British Airways Increases Flights to Rio de Janeiro

British Airways is increasing its services to Brazil by doubling its weekly frequency to Rio de Janeiro from three to six flights.

Flights to Rio de Janeiro will now depart Heathrow for Rio every day, except Mondays. The departure time remains at 12.15pm, landing in Rio at 9.55pm local time. The flight will continue to be served by a three class B777, enabling customers to choose from World Traveller (economy), World Traveller Plus (premier economy) and the airline's fully flat beds in Club World (business class).

Neil Cottrell, British Airways' head of network planning, said: "We are experiencing a real increase in demand for Rio and by doubling the number of frequencies, we are able to offer our customers more choice and greater availability. Brazil is also experiencing strong economic growth and this capacity increase is a great opportunity for British Airways to be part of that growth."

Holidays in Rio de Janeiro offer visitors white sandy beaches, rainforest clad mountains and cultural must-sees including the famous Christ the Redeemer statue. British Airways offers a choice of hotels including the 3* Center for a comfortable stay or the 5* InterContinental Rio next to the Gvea Golf Club and the Fashion Mall shopping centre. The 5* Porto Bay Rio Internacional has a rooftop swimming pool and views of the beach while the 5* Copacabana Palace offers luxurious accommodation opposite the famous Copacabana Beach.

British Airways commitment to Latin America has been further strengthened by the introduction of direct flights to Buenos Aires in March. The daily flight now operates direct to Argentina's capital instead of stopping off in Sao Paolo. Holidays in Buenos Aires are popular for gourmet dining, vibrant nightlife and culture with plenty of museums and art galleries.

In April, British Airways and Iberia announced the immediate start of codesharing on a new tranche of one another's flights. This included BA putting its code on Iberia flights from Madrid to San Jose (Costa Rica) and Panama City while Iberia added its code to BA's Bahrain, Doha, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Kuwait and Muscat services. Iberia's flights to Havana started carrying the BA code from April 15. Iberia has also added its code onto British Airways' services to Cape Town and both airlines are now sharing their Johannesburg flights. British Airways offers a range of quality hotels in Cape Town close to museums, galleries, theatres and fine restaurants.

Source: PR-USA

Tourists take advantage of hotels competition

With the beginning of summer season, hotels and tour operators in Manali have started many attractive packages to woo tourists. In competition of hotels, tourists are getting many features at extremely low prices.

There are some packages for couples where they can enjoy both side AC bus ride (Delhi-Manali-Delhi), three nights, four days stay at a quality hotel, breakfast, dinner and all popular sightseeing only for Rs 9,500. Tourists have options to convert their honeymoon package into adventure package if they want to experience water rafting and paragliding. Choosing a cheap private taxi or luxury bus on a sharing basis is optional. Those, seeking a star category hotel or resort for some extra comfort would have to spend some extra money but they also have many options in this category too.

Now the HP Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC) is gearing up to face the rivals in hotel industry. "We have launched two special summer packages with exciting features. Paying only Rs 8,100, couples can enjoy a warm stay of two nights and three days with free paragliding at Solang Valley. If guests wish to stay for three nights and four days, then they would have to pay only Rs 12,600 and then they could experience the white water rafting for free. Local sightseeing and drive to snow point is always free," HPTDC deputy director BN Kapoor said.

Middle range private hoteliers are set to give a stiff competition to the costly hotels by providing their guests with modern facilities like discotheque, bars, welcome drink, fresh fruits and flowers in room and honeymoon bed topped with rose petals.

General manager of Quality Inn, River Country Resorts Rohit Ahluwalia said, "We provide our guests with all the facilities that they would get in a five-star hotel.

The only difference is high charges they pay to stay there. With only Rs 26,999, we give our guests welcome drink on arrival, tea and coffee maker at room, cookies, fruits, a bottle of wine, candle light dinner, a picnic lunch, flower decoration in room, massage and gymnasium facility, free local and snow point sightseeing with 50% discount for other facilities." That's not all. For culture seekers, many hotels are preparing to organize Himachali folk dance to show them the reflection of the state's culture.

Bonfire and DJ nights have become the tradition of hoteliers to entice the tourists. And, if you are tired of adventure activities and picnic between snows, free tickets of latest movie are ready to entertain you.

Source: Times of India

British Airways raises fuel surcharge for third time in four months

British Airways said Tuesday it will raise fuel surcharges for the third time in less than four months as the airline looks to recoup some of the cost of rising oil prices.

The levy, which comes into effect Friday, will be imposed only on international routes, mirroring previous hikes Feb. 8 and Dec. 16.

"As customers will know from the price at the petrol pumps, the cost of fuel has continued to rise significantly over the past three months. For us, fuel now represents over one-third of our costs and particularly affects our long-haul flights," British Airways Chief Financial Officer Nick Swift said.

He added the airline was "very aware" of the wider economic pressures on customers at the moment and "we will bear the vast majority of the recent fuel price rise ourselves to keep this increase in surcharge to a minimum."

BA and Iberia are part of International Consolidated Airlines Group SA (IAG.LN), which has previously warned soaring oil prices could force it to cut capacity.

BA plans to increase fuel duty by GBP10 on a single journey to GBP85 on flights less than nine hours and to GBP98 for longer flights. Premium economy will increase to GBP85 for flights less than nine hours but will rise to GBP106.50 on longer trips.

That increase will rise proportionately for first and business class travel, by GBP20 to either GBP125 or GBP145 on a single journey.

Iberia didn't immediately comment whether it has similar plans to increase the fuel duty it charges passengers.

IAG plans to recoup about 50% of increased fuel bills through higher fares and fuel surcharges, and IAG CEO Willie Walsh said it would cut capacity if it couldn't pass on more of the cost rise.

IAG's fuel costs rose 5.2% on the year to EUR989 million in the three months to end-December and Walsh said the group faced a bill of EUR5.1 billion this year, up from EUR3.9 billion in 2010.

Beyond current spot prices, airlines' decisions to raise or lower prices is dependent on fuel hedging strategies.

There is concern that high oil prices could lead to another wave of insolvencies after many airlines and tour operators went out of business when oil prices surged in 2008 and the economic downturn crimped demand.

The International Air Transport Association has estimated that for every dollar increase in the average price of a barrel of oil over the year, airlines face an additional $1.6 billion in costs overall.

Source: Wall Street Journal

More airlines coming to Botswana

At least nine international airlines have shown interest in doing business in Botswana and some of them are ready to start operations before the end of the year, the Minister of Transport and Communications, Frank Ramsden told Parliament on Monday.

He said that Botswana has signed eight Bilateral Air Services Agreements (BASA) with Belgium, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, the United Kingdom, Zambia and Zimbabwe. "The ninth with Qatar will be signed on April 12, 2011. We also have a memoranda of understanding with Angola, Egypt,Ethiopia, Germany, France, Netherlands, Pakistan, Tanzania and United Arab Emirates,"he said.

Ramsden stated that BASAs are intended to create a conducive environment for attracting more operators, including major airlines that will link Botswana with major destinations in the world. He said that Air Botswana is working on re-registering with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) by end of this year. The airline was de-registered after it failed to comply with IATA audit, safety and human resource requirements. "In preparation for re-fleeting, the airline has identified new routes locally and most of the regional capitals and a few overseas destinations. Air Botswana lost P45 million in 2009-2010. The anticipated loss for 2010-2011 is around P23 million," Ramsden said.

Outlining some of the major projects his ministry intends to undertake this year, he explained that the construction of the much-talked-about Kazungula Bridge will start before the end of the year. "The signing of a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Botswana, Mozambique and Zimbabwe to facilitate building of a railway line joining the three countries will be signed on April 15, 2011 in Maputo," he said. He stated that the Central Transport Organisation (CTO), which was allocated over 40 percent of the budget in his ministry sold 538 vehicles last year bringing P21 million into government coffers.

The loss-making Botswana Railways is going to purchase 160 wagons and fuel tankers to meet growing demand for commodities such as salt, soda ash and coal. "Botswana Railways (BR) continues to make operating losses.

The semi-audited Income Statement for 2009/10 indicates a net loss of P20.7 million that is equal to the organisation's operating losses, attributed to the overhaul of locomotives, wagons including fuel and wagon hire," he said.

He added that BR intends to build a major wagon and locomotive maintenance and repairs workshop during the 2011-2012 financial year. "A temporary dry port is being established in Palapye to service developments such as the construction of Morupule B Power Station, the BIUST and the glass factory. Continuation of this port is being considered to service the glass factory operations and leverage other industries beyond construction phase," said Ramsden.

Meanwhile, the minister announced that government has adopted a system of re-sealing roads that have exceeded their life-span such as the Boatle-Gaborone road instead of re-constructing them. He said the Btv and Molapo crossing traffic circles are going to be replaced with overhead bridges during the 2011-2012 financial year.

By late last evening, MPs had finished debating the budget and a majority of them called for re-introduction of passenger train, which was halted in April 2009.

Source: Mmegi Online

Airlines up services between US and UK

Flights between the US and UK are set to get easier thanks to a tie-up between two major transatlantic carriers. American Airlines and British Airways announced March 17 that they are to set up a shuttle service which will operate between New York's JFK and London Heathrow, dubbed the "London Express."

Under the plans, the two carriers will align their timetables so that flights are spaced evenly throughout the day - offering a departure from the UK to New York hourly for much of the afternoon and into the evening. For the return hop, schedules have been smoothed to provide same-day arrivals with more logical departure times - instead of two flights leaving JFK at 8:30 AM, one will depart at 8 AM and one at 9:30 AM.

When the new timetable goes into operation on March 27, there will be 15 flights a day between the two cities, up from the 11 daily which fly currently and more than ever before. The new services are being set up as a result of the merger of American, BA and Iberia, with several other new changes being planned which will affect flights between London and Chicago, Miami and Boston.

Source: The Move Channel

Thai AirAsia giving up on Taipei flights

Heavy fare discounts by at least two international full-service airlines and soaring fuel prices have prompted Thai AirAsia (TAA) to discontinue its service between Bangkok and Taipei later this month.

It is one of the few routes the budget carrier has decided to abandon in recent years as it is unable to match the "almost give-away" fares offered by KLM and EVA Air that simply want to fill empty seats on intercontinental flights from Taipei that stop over in Bangkok.

With jet fuel prices surging to around US$130 a barrel and the relatively long flight time of three hours and 40 minutes, it became difficult for TAA to profit even if it raised fares, said chief executive Tassapon Bijleveld.

Competing full-service carriers charge as little as 6,000 to 7,000 baht for round-trip Bangkok-Taipei flights, according to airline sources.

TAA recorded a relatively good load factor, most recently 75-78% on the route. TAA inaugurated the service in September 2009 and operates four flights a week using a 180-seat Airbus A320. The last flight is scheduled for March 25.

Mr Tassapon said TAA was better off shifting the capacity to the Bangkok-Singapore route, a shorter trip with strong demand. It will introduce a fourth daily Bangkok-Singapore flight on April 1.

With fuel prices high, he said, TAA would have to be more cautious about introducing new routes where traffic demand has yet to be proven.

It has therefore suspended its plan to launch regular flights from Bangkok to Hangzhou, China, initially scheduled at three a week. It takes about four hours to fly to Hangzhou, and the fuel cost is the primary concern.

TAA would rather focus on the new market it entered last December: daily flights from Bangkok to Kolkata and Delhi, which are producing high load factors.

The airline is looking to serve more Indian cities, such as Bangalore and Chennai, in the future.

With the termination of Taipei service, TAA serves 13 international destinations and 10 domestic.

Source: Bangkok Post

Travelers Can Now Buy Malaysia Airlines Tickets on Facebook

It’s great to know that businesses in Asia are keeping up with the trend. This time, Malaysia Airlines has integrated its ticket booking system with its Facebook page. Yes, travelers can now buy tickets directly via Facebook without leaving the social network.

If I haven’t not mistaken, Malaysia Airlines is probably the first Asia-based airline to adopt Facebook as a sales channel (F-commerce).

Buying a ticket is just 5 steps away. Within Facebook itself, the system could check whether tickets are available. If it isn’t, it will offer tickets closest to your desired date of travel. The Facebook application (MHbuddy) will also alert you if any of your friends happened to travel to the same destination with Malaysia Airlines as well.

“Our customers are spending more and more time on social networks and Malaysia Airlines is one of the most active airlines using social media to drive revenue. We have over 380,000 fans who actively engage with us on our existing social media channels,” said Dr. Amin Khan, Malaysia Airlines Executive Vice President Commercial Strategy in a statement.

Besides purchasing tickets, consumers can also retrieve flight details and check-in via Facebook before boarding. Although other airlines (e.g Delta) have also allowed consumers to purchase tickets on Facebook, checking-in is something new in the airline industry.

Malaysia Airlines has been quick to adopt technology to improve consumer experience and convenience. Prior to this Facebook application, the airline introduced an augmented reality iPhone application that allows customers to pick up the best airline deals from near airport. In 2009, the airline also launched the popular MHmobile which enables travelers to book flights and access up to date travel information while on the move.

Source: Penn Olson

Family Claims Flight Crew Did Not Help Dying Passenger

A 70-year-old Houston grandmother suffered a heart attack on an Emirates airlines flight and later died, and now her family is suing the Dubai-based carrier saying the plane's crew did nothing to help her.

Carol Wilson had just celebrated her birthday on a dream trip to see friends in the Philippines and was flying from Dubai home to Houston in April when she became ill, her family says.

"Emirates airlines really let my mother die on that flight," Wilson's daughter, Tamala White, tells AOL Travel News. "It was horrible."

Wilson was traveling home with her son, Shawn Carriker, who had flown to the Philippines from Afghanistan where he worked as a government contractor, to help his mom celebrate her birthday. White says shortly before the plane landed Wilson told her son she had to use the restroom.

When Wilson did not return to her seat after an announcement was made to prepare for landing, a flight attendant called over Carriker, White says.

"Shawn knocked on the door and no one responded. When they opened the door they found my mother slumped over and unconscious with her eyes rolled to the back of her head. Her pants were pulled down. My brother had to dress my mother. She was gasping for air," White says.

Yet White, who works as a human resources supervisor for a medical billing company in Houston, says "the flight attendant didn't want to help Shawn."

Her brother tried to move Wilson out of the bathroom on his own, but she was "dead weight, too heavy," White says.

A male flight attendant eventually, on Carriker's request, helped move Wilson to the floor in the middle of the aisle, "But they did nothing. They gave her no CPR. The captain did not say there was a medical emergency," White says. She adds a flight attendant did hand her brother an oxygen mask, but she says he had to put it on Wilson himself.

The flight attendants then decided to move Wilson to a jump seat.

"They strapped her in there. She is still unconscious and slumped over, arms, everything. And then the flight attendant strapped in for landing," White says.

While Emirates says on its website it has defibrillators on its planes, none was ever brought out, White says.

"No type of means of life support was used to assist my mother. They just let her die. By the time we landed – and they let the people off the plane first and then they let paramedics on the plane – it was too late."

Meanwhile, White was waiting in the terminal to meet the flight and says she started getting frantic calls from her brother.

"He was on the cell saying 'Tammi, Tammi she's not breathing. What should I do?'"

White tried to get Emirates personnel to give her further information on what was going on.

"They sent a ticket agent out to answer my questions, but they just gave me an 800 number to find out what was going on," White says, admitting that she was getting hysterical at this point.

She found police officers who were eventually able to get information. Her mother, who White says had no previous health problems, was later pronounced dead at a local hospital.

White says the family never heard from the carrier. "No remorse, no phone calls, no nothing," she says.

Attorney Kerry Guidry has filed suit on behalf of the family at U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas, Houston Division. A court date has been set for Sept. 19.

"There's policies and procedures in place when a medical emergency arises and Emirates failed to follow those policies and procedures and that contributed to Carol's death," Guidry tells AOL Travel News. "She suffered cardiac arrest. The first seven to 10 minutes are critical in cardiac arrest, and they (Emirates) did nothing, and that's what we believe led to her death."

He says there's a lesson here for all air passengers.

"We put our lives in (the crew's) hands when we're in planes and they're supposed to be professional and know what to do," Guidry says. "This (case) should be a concern for anyone who flies."

Emirates airlines declined to comment.

Source: AOL Travel

Against the breeze - Indian Aviation

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation released figures for domestic air traffic in January that showed that Air India’s domestic wing, the former Indian Airlines, has slipped to fourth place. Jet Airways, when figures for its low-cost wing JetLite are included, Kingfisher and IndiGo flew more people than Air India — by a significant margin. Air India flew 7.8 lakh flyers; Jet flew 12.2 lakh, Kingfisher 9.6 lakh and IndiGo 9.5 lakh. As a marker of the continuing decline and increasing irrelevance of what is still referred to in wistful sarkari circles as India’s national carrier, it doesn’t get clearer than this. Air India simultaneously reported the lowest on-time figures: barely a third of their flights were on time, well below the competition; occupation rates were similarly low. Its market share is now around 17 per cent. Were it purely a market decision, it’s beyond any doubt what Air India’s fate would be.

Tragically, it is not the market’s decision to make. Civil Aviation Minister Vayalar Ravi had barely settled into his new office after the recent reshuffle when he made it clear that he would be requesting a significant infusion of cash into the troubled airline — merely, he claimed to tide over what he seemed to think was a temporary crisis. These thousands of crores of taxpayer money will be on top of the Rs 2,000 crore that has already been made available to Air India in two tranches recently. Ravi’s estimate is that the company will need at least Rs 10,000 crore more. This comes, of course, at a time when a cash-strapped UPA 2 is desperately trying to reassure voters and international investors that it knows how to control spending; fiscal restraint is expected to be a crucial component of the budget exercise.

We live in a very different world from the world in which “flag carriers” were a necessity. India is a self-confident nation now, and much of that self-confidence comes from pride and faith in the efficacy of its vibrant private sector. The emotional kick that a “national carrier” is supposed to provide is hardly needed or wanted now. Nor is it the case, as the DGCA’s numbers eloquently argue, that it fulfils any conceivable market-supporting role. Whatever decisions have to be taken about Air India in the short- and medium-term should reflect these two, essential, long-term perspectives. Otherwise, those decisions, like so many taken about Air India in the past, will be self-defeating and expensive in a way we cannot afford.

Source: Indian Express

AI Chief Training Officer's flying licence withheld

Adding to the woes of Air India concerning appointments, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has withheld the Foreign Aircrew Temporary Authorisation (FATA) licence of Stephen Sukumar, asking for papers supporting his flying hours' claim.

Sukumar is the Chief Training Officer of the government carrier and his appointment is being reviewed by a two-member committee formed by the airline board. “The DGCA has withheld the FATA licence of Stephen Sukumar and asked for papers supporting his flying and training hour claims,” said a civil aviation ministry official seeking anonymity. The carrier, however, has termed all this unfortunate and hampering the turnaround plan of the carrier.

“Such unnecessary issues will only impact the turnaround plan of the airline. Instead of focusing on revamping the airline, the professional guys are made to run to various organisations and committees for one reason or the other,” said a top Air India executive.

He said that Sukumar had informed the DGCA that his papers were with his earlier organisation. “Sukumar is in the process of getting his papers from his former company and will submit it to the DGCA,” said the executive.

Taking forward its turnaround plan, Air India hired four key officials from outside — Chief Operating Officer Gustav Baldauf, Chief Training Officer Stephen Sukumar, Chief Information Officer Kanwaljeet Ratan and Chief Operating Officer for AI Express Pawan Arora.

Two out of the four new appointments ratified by the airline board have landed into trouble. The management has dismissed Arora and ordered a review of the appointment of Sukumar.

Having worked with the Indian Air Force, Arora had worked with various airlines in the country and was with IndiGo before joining AI. Sukumar joined the airline from Lufthansa where he was working as chief flight instructor. Examining his appointment is crucial for the airline before it joins the Star Alliance.

From next month, representatives from all member airlines of Star Alliance will audit various aspects like finance, operational processes and training of employees. Air India will have to clear these audits to become a part of the network.

Star Alliance has 26 carriers as members and the entry will provide AI part of a network that operates around 19,500 flights every day from as many as 1,071 airports in 171 countries.

Air India is running under losses of over Rs 15,000 crore and working capital debt of over Rs 21,000 crore carries an interest burden of 12 per cent. The carrier’s annual interest payment is Rs 1,800 crore on a debt of over Rs 40,000 crore (Rs 21,000 crore is the working capital debt and the rest low-cost debt taken primarily to buy aircraft).

In an attempt to bail out the airline, the government recently injected two tranches of Rs 1,200 crore and Rs 800 crore in 2009-10, raising the equity base to Rs 2,145 crore. Air India has asked for another shot of Rs 2,000 crore to improve its financial condition and debt-equity ratio.

Source: Business Standard

Lufthansa new online application lets travellers rate destinations

Thanks to the new online City Ratings application, Lufthansa customers can now rate the airline’s worldwide destinations, share their personal recommendations with other passengers or find inspiration for their next holiday based on other people’s experiences, ideas and travel tips.

They can find answers to questions like: Which city offers a fascinating range of cultural events and activities? Which sights and tourist attractions make the hearts of young and old alike beat faster? Which major city has the most tempting array of shopping options? And where can the best culinary highlights be enjoyed?

The new application, which can be accessed via www.lufthansa.com, will enable users to share their first-hand experiences and impressions – a valuable source of information for travellers before they embark on their journey.

In order to use this function and give Lufthansa destinations worldwide a star rating, all you have to do is log on to www.lufthansa.com and submit a brief personal profile.

One can then be awarded up to five stars in each of the 10 categories listed, which include Sightseeing, Family, Eating & Drinking and Nightlife. Users are free to decide whether they wish to award a star rating for just one category or for all ten.

The ratings are added together and then automatically averaged out to produce the city rankings, which provide further orientation for anyone planning a trip. Moreover, if passengers have special tips or personal recommendations for other travelers, they can also submit a text that can be easily passed on to other users.

Source: Times of Malta

IndiGo to start international flights from August-2011

Budget carrier IndiGo, which recently placed a record order for planes, will start international operations in August, pitting it against Emirates, Singapore Airlines Ltd and AirAsia Bhd.

The aviation ministry has approved IndiGo’s proposal to fly to four countries, joining Indian carriers Air India, Jet Lite (India) Ltd, Jet Airways (India) Ltd, Kingfisher Airlines Ltd and SpiceJet Ltd, in a market that’s growing at around 10% annually.

The Gurgaon-based carrier, run by InterGlobe General Aviation Pvt. Ltd, has been cleared to operate daily flights to Bangkok, Singapore and Dubai from New Delhi and Mumbai, besides connecting Muscat with Mumbai, all considered to be high-traffic routes. The aviation ministry cleared the four-month-old proposal late last week. IndiGo’s proposal to fly to several other overseas destination starting from November is still to be cleared.

On 12 January, the airline announced a record order for 180 Airbus SAS A320 jets in Toulouse worth $15 billion (Rs.68,000 crore) at list prices.

“As IndiGo turns five in August 2011, this approval dovetails well into its planning process. This will hasten the process of Indian carriers taking back some of the market share that has been lost over the past many decades to foreign carriers,” the airline said in a statement.

Of the 241 A320s it has on order till 2025, including 61 from a previous order, 14 will join its fleet this year, helping it expand its domestic presence and run flights to neighbouring destinations to optimize aircraft utilization.

IndiGo uses 34 A320s on 221 daily domestic flights. Government rules mandate five years of domestic experience and a 20-aircraft fleet before a domestic carrier can fly overseas.

The entry of another low-cost carrier may benefit passengers as fares are likely to fall on many of these sectors.

“I think there would be good downward pressure,” said G.R. Gopinath, who pioneered low-cost airlines in India with Air Deccan, later acquired by Kingfisher Airlines. “It’s good for everybody, especially the consumers.”

Another travel industry official said the decline in ticket prices will depend on IndiGo’s strategy to woo the market.

“The problem is that a fare war is already happening on these sectors. You can fly to Dubai for Rs.5,000 on Air Arabia. I am sure they will match whatever is the lowest fare,” said Aloke Bajpai, head of travel website IxiGo.com. “Unless IndiGo comes up with a completely radical strategy of pricing it below that.”

Bajpai said the routes IndiGo has selected were “predictable” as they see heavy traffic and are profitable.

The top 10 international routes by number of daily travellers from India are Mumbai-Dubai, Delhi-London, Mumbai-London, Chennai-Colombo, Chennai-Singapore, Delhi-Dubai, Delhi-Kathmandu, Delhi-Bangkok, Chennai-Dubai and Mumbai-Singapore, according to a Kingfisher Airlines investor presentation.

“This continues the trend of Indian carriers deploying capacity away from the highly competitive and lower yield domestic market,” said Vikram Krishnan, an analyst with US-based aviation consultancy Oliver Wyman. “These airlines would have to develop a brand presence and cultivate agency distribution channels at the international points of sale. Emirates and Qatar are selling a global network behind Dubai or Doha, while IndiGo will rely more on point-to-point traffic terminating in Dubai or Singapore.”

Source: Livemint

Unruly flyers can get 1-year jail term, fined 5L: DGCA

Airline passengers who abuse the crew or rush to open the luggage cabins even before the aircraft comes to a complete halt had better watch out. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has notified two new rules to regulate bad behaviour on-board, both on domestic flights and on international flights destined for India. The two rules — Nos. 22 and 23 — have been incorporated in the Indian Aircraft Rules, 1937.

Any offence under these rules is punishable with imprisonment up to one year or a fine of up to Rs 5 lakh, or both. These rules also empower the airline and cabin crew to initiate action for bad on-board behaviour and to lodge a complaint with agencies like the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF).

Bharat Bhushan, the DG of civil aviation, said the provocation to introduce the new clauses was based on experience. ''We want to constantly improve the system. Earlier, the police would book unruly passengers under IPC (Indian Penal Code). The new clauses are a codified response to on-board indiscipline,'' he said. Previously, unruly passengers would be booked under section 336, 323, 354 or 506 of the IPC, which deal generally with endangering lives or personal safety of others, or voluntarily causing hurt.

Source: Times of India