Jet Airways to start second daily Bangkok flight

In response to growing customer demand, Jet Airways, India’s premier international airline, will introduce its second daily service to Bangkok from Mumbai aboard its state-of-the-art Boeing 737-800 aircraft, effective August 16, 2009. The airline currently operates a daily service to Bangkok from Mumbai, as well as from Delhi and Kolkata. Effective August 16, 2009, flight 9W 68 will depart Mumbai at 1305 hrs, arriving in Bangkok at 1855 hrs. Flight 9W 67 will then depart Bangkok at 2055 hrs, arriving in Mumbai at 2340 hrs. According to Mr. Wolfgang Prock-Schauer, CEO, Jet Airways, “With its world-class in-flight product and warm service, Jet Airways has emerged as among the leading carriers on the Indo-Thai sector in a relatively short time. With more travellers choosing to fly to Bangkok with Jet Airways, we are delighted to introduce our second daily service between Mumbai and Bangkok, effective August 16, 2009, to cater to this additional demand.” The airline currently flies to 18 international destinations, including New York (both JFK and Newark), Toronto, Brussels, London (Heathrow), Hong Kong, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Colombo, Bangkok, Kathmandu, Dhaka, Kuwait, Bahrain, Muscat, Doha, Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

Delta to stop nonstop flights to India

After confirming in June that it would move its nonstop flight from Atlanta to Mumbai, India, back to New York, Delta Air Lines Inc. has now suspended the service altogether, leaving the airline with no nonstop flights between the United States and India. Delta said the decision was prompted by lower projected passenger demand. The airline’s last nonstop flight from the U.S. to Mumbai will be on Oct. 21 from Atlanta, the airline said in a statement. The last direct flight from Mumbai to Atlanta will be on Oct. 23. Delta will offer flights between the U.S and India through Amsterdam on Delta subsidiary Northwest Airlines and through Paris on Air France, a Delta partner. Delta said in June that it would move the Atlanta-Mumbai flight back to New York on Oct. 24. The nonstop service to Mumbai was moved here last year from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport. The inaugural flight from Atlanta on Nov. 1 carried a Georgia trade delegation.

Kingfisher Airlines to launch Bangkok flight

Kingfisher Airlines plans to start is first flight to South-East Asia in August with the low-fare Kingfisher Red service to tap into the peak winter tourist traffic in the region after September. The Kingfisher Red flight, which will not offer any business class seats, will fly daily between Kolkata and Bangkok starting 14 August on an Airbus SAS-made A320 aircraft, according to the carrier’s website. It will be the airline’s fifth low-cost international service. The carrier recently launched a Kingfisher Red service between Bangalore and Dubai, and has daily flights from Bangalore and Chennai to Colombo as also from Kolkata to Dhaka. On the Kolkata-Bangkok route, the Kingfisher Red service will have to compete with three direct daily flights including ones by National Aviation Co. of India Ltd-run Air India, Jet Airways (India) Ltd and Thai Airways, which could lead to cheaper fares on this sector.

Flydubai delays India launch

UAE low-cost carrier flydubai said it will delay the launching of its operations in three locations in India this month due to operational difficulties. “Flydubai had planned to begin operations to India with flights to Lucknow on July 13, Coimbatore on July 14 and Chandigarh on July 23. However, due to operational issues, we have had to delay these flights,” Ghaith Al Ghaith, flydubai chief executive officer said. Al Ghaith said all passengers who have booked flights to India will be contacted within the next few days and will be given a full refund, plus a voucher for a free return flight to India or anywhere on the flydubai network. The voucher will be valid until the end of November 2009. Flydubai had planned its inaugural flight to Chandiragh on July 23, but was reportedly refused permission by the Indian Air Force, which controls the airport.

Passengers evacuated from British Airways flight

Hundreds of passengers aboard a British Airways Boeing 747 preparing to depart for London from the Phoenix airport were forced to use slides to evacuate the jet after fumes filled the cabin. No serious injuries were reported among the approximately 350 passengers and crew who evacuated the jet at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport at about 8 pm MST (0300 GMT) Phoenix fire department Capt. Shelly Jamison said. About 15 people were evaluated for minor scrapes and bruises, but only one person was taken to a hospital with shoulder pain. The jumbo jet had just pushed back from the gate when smoke was reported in the cabin, Jamison said.

When fire crews arrived minutes later, the passengers and crew used escape slides. The jet was next to the terminal at the time. Fire crews found smoke in the cabin and in the cargo compartment, but no active fire was discovered, Jamison said. No official cause has been determined, but she said fire crews believed the smoke and smell were likely caused by an electrical problem. British Airways and the airport sent a bus to collect all the passengers to take them back inside the terminal.