Jet Airways starts crisis management cell to deal with strike

At airports on Wednesday, Tuesday's chaos was replaced by scenes of shock and surprise as passengers doing last-minute bookings were quoted high air fares. "Flights that generally cost Rs 4,000 on low cost airlines last week are now going for Rs 7,000. I paid Rs 8,800 for my Mumbai-Bangalore flight," said Piyush Shah, a businessman whose Jet Airways flight 9W 441 to Bangalore was cancelled. In the case of some full-service carriers, like Kingfisher Airlines, a few tickets went for as high as Rs 15,000. "On average, fares were about 40% higher. We also saw double the number of cancellations for bookings done on Jet flights for the coming days," said Vijay Kesavan, CEO of a travel portal.

For Jet Airways, the initial shock seems to have died down as the airline got its crisis management cell into action to inform passengers about cancellations and update real time data on its website. "The per day bookings have come down to 14,000 from 23,000. Out of the 14,000 bookings done, 50% of our passengers were accommodated on Jetlite and Jet Airways and the rest have been re-accommodated on other flights," said chief commercial officer Sudheer Raghavan.

Donbassaero Airlines to start Ukraine-Dubai flight

Ukraine based Donbassaero Airlines Company will launch its winter season flights to Dubai from the city of Donetsk will start in October 2009. The route will be served by an Airbus A320 which will fly weekly on a Tuesday starting from October 27, 2009 until March 23, 2010, the airline has said.

Emirates prepares to launch Durban route

Emirates Airlines is preparing to launch its new non-stop service from Dubai to Durban, South Africa next October. The airline will be the only carrier flying international routes on a daily basis out of Durban.

Air India Express to start Abu Dhabi-Amritsar-New Delhi flight

The low cost subsidiary of Air India, Air India Express, has announced that it will connect Abu Dhabi with the city of Amritsar in Northern India. The flights will continue on to Delhi after Amritsar, increasing the number of services between Abu Dhabi and Delhi offered by Air India Express and Air India to six per week, according to the airline. The route will be served three times per week with a B737-800 aircraft configured in an all economy cabin. Air India now connects Abu Dhabi with nine destinations in India with 36 weekly flights.

Oman Air signs deal with SITA for IT hybrid network

Oman Air has signed a five-year agreement with air transport IT specialist SITA to implement and maintain a hybrid network solution for the carrier. The $4.6m project is aimed at boosting productivity and delivering cost savings for the airline across its expanding route network, as it migrates from legacy connections for all its business operations.

FlyDubai adds more flights to Beirut during Eid Al Fitr

Low cost carrier FlyDubai has announced that it is adding extra flights to its Beirut route during Eid Al Fitr. The additional flights are scheduled on September 17, 18, 19 and 25 departing from Dubai International Airport Terminal 2 at 7.40pm and arriving in Beirut at 10.15pm (local time), while return flight will take off from Rafic Hariri International Airport, Beirut, at 11pm (local time), arriving in Dubai at 3.20am.

Etihad Airways to launch Tokyo flights in March 2010

Etihad Airways has announced the appointment of Masatsugu Nishiyori and Juan Torres to head up its offices in Japan. Based in Tokyo, Nishiyori will serve as the airline's vice president - general manager in Japan, while Mr Torres will take up the position of commercial manager. Etihad is scheduled to start a five flights a week service from its Abu Dhabi home base to the Japanese capital Tokyo, from March 2010.

FlyDubai offers discounted fares on all sectors

Low cost airline FlyDubai has cut 40% off its ticket prices for all destinations for those booking flights from today for 10 days. Tickets will be valid for travel only between October 1 and November 15. This is the second time the recently launched airline has held such a sale, the first being in June. CEO Ghaith Al Ghaith said on that occasion, it helped boost sales, with 2,000 tickets bought in the first seven hours of the offer.

Gulf Air to operate more flights to Iraq

Bahrain based Gulf Air has said it is expanding its network in Iraq this September. Flights will commence four times per week to Najaf from 26 September, and will become a daily service from 26 October. Services to Erbil will begin on 26 October with three flights per week, which will also become a daily service in due course. Flights to Najaf will operate on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays using an A320 aircraft.

The Address Dubai Mall opens for business

The Address Dubai Mall, a newly built five-star hotel linked directly to The Dubai Mall, has opened its doors to guests. The hotel marks the third property in the portfolio of The Address Hotels & Resorts, the hotel brand owned by Emaar Hospitality Group. The Address Dubai Mall has 244 rooms and suites, all offering views of Downtown Burj Dubai.

Marriott to manage Harbour Hotel & Residence, Dubai

Marriott International has announced that it will be taking over management of the Harbour Hotel & Residence in Dubai Marina on September 15 under an agreement with Emirates. The 52-storey property will be rebranded the Dubai Marriott Harbour Hotel & Suites following modifications to bring the number of rooms in the hotel to 232 later this year. The agreement is the second contract Marriott has reached with Emirates this year, following a deal to operate the 1,614-room JW Marriott Marquis Hotel Dubai that is currently under construction in Business Bay.

Accor Hospitality to operate 44 hotels in Middle East

Christophe Landais, Managing Director, Accor Hospitality Middle East has unveiled the company's plans to operate 44 hotels across nine countries in the region by 2011. The company said in a statemnt its plans for the UAE include the opening of Sofitel Jumeirah Beach, at the end of September, the launch of the Ibis Rigga within the first quarter of next year and the entry of its new brand, Pullman Hotels & Resorts, which is linked to the Mall of Emirates, by mid-2010.

Dubai to open new cruise terminal

The Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) has announced the new cruise terminal is expected to open next January. The official announcement of the opening of the new terminal will be made at the Seatrade exhibition in Hamburg on September 15. The terminal will have the capacity to handle up to four ships simultaneously, and will be the world's first to be operated by a government department of tourism, according to the DTCM.

Rezidor to open Park Inn at Dubai Airport Free Zone

The Rezidor Hotel Group has announced it will open a Park Inn hotel at the Dubai Airport Free Zone (DAFZ). The property will feature 312 rooms and is set to open in 2012. The new Park Inn will be located 1.8km from Terminal 2 of Dubai International Airport, catering to the 1,300 companies present within the area, covering a wide array of firms including aviation, pharmaceutical, logistics and IT.

Rotana's Al Marwa Rayhaan hotel opens in Mecca

Rotana Hotel Management Corp. has announced the opening of its new hotel property in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the Al Marwa Rayhaan by Rotana. The new hotel is the first to open under the brand 'Rayhaan Hotels & Resorts' by Rotana. The new hotel is situated at the right side of Al Bayt Towers complex and has an overview of the Holy Mosque and the Ka'aba. Al Marwa Rayhaan by Rotana offers 400 rooms and suites.

Holiday Inn opens on Jordan's Dead Sea

InterContinental Hotels Group has announced the opening of its second Holiday Inn property in Jordan and its first on the Dead Sea. The Holiday Inn Resort Dead Sea has 78 rooms and 128 chalets, a choice of restaurants and lounges, sports facilities and a swimming pool.

UAE Air Force plane gets clearance to depart Kolkata

The crew members of a United Arab Emirates air force plane, who were detained at the Kolkata airport on Sunday night for carrying arms and explosives in the aircraft, were on Monday granted clearance to resume their flight to China. The captain and eight crew members of the UAE air force aircraft were deplaned on the tarmac of the Netaji Subash Chandra Bose international airport. They were carrying arms and explosives for allegedly violating a declaration that allowed them to land for refuelling in the city. However, a clearance has now been issued by the Intelligence Bureau for the crew to fly off to China. The legal proceedings that were scheduled against them for Monday have also been put off. According to reports, the chaos erupted as the plane made an unscheduled landing at Kolkata. However, it was later found that the officials had the required documents in their possession.

UAE Air Force plane detained at Kolkata with arms onboard

A plane belonging to the United Arab Emirates' air force and its nine crew members were detained in Calcutta airport this evening for allegedly carrying arms and explosives in violation of a declaration that allowed them to land for refuelling in the city. The aircraft was on its way to Hanyang in China from Abu Dhabi and had landed at Calcutta airport to refuel around 5.30pm. Customs sources said the eastern regional command of the Indian Air Force had allowed the aircraft to land on the basis of a clearance (AOR 913/914) it received from the Delhi regional command. Around 6.30pm, customs officials from Calcutta airport boarded the aircraft for a customary check. "They were shocked to find a large cache of arms, ammunition and explosives inside the aircraft and immediately informed the Airports Authority of India, police and the Central Industrial Security Force," a customs official said.

The Delhi regional command clarified on enquiry that it had issued the clearance to land for refuelling on the basis of a verbal declaration from the UAE air force that the aircraft would not carry any arms or ammunition. The captain and the eight other crew members were detained and accommodated at a private luxury hotel. The aircraft was sealed and parked at a bay near hangar number 14 of the airport, another customs official said. At 11.30pm, the Indian Air Force cancelled the clearance it had issued to the aircraft. Hanyang, the apparent destination of the plane, was one of the three cities that merged into modern-day Wuhan, the capital of the Hubei province in China. Legal proceedings against the UAE crew are scheduled to start from Monday. If the authorities press charges, the aircraft and crew will have to stay in the city till the process is completed.

Air Asia planning introduction of new flights to India

Air Asia is in talks with the Government of India to introduce direct flights from Kuala Lumpur to various cities in India including Chennai, Kolkata, Trivandrum, Kochi, Delhi, Mumbai and Amritsar. Moses Devanayagam, Head (Operations), AirAsia said that efforts were on to introduce a direct flight to Abu Dhabi from Kuala Lumpur from October this year. The airline is also planning to introduce direct flights between Kuala Lumpur and UK, US, Australia, China, Japan and Korea. Devanayagam mentioned that the company initially launched operations with three aircraft and in a short span this has increased to 70 aircraft. He added that during the recently concluded Air Show in Paris, the company had placed order for procuring ten new version of A350 wide bodied and long-haul aircraft, which will be delivered to them in 2015-16.

Air India Express' domestic launch delayed to November

The country’s national carrier, Air India, has been forced to delay the start of its domestic low-fare service from this month to November as it’s in the middle of reassessing fleet plans. Air India, run by National Aviation Co. of India Ltd, currently operates Air India Express as its international low-fare carrier. Its entry into the domestic low-fare aviation market, part of the carrier’s revival strategy, could further lower ticket prices. The airline, seeking to emulate a recent move by Jet Airways, wanted to convert 10 Airbus A320 aircraft to an all-economy class configuration to launch its domestic low-fare service under the Air India Express brand by the middle of this month. The plan has been delayed by about two months as the airline reassesses its fleet. "The conversion has been put on hold," said an airline executive referring to the removal of business-class seats. Most of the 10 aircraft are on lease and will require permission from the lessors for conversion. "That is one hurdle," he said. The delay may harm Air India as the peak festival season will be over by the time the carrier begins the service.