Spicejet aircraft suffers birdhit at Goa

About 170 passengers and crew of a Spicejet flight had a lucky escape, when the plane encountered a bird hit while landing at Dabolim International airport on Tuesday. In a bizarre sequence of events, the dead bird, which was removed from the plane, got sucked into the turbine engine of another Spicejet plane.According to sources at the Airports Authority of India (AAI), the SG 803 plane, which was arriving from Ahmedabad via Mumbai, was landing at Dabolim airport at about 1.20 pm, when a bird got trapped in the landing gear of the Spicejet flight. The pilot alerted the air traffic controller (ATC) that the flight had encountered a bird hit and managed to land the plane safely. Seven other scheduled flights were then asked to remain in the sky, until the bird-hit plane was towed away from the middle of the runway.

Operations at the Dabolim International Airport came to halt for about half an hour, following the incident. “There was a possibility that the bird-hit incident could have turned into a major mishap,” said a source. Within half an hour, airline engineers and navy officers towed the stranded Spicejet flight from the runway to parking bay No 6 at Dabolim airport. Later, all seven flights landed at the airport in quick succession. While the stranded Spicejet flight remained at parking bay till late evening as engineers were inspecting the plane, another Spicejet plane, which had landed earlier in the afternoon, was made available to accommodate the 100 stranded passengers back to Ahmedabad. “However, the dead bird, which was removed from the landing gear of the SG 803 flight, was left on the parking bay,” an engineer said.

The second Spicejet flight was preparing to leave the parking bay, when the dead bird got sucked into the turbine engine of the plane. The second plane was then stranded for about 40 minutes, as efforts were on to remove the dead bird from the second Spicejet plane. Engineers removed the dead bird and inspected the aircraft, before the second Spicejet plane was allowed to take off with the 100 passengers at about 3 pm. An airport official confirmed that two Spicejet planes had been affected due to the bird-hit incident. Sources informed that the AAI and Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) have ordered an inquiry into the incident.

Air India crew to fly back home after every flight

Air India pilots and air hostesses may soon fly to overseas destinations and come back as passengers on the return leg of the flight to avoid huge hotel expenses abroad. What’s more, the temporary postings of AI engineers abroad to check the aircraft may also be scrapped. The aircraft engineers could also fly on the plane and check it before the return leg and avoid the huge expense of being posted abroad. ‘‘Some unions representing pilots, cabin crew, and engineers have themselves come forward with this cost-cutting move. Hotel tariffs abroad are in the range of $200-400, in addition to $200 as daily allowance. The foreign stay of crew costs a huge amount and if they return on the same flight, the savings will be enormous,’’ said highly placed sources.

This new concept could be introduced on almost all AI international flights except the ultra-long haul Delhi/Mumbai-New York that have a flying time of over 16 hours. This aircraft reaches JFK Airport in the morning and then takes off late evening. Clearly, such a long return trip, within the space of 12-13 hours is not possible for the crew or engineers. Other flights, like India-Frankfurt or London, could however be under the ambit of the proposed change. In fact, Jet Airways has some months back started this policy on nearby Gulf and Southeast Asia sectors. The idea — save hotel accommodation and daily allowances. Apart from this, the problem of having an unduly large number of Indian Airlines pilots positioned in Delhi and Mumbai could also be resolved by an equitable distribution all over the country.

Pilots fly as passengers to other stations from the two metros to operate flights out of those cities. Thy get a certain portion of their flying allowance even while they fly as passengers to operate flights and the airline shells out several crores under this head. While most AI employees blame mismanagement in the past few years and government interference for the mess, they are now actively participating in the process to save the airline. While pilots and air hostesses has approached the management with the return-on-same-flight concept, the junior-level employees are offering to work extra at no extra cost.

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.

Abu Dhabi forecasts rapid growth in cruise tourism

The Arabian Gulf emirate of Abu Dhabi is eyeing a 59% growth in cruise passenger arrivals in the 2009/2010 season. Forecasts by the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA), which manages and the emirate's tourism industry and promotes the destination, point to some 199,113 arrivals in the season, which will run from the end of November to the beginning of May, compared to a passenger arrivals total of 125,200 last season. 'The forecast is based on the 100% occupancy level achieved by the cruise ships using Abu Dhabi as a 'port of call' last season,' explained Ahmed Hussein, Deputy Director General, ADTA. 'The increase is due to the inclusion of Abu Dhabi in Royal Caribbean International's weekly itinerary for its 'Brilliance of the Seas,' which has a passenger capacity of 2,501 and the fact that Costa Cruises is to boost its service to the UAE capital by introducing larger, brand new vessels with increased passenger capacity.'

Due to sail into Abu Dhabi next season are the 1,266 passenger capacity 'Aida Vida' of Germany's Aida Cruises, and the recently commissioned 'Costa Deliziosa' and 'Costa Luminosa', both of which have a 2,828 passenger capacity in addition to Royal Caribbean's 'Brilliance of the Seas.' ADTA is planning to set up a hospitality tent to welcome the passengers as they disembark from the ships for day visits to the emirate. Meanwhile, ADTA has commissioned a market study into the UAE capital's cruise potential. 'We are looking to establish the viability of Abu Dhabi as a home port for cruise vessels as opposed to its current status as a port-of-call,' explained Ahmed Hussein. 'We also want to better gauge whether we have future potential beyond the European fly-and-cruise market which we are currently serving. 'Cruise business delivers much greater economic impact to the destination and also provides it with an excellent opportunity to market itself to an influential audience which would be open to return visits.

Hotel cancellations decrease in Gulf

The rate at which hotels are being cancelled or delayed has slowed considerably in recent months. According to research by TRI Hospitality Consulting, during the second quarter of 2009 only 3% of confirmed pipeline hotel keys in the GCC have been put on hold or cancelled, compared to 28% in the period from Q3 2008 to Q1 2009. Furthermore, only 10% of confirmed pipeline hotel keys have been subject to delays over six months, or subject to further delays, since the opening dates recorded as at Q1 2009. This is in comparison to the 33% from Q3 2008 to Q1 2009. In the past nine months the projections for total room supply across the GCC in 2010 have dropped by 24,000 keys, due to cancellations and delays. Total supply in 2010 is now estimated at 327,355 keys, this is equivalent to a 6.8% reduction in total room supply expected by 2010, compared to projections in Q3 2008.

American Airlines and Etihad Airways announce codeshare

American Airlines and Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), have announced a new codeshare agreement which will pave the way for closer commercial cooperation between the two airlines (subject to government approval). The codeshare agreement will further extend each partner airlines' global network and offer customers a smoother, more convenient travel experience when travelling between the United States and the UAE. Under the new arrangement, American Airlines will place its 'AA' code on services operated by Etihad Airways between New York (JFK), Chicago (ORD), Paris (CDG), Dublin, Frankfurt, Manchester and Milan (MXP) to and from Abu Dhabi. Etihad Airways will place its 'EY' code on a number of trans-Atlantic services operated by American between the United States and Europe, plus flights between New York (JFK) and Washington (DCA), Los Angeles and San Francisco as well as flights between Chicago (ORD) and Washington (DCA), Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Houston (IAH).

"We're very pleased to be working with Etihad, which, in a relatively short period of time, has established itself as one of the world's leading airlines and a major force in the Middle East," said Gerard Arpey, American's Chairman and CEO. "Our new codeshare agreement will give customers of American and Etihad increased choice, convenience and flexibility in their travel between North and South America, the Middle East and beyond." "The United States represents a key market for Etihad and one in which we are keen to grow further, both through the addition of new routes of our own, such as Chicago, and through close cooperation with other well-established airlines, such as American Airlines," said Etihad Airways Chief Executive James Hogan. "American Airlines is one of the world's largest and most-respected airlines, and we see this codeshare agreement very much as the start of a deepening strategic relationship, which both airlines are committed to developing further in the future."

Subject to regulatory approval, the new codeshare agreement is expected to coincide with the launch by Etihad of its new service to Chicago at the beginning of September. Once the codeshare agreement is in effect, customers transferring between the two carriers can purchase a single ticket for their journey and enjoy the convenience of being able to check their luggage to their ultimate destination. American Airlines currently operates trans-Atlantic services from New York to Barcelona, Brussels, Milan, London, Paris, Rome and Zurich; Chicago to Brussels, Dublin, Frankfurt, London, Manchester, Moscow, Delhi, Paris and Rome; Miami to London, Madrid and Paris; Dallas/Fort Worth to London, Madrid, Frankfurt and Paris; Los Angeles and Raleigh/Durham to London.Etihad Airways currently operates to two destinations in North America: New York (JFK) and Toronto, Canada. The airline will begin service to Chicago on Sept. 2. The route will be served initially three times a week and will increase to daily service on Oct. 1.

Royal Caribbean to cruise from Dubai in 2010

Royal Caribbean has announced plans to create a hub in Dubai beginning in 2010 for week-long winter sailing that will tour five major destinations in the Gulf. The cruise operator views the Gulf as a major growth area for its business, and statistics for cruise traffic in Dubai bear that out. According to Dubai's Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, the emirate witnessed a 65% year-on-year increase in cruise traffic in 2008, and is forecasting 316,000 passengers this year, a growth of 58% on last year. At present Dubai's cruise industry is primarily served by European-based operator Costa Crociere, which began offering winter cruises in the Gulf three years ago. Now with two ships serving the region under its Costa Cruises brand, and one under its AIDA Cruises brand, Costa Crociere brought 105,000 tourists to Dubai in the 2007-08 winter season, and the figure is projected to rise to 178,000 during the 2008-09 season.

Royal Caribbean plans to deploy one ship in the Gulf - The Brilliance of the Seas - which has a capacity of up to 2,500 passengers. The operator is projecting that it will serve 32,000 cruise tourists in its upcoming four-month winter season that is scheduled to begin in January 2010. Each seven-day cruise will begin in Dubai, then over the course of its journey it will stop in Muscat, Fujairah, Abu Dhabi, and Bahrain, before returning to Dubai, said Helen Beck, the regional sales director at Royal Caribbean. Prices will begin at about $700-$800 per person, which includes food, entertainment and activities. Guests will have to pay extra for alcoholic drinks, spa treatments, and excursions. Beck says the price of a cruise is good value for money compared to land-based stays, which is one factor that is helping the industry cope with the financial crisis. 'We as an industry are probably outpacing other ones in getting through this difficult year. We like to refer to ourselves not as recession proof, but recession resilient,' she said.

Like other companies in the tourism industry, Royal Caribbean has had to adjust its rates to attract business. 'We are filling our ships, but not always at the revenues we would want. We manage pricing on a yield management basis, so when the demand is there to increase rates we will. But it's one of those years where everything is changing a little bit. The rule book has gone out the window,' she said. One of the challenges the cruise industry faces is a stereotypical belief - dating back to the days of the QE2 - that taking a cruise is expensive, boring, and offers nothing else to do but eat. 'We have worked really hard to show that is not what a cruise is,' Beck said. 'A cruise is about choice. There is so much to do. If you want to be active, you can climb our rock walls or run around our jogging track. People are getting that message now.'

Asked about the rise of piracy in the Gulf of Aden and how it might impact Royal Caribbean's operations in the Gulf, Beck said the company has beefed up security and is monitoring the situation closely. 'A few guests have been asking how we will handle it. We have a department that is responsible for handling the safety of our guests and crew, and the man who runs it used to be the number three person in the FBI,' she said. For the most part, the route of The Brilliance of the Seas will avoid the current trouble spots. 'If you pick up the cruise in Dubai you will be nowhere near that part of the world [where the piracy is]. The furthest you would be is Muscat, and the pirates haven't been anywhere near there. 'Are we concerned? Yes, quite rightly as any company in our business would be. Are we comfortable we are doing everything we can? Yes. And will we take any further action if we feel we need to? Absolutely,' she said.

China Eastern Airlines to increase Delhi-Shanghai flights

China Eastern Airlines plans to increase the flights on the Delhi-Shanghai route from October 2009. Two extra weekly flights will be added to the sector, taking the total frequency to five flights per week. The move follows China Eastern’s recent decision to increase services on the Shanghai-Kolkata sector.

Jet Airways and Turkish Airlines sign frequent flyer partnership

Jet Airways recently entered into a frequent flyer partnership with Turkish Airlines. As part of the same, members of Jet Airways’ JetPrivilege may earn and redeem JPMiles on all flights marketed and operated by Turkish Airlines. Similarly, members of Miles & Smiles, Turkish Airline’s frequent flyer programme may earn and redeem their miles on all flights marketed and operated by Jet Airways. With this partnership, JetPrivilege members will now have more opportunities to earn and redeem their miles on Turkish Airline's services to 36 domestic and 116 international destinations today across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, USA and Australia, while Miles & Smiles members may do the same on Jet Airways’ services to 45 destinations in India and 18 destinations across North America, Europe, Asia and the Gulf.

According to Wolfgang Prock-Schauer, CEO, Jet Airways, “Jet Airways is delighted to enter into a frequent flyer partnership with Turkish Airlines. This partnership will enable travellers to enjoy grater connectivity with Jet Airways’ unmatched pan-India domestic network and growing international network, as well as Turkish Airline’s strong international network out of Turkey, all while earning and redeeming frequent flyer miles.” Turkish Airlines is one of the world’s fastest growing carriers, flying to 152 destinations, comprising 36 domestic and 116 international destinations today. It connects India’s financial and national capitals, Mumbai and Delhi respectively, with Istanbul, Turkey’s largest city, with daily flights.

Bahrain Air launches Bahrain-Mumbai flight

The national carrier of Bahrain, Bahrain Air, started its daily non-stop flight operations on the Mumbai – Bahrain route effective from yesterday. Mumbai being the third destination, the airline is keen on expanding its route network in the country in the coming years. Bart Schellens, Director – Commercial Operations, Bahrain Air said, “Starting non-stop services from Mumbai, the largest financial hub of India to Bahrain, is part of our strategic outlook for the Indian market and we are bullish about the growth prospects here. Along with the labour traffic (80 per cent), we are also receiving increased response from business, tourists and religious segment (20 per cent) from India.” The airline is considering launching a loyalty programme soon to further fuel the growth of load factors. Schellens informed that the airline is operating A319 on Mumbai – Bahrain route as of now. “If required, we will start operating A320 in future on this route,” added Schellens.

Kingfisher Airlines flight makes emergency landing at Kolkata

A fire alarm forced a Kingfisher Airlines flight to make a priority landing at Kolkata airport on Tuesday evening. Inspection, however, revealed the alarm was false. Jose P Vidad, the commander of the Guwahati-Kolkata-Hyderabad-Bangalore flight first spotted the alarm in the cockpit control panel when the aircraft was 125 km from the city. The alarm indicated a fire in the cargo belly. The pilot immediately contacted Kolkata air traffic control (ATC) and sought priority landing. At the airport, emergency was declared at 5.15 pm and the runway made available for landing.

All emergency facilities including fire brigade and ambulance were rolled out. The flight, however, landed safely 10 minutes later. The emergency was called off at 5.35 p.m. after the ATC confirmed that all 170 passengers and six crew members on board were safe. "The pilot received a smoke warning alert from a cargo compartment. On inspection immediately after landing, it was found that there was no evidence of fire or smoke in the cargo hold," said Kingfisher spokesperson.

Engineers said the alarm might have been triggered by a mechanical fault in the fire alarm panel of the Airbus A 320 aircraft. "It was a false warning. After primary investigation, we have released the aircraft. A detailed inspection will take place either at Bangalore or at the aircraft base in Delhi," said a DGCA official. "No flights were scheduled to take off or land during that period. Hence, there was no disruption in movement of aircrafts," said airport director R Srinivasan. The flight finally took off for Bangalore via Hyderabad two hours later.

Air India Express flight suffers tyre burst at Sharjah

A faulty tyre of a 737-800 aircraft resulted in temporary closure of the runway, flight diversions and fuming passengers at the Sharjah International Airport on Tuesday. Air India Express flight LX 536 to Thiruvananthapuram from Sharjah, which was scheduled to take off at 12:10pm on Tuesday afternoon was delayed for over 8 hours when it encountered a tyre burst during take-off. On board were 172 passengers and 6 crew members. There were no casualties reported. Mohini Singh a senior official at the airline confirmed the accident and said all that passengers were safely taken to the terminal waiting lounge. She said, “The runway had to be closed temporarily so that the aircraft can be towed back to the bay. We have immediately asked for a new aircraft from India.”

Airbus beats Boeing for orders

Plane giant Airbus booked more orders than rival Boeing in the first half of this year, according to figures released today after the US firm saw almost all its orders cancelled. From January to June Airbus received 90 orders of which 22 were cancelled, according to the latest figures released today by the company, a subsidiary of the aeronautic and defence group EADS. According to Boeing's figures, it saw all but one of its 85 orders fall through in that period. Most of them were orders for its new 787 Dreamliner model.

Spicejet to expand Boeing 737 fleet

Spicejet is likely to buy new planes from Boeing in order to maintain a fleet of the same make in a move that would help the Gurgaon-based, low-fare carrier to extract better value in case it integrates its operations with another no-frill airline in the future. A SpiceJet official, requesting anonymity, said, an internal committee, which was constituted to suggest on the type of planes (Boeing, Airbus or a mix) to be bought, has given its recommendations in favour of Boeing. However, a final decision will be taken soon, he added.

SpiceJet had ordered 30 aircraft since it began operations in May 2005. It runs 125 daily flights to 18 cities across the country with 19 Boeing 737 planes. It plans to induct one aircraft early next year and will add another eight by March 2012, SpiceJet chief commercial officer Samyukth Sridharan said. SpiceJet will begin its international operations next year. There is speculation that SpiceJet might integrate its operations with JetLite that has a fleet of Boeing aircraft, which both companies denied. Analysts said, SpiceJet may go in for an operational integration, if not a full-fledged merger, with another low-fare carrier in the near future.

Kingfisher Airlines launches Pune-Goa flight

Kingfisher Airlines launched its direct flight service on the virgin air route of Pune-Goa from July 1. This is for the first time that both the destinations would be connected directly via air. The flights will operate six days a week except on Saturdays, an official release said. The flights between Pune and Goa are being operated as Kingfisher Red service which is an unique class of low fare flying. It offers guests a whole host of benefits besides the trademark Kingfisher service at low fares, the release adds. The flights are conveniently timed with the flight, IT 2801 departing from Pune at 12 noon and arriving in Goa at 1:15 pm. The return flight, IT 2802 will take off from Goa at 1:45 pm and reach Pune at 3 pm and then fly onwards to Indore and arrive there at 4:50 pm.

Martinair starts cargo flights to Chennai

Dutch freighter specialist Martinair Cargo has added Chennai, India to its Asia Pacific services. The carrier now operates a B747-400 ERF Hong Kong – Chennai – Sharjah – Amsterdam twice weekly on Thursday and Saturday, leaving Amsterdam for Hong Kong via Sharjah on Wednesday and Friday. Chennai is the fourth largest city in India and the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the east coast of southern India.