US troop transport aircraft allowed to fly after forced landing in Mumbai

A Bangkok-bound chartered US plane in which American marines were among the 205 passengers was ordered by authorities to land at Mumbai airport on Sunday for flying over Indian airspace without getting the mandatory military clearance. After remaining grounded for a few hours, the Boeing 767 plane belonging to North American Airlines and on a flight from Fujiriah in the UAE to Utapao in Bangkok was allowed by Indian Air Force (IAF) to resume its flight following a probe. IAF spokesperson Wing Commander T K Singha said the DGCA will decide when the airplane will take off. But due to the pilot's Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) the aircraft is not likely to take off before Monday. "A US aircraft with 205 passengers, including its crew and US troops on board, was made to land in Mumbai while flying over Indian airspace as there was some confusion about its call sign," a Mumbai airport official said.

Singha said that the transport aircraft had "civilian clearance from Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to fly over Indian airspace. "However, it was carrying military personnel, for which the aircraft should have obtained Air Operation Routing clearance (AOR), needed for a military aircraft," he said. Foreign military aircraft have to obtain two sets of clearances before flying over India. Once the aircraft entered Indian air space, the IAF ordered it through radio communication to land in Mumbai, to which it complied with, Singha said. A Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) spokesperson said in Mumbai, "The aircraft will not take-off today as the pilot has crossed his flying duty hours." The plane landed at Mumbai airport at 0752 hours and was parked at a remote bay and all the passengers remained inside till the inquiry was completed. The US Embassy was arranging for visa documents of the 205 passengers on-board.

"The US Embassy is arranging for visa, immigration and staying facilities for all the passengers," the MIAL spokesperson said. A US embassy spokesperson termed the issue as a "routine matter" and said "we are in touch with relevant officials to resolve" it. This is the fourth incident of a foreign aircraft violating rules relating to obtaining of clearance to fly over Indian airspace or other disputes since June this year. On June 20, a Ukrainian-made military cargo aircraft AN-124, operated by a Russian private airline Volga-Dnepr and chartered by US defence forces for flying out military equipment from its base in Diego Garcia island to Kandahar in Afghanistan, was caught in a similar situation. The IAF had ordered it to land in Mumbai as the aircraft did not have AOR clearance. It was detained for 24 hours and was asked to fly out after it obtained necessary clearance.

On August 27 this year, the IAF radar in Punjab had picked up an Air France aircraft (A-343) flying from Paris to Bangkok, as it did not have a proper identity. The IAF scrambled MIG-29 fighter jets to intercept it and it was asked to identify whether it was a friend or a foe. In the first week of September, a China-bound cargo plane of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Air Force was detained and its ten crew members including the pilot were questioned after customs officials found arms and ammunition on board the aircraft. The plane had made a scheduled transit landing at the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose airport, Kolkata. The crew members had not informed in the routine declaration submitted to authorities that arms and ammunition were in the plane.

Air India to deploy Boeing 777 aircraft on long routes

To provide comfort and luxury to passengers in its long-haul flights, Air India has decided to deploy newly-acquired B777 aircraft on these sectors from the winter schedule starting October 25. The national carrier has also decided to introduce daily flights from Washington to Kolkata from December 1. "Air India will deploy the B777s to all its seven West-bound destinations in Europe, the US and Canada, and one to Tokyo. The airline will begin its services to Newark, Paris, Toronto and Tokyo using the B777 from October 25, beginning of the winter schedule," an Air India spokesperson said.

At present, the comfort and luxury of state of the art B777 aircraft are available on Air India flights to Chicago, New York, Frankfurt and London. Air India, which is in the red, has ordered the acquisition of 111 new aircraft, of which it has received and inducted 64 so far. These includes nine B777-300ER, eight B777-200LR, 15 each of A321 and A319 aircraft, besides 17 B737-800 aircraft for Air India Express. "The airline has reworked its winter schedule in such a manner so as to provide the passengers with a product that matches the best in the industry, both on international and domestic sectors," the spokesperson said. In the winter schedule, the airline will operate its Amritsar-London-Toronto flights with B777-300ER from Amritsar four days a week, while on the remaining three days the flight would operate from Delhi.

Oman Air seeks to expand Indian routes

Oman Air will not lease aircraft after November 22, when the last Airbus A330 leased from Jet Airways is returned. The airline took delivery of its third A330 this week and will add four more to its fleet by March 2011 thereby removing the need for leasing, CEO Peter Hill said. Having reached capacity on all its Indian routes, Oman Air will enter talks with the Indian Government to grow its network in its strongest market, he said. The airline expects available seat kilometres in 2009 to grow by 27 per cent on last year and will launch flights to Tanzania and Kenya. However, the airline’s next major announcement will come at Dubai Air Show, which starts on November 15.

Air India Express inducts new Boeing 737-800 aircraft

Air India's holding company, NACIL, has received one more Boeing 737-800 aircraft, which would be deployed on routes catered to by Air India Express. With the induction of the 17th Boeing 737-800 aircraft, received by the air-carrier on Saturday, Air India Express now has a fleet of 24 aircraft, including seven leased ones.

Jet Airways flight makes emergency landing at Budapest

A Mumbai-bound Jet airways flight from Brussels carrying 224 passengers and 13 crew landed at Budapest airport under emergency conditions after a technical snag in the aircraft. The flight 9W 227 landed at Budapest, capital of Hungary, safely and all the passengers, including four infants, and the crew are safe, a Jet Airways spokesperson said.

Qatar Airways to fly to Amritsar

Qatar Airways will launch its first flight to Amritsar in India's Punjab state on October 11. The new route will have four weekly flights which will be serviced using a two-class Airbus A320 aircraft.

Flydubai to start flights to Doha

Low-cost carrier Flydubai has announced plans to launch intra-GCC service with flights to the Qatari capital Doha. The twice daily flights, which will begin on October 18, will be the first direct service between Dubai and Qatar to be operated by a low-cost airline. One-way fares to Doha from Dubai will cost from Dhs200, which includes all taxes and one piece of hand baggage weighing up to 10kg.

Gulf Air to resume flights to Bangalore

Gulf Air, Bahrain's national carrier, has said it will resume its non-stop flights to the southern Indian city of Bangalore from October 24. The daily flight will depart Bahrain at 2150hrs and reach Bangalore at 0435hrs. The return flight will leave Bangalore at 0525hrs and reach Bahrain at 0750hrs.

Holiday Inn Abu Dhabi set to launch operations

Abu Dhabi-based Al Qudra Real Estate, a wholly owned subsidiary of Al Qudra Holding, has said that its Holiday Inn Abu Dhabi hotel will be opening to the public this October. The new hotel will be managed by the InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) as a 4- star business hotel. The hotel comprises over 200 rooms, including standard, executive, and suite rooms, as well as two restaurants, a bar and a cafe lounge.

Renaissance Hotels & Resorts to expand in Middle East

Marriott group's lifestyle brand, Renaissance Hotels & Resorts has announced plans to open five properties in the Middle East over the next three years. Renaissance Doha is set to open later this year 257 rooms. Three more properties will open in 2010 - two in Dubai and one in Bahrain, while 411 room Renaissance Abu Dhabi will be ready in 2012.

Jet Airways CEO Wolfgang Prock-Schauer steps down

In a major shake up in Jet Airways, its Chief Executive Officer Wolfgang Prock-Schauer has put in his papers and Nikos Kardassis, who heads the airline's US operations, will take over from him as acting CEO from October 15. Kardassis had been the CEO of Jet Airways from 1994 to 1999 and heads its US operations as a senior vice president, officials of the premier private carrier said. They said Kardassis brings with him a wealth of experiences in the aviation industry and financial services.

Kardassis was closely involved in the restructuring and cost and network management of Jet Airways and has been working as senior advisor to chairman Naresh Goyal on crucial areas of finance and strategy. He served as the head of operations of the airline in the Americas for the past 18 months. Prock-Schauer, whose resignation is effective from October 15, will join as the CEO of the low-cost carrier British Midland PLC (bmi) and be based in the UK. Prock-Schauer remained at the helm of affairs in the Indian carrier since June 2003 and has guided the company during the critical period of its international expansion growth.

Aldar Hospitality to open new hotels in Abu Dhabi

Paul Bell, Managing Director of Aldar Hotels and Hospitality, has unveiled plans to open seven hotels on Yas Island in time for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on November 1. Six of the hotels are in a plaza and are about 200 metres from the track. The track runs underneath Yas Hotel, which is managed by Aldar. There will be one five star, four four-star and two two-star properties, Bell said.

Lufthansa introduces special fares to Europe from the Middle East

Lufthansa German Airlines launched special fares from the UAE, Kuwait, Doha and Oman to over 40 destinations in Europe. Destinations include Amsterdam, Berlin, Brussels, Copenhagen, Düsseldorf, Geneva, Hamburg, Hanover, London, Lyon, Madrid, Paris, Prague, Rome, Valencia, Venice, Vienna, Zurich and more. Mr. Peter Pollak, General Manager Passenger Sales UAE & Director Gulf, Lufthansa German Airlines said, "We have introduced some of the lowest and very attractive fares in the U.A.E and other Gulf markets as they are of key strategic importance to Lufthansa. We are confident that our Special fares offer will benefit our UAE, Kuwait, Oman and Doha customers to fly to their favorite destinations in Europe combined with our extensive network worldwide 'there's no better way to fly'." Customers from UAE, Kuwait and Oman can book their tickets before November 10, 2009 and are required to commence travel latest by April 15, 2010.

Customers from Doha can book their tickets before November 15 and start travel latest by December 15, 2009. 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, Christmas or even Easter 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). Additionally, Lufthansa also flies daily from Doha to Frankfurt. Hence, 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.

RBG Grill opens at Park Inn, Muscat

The RBG Grill was recently opened under the wings of Park Inn brand, it is a bold new concept in hotel dining introduced in the Middle East for the first time by the Rezidor Hotel Group. The tempting menu offers guests a variety of international cuisine and local specialities in additional to signature grill dishes, the best gourmet burgers, light bites, soups, salads, shakes and smoothies. Friendly service standards are the trademark of RBG Grill. Decorated in red and cool grey, the spacious restaurant comfortably seats 80 guests indoors with additional 30 on the adjoining terrace in cooler months. Contemporary, vibrant and colourful décor, background music, TV screens for sports events and show kitchen add up to make it an inviting venue for family, friends or business travellers to enjoy.

"Whatever it is that you have planned, we aim is to make it extra special and memorable at the RBG Grill," says Sandeep Kamal, Executive Chef. It is an ideal spot to enjoy a healthy, delicious and affordable meal as well the perfect place to host product launches, dinners, receptions, birthday parties, functions and an array of other events. Park Inn Muscat is centrally located in Al Khuwair on Sultan Qaboos Street. It has a modern, sophisticated décor with state-of-the-art facilities. The 175 tastefully furnished guest rooms in the colourful and vibrant Park Inn style have been done keeping the business traveller in mind with an efficient and friendly 'Yes I can' culture followed by the trained staff.

Air India suspends crew for mid-air brawl

Air India suspended pilot Ranbir Arora and flight purser Amit Khanna for the October 3 mid-air brawl on its Sharjah-Lucknow-Delhi flight. The decision followed the submission of a report by the inquiry committee set up to probe the brawl onboard flight IC-884. The committee heard out the pilots and flight attendants involved in the scuffle. In its report, the committee said that Arora and Khanna had "greater involvement compared to the other two employees in magnifying the altercation". Accordingly, the airline management suspended the two staff members. The report said that the extent of involvement of each of the four employees would be determined through a regular departmental probe. Meanwhile, the airline management has constituted a five-member committee headed by a senior woman official to examine the charges of sexual harassment levelled by air hostess Komal against the pilots. A police probe into the molestation charges was also underway.

Day of emergency landings at Kolkata

Two flights landed in emergency conditions at Kolkata's NSC Bose international airport on Saturday after passengers complained of illness onboard. Airport sources said an Emirates flight coming from an airport in China to Dubai made an emergency landing after a passenger complained of illness at about 1.30am. A Singapore-New Delhi Jet Airways flight made an emergency landing following a passenger's illness at about 2am, sources said. Both the passengers were admitted to the medical camp of the airport and the planes took off an hour later for their destinations, sources said.

Air Arabia to start flight to Samara, Russia

Sharjah based low-cost carrier, Air Arabia will launch regular flights to the Russian city of Samara on October 26, 2009. The twice weekly service will take off from Sharjah on Mondays and Fridays and the route will be served by Airbus A320 aircraft in economy-class configuration.

Leela Hotels to provide inflight meals to Lufthansa

One of India’s most renowned luxury hotel groups is partnering with another industry leader. The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts has joined forces with Lufthansa, the European airline offering the most flights to India, to provide authentic Indian cuisine to travelers. For the next two years, First and Business Class passengers on Lufthansa flights to and from India can enjoy royal Indian cuisine prepared by two chefs of the award-winning Leela group as part of the airline’s Star Chefs program. Lufthansa passengers can dine on prawn curry masala with thalimpu sadam or lal mans, a Rajasthani meat dish, or Alleppy fish curry.

For vegetarians the menus offer an appetizer of moong dal pakoda chat with Imli Chutney, followed by khade masale ka paneer (cottage cheese) with jeera rice and dal tadka, and for dessert kacha golla. With over 36 years as a chef at some of India’s finest luxury properties, Corporate Master Chef Farman Ali has distinguished himself as a pioneer in preparing fine Indian cuisine and presides over the kitchens at the group’s flagship Leela Palace Kempinski Bangalore. His culinary mastery ranges from Hyderabadi, Marwari, Kashmiri and Awadhi cuisines to those of Gujarat and the northwest frontier.

Jet Airways starts daily New Delhi-Hong Kong flight

Jet Airways, India’s premier international airline, launched its New Delhi-Hong Kong service, its second daily flight to Hong Kong from India, aboard a state-of-the-art wide-body Airbus 330-200 aircraft. The airline marked the occasion with a small inaugural ceremony at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi, in the presence of senior company officials. Jet Airways will also flag off its inaugural flight to Delhi from Hong Kong on October 1, 2009, China National Day, the anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949. The new daily flights will facilitate business and leisure travel between the Indian capital and the commercial hub of the East, Hong Kong, and complement the airline’s existing Mumbai-Hong Kong services.

From September 30, 2009 to October 24, 2009 and from March 28, 2010 to October 30, 2010, flight 9W 72 departs Delhi at 2250 hrs, arriving in Hong Kong at 0655 hrs. Flight 9W 71 will then depart Hong Kong at 1330 hrs, arriving in Delhi at 1650 hrs. From October 25, 2009 to March 27, 2010, flight 9W 72 will depart Delhi at 2245 hrs, arriving in Hong Kong at 0620 hrs. Flight 9W 71 will then depart Hong Kong at 1335 hrs, arriving in Delhi at 1720 hrs. Jet Airways' Première (Business Class) guests enjoy 180 degree lie-flat beds in a unique herringbone configuration that ensures easy aisle access from every seat, an oversized table, laptop power, telephony, SMS, Email and live text news, providing guests who want to work with a 'flying office'.

Première guests may also choose from a delectable menu of Indian and non-Indian cuisine, and an extensive wine list. Economy guests enjoy advanced, ergonomically-designed seats to minimise muscular and sinew tension, personal reading lights and on-demand In-flight Entertainment, among other amenities. According to Mr. Wolfgang Prock-Schauer, CEO, Jet Airways, "We are delighted to connect Delhi and Hong Kong with daily services, and launch our inaugural flight from Hong Kong to Delhi on the occasion of China National Day. There continues to remain a strong demand for quality services on the Delhi-Hong Kong sector, on account of the latter’s popularity as a leading global business and leisure destination."

Air India cuts fares after pilots strike ends

After the five-day Air India strike, the Maharaja is out to woo back its fliers. On Thursday, Air India announced that it had increased the quantum of cheap ticket inventory on all its flights. It has also introduced savings in its frequent flyer programme as well as air-ticket purchase scheme. "Our flights have started operating according to the normal schedule. By noon, the on-time performance of our flights was 89.7%," said an airline spokesperson, adding that the airline had started taking bookings. "The number of seats on special fares has been increased."

The official however could not furnish statistics on the percentage of the rise in cheap tickets as it depended on the demand. The number will vary from route to route and also on the flight timings. The airline expects the number of passengers to return to the pre-agitation level in the next four to five days. Prior to the strike, Air India ferried about 22,000-24,000 passengers per day. During the strike, it fell to half. Under the super-saving scheme, the airline offers a four coupon economy class ticket for Rs 41,316 instead of the earlier Rs 49,000.