Solomon Airlines to launch Third Brisbane-Honiara Flight
29 June 2005


Solomon Airlines is to introduce a third weekly flight between Brisbane and Honiara from Sunday, 3 July.

To mark the launch of the new services, the airline is offering a special fare of A$599 return, plus tax.

The two-class Boeing 737-400 will depart Brisbane at 11.15am every Sunday, arriving in Honiara at 3.15pm local time.

The return flight will depart Honiara at 4.15pm, arriving in Brisbane at 6.15pm – ideal for business travellers to make an early start to work on Monday.

The airline also operates Boeing 737-300 services from Brisbane to Honiara every Tuesday and Thursday.

The special air fare applies for a minimum stay of six days and a maximum of 14 days, and some conditions apply.

Qatar Airways to expand services to India
28 June 2005


Following the recent successful round of air service bilateral discussions between the governments of Qatar and India, Qatar Airways is to expand its services to India from next month by launching flights to New Delhi and increasing capacity on existing services.

The bilaterals concluded with Qatar Airways being allowed to almost double the number of weekly seats which it can offer between Qatar and India.

Qatar Airways currently operates 19 scheduled flights a week between Doha, the airline’s operational hub in the State of Qatar, spread across four Indian destinations – Cochin, Trivandrum, Hyderabad and Mumbai.

This summer, the airline will increase capacity to India with 11 additional flights a week taking the number of services to 30 across five Indian cities.

From 14 July 2005, Qatar Airways will add the capital, New Delhi, to its Indian route map with seven services a week.

The route will initially be operated with an Airbus A320 in a two-class configuration of 12 seats in Business and 132 in Economy.

The Delhi route will later be upgraded to a widebody Airbus A330 in a three-class configuration of First Class, Business and Economy, featuring Qatar Airways’ interactive Audio Video On Demand inflight entertainment system and premium cabin seats that convert into flat beds.

Qatar Airways is also expanding capacity on existing routes to India. From July 15, the Mumbai route will increase from six services a week to daily with the introduction of a new Friday night flight from Doha.

Cochin, currently served three-times-a-week, will be boosted with two additional weekly departures, on Mondays and Wednesdays from Doha, beginning on July 18. Three days later, on July 21, a fourth weekly frequency will be added to the Hyderabad schedules with the launch of an early morning Thursday flight.

Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker said that Qatar Airways would further increase capacity to India to fulfill its permitted quota of services as new aircraft are introduced into the fleet.

bmi to launch Heathrow-Riyadh services from 1 September 2005
28 June 2005


bmi is to launch services from Heathrow to Riyadh in Saudi Arabia from 1 September 2005 with a three-times weekly service.

bmi will offer a three-class service on an Airbus A330 aircraft, with flights operating from London on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday.

Nigel Turner, chief executive of bmi, said, "The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Britain have close trading relationships, and we are delighted to be able to serve the travelling needs of Britons and Saudis."

China Southern Airlines expands to Double Daily between Beijing and Hong Kong
27 June 2005


China Southern Airlines is expanding its summer 2005 service between Beijing and Hong Kong with a new double daily service.

“Summer 2005 is here and we are very excited to offer customers our brand-new Airbus A330 aircraft - with flat bed Premium Business Class seats - between these important business and leisure vacation markets,” said Mr. Li Kun, COO, China Southern Airlines.

Beginning July 1, China Southern Airlines will add an additional Beijing-Hong Kong flight to its already current daily service.

Singapore Airlines to launch Bangkok - Tokyo service
27 June 2005


From September 2005, Singapore Airlines will launch a six-times weekly direct service between Bangkok and Tokyo.

Customers travelling between Singapore and Tokyo, will then have the option of a stopover in Bangkok before proceeding with their onward travel.

SQ996 will depart Singapore at 2035hrs and arrive in Bangkok at 2200hrs for a one-hour stopover. The flight will continue at 2300hrs and arrive in Tokyo the following morning at 0655hrs.

In the reverse direction, SQ995 will depart Tokyo at 0925hrs and arrive in Bangkok at 1335hrs. The flight will depart Bangkok at 1435hrs and arrive in Singapore at 1800hrs on the same day.

In addition to this six-times weekly flight, Singapore Airlines also operates two direct flights daily (SQ12 and SQ998, SQ11 and SQ997) between Singapore and Tokyo.

Also from September, to enhance connection times, SQ974 that operates from Singapore to Osaka via Bangkok will depart Singapore earlier by 50 minutes at 1945hrs. The flight will stop over in Bangkok for an hour and arrive in Osaka at 0545hrs the following day.

Similarly, SQ973, which currently departs from Osaka at 0940hrs, will take off at 1330hrs. The flight will continue after a stopover in Bangkok and arrive in Singapore at 2155hrs.

Kenya Airways announced today it would begin direct flights from Nairobi to Dakar from July 1.

The twice-weekly service would operate on Tuesdays and Fridays, with a stopover in Bamako, it said.

The flight would depart Nairobi at 0830 hours and arrive at Bamako at 1250 hours with the onward flight to Dakar arriving at 1535 hours.

The return flight from Dakar would depart at 1625 hours through Bamako and be expected in Nairobi at 0530 hours the following day.

Demand from traders high

Managing director, Titus Naikuni, said in a statement that the launch of the Dakar route was in response to a growing demand from traders and diplomats in and out of the Western African region.

"The launch of Kenya Airways direct and reliable services to Senegal and Mali is in response to a market demand between these two countries and the whole of East, Central and Southern Africa, as well as to Asia, referred to as the West-East merchant corridor," he said.

Mr Naikuni said the early morning arrival in Nairobi would provide customers with conveniently scheduled connections to the rest of Africa, the Middle East, the Far East, the sub-continent and Europe via Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.

Air Deccan to increase services from Chennai
Saturday July 2 2005 09:39 IST

CHENNAI: In its efforts to increase its services from Chennai, Air Deccan will extend its Chennai-Madurai service to Tuticorin and start hourly services in the Chennai-Bangalore-Hyderabad sector soon.

While the Chennai-Tuticorin service will commence from August, the low-cost-no-frills airline is planning to introduce the new schedule – ‘one-flight-every-hour’ – in the Chennai-Bangalore-Hyderabad sector within four months, said Captain Gopinath, managing director, Air Deccan.

Addressing a Press conference after launching the ‘Drive In, Fly Out’ system in association with Hindustan Petroleum (HP), under which Air Deccan tickets counters were set up in 22 HP outlets in the city on Friday, Gopinath said :‘‘When more aircrafts are acquired, the new schedule in Chennai-Bangalore-Hyderabad would become effective. We are planning to start services every hour between 6 am to 10 pm everyday.’’

The airline has ordered for 32 Airbus aircraft at a cost of $1.4 billion, which will be delivered at the rate of one aircraft a month. The airline has raised $50 million from funding agencies while the remaining amount for buying aircraft would be raised from private equity, financial institutions and EXIM Bank guarantees.

Gopinath said,‘‘This has enabled us to order 32 Airbus and 30 ATR aircraft. We will soon get a standby aircraft to minimise any inconvenience due to cancellations.’’

As part of their efforts to improve maintenance, Air Deccan plans to make Chennai its line engineering hub by setting up a hangar at Chennai airport for $5 million .

‘‘The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has allotted 60,000 square feet of land for the hangar and construction will begin in two months. We plan to station our engineers and have an inventory in Chennai to serve smaller destinations in the region’’, he said.

Explaining the reason for frequent cancellations, he said: ‘‘Air Deccan is suffering from the risks involved in flying to smaller cities which do not have facilities for repairing grounded aircraft. When we fly to smaller cities and an aircraft is grounded, retrieval is a problem because we do not have engineers and inventory in all these places. The problem will be solved only after the standby aircraft become operational.’’ He said that many airlines do not want to go to smaller cities because of these risks.

Gopinath said that Air Deccan had come a long way from being a venture that quality people and professionals were hesitant to join. Now the airline had become a vibrant brand with a profit of Rs 350 crore in 2004. This year, Air Deccan plans to generate Rs 1000 crore as revenue, he said.

Almost 30 percent of the travellers on every flight are first-time flyers, which means that Air Deccan had achieved a profit and load factor by carving out an air passenger segment consisting of middle class and lower middle class people, he said. To further strengthen its customer base, it plans to sell 1,000 to 2,000 one-rupee tickets every month.

John K Kuruvilla, chief revenue officer, Air Deccan, and Selva Kumar, regional manager, HPCL, were also present.

Etihad Airways to increase number of Cairo flights
29 June 2005


From 1 July 2005, Etihad Airways is increasing the number of flights it operates between Abu Dhabi and Cairo, to seven. The airline currently flies four times a week to the Egyptian capital.

In addition to an increased number of flights, travellers will also have the convenience of night departures from Abu Dhabi which allows more onward connections and flexibility.

In less than two years since it started operations, Etihad has spread its route network across Asia, the Middle East and Europe. The National Airline of the UAE currently flies to 17 destinations, with plans to add more new destinations and increase the frequency on existing routes in the coming months.

Emirates to fly from Dubai to Malta via Larnaca four times a week
From 1st October 2005, Emirates, the Dubai-based international airline, will fly from Dubai to Malta via Larnaca four times a week. Air Malta will be code sharing on the flights between Malta and Larnaca.

Passengers from Dubai now have the choice of travelling to Malta and Cyprus at 08:35 hours on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays or Sundays. This service also offers Emirates passengers the added option of flying between Malta and Larnaca.

Ghaith Al Ghaith, Emirates' Executive Vice President Commercial Operations Worldwide, said: "Customer demand for our services to Cyprus and Malta have been steadily building and we are pleased to offer this service. We are confident that the additional capacity and the new route via Larnaca will offer a convenient option for both busy business travellers and holidaymakers.

"This move opens up new connections between Larnaca and Malta, as well as between Malta and Dubai. Malta and Cyprus are becoming key commercial and tourism hubs in the Mediterranean - and both are new EU countries. The new schedule will give passengers more flexibility in planning their journeys. It will encourage the Maltese to discover Cyprus and, hopefully, serve to attract more Cypriot tourists to Malta," he said.

Emirates will operate an Airbus 330-200 on the route, offering 12 seats in First, 42 seats in Business, and 183 in Economy class, plus up to 17 tonnes of bellyhold space for cargo.

Emirates' services to Malta were launched in March 1998 with twice-weekly flights operated by an Airbus 300-600. In October 1998, the airline increased its operations with a third flight via Athens, which was later substituted by Tripoli. During the past seven years, the airline has succeeded in increasing the capacity in passenger traffic as well as cargo freight. Emirates first launched services to Larnaca in November 1994.

Flight EK107 will depart from Dubai on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays at 08.35 hours and arrives in Larnaca at 11.15 hours, before flying onward to Malta at 12.15 hours and lands at Malta International Airport at 14.10 hours. Return flight EK108 departs from Malta at 15.40 hours, arrives in Larnaca at 19.15 hours and departs Larnaca at 20.15 hours. It arrives in Dubai at 00.30 hours the next day.

Emirates is one of the world's fastest growing intercontinental airlines which offers services to more than 75 cities in 54 countries worldwide.

Air Arabia ups frequency to Mumbai
2 July 2005


Air Arabia, a low cost Sharjah based airline, has added an additional daily flight to Mumbai from 1st to 16th July.

“The Mumbai route has been one of the most popular for both business and leisure travelers,” commented Harish Kutty, Head of Planning & Revenue Management for Air Arabia. “The summer is a peak travel time, with people travelling between the UAE and India to visit family and friends, and we are pleased to be able to offer them more flight choices at an affordable fare.”

Flights depart Sharjah Airport twice daily for Mumbai at 16:40 and 23:00 arriving at 21.00 and 03:20 local time, and depart Mumbai at 21:45 and 05:10 arriving in Sharjah at 23:05 and 06:30 local time.

Air Arabia currently flies from Sharjah to eighteen destinations: fourteen flights weekly to Alexandria; nine flights a week to Beirut; daily to Bahrain, Colombo, Damascus, Doha, Mumbai and Muscat; six days a week to Kuwait; four days a week to Dammam; three days a week to Khartoum and Aleppo; and two days a week to Assiut, Jeddah, Riyadh, Luxor, Sana’a and Sharm El Sheikh.

4 July 2005


Qatar Airways is upgrading its Doha - Singapore route with a new daily non-stop service operated by bigger capacity aircraft, from 15 July 2005.

The existing service operates daily using an Airbus A300 with four of the flights flying via the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur.

With the new daily non-stop service, passengers will benefit from a shorter flight and experience Qatar Airways’ larger capacity widebody Airbus A330-200 aircraft, which features a fully interactive inflight entertainment system in every seat.

The Singapore route will be operated in a two-class configuration of up to 247 seats in Economy and 24 in Business.

Earlier this year, Qatar Airways expanded capacity between Doha, the airline’s operational hub and capital of the State of Qatar, and Singapore from five-flights-a-week to a daily service to meet growing demand from business and leisure travellers flying between Europe, the Middle East, and South East Asia.

All the flights from Doha are late night departures, arriving in Singapore in time for lunch in the city.

2 new airlines for Kolkata
Air activity intensifies over eastern region
Sohini Mookherjea / Kolkata July 05, 2005


Jetstar Airways, Australia’s new low cost carrier, and Cosmic Air, the leading Nepalese carrier, are set to launch flights in Kolkata from July, said Arnab Mukherjee, chairman of Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO), West Bengal chapter.

The Impulse brand purchased by Qantas has been reircarnated as Jetstar Airways and a wholly owned subsidiary of Qantas.

It will operate flights from Kolkata to Singapore and operations should commence by the month of July, Mukherjee said.

Nepal’s Cosmic Air, which currently flies to the remote regions of Nepal, already has flights to New Delhi and will start its thrice weekly Kolkata-Kathmandu flight by July 17 subject to permissions.

Cosmic already has two flights a day to New Delhi but for the Kolkata leg will need three flights a week to achieve viability, he indicated.

Mukherjee said this on the sidelines of a meeting organised by the Tourism Corporation of Gujarat to promote Gujarat as a destination for tourists from West Bengal.

Thai Airways has recently increased flight frequency from three to five flights a week, while Singapore Airlines has stepped up frequency to four weekly.

Air India, for the first time in its history, has launched a flight nonstop from Kolkata to London thrice a week.

Mukherjee said commission from international air ticketing for travel agents would be eliminated soon and ticketing costs would fall.

“The commission was 11 per cent prior to 1990, then 9 per cent till 1997 and then became 7 per cent till 2005 before falling to 5 per cent in May 2005 - the day is near when the commission will be scrapped altogether,” noted Mukherjee.

The commission will be replaced by a marketing fee charged by travel agents at a rate lower than commission.

This has happened globally following the advent of internet or e-ticketing, the low cost carrier challenge and growth of airline portals, explained Mukherjee.

Travel agents would have to redefine their role and focus on surface or ground travel, Mukherjee said.

Tiger Airways plans to launch flights between Singapore and Cambodia
5 July 2005


Tiger Airways, a Singapore based low cost airline, has received permission from the Singapore aviation authorities to fly daily services to Cambodia and plans, once approval from the Cambodian authorities has been granted, to start flying on the route shortly.

“This is an important development in the expansion of our regional route network as it gives us more efficiency in the use of our aircraft which will enable us to continue offering the lowest fares. Tiger Airways is already operating successfully to Vietnam on its Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi routes and the addition of Cambodia to our list of destinations will expand our paw prints over more of Asia,” said Tiger Airways CEO Tony Davis.

Tiger Airways has won additional valuable traffic rights between Singapore and Ho Chi Minh City and will increase its flights weekly from its current four to six flights a week from October 2005.

Mr Davis said Cambodia was an exciting new destination because the country, famous for its Angkor Wat ancient temple complex, has a growing tourism industry. The Cambodian government has also supported investment in the country’s infrastructure development including the new airport and terminal facilities at Phnom Penh.

Gulf Air increases flights between Istanbul and Bahrain
6 July 2005


Gulf Air has added a new flight between Istanbul and Bahrain each Tuesday, bringing to four, the number of flights a week from Istanbul to Bahrain. This is coupled with a summer savings promotion between June 28 and September 30, 2005, which offers credit vouchers for 30% discount in first and business class as well as selected economy fares which can be used on a subsequent journey or for excess baggage on Gulf Air flights.

“Gulf Air offers great timings, excellent connections and an exceptional service into the Gulf and on to the Indian Sub Continent, Far East and Australia,” said Vice President Sales and Marketing Danny Barranger.

Flights leave Istanbul on Monday, Tuesday and Saturday at 14.55 arriving 18.45 and on Friday it departs 16.10 arriving 20.15.

“We are the region’s largest operator of Airbus A320s and we have just completed an upgrading programme of these medium range aircraft to reflect the new and bolder Gulf Air brand image that was introduced in 2003 and to provide even greater levels of passenger comfort,” said Barranger.

The A320s underwent a full refurbishment, which included exterior painting in the new livery and fully refitting of the interiors. The interior refurbishment includes new carpets, curtains, seat fabrics, pillows, bulkheads and seat belts, as well as facelifts to the lavatories and galleys.

Finnair to launch direct flights between Edinburgh and Helsinki
6 July 2005


Finnair is to launch direct flights between Edinburgh and Helsinki in April 2006.

"The flight schedules between Edinburgh and Helsinki allow for excellent connections to Finnair's Asian flights. We are especially expecting a great number of connecting passengers to our Hong Kong and Guangzhou routes thanks to the historic commercial connections between Scotland and southern China," said Finnair VP Network Strategies and Management Petteri Kostermaa.

Finnair offers some of the shortest and fastest connections between Asia and Europe. In China, Finnair flies to Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, and starting September 2005, to Guangzhou. In addition, Finnair flies to Bangkok, Singapore, Tokyo and Osaka.

"We're delighted that Finnair has decided to launch a direct Edinburgh to Helsinki service, which is great news for Scotland's capital city and its growing international route network.This is an important new service, giving passengers from Edinburgh access to Finnair's extensive network of routes across Asia and I'm confident this new route will be popular among travellers from Scotland and Finland," says Richard Jeffrey, managing director, BAA Edinburgh Airport.

Finnair will operate the Edinburgh-Helsinki route with its modern Airbus A319 aircraft.

Air-India increases Flights to South East Asia
7 July 2005


From today, Air-India is launching fourteen additional flights to make travel to Bangkok, Singapore, Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur from India more convenient.

Many of the new services will help provide direct non-stop connectivity to destinations in South East Asia from Mumbai and also connectivity between different countries in South East Asia. Seoul will be a new destination on Air-India's network.

Mumbai will now be connected with non-stop flights to Singapore, Hong Kong, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur. While capacity has been doubled on the India-Shanghai sector effective May 2005, flights to Osaka will increase from two to three.

Singapore

As per the new schedule, Air-India will now have 16 flights a week to and from Singapore, a destination it has served for over 50 years, with non-stop services from four Indian cities - Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai and Hyderabad. While seven flights will link Chennai with Singapore, four flights will be operated from Delhi. Five services a week will be operated from Mumbai every week. Of these, three flights on Mondays, Wednesdays and Sundays, will be non-stop and extended to connect to Jakarta. The other two flights will be routed via Hyderabad.

Kuala Lumpur

Air-India will also increase frequency of services to Kuala Lumpur. There will be 13 flights a week – seven from Chennai and three non-stop flights each from Mumbai and Delhi. The flights from Mumbai and Delhi to Kuala Lumpur will be operated with standardised timings on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.

Air-India will also continue to operate 18 code share flights per week with Malaysia Airlines, 13 on the Mumbai/Bangalore/Hyderabad-Kuala Lumpur sector, and 5 on the Kuala Lumpur-Los Angeles sector.

Hong Kong

Air-India will more than double its services to Hong Kong, from five to twelve. There will be five services from Mumbai to Hong Kong via Bangkok on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Seven additional flights will be operated to Hong Kong from Mumbai via Delhi, with three services extended to Osaka and four flights to Seoul. Thus, passengers will be able to travel by Air-India from Hong Kong to Bangkok, Osaka and Seoul.

With the introduction of the additional flights to Hong Kong, there will be flights departing from Mumbai every evening at 2025 hours. Passengers will also have the choice of taking an Air-India flight from Mumbai to Hong Kong in the mornings on five days of the week - Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Passengers travelling from Hong Kong to Mumbai will also have the option of travelling by an afternoon flight on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

Bangkok

Air-India will operate 11 flights a week to Bangkok from Mumbai, instead of six. Of these, five will be extended to Hong Kong and six flights will be operated to Bangkok from Mumbai via Delhi. Four of the Mumbai-Bangkok flights will proceed further to Shanghai and the other two to Tokyo, thus offering connectivity to Hong Kong, in addition to Shanghai and Tokyo, from Bangkok.

Seoul

Air-India is recommencing services to South Korea effective July 7, 2005 after a gap of almost six years. Four flights a week will be operated from Mumbai to Seoul via Delhi and Hong Kong with standardised timings on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. Passengers travelling on these flights from Seoul will be able to, after spending the night in Mumbai, proceed to the West on Air-India's flights operating to UK/Europe/USA.

Traffic between India and South East Asia, particularly the leisure market, has been growing and is expected to continue to grow at around 9-10% per annum. Air-India had, however, not been able to take full advantage of the growth due to capacity constraints in the past. It is hoped that with the introduction of the new flights, made possible following the induction of two Airbus 310 aircraft taken on dry lease during June-July 2005, Air-India will be able to enhance its market share significantly.

American Airlines to offer daily flights to Dallas

Service to and from Columbia is scheduled to begin Sept. 30

By NOELLE PHILLIPS

Staff Writer

It has been said there are two ways out of Columbia: Atlanta and Charlotte.

The paths are changing.

Now, travelers can fly directly from Columbia to 14 cities. And Dallas becomes the 15th option in September.

Columbia Metropolitan Airport said Friday that American Airlines will return after a nine-year absence. Three daily, nonstop flights between the cities will begin Sept. 30.

“This is important to Columbia in terms of economic development because people want to be able to jump from one city to another without going through Atlanta or Charlotte,” said Emerson Smith, who owns Metromark Market Research with offices in Columbia and Dallas.

Smith flies to Dallas at least once a month. He had been missing a nonstop connection to the Texas city since Delta dropped the route in January.

Now, Smith looks forward to catching a plane at 6:42 a.m. and walking into his Dallas office by 9 a.m. It is better than spending a whole day just getting there.

“I love Atlanta, but I’d rather not spend a lot of time in the Atlanta airport when I’m supposed to be in Dallas working,” he said.

The Columbia airport had been recruiting American for about a year, said Mike Flack, the airport’s executive director.

Columbia airport officials had wanted American to add service to Raleigh. But when Delta dropped its Columbia to Dallas connection, the airport began asking American for that route, Flack said.

Dallas is the fourth-most popular destination for Columbia travelers, Flack said.

“We’ve got a lot of people who want to use that service, and we’ve got a lot of people who are American frequent fliers,” Flack said.

Lisa Bailey, a spokeswoman with American Eagle, which is owned by American Airlines, would not confirm the announcement. She said press releases had not been authorized.

American Airlines dropped its Columbia service in 1996 after closing its hub in Nashville, Tenn., Flack said. Columbia was among 20 southeastern cities to lose service when the hub closed.

“It was not about Columbia,” Flack said. “In fact, they were doing well in Columbia.”

New Nepalese airline to fly to IndiaAdd to Clippings

IANS[ MONDAY, JULY 11, 2005 09:15:30 AM]
Surf 'N' Earn -Sign innow

KATHMANDU: The Indian tourist can hope to get further pampered while flying to Nepal with a new airline starting flights between Kathmandu and Indian metros this year-end.

Air Nepal International, which kicks off operations July 24, is waiting to launch flights to Bangalore and Mumbai in November. At present, only two national airlines, Indian Airlines and Royal Nepalese Airlines, run direct flights to the two cities from Kathmandu.

Air Nepal International received its licence from Nepalese authorities seven years ago but waited for the economic scenario in the kingdom to improve.

After obtaining the air operating certificate last year, it acquired a 245-seater Boeing 767 and will begin its first flights to four destinations - Doha, Dubai, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur July 24.

Initially, it will run three weekly flights to the first three cities, and two flights a week to Kuala Lumpur.

"By October we will complete the deal to buy our second aircraft, a Boeing 757, and by November we will be ready to start flights to India," Pradeep Pandey, chief executive officer of Air Nepal International, said.

The airline will later cover two more Indian cities, Kolkata and New Delhi.

Another Nepalese carrier - Cosmic Air - is beginning flights to Kolkata and Varanasi from Friday.

A third Nepalese airline - Air Shangrila - owned by a former minister Narayan Singh Pun, also holds the licence to start international flights. The airline is unlikely to be operational this year.

Pandey said Air Nepal International wouldn't start a price war:"If you pay NRS (Nepalese Rupee) 100 less, ultimately you cause suffering worth NRS 1,000. In the log run it affects sustainability and then reliability."

Cosmic Air, which went international this year, slashed prices heavily, dispensing with meals on board and offering a free ticket for every one purchased, causing its rivals to suffer.

Indian tourists account for 61 per cent of the market share of Nepal's tourism. This figure is up five percent from last year, says the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB).

The number of visitors to Nepal by air increased by 1 per cent in June over last year.

JetBlue to start flights from Newark airport
Tue Jul 12, 2005 7:10 AM ET


NEW YORK, July 12 (Reuters) - JetBlue Airways Corp. (JBLU.O: Quote, Profile, Research) plans to start flights to Florida from Newark's Liberty International Airport in October, with tickets starting at $69 each way, the discount carrier said on Tuesday.

The flights will be to Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, West Palm Beach, Tampa and Fort Myers. JetBlue will also begin flights from Newark to San Juan, Puerto Rico in November, the airline said.

Finnair to launch direct flights between Krakow and Helsinki in spring 2006
07.12.2005, 04:37 AM

HELSINKI (AFX) - Finnair Oyj said it will launch direct flights between Krakow and Helsinki in spring 2006 as part of its Asian expansion.

The new route continues the enforcement of our Asian strategy. Krakow is a very interesting destination not only for Europeans but passengers from Asia as well, said Finnair's spokesman.

Due to Finland's geographical location, Finnair said it has the shortest and fastest connections between Asia and Europe.

Finnair flies to Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, and starting September 2005, to Guangzhou.

In addition, the national carrier flies to Bangkok, Singapore, Tokyo and Osaka.

Qantas to add Queenstown to Year-Round Route Network
12 July 2005


Qantas is adding Queenstown to its year-round route network from 1 October 2005.

Qantas currently operates services to Queenstown from Sydney and Brisbane during the ski season.

Executive General Manager of Qantas, Mr John Borghetti, said the start of the new weekly Queenstown service, operating from Sydney on Saturdays, would coincide with the end of the region's ski season.

"Our ski season flights from Sydney and Brisbane have been increasingly popular since they were first introduced.

"The decision to extend the Sydney-Queenstown service to a permanent operation reflects the growing attraction of Queenstown as a year-round holiday destination for Australians," he said.

Qantas will operate two-class Boeing 737-800 aircraft on the route, accommodating up to 150 return passengers a week.

Continental Airlines begins daily nonstop service between Houston and Cali, Colombia
Friday, 15 July 2005

Continental Airlines will begin new daily nonstop service tomorrow between Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport and Cali, Colombia, the airline's eighth South American destination and its 67th destination in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The flight will depart Houston at 4 p.m., arriving in Cali at 9 p.m. The return flight will depart Cali at 9:10 a.m., arriving in Houston at 2:05 p.m. Flights are timed conveniently to allow connections in Houston for passengers arriving from/departing for Newark Liberty International Airport in the New York City area.

Continental will utilize a Boeing 737-700 aircraft on the approximately five-hour flight to Cali, the third-largest city in Colombia, with seating for 12 passengers in First Class and 112 in Coach. Continental also offers daily nonstop service to Bogota, Colombia, from Houston and New York/Newark.

Continental offers a number of Spanish-language services, including bilingual flight attendants on many flights to Latin America, as well as bilingual airport personnel, reservations agents and signage. Passengers may make reservations in Spanish at 1-800-537-9222. Continental Airlines has been named for eight consecutive years to Hispanic Magazine's list of "100 Best Companies for Hispanics" (1998-2005).

Continental Airlines is the world's sixth-largest airline. Continental, together with Continental Express and Continental Connection, has more than 3,100 daily departures throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia, serving 148 domestic and 131 international destinations, more than any other carrier in the world. Nearly 400 additional points are served via SkyTeam alliance airlines, which include Aeromexico, Air France/KLM, Alitalia, CSA Czech Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Korean Air and Northwest Airlines. With 41,000 employees, Continental has hubs serving New York, Houston, Cleveland and Guam, and together with Continental Express, carries approximately 56 million passengers per year. Continental consistently earns awards and critical acclaim for both its operation and its corporate culture.

For the second consecutive year, FORTUNE magazine named Continental the No. 1 Most Admired Global Airline on its 2005 list of Most Admired Global Companies. Continental was also included in the publication's annual "Top 50" list, which ranks all companies, across a wide variety of industries, that appear in the Global Most Admired Companies issue. Continental again won major awards at the 2005 OAG Airline of the Year Awards including "Airline of the Year" and "Best Airline Based in North America" for the second consecutive year, and "Best Executive/Business Class" for the third consecutive year.

Bangkok Airways' first flight from Samui lands in Hong Kong
Wednesday, 27 April 2005


Bangkok Airways' first flight arrived today at Hong Kong International Airport as the airline now begins its scheduled service to fly nonstop between Hong Kong and Samui.

Kicking off on April 22 th, 2005; Bangkok Airways' Hong Kong-Samui route will be serviced by the young fleet of the 120-seat Boeing 717-200 aircraft, which can promise travel time of only approximately three hours.

Samui-Hong Kong Hong Kong-Samui
PG298 08.40-12.40 (Mon, Wed, Fri) PG299 13.40-15.40 (Mon, Wed, Fri)

* Hong Kong is one hour ahead of Thailand 's local time.

Bangkok Airways began its first international service from its award-winning Samui airport to Singapore in March 1997. This year, the airline continues to penetrate into more regional expatriate markets now to Hong Kong and for later this year to Kuala Lumpur.

Tiger Airways to launch flights between the Philippines and Macau
18 July 2005


Tiger Airways, a Singapore-based low cost airline, is to launch its first route between points outside of Singapore connecting the Philippines and Macau with daily flights starting 30 October 2005.

“This link between Macau and Manila (Clark) is a significant milestone for our airline as we gear up to our next phase of expansion. We have gone out and looked for new opportunities to provide our low fares to a larger number of passengers by linking our successful operations to Macau and Manila (Clark),” said Tony Davis, CEO Tiger Airways. “The new service will allow us to carry more than 100,000 passengers a year between the two points, bringing socio-economic benefits to the region with both increased tourist and business travel.”

Tiger Airways is confident that there is demand for its low fare flights not only from tourists between both points, but also from the many Overseas Filipino Workers based in Macau and Hong Kong.

Tiger Airways will also increase its direct services between Singapore and the Philippines to 10 round trip services a week, starting from 30 July 2005.

Tiger Airways will operate daily flights between Singapore and Manila and increase to two flights a day on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

Jet Air to add flights on Nagpur-Delhi sector
Our Correspondent / Nagpur July 19, 2005


Jet Airways is expanding operations in the Delhi-Nagpur-Delhi sector. It plans to introduce a 122-seater Boeing 737-700 to ferry passengers between the national capital and the orange city from July 25.

The added flight will help Jet Airways optimise utilisation of aircraft and give more competition to the state owned Indian Airlines.

Jet Airways said the flight will leave Delhi on July 25 at 6.45 pm to reach Nagpur at 8.15 pm. It will then leave Nagpur at 8.55 pm and reach Delhi by 10.25 pm.

Indian Airlines operates its Airbus on the sector in the morning hours and those who arrive in the flight from Delhi, are stuck here for want of a return flight till the next day.

Jet felt it had an opportunity here, especially as senior politicians and top businessmen found it difficult to include Nagpur in their itinerary for this reason. The extra flight will also ensure better utilisation for infrastructure at the airport.

Emirates launches daily Sydney-Christchurch connection
Monday, 18 July 2005


Emirates, the Dubai-based international airline, will launch a new daily connection from Sydney to Christchurch tomorrow to meet the increased demand for trans-Tasman services from Sydney.

The new air-link will be an extension of the current Dubai-Sydney non-stop daily service and will replace the airline’s Dubai-Melbourne-Christchurch routing, which will instead connect Melbourne to Auckland. Also effective tomorrow, Emirates' Dubai-Singapore-Melbourne-Auckland service will terminate in Melbourne.

Richard Vaughan, Emirates' Senior Vice President East Asia and Australasia, said: "Bookings on both new routes are very encouraging and indicate that we have made the right choices to meet market demand."

Emirates' Christchurch service will provide a convenient air link for Australian business travellers and holiday-makers to New Zealand's South Island, also offering significant cargo belly capacity to exporters. The A340-500 aircraft used will also provide more than 500 channels of entertainment and allow travellers to arrive in New Zealand refreshed and relaxed, with roomy seats and an extensive selection of meals and specially selected fine wines.
Emirates’ Sydney-Christchurch Schedule from tomorrow, 16th July:

* Dubai-Bangkok-Sydney-Auckland (Boeing 777-300 ER)
* Dubai-Sydney-Christchurch (Airbus A340-500)

Flight EK 412, departs Dubai 10:15am, arrives Sydney 6:05am (next day); departs Sydney 7:50am, arrives Christchurch 12:45pm
Flight EK 418 departs Dubai 9:00am, arrives Bangkok 6.10pm; departs Bangkok 7.50pm, arrives Sydney 7:45am (next day); departs Sydney 9:15am, arrives Auckland 2:15pm (All times local)

Air Canada continues route expansion with more non-stop flights and improved schedules across Canada and the United States
Tuesday, 19 July 2005


Air Canada has announced major schedule enhancements in Canada and the United States with the introduction of daily non-stop services between Vancouver-San Diego, Abbotsford-Toronto, Abbotsford-Calgary, Calgary-Newark and Calgary-Orlando. The airline is also implementing significant schedule improvements with additional flights and more routes with jet service across its network, North America wide.

The new routes and additional flights will be operated by Air Canada and Air Canada Jazz, and are being introduced to respond to new market opportunities made possible with the renewal of the carriers' fleets that has begun with the delivery of new Embraer and Bombardier jet aircraft.

"The arrival of next-generation jet aircraft in our North American fleets allows Air Canada and Jazz to offer customers more point-to-point, non-stop flights, enhanced schedules and more jet service," said Ben Smith, Vice President, Network Planning. "Fifteen consecutive months of record-breaking load factors reflect the high demand for the Air Canada product, and the introduction of new fuel-efficient Embraer and Canadair Regional Jet aircraft will allow us to pursue new market opportunities. Our

focus remains on strategic growth as we continue to take delivery of these new aircraft that will meet travellers' needs by offering the best schedules, the most choice and the lowest fares on an everyday basis."

Consumers in Western Canada in particular will benefit from many new non-stop services and improved schedules with more jet flying. With these schedule improvements, Air Canada and Air Canada Jazz will offer up to 188 flights per day to and from Calgary on 32 routes, more than any other carrier. Overall, the carriers will serve 60 destinations in Canada and 50 in the United States, operating more than 1,300 flights per day on 194 non-stop routes. This winter, Air Canada will operate up to 36 flights per day to and from Florida on 15 non-stop routes; and up to 44 flights per day to and from California on nine non-stop routes, the most flights of any carrier to these popular destinations.

With the addition of Embraer and Bombardier aircraft in their North American fleets, Air Canada and Air Canada Jazz will introduce the following new services:


NEW ROUTES

Vancouver-San Diego: Effective December 17, 2005, Air Canada Jazz will introduce daily non-stop flights using 75-seat Canadair Regional Jet CRJ-705 aircraft.

Abbotsford-Toronto: Effective December 17, 2005, Air Canada will introduce daily non-stop flights using 93-seat Embraer 190 aircraft. Air Canada will thus offer the only daily non-stop service between these two cities.

Abbotsford-Calgary: Effective December 17, 2005, Air Canada Jazz will introduce three-times daily non-stop flights using 75-seat Canadair Regional Jet CRJ-705 aircraft, the only carrier offering business class service between these two cities.

Calgary-Newark: Effective December 1, 2005, Air Canada will introduce daily non-stop flights using 93-seat Embraer 190 aircraft. Air Canada will thus offer the only year-round daily non-stop service between these two cities.

Calgary-Orlando: Effective December 17, 2005, Air Canada will introduce twice weekly non-stop flights on Saturday and Sunday during the winter season using 120-seat Airbus A319 aircraft, the only carrier offering business class service between these two cities.

On June 2, 2005, Air Canada announced new non-stop services made possible with the renewal of its North American fleet: Vancouver-Las Vegas (October 30, 2005), Calgary-Las Vegas (October 30, 2005), Edmonton-Regina (August 1, 2005), Edmonton-Saskatoon (August 1, 2005), Hamilton-Montreal (September 18, 2005) and Hamilton-Ottawa (September 18, 2005).


IMPROVED SCHEDULES

Air Canada is enhancing service on the following routes with the introduction of more flights and year-round service this coming fall and winter compared to last year:

Vancouver-San Francisco: Up to three daily non-stop flights with the introduction of one additional flight effective December 17, 2005.

Kelowna-Toronto: Effective February 4, 2006, Air Canada will increase service to offer daily non-stop flights using 93-seat Embraer 190 aircraft.

Calgary-Houston: Up to three daily non-stop flights with the introduction of one additional flight effective immediately.

Calgary -Los Angeles: Up to three daily non-stop flights with the introduction of one additional flight effective December 17, 2005.

Fort McMurray-Calgary: Up to two daily non-stop flights with the introduction of jet service effective October 30, 2005.

Toronto-Denver: Up to three daily non-stop flights with the introduction of one additional flight effective October 30, 2005.

Toronto-Las Vegas: Up to three daily non-stop flights with the introduction of one additional daily flight effective October 1, 2005.

Toronto -Los Angeles: Up to five daily non-stop flights with the introduction of one additional flight effective immediately.

Toronto-Pittsburgh: Up to three daily non-stop flights with the introduction of one additional flight effective October 30, 2005.

Ottawa-Orlando: Effective December 17, 2005, Air Canada will increase service to daily flights on this seasonal route, the only non-stop service.

Ottawa-Fort Lauderdale: Effective December 17, 2005, Air Canada will increase service to daily flights on this seasonal route, the only non-stop service, operating a mix of Airbus and Embraer aircraft.

Montreal-Las Vegas: Effective October 30, 2005, Air Canada will increase service to offer daily flights, the only non-stop service, operating a mix of Airbus and Embraer aircraft.

Montreal-San Francisco: Effective December 17, 2005, Air Canada will introduce year-round service offering the only daily non-stop flights, using 120-seat Airbus A319 aircraft.

Moncton-Montreal: Effective immediately, Air Canada Jazz will increase service to four daily non-stop flights with the introduction of one additional flight, using 50-seat CRJ aircraft.

Deer Lake-Montreal: Effective October 30, 2005, Air Canada will extend summer flights to year-round service offering the only daily non-stop flights, using 50-seat Canadair Regional Jet CRJ-200 aircraft operated by Air Canada Jazz.

St. John's NF-Montreal: Effective October 30, 2005, Air Canada will extend summer flights to year-round service offering the only daily non-stop flights, using 75-seat Canadair Regional Jet CRJ-705 aircraft operated by Air Canada Jazz.


MORE FLIGHTS ON KEY ROUTES

Due to increased demand for Air Canada's key domestic services that have experienced sustained record high load factors, Air Canada is increasing the number of daily flights on the following key routes:

Vancouver-Toronto: Up to 15 daily non-stop flights this winter with the introduction of one additional flight.

Vancouver-Calgary: Up to 17 daily non-stop flights this winter with the introduction of three additional flights.

Calgary-Toronto: Up to 10 daily non-stop flights this winter with the introduction of one additional flight.

Edmonton-Toronto: Up to seven daily non-stop flights this winter with the introduction of one additional flight.

Winnipeg-Toronto: Up to nine daily non-stop flights this winter with the introduction of one additional flight.

Toronto-Montreal: Up to 52 daily flights this winter with the introduction of two additional flights.


NEW JET SERVICE

By October 30, 2005, Air Canada Jazz will have converted the following routes from Dash-8 turboprop to 50-seat CRJ jet service offering customers enhanced comfort and the convenience of faster travel times:

Vancouver-Prince George, Vancouver-Fort St. John, Calgary-Saskatoon, Calgary-Regina, Calgary-Fort McMurray, Edmonton-Saskatoon, Edmonton-Regina, Winnipeg-Saskatoon, Winnipeg-Regina, Winnipeg-Thunder Bay, Toronto-Baltimore, Toronto-Detroit, Ottawa-Boston, Montreal-Charlottetown, Halifax-Boston and Halifax-Goose Bay.

Air Canada Jazz took delivery of its first 75-seat CRJ-705 aircraft on May 27, 2005 for a total of 15 by December 2005. The new CRJ-705s are being introduced on the following routes: Calgary-Houston (June 1, 2005), Toronto-Houston (July 1, 2005) and Toronto-Dallas (August 1, 2005). Customers will have a choice of Hospitality or Executive Class service, a new feature on the Toronto-Houston and Dallas routes. Executive Class offers 37 inches of legroom, and Hospitality service offers an industry leading 34 inches of legroom. Both cabins feature all-leather seating, and in-seat audio and personal television systems will be installed beginning in the fall 2005.

Air Canada will begin taking delivery of the first of 15 Embraer 175 aircraft in July 2005, joining 45 Embraer 190 aircraft set to begin arrival in November 2005. The Embraer 175 aircraft has nine seats in Executive Class offering 38 inches of legroom, and 64 seats in Hospitality with up to 34 inches of legroom. The Embraer 190 has nine seats in Executive Class offering 38 inches of legroom and 84 seats in Hospitality offering 33 inches of legroom. Both cabins feature in-seat audio and video on demand to be installed in the fall 2005, in-seat power within reach of every passenger, no middle seats, generous overhead bins, wide aisles and a spacious interior.

Finnair To Add New European Routes
July 20, 2005

Finnish national carrier Finnair plans 4-5 new direct routes from Helsinki to European capitals in the first half of 2006, Petteri Kostermaa, vice-president of Finnair's networks strategies said.

Finnair said earlier on Wednesday it would launch direct flights to Geneva in June 2006, after recent announcements of new routes to Edinburgh and Krakow, next spring.

"We may announce 1-2 more destinations in Europe this year with the new Embraer. At the moment we are looking at opportunities and where we could fit in," Kostermaa said.

The new routes will mostly be served by Finnair's latest aircraft, the 76 seat Embraer 170.

The Embraer, of which Finnair will have received four by early 2006 and 12 by year-end, is expected to improve Finnair's seat usage and boost profitability.

Danish low-cost carrier Sterling is also planning to open several routes from Helsinki to European destinations by mid-2006, a senior executive of the firm told Finnish business daily Kauppalehti earlier this week.

(Reuters)

Air Nepal begins international flights
KOL Report


KATHMANDU, July 24 - Air Nepal International, the ANI, a private airlines company began its service in the international sector Sunday.

The ANI started its first international scheduled flight using a wide body aircraft, B767-300 aircraft to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The current schedule flights of the ANI include two flights a week to Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok, Thailand and three flights to Dubai, U.A.E. and Doha, Qatar.

The ANI has appointed General Sales Agents in the destination cities and is also planning to introduce e-ticketing in Nepal, a statement issued here today said.

The ANI is the second private airline to begin international air service from Nepal. Prior to this, Cosmic Air had been providing services to India and Bangladesh. (snn)

Finnair to launch direct flights between Helsinki and Tuscany
26 July 2005


Finnair is to launch direct flights from Helsinki to Tuscany next spring.

The airline will operate the route with its Airbus A320 fleet, flying directly to the heart of the area to Galileo Galilei Florence Pisa International Airport. Tuscany is Finnair's fourth destination in Italy, the other three being Rome, Milan and Venice in the summer season.

"The flights to Tuscany are a welcome addition to our Italian destination selection, which serves our Asian passengers well," explained Finnair VP Network Strategies and Management Petteri Kostermaa.

The historical Tuscan cities of Florence, Siena, Pisa, Lucca and Livorno - in addition to the Chianti wine area located close by - create an unequalled entity offering something for everyone. The area's art treasures, architecture, local dining and shopping possibilities as well as the picture perfect countryside that surrounds the cities ensure that no traveller will have problems with what to do with his/her time.

Jet Airways links Nagpur with Delhi by evening flight
Source: IRIS (26 July 2005)


Jet Airways (Q, N,C,F)* India Ltd will link Delhi with Nagpur. Jet Airways flight 9W 367 (Delhi-Nagpur) will depart Delhi at 1845 hours and arrive Nagpur at 2015 hours. The return flight 9W 368 (Nagpur-Delhi) will depart Nagpur 2055 hours and arrive Delhi at 2225 hrs.

The company will operate the Boeing 737-700 aircraft. Club Premiere will have the 20 seats and in the economy class 102 seats.

Virgin Blue launches flights between Sydney - Hervey Bay
29 July 2005


Virgin Blue today launched its new flights between Sydney and Hervey Bay/Fraser Coast Gateway Airport.

Virgin Blue Chief Commercial Officer, Stefan Pichler said, “Virgin Blue was the first carrier to commit to Hervey Bay, prompting the redevelopment and upgrade of the airport to accommodate our Boeing 737 aircraft. We applaud Hervey Bay Council for recognising the importance of high quality jet services to the tourism industry and in particular its potential to boost visitor numbers as Virgin Blue has done in many other regional centres such as Coffs Harbour.”

The flights arrive just in time for visitors to witness the spectacular annual humpback whale migration and popular Hervey Bay Whale Festival. Its close proximity to both Fraser and Lady Elliot Islands presents a number of holiday options, whether it is exploring the southern tip of the Great Barrier Reef or experiencing the bird and marine life.

Virgin Blue First Officer, Paul Stocks, who grew up in Hervey Bay and took his first job flying between Hervey Bay and Fraser Island returnred to his home town as part of the operating crew on the inaugural flight. Stock said, “It’s going to be a special flight for me and I’m very excited to be part of this historical flight into my old stomping ground, albiet in a slightly bigger aircraft than the last time when I landed a Cessna 206 at Hervey Bay.”

The low cost carrier will initially operate Fraser Coast services on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, with flights scheduled to depart Sydney at 11.05am and land the Fraser Coast at 12.50pm, before turning around and departing Fraser Coast at 1.50pm, touching down at Sydney at 3.35pm.

Fares for Virgin Blue flights between Fraser Coast and Sydney will initially start from A$79 one way on the Internet.

Iraqi Air To Launch Flights To Turkey
July 28, 2005

Iraqi Airways will begin passenger flights to neighboring Turkey for the first time in 15 years, its sales representative in Istanbul said on Thursday.

The national carrier grounded its planes in the early 1990s due to UN sanctions, and much of the carrier's fleet and assets were destroyed during the 2003 US-led war and in post-war looting.

It resumed international flights last year. It has since begun rebuilding its fleet, purchasing a 1983 Boeing 737 and leasing another plane of the same type, as well as a Boeing 727 and Boeing 767. It launched flights to Amman and Damascus earlier this year.

"As part of its reconstruction, Iraq has picked up where it left off in air transportation due to long-term sanctions and the war," its Turkey-based representative Fly Service said in a statement.

The flagship carrier will on August 3 begin flights between Baghdad and Istanbul on Mondays and Thursdays. It will also offer cargo flights three times a month, the statement said.

"Iraqi Airways will securely carry both Turkish businessmen involved in Iraqi commerce and their cargo. These flights will help commercial relations between Iraq and Turkey as well as bilateral relations," the statement said.

(Reuters)

Qatar Airways celebrates non-stop flight to Singapore
Web posted at: 7/28/2005 1:52:27


Doha: Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker presented his vision of the airline as a force to be reckoned with over the next few years, during a media briefing held in Singapore.

Celebrating the launch of daily non-stop flights to the island state using the state-of-the-art Airbus A330 aircraft, Akbar hosted leading Singapore media figures over lunch at the city's Four Seasons Hotel, during which he spoke of Qatar Airways' meteoric growth since its re-launch in 1997 to become one of the fastest growing airlines in the world. He outlined the company's vision to become a key player in global aviation. Only last month, Qatar Airways, which operates a fleet of 40 all-Airbus aircraft, announced plans at the Paris Air Show to acquire up to 80 planes, comprising 60 of the new generation A350s and 20 Boeing 777s worth a total $15.2bn.

The CEO said the airline would almost triple its fleet size by the year 2015, which he stressed was unprecedented expansion that was being admired with envy by rest of the aviation industry. He described how Qatar Airways had made significant inroads in the industry to become an award-winning airline in just a short few years. As part of the airline's growth strategy, Al Baker said Qatar Airways was introducing new destinations and increasing frequency on existing routes to offer passengers with a greater choice of flights and convenient connection opportunities over Doha.

The Singapore route, he said, had just been upgraded from an Airbus A300 aircraft to the larger A330 offering the latest in in-flight comfort and amenities. The route is being operated non-stop on all daily flights, cutting out the indirect service via Kuala Lumpur to provide a faster flight time. The new daily non-stop service operated with the A330-200 aircraft features a fully interactive in-flight entertainment system in every seat. The A330 is the backbone of Qatar Airways' long-haul fleet to destinations as far as Europe, South Africa and Far East.

Akbar said Singapore had been a highly successful route for the airline since the service was launched in November 2003 and it was only a matter of time before it was upgraded to a bigger capacity aircraft flying non-stop. With Qatar Airways being a key sponsor of the Asian Games in Doha next year, he said, said the airline will spend the next 18 months focusing much of its efforts in Asia to promote the event. He explained that Qatar Airways planned to fly to further destinations in the Far East over the next 18 months.

Al Baker also briefed the media on the current state of the US$5.5 billion New Doha International Airport, of which construction began in January 2005 and was on schedule for phase one to be completed by 2009. Most of the dredging work from the sea has been completed with 60 per cent of the new airport built on reclaimed land, he said.

He described how the new airport would be an architectural marvel, and the first in the world to be designed and built specifically for Airbus's new A380-800 double-decker 'super jumbo' — the largest passenger aircraft ever built. The A380 will be capable of carrying more than 550 passengers, with Qatar Airways a launch customer taking delivery of the first of its four A380s in 2009, the year the new airport opens.

Tiger Airways to launch direct flights between Singapore and Krabi, Thailand
Search ASIA Travel Tips .com 29 July 2005


Tiger Airways, a Singapore-based low cost airline, is to launch flights, four times a week, to Thailand’s paradise resort of Krabi with effect from the end of October 2005.

Sales started today with fares from just S$25.98 (one way) for travel from 30 October 2005 onwards.

This will be the airline’s fifth destination in Thailand and represents the eighth new destination launched by Tiger Airways during 2005, bringing the Tiger Airways network to 11 routes.

“We are delighted to add Krabi to our fast growing network of exciting destinations across the Asia-Pacific region. Krabi has a fantastic heritage of being one of the region’s most popular tourism centres. We are working closely with the local tourism and hospitality industries in Thailand to ensure that the start of the popular low fares service of Tiger Airways will have a huge impact on the number of visitors to Krabi” said Tiger Airways CEO Tony Davis.

Ms Eumporn Jiragalwisul, Tourism Authority of Thailand Director (Singapore, Indonesia and Philippines), said, “The opening of this new route by Tiger Airways to Krabi from Singapore will give a boost to the tourist industry in Krabi. It will also raise the profile of the many tourist attractions in Krabi and make them better known to a more international audience.”

Krabi is a southern province on Thailand’s Andaman seaboard and is well known for its beach facilities as well as its archeological artifacts. Evidence of Thailand’s oldest history of continued human settlements have been found in Krabi.

It is believed that Krabi was once the town of Ban Thai Samo, one of 12 royal cities that used a monkey as the town symbol. Krabi was a dependency town of the Nakhon Si Thammarat Kingdom.

Another legend indicates the town may have taken its name after the meaning of Krabi, which means the sword. This may have stemmed from a legend that says an ancient sword was unearthed prior to the city’s founding. Later, the sword became a symbol of Krabi.

The province consists of mountains, hills, plains, and mangrove forests, including more than 130 large and small islands.

Etihad signs code share pact to fly to Brussels
1 August 2005


Etihad Airways has signed a code share agreement with SN Brussels Airlines, paving the way for the launch of its services to Brussels. Starting 31 October 2005, the National Airline of the UAE will operate three direct flights a week from Abu Dhabi to the Belgian capital, flying onward to Toronto.

The pact with SN Brussels - Etihad’s first global code share agreement - is expected to open a number of important destinations in Europe, besides significantly enhancing the link between the UAE and Europe and providing more opportunities for business and tourism. SN Brussels currently serves more than 90 destinations in Europe, the Americas and Africa.

“We are very confident that our relationship with SN Brussels will further enable us to deliver truly value-added services to our guests and we look forward to a long and successful partnership,” said Kevin Steele, Etihad’s Head of World Sales, “The opening of this new route is one of several steps currently being taken to expand our global presence and it demonstrates our ambitious international growth strategy. We are confident this new route and code share agreement will provide our guests with more flexibility and easier access to Benelux countries and Europe.”

“With the Belgian community in the UAE growing at a pace of 20% per annum, and an equally dynamic strengthening of business attention from Belgium for the Emirates, and vice versa, the establishment of a direct link between Belgium and Abu Dhabi in a co-operation between SN Brussels Airways and Etihad Airways is a very welcome development,” said H.E. Mr. Marc Van den Reeck, Belgian Ambassador to the UAE.

According to Philip Saunders, Executive Vice-President (Commercial) of SN Brussels Airlines, the code share relationship with Etihad “opens up new parts of the world for the customers of SN Brussels”. "It represents the fist service to the Gulf and to one of its most dynamic destinations. At the same time, we can also offer now non-stop services to Canada. By working together with Etihad Airways, we can provide our customers a superb in-flight service on both new routes.”

The Abu Dhabi-Brussels route also has significant importance for Etihad Crystal Cargo. Etihad Crystal Cargo already moves a significant amount of cargo from Eastern destinations such as India, Colombo and Thailand via Abu Dhabi to Belgium. At the moment the cargo - primarily equipment, spare parts, auto parts and tyres - is air-freighted from Abu Dhabi to London or Frankfurt and then transported via truck to Belgium where Etihad Crystal Cargo is represented by Platinum Air Belgium. The direct link from Abu Dhabi to Brussels and onwards to Canada will further boost Etihad Crystal Cargo's global infrastructure and service network, providing more flexibility to logistics customers.

AirTran Airways Continues to Expand Flint Market With Nonstop Service to Ft. Myers
02.08.2005 16:07:00



ORLANDO, Fla., Aug. 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- AirTran Airways, a subsidiary of AirTran Holdings, Inc. , today announced the airline will expand its route map again from Flint by adding new roundtrip flights to Ft. Myers this fall. The new nonstop daily flights will begin November 8, 2005, and will be served by the airline's popular Boeing 717 aircraft.

"AirTran Airways continues to add exciting new non-stop destinations from Flint Bishop International Airport," said John Kirby, AirTran Airways Director of Network Planning. "We are pleased to offer to our valued customers in Flint and Northern Oakland County the youngest all-Boeing fleet in North America, Business Class on every flight, and everyday low-fares to all destinations in our network."

"A nonstop flight to Ft. Myers was our number one priority for additional Florida service," said Bishop International Airport Director Jim Rice. "We have had more requests for it than any other sunny destination. AirTran Airways is incredibly in-tune with what the travelers in Southeast Michigan want for air service. Our partnership has benefited this entire region by bringing top notch, low-fare service to business and leisure destinations across the country."

"AirTran Airways has once again shown us how committed they are to proactively providing our community with the most requested nonstop destinations on our passengers' wish list," said Pat Corfman, Airport Director of Marketing and Public Relations. "Our convenient facility, combined with their incredible product, continues to be a winning-and expanding-combination for everyone."

AirTran Airways will offer the following nonstop flight options to/from Flint, effective November 8, 2005:

Nonstop Service to Flint From Departs Arrives Frequency Atlanta 8:05 a.m. 9:53 a.m. Daily Atlanta 12:20 p.m. 2:04 p.m. Daily Atlanta 4:03 p.m. 5:51 p.m. Daily Atlanta 8:55 p.m. 10:48 p.m. Daily Ft. Myers 10:20 a.m. 1:10 p.m. Daily Las Vegas 8:00 a.m. 2:50 p.m. Daily, except Tuesday and Wednesday Orlando 7:50 p.m. 10:20 p.m. Daily Nonstop Service from Flint To Departs Arrives Frequency Atlanta 5:30 a.m. 7:26 a.m. Daily Atlanta 10:23 a.m. 12:19 p.m. Daily Atlanta 1:45 p.m. 3:42 p.m. Daily Atlanta 6:27 p.m. 8:26 p.m. Daily Ft. Myers 2:34 p.m. 5:24 p.m. Daily Las Vegas 3:30 p.m. 4:35 p.m. Daily, except Tuesday and Wednesday Orlando 7:00 a.m. 9:35 a.m. Daily

AirTran Airways, one of America's largest low-fare airlines with 6,400 friendly, professional Crew Members, operates over 500 daily flights to 47 destinations. The airline's hub is at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, where it is the second largest carrier. AirTran Airways recently added the fuel-efficient Boeing 737-700 aircraft to create America's youngest all-Boeing fleet. The airline is also the first carrier to install XM Satellite Radio on a commercial aircraft. For reservations or more information, visit airtran.com (America Online Keyword: AirTran).

HK Express To Fly To Guangzhou
August 3, 2005

Hong Kong Express, the territory's most recent start-up carrier, has agreed landing rights to five Chinese second-tier cities and hopes to secure more destinations, a company official said on Wednesday.

The carrier, which does not fly anywhere at present, is expected to fly passengers to the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou starting mid-September, with subsequent services to Hangzhou, Nanjing, Chongqing and Ningbo throughout the latter months of 2005 and early 2006.

In the future, the new start-up will also consider seeking landing rights to other secondary cities in China, including Haikou, Sanya, Shantou and Zhengzhou, said Andrew Tse, chief executive officer of Hong Kong Express.

While the airline's expansion plans are centered on China, it also hopes to secure landing rights to Ko Samui in Thailand, Tse said.

"Hong Kong is very weak in terms of connecting to the mainland," said Tse. "We have the opportunity here of launching increased domestic flight services from Hong Kong to the mainland."

Tse is a primary shareholder in privately-owned Hong Kong Express along with tycoon Stanley Ho.

The carrier, which will operate a total of four 76 seat Embraer planes by 2006, is expected to buy two aircraft each year and cover 12-15 cities in China in the next five years. Each Embraer comes with a price tag of about USD$20 million.

(Reuters)

American Eagle begins service to five new cities

American Eagle began jet services in five new markets Monday.

American Eagle, a unit of Fort Worth-based AMR Corp. (NYSE: AMR), said it has begun operating one daily flight each from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport to Chattanooga, Tenn.; Rochester, N.Y.; and Syracuse, N.Y.

The airline also will operate one daily flight each to Dayton, Ohio and Greensboro, N.C., from Miami International Airport.

American Eagle operates more than 1,700 daily flights to more than 140 cities in the United States, Canada, the Bahamas, Mexico and the Caribbean.

Air Sahara to resume Nepal flights Aug 12 Print this page..
By Sudeshna Sarkar, Indo-Asian News Service

Kathmandu, Aug 7 (IANS) After vacillating for over four months, private Indian air operator Air Sahara has finally announced it will resume flights to Nepal from Aug 12.

Joy Dewan, managing director of Zenith Travels, general sales agent of the airline here, told IANS the Delhi-Kathmandu flights, virtually suspended since March, would resume Friday, ahead of the earlier resumption date of Sep 1 announced by the airline's headquarters in New Delhi.

"The Kathmandu flights were suspended due to a scarcity of pilots," Dewan said. "However, with the appointment of new pilots, we have decided to pre-pone the resumption."

Till August, Air Sahara would operate four flights a week between New Delhi and Kathmandu while from Sep 1 there would be daily flights, Dewan said.

However, Air Sahara will face stiff competition when it resumes flights to Nepal especially with its image having taken a beating due to the frequent suspension of flights.

Its competitors like India's national carrier, Indian Airlines, private Indian carrier Jet Airways and Nepalese airlines Royal Nepal Airlines and Cosmic Air have already established a stronghold in the sector, especially with the introduction of slashed fares this year.

However, Dewan said Air Sahara hoped to win the upmarket clientele with its premium service. "We are not going to offer discounts. We are a premium service and are not looking at budget travellers," he said.

Air Sahara's operations in Nepal have been dogged by disruptions since its launch.

Initially scheduled to begin its Kathmandu flights from August 2004, the airline had to postpone the debut twice, first due to a blockade called by the Maoist insurgents and then due to nationwide violence triggered by the killing of 12 Nepalese workers in Iraq.

This year, after King Gyanendra sacked the government of prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and assumed direct rule from Feb 1, Air Sahara's flights became erratic, partly due to the drop in the number of tourists to Nepal and partly because of its expanding operations in South East Asia, leading to a scarcity of pilots.

--Indo-Asian News Service

British Airways to fly to Iceland

(JND) - The airline British Airways have reported that they will start flying between Iceland and Gatwick airport, London. British Airways said they will provide the service five times a week; the first flight is scheduled March 26, 2006.

Until now, only two airlines have been flying between the UK and Iceland with passengers: Icelandair, the oldest and biggest airline in Iceland, and Iceland Express, a recent low-fare airline and the competition between them has been fierce.

Icelandair's PR, Guðjón Arngrímsson, said that Icelandair welcomes the competition and believes Icelandair can compete with BA: "This market has been growing rapidly. Iceland has been well marketed in London and Britain as a whole so number of passenger has been rising fast. We're always ready for more competition on every route between Iceland and other countries. We're ready and willing to compete here as we are on other routes" Arngrímsson said.

Birgir Jónsson at Iceland Express agrees. "Iceland Express welcomes the competition without a doubt." He then added, "The competition will benefit us all".

British Airways have reported the tickets will cost about €291.

New flight to link Guangzhou, Jinggangshan
www.chinaview.cn 2005-08-09 21:02:46

NANCHANG, Aug. 9 (Xinhuanet) -- The China Southern Airlines is to open a new air route between Jinggangshan, known as the cradle of the Chinese revolution, and Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong province, on Wednesday.

Since the Jinggangshan Airport re-opened on May 22 this year, aseries of Chinese domestic airlines such as Air China, the China Eastern Airlines, the Shanghai Airlines and Hainan Airlines, have launched air routes linking Jinggangshan with Beijing and Shanghai.

Covering an area of 660.87 square kilometers, the Jinggangshan Mountainous rang is an revolutionary base area, where late ChineseCommunist Party Chairman Mao Zedong and his colleagues establishedthe first rural base for the revolution led by the Communist Partyof China.

Statistics from the local tourism bureau show that visitors to Jinggangshan from home and abroad increased at 20 percent year-on-year. By the end of July, the Jinggangshan Airport had handled 12,700 tourists.

The newly-launched Jinggangshan-Guangzhou flight will fly from opposite directions every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.

The Jinggangshan Airport will open air routes to other major cities such as Shenzhen, Nanjing, Hangzhou and Xiamen to meet the growing needs of visits to historical sites, an airport official said. Enditem

Qatar Airways increases capacity to Dhaka
10 August 2005


Due to a breakthrough in the air service agreement between the governments of Qatar and Bangladesh, Qatar Airways has increased capacity between Doha and Dhaka to seven flights a week.

An extra two scheduled flights a week have been launched, operating on Tuesdays and Saturdays, to take frequency up from five services.

The airline is continuing to use its state-of-the-art Airbus A330 on the route, with a two-class cabin of 22 seats in Business and 259 in Economy.

The extra capacity on the route follows the conclusion of bilateral discussions in Dhaka recently where a high level delegation of government officials from Qatar and Bangladesh held talks about increasing trade between both countries.

Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker said he was delighted to see additional flights serving the Bangladeshi community in Qatar and Bangladesh.

“The breakthrough in the bilaterals between our two governments enables us to now serve Dhaka with a greater number of flights and this is good news for the travelling public as it offers more choice and greater options to fly to destinations further afield,” he said.

Qatar Airways previously had traffic rights to operate four flights a week between Doha and Dhaka. A fifth service has been operating under a codeshare agreement with Biman Bangladesh.

Song adds nonstop service between OIA and San Francisco

Song, Delta Air Lines' low-fare air service, has announced plans to add nonstop flight service between Orlando International Airport and San Francisco International Airport, starting Nov. 4.

The new service will initially operate on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, but will be increased five days per week on Jan. 30, 2006. Daily service will begin March 1, 2006.

In addition, the airline plans to increase the frequency of certain flights involving various Florida cities -- including Orlando -- and New York and Boston.

Beginning Nov. 1, the number of flights between John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York and Orlando International will increase from five times daily to eight times daily. The service between Boston's Logan International Airport and Orlando will increase from four times daily to six times daily.


© 2005 American City Business Journals Inc.

Kingfisher Airlines launches Goa-Mumbai operation 8/11/2005 5:46:58 PM IST

Kingfisher Airlines, on Thursday launched flights between Goa and Mumbai. To start with, there will be two daily flights and from August 15, the frequency will increase to three daily flights in both directions. The starting one-way fare for the Goa-Mumbai sector has been pegged at Rs1,999, plus taxes.

From August 15, the Airline will also offer connectivity between Goa and New Delhi, the Company said.

Dr. Vijay Mallya, Chairman and Managing Director, Kingfisher Airlines Limited, said, “Goa, the fun capital of the country attracts many tourists and revelers who come to enjoy the sun, sand and the sea. With the launch of flights into Goa, the fun experience will now begin right from the time guests board Kingfisher Airlines and relish the unique ‘Kingfisher Class’ experience.”

BA to start Tirana flights in 2006
Thursday, August 11, 2005 Posted: 1045 GMT (1845 HKT)

TIRANA, Albania (Reuters) -- British Airways, Europe's second biggest airline, plans flights to Albanian capital Tirana from London starting next year as it expands its network in the Balkans and Eastern Europe, officials said on Wednesday.

Christian Fornaschon, BA's regional commercial manager for southeast Europe, said the carrier would kick off the London-Tirana route from Gatwick airport three times a week once a security audit gives the green light, probably early next spring. "The region is really dynamic at the moment and we have to be there," Fornaschon told Reuters.

"Eighteen months ago we had three services to Croatia, now we have 15. There will be more traffic coming here now that Albania is getting closer to Europe and growth is picking up."

Fornaschon said BA expected to serve the expatriate Albanian community and foreign businesspeople active in the country. The three-hour flight will be operated with Boeing 737-400 planes. The maiden flight is scheduled for March 27, 2006.

"Leisure traffic is also expected to pick up. The British are real estate buyers," added Albion Idrizi, BA's commercial manager for Kosovo and Albania.

Albania, a Stalinist state until 1990, has long stretches of unspoilt coastline but no infrastructure for tourism.

BA will be one of few big carriers flying to the country, along with Austrian Airlines and Alitalia.

Fornaschon said BA was conducting a security audit on Tirana's airport facilities, while Britain's Civil Aviation Authority was doing an additional one.

"If they say it is not safe, there will be homework to be done before we can fly. They (Albania airport authorities) just need to do it, and we will support them. We are optimistic everything will be cleared," Fornaschon added.

http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/2005/TRAVEL/08/11/ba.tirana.reut/story.tirana.jpg
BA will be one of few big carriers flying to the country, along with Austrian Airlines and Alitalia.

Royal Jordanian increases flights to Vienna
by Laura Barnes


Royal Jordanian and Austrian Airlines have increased operations between Amman and Vienna, under a code share agreement signed by the two airlines. The deal will see the number of flights between the two cities increase to eight a week.

“For the last two decades RJ has had a distinguished relationship with Austrian Airlines, and the latest agreement will help grow our partnership, which is in line with our airlines’ plans of boosting operations between Jordan and Austria,” said Hussein Dabbas, vice president commercial, Royal Jordanian.

The deal will allow RJ passengers travelling to Vienna to continue their with OS to destinations across the European continent, whereas passengers from Europe will be able to take advantage of RJ’s network in the Middle East.

“By cooperating with our network partner we can offer passengers a significantly improved service, not only between Austria and Jordan, but also between Europe and the Middle East region. In addition to Amman, our network comprises several other cities in the region like Aleppo, Beirut, Cairo, Damascus and Dubai,” said Josef Burger, CCO Austrian Airlines.

RJ, who first operated flights to Vienna in 1975, also has a number of code share agreements with other international airlines like Gulf Air, Iberia, Cyprus Airways, Air Canada and America West Airlines.

Qatar Airways to launch flights to Berlin
15 August 2005


Qatar Airways is to launch flights between Doha and Berlin from 15 December 2005.

The airline will operate four scheduled flights a week on the Berlin route using an Airbus A319 in a two-class configuration of eight seats in Business and 102 in Economy.

Qatar Airways already operates daily services to Frankfurt and non-stop to Munich five-times-a-week. The airline also has a dedicated freighter service to Munich. The recent bilateral talks concluded between the governments of Qatar and Germany permit Qatar Airways to increase capacity to Germany to 21 flights a week in three phases, beginning in Summer 2005 with full implementation by Winter 2006.

In addition to existing services to Frankfurt and Munich, Qatar Airways can serve three new points in Germany by Winter 2006.

Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker said, “Our commercial team in Doha is evaluating other destinations across Germany and we hope to be in a position to announce further expansion into Germany over the next few months.”

Gulf Air and Saudi Arabian Airlines strengthen and extend code share services
16 August 2005


Gulf Air and Saudi Arabian Airlines have signed an agreement to strengthen and extend their current code share operational services.

The new agreement will include all flights operated by the two carriers between Bahrain, Abu Dhabi and Muscat International Airports, as well as the two terminals of King Abdul Aziz International Airport in Jeddah, the southern terminal used by Saudi Arabian Airlines and the northern terminal used by Gulf Air, with effect from 1 August 2005.

Saudi Arabian Airlines Vice President Marketing and Planning Dr Omar Abdullah Jefri said this significant move would provide more flights for passengers.

“We are currently working with Gulf Air to increase the strategic co-operation we enjoy. We held a very positive meeting in Jeddah last month,” he said.

Gulf Air Vice President Network Fareed Al Alawi said the two carriers were working to include flights to Prince Mohammed bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud at Al Madina Al Monawwarah, with effect from the next winter schedule.

In 2003, Gulf Air and Saudi Arabian Airlines signed a strategic co-operation agreement, which included the common use of First and Business class lounges owned by the two carriers.

In addition, they agreed on code share services between Bahrain, Abu Dhabi and Muscat International Airports, as well as Dammam, Riyadh and Jeddah International Airports and between Dammam and Kathmandu Airport in Nepal.

The two Gulf carriers are discussing the addition of more international destinations on their networks and the use of their Frequent flyer programmes to provide more privileges for their customers, such as free flights, extra baggage allowance, access to VIP lounges, fast check-ins and other services.

Royal Jordanian new route to Milan
Wednesday, 17 August 2005


Branded NewsletterMilan added to RJ route network as of Oct. 30, 2005 Royal Jordanian will start to operate direct biweekly flights to Milan as of Oct. 30, 2005. RJ's service to Milan comes 40 years after it launched its service to Rome, the first European destination RJ operated. The airline started conducting direct flights to Rome since 1965, the second year after its establishment.

The decision to start the new destination to Italy came in order to facilitate travel and trade between Amman and Milan and to serve businessmen's travel between the two cities, in addition to serving passengers transiting via Amman.

Royal Jordanian has four direct weekly flights to Rome. This service will be boosted this coming autumn by the biweekly flights to Milan. RJ operated a direct service from Amman to Milan from 1996 to 1998. It constantly studies the market in order to offer the best and most convenient services.

Milan, the second largest city in Italy, is 475 km far from Rome. It is considered an important economic and industrial city in the heart of Europe.

Adding Milan to the RJ route network makes it the airline's 49th station. RJ's modern fleet comprises 21 aircraft operating more than 225 weekly flights.

China Southern Airlines expands services to Inner Mongolia
18 August 2005


China Southern Airlines has expanded its route system to include three cities of Inner Mongolia.

The airline has launched new services from Guangzhou to Hailar, Manzhouli, and Xilin Hot - via Hohhot - in Inner Mongolia.

Hailar, Manzhouli, and XilinHot are known throughout China as the Golden Triangle of the Grasslands. Located on the Hulunbuir and Xilin Gol grasslands, the three cities enjoy rich tourist resources and prosperous borderline trading with their northern neighbors in Russia and throughout Inner Mongolia.

Located on the Hailar River, Hailar is an agricultural production center on the Chinese Eastern RR. Formerly known as Hulun, Hailar consists of an old and a new city. The old section, founded in 1734 as a fort, is typically Chinese; the new section is a modern, industrial quarter. Hailar also serves as the administrative district in Hulunbuir, Inner Mongolia with a population of more than 209,000.

Manzhouli in the northeast of the Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region, China, is strategically located on the Russian border. Heavy industry is the most important economic activity with the main industries include coal mining and food processing. Manzhouli developed after the 1903 construction of the Chinese Eastern RR and is a key customs station. Until recent times virtually all trade between China and Russia passed through there, and trade with Russia remains vitally important to the economy.

Xilinhot is a city with more than 100,000 inhabitants in Inner Mongolia. The elevation is about 3,250 feet. The historic centre includes an artistic temple. Nadam Dahui, a Mongolian feast is celebrated here every year and Xilinhot is a market where cattle are of particular importance.

China Southern Airlines will operate this service round-trip from Guangzhou with a Boeing 737-300. All flights have one stop in Hohhot.

Jetstar Asia launches flights between Singapore and Kolkata
18 August 2005


Jetstar Asia launches its inaugural flight between Kolkata in India and Singapore today, marking a new chapter in the airline's expansion plans.

Jetstar Asia flies between Singapore and Kolkata three times a week on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. Departure from Changi Airport is at 1630hrs, arriving in Kolkata at 1800hrs. The return flight from Kolkata is at 1900hrs arriving in Singapore at 0135hrs the following morning.

Fares on the new route start from S$218.

While Jetstar Asia aims to keep its prices low, the airline also provides onboard services such as the digEplayer service, an inflight entertainment player which combines music, movies and sitcoms, offered on flights to Kolkata, Hong Kong, Manila and Taipei at a nominal cost of S$12 per passenger. A wide range of hot food, snacks and beverages along with duty free items can also be purchased on board.

SINGAPORE (AP) -- India and Singapore have agreed to expand air rights to increase services between three of India's biggest cities, the government said Thursday.

Airlines from both countries will be able to start or add flights between Singapore and the Indian cities of Calcutta, Bangalore and Hyderabad, the Ministry of Transport said in a statement.

Currently there are 117 weekly passenger services between Singapore and 10 Indian destinations.

The agreement also gives airlines from both countries additional "fifth freedom rights," or the ability to pick up passengers or cargo on each other's territory en route to other destinations.

The Ministry of Transport's permanent secretary, Choi Shing Kwok, said the agreement was timely as there was shortage of flights between India and Singapore.

Three new airlines -- Air Sahara, Jet Airways and Qantas Airways Ltd.'s offshoot JetstarAsia -- started flying between the two countries this year.

More flights to Singapore

30aug05

SINGAPORE Airlines will boost the number of flights to Adelaide from four a week to five.

Flights to Perth and to Taipei also will increase, the airline said.

"The extra flights are part of SIA's ongoing efforts to match capacity with demand, and will see more use of supplementary flights during peak seasons," the airline said.


Singapore Airlines increases flights to Taipei and Australia in Winter Schedule
29 August 2005


From 30 October 2005, Singapore Airlines is to introduce supplementary flights to Taipei, Adelaide, and Perth, to cater for anticipated strong demand for travel to and from these cities.

For the Northern Winter schedule (30 October 2005 to 25 March 2006), Singapore Airlines will mount three more flights every week to Taipei. The additional flights will operate on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, and will raise frequencies to the city to 17 times a week.

Singapore Airlines will also be operating more flights to select cities in Australia. Perth will be served three times daily (21 flights weekly) during the peak travel period of 2 November 2005 to 27 January 2006, up from 18 times weekly now.

The number of flights to Adelaide will also increase from four to five times weekly in the winter season. The additional flight will depart Singapore on Mondays.

The supplementary flights will be operated using the Airline’s B777-200 aircraft, and increases are subject to government approval.

Shenzhen Airlines, after barely seven months of flying to KL International Airport (KLIA), has introduced flights to KLIA effective Sept 5.

The airline started operations to KLIA on Jan 18, 2005 with three flights weekly, utilising the Boeing 737-800 aircraft with 167 seats configuration. The flight from Shenzhen to KLIA takes about three hours twenty minutes.

"The introduction of daily flights to KLIA by Shenzhen Airlines indicates that Malaysia has a very good appeal in the China market.

"This shows the great potential for the Malaysia-China market," said Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd managing director Datuk Seri Bashir Ahmad said in a statement on Sept 1.

Apart from Shenzhen Airlines, other airlines from mainland China currently operating direct and scheduled passenger flights to KLIA include Air China, China Southern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, and Xiamen Airlines, while Hainan Airlines operates chartered flights.

AWAIR to launch flights to Kuala Lumpur, Batam and Surabaya
9 September 2005


AirAsia’s Indonesian low cost airline operations, AWAIR International is to launch its first international route to Kuala Lumpur, and two new domestic routes to Surabaya and Batam from Jakarta.

AWAIR’s maiden international flight to Kuala Lumpur will commence 23rd September 2005. The airline today launched the inaugurall flight from Jakarta to Surabaya on and will commence Jakarta to Batam on 15th September 2005.

In conjunction with the launching of the new routes and celebrating Indonesia’s 60th Independent Day Anniversary, AWAIR is offering 200,000 seats at special launch fares as follows:

Surabaya – Jakarta
from Rp.60,000 one way

Batam – Jakarta
from Rp.100,000 (SG16.99) one way

Kuala Lumpur – Jakarta
from Rp.170,000 (RM59.99) one way

The promotional fares (excluding airport taxes and fees) are good for travel from the launch date up till 25th March 2006. Seats must be purchased before 15th September 2005.

Air Arabia to launch flights between Sharjah and Nagpur in India
12 September 2005


Air Arabia, a Sharjah-based low cost airline, is launch flights between Sharjah and Nagpur in Maharashtra, India.

Mr. Praful Patel, Indian Minister Civil Aviation said, “We are delighted to announce that Air Arabia will be the 1st international airline to start services to Nagpur".

Commenting on the developments, Adel Ali, Air Arabia’s CEO said, “The Gulf-India market is important to us and we are pleased to be part of the expansion and development of this market. We are continuing in our strategy to open new routes and especially those that are underserved internationally like Nagpur.”

Air Arabia will start operations to Nagpur three times a week in the second half of October to help people travelling home for Eid.

The airline currently flies from Sharjah to eighteen destinations: fourteen flights weekly to Alexandria; nine flights a week to Beirut; daily to Bahrain, Colombo, Damascus, Doha, Mumbai and Muscat; six days a week to Kuwait; four days a week to Dammam, Jeddah and Riyadh; three days a week to Khartoum and Aleppo; and two days a week to Assiut, Luxor, Sana’a and Sharm El Sheikh.

Pacific Blue to launch Flights to Tonga
13 September 2005


Virgin Blue’s international airline Pacific Blue is to launch direct flights to Tonga from both Australia and New Zealand from 31 October 2005.

The airline will initially offer two direct flights a week from Sydney to Tonga, as well as three direct flights between Auckland and Tonga.

Subject to Government approval, the new services to Tonga will be the fourth South Pacific destination serviced by Pacific Blue following the launch of services from Australia to Vanuatu and Fiji last year.

The Auckland to Tonga service will initially depart three days a week on Monday, Thursday and Saturday with a special launch fare of $NZ 149 one way on the net (plus taxes and charges) . The sale fare is available now until 25 September 2005 for travel 31 October 2005 to 26 March 2006 (Blackout period 11 Dec 05 - 22 Jan 06 applies). Everyday low fares will start from NZ$179 one way on the net (plus taxes and charges).

The direct flights between Sydney to Tonga will operate Monday and Thursday with Pacific Blue offering a “Tonga Take-off” launch fare offer of AU$299 (all inclusive) on the internet, with everyday low fares starting from AU$349 (all inclusive) one way on the net.

Jetstar Asia to launch flights to Phuket in Thailand
21 September 2005

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Jetstar Asia has opened ticket sales for a four-times weekly service to Phuket that will commence on 25 October 2005. To celebrate the launch, Jetstar Asia is offering a special fare of Sin$22 for travel up to December 15. Thereafter, everyday low fares will start from Sin$48.

Jetstar Asia service 3K 517 will depart from Changi Airport in Singapore at 7:05am arriving in Phuket at 7:45am every Tuesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The return leg will depart Phuket at 8:45am, arriving in Singapore at 11:25am.

“Phuket is one of the great tourist destinations. With rebuilding almost complete, we are confident that demand will grow, occupancy rates of hotels will continue to increase, and our new service will make commercial sense,” said Mr Ken Ryan, CEO of Jetstar Asia.

Ms Eumporn Jiragalwisul, Director of Tourism Authority of Thailand added, “We are very glad that Jetstar Asia made the decision to fly to Phuket. With the additional flights, it will definitely help to bring in more visitors from Singapore and the Asia Pacific region to Phuket and its surrounding provinces, such as Phang Nga, Khao Lak and Krabi, which will give the tourism industries there an added boost. The new flights are indeed timely to give the Andaman area a higher capacity for tourist arrivals in the upcoming high season.”

SilkAir to fly to Shenzhen and Surabaya
23 September 2005

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From 30 October 2005, SilkAir, the regional wing of Singapore Airlines, will takeover from Singapore Airlines the operation of services between Singapore and Shenzhen, and between Singapore and Surabaya.

Frequencies between Singapore and Surabaya will more than double, as SilkAir plans to operate double-daily flights to the Indonesian city. Singapore Airlines presently flies six-times weekly to Surabaya.

SilkAir intends to launch a six-times weekly service between Singapore and Shenzhen, an increase over the existing four flights a week.

For SilkAir, the Shenzhen service will add to its already extensive operations between Singapore and China, complementing its services to Xiamen, Fuzhou, Chengdu, Chongqing and Kunming.

Surabaya will become SilkAir’s seventh destination in Indonesia, adding to the existing services to Medan, Palembang, Solo, Lombok, Manado and Balikpapan. Both routes will be served by SilkAir’s fleet of A319 and A320 aircraft.

Singapore Airlines will mount supplementary flights in the year-end to cater to the traditionally higher demand during this period. There are also plans to increase frequencies in 2006 to select cities in Asia, including Taipei and Guangzhou.

AWAIR launches flights between Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur
23 September 2005


Indonesian based low fare airline, AWAIR International, a joint venture with AirAsia, today made its first international debut when its flight from Jakarta landed at Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

AWAIR had earlier launched 2 new domestic routes in Indonesia; Surabaya and Batam from its hub in Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on the 9th and 15th of September respectively. Besides these 2 additions, AWAIR also flies to 4 other domestic destinations in Indonesia, namely Denpasar (Bali), Balikpapan, Padang, and Medan.

Fares for AWAIR Kuala Lumpur-Jakarta start from RM 59.99 one way.

SriLankan Air Taxi to launch daily scheduled flights to Bentota and Koggala
30 September 2005


SriLankan Air Taxi, the domestic arm of SriLankan Airlines, is to begin daily scheduled return flights from Colombo to Bentota and Koggala from 1 November 2005, providing a further boost to the country’s tourism industry.

“This service is intended to coincide with the Winter tourist season, and is expected to greatly assist hoteliers and tour operators in the southwestern and southern resort areas in marketing their products,” said Herman Pereira, Manager Air Taxi at SriLankan. “Our amphibious aircraft will carry passengers from Colombo to Bentota in comfort in less than half an hour, and on to Koggala in another 40 minutes.”

In comparison, a road trip to Bentota can take up to 3 hours, and up to four hours to Koggala.

Flights depart the Bandaranaike International Airport at 6:30 a.m, arrive at the Bentota River at 7:05 a.m. and get to Koggala Air Force Base at 7:45 a.m.

The return flights depart Koggala at 8:30 a.m, and Bentota at 9:10 a.m, and touch down at BIA at 9:45 a.m.

“The schedule has been designed to provide the greatest convenience and shortest transit time for passengers from Europe who arrive on SriLankan Airlines’ flights from London, Paris and Frankfurt, to go straight on to their hotels in Bentota, Beruwala, Kosgoda, Koggala, Galle, etc, without having to battle through traffic in and around Colombo,” said Herman Pereira. “The same convenience applies to travellers who want to catch flights to Europe straight from the beach resort areas. We are flying on a daily basis, 365 days a year.”

On the way, travellers can enjoy a view of the island that they probably haven’t seen before. Flying only a few thousand feet above the ground, far lower than regular jet airliners, they get a bird’s eye view of Sri Lanka’s exotic fauna and flora and the beauty of the Indian Ocean.

“We have received an excellent response from the travel and hotel trades, which welcome this service as an addition to the product that they can market abroad. Staff of hotels and tour operators can meet their customers at the aircraft and provide ground transport straight to the hotels,” said Herman Pereira. “This service could also be used by corporate customers in Sri Lanka, non-governmental organizations, etc as they will find it a very convenient method of travel.”

SriLankan Air Taxi has made any part of the island accessible within an hour. It has been expanding its operations rapidly and now flies to 14 destinations – Kandy, Bentota, Nuwara Eliya, Hingurakgoda, Galle (Koggala), Weerawila, Ampara, Katunayake, Ratmalana, Trincomalee, Sigiriya, Dikwella, Katukurunda, and Anuradhapura.

Qatar Airways to launch flights to Madrid
29 September 2005


Qatar Airways is to launch flights to Madrid on 2 December 2005.

Speaking during a media briefing on World Tourism Day in Doha, Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker said Madrid will be a vital addition to Qatar Airways’ route network.

“The addition of Madrid is yet another step forward to expand Qatar Airways’ global, and specifically European services,” he said.

“We look forward to spreading our wings to the Spanish capital which has a strong tourism appeal. The city will be the gateway to many exciting towns and cities across Spain.”

Qatar Airways will operate three flights a week between Doha, capital of the State of Qatar in the Persian Gulf, and Madrid.

The airline currently operates to 66 destinations from Doha, which will rise to 69 with the addition of Madrid, Berlin and, from November 15, the Kenyan capital, Nairobi.

AirAsia to launch flights to Phnom Penh and Chiang Mai
27 September 2005


AirAsia is to launch two new international routes; Chiang Mai in Thailand and Phnom Penh in Cambodia. Daily services to Chiang Mai will commence on 20 October, while daily flights to Phnom Penh will begin 1 November 2005. Both flights will depart from Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

To celebrate the new routes AirAsia is offering 10 000 seats to each of these new destinations from RM49.99/THB 599 one way to/from Chiang Mai and to/from Phnom Penh from RM49.99/US$15 one way. The special introductory fares are available from 28 September to 12 October 2005, for travel up to 25th March 2006.

Flight schedule for Kuala Lumpur – Chiang Mai beginning Oct 20th , 2005
Flight From Depart/ Arrival Flight No. Frequency
Kuala Lumpur – Chiang Mai 0845/1035 (local time) AK 896 Daily
Chiang Mai – Kuala Lumpur 1105/1450 (local time) AK 897 Daily

Flight schedule for Kuala Lumpur – Phnom Penh beginning 1st November 2005
Flight From Depart/ Arrival Flight No. Frequency
Kuala Lumpur – Phnom Penh 1515 /1605 (local time) AK 852 Daily
Phnom Penh – Kuala Lumpur 1635 /1920 (local time) AK 853 Daily

Jetstar Asia to launch flights between Singapore and Bangalore
26 September 2005


Jetstar Asia is to launch a five times weekly service between Singapore and Bangalore, India. The airline is also adding an additional service to Kolkata, making it a four-time weekly destination.

While exact commencement dates for the routes are to be determined, Jetstar Asia is aiming for the new services to be up and running by the end of October 2005.

“I’m delighted that we’ll soon be able to offer our passengers the Bangalore option on top of our additional service to Kolkata,” said Mr Ken Ryan, Jetstar Asia’s CEO.

“Bangalore’s business connection to Singapore is strong and travel demand in recent years has grown at impressive rates.

“With the rising wealth in Bangalore we’re confident that we’ll also appeal to travellers who would come to Singapore for long weekends or use the Jetstar Asia service for onward holiday destinations such as Phuket or Hong Kong,” said Mr Ryan.

Schedules and fares for the new services to Bangalore and the additional flight to Kolkata are expected to be announced soon.

Hawaiian Airlines launches daily nonstop San José-Honolulu flights
3 October 2005

Hawaiian Airlines has launched a daily nonstop service between San José and Honolulu.

San José Fire Department pay tribute with a water cannon salute as Hawaiian Airlines launches direct daily flights between San Jose and Honolulu

Hawaiian’s Flight 45 will depart Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport daily at 9:40 a.m. local time and arrive at Honolulu International Airport at 11:55 a.m., leaving plenty of time for travelers to conveniently connect to one of Hawaiian’s flights to the Neighbor Islands, or enjoy the rest of the day on Oahu.

The return Flight 44 will depart Honolulu International Airport daily at 1:25 p.m. and arrive at Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport at 9:30 p.m.

Hawaiian will operate the route using its state-of-the-art Boeing 767-300ER wide-body, twin-aisle aircraft that comfortably seats 260 passengers (18 First Class; 242 Coach Class).

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Hong Kong Express launches Flights between Hong Kong and Hangzhou
5 October 2005


Executive Airline, Hong Kong Express, today launched a new scheduled service between Hong Kong and Hangzhou. The new route, the airline’s second, will be served initially with two flights daily increasing later this month to three flights daily and operated using the airline’s second of four 76 seat Embraer 170 aircraft currently on order.

“We are thrilled that our planned roll out of services has stayed on track and that we are really able to offer travellers - now both business and leisure - more convenient travel options between Hong Kong and Mainland China,” said Mr. Andrew Tse, Hong Kong Express CEO. “By the end of this year, our routes will carry more than 500,000 passengers per annum representing a significant boost to local industry and tourism.”

Today’s launch follows the recent introduction by the airline of a four times daily scheduled service between Hong Kong and Guangzhou. Flights to Nanjing, Chongqing and Ningbo will be subsequently launched throughout the latter months of 2005 into early 2006.

Famed for its natural beauty and considered by many to be the most beautiful city in China, Hangzhou - the capital of the Zhejiang province situated just 180 km outside of Shanghai is one of South East China’s major economic and transportation hubs.

The airline’s regular one-way fare from Hong Kong to Hangzhou is HK$1,660 with a return fare costing HK$3,160.

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Singapore Airlines to fly to Hyderabad
7 October 2005


Singapore Airlines is to launch flights to India’s fifth largest metropolis and capital of the state of Andhra Pradesh, Hyderabad, from 30 October 2005, with a four times weekly service.

The service will operate on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday using Boeing 777-200 and Boeing 777-300 aircraft. These aircraft can seat 288 and 332 passengers respectively in a three-class configuration.

Known as the second Silicon Valley of India after Bangalore, Hyderabad not only boasts a thriving IT-community of world class IT infrastructure and companies, but the city is also a smorgasbord of cultural, culinary and scenic delights. Hyderabad is a city that is a rich blend of history and modernity.

Also from 30 October 2005, Singapore Airlines will mount additional services to Bangalore. The airline will operate two additional weekly services to this Indian IT hub, making it a five time weekly service.

The two new services to Bangalore, on Friday and Sunday, offer earlier arrival times in both India and Singapore. The earlier arrival time in Singapore means that customers have more options for connections onwards to Europe, Australia and the US on Singapore Airlines’ extensive network.

Hyderabad will become Singapore Airlines’ eighth destination in India, in addition to Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai and New Delhi. This will bring to 45 the total number of non-stop weekly services that Singapore Airlines operates to India.

SilkAir, Singapore Airlines’ regional wing, will cease operations to Hyderabad on 28 October 2005, but will continue to serve Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram with 12 non-stop weekly services.

Myanmar domestic airline to stretch wing to regional

The Air Bagan, a Myanmar government- private joint venture (JV) domestic airline, is planning to stretch its wing to some regional destinations by November, a newly published news journal the Yangon Times reported Friday.

The Air Bagan, a JV between the Ministry of Transport and the Htoo Company of national entrepreneur, will add destinations to Singapore, Malaysia, Japan and Thailand in addition to domestic ones, sources with the airline was quoted as saying.

Preparations are underway for the move including increased purchase of aircraft and recruiting of air hostesses.

The Air Bagan, inaugurated in November 2004, has been flying Yangon-Mandalay, -Nyaung Oo, -Heho and -Thanthwe, using French- made ATR-42 aircraft and later extending services to Kengtung, Tachilek, Myeik, Kawthoung, Sittwe and Myitkyina.

The Air Bagan stands as the third domestic JV airline after Air Mandalay and Yangon Airways, while the Myanma Airways remains as the state-run domestic air carrier. Of the two prior domestic JV airlines, the Air Mandalay has extended its flight to Thailand's Chiang Mai as a regional one.

Meanwhile, there has also been three Myanmar-foreign JV airlines flying on international routes, namely the Myanmar Airways International (MAI), the United Myanmar Airlines (UMA) and the Air Myanmar.

Other foreign airlines that link Yangon include Air China, Malaysian Airlines, Thai Airways International, Silk Air, Biman ( Bangladesh), Indian Airlines, Lauda Air (Austria), Phuket Airlines (Thailand), Bangkok Airways and Qatar Airways (Middle-East).

Source: Xinhua

Qatar Airways set to launch Madrid flights on 2 December 2005
10 October 2005


Qatar Airways is preparing for its first move into Spanish territory with the launch of flights to Madrid, beginning on December 2.

Qatar Airways will fly to Madrid three-times-a-week with a widebody Airbus A300-600 aircraft in a two-class configuration of 18 seats in Business Class and 232 in Economy. All flights will operate into Madrid’s Barajas International Airport via Rome.

As part of its foray into the Spanish market, Qatar Airways will be offering members of its Privilege Club frequent flyer programme double Qmiles for the first month of the Madrid service.

Madrid is geographically located in the centre of Spain and is the country’s economic, financial and political hub. The dynamic city enjoys a cosmopolitan lifestyle with a rich heritage and is the gateway to the San Lorenzo de El Escorial Monastery, one of the eight wonders of the world.

Korean Air to Start Huangshan Flights

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Korean Air will become the first foreign airline to operate flights to China's famous Huangshan mountain in Anhui Province.

Korea’s largest carrier said Thursday it will operate charter planes ? the 149-seater Boeing 737-800 ?every Friday and Sunday on the two-hour-20-minute trip from Seoul.

The decision was made to accommodate a growing number of Korean tourists drawn by a Korean Air TV commercial shot in Huangshan. The number of Korean travelers soared from 700 a month before the commercial to 6,000 a month this year.

“Previously, you had to fly for an hour or travel five to six hours by bus from Shanghai to get to Huangshan,” the airline said.

Huangshan, a UNESCO world heritage site, is one of China’s most scenic areas and the location of the hit movie “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.”

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PAL direct flights to Beijing starts Nov. 11
Manila Bulletin Online

Flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) will start its direct flights to Beijing, China on Nov. 11 as part of plans to boost revenues and take advantage of the growing domestic and international tourism in China.

PAL president Jaime Bautista said the flag carrier will start flying three times a week to the Chinese capital. In China, PAL already flies to Xiamen and Shanghai.

The growth in China has been fueled by the Department of Tourism (DoT) supported by PAL and Monitor Group, a leading global management consulting firm.

As one of the largest and fastest growing outbound tourism market globally, China is expected to produce an estimated 100 million travelers per year by 2010.

Despite the importance of the market, the Philippines only captured approximately 0.2 percent of total Chinese travelers in 2003.

Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano said the DoT designed and implemented major campaigns, namely, building an effective China organization, reinforcing the Philippines ‘brand’ driving trade participation, customizing products to meet Chinese tourists’ needs, pushing for priority policy support and driving DoT and private sector collaboration through the establishment of the China Tourism Action Group.

As an active participant in the group, PAL is now aggressively supporting the campaigns and will have its direct route from Manila to Beijing and vice-versa.

These campaigns have generated impressive results. The first half of 2005 saw 45,789 Chinese arrivals in the Philippines, already exceeding the 2004 total. May and June experienced unprecedented increases of 211.2 percent and 205.8 percent, respectively as compared to corresponding periods last year.

Thus, by the end of this year, China could become the fourth largest source country of tourism to the Philippines, joining the United States, Korea and Japan.

"The new China strategy has helped us focus our resources invested in China, allowing us to reap the market opportunities," Durano said.

On the other hand, Bautista said, "We are pleased to be engaged in this important China marketing initiative together with the DoT. Our efforts have clearly differentiated the Philippines’ positioning in the China market, and have led to visible results. This will further the tourism industry for the Philippines." (Lynda B. Valencia/PNA)

Siem Reap Airways International to launch flights between Hong Kong and Siem Reap
27 October 2005


Siem Reap Airways International is to launch a non-stop flight service from Hong Kong to Siem Reap, Cambodia on October 28th, 2005. The Hong Kong-Siem Reap route will be operated by the fleet’s latest 162-seat Airbus A320 aircraft, which promises travel time of approximately two hours and thirty minutes per sector.

Flights depart Hong Kong for Siem Reap on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday's at 17:15 with an arrival time of 18:45. The return leg from Siem Reap to Hong Kong, via Phnom Penh, departs the same days at 10:00 arriving in Hong Kong at 15:50.

Siem Reap, the pride and soul of Cambodia, is home to one of the Seven Wonders of the World, Angkor Wat. Also regarded as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, it has attracted cultural revelers from all over the world to marvel at its ancient temples, monuments, and shrine. Angkor Wat, built in the first half of the 12th century (1112 AD), took approximately 30 years to complete its construction. The 213 metres high sandstone temple is beautifully covered with relief carving of Hindu gods, mythological creatures, and the famous Khmer dancers, Apsara. There are also other equally impressive temples to visit such as Angkor Thom, Ta Prohm, and Bantay Srei.

To celebrate this new service, Siem Reap Airways is introducing a promotional fare of US$ 250 for a round-trip ticket between Hong Kong and Siem Reap, valid from October 28th to December 31st, 2005.

Cathay Pacific to add fifth daily service to Seoul
26 October 2005


Cathay Pacific is to launch a fifth daily flight to Seoul, South Korea. The new non-stop service, starting 27 January 2006, will depart Hong Kong shortly after midnight, arriving early morning in the South Korean capital. The return flight from Seoul will be the first departure for Hong Kong from the city and will arrive before noon.

Of the airline’s four other daily Seoul services, three are non-stop. The new service, for which final details remain subject to government approval, will also operate non-stop.

Cathay Pacific Director Corporate Development Augustus Tang said, “A fifth daily Cathay Pacific flight to and from Seoul capitalises on the growing enthusiasm for business and in particular leisure for travel to and from South Korea. Its schedule offers customers a new product and the prospect of easier access to more points across Cathay Pacific’s network, strengthening Hong Kong as a global hub.”

Jetstar Asia launches Phuket Flights
26 October 2005


Jetstar Asia launched flights between Singapore and Phuket yesterday, with a four times weekly service. Launch fares start from S$30 for travel up to December 15th, with everyday low fares from S$48. Jetstar Asia service 3K 517 will depart from Changi Airport at 7:05am arriving in Phuket at 7:45am every Tuesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The return leg will depart Phuket at 8:45am, arriving in Singapore at 11:25am.

“Phuket is solidly back on the map. All indications point to an economy that has settled down and is ready to accept a new phase in its tradition as a great resort destination. We’re pleased to be able to support this growth with Jetstar Asia’s service fitting perfectly with the Phuket brand,” said Mr Ken Ryan, CEO of Jetstar Asia.

Ms Eumporn Jiragalwisul, Director of Tourism Authority of Thailand added, “We are very glad that Jetstar Asia made the decision to fly to Phuket. With the additional flights, it will definitely help to bring in more visitors from Singapore and the Asia Pacific region to Phuket and its surrounding provinces, such as Phang Nga, Khao Lak and Krabi, which will give the tourism industries there an added boost. The new flights are indeed timely to give the Andaman area a higher capacity for tourist arrivals in the upcoming high season.”

Philippine Airlines to launch flights to Beijing
24 October 2005


Philippine Airlines is to start a regular service between Manila and Beijing on November 11, 2005, giving the flag carrier a direct link to the political and cultural heart of China, and a third gateway to one of the world's most dynamic tourist markets.

The service will operate three times a week, with departures from Manila (PR 358) every Tuesday, Friday and Sunday at 7:30 a.m. with arrival at Beijing Capital Airport at 11:55 a.m.

The return service, PR 359, departs Beijing on the same days at 12:55 p.m. and arrives in Manila at 5:15 p.m.

PAL will deploy widebody Airbus A330-300 aircraft on the first two flight dates, November 11 and 13, to accommodate the expected crush of passengers on the inaugural services.

Thereafter, the airline switches to the Airbus A320. The new-generation jet seats a total of 150 in a bi-class layout - 12 in Mabuhay (business) class and 138 in economy.

PAL will be returning to Beijing after 16 years, the long absence reflecting the giant strides the Chinese capital - and the nation at large - have taken in the last decade and a half.

When PAL first flew to Peking, as Beijing was known then, on August 1, 1979, the People's Republic was an austere, closed society that had little contact with the outside world. PAL made history then, becoming the first Asian airline to operate scheduled flights to mainland China.

That pioneering service, initially routed via Guangzhou and, later, Xiamen, lasted until June 1989, when it was suspended for commercial reasons.

Today, Beijing is a cosmopolitan city of 7.2 million people and presides over the world's fastest-growing economy, which has transformed China into a regional superpower with increasing global clout.

Beijing is PAL's third destination in China. The airline already operates a daily service to Shanghai and four-times-weekly flights to Xiamen in southern Fujian province.

More importantly, Beijing provides PAL a bigger platform from which to access a burgeoning tourist market. The World Tourism Organization estimates that the number of Chinese traveling overseas will soar from the current 10 million a year to 50 million by 2010, and to 100 million by 2020. This will make China the leading source of tourists worldwide.

The Philippines has yet to take advantage of this booming traffic. In the first six months of 2005, the country welcomed only 55,426 visitors from China (compared to 328,673 from the top-ranked United States), indicating immense potential for expansion.

Air Arabia launches flights to Aqaba, Jordan
21 October 2005


Sharjah-based low cost airline, Air Arabia, operated the airline’s first flight to Aqaba, Jordan on Wednesday 19th October 2005. Fares on the new route start from AED 199 one-way, exclusive of tax and surcharges.

Air Arabia's flights to Aqaba operate every Thursday and Sunday, departing Sharjah at 10:15 to arrive in Aqaba at 11:40, departing from Aqaba at 12:25 to arrive back in Sharjah at 18:45.

The airline now flies from Sharjah to twenty destinations: Aleppo and Damascus (Syria); Alexandria, Assiut, Luxor and Sharm El Sheikh (Egypt); Aqaba (Jordan); Bahrain; Beirut (Lebanon); Colombo (Sri Lanka); Dammam, Jeddah and Riyadh (KSA), Doha (Qatar); Khartoum (Sudan); Kuwait; Mumbai and Nagpur (India); Muscat (Oman); and Sana’a (Yemen).


Air Arabia launches flights to Nagpur in India
17 October 2005


Sharjah-based low cost airline, Air Arabia, has launched flights to Nagpur in India. Fares start from AED 199 for a one-way flight to Nagpur, exclusive of tax and surcharges, with similar fares for return flights.

Flights to Nagpur are to operate 3 times a week, on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, departing Sharjah at 22:30 to arrive in Nagpur at 03:20 the next day. Flights from Nagpur to Sharjah operate on Monday, Thursday and Saturday, departing at 04:05 to arrive in Sharjah at 06:20.

Air Arabia currently flies from Sharjah to eighteen destinations, soon to be twenty: Aleppo and Damascus (Syria); Alexandria, Assiut, Luxor and Sharm El Sheikh (Egypt); Bahrain; Beirut (Lebanon); Colombo (Sri Lanka); Dammam, Jeddah and Riyadh (KSA), Doha (Qatar); Khartoum (Sudan); Kuwait; Mumbai and Nagpur (India); Muscat (Oman); and Sana’a (Yemen); Flights to the next new destination, Aqaba are to commence on October 19th 2005.

AirAsia launches flights between Kuala Lumpur and Chiang Mai
21 October 2005


AirAsia launched flights between Kuala Lumpur and Chiang Mai, Thailand on Thursday.

Chiang Mai marks the 4th major Thai city served by AirAsia, since the airline launched routes to Bangkok, Phuket, and Hat Yai, from KL International Airport.

Fares for flights to Chiang Mai and Kuala Lumpur are from RM 99.99 / THB 999 one way.

In commemoration of the launch of the new route, AirAsia is offering special introductory fares to Chiang Mai and Kuala Lumpur from RM 49.99 / THB 599 one way.

Two new routes for Qatar Airways: Berlin and Dhaka
Posted on Friday, October 28, 2005 @ 5:20 PM CEST

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Qatar Airways Significant new service for flyers in the Arabian Gulf. Qatar Airways is beginning nonstop flights on December 15 from Doha to Berlin—the resurgent capital of a unified Germany. Flight frequency and aircraft information will come a bit later.

Qatar Airways now also flies from Doha to Dhaka, Bangladesh on a daily basis. Dual-class A330s make the trip.

Gulf Air adds more flights
Bahrain: Sunday, October 30 - 2005 at 14:58

Gulf Air is adding two additional flights per week from Bahrain to Bangalore and Chennai and five more flights per week to Karachi, effective today. Meanwhile, twice daily flights are introduced to Mumbai. Out of Muscat, Bangkok will now be served by an additional four flights per week while the re-introduction of daily flights to Dubai will no doubt prove popular. New services from Bahrain to Dublin and Bahrain to Johannesburg commence on December 2.

Singapore Airlines launches Flights to Hyderabad in India
30 October 2005


Singapore Airlines today starts its four times weekly B777 services to Hyderabad.

With the new service, Singapore Airlines will now fly to eight Indian destinations: Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai and New Delhi. This will bring to 47 the total number of non-stop weekly flights that Singapore Airlines operates to India. SilkAir, the regional wing of the Airline, operates a further 9 weekly services to Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram.

Hyderabad, the capital city of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, is located almost in the middle of India. It is India’s fifth-largest city.

Steeped in history, and culture, this city offers the aesthetically inclined picturesque scenes and handicrafts such as glass embedded bangles and exquisite textiles. In fact Hyderabad is also known as the ‘City of Pearls’ given that pearls from all over the world are brought to the city’s skilful artisans who can pierce and string them without damage.

Christened as the second silicon valley of India after Bangalore, Hyderabad houses many IT majors and research and development centres, affirming its place in the global IT community.

Being centrally located, Hyderabad is well served within India by trains and roads (it lies at the intersection of two major national highways).

Tiger Airways launches Macau-Philippines-Singapore flights
30 October 2005


Tiger Airways today launched its new Macau - Manila (Clark) - Singapore flights after receiving an operating permit from the Philippines Civil Aeronautics Board.

“We are delighted to receive this permit confirming that Tiger Airways can start our Manila (Clark) – Macau flights according to schedule on 30 October 2005. The response to our seat sales has been tremendous since we started offering one-way fares from 188 MOP or 1318 Peso (S$39.98) to Macau or Clark on our website in July 2005,” said Tiger Airways CEO, Tony Davis.

Davis added, “Our flights from Singapore to Manila (Clark) has been a boon to Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and other passengers who need to travel between the two destinations. To date we have flown more than 45,000 passengers between Manila (Clark) and Singapore. The start of our daily Manila (Clark) – Macau flights will allow us to increase our operations at Manila (Clark) to 14 flights per week.”

The operations of low fares carriers like Tiger Airways are expected to boost economic opportunities for Clark and support the former military base’s attempt to transform itself into a dynamic special economic zone (SEZ) with a premier international airport.

KLM launches direct flights to Entebbe
Wednesday, 2nd November, 2005
By Emmy Olaki and Esther Nandekya

UGANDA has a huge trade balance with the Netherlands, which amounted to 44m euros in 2004.

“The Netherlands imported 60m euros worth of products from Uganda and Uganda imported 16m euros worth of products from the Netherlands,” Yoka Brandt, the Netherlands ambassador to Uganda, said on Monday.

Brandt was speaking at the launch of KLM’s direct scheduled flights between Entebbe and Amsterdam for the first time in 30 years.

The decision to resume flights was prompted by the growing demand for passenger services and by Uganda’s economic growth, officials said.
KLM has for last 10 years been operating flights out of Entebbe in partnership with Kenya Airways.

“With our marriage with Kenya Airways, we will have 26 weekly flights in Europe. There is more in store. We are back to stay and contribute to Uganda’s development,” Ron Schipper, KLM’s vice-president for Africa and Middle East, said.

Qantas expands regional network into South Australia
Tuesday, November 01, 2005


Branded NewsletterQantas announced an expansion of its QantasLink regional network into South Australia with Dash 8 services, subject to CASA approval, from Adelaide to Port Lincoln and Adelaide to Kangaroo Island from 18 December.

The airline will also introduce weekend direct services between Melbourne and Kangaroo Island.

Qantas Executive General Manager Regional Airlines Narendra Kumar said the airline would provide a total of more than 2700 seats each week on the new routes by operating:

* 58 services per week between Adelaide and Port Lincoln;
* Daily return services between Adelaide and Kangaroo Island; and
* Four services per week between Melbourne and Kangaroo Island.

To mark the introduction of QantasLink in South Australia, special fares from $59* one way to Port Lincoln and to Kangaroo Island from Adelaide will be available for a limited time.A launch fare of $99* one way between Melbourne and Kangaroo Island will also be available.

"QantasLink is responding to the unprecedented growth in the city of Port Lincoln where the tuna industry is burgeoning along with an increase in building and development, especially along the town's marina and foreshore precinct.

"The new direct service from Melbourne to Kangaroo Island will provide a new point of access to the international and domestic leisure traveller seeking to explore this increasingly popular eco-destination.

"These new QantasLink services will provide a welcome boost to the tourism sector and offer customers Qantas Frequent Flyer points and convenient transfers to and from the Qantas domestic and international network. Members of Qantas Club will also be able to access the Lounge in Adelaide," he said.

Tiger Airways to launch flights between Darwin and Singapore
9 November 2005


Singapore-based low cost airline, Tiger Airways, plans to launch flights between Singapore - Darwin, Australia from Monday, 19 December 2005 subject to government approvals. The airline plans to initially offer four flights per week on the new route.

“We are delighted to work with the Northern Territory Tourist Commission and Darwin International Airport to promote Darwin as the low cost Gateway to Australia. There is strong demand for affordable flights to Australia from Asia. Savvy travelers will be able to fly to Darwin from Singapore at great value-for-money fares! At the same time, Australian travelers from Darwin and the Northern Territory will have the same affordable option to fly to Singapore and other destinations served by Tiger Airways,” said Tiger Airways CEO, Tony Davis.

Launch fares are expected to start at just S$49.98 (AUD39.98) one way on the Singapore-Darwin route, with sales beginning on Thursday 10 November 2005.

Darwin Chief Minister Clare Martin said,” We warmly welcome Tiger Airways initiative in adding Darwin to its expanding network throughout Asia. This gives the Northern Territory a huge opportunity to tap into the new Asian markets of Singapore, Macau, Thailand, India, Vietnam and Southern China. It will help us to deliver more tourists in our off peak seasons at very attractive rates.”

“Australians from the Northern Territory will also reap benefits as they will be able to head off to Singapore and other Tiger Airways destinations for a shopping trip, long weekend away or visit friends and relatives more often on Tiger Airways regular low fare service,” the Chief Minister added.

Darwin is the capital of the Northern Territory and the nearest Australian Capital city to major Asia markets, being only four hours flying time from Singapore.

The Northern Territory - roughly the combined size of Spain, France and Italy - is divided into two regions. The lush and tropical “Top End” including Darwin and Kakadu, is located at the northernmost tip of Australia, while Central Australia is the red heart of the nation and showcases some of the world’s most fascinating World Heritage desert country of Uluru and the finest outback hospitality.

Tiger Airways currently flies to 11 cities in six countries - Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Macau SAR, the Philippines and Indonesia.

Singapore Airlines to fly to Pakistan
24 November 2005


Singapore Airlines is to restart a three-times-weekly service to the cities of Karachi and Lahore, in Pakistan, from 1 February 2006.

Flights will depart Singapore on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday of each week, at 1535 hours and operate a circular routing to both Karachi and Lahore.

Karachi is the financial and commercial hub of Pakistan and accounts for more than 60% of Pakistan’s Gross Domestic Product. It is a centre of business in the region, and also the home to several major institutions for higher learning.

Lahore, capital of the province of Punjab, is a city known for its cultural capital, which is apparent from the numerous historic buildings endowed with architectural and scenic beauty.

A very old city, Lahore was part of the Mughal dynasty, which ruled over vast tracks of the Indian sub-continent.

“Singapore Airlines is confident that our flights to Karachi and Lahore will facilitate the growth of trade, investments and tourism between Singapore and Pakistan. In addition, we believe that the inclusion of Pakistan to our extensive route network further enhances Pakistan’s linkage to the rest of the world” said Mr Huang Cheng Eng, Singapore Airlines’ Executive Vice President Marketing and the Regions.

Jetstar Asia set to launch flights to Phnom Penh and Siem Reap
23 November 2005


Jetstar Asia flights to Phnom Penh and Siem Reap (Angkor Wat) have opened for bookings with scheduled direct flights to the two destinations due to commence on December 15th and 16th respectively.

Jetstar Asia will fly direct to Phnom Penh and Siem Reap three-times weekly. To celebrate the launch, special fares from S$128 to both destinations are being offered for bookings made by November 27 for travel completed by March 25th, 2006. Every day low fares to both destinations will start from S$178.

“Phnom Penh’s wide tree-lined boulevards showcase laid-back French colonial architecture. The city’s highlights have to include taking a cruise on the meandering Mekong at sunset or sampling the very best of Indo-chinese food,” said Mr Ken Ryan, CEO of Jetstar Asia.

“Angkor Wat provides a completely different contrast to the capital with the sheer spectacle of the achievements of an ancient civilization. With Jetstar Asia, travelers get direct connections to Siem Reap to maximize their time exploring the beautiful temples of Angkor,” said Mr Ryan.

Australian Airlines to fly between Tokyo, Japan and Cairns, Australia
30 November 2005


Australian Airlines is to commence double daily services between Tokyo and Cairns from mid-2006, as Qantas withdraws from the route.

As a result of these changes, the Qantas Group will offer more than 500 additional seats each week between Tokyo and Cairns.

Australian Airlines Chief Executive Andrea Staines said the addition of the Tokyo to Cairns services would complement the airline’s existing network of holiday routes.

Ms Staines said that as a full-service international leisure carrier, Australian Airlines was well suited to cater for the needs of travellers between Tokyo and Cairns, the majority of whom were holidaymakers.

“With 14 weekly services between Tokyo and Cairns, Australian Airlines will offer almost double its current number of services between Japan and Australia.

“This represents a major expansion of services from our most important inbound visitor market, with Japanese travellers accounting for more than half of all passengers on our flights. We will take delivery of a sixth Boeing 767-300 in mid-2006 to accommodate this extra flying.

“Australian Airlines also operates non-stop services to Cairns from the Japanese cities of Osaka, Nagoya and Sapporo – and is the only airline to do so.”

Ms Staines said that as part of these schedule changes, and due to a lack of demand, Australian Airlines would suspend its thrice-weekly service between Cairns and Fukuoka from the end of March.

Australian Airlines flights from Tokyo will operate non-stop to Cairns with connections to the rest of Australia on Australian Airlines, Qantas and Jetstar.

It is planned that the existing codeshare arrangement with Japan Airlines on Qantas-operated services between Cairns and Tokyo will continue uninterrupted when Australian Airlines commences operating on the route mid-2006. Qantas also intends to codeshare on these services to facilitate selling on the route.

These new arrangements on the route are subject to government approval.

AirAsia to launch direct flights to Solo and Balikpapan from Kuala Lumpur
4 December 2005


AirAsia is to add two new Indonesian destinations to its lineup this month. Beginning 20th December 2005, the low cost airline will offer 1 daily service to Balikpapan, while Solo will commence on 22nd December. All flights depart from KL International Airport.

Promotional fares, valid until 26 March 2006, for these destinations are:

Kuala Lumpur- Balikpapan from RM 49.99 / Rp 149 999 one way
Kuala Lumpur – Solo from RM 99.99 / Rp 299 999 one way

Tony Fernandes, Group Chief Executive Officer, AirAsia Berhad, said, "We are pleased to strengthen our Indonesian network by introducing two new destinations which would effectively allow us to tap into a wider Indonesian market segment. AirAsia will be the first low fare airline to operate direct flights to Balikpapan and Solo out of Kuala Lumpur. The Kuala Lumpur – Balikpapan route will allow us to gain access into Kalimantan. Meanwhile Solo is a convenient and affordable gateway to Yogyakarta and Semarang, the heart of Javanese culture."

Jetstar Asia and Valuair to launch flights to Bangalore and Bali in January 2006
12 December 2005


Jetstar Asia and Valuair are to commence a new five-times-weekly service between Singapore and Bangalore and a three-times-weekly service between Singapore and Bali in January 2006. To celebrate the launch special fares of Sin$98 for one-way travel to Bangalore and Sin$99 for a return ticket to Bali will be available for a short one-week only sales period. The fares will be available for bookings made from December 13th – 19th for travel completed by March 25th, 2006.

Jetstar Asia will fly to Bangalore on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday starting from January 23rd. Departing Singapore at 1:05 am, Flight 3K 573 will touch down at Bangalore’s International Airport at 2:45 am. The return flight, 3K 574, will depart from Bangalore at 3:35 am, arriving in Singapore at 10:25 am. Every day low fares to Bangalore after the launch period will start from Sin$228 for a one-way ticket.

Valuair will service Bali on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday from January 27th.

VF 541 will depart Singapore at 3:15pm arriving in Denpasar at 5:55pm. The return leg will be VF 542 and will depart Denpasar at 6:45pm, arriving in Singapore at 9:30pm. Every day fares to Bali after the launch period will start from Sin$199 for a return flight.

Singapore Airlines to launch flights to Moscow
15 December 2005


Singapore Airlines is to launch a three times weekly service to the Russian Federation capital of Moscow from 1 March 2006.

Flights will depart Singapore every Monday, Wednesday and Friday evening, arriving at Moscow’s Domodedovo Airport, via Dubai, the next morning. The return flight will depart Moscow every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday mid-morning and arrive in Singapore, via Dubai, early the following day. Singapore Airlines will fly a 3-class Boeing 777-200 aircraft on this new route.

One of the world’s greatest and oldest cities, 850 year-old Moscow is at the centre of growth in commercial links between the Russian Federation and South East Asia. Russia is a growing trading partner with the region. Bilateral trade between Russia and Singapore has been increasing steadily for some years, and includes IT&T equipment on the export side, and oil and resources on the import side. Russia is also experiencing high growth in GDP and wealth.

Despite the pace of change and redevelopment of the city’s infrastructure, Moscow retains its enigmatic character through landmarks such as the fortress of Kremlin, one of the world’s most beautiful ensemble of churches, monuments and other architectural artifacts. It is home to collections of art and national treasures that few have explored.

Other places of interest include the 16th century St Basil’s Cathedral, The Bolshoi theatre, Gorky Park, as well as Lenin’s Mausoleum, located in Red Square. The city also boasts one of the world’s busiest underground rail transportation systems.

“Moscow is a cosmopolitan and international city with a deep and colourful history and it is an increasingly popular choice for tourism and international commerce,” said Mr Huang Cheng Eng, Singapore Airlines Executive Vice-President Marketing and the Regions.”

Qatar Airways launches flights between Doha and Berlin
15 December 2005


Qatar Airways today added a third destination in Germany to its growing international network with the launch of non-stop scheduled flights between Doha and Berlin.

The new four-times-a-week service to Berlin Tegel International Airport strengthens Qatar Airways’ presence in the German market, which already includes daily flights to Frankfurt and five services a week to Munich all operating non-stop.

Berlin, the political and cultural capital of Germany, has tremendous history enjoying a buoyant tourism industry since 1989 following the collapse of the Berlin Wall and reunification of East and West Germany.

Qatar Airways is operating four scheduled flights a week on the Berlin route using an Airbus A319 in a two-class configuration of eight seats in Business and 102 in Economy.

To celebrate the route launch, Qatar Airways is offering members of its Privilege Club frequent flyer programme with double Qmiles for the first full month of the Berlin route.

Continental Airlines launches Five New Routes to Latin America and the Caribbean
16 December 2005


Continental Airlines is launching five new routes to Latin America and the Caribbean this weekend. Continental will begin service from its Houston hub at Bush Intercontinental Airport to Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles and Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. Continental will also inaugurate service from its New York hub at Newark Liberty International Airport to Liberia, Costa Rica and Curacao, Netherlands Antilles. Service will begin from LaGuardia International Airport to the Caribbean island of Aruba.

Continental is beginning the new routes to Bonaire and Punta Cana today. The new routes to Curacao, Aruba and Liberia will begin on December 17.

The new flight to Punta Cana departs Houston at 1:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, arriving in Punta Cana at 7:35 p.m. The return flight departs Punta Cana at 9 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays and arrives in Houston at 11:50 a.m. The flight schedule is timed conveniently to allow for one-stop daylight connections from the Midwest and West Coast.

The weekly flight to Bonaire will depart Houston on Fridays at 11:30 p.m. and arrive at 6:15 a.m. on Saturday. The return flight will depart Bonaire on Saturdays at 8:30 a.m., arriving in Houston at 11:35 a.m.

The Saturday flight from LaGuardia to Aruba will depart at 7:50 a.m. and arrive in Aruba at 1:20 p.m. The return flight will depart Aruba on Saturdays at 2:30 p.m. and arrive at LaGuardia at 6:15 p.m.

The Saturday flight to Liberia will depart Newark at 8:50 a.m. and arrive at 1:05 p.m. The return flight will depart Liberia at 1:55 p.m. and arrive at Newark at 8:10 p.m.

The flight to Curacao will depart Newark at 9:05 a.m. and arrive at 2:50 p.m. The return flight will depart Curacao on Saturdays at 3:45 p.m. and arrive in Newark at 7:45 p.m.

Continental will utilize a Boeing 737-700 on the new flights with 12 first class seats and 112 in coach.

Air Arabia launches flights to Moscow
26 December 2005


Sharjah-based low cost airline, Air Arabia, has launched flights to Moscow. Fares from Sharjah to Moscow start from AED 1138, excluding taxes and surcharges.

Flights to Russia operate twice weekly every Tuesday and Friday, departing Sharjah at 09:40 and arriving in Moscow at 13:30, and then departing Moscow at 14:45 to arrive in Sharjah at 20:55 local time. Air Arabia is flying to Vnukovo International Airport, just 11 kms from Moscow with excellent speed rail and train links to the heart of the city.

Air Arabia now flies to twenty five destinations, namely, Aleppo and Damascus (Syria); Alexandria, Assiut, Luxor and Sharm El Sheikh (Egypt); Aqaba and Amman (Jordan); Astana and Almaty (Kazakhstan); Bahrain; Beirut (Lebanon); Colombo (Sri Lanka); Dammam, Jeddah and Riyadh (KSA), Doha (Qatar); Khartoum (Sudan); Kuwait; Mumbai and Nagpur (India); Muscat (Oman); Sana’a (Yemen) and Sharjah (UAE).

Emirates Airlines to start flights to Cambodia
Dec 29, 2005 - 03:14 -

Dubai December 29, 2005 (WAM)--Emirates Airlines of the United Arab Emirates will become the first airlines opening direct flights from Middle East to Cambodia.

A Memorandum of Understanding on the flights was signed on Friday by the representatives of Cambodia's Secretariat of Civil Aviation and Emirates Airlines.

Under the agreement, the Airlines will fly from Dubai to Phnom Penh at least seven times a week with Boeing 777. The Airlines plans to start its flights next year.

Emirates Airlines flies to more than 70 destinations worldwide now including more than a dozen Asian countries and regions.

Sok An, Mnister of the Council of Ministers, said the flights will benefit both nations as well as passengers, and "what is more important is that Dubai is the important airway connecting Europe and Asia, the opening of the flights will bring more foreign tourists to Cambodia." WAM/CB .

Singapore Airlines to launch Flights to Abu Dhabi
6 January 2006


Singapore Airlines is to commence a three-times-weekly service to Abu Dhabi from 1 March 2006. This will be the airline’s second destination in the United Arab Emirates, complementing existing flights to Dubai.

The 2-class Boeing 777-200 services will depart Singapore on Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday of each week, at 1300 hours, arriving at 1630 hours the same day. From Abu Dhabi, the flights will continue on to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia.

Abu Dhabi is the largest of the seven Emirates that comprise the UAE and is its federal capital as well. An exporter of oil since the 1960s, Abu Dhabi is a modern and prosperous state and in recent times, this Emirate has emerged as a major financial hub in the Middle East, while also enhancing its reputation as a leading Middle Eastern tourist destination.

Abu Dhabi offers a range of tourist activities, from numerous shopping malls, to camel rides and bedouin-style feasts under starry nights in the desert.

“The United Arab Emirates is a major destination for tourism and investment. Singapore Airlines flights to Abu Dhabi, the second point in UAE, will therefore help to build these trade, investment and tourist links, not only between Singapore and the UAE, but across the Southeast Asian, the South-west Pacific and the Gulf regions”, said Mr Huang Cheng Eng, Singapore Airlines’ Executive Vice-President Marketing and the Regions.

With the introduction of Singapore Airlines service to Moscow via Dubai, also on 1 March 2006, the re-routing of the three-times-weekly Jeddah flights via Abu Dhabi will see Singapore Airlines serve the United Arab Emirates thirteen times weekly: ten times to Dubai and three times to Abu Dhabi.

Delta starts services from D/FW Airport to New York-LaGuardia

Delta Air Lines Inc. said Monday that it will begin operating two daily flights between Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and New York-LaGuardia beginning April 3, with a third flight to begin May 1.


The flights will be operate by Delta Connection carrier Shuttle America, using a 70-seat jet.

"Delta means business in New York, and we are pleased to expand our leadership position in the world's largest market by offering nonstop service to more of New York's top business destinations from LaGuardia Airport," said Glen Hauenstein, Delta's chief of network planning and revenue management.

Atlanta-based Delta drastically scaled back flights at its Dallas hub last year. The airline filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2005 and is undergoing restructuring.

Abidjan　 1st February 2006　

　 Emirates will be launching services to Cote D’Ivoire starting 1st February 2006. Popularly known as the Ivory Coast, Cote D’Ivoire, one of the smallest nations in Africa is a country of extraordinary cultural richness. Prosperous and modern, it is among the world's largest producers and exporters of coffee, cocoa beans, and palm oil. Cote D’Ivoire also boasts of many fine beaches, upland savannas and smooth forest plateaus. Emirates will operate four times a week to Abidjan via Accra, flying every Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. Abidjan, the commercial centre of Cote D’Ivoire, will also be Emirates’ third gateway in the West African region, after Lagos and Accra. Emirates will operate an Airbus A330-200 aircraft on the route offering 12 First, 42 Business and 183 Economy class seats.　　

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Thiruvananthapuram　 1st February 2006　

　 Emirates announced it will start services between Dubai and India’s Thiruvananthapuram International Airport from 1st February 2006. Emirates will fly eight times a week to Thiruvananthapuram, its sixth destination in India and second city in the state of Kerala after Cochin. Thiruvananthapuram is the capital city of the state of Kerala, On the route, the airline intends to operate its modern Airbus A330-200 in a three-class configuration offering seats in First, Business and Economy class, as well as the B777-200 aircraft in a two-class configuration. The flight schedules will alternate depending on the day of departure.

Jet Airways launches direct flights to Trivandrum
1 February 2006


Jet Airways is launching direct flights on its Bangalore-Trivandrum-Bangalore and Chennai-Trivandrum-Chennai sectors from today, February 1, 2006.

These new flights will also give connections to passengers from Delhi and Mumbai to reach Trivandrum in the morning either via Chennai or Bangalore.

There will also be an early morning service from Pune to Bangalore and an evening service from Bangalore to Pune giving day-return facility for passengers from Pune.

Thiruvananthapuram,Kerala: Emirates Airlines, the fully owned airline of the Government of Dubai, Thursday began its operations to the Thiruvananthapuram international airport. The first flight from here to Dubai took off in the wee hours while the inaugural flight from Dubai arrived with its chairman and chief executive Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al-Maktoum in the afternoon.

Addressing reporters here, Al-Maktoum thanked the Indian and the Kerala governments for their support in making this happen. "This new service will connect to 13 destinations in the Middle-East through 140 flights per week from the airline's hub in Dubai. This is the 80th destination and the sixth in India," said the chairman.

Emirates will operate eight flights every week using the Airbus A330-200 aircrafts. The return fare from here to Dubai would be Rs.12,000 ($271) plus taxes.

He said their number of aircraft will touch 162 in the next six years. "We have been approached by several international carriers to manage their airline, but our main focus would be to develop Emirates in a big way," said Al- Maktoum.

He said there is no problem with the operation of other airlines in the UAE. "We compliment each other and normal competition would be there and we feel that is good for all of us," Al- Maktoum said.

The operations of Emirates will be a big boost for the airport here because it has connecting flights to the US, Europe and Australia. Currently six international carriers fly into Thiruvananthapuram, besides Air India and Indian Airlines and carry close to 1.2 million passengers every year.

Finnair to open new route to Kiev
10 February 2006


Finnair is to open a new route to the Ukrainian capital of Kiev from 30 March. The new route will be operated on Thursdays and supports the existing code-share links with Ukraine International Airlines flown between Helsinki and Kiev on Mondays and Fridays.

“The new Finnair frequency offers more connections from New York to Kiev and from Kiev to all Finnair’s destinations in Japan and China. Both Ukraine International flights also have good connections to Finnair’s route to New York,” explained Finnair VP Network Strategies and Management Petteri Kostermaa.

The Kiev route is operated with Finnair’s new 76-seat Embraer 170 jet aircraft.