Swiss launches Airbus A330 service to Muscat

Swiss International Air Lines, the national carrier of Switzerland, is in full gear with its ongoing investments in products and services and chose the Middle East to be the second market to receive the all-new A330-300 aircraft fitted with the latest innovations in seats and inflight entertainment this coming June. Marcel Biedermann, Managing Director, Head of Intercontinental Markets of Swiss International Air Lines said: "SWISS has a total investments of well over CHF1 billion (US$878 million) for the nine new Airbus A330-300's and we expect to raise the airline's earning capacity by replacing nine smaller aircraft of the present Airbus A330-200 fleet. The first of the new A330-300 took off from Zurich to New York last April and the second aircraft is due to arrive in Dubai come June. We expect complete delivery by 2011. Also, the new aircrafts will reduce SWISS's CO2 emissions by around 13 per cent."

"SWISS is on a quality drive to strengthen its position in the premium segment. Investments made since 2004 helped SWISS to build new lounges, improve inflight products and services in premium classes; eventually provide new three-class product on entire intercontinental fleet – the only airline in the world to offer a First Class cabin on all its long-haul aircraft," added Biedermann. "We are proud to be the recipient of the second A330-300 as it underlines the importance of the Middle East market for Swiss International Air Lines. Passengers are assured of unique Swiss hospitality and comfort with the new features of the A330-300 as it offers top-calibre product in First, Business and Economy class," said Martin Massüger, Director, Head of Sales Middle East, Africa, Pakistan and Iran for SWISS.

SWISS is the first airline to offer the revolutionary air comfort system to passengers enabling individual settings of whether to have a firmness of a futon or softness of a waterbed. The air cushion is placed in all body-contact areas such as back-rest, seat-cushion and leg-rest. The air cushion enables seat weight reduction, leading to lower fuel consumption for the A330-300. The air cushion technology is a joint innovation project by SWISS and Swiss industry market leader Lantal, in cooperation with select frequent flyer customers. SWISS's suite above the clouds is the new First Class seat which can be reclined into a two-metre-long totally lie-flat bed with the touch of a button. It is equipped with a down-filled duvet and incorporates the innovative pneumatic air cushion. First Class customers get to dine or work with fellow First Class traveler with the Ottoman, a large guest seat with its own backrest and armrests.

The new SWISS Business Seat offers optimum travel comfort with a state-of-the-art air cushion for adjustable comfort in all positions. Passengers will have more personal space and enjoy sleeping with the 2-meter (79") fully horizontal lie-flat seat which is also equipped with a massage function. Inflight entertainment has been improved to carry larger screens in 16:9 format and plugs for USB and iPod.Swiss Economy Class is not far behind as it also features a totally new and top-quality seats with easy-to-use inflight entertainment system. SWISS operates non-stop daily flights from Dubai to Zurich, daily flights from Muscat, Oman, five weekly flights from Cairo and four weekly flights from Riyadh and Jeddah. Overall, SWISS offers a comprehensive network of 90 destinations in 42 countries.

Oman's only green golf course starts operations

Muscat Hills Golf & Country Club is a cherished dream of His Highness Sayyid Kais bin Tarik Al Said. Once completed, the entire project will consist of the first 18-Hole championship golf course and lowest density luxury residential area in the Sultanate of Oman. The Golf Course has been delicately crafted around the naturally undulating Omani mountain terrain to produce the most challenging course of its kind across the Middle East.

Muscat Hills Golf & Country Club is set in a picturesque hillside location with spectacular panoramic sea and mountain views over Muscat International Airport and the Gulf of Oman. Muscat Hills Golf & Country Club is only a short drive from major shopping areas, first class restaurants, luxury hotels, private hospitals and international schools.

The first of its kind in Oman, ‘Majlis Al Said’ will be an innovative 'transparent' structure, built on a single floor on the highest promontory in the development. Available for select corporate events, ‘Majlis Al Said’ will also boast a pavilion from which invited guests will be able to view play on almost all holes during PGA or other international events.

Across the swimming pools from the Club will be a boutique luxury hotel. The main hotel is expected to have around 150 elegant rooms, with another 50 rooms offered in opulent golf chalets and a few serviced apartments, for longer staying guests, especially those on golf tours. A wide range of facilities in the hotel will be available to the members of the Muscat Hills Golf & Country Club at discounted rates. Further details of the hotel will be announced shortly and it is expected to open its doors to its first guests by the end of 2010.

Paramount Airways signs deal with Airbus

Madurai-based Paramount Airways will buy 10 Airbus A321 aircraft for $1.5 billion. The company has placed the order with French aircraft manufactures Airbus for operating flights to the Middle East, Africa and Far Eastern destinations, Paramount managing director M Thiagarajan said. “These overseas destinations will only have first class and business class, a model similar to our domestic operation,” he said. The delivery of first aircraft will be in the fourth quarter of 2010. The European Central Bank is funding Paramount’s fleet expansion plan. “Paramount has signed an agreement to buy 10 aircraft at a list price of $90 million each. The airline has option to buy 10 additional aircraft,” Airbus vice president (sales) Miranda Mills said.

The company’s plan to add 10 more aircraft in its existing fleet of 5 airplanes comes at a time when most of the domestic carriers are deferring their fleet expansion plans due to the current economic slowdown. Paramount currently operates with five 70-seater Embraer jets. Paramount plans to operate flights on international sectors soon. The existing guideline by the government allows an airline to fly overseas only after it completes five years of operation in the domestic market and has a fleet size of at least 20 aircraft.“We would complete five years of operation next year. By then we would also have a fleet size of more than 20 aircraft,” Mr Thiagarajan said.

Air India must cut staff, perks for bailout

The government wants Air India (AI) to scrap its performance-linked incentive (PLI) scheme and cut the number of staff per aircraft as pre-conditions for bailing out the national carrier reeling under a mounting debt burden, according to a senior official. AI should downsize or increase the number of planes in operation, said the official who didn’t want either himself or his department to be named given the sensitivity of the issue.“When we ask them to freeze the PLI, they say there is an agreement with employee unions which stops them from doing so. These agreements cannot be honoured if the company turns sick,” he said citing the example of Singapore Airlines staff, which took a voluntary salary cut during the recent SARS outbreak.

AI has also been advised to take a relook at its aircraft delivery schedule for Boeing and Airbus planes, given the market scenario. Further expansion of capacity at this stage will only lead to more losses, the government feels.PLI is a major component of the compensation package of 31,000 AI employees. AI pays around Rs 1,400 crore as PLI annually out of its total wage bill of Rs 3,000 crore. AI employs 230 people per aircraft as against 130 employees in the case of IndiGo.“We have been sending Air India’s bailout plan to the finance ministry, but so far, they have not been convinced,” the official said.The civil aviation secretary M Madhavan Nambiar is expected to take up the AI issue with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s principal secretary TKA Nair soon.