Members Login
Username 
 
Password 
    Remember Me  
Flickr Photo Pool -> Airliners-India -> Civil Aviation -> AI/IA --- Gulf operations
Post Info TOPIC: AI/IA --- Gulf operations
karatecatman


Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 2289
Date:
AI/IA --- Gulf operations
Permalink Closed

"The Gulf is one of the most important regions for Air India/Indian Airlines" 


or is it THE MOST IMPORTANT REGION?!!


 


 


 


Indian to start early check-in for Dubai 
Dubai: Indian (formerly Indian Airlines) has initiated an early check-in facility, supported by Sharjah and Dubai airports. The airline will offer passengers the option of checking in early during the off-peak period, thereby avoiding the peak demand period in the night.


The measure is aimed at making peak season travel less stressful, improving the level of passenger services.


The early check-in facility has already been made available at Sharjah airport, where counters open from 11am to 3pm for Indian flights departing later in the night or early the next morning.


At Dubai airport, the facility will be available from June 1. The counters will be open from 9am to noon, for flights departing later in the night or early morning.


Passengers will be able to hand over their baggage, obtain their boarding cards well in advance, and will be able to avoid the rush and congestion in the evening.


Early checked-in passengers, after reaching the airport in the night, can directly proceed to immigration check.


The facility will be available till the end of July, so as to cover the peak season demand when check-in areas get congested.


The measure will particularly appeal to Indian expat families travelling home during the school holidays.


                                 ***************



Indian Airlines set to increase presence in Gulf-India 
 
May 2006   
 
Indian (formerly Indian Airlines), which has posted impressive growth figures in the Gulf-India sector in the fiscal ending March 2006, is set to substantially increase its presence in the region this summer with a huge jump in its operations out of Dubai, including direct daily flights to Chennai from Dubai.


Mr Pankaj Srivastava, Regional Manager, Gulf, for IA, told Business Line that in response to the growing demand in the Gulf region, the airline plans to increase its flights out of Dubai to 35 per week. In March, the airline's Dubai-Mumbai operations were increased to a double daily flight schedule, taking the operations out of Dubai to 23 flights per week.


New flights


Mr Srivastava said that plans are on to de-link the current Dubai-Hyderabad-Chennai operation and introduce separate daily direct flights to Chennai and Hyderabad from Dubai. "This new schedule will begin from June 1 and we will have for the first time, a direct daily flight to Chennai. This will boost frequency out of Dubai to 30 flights a week," he said.


In addition, IA plans to make the Dubai-Kozhikode (Calicut) route a daily operation from June 1, by adding five more flights on the sector. This will bring the total operations out of Dubai to 35 flights per week, the official said.


Growth figures


Mr Srivastava said that IA registered an 86% seat factor out of the UAE and 82% out of the Gulf in 2005-06 compared with 76% and 73%, respectively in 2004-05. In the UAE, revenue has grown by 26%, while the increase has been 17% out of the Gulf. There has also been a 30% growth in passengers carried out of the UAE and 21% for the total Gulf region.


The introduction of the Sharjah-Mumbai operations in the last fiscal has contributed significantly to the positive growth figures for the airline.


While an increase in market share has been the primary reason for the boost in capacity in the Gulf-India sector, IA has also benefited from bi-lateral arrangements with Dubai and the additional entitlements that followed. The booming economies of the UAE and India coupled with a substantial increase in tourism to both regions has also helped to increase the growth potential for airlines in the region.


IA operates in five states in the Gulf and also has special offline arrangements in Saudi Arabia that enable Saudi-based passengers to fly to Kerala destinations out of Bahrain.


The UAE is the main station in the Gulf from where IA operates out of four airports. The Gulf and South East Asia are the major overseas regions for the domestic carrier. IA, which has firm orders from Airbus for 43 aircraft, is scheduled to receive its first aircraft by the end of the year, the official added.


                                  ****************



First lady in charge of Air-India Express
May 2006 


MUSCAT — The airline industry will have its first ever lady in the helm of affairs here. Sowgandhi Pancharatnam replaces Amariwala to take on the mantle of leading A-I Express to further heights of operational excellence, and perhaps furthering the unique concepts, which Amariwala had unleashed in the market in the past three years or so.


Sowgandhi’s role as the head of A-I Express in Oman is quite exciting as she is the first lady to be in charge of an airline here, for the moment. But, she brushed off this fact, noting that “world over, ladies are taking over the helm of affairs”.


“I am really happy to take charge of A-I Express. It is a challenging task, but, since I am going to step into Amariwala’s shoes, it will give me a lot of mileage,” this veteran, who has already put in 34 years with A-I, told the Times.


Sowgandhi’s earlier posting abroad was in the Netherlands. “With everyone’s support, I hope to do well,” she said at the farewell party organised by A-I Express for Amariwala, on Thursday evening.



    
 
                                     ************** 
 
Air India Express Bahrain flight from October
 
Thursday, 25 May , 2006,  


Dubai: Keralites in Gulf countries, who complain of high airfare to their state, will now benefit from the low-cost fare offered by Air India from October, a top airline official has said.


 


The airline's low-budget carrier Air India Express would begin service to Bahrain in its winter schedule, Air India's Regional Director for Gulf, West Asia and Africa Sanjeev Talwar said. |FIFA fever grips corporates!|


The fares would be 25 to 30 per cent cheaper than the normal Air India flight and could be booked online.


''We planned to include Bahrain and Doha in April this year, but it had to be postponed due to the shortage of aircraft,'' Talwar told the Gulf Daily News.


Air India Express currently operates from Kerala and Mumbai to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Al Ain, Muscat and Salalah.


Earlier booking would mean cheaper fares, Talwar added.
 
 


                                          ***************
 
 
 
 Air India Express to increase flights
Saturday, May 13, 2006



 
 
Dubai



Air India Express (AIE) announced in Dubai recently that it will increase the number of weekly flights from 36 to 61 by the end of summer, with an addition of new aircraft joining its fleet, said a top official.


Sanjeev Talwar, Air India's regional director for the Gulf, Middle East and Africa, told travel agents that the airline has doubled its fleet size to six this year.


"By mid-June we may have 17 additional flights to Dubai. The Kerala-Gulf sector has experienced load factors above 90 per cent throughout the year," he was quoted as saying by the Gulf News.


AIE invited its travel agents from Dubai to celebrate the first year of its successful operations to the UAE.
 


                                           ****************
Low-cost flights planned 



KERALITES in Bahrain will benefit from a low-cost service being introduced by Air India from October, a top official revealed yesterday.India's national carrier may include Bahrain for the operation of its budget airline, Air India Express, in the winter schedule, said Air India's regional director for Gulf, Middle East and Africa Sanjeev Talwar.


Air India Express currently operates from Kerala and Mumbai to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Al Ain, Muscat and Salalah.


"We planned to include Bahrain and Doha in April this year, but it had to be postponed due to the shortage of aircraft," Mr Talwar told the GDN from his office in Dubai.


"We now hope to have Air India Express operating to Bahrain by end of October this year.


"The budget airline offers fares which are 25 to 30 per cent cheaper than the normal Air India flight."


The online booking system has become popular with expatriates in the Gulf, said Mr Talwar.


"The earlier you book, the less you pay," he said. "The budget airline will prove a great boon to Keralites in Bahrain.


"The all-economy class aircraft will encourage ticketless travel on the Gulf-India sector."


Once Air India Express starts operations to Bahrain, the normal Air India flights will be withdrawn from the market, said Mr Talwar.


"My prime focus will be to build up the image of Air India in the region and to take care of the travel market," he added.


"The Gulf is one of the most important regions for Air India and we are especially happy with the performance of our station in Bahrain."


Meanwhile, Air India manager for Bahrain and Jordan M N Naik said the airline registered a seven per cent increase in revenue on the Bahrain-India sector during the financial year ending March 2006.


"The passenger load was up by 11 per cent," he revealed.


"Because of competitive fares, the passenger movement increased substantially last year.


"A large number of Indian nationals continue to keep their loyalty towards the national airline."


Air India operates on all days except Saturday, offering four flights to Cochin, three to Trivandrum, two to Calicut and three to Mumbai.
 


                                              *****************


Chennai-Dubai direct Indian flights from June 1
 
Wednesday, 24 May , 2006,  
Chennai:Indian, formerly Indian Airlines, will introduce direct flights between South India and Gulf countries, with effect from June 1, 2006.Indian Airlines (Indian) will be operating a direct flight between Chennai to Dubai, daily.


 


The flight IC 905 will be leaving Chennai at 2000 hours and arrive at Dubai at 2230 hours (Local time). The flight IC 906 will leave Dubai at 1345 hours (local time) and arrive at Chennai at 1900 hours, a press release said here today.


On the Kozhikode-Dubai sector, Indian Airlines will operate a daily flight, instead of twice-a-week schedule. The flight IC 538 will leave Kozhikode at 1015 hours and arrive at Dubai at 1245 hours (local time) while IC 537 will leave Dubai at 0200 hours (local time) and reach Kozhikode at 0700 hours. | Go to Sify Business Home page |


The release said the airline would provide a new link on every Wednesday between Thiruvananthapuram and Kuwait. The flight IC 589 will leave Thiruvananthapuram at 1345 hours and arrive at Kuwait, via Sharjah at 1805 (local time) while IC 590 will leave Kuwait every Thursday at 0500 hours (local time and arrive at Thiruvananthapuram, via Sharjah at 1000 hours.


Also the frequency of the airlines between Thiruvananthapuram and Sharjah has been increased from four flights a week to six per week, the release said.


                                           ***************
Happy landings for Mangaloreans in Doha


(Not yet in service)!!!


8 May, 2006,  

THE Mangalorean community in Doha rejoiced yesterday at the prospect of their local airport getting “international” status, which could lead to direct flights from the Gulf, including Doha.
The possibility moved a step closer to reality with the customs department giving its clearance for international flight operations from and to the airport. “Our long-standing dream is nearing fruition,” a community leader said.
The only hurdle now for international flight operations is immigration clearance. This is expected to be obtained in “a few days,” the community members quoted the Superintendent of Police B Dayanand as saying.
Meanwhile, a high-level meeting held at the airport recently discussed the possibility of the first international flight service from Mangalore on May 21, “if everything goes well”.


(Not as yet as Air India Express has a few issues to sort out.)


Low-cost airline Air-India Express had proposed starting a Mangalore-Dubai service, with four weekly services. According to a tentative schedule, its Boeing 737-800 is to arrive in Mangalore from Dubai at 8.20pm and take off for Dubai at 9.20pm.
However, according to Air-India’s manager in Doha, Debashis Golder, the proposal has been kept in abeyance because of a shortage of operating crew. No new date has yet been fixed, he added.
It is not known if any other airline will grab the opportunity, sources indicated.
Currently, Indian Airlines and Jet Air use the airport for domestic services.
Meanwhile, community leaders in Doha urged expatriate organisations to send a joint memorandum to concerned airline officials to route an international flight from the Gulf to Mangalore, especially during the summer holidays.
 
 


 
 



 


 



-- Edited by karatecatman at 01:12, 2006-06-03

__________________
KCM
karatecatman


Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 2289
Date:
Permalink Closed

Reposted!


 


 


Air India Express delayed
Tuesday June 6 2006 14:37 IST


Indian Express


TIRUCHY: The commencement of operations of Air India’s subsidiary “Air India Express” from Tiruchy to various destinations in the Middle East among others from May 7 has been delayed.

Though several factors are being attributed to the delay, it is widely believed that the non-completion of the extended runway is the main cause. Tiruchy Airport, which has been handling domestic and international flights, is one of the busiest airports in Tamil Nadu, next to Chennai.

Apart from the national carrier Indian Airlines, Sri Lankan Airlines has also been operating from here. Recently, the private player Air Deccan has started offering daily flights between Chennai and Tiruchy. According to informed sources, the annual turnover of the major airline operators, including Air India, Air Lanka and Indian Airlines, is estimated to be around Rs 100 crore.

With a high demand from passengers to fly to different destinations, the aviation sector had been poised for better growth in the coming years, the operators said.

To meet the needs of the airlines, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) authorities have taken up the extension of the runway from 6,000 to 7,500 feet, which would facilitate the smooth landing and take-of bigger aircraft.

Though the work, which commenced in April 2004, was supposed to have been completed by March 2005, it did not happen.

When contacted, Tiruchy Airport Director Sreekumar said the extended runway, measuring 1,500 feet, had been completed. Once the calibration works were over, it would be in a position to handle bigger aircraft, he added.

On Air India’s plans to operate its flights from last month, he said originally the Indian Airlines had planned to take care of the ground- handling activities, but now, the Air India itself would deploy its own personnel.

Though the runway work had been completed and ready for use, airline operators said they had not received any communication in this regard so far from the AAI authorities. “Only when we are informed, we can communicate to our authorities, who, in turn, shall prepare the schedule for flying more planes”, an airline executive said, adding that such delay would severely affect the prospects since June-September was considered to be the peak season.

The airline operators pointed out the need for infrastructure since the airport lacked facilities. For instance, in the event of any delay of flights, there is no refreshment cafe inside the airport.

Similarly, as there is no wayside ticketing counters for Indian Airlines and Sri Lankan Airlines in the airport complex, passengers intending to fly at the last moment or those who have wait-listed tickets, find it extremely difficult. “Last week I had to get into the airport with a visitor’s pass and subsequently purchase the tickets from the airlines office,” a passenger said.

Airline operators said if the extended runway had been opened as per schedule, Silk Air (a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines), Deccan Lanka and Malaysian Airlines would have opened their shops there, which would have upgraded the entire delta region in many ways.

They said all the 13 Union Ministers and the MPs from Tamil Nadu should collectively work out modalities and ensure that such delays were avoided as any neglect would result in neighbouring States grabbing the opportunities.



__________________
KCM
vivekman


Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 527
Date:
Permalink Closed

Mangalore surely is gaining a lot of importance. In addition to Jet, Kingfisher also flies a Mumbai-Mangalore service.

__________________
karatecatman


Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 2289
Date:
Permalink Closed

Kingfisher also has a Chennai-Bangalore-Mangalore service.


It's an old route. Indian used to fly this route then stopped it. The Jet did and stopped it.


Let's see if Kingfisher can sustain it.



__________________
KCM
karatecatman


Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 2289
Date:
Permalink Closed





Trivandrum to Kuwait --IA


June 7, 2006


The national carrier, Indian, (formerly Indian Airlines) will launch its flilghts to Kuwait from the Thiruvananthapuram international airport from tomorrow.



 

The new services, aimed at further expanding Indian's operation in the Gulf, will be the airline's third international service from Thiruvananthapuram. Indian already has flights to Sharjah and Maldives from the Kerala capital.

 

Indian officials said that its flight IC 589 would take off from international airport here at 1.45 pm on Wednesdays and reach Kuwait at 6.05 pm. In the return direction, flight IC 590 would depart from Kuwait at 5 am the next day and reach Thiruvananthapuram at 10 am.

 

The Thiruvananthapuram-Kuwait flight, A-320 aircraft with 20 business class and 125 economy class seats, will fly via Sharjah where it will have a 45-minute transit halt, according to officials.

 

The airline has also increased the frequency of its Thiruvananthapuram-Sharjah flights from June 1 onwards from four to six. Following the increase in frequency, Indian now operates flights to Sharjah on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays.

 

Official sources here pointed out that introduction of new services has taken the number of flights that Indian operates from the Thiruvananthapuram international airport to 13 from the earlier 11. It will meet the heavy demand for seats.

__________________
KCM
karatecatman


Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 2289
Date:
Gulf carriers swoop down on A-I, Indian
Permalink Closed

http://www.indianexpress.com/story/8424.html
Gulf carriers swoop down on A-I, Indian
ZEESHAN SHAIKHPosted online: Friday, July 14, 2006 at 0000 hrs Print  EmailAviation: Cheap fares, liberal bilaterals wean away passengers, hurting national carriers’ monopoly
 
MUMBAI, JULY 13:It's one of the most lucrative destinations for India’s national carriers. But that’s steadily changing. Air-India and Indian now face a slew of competitors in the West Asian market as low-cost carriers like Air Arabia and Jazeera Airways swoop down, offering cheaper than-ever fares to the five million non-resident Indians there.


The average one-way fare of Air India (140 flights to the Gulf) and Indian (98 flights) is around Rs 5,000-Rs 9,000. Carriers like Jazeera—offering services from Mumbai and Delhi to Kuwait—is pricing its ticket as low as $30 (Rs 1,380).


‘‘Nearly 34% of India’s total outbound travel is to West Asia. It is a strategic market for us and we plan to add more destinations in the country,’’ says Marwan Boodai, Jazeera Airways’ Chairman and CEO. Apart from Jazeera, the national carrier of UAE, Etihad Airways, is also launching its service from India to Kuwait with a stop in Abu Dhabi and Khartoum.


‘‘The importance of the Indian market to us can be gauged from the fact that India is the third-largest country in our network,’’ says Neeraja Bhatia, Etihad Airways’ area manager.


Sure, with a 35% share of the India-originating market to the Gulf—UAE, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia—the national carriers have a headstart. Air-India, for one, derives over 30% of its revenues from the sector. ‘‘The national carriers would only be affected if these new airlines are allowed to start operations to Kerala in the south or destinations like Jeddah, Riyadh or Dammam are opened up for them,’’ says an aviation analyst.


Either way, experts say with the moratorium on private sector domestic airlines flying to Gulf set to expire in the next 18 months—and increasing demands by NRIs to implement open-skies policy on this route—the domestic carriers will have to tighten their belts to face this increasing competition.


A major problem Indian carriers face is the propensity of the government to go on signing bilaterals with countries without giving the national carriers a free run in decisions regarding fleet augmentation to take benefit of these agreements.


India’s initial bilaterals in Gulf were with UAE, Bahrain, Qatar and Oman, which owned Gulf Air. The frequency and the seats allowed ensured that Indian carriers were not overawed by the foreign carriers.


However, the problem started when the government decided to sign bilaterals which each of these countries. The trend started with the government signing individual bilaterals with Qatar and Oman and then signing bilaterals with the airlines of UAE principalities like Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi.


Signing such bilaterals means increased seats on these routes, which translates into customer convenience. But that also raises the question whether India’s national carriers have the muscle to serve these routes and take full advantage of the bilaterals. As capacity is greater than demand, these airlines have been able to drop fares, which is hurting Indian carriers.


The Gulf-based carriers are taking advantage of the bilaterals to create areas like Dubai and Abu Dhabi as hubs for funnelling traffic to destinations like US and Europe.


Traditionally, bilateral rights envisage the airlines starting operations connecting two points between the two countries. However, the Gulf airlines are using such bilaterals to turn the Gulf into a hub for Indian travellers to travel to the US and the UK.


Realising their inability to stand up to this onslaught in view of their small fleet size, the national carriers had also asked the government to cancel the bilaterals given to Gulf Air, since the government was signing bilaterals with individual countries of the region.


zeeshan.shaikh@express.com



__________________
KCM
karatecatman


Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 2289
Date:
Technical snags clip Karipur wings
Permalink Closed

Karipur is Calicut airport!


http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IER20060716010643&Page=R&Title=Kerala&Topic=0
Technical snags clip Karipur wings



Sunday July 16 2006 11:28 IST
MALAPPURAM: Lack of engineers and technical staff continue to hinder the smooth day-to-day functioning of the Karipur International Airport.


On Friday, it was a harrowing experience for the passengers of an Abudabi-bound Air India Express flight when it got delayed for 12 hours due to technical snag.


The infuriated passengers went to the extent of assaulting the station manager. The passengers were forced to wait till the engineering staff arrived from Mumbai.


Till two months ago, it was a usual affair with two Air India aircraft, conducting service in the Kuwait-Sharjah sector, developing snag regularly. The aircraft used to remain inoperative at least for two days every time, till the arrival of staff from Mumbai or Chennai.


Despite being recognised as an international airport, there is no engineering base at the airport. There have been instances in the past when the flights got delayed for more than a day. Airport director R Veeraswamy told this website's newspaper that all the airports do not have engineers and technical staff.


‘‘Whenever there is any technical problem, the staff will be brought from other major airports like Mumbai,’’ he said. However, he said that the Airport Authority of India is mulling over setting up an engineering base at Karipur.


But insufficient land is posing problems. ‘‘Usually the state governments give free land to the airport for these purposes. But due to financial crunch, the Kerala Government is not in a position to do so,’’ said Veeraswamy.


Veeraswamy said that when he raised the issue with former chief minister Oommen Chandy, the latter had promised to look into the matter. ‘‘We are yet to approach the LDF Government in this regard. I am waiting for the nod from AI to talk to the government on the issue,’’ he said.



__________________
KCM
the_380


Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 2450
Date:
RE: AI/IA --- Gulf operations
Permalink Closed

AIX didnt have engg at Calicut???


Sad situation



__________________
Light travels faster than sound...thats why people appear bright, until you hear them talk!
karatecatman


Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 2289
Date:
Permalink Closed

Smaller airports in South don;t have large engg facilities. Spares and the engg have to fly in from Delhi or Mumbai , i.e. if Chennai doesn;t have it.

__________________
KCM
karatecatman


Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 2289
Date:
Permalink Closed

Aug 2, 2006


AI is now to step up operations  from Calicut to the Gulf. Huge demand will see AI introduce the A310 to supplement AIX. 



__________________
KCM
karatecatman


Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 2289
Date:
Ferry service 'must restart'
Permalink Closed

They never do give up to contiune to attack AI/IA


Good luck Praful Patel and Thulasidas!


http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Story.asp?Article=151693&Sn=BNEW&IssueID=29138
Ferry service 'must restart' 
By BEGENA GEORGE


MANAMA


AN Indian MP has called for the resumption of ship services between Bahrain and India for the benefit of low-paid workers who cannot afford airfares. The first passenger ferry service between the Gulf and India was launched from Bahrain in June 2001 by Tylos Ferry, a division of Bahrain-based Sanad Travel.


However, the company was forced to cancel the operation of the vessel M V Al Salam Taba after a few months as it failed to get the sea-worthiness certificate from the federal Mercantile and Marine Department in India.


Indian authorities would not allow the ship to carry passengers on its deck and Pullman seats and it is understood that the decision was taken in the interests of passenger safety.


Kerala MP Pannyan Ravindran said that he planned to send a petition signed by 20 MPs of Kerala to Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh for the resumption of the ferry services.


He said as present airfare from India to Bahrain was not reasonable and that a passenger travelling from India to Europe has to pay almost the same amount. His call follows a similar appeal by the Bahrain Malayalee Business Forum (BMBF), which said fares charged by the two national carriers, Air India and Indian, formerly Indian Airlines, were too high.


The BMBF has threatened to boycott both airlines, unless prices are slashed.


However, airline officials say that fares were fixed by the Yield Implement Committee (YIC), which is made up of all airlines operating in Bahrain and chaired by Gulf Air.


The feasibility to resume the ferry service from Bahrain to Kerala was studied in April 2003 by Centre for Marine Studies director Captain Mohammed Abood Babaidan, who was appointed by Saudi firm Tamak Establishment.


However, the project was put on hold following the Iraqi war and an increase in fuel charges. "The revival of the shipping service will also a threat to the airline industry," said Al Amal Travels, Tours and Cargo branch manager Vinod Thomas.


Bahrain Tourism Company travel and tours manager Ram Manohar said the vessel used before did not comply with sailing standards, but if the service was operated professionally then there's a good chance to re-launch it.


"A major drawback of the shipping service is that a person going on a month's leave to India will waste two weeks just for travel," he said.


Al Fanar Travel deputy general manager Suhaib Kidwai said the service would not be practical for many workers.


"When people don't get many days off for vacation it is not practical to spend at least two weeks in sea, but if it is solely for leisure, the case is different," he said.


"Also, if the purpose is to save on airfares of the Indian carriers, a ticket of Air Arabia will not be much different from that of a ticket paid to travel by ship." Dadabhai Travel general manager Vijay Menon said welcomed the resumption of the ferry service.


"In view of the soaring demand during busy travel seasons, the shipping service is very much welcome," he said.


"But I doubt it would make much of an impact to the airline industry because the demand for seats to India is very high."
 



__________________
KCM
karatecatman


Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 2289
Date:
Budget flights for Keralites in Gulf: CM
Permalink Closed

Trouble for AI/IA? Or the usual noise? Praful Patel didn't agree to this last time.


www.uninews.com


 


Budget flights for Keralites in Gulf: Kerala CM


Kochi, Aug 4 (UNI)


Kerala Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan today said the government is planning to start ’budget flights’ for the Keralites working in the Gulf countries.


Addressing a gathering after inaugurating the fifth Global Conference and International Youth Festival here, the Chief Minister said the government was in touch with the Centre and the flights would start operating shortly from Kochi to the UAE and other destinations in the Gulf.


The goverment had decided to start ’budget flights’ considering the high air fare for passengers travelling in the gulf sector, he added.


He said procedures would be simplified and expedited to transport the bodies of those who died in the Gulf countries to the home state.


Mr Achuthanadan said the cabinet would decide on reducing the fees for NRI students, which had been pegged at five times the fee for local students in the Self-Financing College Regulation Act 2006, passed recently.



__________________
KCM
karatecatman


Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 2289
Date:
RE: AI/IA --- Gulf operations
Permalink Closed

http://www.timesofoman.com/newsdetails.asp?newsid=34165&pn=local
Oman Air, Indian offer I-Day, Onam ‘fare gift’ on Indian sectors
 


August 15, 2006


By Adarsh Madhavan


MUSCAT — In an unusual move, two airlines have given a fantastic ‘Independence Day’ gift to international and Indian passengers and an ‘Onam’ gift to Keralites, travelling to Indian destinations.


This ‘fair’ fare gift, which sees a fare slash of almost RO60 to some key Indian destinations, comes into reality on the Indian Independence Day, making it an altogether significant issue.


The two airlines — Oman Air and Indian (formerly Indian Airlines) — have come in for big praise from the market for their lowered fare offer. Passengers who were just the other day cursing airlines in general for always hiking the fares began to praise Oman Air and Indian for their discounted fares.


Without looking into the ‘politics’ of who released the fares first and who followed, both these airlines are featuring net fares of RO110 (RO90 plus RO20 tax) one-way, and


RO188 (RO150 plus RO38) return to key South Indian destinations.


Oman Air is featuring these fares to Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Chennai and Hyderabad.


To Mumbai and Delhi, Oman Air is offering RO100 (RO80 plus RO20) one-way and RO163 (RO125 and RO38) return.


Indian, which is offering the same fares to Kochi, Chennai, Thiruvananthapuram and Hyderabad, will extend the same to Kozhikode and Bangalore destinations, too.


To Mumbai, Delhi and Ahmedabad, Indian will be offering the same RO100 (one-way) and RO163 (return) fares.


Agency and airline officials did not highlight the travel validity of these low/discounted fares, but in all probability, it is likely to complete the low fare season, or at least hang around in the vicinity of October.


The market was abuzz with the news yesterday evening itself and since both airlines informed the agencies of their intentions and subsequently officiated it (Indian with a fax, and Oman Air, by updating their systems), passengers were alerted of the same yesterday itself. “What a wonderful news,” a passenger, who was planning to fly to Kerala as part of the Kerala harvest festival – Onam — told the Times. Another passenger, who is travelling with two family members to Thiruvananthapuram next week, noted that he would be saving close to RO165 for three tickets, which he would be purchasing from a local agency tomorrow.


The net one-way and return fares, prior to the current Independence Day/Onam fares to south India (Kochi/ Chennai/ Thiruvananthapuram etc), were: RO155 and RO243; to Mumbai/Delhi, the fares were RO125 and RO188.


Agencies also noted that the news spread quickly in the market and enquiries began to come in immediately. Since the Indian fares were already effective yesterday, the airline officials reported that passengers already bought tickets with the new fare structure.


Oman Air’s lowered fare structure will come into effective from today.


Many breathed a sigh of relief and said that they hoped against hope that these fares would continue to be featured till the end of this year. However, far-fetched that may be, agency officials noted that the passenger enthusiasm was quite “infectious”.


However, passengers who missed the boat, sharply criticised all airlines for “squeezing them” dry and when there was nothing left, come out with such fares to woo the “non-travelling public”.


“This is just an eyewash,” they opined.


But, criticism or not, many passengers who will now grab this opportunity had only good words to say about Oman Air and Indian, who they said issued these low fares at the “right time”.


For the moment, in the airline market featuring the Indian sectors, there is more than one happy face. And these are not just the airline officials alone. Passengers themselves are beaming, agency officials confirmed.
 
 
 



__________________
KCM
karatecatman


Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 2289
Date:
AI to launch development projects
Permalink Closed

http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IER20060830020739&Page=R&Title=Kerala&Topic=0
AI to launch development projects
Wednesday August 30 2006 12:29 IST
NEDUMBASSERY: Major development projects are in the offing for Air India, especially in the Kerala region, said AI General Manager (Public Relations) S Venkat on Monday. He was talking to reporters after launching the new facility for AI premium class passengers at the Cochin International Airport here.


Air India has placed orders for 18 new-generation aircraft, which will add to the Air India Express fleet within one year. The estimated cost is Rs 5,000 crore.


Kerala is considered a growing market by the aviation industry. AI holds 25 percent of the aviation market share in the domestic sector and 20 percent in the international sector.


Air traffic of Visiting Friends and Relatives (VFR) has increased and it has also become more affordable. The Air India Express fare is 50 to 55 percent less compared to normal conventional flights to other countries. The AI Express fares are less to the Gulf countries, when compared to other airlines operating in that sector, Venkat said.


AI Express provides snack box and beverages onboard for its passengers without any additional charge. It is planning to increase the frequency to other countries. It will start four more flights to Dubai from Kochi. A standby aircraft will station at the Cochin airport to meet exigencies due to flight disruption.


Common User Terminal Equipment (CUTE), a sophisticated advanced software system, will be introduced by AI at the Cochin International Airport soon, Venkat said.


“A committee of experts has been constituted to examine all aspects to launch the proposed Aircraft Maintenance Hangar at Thiruvananthapuram without delay,” he said.


AI Executive Head M K Hingorani, Commercial Manager K M Kurien and PRO Aby George were also present at the press meet.



__________________
KCM
karatecatman


Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 2289
Date:
Air India to serve Onam feast on board
Permalink Closed

www.uninews.com


Air India to serve Onam feast on board


Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 31 (UNI)


Air India will serve Onam feast on board to its passengers in the flights operating to-and-fro in the Kerala sector from September four to six.
Air India-Thiruvananthapuram Manager H A Munaff told newspersons here that the Onam feast would be served to its passengers both on Air India and Air India Express flights during the festival season.
He said Air India was serving the Onam feast in its flights during the past two decades.
Traditional items like ’sambar,’ ’avial,’ ’erussary,’ ’ada pradhaman,’ ’pal payasam,’ ’kalan,’ ’pachadi,’ ’papad,’ ’ingi curry,’ ’mango pickle’ and ’ethakai upperi’ would be served with plain rice. In the non-veg category, there would be an additional chicken masala.
The feast would be arranged by the city-based Muthoot Skychef, he added.



__________________
KCM
karatecatman


Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 2289
Date:
AI seeks additional security at Bahrain airport
Permalink Closed

www.uninnews.com


AI seeks additional security at Bahrain airport


Dubai, Aug 30 (UNI)


National carrier Air India has sought additional security at the Bahrain International airport, sources said.


The Indian Embassy in Manama has requested the local transport ministry for extra security staff to conduct more checks after the routine screening all passengers go through after checking in.


The airline has already banned several things like cabin-luggage, except travel documents, cash, jewellery, medicines and infant food.


Air India, which operates seven flights a week to Bahrain, has been promised immediate help by the local security authorities, the sources added.



__________________
KCM
karatecatman


Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 2289
Date:
RAK Airways plans to start flights to India next year
Permalink Closed

www.uninews.com


RAK Airways plans to start flights to India next year


 Dubai Sept 9 (UNI)


UAE’s new airline, RAK Airways, plans to start flights to India when it takes off in January 2007.


 RAK, the fourth airline from the UAE after Emirates, Ethihad and Air Arabia, will also start flight services to neighbouring Iran .


 In its first year, the airline will fly twice a week to 15 destinations in India and Iran.


 The airline is making preparations including recruitment of staff and negotiating contracts for the first flights to Iran and India.


 The airline has plans to expand its India operation in 2008.


 


More competition.


Emirates, Ethihad, Oman Air, Gulf Air, Jazeera, and now RAK. Also consider Sri Lankan indirectly in this list.


versus


Air India, Indian and Air India Express.



__________________
KCM
karatecatman


Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 2289
Date:
RE: AI/IA --- Gulf operations
Permalink Closed

More details:


http://rakairways.com/


Full name is Republic of Ras Al Khaiymah.


RAK Airways


It's a beautiful blue and silver.                                                                


 


 


                                                         ***


http://www.arabnews.com/?page=6&section=0&article=77859&d=15&m=2&y=2006


RAK Airways to Be Launched
Arab News  

DUBAI, 15 February 2006 — The government of the emirate of Ras Al-Khaimah has announced the creation of RAK Airways, which will start operations by the year-end.


The move signals yet another turning point for Ras Al-Khaimah, which, under its dynamic Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler Sheikh Saud ibn Saqr Al-Qassimi, is fast expanding and building modern infrastructure and facilities to attract foreign and local investors.


RAK Airways will be the UAE’s fourth airline. The others are Emirates of Dubai, Al Itihad of Abu Dhabi, and low-cost carrier Air Arabia of Sharjah. RAK Airways will the first joint stock airline company of the UAE.


The official media reported that Ruler of Ras Al-Khaimah Sheikh Saqr ibn Mohammed Al-Qassimi issued a decree approving the creation of RAK Airways. The decree came after the federal government of the UAE approved the formation of th carrier.


The company will be based at the RAK Free Zone with an authorized capital of 1.5 billion dirhams, Chairman of RAK Civil Aviation and Vice-Chairman of the company Sheikh Salem ibn Sultan Al-Qassimi announced.




-- Edited by karatecatman at 16:56, 2006-09-09

__________________
KCM
the_380


Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 2450
Date:
Permalink Closed

What will be their fleets like?

__________________
Light travels faster than sound...thats why people appear bright, until you hear them talk!
VOTV


Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 87
Date:
Permalink Closed

Talking about gulf.


What is the latest on EY to the south?



__________________
1 2  >  Last»  | Page of 2  sorted by
 
Quick Reply

Please log in to post quick replies.
Flickr Photo Pool -> Airliners-India -> Civil Aviation -> AI/IA --- Gulf operations
Tweet this page Post to Digg Post to Del.icio.us


Create your own FREE Forum
Report Abuse 		Powered by ActiveBoard