Jet Airways to launch Mumbai-Dhaka flights

Effective December 23, 2009, Jet Airways, India’s premier international airline, will introduce new, direct services on the Mumbai-Dhaka-Mumbai sectors, aboard its state-of-the-art Boeing 737-800 aircraft. This will be Jet Airways’ third flight to Bangladesh from India, and will connect Dhaka with several destinations across North America, Europe and the ASEAN region, as well as eight destinations across the Gulf, over the airline’s Mumbai hub. The airline currently flies daily from Delhi and Kolkata to Dhaka. The new Mumbai-Dhaka flight will initially operate 6 days a week, with the exception of Tuesdays. Effective March 29, 2010, it will be a daily flight.

Flight 9W 276 will depart Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport at 0830 hrs, arriving in Dhaka’s Zia International Airport at 1300 hrs. Flight 9W 275 will then depart Dhaka at 1430 hrs, arriving in Mumbai at 1610 hrs. According to Mr. Nikos Kardassis, Acting CEO, Jet Airways, "Jet Airways offers travelers seamless connections to several destinations across India, as well as the Gulf, North America, Europe and ASEAN, over its hubs in Mumbai and Delhi. The launch of our new Mumbai-Dhaka service will thus connect Dhaka to the world, via Mumbai, while further enhancing air connectivity on the busy India-Bangladesh sector."

Jetlite launches new online booking engine

JetLite, the wholly owned subsidiary of Jet Airways India Ltd, launched its new state-of–the-art online booking engine. This move by JetLite is an attempt to offer a flexible web-sale solution with a clear road map to cater to the increasing ecommerce activities in ticket purchasing pattern in the Indian market. Guests can follow a simple booking process and make their selection based on 3 parameters - Lowest Fare, Fixed dates or Flexible dates. They will also receive a SMS and an email confirmation of the booking to the mobile number provided. In addition to the on-line booking engine, key features like ‘Manage my booking’ and ‘PNR Status’ are also added on the website which makes it convenient for the guest to use it as the focus is more on self-service tools and web bookings is a key part of this focus.

Speaking at the launch Mr. Sudheer Raghavan, Chief Commercial Officer, said "We wanted a flexible solution to keep up with the changing times in today’s dynamic and competitive market. This is yet another innovative step by Jet Airways to offer the best to our customers both in terms of experience and value added services. This will primarily help us reduce distribution costs and build customer loyalty by offering the value-adds which are not presently offered on other platforms," he added. The unique automated CyberSource Risk screening solution along with the 3D secure Payment gateway as per RBI guidelines ensures transactions are secure. Jetlite.com also offers web check-in facility where in guests can select their preferred seat and print their boarding pass from the comfort of their home or office.

Marriott International to open three Qatar properties

Marriott International has announced that all three new Marriott Properties in Qatar will be opened simultaneously by the middle of next year. Located in one complex in Doha, the properties are the five-star 257-room Renaissance Hotel, the four-star 204-room Courtyard by Marriott, and the Marriott Executive Apartments. Ibrahim Barghout, General Manager of the three Marriott properties said the hotels will have a soft opening "to see how things materialise" and plan for the grand opening activities right after.

Indian Government offers citizens of 05 countries visa on arrival

The Government has decided to offer visa-on-arrival facility to citizens of a select group of five countries, something that New Delhi had been extremely hesitant to do so far because of security concerns. The government, it is learnt, has decided to clear the names of Japan, Singapore, New Zealand, Luxembourg and Finland as the countries whose nationals can fly in to India and obtain a visa at the airport. A formal notification in this regard is likely to be made very soon. The decision has ostensibly been taken with the aim of promoting tourism but its significance is much more than that. This is the first time that India is offering visa-on-arrival to any country.

And it is making this offer completely unilaterally, junking a proposal that said New Delhi should offer this facility only to countries that were ready to reciprocate. The decision to offer visa-on-arrival is currently only a pilot project. And the choice of the selected countries has been dictated by the fact that no national of any of these countries has ever been found to be involved in even linked to any terror related incident anywhere in the world. The nod came after detailed consultations with intelligence agencies like Intelligence Bureau and the Research and Analysis Wing.

Spicejet launches cargo operations from Kochi

SpiceJet has now expanded its cargo operations to Kochi. Announcing the launch of cargo operations from Kochi, Chief Commercial Officer Samyukth Sridharan said, "With the addition of Kochi to our existing network of domestic cargo operations, we will now be providing cargo services from 14 cities". He also noted the addition of Kochi would further strengthen the airline's cargo operations. Currently, the airlines carry an average of about 120 tons per day and aims to increase it to 150 tons per day in the near future.

Jet Airways starts new Mumbai-Kathmandu flight

Jet Airways, India’s premier international airline, introduced a new service on the Mumbai-Kathmandu-Mumbai sectors, its third service to the Nepalese capital from India, with a state-of-the-art Boeing 737-800 aircraft. The new flight will operate five days a week - on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays. Jet Airways Boeing 737 – 800 flight 9W 266 will depart Mumbai at 0805 hrs, arrive Kathmandu at 1055 hrs. Flight 9W 265 will then depart Kathmandu at 1155 hrs and arrive Mumbai at 1440 hrs. The new Boeing 737-800 aircraft specially configured for International Operations will offer 24 seats in the Premiere and 120 in the Economy.

The airline will offer attractive special introductory promotional fares for both Premiere and Economy Classes. The special promotional return economy fare is Rs 7500/- excluding taxes which can be purchased till January 15, 2010. The one way special economy fare is Rs 4875/- excluding taxes. Jet Airways currently operates two daily services on the Delhi-Kathmandu-Delhi sectors, while JetLite, Jet Airways' subsidiary all-economy carrier, operates a daily service on the same sectors. With 26 flights per week, the Jet Airways group with JetLite will offer the maximum number of flights between India and Nepal, making it the largest amongst all foreign carriers.

With Jet Airways' unmatched domestic network and growing international network, the new service will offer travellers seamless connectivity between Nepal and several destinations across India, as well as to the Gulf, North America, Europe and ASEAN, over its hub in Mumbai. Mr. Nikos Kardassis, CEO, Jet Airways, says, "The India-Nepal sector is a very busy one, with relatively large volumes of passenger traffic. With the success of our services to Kathmandu, there has been increasing demand for direct air connections between the Indian commercial hub of Mumbai and Kathmandu. Having introduced the same in the festive season, we are confident that our new service on this sector will be much appreciated by both business and leisure travellers alike."

Spicejet aircraft returns to Mumbai due to mechanical failure

A Delhi-bound Spicejet aircraft with 202 passengers onboard had to return to Mumbai airport following a pressurisation failure. The flight SG 114 which took off from Mumbai at 1142 had to return to Mumbai at 1240 because of a mechanical problem and its passengers have been deplaned. "SG 114 did an air turn back on account of a mechanical issue that constrained the pilot to bring the flight back to Mumbai. This was done for the safety of the passengers," a Spicejet spokesperson said in a statement. "Alternative arrangements are being made for the passengers to help them reach their destination," the spokesperson added.

Indian Air Force grounds its Su30 fighter aircraft fleet

The country's entire Sukhoi-30MKI fleet has been grounded for "precautionary checks" after one of these "air dominance" fighter jets crashed in Rajasthan on Monday. IAF has sought the help of Russia and Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) to investigate the crash. The two pilots, Wing Commander Srivastava and Flight Lieutenant Arora, had ejected from the Russian-origin fighter while taking part in fire-power exercises at Pokhran after fire alarms went off in the cockpit around 5.30 pm. "Preliminary indications are that it was caused due to a technical defect. The pilots ejected after they saw fire alarm buttons glowing red... Probably the engines were on fire," said a source. "The airframe and systems of the entire fleet will undergo a thorough inspection before they are allowed to take to the skies again," he added.

IAF is already in touch with experts from Russia, with the Sukhois still being under contractual warrantee, as well as HAL, which had "manufactured/assembled" the fighter indigenously, to help in the court of inquiry ordered to investigate the exact reason behind the crash. Even the earlier Sukhoi crash of April 30 is primarily attributed to technical defects, with "some'' design problems and system malfunctions playing a role in the mishap. Defence minister A K Antony, in fact, had held that the April 30 crash was due to "a likely failure of the fly-by-wire system". The Sukhoi fleet had then been grounded for around three weeks. IAF has inducted 105 of the 230 twin-seater Sukhois primarily based in Pune and Bareilly at present contracted from Russia in three deals worth upwards of $8.5 billion.

With both China and Pakistan bolstering their air combat fleets, IAF has asked the government for another 50 Sukhois each of which would cost around $45 million to cater for any contingency on both the eastern and western fronts. HAL, in fact, has been directed to end the production of 140 of the original 230 jets under transfer of technology by 2015, instead of the originally scheduled 2017-2018. With the Sukhois being the latest and most potent fighter in India's combat fleet, IAF already earmarked airbases like Tezpur and Chabua in Assam, Halwara (Punjab) and Jodhpur (Rajasthan) as the new airbases to house two Sukhoi squadrons each. Earlier this year, the first four Sukhois were deployed in Tezpur to kickstart the entire process.

China Airlines Taiwan-Rome flights to transit via New Delhi

Taipei-based China Airlines announced Monday that from Dec. 1, its flights to Rome will transit via the Indian city of Delhi rather than the Thai city of Bangkok. CAL, which operates three flights per week to Rome, will become the only airline in the world to fly the route via Delhi, a move that is expected to cut the flight time by an hour, the company said. The twice-weekly Taipei-Bangkok-Rome flights will be replaced by three Taipei-Delhi-Rome flights per week, according to CAL. Flights will depart from Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport at 8:25 am every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday, reaching Delhi at 01:10 pm for a 75 minute transit stop before arriving in Rome at 6:40 pm the same day. The return flights will leave at 10:40 pm from Rome and reach Delhi at 10:55 am the next day for a 75 minute transit stop before arriving in Taiwan at 8:20 pm that day.

Golden Tulip to add 60 hotels in Middle East

Louvre Hotels and Golden Tulip Hospitality Group, Starwood Capital subsidiaries, have announced plans to add 60 hotels in the Middle East in the next five years. 'We are aiming at putting at least 10,000 rooms by 2014 with each hotel having on an average 100 rooms,' Pierre Frederic Roulot, President of Golden Tulip Hospitality Group and Louvre Hotels said.

IAF Sukhoi 30 fighter aircraft crashes in Rajasthan

A Sukhoi-30 fighter plane crashed near Jetha ki Dhani in Rajasthan's Jaisalmer district on Monday, but both the pilot and the co-pilot bailed out safely. The fighter jet was on a routine sortie when the crash occurred.

Jordan lifts tourist visa restrictions for Indian nationals

Jordan has said that visa restrictions on individual Indian nationals visiting the kingdom as tourists have been lifted. The decision came as moves to promote tourism to the country and to support economic growth, the Jordan Tourism Board said. The decision is in line with a series of efforts to stimulate and boost the tourism sector in light of the current global economic crisis. Such efforts include the reduction of the sales tax on hotel rooms and plans to reduce electricity tariffs on hotels.

Qatar Airways starts flying to Goa

Qatar Airways has launched new non-stop service to Goa, which is now the carrier's 10th Indian destination. The new route will be serviced by a two-class Airbus A320 with 12 seats in business and 132 seats in economy. The Goa flights will leave Doha at 9.25pm on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays.

Emirates starts flying to Luanda, Angola

Emirates Airline has launched new non-stop service to the capital of oil-rich Angola. The new service to Luanda will leave on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday using an Airbus A330-200. This new route marks the 18th destination in Africa for Emirates.

Etihad Airways to start flights to Tokyo & Nagoya

Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways is set to open its first Japanese services early next year, with connections to Tokyo and Nagoya. The carrier will operate a four flights a week service to Nagoya, via Beijing, from Monday February 1, increasing to five flights a week from March 27. A five flights a week direct service to Tokyo's Narita airport is also scheduled for launch on March 27.

Oman Air starts flying to Maldives

Oman Air has started a non-stop service between the Sultanate and the Republic of Maldives. The flights to the Maldives capital, Malé are on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, returning the same day. The route will be operated by Oman Air's newly introduced Airbus A330 aircraft, which has first, business and economy class seating, the airline said.

SriLankan Airways adds another flight to Dammam

SriLankan Airlines has launched another flight to Dammam, Saudi Arabia, offering now a total of four flights per week to its Dammam-Colombo route. SriLankan has two flights from Riyadh and two from Jeddah.

Cathay Pacific to start flights to Jeddah

Cathay Pacific Airways, the flag carrier of Hong Kong, has announced the launch of a new route to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The four-times-weekly service, which is to operate through Dubai on the way to and from Hong Kong, will be operated by an Airbus A330-300 aircraft in a two-class configuration. The carrier launched its service to Riyadh in 2001 and the number of flights per week was recently increased from five times a week to daily.

Etihad Airways to launch flights to Hyderabad

Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways has announced the launch of a new route to its latest destination in India, the city of Hyderabad. Etihad is the first airline to operate flights between Abu Dhabi and the state capital of Andhra Pradesh. Initially operating four flights a week, Etihad will increase to daily from the start of 2010. Etihad now flies to seven Indian destinations including the cities of New Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai, Kozhikode, Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi. In total the airline now operates 42 flights to India each week.

Oman Air warns Boeing on 787 Dreamliner delays

Peter Hill, CEO of Oman Air has said that Boeing risks losing a $1bn order for its 787 Dreamliner aircraft to a rival model from Airbus, if the US plane's production schedule is delayed any further. 'Further delays might mean that we'd have to look elsewhere,' he said. The Sultanate's national carrier already has seven A330s from Airbus on order, with the first four scheduled for handover this year.

Kuwait Airways starts flights to Chittagong

Kuwait Airways has announced the launch of a new route to the city of Chittagong, Bangladesh. Chittagong is the airline's second destination in Bangladesh.

World's largest cruise ship sets sail from Finland

The world's largest cruise liner 'Oasis of the Seas' began its maiden voyage to Florida, gliding out from a shipyard in Finland with an amphitheater, basketball courts and an ice rink on board. The 16-deck Oasis of the Seas spans 360 meters from bow to stern. Its 2,700 cabins can accommodate 6,300 passengers and 2,100 crew. Commissioned by Royal Caribbean International, the ship cost euro1 billion ($1.5 billion) and took two and a half years to build at the STX Finland Oy shipyard in Turku, southwestern Finland. The liner has four swimming pools, volleyball and basketball courts, and a youth zone with theme parks and nurseries for children. There is also an ice rink that seats 780 spectators and a small-scale golf course. The Oasis of the Seas is due to make its US debut on November 20, when it will be unveiled on ABC's "Good Morning America" show at its home port, Port Everglades in Florida. The official naming ceremony will be 10 days later. The ship will embark on its first cruise, a four-day trip to the port of Labadee in Haiti, on December 1.

Oman Air launches new three-class service from Heathrow

Oman Air has launched a new three-class service aboard its new A330-300 aircraft on its flagship Muscat - London Heathrow route. The new service features new first class, business class and economy class cabins. The first class cabin has just six seats and offers the longest lie-flat bed available on any commercial airliner, the carrier said.

Flydubai to start flights to Kathmandu, Nepal

Low-cost carrier Flydubai has announced that it will launch flights to Nepal from December 15. The route will be the carrier's eleventh overall. Last week the carrier announced that it will begin double daily service to Bahrain from December 13.

Emirates to fly to Tokyo from March

Emirates Airlines has announced plans to launch services to its second destination in Japan with flights to Tokyo beginning March 28, 2010. The carrier, which currently flies daily to Osaka, will fly non-stop to Tokyo five times a week on every Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Tokyo will be Emirates' 102nd international destination.

Qatar Airways to fly daily to Stockholm

Qatar Airways has said it has will expand its Doha-Stockholm route to a daily service and will deploy a wide body Airbus A330 from March 28, 2010. The carrier has been operating a 110-seat Airbus A319 on the Stockholm route since the Swedish service was launched in November 2007. The twin-aisle A330s will offer more than twice the current A319 seating capacity-up to 260 seats with 24 in business and 236 in economy.

Emirates to fly A380 to Paris from December

Emirates Airlines has announced that it will serve Paris with the A380 superjumbo from 29th December, one month earlier than planned. The airline had previously announced that the aircraft would head to Paris Charles de Gaulle from 1st February next year, but an operational review, coupled with demand on the route, has led to an earlier introduction, the carrier said. The 489-seat aircraft will be incorporated into Emirates' double daily flights to Paris. It will initially service three of the morning departures from Dubai, becoming daily from 17th January 2010.

Emirates to operate more flights to Amman & Doha

Emirates Airlines has announced plans to launch three more flights per week to Amman, Jordan beginning December 1. The Dubai-based carrier is also adding an extra flight to Doha, Qatar from the same date, bringing the airline's total number of flights per week to Middle Eastern destinations from 197 to 201.

Been a while

Its been a while since I blogged. Just been very, very busy. Will definitely make time soon. Ciao.

Spicejet planning on international routes from next year

Low-cost carrier SpiceJet, promoted by a group of investors led by the Kansagra family and Delhi-based Ajay Singh, is working on a plan to start international operations next year, making it the third private Indian carrier after Jet Airways and Kingfisher to fly overseas. The airline qualifies for international operations from June next year after it completes five years of domestic operations, the minimum stipulated by the government. The airline plans to fly mainly to Saarc countries, south-east Asia and select west Asian routes rather than long-haul routes, such as London and New York as Jet and Kingfisher have done.

"We are planning our international launch carefully and will fly only on routes that we think are under-served or have potential for more flights," said Sanjay Agarwal, chief executive officer, SpiceJet. Agarwal explained that the airline would start operations in sectors in which SpiceJet’s Boeing 737 fleet can fly. On competition from low-cost carriers in West Asia like Flydubai and Air Arabia Aggarwal conceded that while the competition is tough, their strategy would be to service markets that are still under-served from India. These routes could include Riyadh and Dammam in Saudi Arabia. Aggarwal also pointed out that routes like Mumbai-Kathmandu, Chennai-Singapore are still viable and provide potential for growth.

Jet Airways introduces low apex fares on select routes

Jet Airways, India’s premier international airline, its new, all-economy Jet Airways Konnect service, as well as Jet Airways’ all-economy subsidiary JetLite have introduced new, low 15-day Apex fares on select domestic routes, with immediate effect. These new one-way fares, valid on key domestic routes from the five major metros of Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Kolkata respectively, are cheaper than equivalent First Class AC train fares on some routes, and marginally more expensive on others. According to Mr. Sudheer Raghavan, Chief Commercial Officer, Jet Airways, "We are delighted to introduce these new, low advance purchase fares to welcome the onset of the festive season, when travel demand traditionally increases. These fares are extremely competitively priced vis-à-vis train travel fares, and we expect these fares to prove extremely popular with travellers."

Gulf Air inducts brand new Airbus A320 aircrafts

Marking the start of its re-fleeting programme, Gulf Air has taken delivery of the first of 15 new 'fuel efficient' Airbus A320 aircraft into the fleet. Powered by CFM56 engines, the new A320 aircraft can carry 136 passengers in a two class configuration with 16 business class and 120 economy class seats. The new A320 aircraft together with the nine others that will follow between now and the end of 2010, will replace the airline's older narrow body aircraft, the carrier's CEO, Samer Majali said.

Oman Air launches Muscat-Paris flights

Oman Air has launched its non-stop scheduled services between Muscat and Paris-Charles de Gaulle. The new route will be run four times per week. The carrier has recently taken delivery of its second A330-300. Powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engines, the A330 will be configured in a three-class layout with six First, 20 Business and 196 Economy seats.

Air India to fly all economy class on select Gulf sectors

As part of its route rationalisation and cost-cutting measures, Air India plans to replace its twin-class aircraft with all-economy ones belonging to low-cost subsidiary Air India Express on some Gulf routes from the end of this month. "As part of our route rationalisation plans some of the flights which are currently being operated by erstwhile Indian Airlines on sectors like Bahrain and Doha, will be operated by our low-cost subsidiary, Air India Express," Air India sources said. Airbus A320 planes, which are currently being flown on these routes, would be replaced by planes with all-economy configuration flown by Air India Express, they said. "There is a huge potential for economy class traffic on these routes. Replacing a full-service carrier with a budget carrier will definitely help us in enhancing our revenue," the sources said. Air India has already effected these changes in its winter schedule starting from Sunday, they said.

Air China to start flights to Kolkata soon

With Kolkata airport on the verge of being modernized, several international airlines are showing interest to start new flights from the city. Air China is all set to start direct services by the end of this year. It will be the seventh international carrier to start operation in the city in the last two years. Kolkata airport director R Srinivasan said Air China delegates are expected to chalk out the details of their schedule and announce the launch of their new flights on Monday. At present, Air China operates from Delhi to three Chinese destinations Bejing, Shanghai and Chengdu.

Low-cost Chinese carrier China Eastern already connects Kolkata with Kumling four days a week. Last week, Air Asia announced its direct flight from Kolkata to Kuala Lumpur from November 19. The other airlines that started operations in the last two years are Kingfisher, Jet, Air India Express, Best Airline and United Airways. Two major airlines British Airways and Gulf Airline withdrew their operations and others reduced their frequencies three years ago. Even Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways are planning to restart some flights.

Air India Express starts Delhi-Doha flight

In order to meet the growing demand from Doha to the northern part of India, Air India Express will introduce Delhi as a new destination effective 26th October, 2009, three times a week. The Mumbai flight will be extended to Delhi and the passengers from Doha to Delhi will travel without disembarking at Mumbai on the same aircraft. From Delhi, Air India express will offer a flat add-on of QAR.150/- one way on Air India or Indian Airlines domestic flights to places like Amritsar, Srinagar, Varanasi, Patna, Lucknow etc. A similar offer already exists over Mumbai to places like Baroda, Ahmadabad, Hyderabad, Chennai, Goa etc. In fact, over Mumbai or Delhi which are our gate way points, passengers can connect to any one destination in India at a flat add-on rate of QAR.150/- one way on our services.

Jet Airways starts Mumbai-Riyadh flights

Effective October 25, 2009, Jet Airways, India's premier international airline, will increase their flights to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with the introduction of daily direct services from Mumbai to the Saudi Arabian administrative and commercial capital city of Riyadh. The airline will operate the new flights aboard a state-of-the-art Boeing 737-800 aircraft. Flight 9W 524 will depart Mumbai at 1930 hrs, arriving in Riyadh at 2115 hrs. 9W 523 will then depart Riyadh at 2215 hrs, arriving in Mumbai at 0420 hrs. According to Mr. Nikos K. Kardassis, CEO, Jet Airways, "Jet Airways is delighted to introduce daily services to Riyadh, kingdom of Saudi Arabia from Mumbai."

"The introduction of the daily flights will serve to further strengthen our Gulf network, better enabling us to offer passengers seamless connectivity and a world-class product on the Indo-Gulf sector." According to Mr. Fareed Al Alawi, VP-Gulf & MEA Jet Airways (India), "Jet Airways is delighted to introduce daily services to Riyadh, kingdom of Saudi Arabia from Mumbai. The introduction of this daily flight will serve to further strengthen our Gulf network, better enabling us to offer passengers seamless connectivity and a world-class product on the Indo-Gulf sector." Jet Airways currently flies daily to Kuwait, Bahrain, Muscat, Doha, Jeddah, Sharjah, Dubai and Abu Dhabi from several Indian cities.

Salalah Beach Marriott Resort all set to open

Oman's Dhofar Tourism Company has signed an agreement with Marriott International for the management of the 234-room Salalah Beach Marriott Resort. Scheduled to open in December 2009, the resort will be part of a mixed-used, beachfront development, located approximately 75 kilometres from the Sultanate's southernmost city.

Aloft Hotel to open in Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company and Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide have announced the Aloft Hotel in Abu Dhabi will be opened on October 25 during the inaugural Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix. The 408-room Aloft Hotel, which is connected to the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, is 20 minutes from downtown Abu Dhabi and 15 minutes from Abu Dhabi International Airport.

Air India aircraft lands in Delhi under emergency conditions

The pilots of an Air India plane with 150 people on board on Thursday aborted landing at the IGI Airport Delhi after experiencing "fluctuations" on the instrument landing system (ILS) signal, but later touched down safely. None of the 143 passengers of the IC-864 from Mumbai to Delhi or seven crew members was hurt in the incident, an airline spokesperson said. At 1209 hours, the pilots who were on the ILS mode for a safe landing suddenly spotted the signals on the system fluctuating, leading to problems with the coordinates of the Airbus A-321's landing path.

As soon as the problem was noted, the pilots decided to do a "go around" and informed the Air Traffic Control about their decision against landing, the spokesperson said. The plane, which was earlier planning to land on Runway 28, touched down safely on Runway 29 after about 20 minutes, he said. The aircraft later took off on its onward journey to Chandigarh with 151 passengers on board, he added. The ILS enables a plane to land in difficult conditions like thick fog, but the computer system on board and the system on the ground have to tally the coordinates for ensuring proper landing or take-off.

Aida Cara makes maiden call in Goa

M V Aida Cara, a German passenger vessel on a world cruise docked at the Mormugao port on Friday morning. The vessel arrived from Mumbai and about 1,000 German passengers stepped off the ship for a day-long tour, said Freedom Holidays, the company designated as handling agents for the visit. "We expect seven consecutive international cruise arrivals this season," says Martin Joseph, managing director, Freedom Holidays. The tourism industry says Goa can expect at least 15 international cruise liners this season. Last season, the state saw 11 cruise arrivals. Meanwhile, the tourists visited churches at Old Goa, temples at Mangueshi and Mardol in Ponda, the Dudhsagar waterfalls in the hinterland, a jungle jaunt at Tambdi Surla and even managed a trip to Bat Island off Vasco. The vessel set sail for Mangalore at 6 pm. "If Goa has a dedicated cruise terminal with a passenger lounge, it can tap into a huge market," Joseph said.

"The pier was dusty with black powder as coal had been unloaded there the previous night. We had to put a carpet to maintain cleanliness. Dust was flying around, even the tourist coaches were black," he said. "We missed out on the Volvo Ocean Race which went to Kerala. Goa was being considered as a stopover as it is an internationally known destination," Martin said. The tourism industry also says that Goa needs more tourist guides with fluency in languages such as German, French, Spanish and Italian. Martin says, "Yes, since we have a shortage of such guides here we have to get them from Bombay and Delhi, and they charge exorbitant rates. It is actually a great employment opportunity to be tapped in a tourism destination like Goa. Housewives and youngsters can learn foreign languages and work as part-time interpreters and guides."

Incidentally, there were no representatives from the government nor the tourism department to receive the first cruise as is done with the first charter flights for the season. Aida Cara's journey originated from Hanover port in Germany and its passengers are on a world cruise spanning 120 days. The itinerary includes shore excursions at Egypt, Muscat, Dubai, Mumbai, Goa, Cochin, Colombo, Penang-Malaysia, Bangkok-Thailand, Hong Kong, and a return to Germany. Aida Cruises cater mostly to German speaking passengers. The company's Aida Diva also plans to extend its reach from the Arabian Gulf to include a 11-night Christmas cruise to Mumbai and Goa. Aida Cara, which arrived in Goa, has nine passenger decks, a pool, fitness centre, 540-seat theatre, 391 outside cabins of which four have balconies, 202 inside cabins, and can carry 1,000 odd passengers supported by a crew of 370.

Air India reschedules flights and adds seat capacity

Air India sources said that Air India Express flights on the Kozhikode-Muscat-Kozhikode route, currently operating four times a week, will be made daily. Now, flights on the Kozhikode- Doha-Bahrain route will also operate daily, while the Kochi- Muscat-Kochi service will be increased to five times a week from twice a week. In addition, the company plans to introduce daily nonstop flights (A-319) between Chennai and Muscat. Meanwhile, Air India Express will increase its passenger capacity by introducing the all economy A-320 aircraft to Dubai, Sharjah, Kuala Lumpur and Colombo from various cities in India. Also, the thrice-a-week A-330 service to Paris will be replaced by the B-777-200LR aircraft. The B-747-400 aircraft operating on the Mumbai-Riyadh and Delhi-Riyadh routes will be replaced by the B-777-200ER aircraft and the service will be increased to 11 flights.

MDLR Airlines aircrafts grounded for violating safety norms

Gurgaon-based MDLR Airlines Pvt. Ltd, which serves mostly north Indian destinations, has grounded operations amid regulatory findings that the carrier had flouted safety norms. The airline is "not shutting down", said Koustav M. Dhar, chief operating officer of MDLR, confirming that both its planes are grounded. "We will do some restructuring," he said. "We are going to be looking at being leaner and meaner." The notices of regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) were issued after several surveillance checks, part of an audit by the US aviation regulator, the Federal Aviation Administration. DGCA issued a show-cause notice to the airline, owned by realtor Murli Dhar Lakh Ram Developers and Promoters Pvt. Ltd, in mid-September. The airline, which employs 264 people, is yet to comply with the regulator’s directions. MDLR also faces cancellation of its scheduled regional airline licence if it cannot comply with the guidelines, which mandate at least three operational aircraft within the first year of operations.

Air Asia to launch three new routes to India

AirAsia has announced that it will commence its daily direct flights to Kolkata, Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in November 2009 respectively. Following a successful launch from the South Indian city of Trichy last year, AirAsia now offers the people of Kolkata, Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram the pleasure of flying to Kuala Lumpur for an unbeatable all-inclusive fare from as low as INR 1499 (RM 129) all in fares one way respectively for the booking period from 15th to 20th October, 2009 for the travel period from 12th November 2009 to 31st July 2010 for Kochi, from 16th November 2009 to 31st July 2010 for Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) and from 19th November 2009 to 31st July 2010 for Kolkata. Promotional seats are limited and available on first-come, first-served basis and made exclusively available online via www.airasia.com and mobile.airasia.com.

AirAsia launched its first route to Trichy, India which is situated in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu on December 1, 2008, and is the first airline in South East Asia to fly direct to the city. The launch of the first frequency to the city recorded an overwhelming response with an average load factor of 85% which led the airline to increase its 2nd frequency to the city with AirAsia’s 2nd direct daily flight on 1st September, 2009. To date, AirAsia has carried over 100,000 guests to and from Trichy. AirAsia Regional Head of Commercial, Kathleen Tan said, "Today, AirAsia is reiterating its commitment to the Indian market with the launch of three new routes- Kolkata, Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum), the first airline to launch 3 cities in India in one day. While most airlines are cutting back during these tough economic times, AirAsia is aggressively expanding its India route network as we believe there is robust demand in low fare travel."

"The three new India destinations are colourful cities with rich historical and cultural traditions. We believe our low fares and outstanding innovative services, will definitely open up new markets, stimulate new travel demand and enable more people to fly with us; thus promoting tourism which is beneficial for the economies of both countries." "It has been an ongoing and sustained effort for AirAsia to provide the best service with unbelievable low fares to our guests. With the introduction of the three new routes, connectivity to the three cities to and from Kuala Lumpur direct will bridge social ties and promote new connectivity via our hub in Kuala Lumpur as a gateway to over 130 routes in Asia, including the ones served by Airasia X, its long haul affiliate to Australia (Gold Coast, Perth, Melbourne), China (Hangzhou, Tianjin, Chengdu), Taipei, London and Abu Dhabi, bringing the well known brand on to a global stage” concluded Kathleen.

It is now more convenient than ever to fly to Kuala Lumpur from Kolkata, located in the East Indian State of West Bengal and Kochi & Thiruvananthapuram, both located in the South Indian State of Kerala. Moreover as compared to other budget carriers, the route network offered by this award-winning airline is the most extensive in the region. This will translate into a low-cost yet efficient travel experience for guests who would benefit from using the LCC Terminal in Kuala Lumpur to connect to other regional ASEAN cities or long haul sectors serviced by AirAsia X. To add value, under GoHoliday at goholiday.airasia.com, guests may choose their holiday lodgings from over 50,000 hotels across Asia, Europe, India, Australia, Sri Lanka and China including ground transfer options and fantastic tour packages.

Jet Airways starts flights on Gaya-Varanasi-Bangkok route

Jet Airways, India’s premier international airline, will connect the Thai capital of Bangkok with Gaya and Varanasi, two important Indian cities on the famed Buddhist circuit, with twice weekly flights, effective October 6, 2009. The airline will operate with twice weekly services on the sector, on Tuesdays and Fridays respectively. These flights will allow people from the South Asian region to visit the famed Buddhist pilgrimage sights. Effective October 6, 2009 to October 24, 2009, 9W 69 will depart Bangkok at 0845 hrs, arriving in Gaya at 1015 hrs. Flight 9W 69 will then depart Gaya at 1145 hrs, arriving in Varanasi at 1230 hrs. Flight 9W 70 will then depart Varanasi at 1400 hrs, returning to Bangkok at 1845 hrs.

However, effective October 25, 2009 to March 27, 2010, 9W 69 will depart Bangkok at 0830 hrs, arriving in Gaya at 1015 hrs. Flight 9W 69 will then depart Gaya at 1145 hrs, arriving in Varanasi at 1230 hrs. Flight 9W 70 will then depart Varanasi at 1400 hrs, arriving in Bangkok at 1835 hrs. While Varanasi is one of the oldest cities in the world, Gaya is home to the famed Mahabodhi temple, a UNESCO heritage site, and the site where the Buddha attained enlightenment, according to Buddhist traditions.

Air India is the official carrier for Commonwealth Games 2010

Air India signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Commonwealth Organising Committee for becoming the Official Partner Airline for the Commonwealth Games, which will be held in Delhi in October 2010. The MoU was signed by Suresh Kalmadi, Chairman, Commonwealth Organising Committee and Arvind Jadhav, Chairman and Managing Director, Air India at a function held in New Delhi. Air India thus earned the distinction of being the first Indian and global sponsoring company for the Commonwealth Games.

Stargate theme park opens in Zabeel Park, Dubai

The Stargate theme park has opened in Zabeel Park, Dubai, after taking four years to build. The Dhs280m park features state-of-the-art interactive play with an element of education. Westech, a Swiss leisure services provider, supplied the project with all leisure equipment and the installation of rides and games. The park was due to open in November, but that date was brought forward because the park's Space Mall hit 70% occupancy.

Premier Inn opens at Dubai International airport

Premier Inn has announced it has opened a new hotel at Dubai's International airport. The new hotel at Dubai International Airport has 281 rooms, with en-suite bathrooms, and could accommodate a family of up to four. The hotel also offers a contemporary restaurant (Bedouinns), a bar (The Retreat), and a Costa Coffee outlet. The company has also recently inaugurated their hotel in Dubai Silicon Oasis, the company has said.

Qatar Airways aircraft flies from London to Doha fuelled by kerosene !

Qatar Airways has become the first carrier in the world to operate an aircraft powered by gas-to-liquid kerosene on a revenue flight. The Airbus A340-600 flew a six-hour flight from London Gatwick to Doha with all four of its Rolls-Royce Trent 500 engines powered by a 50/50 blend of GTL and Jet A1 kerosene. Qatar is set to be the market leader in the production of GTL, with Qatar Petroleum and Shell having created a multi-billion dollar integrated GTL 'Pearl' plant.

Flydubai starts flights to Doha

Dubai's low cost airline, Flydubai has received its fifth aircraft, Boeing 737-800NG, which will immediately serve the airline's inaugural flight to Doha. The plane is part of the historic order of 50 aircraft placed with Boeing at the Farnborough Airshow.

Etihad Airways to resume flights to Sri Lanka

Abu Dhabi based Etihad Airways has said that flights to Colombo in Sri Lanka will be resumed starting in January 2010. The carrier will operate four flights per week from Abu Dhabi to Sri Lanka's largest city and commercial capital, using an Airbus A320 aircraft. Flight EY266 will depart Abu Dhabi on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays at 9.55pm and arrive at Colombo's Bandaranaike international airport at 3.45am the following day. Return flight EY267 will depart Colombo on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 4.45am, arriving in Abu Dhabi at 8.00am the same morning.