reducing our overall distribution costs. We acquired Zeus because the level of flexibility and functionality makes it the leading product of its kind."
The Kingfisher Airlines' team of Pravin Lagate and Gillian Dsouza will work with Arpana Murudkar to analyze the GDS Billing Information Data Transfer (BIDT) and ensure Kingfisher Airlines' distribution costs remain as low as possible.
22/03/07 PR Web (press release), US

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‘There are explosives under my seat’ he told the flight crew

Kolkata: Panic gripped the NSC Bose International airport today after a Mexican passenger abroad the Delhi-bound Indian Airlines flight from Bangkok threatened that he was carrying a bomb.
Febles Ortiz Eduwardo Antonio, allegedly inebriated, had started with lewd comments to an airhostess, to which a co-passenger had objected.
Antonio promptly beat him up, at which, the cabin crew got involved trying to pacify him. The pilot asked for a medical emergency for both passengers. It was then, that Antonio threatened to blow up the plane, triggering off a security alert.
The pilot declared full emergency and asked the Kolkata air control for permission for emergency landing.The aircraft IC 854-82 landed at 3.20 pm. Passengers were whisked out and a thorough check-up of the hand baggages ensued.There were 82 passengers on board, said airport officials.
The bomb disposal squad of the Central Investigation Department (CID) also rushed to the spot and checked the vacated aircraft.
But no explosive or weapon was found.
Antonio was arrested and handed over to the West Bengal police. He was taken to the airport police station and is scheduled to be produced to court tommorow.
The aircraft left the NSC Bose airport at 6.05 pm for Delhi, after security forces gave a green signal.
21/03/07 Kolkata Newsline

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Qantas ejection of Sikh youth makes pre-flight security pointless

The ejection of a turban-wearing Indian from a Qantas flight out of Queenstown for security reasons is more than just an affront to the man and his fellow Sikhs.
It’s a big fat vote of no confidence by Qantas in Queenstown Airport’s pre-flight security checks.
Harminder Singh Mavi, the 20-year-old Sikh who was three weeks into his first job at Queenstown’s Copthorne Hotel, went through exactly the same pre-flight checks as the rest of the passengers.
The only difference, it seems, was he used the aircraft loo before the flight took off.
He says he was in there five minutes maximum. Another passenger, who prefers to remain anonymous, agrees with that time and says the front door of the plane was still open.
Glenorchy Air’s chief pilot Robert Rutherford – another passenger – estimates it was more like seven or eight minutes but says he’d have done the same as Qantas: kicked Mavi off.
Rutherford argues his decision would have had nothing to do with race, but the fact he felt the weather was closing in and the plane needed to leave sooner rather than later.
Irrespective of all this quibble over how long Mavi spent in the can taking a leak and adjusting his turban, Qantas says it kicked Mavi off for behaviour that “concerned our staff”.
Mavi himself says passengers were talking about how “uncomfortable” they felt with him on board.
So what’s the point of spending all the money on security technology and putting passengers through the rigmarole of security procedures and removing pocket knives, knitting needles and bottles of perfume when obviously no one trusts the process anyway – not the passengers, the airline staff, nor the captain.
If they did trust Queenstown Airport security procedures, there would have been no reason to kick Mavi off the plane.
22/03/07 Ryan Keen/Scene

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Jet Airways to fly to New York this summer

Chennai: Jet Airways will start its long-planned flights to New York this summer, via Brussels.
"It's likely to come by the end of July, early August," according to Nandini Verma, vice-president of public relations at Jet.
The daily flights will initially be from Mumbai, and later from New Delhi too, she said.
Jet Airways will be the first Indian private carrier to fly to the U.S. This will also provide a direct air link between India and Belgium. Now travellers from India to Belgium have to take connecting flights from cities such as Paris, Frankfurt or Amsterdam. Jet had planned this route over two years ago, but the move was stalled owing to legal problems in the U.S.
The Brussels Airport is also in talks with Jet and other Indian carriers to begin cargo operations between India and Belgium. A trade and investment delegation from Flanders, the Dutch-speaking northern region of Belgium, met with air cargo operators in Chennai on Wednesday to discuss possibilities of collaboration.
22/03/07 Priscilla Jebaraj/The Hindu

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Aviation Week award for Capt. Gopinath

Washington: Aviation Week has named Dr. Edward C. Stone, David Morrisroe Professor of Physics and Vice Provost for Special Projects, California Institute of Technology (Caltech), the winner of the Philip J. Klass Award for Lifetime Achievement at the 50th annual Laureate Awards. Other winners of the Laureate Awards, which recognize outstanding achievements in aviation, aerospace and defense, included:
* Aeronautics/Propulsion: Mark Lewis, Chief Scientist, U.S. Air Force
* Business/General Aviation: Robert Agostino, Director of Flight Operations, Bombardier Business Aircraft
* Commercial Air Transport: Capt. G.R. Gopinath, (Ret.), Managing Director, Air Deccan
* IT/Electronics: Lt. Gen. Walter E. Buchanan III, (Ret.), U.S. Air Force
* Military: Rear Admiral Guiseppe De Giorgi, Commander, Italian Maritime Forces
* Operations: Team of AC-130 Gunship Operations - Lt. Col. Ted Fordyce, Commander, 16th Expeditionary Special Operations Squadron, U.S. Air Force; Lt. Col. Robert Monroe, Commander, 4th Expeditionary Special Operations Squadron, U.S. Air Force
* Space: Stardust Comet Sample Return Mission Team - Don Brownlee, Stardust Principal Investigator, Department of Astronomy, University of Washington; Tom Duxbury, Stardust Project Manager, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory; Peter Tsou, Stardust Deputy Project Investigator, NASA Jet
Propulsion Laboratory; Joseph Vellinga, Stardust Program Manager, Lockheed Martin Space Systems Co.
21/03/07 PR Newswire (press release), US

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Air France Appoints Elephant Advertising & Events

New York: Elephant Advertising & Events, a wholly owned subsidiary of CineMaya Media Group, Inc. has been appointed by Air France to help the airline effectively communicate its message and reach the Indian-American community through events and sponsorships across the United States.
"We are pleased that Elephant Advertising and Events will be a part of our events team. Their knowledge of the Indian community and grassroots efforts will help Air France reach this important market segment," said Mr. Marie-Joseph Malé, vice president and general manager U.S.A. Air France. "India is a strategic market for Air France."
Passengers can conveniently travel from Air France's U.S. gateways in New York, Newark, Boston, Washington-Dulles, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Miami, Houston, Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, San Francisco and, beginning June 11, 2007, Seattle to Paris. Via Paris, passengers can travel on 24 weekly flights to Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Bangalore.
21/03/07 SYS-CON Media, US

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Indian firm eyeing Changi Airport staff

Headhunters scouting for airport talent are eyeing staff at Singapore's Changi in hopes of luring qualified people to fill key positions in India, media reports said Wednesday.
Infrastructure giant GMR Group, leading the consortia tasked with building and running new airports in New Delhi and Hyderabad, has hired a recruitment firm in the city-state to fill 15 key positions in airport management, operations and ground handling, according to The Straits Times.
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UAE’s ADCB finances India airport expansion

Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank has closed a $125 million deal to finance an airport expansion in India and may lend over one billion dirhams this year for infrastructure projects in Asia’s fastest growing economy, the bank’s chairman said on Tuesday.
Saeed Al Hajiri said ADCB underwrote $125 million of $162 million to finance the expansion of the GMR Hyderabad International Airport expansion.
“The transaction is an important step in the continued efforts of the bank to diversify into strategically important markets like India and in the area of infrastructure,” Al Hajiri told Reuters.
“There are huge opportunities for infrastructure financing in the Indian market and we will assess them. We could easily exceed over one billion dirhams in financing such projects this year.”
ADCB was the single largest lender and only foreign bank in the $162 million transaction where two Indian banks also participated, he said.
20/03/07 Reuters/Khaleej Times, United Arab Emirates

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Special fare from Indian to Bangkok

Cchennai: Indian (formerly Indian Airlines) has announced a special return fare of Rs. 5,800 plus taxes per person for a return trip to Bangkok from eight southern stations, says a release.
The release said the southern stations included Chennai, Tiruchi, Coimbatore, Madurai, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode and Bangalore.
A minimum of two passengers have to travel and the taxes would be approximately Rs. 4,100 from Chennai and Rs. 4,550 from other stations in the south. The new fare would be available for tickets purchased between March 15 and April 15 and the travel should be completed on or before May 31 this year, the release said.
21/03/07 The Hindu

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DAE to buy American firms for $1.5 billion

Dubai: Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE), a $15 billion global aerospace company, is close to clinching a $1.5 billion deal to buy two aviation businesses from US private equity firm Carlyle Group, reports quoting informed sources in the US said.
Sources said DAE is in an advanced stage of discussions to buy Landmark Aviation and Standard Aero Holdings Inc. — both providing repair and overhaul services at airport terminals for small-jet aviation and some military transports — from Carlyle Group, a Washington, D.C.-based firm which has $44.3 billion under management. A few months ago Carlyle opened an office at the Dubai International Financial Centre.
It is learnt that under the deal, DAE would buy and then sell Landmark's 33 business aircraft terminals in the US and Canada, the sources said. DAE will keep the company's aircraft maintenance operations. Standard Aero has no terminals, only repair facilities.
A consortium led by DAE Airports, a division of DAE, is targeting a slice of the $120 billion airport projects expected to be completed by 2014 in Africa, the Middle East, India and China. The consortium, offering a one-stop solution for airport needs, comprises DAE Airports and six other top UAE companies. Its partners are real estate-based Emaar, air services supplier DNATA, aviation industry technology firm Mercator, Emirates National Oil Company, Amlak Finance and Dubai Airports Free Zone Authority.
21/03/07 Khaleej Times/Middle East North Africa Financial Network, Jordan

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Air India Suspect Launches Lawsuits: Globe

One of the men acquitted in the Air India bombing is suing the Attorneys-General of Canada and British Columbia.
The Globe and Mail cites court documents filed in BC Supreme Court.
The Globe reports Ripudaman Singh Malik argues the charges caused him to lose his reputation and his savings.
Malik is claiming unspecified damages for malicious prosecution and wrongful imprisonment, among several other torts.
Malik and Ajaib Sing Bagri were both arrested in October 2000 in connection with the RCMP investigation into the June 1985 bomb blast that downed Air-India Flight 182 off the coast of Ireland. Malik and Bagri were acquitted by Justice Ian Bruce Josephson in March 2005.
21/03/07 Josh Pringle/580 CFRA Radio, Canada

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AI in sale-and-lease deal with Europe bank

Mumbai: For the first time in its history, state-run carrier Air-India will sell its six Airbus A310-300 aircraft to a European bank and lease them back to its fleet for operations, in a sale-and-lease back deal. This is a first of its kind for the state-owned company.
Sale-and-lease back deals have been generally executed by private carriers to provide for cash upfront to meet their working capital requirements.
Sources close to the development said leading UK-based aircraft funding bank Investec has proposed to purchase six A310-300 aircraft for nearly $80 million (nearly Rs 350 crore) and lease them back for a rental of $2,47,000 each a month over 60 months.
The cost of the aircraft in the books of Air-India is nil due to depreciation.
Air-India Executive Director (Finance) S Venkat confirmed the development but declined to divulge further details.
Sources said the sale-and-lease back could be extended to five more years on mutually agreed terms. This would be in addition to the current duration of three to five years.
21/03/07 P R Sanjai/Business Standard

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John Menzies CEO leaves in restructuring

London: John Menzies PLC is reorganising its management structure to give operational independence to its news distribution and aviation divisions, resulting in the immediate departure of CEO Patrick Macdonald, it said today.
The businesses had contrasting fortunes last year, Menzies said, with substantial growth in aviation more than offset by tough market conditions in distribution. Whereas underlying operating profits in aviation were up 25 pct to 16.6 mln stg, the news and magazine distribution business suffered a 23 pct fall to 23.7 mln stg causing a 3 pct drop in FY pretax profits to 355.6 mln stg.
Operational control will be devolved to the two divisions, and head office functions, such as corporate governance, will come under the remit of finance director Paul Dollman, the company said.
It has secured two 10-year joint venture contracts for cargo handling at the new Hyderabad and Bangalore airports, which are scheduled to commence operations in 2008. 'India is a significant market for us,' Dollman said.
20/03/07 AFX/Forbes, NY

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American Airlines to Offer “Taste of India” on Board Delhi Flight

Chicago: Passengers traveling on American Airlines non-stop Chicago-Delhi flight will now have the ‘Taste of India’- select delicious cuisines on board the 16 hours long journey. A new Indian meal program has been envisaged thanks to American’s Indian Employees Resource Group (IERG) and Gategourment, the world’s largest independent airline catering company.
This was revealed in a media presentation at O’Hare Airport.
The American Food and Beverage department has consulted with experts on northern India’s cuisines, selection of ingredients and spices; since Hindus do not eat beef and Muslims do not eat pork, the beef-pork ingredients were replaced by chicken, lamb, sea food and vegetarian dishes. American F & B team has planned a delicious meal menu for the 16 hours non-stop service. It will provide three meals for the 245 passengers and crew members.
20/03/07 India Post News Service/IndiaPost.com, US

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Damas, Flemingo to set up duty-free shops

New Delhi: Dubai-based jewellery major Damas Jewellery LLC has set up a joint venture company with the Indian arm of Flemingo International to set up duty-free shops at airports for selling jewellery products and luxury watches. Damas will be selling its gold jewellery brands like harmony and legacy and its diamond brands at major airports. Damas has already been allowed to set up shops at Chennai, Trivandrum and Jaipur international airports. Operations at these airports are expected to begin within a month.
While Damas is holding a 51% equity stake in the JV, the remaining stake will be with Flemingo. The new company, which has been registered under the Indian Companies Act, 1956, is called Flemingo Jewellery India Pvt Ltd. This company has already won the contract from state-owned Airports Authority of India (AAI) to set shops at three airports. The proposed shops shall use the brand name Damas as long as the Damas Jewellery LLC remains part of the joint venture firm.
21/03/07 Sunny Verma & G Ganapathy Subramaniam/Economic Times

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Sri Lankan Airlines gets closer to Indian century

SriLankan Airlines is adding a third weekly flight to the Indian coastal resort of Goa, moving closer to becoming first scheduled foreign airline to have a hundred flights per week to the country, the airline said.
Already the foreign carrier with the most frequencies, SriLankan will have 95 flights to 10 cities in India with the addition of 7 more flights to Mumbai last month and the new Goa flight scheduled for March 30.
SriLankan has 15 weekly flights to Chennai, twice daily to Mumbai, 13 to Trivandrum, 11 to Kochi, 10 to Trichy, 8 to Calicut, and daily to New Delhi, Hyderabad, and Bangalore.
The airline says it offers rapid connections to Goa in Colombo for flights from Europe, the Middle East, Far East and Southeast Asia.
The third flight will be on Fridays, adding to the current flights on Mondays and Saturdays.
Flights, which are of approximately of two hours’ duration, depart Colombo at 0545 and arrive in Goa at 0735. They set out from Goa at 0830 and arrive back in Colombo at 1030.
20/03/07 Lanka Business Online, Sri Lanka

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Snowhite and the 11 tickets

An Indian menswear chain that promised to pay 11 airline tickets for freed Indian prisoners every time their brand ambassador, Indian pace bowler Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, takes a wicket, have had to change their promotional strategy after Sreesanth was not selected for the first match against Bangladesh.
The bowler-cum-break dancer will only be able to perform his moves if he is selected in the other matches, and so far his fate remains unknown.
However, to ensure that the fate of many prisoners who have completed their sentence, does not hang on this pace bowler’s selection, Snowhite has decide to change the rules of the promotion.
Hiroo D. Vassanani, Managing Director, Snowhite, says, “We were unaware that our brand ambassador will not be selected for the match. Therefore, we have decided that we will give 11 tickets for every match that India plays. We undertook this promotion with the larger idea of charity in mind and we will not deviate from that.”
20/03/07 The Emirates Evening Post, United Arab Emirates

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BA apologises for First Class corpse

British Airways has apologised after First Class passengers on a flight from Delhi awoke to find crew had placed a corpse in their cabin.
Businessman Paul Trinder, 54, had dozed off in his £3000 First Class seat on the flight from Delhi to Heathrow, but awoke to a "commotion" in the darkened cabin.
He then discovered it was the body of an Indian woman in her 70s who had died in economy class and been taken to the front of the plane where there was more room.
A spokesman for BA said that the body was moved to First Class as there was more space, allowing the grieving family as much privacy as possible.
He said: "It is always distressing when there is a death on board a flight.
"Fortunately such events are rare - in the region of ten deaths on board per annum from some 36 million passengers carried per annum.
"On this occasion, the flight was very busy, although there was space in the First Class cabin which allowed the family members travelling with the deceased some level of privacy in their grief.
"We apologise to passengers in the First cabin who were distressed by the situation - our cabin crew were working in difficult circumstances and chose the option that they believed would cause the least disruption.
"Procedures in the event of a death on board are dependent on the specific circumstances.
"However, all actions are governed primarily by issues of safety, for example, the deceased must not be placed in the galley or blocking aisles or exits, and there should be clear space around the deceased.
"The wishes of family or friends travelling with the deceased will always be considered, and account taken of the reactions of other passengers."
19/03/07 This is London, UK

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Flyington Freighters first airline customer of A330-200F

While it often sits in the shadows of the dominant passenger market, the cargo market is attracting interest from the leasing community.
The recently launched Airbus A330-200F has attracted the attention of the leasing community, giving Airbus some much needed good news. USA-based lessor Guggenheim Aviation Partners has become the first to firm up its order for the type, agreeing to take six units. Fellow US lessor Intrepid Aviation has signed a letter of intent to buy 20 of the type, which will enter service in 2009, and Iceland's Avion Aircraft Trading plans to acquire six. India's Flyington Freighters and Turkey's MNG have emerged as the first airline customers, with commitments for six and two.
Airbus seems to have caught the mood of the market. Intrepid chief executive Ronald Anderson points to a number of factors in its favour, including the fact that the A300-600 line is shutting down, while UPS's 27-strong order for Boeing 767 freighters plus the prospective US Air Force freighter programme means that slots for this type are limited, "if they are there at all".
19/07/07 Colin Baker/Airline Business/Flight International

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BA Passenger from Delhi Travels First Class With Corpse

A British Airways passenger told today how he awoke on his First Class flight from Delhi to find crew had placed a corpse on the other side of the cabin.
Businessman Paul Trinder, 54, had dozed off in his £3000 First Class seat on the flight from Delhi to Heathrow, but awoke to a "commotion" in the darkened cabin.
He told how crew were moving what he later established was a person 'like a sack of potatoes', positioning her in a seat on the other side of the cabin and seatbelting her in.
He then discovered it was the body of an Indian woman in her 70s who had died in economy class and been taken to the front of the plane where there was more room.
Mr Trinder said that the procedure was so farcical he thought he was the victim of a practical joke, explaining how the turbulence was causing the lifeless body to 'rock and roll all over the place'.
His concerns that she could have died of an infectious disease prompted no action and he spent the next five hours of the flight last month with the body across the aisle from him.
He later spoke to British Airways to question their procedure of handling deaths in flights - and was told to 'get over it if you haven't got any better ideas', he said.
"I thought 'what are the family's feelings in all of this - their mother being carried 50 rows like a sack of potatoes?'
"I said 'we have got five hours to go at room temperature'. I asked if they knew what she had died of, if it was an infectious disease. It could have been an air born disease.
"You could tell they had never thought of it. They looked at each other open mouthed and you could tell that they had never thought of it but they didn't do anything about it.
"We finally got to Heathrow and nobody was allowed to leave to plane. The police and the coroner were sent on. There were police stopping people getting off.
Mr Trinder, chief executive of building manufacturers Capital Safety, said he later contacted BA to question their handling of the issue. The businessman, a BA gold card holder who travels 200,000 miles a year with the airline, said he was offered no compensation and told to 'get over it'.
A spokesman for BA said that the body was moved to First Class as there was more space, allowing the grieving family as much privacy as possible.
18/03/07 Life Style Extra, UK

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Easy ground handling norms for global airlines

New Delhi: The government is likely to relax ground handling norms for international carriers even as it proposes to block domestic carriers including Jet Airways, Air Sahara and Kingfisher Airlines from undertaking ground handling from January 1, 2009 as part of its new policy.
Civil aviation ministry sources said foreign airlines with a minimum of 14 services a week to and from an international airport would be permitted self-handling. At present, there are 12 international airports in India.
The policy will allow big international airlines like British Airways, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines and Emirates to undertake self-handling.
According to the policy, there will be three ground handling service providers in all metro airports. One will be the respective airport operator (Airports Authority of India or other operators as the case may be) or its joint venture. The second provider could be the subsidiary companies of Air India or Indian Airlines or their JVs. Third party handling will also be permitted to these on the basis of revenue sharing with the airport operator. The third will be selected on the basis of competitive bidding by the airport operator. At other airports, however, airlines will be permitted self-handling.
19/03/07 Atreyee Dev Roy/Financial Express

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India, UAE sign MoU for increasing air traffic

Dubai: India and the United Arab Emirates have agreed to expand air traffic between the two countries, allocating 18 additional flights from Abu Dhabi.
The director-general of UAE's General Civil Aviation Authority Mohammad Ganem Al Gaith signed an MoU to this effect on March 15 in New Delhi with RK Singh, joint secretary in India's Ministry of Civil Aviation.
Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram are being added as additional points of call for designated airlines of the UAE.
Both parties agreed to add 11 flights per week on the Abu Dhabi-India-Abu Dhabi route with immediate effect, and an additional seven flights per week from the winter of 2007-08 to Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram.
In addition, designated airlines of both countries are permitted to operate any number of all-cargo services between any point in India and the UAE with any type of aircraft.
19/03/07 PTI/The Hindu

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Additional flights between India and Pakistan soon

New Delhi: The air link between India and Pakistan is likely to be improved with additional flights and destinations and civil aviation officials of the two countries are expected to meet shortly to discuss the issue, official sources said here on Sunday citing an understanding reached at the foreign secretary-level talks in Islamabad five days ago.
The Indian Airlines is presently operating one flight a week from Delhi to Lahore while Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has four flights a week on this sector. PIA is also flying between New Delhi-Karachi and Mumbai-Karachi sectors.
This is quite inadequate considering an earlier understanding to have 12 flights from each side per week, the sources said.
Officials of the civil aviation ministries of the two countries will discuss how the situation can be improved, the sources said, adding that the two sides would try to work out an arrangement for at least seven flights a week.
The sources said that the two sides would also discuss the possibility of adding new places for air link, adding that the move was aimed at improving people-to-people contact and better travel facilities between the two countries.
19/03/07 Daily Times, Pakistan

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Mile-high girl now a hooker

The air hostess who was sacked after a mile-high romp with actor Ralph Fiennes has admitted she has since been working as a prostitute.
Lisa Robertson, 38, claims she was forced to earn money in brothels while suspended from airline Qantas without pay.
"I had no income and couldn't pay my rent so I worked at a couple of brothels a few times," she confessed.
Lisa, who used the name "Skye", said she charged £120-an-hour at Sydney brothel the Gateway Club. She also claims to have earned up to £800- a-night at the more exclusive Stiletto brothel.
The Aussie blonde at first denied having sex with Harry Potter star Fiennes in a toilet on a night-flight to India, but later owned up.
18/03/07 Sunday Mirror, UK

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Singapore Airlines increase flights to Asia and Europe

Singapore Airlines says increased demand will see it boost capacity on existing routes between Singapore and key destinations in Asia and Europe, when its Northern Summer schedule comes into effect later this month. From 25 March, four more weekly flights will be added between Singapore and Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, bringing the total number of weekly flights to 17.
Singapore Airlines will operate an additional flight to the southern Indian city of Bangalore, increasing from the current six times weekly service. The additional flight will operate on Wednesdays.
Two additional flights will operate between Singapore and Seoul, bringing the number of flights between the two cities to 24.
19/03/07 micebtn, Australia

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New Dubai routes in Jazeera’s multiple-hub strategy

Kuwait-based Jazeera Airways has established a second hub in Dubai in line with a multiple-hub regional strategy, said its chairman and CEO Marwan Boodai.
This makes it the only low-fares airline to operate out of the emirate, he said.
The development was accompanied by a two-day launch offer of one million seats at Dh48 each one-way, exclusive of taxes, to all of the airline's destinations.
Jazeera began thrice-weekly services to Bahrain from Dubai on February 8, and will launch non-stop services to six other destinations: Kuwait, Mumbai, Kochi, New Delhi, Muscat, and Salalah.
“Traffic on the Kuwait-Dubai route grew 15 per cent in 2006," Boodai said. "To Amman, traffic grew 28 per cent, and the Jordanian authorities are so happy, they have offered us the flexibility to fly freely to Amman without restrictions."
Other destinations also increased similarly: from Kuwait to Bahrain by 22 per cent, to Damascus 65 per cent, Mumbai 29 per cent, and New Delhi 16 per cent.
18/03/07 Travel & Tourism News Middle East

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Air-India Express online booking begins

Indian budget carrier Air-India Express opens its online booking for its Doha services today. The operations are to begin on March 25, as per schedule.
Air-India manager in Doha Debashis Golder said passengers could log on to www.airindiaexpress.in, “to book/purchase tickets against credit card”.
Alternatively “they can visit the Air-India office to buy tickets against cash or credit card”.
Bookings through travel agents will be opened up in a day or two after necessary training is given to them, Golder said.
The first Express flight from Doha will be to Mangalore, a new destination for the airline. The flight, IX-811, leaves Doha on Sundays at 1.45pm to arrive at the Karnataka city at 9.50pm. The Mangalore flights will be operated on Sundays and Tuesdays.
Services will also be available to Air-India’s four existing destinations namely - Mumbai, Kozhikode, Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram.
To begin with, there will be 10 flights a week - four each to Mumbai and Kerala plus two to Mangalore, Golder said. One more flight will be introduced to Kochi on Thursdays by the last week of April.
19/03/07 Gulf Times, Qatar

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Outbound air fares to soar 10%

New Delhi: Air travel to international destinations will cost more after March. While airfares dipped by around 10% last year in April, this year they will increase by 10%. Sample this: Jet Airways’ return fare (excluding taxes) to London will go up from Rs 24,000 to Rs 26,800. Air India’s fare to New York will increase from Rs 35,000 at present to Rs 45,000, while a flight to Mauritius will go up from Rs 19,700 to Rs 21,700.
Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA), this fiscal, airfares for international destinations will go up by 5-8% on an average. While during peak air travel - that is April to June and October to December - they will increase by 10-12%.
April, May and June are peak months for outbound travel from India when airfares usually rise. However, last year owing to over capacity on most of the routes, fares dipped.
Britain’s low cost airline bmi pulled out its daily flight to Mumbai last year around October. At the same time Lufthansa also curtailed its one flight from Hyderabad.
Besides leisure travellers from India whose number increases during summer holidays, business travellers are also registering a strong growth.
17/03/07 Vishakha Talreja/Economic Times

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Air India Express increases flights from Kochi to Gulf

Kochi: In an effort to clear the summer rush, Air India Express is increasing its connectivity from Kochi to the Gulf sector from March 25.
Announcing the summer connectivity at a press meet at nearby Nedumbassery last night, Jude Crasto, Manager, Air India here, said the airlines would operate eight flights a week to Dubai from Kochi while nine flights a week would be operated from Abu Dhabi and seven flights a week from sharjah.
Hitherto, only four flights were being operated to Sharjah.
The airline will also operate four flights a week from Muscat, two flights a week from Salalah, one flight a week from Al Ain, he said. Air India Express is the only airlines to operate services to Salalah.
With this increase in connectivity, the total additional seats generated in the Gulf sector is 1,500.
The Air India Express also will be operating three flights a week to Mumbai.
17/03/07 Press Trust of India/Financial Express

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MAS, AirAsia Urged To Introduce Flights To Amritsar

Kuala Lumpur: The Malaysia National Sikhs Movement (Geraksikh) today called on the Malaysia Airlines (MAS) and AirAsia to introduce flights to the Sikh holy city, Amritsar (India), from Kuala Lumpur.
Its President Tan Sri Darshan Singh Gill said the KL-Amritsar sector should have been introduced many years ago as there was demand for the route and thus, can be a profitable sector.
Darshan Singh said MAS had reportedly announced about the sector in 2005 but did not implement it.
He said currently Malaysians are not only inconvenienced by having to travel to Singapore but also there was a direct loss of revenue to a foreign airline.
Darshan Singh, a Sikh community leader, said he had personally experienced that the passengers were placed on waiting list on the Singapore Airlines.
17/03/07 Bernama, Malaysia

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Doha - Bahrain - Mangalore: No Change in Air India Express Schedule

Doha/Bahrain: The clouds of uncertainty over the earlier announced Doha - Bahrain - Mangalore flight schedule have cleared as Air India Express officials at Mumbai and Bahrain re-confirmed that the first flight will be operating on March 25, 2007.
Earlier, doubts had been expressed if Air India Express will fly on the scheduled date. There were hurdles in flying Air India Express from Bahrain.
But officials in Mumbai were reluctant to fly on March 25.
Yet, even if AI Express was not allowed, its regular flight 'Air India' was getting ready to replace it.
"Tickets will be available within a day or two from today (March 17, 2007)" said Air India chief D Debesh in Bahrain, speaking to daijiworld.com.
17/03/07 Daijiworld.com

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Indian waiting for tyre report

Indian (formerly Indian Airlines) officials in New Delhi are still awaiting a final report from Bahrain's Civil Aviation Affairs (CAA) about an incident where nails were found imbedded in its aircraft tyre at the Bahrain International Airport.
Four nails were found embedded in a tyre of the airline's aircraft minutes before it was to take off from Bahrain on January 2.
Bahrain-based engineers from the airline discovered the five-inch-long nails during a final check before departure, averting what an airline official described as a "potential disaster".
"The issue is of the highest concern and needs a full investigation," said Dubai-based regional director Pankaj Srivastava.
Mr Srivastava, who is in Bahrain to preside over a ceremony to felicitate the airline's top passenger and cargo agents, says though debris on the tarmac is common all over the world, what is of importance is that it needs to be cleared.
"We have received a preliminary report which says the nails were perhaps dropped by another aircraft, but we are awaiting a final word," he told the GDN.
The nails were detected minutes before Flight IC997 was to take off from Bahrain for Doha, en route to Calicut and Cochin, in southern India.
17/03/07 Mandeep Singh/Gulf Daily News, Bahrain

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Indian to begin daily services to Melbourne this year

Melbourne Airport is about to get a lot busier after government moves to give a new group of overseas airlines access to Australian airspace.
Qatar Airways will be the first of the new airlines here. The move follows the signing this week of a new air traffic rights arrangement by the governments of Doha and Australia.
Indian Airlines, recently granted rights to operate between New Delhi and Tullamarine, also is due to begin daily services to Melbourne later this year.
Yesterday's decision caused Qantas chief executive Geoff Dixon to warn that it would trim operating costs even further.
Qantas has already cut jobs and closed its Sydney maintenance workshops over the past year to compete with rival overseas airlines subsidised by foreign governments.
Last night, Federal Government sources indicated Emirates Airlines and another Persian Gulf carrier, Etiad, were also likely to get permission soon to increase their operations.
17/03/07 Geoff Easdown/Melbourne Herald Sun, Australia

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