SpiceJet appoints Sharaf Travel as GSA in UAE

Sharaf Travel has been appointed as the first General Sales Agency for SpiceJet in UAE with immediate effect. As per an exclusive agreement, Sharaf Travel will promote, advertise and sell SpiceJet tickets to people residing in UAE. Mr. Salah Sharaf, Chairman of Sharaf Travel, said, 'It is an honour for Sharaf Travel to represent Spicejet, here in the region. We are very happy with this partnership and expect to meet the growing demand of travelers within the country.'

Samyukth Sridharan, Chief Commercial Officer, SpiceJet Limited, said, 'With this step, we begin to expand our distribution footprint to Dubai and make SpiceJet tickets available through travel agents, for people living overseas. We believe that Sharaf Travel with their expertise and reach will be able to stimulate the market and encourage travel into India and SpiceJet.'

Lufthansa unveils new in-flight menu on Indian routes

German carrier Lufthansa unveiled a new in-flight menu to give its first and business class passengers on the India route a rich gourmet experience with Indian culinary delights especially crafted by two well-known chefs. Prawn curry masala, Tomato pappu (lentils), khade masale ka paneer (cottage cheese), lal mans (lamb) and Alleppey fish curry are some of the creations of Farman Ali and Surender Mohan, both of them master chefs with the Leela group.

"We aim to turn our flights into a truly special experience. This includes savouring the cooking skills of our famous 'Star Chefs'," said Axel Hilgers, Lufthansa's director for South Asia. "We cater to specific preferences of Indian customers. Together with our selection of world class wines and personal service, fine Indian dining above the clouds assures our guests a memorable journey," he said. The carrier operates 54 flights a week to seven Indian destinations and will celebrate its 50th anniversary of its operations to India later this year.

Air India to fly only Boeing 777's on India-US route

With the introduction of 777-300ER service from Newark’s Liberty International Airport on September 1, all of Air India’s flights between the United States and India will now be via new Boeing 777 aircraft. The airline’s daily non-stop flights to Mumbai and Delhi from JFK International Airport in New York have been operating with 777-200LRs, and their daily service to Delhi from O’Hare International Airport in Chicago is also aboard 777-300ERs. With an average age of less than one-and-a-half years, Air India now has one of the youngest fleets of Boeing 777s in the airline industry.

All of Air India’s 777 flights offer Economy, Executive and First Class service. Economy Class features a seat pitch of 34" for comfort, a therapeutic footrest and built-in 10.6" LCD monitor. Executive Class passengers enjoy the comfort of flat beds with a pitch of 76", with privacy partitions and 15.4" LCD screens. First Class cabin boasts compartments with flat beds with a pitch of 80" for the ultimate comfort, a built-in massage system, buddy seat, and a large 23" LCD screen.

Etihad Airways offers inaugural fares from India to Chicago

Etihad Airways will start flights to the Chicago from September 2, 2009. Passengers flying to Chicago from Mumbai, New Delhi and Chennai can avail of inaugural fares starting at Rs 47,000 (all inclusive) and from Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode at Rs 53,000 (all inclusive) for a limited sale period until September 30, 2009. The airline will operate a three cabin Airbus A340-500 wide body aircraft on the Abu Dhabi to Chicago service which is configured to carry 240 passengers with 12 in First Class, 28 in Business Class and 200 in Economy Class.

Chicago will be Etihad Airways second US destination joining its popular daily flight to New York. The launch of services will also add to the airline’s network in North America, which includes Toronto and enjoys an average seat factor of more than 80 per cent. The new service to Chicago’s O’Hare airport will increase the airline’s global flight network to 55 cities and follows confirmation that Etihad Airways will also begin flights to Melbourne, Athens and Istanbul this year.

Spicejet to start more flights to Goa from Mumbai & Bangalore

SpiceJet is going to introduce more flights to Goa from Mumbai and Bangalore before the festival season. The second flight connecting Goa and Mumbai will start from September 11, 2009. The additional flight from Bangalore to Goa will start from October 25, 2009. With these new flights, SpiceJet’s daily departures will increase from 125 to 129 by October end this year.

British Airways launches special offers ex-India

British Airways is launching a 25% discount offer to its First and Club World (Business Class) customers travelling from India to London, Europe and the US. The special offer is valid till this month end from five cities in India - Chennai, Hyderabad, New Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru. Tickets are valid for a year. Outbound travel must happen between August 28, 2009 and December 31, 2009. Judy Jarvis, Regional Commercial Manager for South Asia, British Airways said, "This deal offers our customers substantial savings when travelling in First and Club World. At three quarters of the actual price, customers can pamper themselves onboard British Airways and travel in luxury and comfort when making that long journey."

Air India cargo plane escapes major disaster at Mumbai

A major disaster was averted on at the Mumbai airport, when the pilot of an Air India cargo plane spotted fire raging in a consignment that was to be loaded onto the aircraft. Preliminary investigation showed the consignment contained matchboxes and incense sticks, categorised by the aviation industry as "dangerous goods". "I am terrified and shocked. Think what could have happened ? The time the fire was detected, the aircraft would have been airborne. This needs to be properly investigated, Captain AK Malhotra, commander of the aircraft, said.

Minutes before the flight’s takeoff, it was scheduled for 11.30 pm, but was delayed, the shipment lying close to the plane caught fire at 11.42 pm. The crew that noticed the fire found no commercial personnel near the aircraft. Captain Malhotra said the rules stipulated that the pilot of the aircraft should be informed about the presence of the consignment of dangerous goods. But he knew nothing about the presence of such a consignment. He said he would not fly the aircraft until he gets satisfactory explanation from the management.

Yemenia Airways flight data recorder recovered

A team of international investigators on Friday retrieved the flight data recorder from a Yemenia Airways flight that crashed in the Indian Ocean on June 30, the Comoros-based investigation team said. The investigation team said the black box was picked up underwater off the coast of the island nation's capital, Moroni, according to a statement. No details were provided about the other box containing the voice recorder. The Yemenia Flight 626 crash killed 152 people flying from Paris to Moroni via Yemen. One teenage girl survived, and is back home outside Paris.

A French naval ship detected signal beacons of the flight data and cockpit recorders key to determining the cause of the crash in July at depths of 3,900 feet (1,200 meters) about nine miles (15 kilometers) northwest of Grand Comoros island. But the ship did not have the deep sea diving equipment necessary to retrieve them. A French ship carrying a special underwater robot arrived at the site Aug. 20 to continue the search for the black boxes and other debris from the plane. Investigators from France, Yemen and Comoros are participating in the operation.

Indian Navy Sea Harriers back in business

The Sea Harrier fleet of aircraft of Indian Navy began operations off Goa on Thursday, after being thoroughly checked by Naval engineers. It may be recalled that Indian Navy fighter pilot and Lieutenant Commander Saurabh Saxena was killed when a single-seater Sea Harrier aircraft crashed in the Arabian Sea on August 21. The entire fleet was grounded on August 25 to execute a systemic check on these fighter aircraft. Navy PRO and Commander M Joshi said that it was routine procedure to halt the operation of aircraft after the crash. "After clearance from the naval engineers, Sea Harriers are back to business from Thursday", he added.

"The hazards of day-to-day naval operations and military profession are well known to the valiant men of Indian Navy, but for them it is a business as usual as they remain well prepared for any challenge that may come their way", informed Joshi. Meanwhile, Joshi informed that efforts were on to recover the wreckage of the Sea Harrier that crashed on August 21. "Naval clearance divers have been braving debilitating pressure and zero visibility in the bottom of the seas off Goa, as they attempt to recover the wreckage of the Sea Harrier that crashed on August 21", said Joshi.

Oman invites bids for three airport contracts

Omani officials have said that foreign firms, including South Korea's Hanjin Heavy Industries, Greece-based Consolidated Contractors and India's Dodsal, have qualified to bid for three airport contracts in the Sultanate. Bids submissions for Salalah airport in the south of Oman is due on September 21, with bids for Duqm and Sohar airports due on September 28. 'The Salalah airport will be converted from domestic to international, while the new Sohar airport is for airfield works and it will be Phase Two for Duqm airport,' an official said. Contracts for the three airports is expected to exceed $1.3bn.

Etihad Airways introduces new first class suite

Etihad Airways has introduced its first class suite on board its new Airbus A340-600, which makes its maiden flight between Abu Dhabi and London Heathrow today. The private suite comes with leather seats fully upholstered by Italian furniture maker, Poltrona Frau. Etihad unveiled its new first class suite during Arabian Travel Market in May, using it to attract those who want to travel in luxury and are prepared to pay for such a service.

Lufthansa offers Ramadan special fares to Europe

Lufthansa German Airlines, one of the leading global carriers, launched special fares from the UAE, Kuwait and Oman to 40 destinations in Europe. Destinations include Amsterdam, Berlin, Brussels, Copenhagen, Düsseldorf, Geneva, Hamburg, Hanover, London, Lyon, Madrid, Oslo, Paris, Prague, Rome, Valencia, Venice, Vienna, Warsaw, Zurich and more. Mr. Peter Pollak, General Manager Passenger Sales UAE & Director Gulf, Lufthansa German Airlines said, "I would like to wish everyone a warm felt Ramadan Kareem. In our consistent efforts and dedication to our UAE, Oman and Kuwait customers, Lufthansa introduces this Ramadan special with very attractive fares to 40 European destinations, combined with our extensive network worldwide. We are positive this offer will be well received by our passengers who would like to beat the summer heat and fly to their favorite destinations in Europe with these special fares from Lufthansa."

Customers can book their tickets before September 18, 2009 and are required to commence travel latest by February 15, 2010. Hence, Lufthansa is also offering a very long travel period. This gives customers the opportunity to buy now and travel in the coming months, either for leisure, business, Eid break or Christmas holidays. The maximum period of stay is 3 months. Lufthansa German Airlines is the only airline connecting Dubai and Abu Dhabi with 20 weekly flights to Frankfurt and Munich. Lufthansa flies daily from Kuwait to Frankfurt and also offers daily flights from Muscat to Frankfurt shortly before midnight (actual departure times vary for the different weekdays). Lufthansa, the German flag carrier has an extensive route network, connecting the region to a total of 194 destinations in 79 countries which can be reached from Frankfurt and Munich. The Ramadan Special fares offer quoted above for UAE, Kuwait and Oman are available if booked online as well as through local travel agents. These fares are excluding taxes and service charges and subject to special conditions.

Oberoi Group plans luxury hotel in Oman

The Chairman of hotel company EIH, part of the Oberoi Group, has said construction of its 252-room Oberoi-branded hotel in Business Bay, Dubai was 'progressing' and that it would open in 2011. Planning for a hotel in Abu Dhabi and in Oman is underway, he said, although no opening dates were given. All three hotels will be managed by The Oberoi Group.

IAF scrambles fighter jets to intercept Air France aircraft

The Indian Air Force on Thursday scrambled its MiG 29 fighter jets to intercept an Air France flight entering India from Pakistan over Amritsar as the aircraft had switched on wrong Identify Friend or Foe (IFF) code. "Taking prompt action after our radars detected an unknown aircraft over our territory, we scrambled two of our MiG 29 air defence fighter jets from Adampur air base to intercept the aircraft at around 0610 hours in the morning, as it had switched on a wrong IFF code," IAF officials said. "The mission was aborted soon after the fighters took off as the French aircraft had switched over to the right codes," they added.

IFF codes are meant to help the ground-based radars to automatically differentiate between friendly and enemy aircraft. The French Airliner's Airbus 343 aircraft was on its way from Paris to Bangkok and was entering India after flying over Lahore in Pakistan. "After the aircraft switched over to the right codes, it was allowed to proceed towards its destination and the IAF jets came back to its base," they said. After the 26/11 attacks, the IAF has been keeping a tight vigil on the borders to thwart any attempt by non-state actors to carry out any 9/11 type aerial strikes in India.

Deccan 360 plans expansion of cargo business

On 15 October, G.R. Gopinath, pioneer of low-fare aviation in India, will start the first phase of expansion for his four-month-old air cargo venture, Deccan 360, by entering into the small parcels business with Nagpur as a hub. From that date, Gopinath’s Deccan Cargo and Express Logistics Pvt. Ltd, which runs Deccan 360, will fly three large Airbus A310 planes and seven smaller ATR planes to connect 17 small and big Indian cities as well as international destinations such as Dubai and Hong Kong. On Tuesday, Deccan 360 took delivery of a third A310 plane, which will be used to connect international routes from New Delhi and Chennai. "We will be taking delivery of seven ATR planes by the last week of September," Deccan Cargo’s managing director Gopinath said. Gopinath launched Deccan Cargo in May with one A310 plane for its international general cargo business.

Jet Airways to introduce Mumbai-Dhaka flight

Effective September 15, 2009, Jet Airways, India’s premier international airline, will introduce new daily, direct services on the Mumbai-Dhaka-Mumbai sectors, aboard state-of-the-art Boeing 737-800 aircraft. This will be Jet Airways’ third daily service to the Bangladesh from India, and connect travelers to and from the Gulf with Dhaka, via Mumbai. The airline currently flies daily from Delhi and Kolkata to Dhaka. Flight 9W 276 will depart Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport at 0840 hrs, arriving in Dhaka’s Zia International Airport at 1300 hrs. Flight 9W 275 will then depart Dhaka at 1530 hrs, arriving in Mumbai at 1700 hrs. According to Mr. Wolfgang Prock-Schauer, CEO, Jet Airways, "With the launch of our Mumbai-Dhaka service, passengers from Bangladesh may connect on to Jet Airways’ services to North America, Europe and the Gulf, as well as other ASEAN destinations, via our hubs in Mumbai and Delhi."

South African Airways to offer desi menu on Indian routes

South African Airways has taken up a number of initiatives to spice up and strengthen its route to India. Following South Africa’s successful hosting of the IPL cricket event earlier this year where thousands of cricket fans poured into the country and offered constructive suggestions on product and service enhancement from customers, SAA is improving its offering on the route to India, traditionally a very popular route for traders. Many South Africans have already discovered that India offers a host of exciting travel options, such as skiing in the Northern area, excellent beaches in the South and great shopping in Mumbai. SAA has enhanced its product offering and service delivery on flights between Johannesburg and Mumbai, India and the airline is running a marketing promotion in support of this.

"As a further celebration and in keeping with the marketing message that India is "the fastest way to fall in love with the flavours of India", the airline has flown in celebrity chefs from India, to cook the very best dishes India has to offer," SAA reported. Amongst the top Indian chefs that SAA has flown in are Executive Chef Hubert Pereira, Sous Chef Bachaspati Painoli and Cook-Indian Cuisine chef Chandrakant Sutar. The chefs visiting South Africa from India, "the land of exotic spice", will prepare a feast of mouth-watering dishes using only the finest ingredients and authentic Indian culinary styles.

Myanmar International Airways to launch Rangoon-Gaya flight

Myanmar International Airways will launch a Rangoon-Bodh Gaya flight from October 25. The ticket reservation centre of the Burmese National Flag carrier said MAI will operate the Rangoon- Bodh Gaya flight twice a week - Wednesdays and Saturdays. The airfare is yet to be fixed. "We are operating this flight as the number of pilgrims is increasing. We will fly two days a week initially and increase the frequency in keeping with the rise in passengers," Mie Mie, an official at the MAI ticket reservation centre in Rangoon said. An official of the ‘Nilar’ Bodh Gaya pilgrimage tour said that the number of passengers visiting the Buddhist sacred place had increased since 2005. Bodh Gaya in India’s Bihar state, is considered a sacred place for Buddhists, as it is known as the land where Lord Buddha attained enlightenment.

Air India flight makes emergency landing in Mumbai

An Air India flight made an emergency landing at Mumbai airport following a suspected hydraulic failure on Wednesday morning. All the passengers on board the Mumbai-Banglore flight IC 109 were safe. According to airport sources, around 10 am the air traffic controller (ATC) declared an emergency after the pilot reported a suspected hydraulic failure in the aircraft. The flight had taken off from Mumbai around 9.35 am with 93 passengers on board. But it returned soon after the problem was noticed.

Jet Airways pilots to strike work from 7th September

Jet Airways pilots served a 14-day notice to the management to go on strike from September 7 midnight. This is for the first time in its sixteen years of existence that Naresh Goyal’s Jet Airways is facing a rebellion from its pilots union. The decision for strike comes after the management refused to reinstate two senior pilots, Captains Sam Thomas and D Balaram who were sacked earlier this month on alleged anti-company activities. The newly formed union of pilots of Jet Airways, National Aviators Guild, had asked the management to reverse its decision but in vain. "Monday at 1 pm, we served the notice as per provisions of Industrial Disputes Act," said Girish Kaushik, president, National Aviators Guild. "The idea for strike was picked up from the management, which had threatened to go on strike demanding a cut in jet fuel prices last month." The guild claims that 680 Jet Airways pilots who are its members would join the strike and the airline did not specify the total number.