Tourist arrivals rise in Oman

The Sultanate’s tourism industry has shown resilience in the wake of the global slowdown and the flu scare, according to a Standard Chartered Bank (SCB) study. The report says the number of tourist arrivals over the first five months rose 17.5 per cent as compared to last year. The study also reports a 3.9 per cent rise in revenue. With its economy diversifying, the Sultanate is increasingly banking on its tourism sector. "The diversification strategy of tourism is paying off. Despite the crisis, early indicators are encouraging,” said Philippe Dauba-Pantanacce, economist, Standard Chartered Bank. Compared to other GCC nations, Oman is ahead in terms of attracting tourists. "The arrival figures have so far been encouraging. We have managed to retain our share," said Mahesh Ramamurthy, manager, Bahwan Tours.

"The future looks promising as there has been a rise in inquiries for travel in October to December. With Ramadan ending in third week of September, we can expect a lot of tourists by October," he said. The push from the government, especially the Tourism Ministry, has given the sector a boost. The government has plans to spend $17 billion, a 10 per cent increase in public spending, this year. Close to $6 billion, including the $1.17 billion modernisation and expansion plan of Muscat Airport, had been disbursed by May, said the SCB report. Oman Air, the national carrier, has plans to start flights to new destinations across Europe and Asia, including Paris, Frankfurt, Munich, Maldives and Colombo, this year. While flights to Frankfurt and Munich is planned to start by end of September, the airline will add Paris, Maldives and Colombo to its global network by October, officials said.

Meanwhile, hotels in the Sultanate have registered a rise in bookings , sources said. Two major projects, long delayed, have been completed recently. "Completion of The Wave will bring back confidence, and should also help consolidate Oman’s image as a destination of choice," said Dauba-Pantanacce. The Muscat Hills Golf and Country Club has opened, albeit five years late. "This milestone will help establish Oman’s image as a high-end destination." Oman’s tourist-friendliness attracts travellers, officials at Dertour, one of Germany’s largest tour operators, said. In Oman, Dertour partners with Zahara Tours. "Despite the crisis, we are sure of a 15 per cent growth in tourism," said Carina Baugmgarner of Dertour. Similarly, Switzerland-based Holiday Maker Tours AG have been selling Oman as a destination for 20 years and claims to have brought in 20,000 visitors.

"As demand for Oman as a tourist destination is rising, the future is positive," said Harsh Abrol, manager, Zahara Tours. In the last quarter of 2008, number of guests rose to 400,000 and revenue reached RO51 million at all hotels in the Sultanate, Ministry of National Economy statistics indicates. According to official data, the four and five-star rated hotels occupancy and revenue have indicated high growth rates in first three months this year. In first quarter of 2009 the number of guests increased to 217,000 compared with 194,000 last year, an average annual growth rate of 12.4 per cent. Total revenue for these hotels reached an annual growth rate of 6.8 per cent in the first quarter of 2009, according to official data.

Annual TAAI conference to be held in Dubai

Dubai's Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Travel Agents Association of India for the hosting of the annual conference of India's travel trade body in Dubai from September 29 to October 2. The conference will contribute extensively in promoting and marketing Dubai in India which has been showing signs of strong growth, TAAI President Rajinder Rai said.

Emirates becomes world's largest Boeing 777 operator

Emirates has become the world's largest airline operator of Boeing 777 aircraft with the arrival of its 78th Boeing 777 today. Emirates has another 28 Boeing 777s pending delivery, worth over $1bn at list prices, and it is also the only airline to operate every model in the Boeing 777 family, -200s, -200ERs, -200LRs, -300s, -300ERs and freighters. The newest addition to the Emirates fleet is a Boeing 777-300ER configured for long distance journeys. Tim Clark, President Emirates Airline said, 'The 777s form the backbone of our fleet, and we have configured these aircraft to give us maximum flexibility in terms of route deployment. Emirates' 777s today fly to six continents from our Dubai hub, operating routes within a two-hour distance to long-range journeys of 16 hours non-stop. The 777 is an excellent aircraft in terms of operating economics, and importantly, the new technologies incorporated within enable us to fit it out with the latest onboard systems and passenger amenities.

Emirates is committed to maintaining a young and modern fleet, which enhances our passengers' comfort and safety and also makes our aircraft some of the most environmentally-friendly in the skies.''The 777 is the world's most successful twin-engine, long-haul airplane and Emirates has contributed significantly to the program's success, both in becoming the now largest 777 airline customer and through its continued feedback on quality step improvements we've made to the airplane,' said Marty Bentrott, Boeing Vice President of Sales for the Middle East, Central and South Asia. 'With suppliers around the world contributing to and benefitting from 777 production, Emirates' investment toward building the world's largest Boeing 777 fleet has played a role in maintaining and strengthening the global aviation manufacturing industry.'

Emirates recently completed an upgrading programme for its existing 777 fleet, and now all of its 777 aircraft boast its award-winning ice (information, communication, entertainment) system, which offers passengers in all cabin classes an unrivalled choice of up to 1,200 channels of the latest movies, TV programming, music and games on demand. The airline's long-range 777s have also been equipped with its very latest onboard products including private suites in First Class, lie-flat massage seats in Business Class, and ergonomically designed seats in Economy Class. Emirates received its first 777, a Boeing 777-200, in 1996. Its current 777 fleet comprises: three -200s, six -200ERs, 10 -200LRs, 12 -300s, 45 -300ERs, and two 777 freighters. In total, Emirates operates 137 an all-wide body fleet of Boeing and Airbus aircraft to 99 cities in 60 countries on six continents.

Jet Airways to start Mumbai-Riyadh flight

Jet Airways, the first private airline from India to fly to Saudi Arabia, has announced it will start its Riyadh-Mumbai flight on August 6. The carrier will operate the new route's flights on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday. Jet Airways has been operating daily Jeddah-Mumbai flights since July 15, and a Dammam-Mumbai flight is in the pipeline, the airline has said.

Air India to cancel Boeing aircraft order

After coming under attack in Parliament over extravagant booking of aircraft, loss-hit Air India is now having second thoughts on acquisition of 111 aircraft, payments for which have added considerably to its financial woes, besides considering a proposal to cancel delivery of six Boeing aircraft, say sources. The proposal, made at a recent Air India board meeting, is seen as an attempt to bring down the annual interest burden. These six Boeing aircraft, likely to be B777’s, are part of the total 68 Boeing aircraft ordered by the national carrier. The list price of a single such aircraft varies from $165 million to $200 million. However, the negotiated price for Air India could be much lower because of the huge size of the order. A top airline official said that the airline was now trying to work out the ‘cost economics’ of cancellation of the order. "Since these are firm orders, there are likely to be huge penalties, and the airline has already made some advance payments for acquisition of these aircraft," said the official.

SpiceJet reports improvement in passenger traffic in July

Budget air-carrier SpiceJet said it has witnessed a healthy improvement in demand and expects to post a 10 per cent rise in passenger traffic this month but low yields still remain a cause of concern. "After being constantly on the decline for quite some time now, demand for air travel grew by 12 per cent in June and we expect it to grow by 10 per cent in July," SpiceJet Chief Executive Officer Sanjay Aggarwal said. Demand for air travel is witnessing an upward trend after a long interval and this is a "silver lining" for the beleaguered industry, he said. SpiceJet has posted a healthy performance in Q1FY'10 clocking a 15 per cent jump in its revenues, Aggarwal said, adding "however, low yields remain a cause of concern." The airline, which declared its Q1 results on Monday, posted a net profit of Rs 26.34 crore against a loss of Rs 129.22 crore in the year-ago period. Describing the air-carrier posting a profit as a creditable achievement, he said, "We have been able to squeeze out a profit (even) in this time of gloom and doom." However, for the industry to sustain its business, yields need to improve significantly, he added.

Kingfisher flight aborts take-off at Mangalore

The 9.30 pm Kingfisher flight to Mumbai from Kochi via Mangalore airport, was about to gain speed after taxing for take off, when it was directed to return to the tarmac to pick up a lady passenger, who had been left behind on Sunday, July 26.It is said, that a lone lady passenger, who was waiting at the VIP lounge of the local airport, ensured that she was picked up by the flight that was about to take off. Reportedly, the woman, who is a member of the advisory committee of Airports Authority of India, came to know about the departure of the flight late, and immediately confronted local head of Kingfisher Airlines, Rishi Mehta. He thereafter asked the Air Traffic Control officials to summon the aircraft back, which was done.

The flight took off after a delay of about an hour. The incident was reported by the pilot, as per rules, to the Director General of Civil Aviation and an investigating team arrived at the local airport to investigate the incident. Kripa Amar Alva, who was the passenger in question, said that her bags had been loaded on to the aircraft and that she was unaware that the flight had left. The airport officials, while providing her a seat in the lounge, had promised that she would be informed when the flight is ready, she claimed. When she came out to check as to why the flight, scheduled to leave at 7.45, had not yet departed, she found to her dismay that the flight was on its way, she explained. Alva said, other passengers in the flight were furious, thinking that she had caused the delay, but asserted she was not to be blamed for the incident.

Deccan 360 to launch express cargo operations

Deccan 360 is gearing up to launch express operations "in a few months", according to its founder and managing director, Captain G R Gopinath. According to the captain, "we will provide guaranteed, fast, reliable, integrated, on demand, worldwide, door to door movement of shipments which are tracked and controlled throughout the journey." "The solutions will essentially be customised to ensure that the varied logistics needs of verticals like electronics, automobiles, textiles, manufacturing, banking and pharmaceuticals are catered to." Deccan 360 is currently in the process of finishing off its express cargo hub at Nagpur in central India. This will be the core of the company’s hub and spoke distribution model.Agreements have also been signed to set up express cargo facilities at Delhi and Hyderabad airports. Deccan 360 plans to deploy three Airbus A310 freighters with a capacity of 35 tonnes each, along with six smaller ATR aircraft for use on internal routes in India.

Air Astana to organise FAM trips to Almaty

In an effort to promote Almaty in Kazakhstan as a leisure destination in India, Air Astana’s India office will organise familiarisation (FAM) trips for the travel trade and media from India to Almaty in the coming months. This is the first time the airline is hosting a FAM trip for media to Kazakhstan’s second biggest city and commercial capital. The trip will be organised in association with the Kazakhstan Tourist Association (KTA), the national body of Kazakhstan for the promotion of tourism. Chander Mulchandani, Manager – Sales & Marketing, Air Astana in Delhi, informed that two FAMs will be organised separately.

"The trade FAM is almost finalised and is scheduled for next month, while the media FAM will be held some time in November this year. Dates will be announced once we receive confirmation from the KTA office in Almaty," he said.Air Astana is looking at hosting ten delegates as part of each FAM. Further elaborating on the FAMs, Mulchandani said, "We are trying to promote Almaty as a leisure destination in a big way big way with the support of the Kazakh Embassy in Delhi as well as hoteliers in Almaty." At present, the leisure traffic from India to Almaty is just two per cent of the total traffic, and according to Mulchandani, promotional activities are also aimed at enhancing the awareness level about the destination in the Indian market besides promoting Almaty as a leisure destination.

Jet Airways and KSTDC launch 'Golden Jet Escapes'

Two of India’s premium luxury travel brands, The Golden Chariot South India’s first luxury train by Karnataka state tourism Development Corporation (KSTDC) and Jet Airways, India’s premiere international airline have joined hands to offer unique holiday packages that combine luxury with convenience. ‘The Golden Jet Escapes’ offers a flight to Bangalore and onward journeys on Karnataka’s famed Golden Chariot Train, was launched in Bangalore today by Minister for Tourism and Infrastructure Development, Sri G Janardhana Reddy amidst an audience of media and tour operators. These new holiday packages will target both international and domestic travelers from metro destinations such as New Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Goa and Kochi in India, while on the international front, the offer is valid from New York, New Jersey, Toronto, London and Brussels.

Specially packaged fares have been provided by both the Golden Chariot and Jet Airways to offer a seamless travel experience that combines the air travel from a gateway city with the Golden Chariot experience that will showcase Southern India’s historic regions and sights such as Kabini, Mysore, Sharavanabelagola, Belur, Halebid , Hampi, Badami Caves, Pattadakai and Goa.The holiday packages have been especially created around the concept of time travel. Starting with 21st century Bangalore, travelers will be taken back in time to the 6th century Badami Caves, each destination offering chapter in history of this region.The Golden Jet Escape packages will be available on Jet Airways and The Golden Chariot websites. Bookings can be made on the websites www.glodenjetescapes.com and www.jetairways.com from Monday, July 27th, 2009.

These packages can also be availed through GSA’s of the Golden Chariot and travel agents. Jet Airways with its extensive network in India and in key gateway cities in the US, UK and Europe will also market this to new target audiences encouraging them to experience and relive the rich cultural diversity of Karnataka’s heritage. This offer that is available for both Premiere and Economy class on Jet Airways. Tourism Minister Sri. G. Janardhana Reddy, said, "The Government is interested in coming up with more such initiatives where marketing is jointly done with leading private sector players. Especially when the partners are popular and accepted it augurs well for the destination. With this initiative, Karnataka has spread its marketing initiatives firmly on the international and national markets."

According to Mr. Sudheer Raghavan, Chief Commercial Officer, Jet Airways, "Jet Airways has always sought to promote tourism both internationally, as well as within India, by leveraging its unmatched pan-India and growing international network. We are delighted to partner with KSTDC to launch the ‘Golden Jet Escapes’ initiative, as part of our ongoing efforts to boost domestic travel and tourism. We are confident that the compelling value proposition on offer will spur more travelers to visit Karnataka this year." On this occasion, Sutradhar, The Golden Chariot’s on board magazine was launched by Sri. Siraj Sheikh, Chairman, KSTDC. Speaking on the occasion he said that Karnataka is a land full of exciting stories and they can be seen and heard at every turn, in every destination. "Sutradhar, will narrate the stories of this land in an exciting manner that will be presented by the Sutradhar of ‘The Golden Chariot’. This will be yet another piece of showcase literature for travelers to Karnataka to read."

Jet Airways announces special fares to Bangkok

Jet Airways, India’s premier international airline announced an amazing special economy class return fare of INR 4388 to mark the launch of its Mumbai - Bangkok service 9W 68, a second frequency to the Thai capital, effective 16th August, 2009. Jet Airways’ guests may avail of this fare, specifically introduced for them, applicable only on outbound travel on 9W 68, from Mumbai to Bangkok, with an option to choose any other flight on the return Bangkok – Mumbai sector. This fare is valid for sale with immediate effect until August 05, 2009, whilst outbound travel must commence on or before October 15, 2009. Jet Airways has also re-introduced a special Premiere fare of INR 25000 (one way) valid for sale and travel with immediate effect until September 30, 2009, on this second frequency. With the introduction of this flight, Jet Airways’ leisure and business travelers now have a choice of flights to Bangkok either late at night or in the afternoon and return in the evening or the following morning. Taxes and surcharges extra.

Kingfisher Airlines staff to get delayed salaries

In a call to arms, the man running operations at financially stressed Kingfisher Airlines Ltd, India’s biggest airline by passengers, has asked its 6,000-plus employees to adjust to delayed salaries and embarrassing dealings with unpaid vendors in the months ahead that will decide if the airline survives a severe downturn, even as chairman Vijay Mallya tries to secure funding for the carrier. The communication comes at a time that airlines across the globe are faced with difficult times, and follows a similar missive from the office of Air India chairman and managing director Arvind Jadhav asking employees to join hands in a 'fight for survival'. In an email sent late Saturday night, Hitesh Patel, executive vice-president, Kingfisher Airlines, wrote it was difficult to foresee what the future held for the carrier. But, 'in a sense, our performance, our outlook over the next two months would dictate the shape of that battle,' he wrote, explaining how the airline was trying to improve its state of affairs.

An airline executive confirmed the receipt of the email, reviewed by Mint. Patel, who wrote the email after interactions with employees at four main bases for the airline, did not take calls for comment. The era of 'guests', as Kingfisher Airlines calls its passengers, Patel said, was getting over with the growing market share of low-cost carriers (LCCs). 'For the forseeable future, the market will be ruled by the LCCs,' Patel said, adding Kingfisher is following the trend and operating three of four of its flights as Kingfisher Red, its low-fare service. The number of planes in Kingfisher Airlines’ fleet has been reduced to 69 from 89, added Patel, a former executive at JetBlue, a low-fare US airline.

Kingfisher Airlines reports losses

India's Kingfisher has posted a net loss of 16.09 billion rupees ($334.9 million) for the year ending 31 March on net sales of 52.7 billion rupees. Kingfisher did not provide a comparison to the figures from a year. The last fiscal year was only nine months long as that took into account the airline's integration with low-cost carrier Deccan, and the separation of the latter's charter business into a separate company. It also wanted to bring its accounting year in line with that of other firms in the UB Group, its parent company. For those nine months in the previous fiscal year that ended on 31 March 2008, the airline posted a net loss of 1.88 billion rupees.

The losses come amid a turbulent time for the Indian airline industry, with the carriers reeling from falling demand and high costs. Kingfisher said earlier in July that it was seeking board approval to issue shares worth 50 billion Indian rupees, and secured shareholder approval to borrow up to 125 billion Indian rupees.The cash could allow the company to shore up its balance sheet and navigate its way out of the rough times, says a spokeswoman.

Jet Airways to terminate all expat pilots

Faced with huge losses in the first quarter, the country’s largest private carrier by market value, Jet Airways will complete the process of replacing expat pilots with Indian pilots by the end of the current fiscal. Last November, Jet had discontinued the service of 32 foreign pilots. The company has a total of 1,100 pilots out of which 250 are expats. The contracts of nearly three dozen expat pilots will expire in October while some more will run out in December with the rest by March next year. The objective of the exercise is to control costs. Foreign pilots charge a huge salary premium over Indian pilots. A foreign pilot, on an average, is paid a monthly salary of Rs 5 lakh plus an accommodation allowance of Rs 2 lakh.

Indian pilots, on the other hand, draw around Rs 3.6 lakh a month. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation had earlier said all domestic airlines should have only Indian pilots by July 2010. Jet has already reduced capacity by 20% on domestic routes and by half on international routes in the last two quarters. Capacity is a measure determined by number of operational aircraft and seats occupied in an airline. Analysts say Jet will not need too many pilots after capacities have been reduced. "Laying off foreign pilots will help the company in controlling costs and stay afloat," said an analyst with a domestic brokerage firm. Earlier, the airline has issued termination notices to 43 cabin crew on probation. It has also terminated contracts of 110 employees, of which 60 had superannuated and the rest were probationary cabin crew staff.

Air Asia to fly twice daily to Trichy

Good news for those who travel often to Tiruchirapalli as low-cost carrier AirAsia will be adding a second daily flight to the Indian city starting Sept 1. To celebrate the introduction of the flight, AirAsia will be offering an all-in fare of RM129.00 for a travel period between Sept 1 this year and April 30 next year. The booking period for the flight will be from Tuesday to Aug 2. AirAsia Group commercial regional head Kathleen Tan said the airline was proud to be servicing an underserved route and opening up this market to the world. Tiruchirapalli was AirAsia’s first destination in India since its inception on Dec 1 last year. AirAsia is also offering its guests free rooms in various destinations when they book at its partner hotels via goholiday.airasia.com

Jet Airways and JetLite launch ‘Boarding Card Delights’

Jet Airways, India’s premier international airline and JetLite, Jet Airways’ all-economy subsidiary have launched ‘Boarding Card Delights’, an initiative offering the airlines’ guests a range of special benefits and discounts against their boarding cards, at various partners across India. This initiative, comes into effect on July 23 and is valid until October 15, 2009. ‘Boarding Card Delights’ currently has 13 established brands as programme partners, across four categories- Hotels, Dining/Restaurants, Car Rentals and Retail. These include Marriott® International hotels in India, Domino’s Pizza India Ltd, Welcome Heritage, The Park Hotels, Sarovar Hotels, The Lemon Tree Hotels, Preferred Hotel Group, Sterling Holiday Resorts, Hertz, Avis, William Penn, Collection I, Ferns n Petals. To avail of this attractive offer, guests need to present their Jet Airways/Jet Airways Konnect or JetLite boarding cards, at the various partner establishments/outlets.

Boarding cards generated through the Web, SMS and Kiosk Check-in, will be accepted along with their respective photo identification. Marriott® International hotels in India will offer Jet Airways’ guests 50% discount on food at select restaurants across India, while they dine between 7pm and 9pm on any day in the week. Furthermore, Guests may book 3 nights using the unique promotion code Y0L, present their boarding cards at check-in and enjoy the 3rd night free, plus a US$50 dining credit at participating Marriott International hotels in India.Dominos Pizza India Limited, Jet Airways’ partner in the dining category will offer a discount of Rs.100 on purchase worth Rs.400 and above. This offer is valid at all Dominos Pizza outlets across India. Similarly, guests can upgrade to the next room category and avail of a 10% discount on Food and Beverages at select Preferred Hotels Group properties in India.

Jet Airways’ guests can enjoy special rates, discounts on select services and complimentary stay for their spouse at select properties of The Park Hotels and at WelcomHeritage properties in Rajasthan. Guests can check-in to Sarovar Hotels and enjoy a FREE night stay upon presenting their boarding cards at participating hotels. Additionally, they can also enjoy a 10 percent discount on food & beverage (excluding alcohol) at select Food & Beverage outlets. Guest may avail of flat 15% discount on the Best Available Rate (BAR) with Lemon Tree Hotels in India. This offer is available online at www.lemontreehotels.com using a promotional code ‘Jet’ OR on presentation of a Jet Airways boarding pass at the time of check in. At Lemon Tree Hotels and at their participating hotels guest may enjoy 15% discount on the ‘Best Available Rate’, on presentation of boarding pass. Similarly, guests can upgrade to the next room category and avail of a 10% discount on Food and Beverages at select Preferred Hotels Group properties in India.

Sterling Hotels will offer guests 20% discount on the best available rate at participating properties. Jet Airways has also tied up with two leading car rental companies, Hertz and Avis.With the Avis partnership, Jet Airways’ guest may avail of a 20% off on rack rates on Chauffeur Drive rentals with Avis Car Rentals at participating airports in India. Guests can enjoy a 15% Discount on Airport Transfers and Chauffeur Drive rentals or One day FREE on Self Drive rentals when they rent a car with Hertz in IndiaWilliam Penn offers a Flat 10% off on select brands on purchase of Rs.2000 and a Free Schaeffer 500 worth Rs.1395 on purchase of merchandise worth Rs.4500. This offer is valid at all William Penn stores across India.“Collection I” offers Rs.2000 off on exclusive range of furniture on minimum purchase of Rs.20000 at participating stores. Ferns n Petals offers up-to 15% discount, on purchases made at their outlets.

Oman Air exhibits at Salalah Tourism festival

The Oman Air stand at the Municipal Entertaining Centre, the main venue of the Salalah Tourism Festival has proved to be a major drawcard attracting visitors who are eager to learn about Oman Air's new destinations, products and services. Hamed Al Harthy, Oman Air's District Sales Manager Salalah, said: 'Every year the number of visitors to Salalah increase as the region comes alive with a unique festival atmosphere. Salalah is a tourism magnet during the cooler climate experienced during the Khareef season but the hot offers we have this year has raised the temperature. This autumn we commence new services to Frankfurt, Munich, Paris, Colombo and the Maldives with our brand new fleet of Airbus widebody aircraft and people are eager to see the new Oman Air product offers.

The major attraction apart from our red-hot holiday offers is our new Business Class seat which many people are mistaking as a First Class seat due to the 82' length and 180 degree lie flat bed. However, I'm spending most of my time assuring people that our 4 abreast Business Class seating is for real and they will have to wait until 17th August when we unveil our First Class seat at a gala event in Muscat.' Barry Brown, Oman Air's Chief Commercial Officer added: 'Oman Air has worked tirelessly with the Oman Ministry of Tourism to highlight the wonderful weather in Salalah during the Khareef and the Salalah Tourism Festival makes a visit a must to beat the hot summer experienced in other parts of the Gulf and Middle East.'

'Under our banner 'Partnership Oman' a number of public promotions were conducted throughout the GCC and I'm pleased to say that the increased number of visitors is recognition that our efforts have been duly rewarded.' The Oman Air pavilion is strategically located near the main entrance- gate No 1 where all major sponsors are positioned. This allows visitors easy access to obtain the latest information including special holiday package offers, scheduled flight and airfare information.

Oman Air appoints Black Sheep PR

Oman Air, the flag carrier of the Sultanate of Oman, has appointed London-based Black Sheep Public Relations to provide UK public relations support. Peter Hill, Chief Executive Officer of Oman Air, said: 'We are delighted to welcome aboard Black Sheep PR and we look forward to working with them to position and build the Oman Air brand in the UK.' Agencies have also been appointed in France and Germany. The appointment comes as Oman Air expands its international network and prepares to introduce new aircraft and new onboard products to a number of routes, including London to Muscat. Having moved its UK operations from Gatwick to Heathrow earlier this year, the airline is the only carrier to offer daily, direct, non-stop flights between London and Oman.

Peter Hill continued, 'Oman Air's international expansion has this year seen the introduction of daily London Heathrow and Bangkok services. In September we will be launching daily non-stop services from Oman to Germany, with four Frankfurt and three Munich flights. October will see the introduction of four non-stop flights from Oman to Paris, Charles De Gaulle and four flights to the Maldives, whilst Colombo in Sri Lanka will receive daily flights with four wide-body and three narrow-body aircraft. These new routes, together with our new aircraft and fantastic new products represent carefully-planned and sustainable growth and confirm Oman Air not just as a major Middle East carrier, but as an important world airline.'

'This transformation is the result of sound strategic planning and long-term investment, and provides the foundation for further sustainable growth over many years to come. It also provides an important element of Oman's ongoing inward investment programme,' he said. Oman Air offers some of the most competitive prices for seats between London and Muscat, with Economy Class fares and Business Class fares.

Oman Air ties up with Shangri La Hotels & Resorts

Oman Air's 'Sindbad' Frequent Flyer Programme has announced a partnership with Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts - Asia Pacific's leading luxury hotel group. Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, welcomes business and leisure travellers with award-winning Asian hospitality. The group comprises of 62 deluxe hotels and resorts in key cities throughout Asia and the Middle East in locations comprising Australia, China, Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Sultanate of Oman, Taiwan, Thailand and the United Arab Emirates, with new properties under development in Europe and North America. With this partnership, Sindbad members are entitled to 500 miles for every qualifying stay at any of the 62 Shangri-La or Traders hotels within the family of hotels around the world.

In addition, Sindbad Frequent Flyer Programme members who are also members of Shangri-La's Golden Circle guest recognition programme will receive additional Sindbad miles for each qualifying stay. Golden Circle Executive members receive 25% or 125 Bonus Miles and Golden Circle Elite member will be awarded 50% or 250 Bonus Miles. These miles can be claimed simply by providing the Sindbad membership number upon check-in. Barry Brown, Oman Air's Chief Commercial Officer said: 'We are delighted to welcome Shangri-La as a partner in our Sindbad Frequent Flyer Programme. Our discerning members who enjoy the finer things in life will appreciate the exceptional hospitality, upon which Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts have built their solid reputation. We have a close strategic relationship with the Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah Resort in Muscat and as we spread our wings this year to Paris, Frankfurt, Munich, Sri Lanka and the Maldives the ability for our members to enjoy earning capabilities with this luxury group of hotels is a bonus.'

Commenting on the new partnership, Kent Zhu, group director of sales & marketing, Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts said: 'The partnership with Oman Air's Sindbad is an important milestone for us. With their strong base in Muscat and Shangri-La's presence and recognition in the Middle Eastern market, especially with hotels and resorts in Sultanate of Oman, Abu Dhabi, Dubai and the soon-to-be opened Shangri-La hotel in Doha.' Zhu added, 'This will form a strategic alliance to empower our presence in the region and complements our synergies in terms of future growth with new hotels and routings in destinations such as Maldives and Paris.'

Shah Nagardas to exhibit at Food and Hotel Oman 2009

Shah Nagards Manji and Co. LLC, one of the oldest trading companies in the Sultanate of Oman, will present its full range of branded kitchen and laundry equipment at the Food and Hotel Oman 2009 exhibition, which is scheduled on October 26-28 at the Oman International Exhibition Centre. Paresh Shah, owner of Shah Nagardas Manji & Co., said, 'We are glad to confirm our participation as a major exhibitor in this premier exhibition for the vibrant food and hotel industries in the sultanate. This is consistent with our strategy to maintain our position as a leading supplier of kitchen and catering equipments.'

Established way back in 1932, Shah Nagardas Manji & Co. has been operating for over 75 years now, and it has nurtured a good relationship with its clients in that span of time and forged strong partnerships with renowned companies from all over the world. At present, the company is the authorized distributor in Oman for globally known brands, including Fagor, Salva and Sammic from Spain, Simag and Scotsman from Italy, Blanco from Germany, Santos from France, as well as IMC from the UK, Sunnex from Hong Kong, and Lincoln from the US. Shah pointed out that his company's Industrial Kitchen Equipment Division offers a complete range of kitchen equipment, crockery and cutlery, commercial laundry equipment, ice-making machines, refrigeration systems, and all types of catering equipment.

Specifically, among the products available from the company are gas and electric ranges, bakery and pizza ovens, freezers and chiller units, bain-maries and chafing dishes, and a wide selection of food preparation equipments. Apart from simply supplying these products, Shah Nagardas Manji & Co. can also undertake the planning, design and installation based on the existing kitchen layouts. In addition, it is involved in the custom fabrication of kitchen sinks, hoods and worktop tables. The company's full range of products and services has made it the preferred supplier of many major clients such as hotels, catering firms, oil & gas companies, government ministries, and engineering companies.

C.J.Paul, General Manager of Omanexpo LLC, the leading organiser of trade and consumer shows in the sultanate, said: 'The strong presence of Shah Nagardas Manji & Co. at Food & Hotel Oman 2009 will ensure that all our trade visitors will be highly impressed by the wide range of products on display at the exhibition.' Paul explained that Food & Hotel Oman 2009 primarily aims to cater to the growing requirements of the rapidly developing food and hospitality industries in the Sultanate. The three-day trade international exhibition will showcase all types of food products and beverages, hotel supplies and equipment, food processing technologies, kitchen and catering equipment, food packaging systems, and other related products and services.

Food & Hotel Oman 2009 is officially supported by the Oman Chamber of Commerce & Industry (OCCI) as well as by AKAH Najwani & Partners LLC as the major sponsor, Salman Hotel and Restaurant Equipment LLC as the platinum sponsor, and ELCO National Trading Co. LLC as the silver sponsor. The OER Dossier is the official publication of the exhibition, while Hospitality News Middle East and Food & Beverage News are the media partners.

Emirates aircraft suffers birdhit in Delhi

A bird flying over Runway 28 of the Indira Gandhi International Airport forced an Emirates flight, EK 510, to land under emergency conditions after being hit on its right engine. The flight was able to land safely at the airport, sources said, adding that the aircraft has been grounded for repairs and is still in Delhi. According to ATC sources, the Dubai-Delhi flight was scheduled to land at 9.05 am when the pilot suspected the bird hit. The pilot informed ATC about the same and later a dead bird was found on Runway 28. Airport sources said the incident delayed the return Delhi-Dubai flight, and passengers had to wait several hours. Sources said Runway 28 had to be shut for sometime after the dead bird was found. Orhan Abbas, Emirates vice-president for India and Nepal, has confirmed the incident. He said an inspection of the flight has been carried out and it has now been cleared for departure.

Air India flight makes emergency landing at Mumbai

An Air India flight bound for Mumbai from Bhubaneswar, the capital of Orissa, with 91 passengers on board made an emergency landing at the Mumbai international airport yesterday owing to hydraulic failure, an airport official said. "Full emergency was declared after the Mumbai-bound Air India flight IC-169 reported hydraulic failure," a Mumbai International Airport Limited (Mial) spokesperson said. Airport authorities received the information at 4:34pm. The aircraft landed safely at 4:43pm, the spokesperson said. It was then towed away from the runway to a bay.

Thrifty offers special deals for Khareef season in Salalah

In recognition of Salalah's increased tourism, Thrifty Car Rental, one of Oman's most popular car rental companies, is offering tourists a special deal, giving them the seventh day free when hiring a car for a period of six days. For years, Salalah has been an oasis for GCC residents to escape to during the scorching summer months, in particular during the Khareef festival, named after the monsoon winds that sweep across Dhofar from July to September, resulting in a lush, green landscape. During the festival, Oman experiences a higher visitor influx from across the Middle East. Salalah, also recognized as the perfume capital of Arabia for its Frankincense Trail, has been a haven for travel and tourism operators since the government began promoting it as a tourist destination 10 years ago. Apart from its scenic attractions, Salalah has a rich, natural history, with many areas listed as World Heritage sites by UNESCO.

In light of Salalah's recent development, Mehdi Jaffer, Deputy Managing Director, Thrifty Car Rental, believes that the city will attract an increased number of business travelers in addition to the large number of tourists: "Previously, Salalah was busy during the Khareef festival, but then quiet throughout the rest of the year. However, thanks to the numerous government backed developments, we have seen an increased interest in the city from oversees investors, many of whom rent cars from us during their visits," explained Jaffer. "This is an ideal time for people to take a look at Salalah's industrial potential, for example, the ongoing development and expansion of the Salalah port will double its capacity over the next four years and facilitate the berthing and handling of large container vessels," continued Jaffer. The Port of Salalah has reported an increase in handling capacity from 2.5 million TEU in 2006 to 4.5 million TEU Containers in 2008 and is ideally located for accessing the Middle East, the Indian Subcontinent, East Africa and the Indian Ocean, reaching out to over 2.5 billion consumers.

The port's natural depth, which ranges from 16 -18 meters, makes it a popular attraction for investors with large liners. The Salalah Free ZoneSalalah Free Zone, situated beside the port, is emerging as a center for heavy industries in the Middle East. The expansion of Salalah airport, targeting a capacity of 10 million passengers, is scheduled for completion in 2011. There is an enormous potential for real estate development with demand currently exceeding supply. "We are confident in the government-supported development plans, and have adopted our business strategy in order to accommodate leisure and business travelers," continued Jaffer. "Last month, Thrifty Oman was awarded 'Best Growth in the Middle East' from the Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group MENA & Asia Pacific. This accolade is something we have achieved not only through our work with tourists, but also by working closely with start-up businesses and potential investors visiting Salalah and the rest of Oman. We are gearing up for exponential growth in the foreseeable future."

Raytheon to provide GPS-Aided Indian Air Navigation System

The Indian Space Research Organization has awarded an $82 million contract to Raytheon Company to modernize the Indian air navigation system. Raytheon will build the ground stations for the GPS-Aided Geosynchronous Augmented Navigation System, and ISRO will provide the space segment and additional ground equipment. GAGAN will provide satellite-based navigation for civil aviation over Indian airspace and adjoining areas in South and East Asia. "GAGAN will be the world's most advanced air navigation system and further reinforces India's leadership in the forefront of air navigation," said Andy Zogg, Raytheon Network Centric Systems vice president of Command and Control Systems. "GAGAN will greatly improve safety, reduce congestion and enhance communications to meet India's growing air traffic management needs.

"Raytheon plays a major role in designing innovative solutions for air traffic management. The company offers a broad range of automation and surveillance systems in use today in more than 50 countries around the world. GAGAN will be the newest addition to the ATM portfolio. Raytheon is the only company that has delivered satellite-based augmentation systems that have been certified for safety-of-flight operations. The company developed the Federal Aviation Administration's Wide Area Augmentation System and was engaged in the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau's Multi-Function Transport Satellite Augmentation System. Raytheon will continue the work it began several years ago and expects to have the GAGAN system fully functional by 2013.

Air India Express to start Mumbai-Pune flights

With a view to save Mumbai-Pune travellers from the traffic snarls due to rains, the Air India Express of the National Aviation Company of India Ltd has announced flights thrice a week between these two cities at Rs 999. These flights will operate between Mumbai-Pune-Dubai route and vice versa. "Monsoon has set in and more and more passengers prefer flying rather than traveling by road between Mumbai and Pune in order to avoid the monsoon traffic snarls. Therefore, Air India Express flights will provide services at Rs 999 for the ease of passengers," said station manager of Air India Dhairyashil Vandekar.

Flight number IX 211 will take off from Mumbai at 2.30 pm, which will arrive Pune at 3 pm. It will operate on are Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. From Pune, it will leave for Dubai at 4.50 pm which will reach Dubai at 5.30 pm. Another flight, IX 212, will depart from Dubai at 6.30 pm and arrive Pune at 11.40 pm. It will leave for Mumbai at 12.35 am and reach Mumbai at 1.05 am. This flight will operate on Thursday, Saturday and Monday.

Boeing cuts aircraft sales forecasts for India

Boeing Wednesday cut its commercial aircraft sales forecast for India saying it expects the country's carriers to buy up to 1,000 planes by 2029 for as much as $100 billion. The U.S. based aircraft manufacturer previously forecast India would need 1, 001 aircraft worth $105 billion by 2027. "India is economically better than the rest of the world but the aviation industry here is equally affected as companies globally," Boeing India President Dinesh Keskar said. He said last year's forecast was that large airplanes' share in the overall market would reach 11% but it now expects it to be 8%. The company now expects higher orders for small planes, so it has scaled down its forecast for India by $9 billion.

Keskar said air travel has started recovering and he expects the local aviation market to turn around in nine to 12 months. Higher operating costs, the global economic downturn and lower consumer spending has hurt air travel in India. Air passenger traffic fell about 5% in 2008. Air traffic declined 8.06% to 21.09 million passengers during the first six months of 2009. Jet Airways, Kingfisher Airlines and Air India have cut capacity and deferred and cancelled deliveries of new planes from Boeing and its rival Airbus due to the decline in passenger numbers. Boeing's customers in India include Jet Airways, Air India and low-fare carrier SpiceJet.

Jet Airways to launch Kochi-Sharjah sector in September

Jet Airways, India’s premier international airline, will launch services to the Gulf emirate of Sharjah, with the launch of its daily service from Kochi, effective September 1, 2009. The airline will launch services to Sharjah aboard a state-of-the-art Boeing 737-800 aircraft. This will be Jet Airways’ fourth daily service to the Gulf from Kochi, complementing the airline’s existing daily services on the Kochi- Doha, Kuwait and Muscat sectors. Effective September 1, 2009 to October 24, 2009 and from March 28, 2010 to October 30, 2010, flight 9W 562 will depart Kochi at 1045 hrs, arriving in Sharjah at 1305 hrs.

Flight 9W 561 will then depart Sharjah at 1415 hrs, arriving in Kochi at 1945 hrs. However, effective October 25, 2009 to March 27, 2010, flight 9W 562 will depart Kochi at 1045 hrs, arriving in Sharjah at 1325 hrs. Flight 9W 561 will then depart Sharjah at 1425 hrs, arriving in Kochi at 1945 hrs. Jet Airways currently flies to seven destinations in the Gulf including Kuwait, Bahrain, Muscat, Doha, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Jeddah from several Indian cities. The airline will also launch services to Riyadh, its second service to Saudi Arabia, on August 6, 2009.

Air India offers low cost fares on select sectors

Beleaguered national carrier Air India, struggling to stay afloat after accumulating Rs 7,200 crore loss, has announced special fares on select domestic sectors in an attempt to attract passengers during the lean season. Announcing the special fares, Air India said that the tickets can be bought up to three days before flying and would be valid till September 20. The all inclusive fares come in two categories. Under the first category, a Mumbai-Hyderabad flight would cost only Rs 2,079. Similarly, a Mumbai-Kochi travel would cost Rs 3,279 and Mumbai-Bangalore Rs 2,779.

The second category of special fares offers would be applicable on 70 select domestic routes and exclusive of all taxes and passenger service fee, Air India said. However, a passenger would have to pay user development fee at airports where it is applicable. In a related development, civil aviation minister Praful Patel on Wednesday asked India’s flag carrier to streamline its operation and change its work culture. Mr Patel said that the government was looking for acclaimed professionals to constitute a national advisory board for the carrier. The company is expected to get several independent directors on its board within a month.

Hijack threat on Indigo Airlines flight

A passenger on board an IndiGo Airlines flight from Delhi to Mumbai created a scare on Thursday when he falsely claimed there was a bomb in the aircraft and asked the crew to divert the plane to Pakistan. According to a Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) official, the passenger, later identified as Sanjay Malik, created panic at around 11.45am when the flight 6E 181 was on its final approach to the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport. The captain of the aircraft alerted the air traffic control of Mumbai airport. A Quick Response Team of the CISF, a paramilitary force that guards airports and important industrial installations across the country, was deployed at the airport. The team took over the aircraft as soon as it landed at around 11.45am and checked it but could not find any bomb.

The CISF detained the passenger and later handed him over to Mumbai Police who were in the process of questioning him to find out his motive. The CISF official said the passenger seemed mentally disturbed. For the IndiGo airlines, this was the second instance of panic midair. On Feb 2, its flight 6E 664 made an emergency landing at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport as three passengers created a hijack scare during the flight. After landing, the plane was taken to an isolation bay and passengers were asked to remain seated as commandos checked the aircraft. The three passengers were later detained for unruly behaviour.

Lufthansa plans to introduce A 380 on Delhi route

Hope for the best and prepare for the worst. German airline Lufthansa is adopting this strategy for its India plans. While it will seek permission to fly in the world’s largest commercial airliner, Airbus A-380, into Delhi, the airline has sharply reduced business seats in the Boeing 747s flying here. In wake of corporate travellers giving up business class for cost-cutting reasons, the number of economy seats has been increased in the biggest plane in its fleet at present, the Boeing 747. Lufthansa has ordered 15 of the world’s biggest commercial airliner that would start joining its fleet from early next year.

“We need two things, government clearance under bilateral agreement to fly this plane and an airport that’s ready for it. Delhi is an interesting destinations for this aircraft to be deployed in. Once we have the clearance and Delhi airport terminal can receive this plane, our planning team will decide when to get the same here,” said Axel Hilgers, Lufthansa’s director (south Asia). The superjumbo is likely to be used for commercial purposes next summer. But for present, Hilgers is tweaking the fleet deployment and configuration as it does not want to withdraw flights or frequency.

Queen Elizabeth II to be docked in South Africa

South Africa's Tourism Ministry has said that Dubai World plans to berth the Queen Elizabeth II ocean liner at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town and convert it into a luxury hotel. The company is applying for berthing rights from the National Port Authority, and the Department of Tourism is weighing up the desirability of the plans. A local hotel group, which has declined to be named 'as talks are at a sensitive stage', is engaged in talks with Dubai World to manage the new hotel.

Jet Airways to start Hyderabad-Dubai route

India's Jet Airways plans to launch its fifth daily service to Dubai from Hyderabad. Jet has also announced an all inclusive introductory return fare of Dhs 995 in economy class, valid for travel from Dubai to Hyderabad in the first week of its new operation from August 16 to August 22, with return travel to be completed by September 30, 2009. Jet's Premiere fares start at Dhs 2,000 without taxes. The airline has said it will commence services on the route aboard a Boeing 737-800 aircraft.

Go Air suffers bird hit at Ahmedabad

A GoAir flight from the Sardar Vallabhai International Airport in Ahmedabad had to be cancelled on Friday morning because of a bird-hit. Once again, zon guns, reflecting films, firecrackers and around one dozen bird chasers, all proved useless against the airport birds. Sources said that the GoAir aircraft, G8 321, scheduled for departure to New Delhi at 8:28 am, was taxiing for take off when a kite hit its engine. The pilot aborted the take-off and returned to the hangar with its six-blade engine damaged. Sources said that, in the process, hundreds of other birds were also cut to pieces. Friday's incident takes the total number of bird-hits at the Ahmedabad airport to 3 in the past one fortnight.

"There were hundreds of birds flying all over the runway on Friday morning," a source said. "Before a plane takes off for landing, the runway has to be clear from every direction. Unfortunately, on Friday, when the birds were chased from one side, they flew to the other side of the runway. Finally, the airport authorities decided to cancel the flight. "GoAir officials conceded that the flight was cancelled but they insisted that the circumstances were not under their control. The GoAir spokesperson said 98 of the 102 passengers of the flight were diverted to a SpiceJet flight scheduled for 10:20 am, while four chose to cancel their trip for a refund.

Air India & South African Airways sign code share agreement

National air-carrier, Air India, and South African Airways (SAA), have signed a code-share agreement, which they said would improve travel options between their respective countries. The agreement allows Air India passengers to code-share on SAA's route between Johannesburg and Mumbai, as well as on the domestic sectors between Johannesburg-Durban and Johannesburg-Cape Town. SAA, in return, will code-share on Air India's domestic operations between Mumbai and Delhi as well as operations between Bangalore, Chennai, Trivandrum and Hyderabad to Mumbai. The partnership was effective from June 18 and allows for improved and expanded connectivity between each other's networks.

Jet Airways launches Mumbai-Jeddah flight

Jet Airways, India’s premier international airline, today launched its services to Saudi Arabia with the introduction of its daily service from Mumbai to Jeddah. The airline marked the occasion with the customary inaugural ceremony at the Mumbai International Airport. Jet Airways will operate its maiden flight on the sector aboard a state-of-the-art Boeing 737-800 aircraft. Flight 9W 522 will depart Mumbai at 2135 hrs, and will arrive in Jeddah at 0001 hrs. Flight 9W 521 will depart Jeddah at 0100 hrs, and will arrive in Mumbai at 0835 hrs. With the introduction of its services to Saudi Arabia, Jet Airways now flies to 7 cities in the Gulf, including Kuwait, Bahrain, Muscat, Doha, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Jeddah.

Jeddah is Saudi Arabia’s second largest city, as well as a commercial hub. It also holds great religious significance, as the principal gateway to Mecca, Islam’s holiest city. According to Mr. Wolfgang Prock-Schauer, CEO, Jet Airways, “Jet Airways is delighted to introduce its services to Saudi Arabia. Guests on these sectors may now enjoy the quality in-flight product, warm service and seamless connectivity that has made Jet Airways the carrier of choice on the competitive Indo-Gulf sector in a relatively short span of time.” Jet Airways will also launch a new, daily service to Dubai from Hyderabad, its fifth daily service to the Gulf emirate and second from Southern India; as well as its second daily service to Bangkok from Mumbai, effective August 16, 2009.

Air India flight makes emergency landing at Kochi

An Air India aircraft with crew and seven passengers on board today made an emergency landing at the Kochi airport due to technical snag, airport sources said. The aircraft bound for Agatti in Lakshadweep Islands returned for an emergency landing at Kochi airport after flying for more than 90 minutes.The pilot of the Dornier aircraft, Flight IC 502, noticed a snag after it took off in the morning and alerted the Air Traffic Control (ATC) to make arrangements for an emergency landing, the sources said. The ATC instructed airport officials to introduce local standby system to provide for emergency landing. The plane landed safely. The flight was subsequently cancelled, the sources added.

Jet Airways introduces early purchase apex fares

Jet Airways, India’s premier international airline, its new all-economy service Jet Airways Konnect, and Jet Airways’ all-economy subsidiary, JetLite, have introduced special 5-day base apex fares between INR 150-900 on several key routes across India. These special fares are applicable only on flights departing between 1230 hrs to 1630 hrs and 2030 hrs to 0700 hrs on sectors indicated below, and are available for sale with immediate effect from 13th July 2009 to 27th July 2009. Travel on these fares is however is open till 31st March 2010.

Jet Airways, Jet Airways Konnect and JetLite offer a special base fare of INR 150 on routes including the Srinagar-Jammu, Guwahati-Imphal, Bhubaneshwar-Kolkata, Delhi-Lucknow, Indore-Mumbai, Kochi-Hyderabad, Kolkata-Dibrugarh and Mumbai-Raipur sectors, among others. On routes including the Mumbai-Chennai, Delhi-Mumbai/Pune, Kolkata-Hyderabad, Hyderabad-Delhi and Delhi-Kolkata sectors, the airlines offer a special base of INR 400*. On the Guwahati-Delhi, Mumbai-Kolkata, Bengaluru/Chennai-Delhi and Delhi-Kochi sector, the airline will offer a special base fare of INR 900.

Jet Airways Konnect may fly international routes

Jet Airways Konnect, the two- month old no-frill carrier floated by the premier private airline Jet Airways, is evaluating routes to launch overseas services by the year-end, a top airline official said. "We are evaluating a few routes and if we decide to go ahead, it will all be within this year," Jet Airways Chief Commercial Officer Sudheer Raghavan said, indicating that these services could be launched from the upcoming winter schedule beginning October. He refused to disclose which international routes Jet Konnect was interested in but said the evaluation was being carried out on sectors in which all-economy, no-frill services would be feasible. Regarding Jet Airways, Raghavan said the legacy airline, which started its services to Saudi Arabia with the launch of Mumbai-Jeddah flight two days ago, would start flying to Riyadh from August six.

Asked whether Jet would stop flying to those foreign destinations where Jet Konnect goes, he said "all options" were being studied, including whether meals, which has to be bought on board its domestic service, should be served on its proposed international flights. He, however, maintained that "we don't want to do away with the warmth of our premier service" and the prime difference would be the all-economy configuration of the aircraft. Jet Konnect, which was launched on May 7, would have a fleet of 10 turbo-prop ATR 72-500 aircraft and nine Boeing 737s, most of them being 168 seaters, by July end. The Jet CCO, however, made it clear that in no way would the airline cut its domestic operations to start services on some profitable international routes. By October this year, Jet Konnect would begin operating on all routes it has planned to take over from its full service parent airline, he said.

Jet Konnect was floated with planes and routes earlier operated by Jet Airways, which, as a full service airline, was experiencing high operational costs and low yields. The two-class configured planes of Jet were converted into all-economy seaters to begin Jet Konnect operations which were "breaking even" with food being sold on board and less number of cabin crew members on these flights, he said.Within a span of two months, number of destinations operated by Jet Konnect grew enormously, roughly accounting for half of the full-service carrier's operations, Raghavan said. Konnect now operates 129 flights a day compared with about 270 of Jet Airways. By October this year, another about 30 domestic flights would be added to the Jet Konnect network, he said. Domestic passenger load of Jet Airways on several sectors, which were averaging 50-55 per cent, increased to over 70 per cent when these services were switched over to that of Jet Konnect, Raghavan said.

Kingfisher Airlines to launch new international routes

Expanding its global network, Kingfisher Airlines on Saturday announced the launch of flights on eight international routes before the year end. It also announced suspension of its services on Bangalore-London and Bangalore-Colombo routes from September 15, while launching two new flights on Mumbai-Singapore and Mumbai-Hong Kong sectors from the next day. Both these new flights would be daily direct return services and operated by new Airbus A330-200 aircraft, an airline spokesperson said, adding that the bookings for travel on these two sectors would be opened shortly. From the winter schedule, which begins in October end, the Vijay Mallya-promoted premier carrier would start operating on six more international routes, subject to approval by the Civil Aviation Ministry. The routes are Delhi-London Heathrow, Delhi-Bangkok, Delhi-Dubai, Mumbai-Bangkok, Mumbai-Dubai and Mumbai-Colombo. These would be the first international flights the airline would launch out of Delhi.

Air Arabia offers special promotion to Sharjah

Air Arabia, a low-cost carrier (LCC) in West Asia and North Africa, has launched a special promotion scheme that offers round-trip tickets to Sharjah, UAE from any of the 13 destinations in India for Rs 12,999 (inclusive of surcharge and exclusive of airport taxes). The offer, which is valid for travel to Sharjah till July 31 and from Sharjah between July 16 and September 10, also includes a one-month UAE tourist visa from the date of entry subject to approval from the General Directorate for Naturalization and Residence. Currently, Air Arabia operates direct flights from Sharjah to Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Jaipur, Kochi, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Nagpur, Coimbatore, Thiruvanthapuram, Kozhikode, Delhi and Goa.

Air India Express to start domestic flights

Realising that only a budget-airline model can ensure better passenger load factor these days, cash-strapped Air India has decided to begin low-cost domestic operations from September to tap the peak October-December travel season. The airline will launch these flights under the existing brand of Air India Express that at present flies to global destinations. "The premium class market has all but vanished. Domestic full service carriers have massive overcapacities and yields have dropped by 40%," said highly placed sources. While full fare carriers barely manage about 70% loads despite cutting capacity, LCCs (low-cost carriers) report over 80% occupancies.

Since LCC success largely depends on online sales, Air India is aiming to revamp its online booking engine by August end so that a user-friendly system is in place before the launch. It's also going to tweak its frequent flyer programme. Air India was the only full service airline that did not have a domestic LCC in its fold. On the other hand, both Jet and Kingfisher have shifted their planes from full service to their LCC arms on domestic and international routes. Launching the LCC is part of Air India CMD Arvind Jadhav's revamp plan for the airline. Jadhav, who puts in almost 16 hours a day charting the survival and revival strategy for Air India has set two targets increase revenue and lower costs. AI is getting an audit of its inventories done. According to sources, it is aiming to raise up to Rs 1,000 crore from sale of some inventories.

Caspian Airlines flight crashes in Iran

A Tupolev aircraft crashed in Iran on Wednesday on its way to Armenia killing all 168 people on board and one senior Iranian official said A part of the tail of the crashed Caspian Airlines plane. The plane had caught fire in the air after suffering technical problems. In the worst crash in Iran for six years, the Russian-built Caspian Airlines plane ploughed into farmland with 153 passengers and 15 crew on board, gouging a deep smoking crater in the ground. The aircraft, travelling to Armenia's capital Yerevan from Tehran, crashed near the northwestern city of Qazvin shortly before noon (0730 GMT) after about 16 minutes in the air. Eight members of Iran's national junior judo team and two coaches were among the dead as well as a former Iranian MP representing Iran's Armenian minority and, reportedly, the wife of the head of Georgia's diplomatic mission in Iran.

Weeping relatives and friends gathered at Yerevan airport where a notice on a wall listed people who were on board. Iran is home to thousands of ethnic Armenians. Doctors treated relatives for shock and heart problems. Fina Karapetian, an Armenian in her 30s, said her sister and two nephews, 11 and 6, were on board the crashed plane. "I heard everyone in the aircraft has died. What will I do without Armen and Vahe," she said, before fainting. "The Tupolev plane has been totally destroyed and the corpses, unfortunately, have been totally burnt and destroyed," Qazvin police commander Massoud Jafarinasab said. Iranian television showed footage of debris and body parts and a smoking trench with mangled pieces of metal scattered around. Smoke rose from the site as police and bystanders gathered around.

Senior Iranian provincial official, Sirous Saberi, said the aircraft had had technical problems and tried to make an emergency landing. "Unfortunately the plane caught fire in the air and it crashed," he said. A witness said he had seen the plane's left engine on fire in the air. But state radio said the pilot had made no mention of any technical problem in a taped conversation with a control tower. "On board the plane there were 151 adults, 2 children and 15 crew members," Caspian Airline's representative in Yerevan Arlen Davudyan said. "Fifteen or sixteen minutes after take-off the plane fell near the Iranian city Qazvin about 150 kilometres (93 miles) north of Tehran," he said, adding it was a Tu-154 and the cause of the crash was not clear nor had the black box been found.