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Post Info TOPIC: Indian Aviation - TRIVIA!


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Airplane door detaches in air over Brazil, falling on supermarket awning
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Airplane door detaches in air over Brazil, falling on supermarket awning


SAO PAULO, Brazil (UNI) 


The door of a TAM airlines plane fell off minutes after takeoff Tuesday and plunged into a supermarket’s concrete awning, the airline said. No one was injured.


The Fokker-100 plane, carrying 79 Rio de Janeiro-bound passengers, returned to Sao Paulo’s Congonhas Airport less than 20 minutes after leaving when the door ‘‘unexpectedly’’ flew open and ‘‘detached’’ itself from the plane, TAM Linhas Aereas SA said in a statement.


The passengers continued their flight to Rio on another TAM aircraft, the airline said.


The cause of the accident was being investigated, TAM said.


The supermarket’s awning suffered minor damage, the press office of Extra Supermarkets said.




-- Edited by karatecatman at 16:15, 2006-08-09

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RE: TRIVIA ------------------------------- Kingfisher's latest (umbrellas for passengers)!!
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Helicopter make rounds in Tirumala against Agama Sastras


Tirupati, Aug 8 (UNI)


Against the Agama Sastras, an helicopter made rounds in the air above the sacred hills of Tirumala, the abode of Lord Venkateswara today.


 According to Sastras, and in view of security angle, no object was allowed to fly above the Tirumala temple.


When contacted about the incident, the Control Room in-charge, Y N Rao at Tirumala said ’’ I have no knowledge’’.


 The vigilence office also gave a similar reply, when contacted for their reaction, though the Vigilance Officer, Nagoor Reddy, was not available for comments on this issue.



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For Indians, visa on arrival scheme in Malaysia
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For Indians, visa on arrival scheme in Malaysia


 Kuala Lumpur, Aug 10 (UNI) Visitors from India and 22 other countries will now be able to get visas on arrival at the international airports in Malaysia from September one.


 The tourists will have to pay 100 ringet for the single entry, which will be valid for one month.


 This move aimed at providing a boost to the ’Visit Malaysia Year 2007’ involves only those arriving at international airports, Home Affairs Minister Radzi Sheikh Ahmad said.


 Tourists entering the country through other checkpoints would, however, have to apply for their visas in their home countries.


 ‘‘The idea is to encourage them to come straight to Malaysia, to spend their money here first, instead of neighbouring countries,’’ Radzi was quoted by the New Straits Times as saying.


 ‘‘They can stay for one month and if they want to continue their stay, they will have to leave Malaysia and re-enter by paying another RM100,’’ Radzi said.


 The arrangement will continue throughout next year and ‘‘for as long as it seems fit’’, he said.


 Referring to a new ruling that employers and agents who were late in collecting their foreign workers would be fined, Radzi said the ministry would start enforcing this in ‘‘one or two weeks’ time’’. Such employers will be fined RM10 per hour.


 This could be good news to hundreds of Indian workers who arrive in Malaysia only to find that their agent or employer not there at the airport to pick them up.


 Employers are to collect their foreign workers within five hours upon arrival or pay the fine.



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Cookie Man now to fly high!
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http://www.cookiemanindia.com/


Cookie Man now to fly high!


Company News
MUMBAI, August 11


Australian Foods (I) Pvt. Ltd, an Indo-Australian joint venture, and the #1 fresh baked brand of cookies in the country Cookie Man, have entered into an agreement with premium Airlines in India to supply cookies on all their flights. – Now all passengers aboard Jet Airways, Kingfisher Airlines, Qantas Airlines and United Airlines in India can look forward to munching on the premium cookies in the air as well!


Mr. Pattabhi Rama Rao, President, Australian Foods (I) Pvt. Ltd. said, “We have been in India for more than six years now and have received a tremendous response to our product at stores across India. We are confident that the offer of cookies in the air would get the same response from our consumers and would leave them looking forward to more.”


Having established it self in the Indian biscuit market with 22 mother outlets in 11 major cities and Rs. 15 crore turnover as of March 31, 2006 for Brand Sales (i.e. Retail + Private Label Business) and Australian Foods India Private Ltd Rs. 10.5 crore. Now with Cookie Man supplying to all the Airlines services and expanding its presence in India, Cookie Man expects a growth of Rs. 30 crore for the Brand Sales (i.e. Retail + Private Label Business) and Australian Foods India Private Ltd Rs 22 crore by March 2007.


Now cookie lovers can choose from over 50 varieties of mouth-watering, fresh-baked cookies as they fly. Passengers would get to choose from a wide range of cookies provided by Cookie Man – from ‘choc chip cashew’ (the cookie with rich chocolate flavor bursting with diced cashew), ‘Ginger cookie’ (cookie with fine ginger powder and the use of crystallized ginger gives it a punchy taste), ‘muesli super’ (cookies with coconut chips and raisin), ‘oatmeal raisin’ (rich with oats, coconut chips and raisins added to it), ‘mocha’ (super crunchy cookie with creamy white choc chunks mixed with cocoa and coffee) and many more. This will definitely make your travel creamy ‘n’ crunchy!


About Australian Foods
Australian Foods (I) Pvt. Ltd is an Indo-Australian joint venture. The company commenced business operations in India with the launch of the first Cookie Man outlet at Chennai in January 2000. Today, Cookie Man works on a franchisee model and is the #1 brand of fresh baked cookies in the country. On offer from Cookie Man are a wide variety of scrumptious cookies that are developed at an exclusive R&D center in Australia.


Australian Foods was founded by Kevin Hicks, who started by selling fresh-baked cookies door-to-door. The overwhelming response he received encouraged him to open his first store in Melbourne in the year 1958. Australian Foods built a successful retail formula that has seen Cookie Man become the cookie of choice across Australia and enabled a global expansion. At the heart of the Cookie Man retail outlet is the proprietary serpentine oven technology and the secret recipes, perfected in Australia over the last forty years.


 



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SIA in talks with Kingfisher Air
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http://www.myiris.com/newsCentre/newsPopup.php?fileR=20060728094103088&dir=2006/07/28&secID=livenews


SIA in talks with Kingfisher Air



Source: IRIS NEWS DIGEST (28 July 2006)


Singapore Airlines (SIA) is in talks for an interline agreement with Kingfisher Airlines, reports Business Standard.

This move is aimed at offering the international traveller of Singapore Airlines more routes on Kingfisher`s domestic network. At present, Singapore Airlines has a similar arrangement with Indian Airlines.  

Singapore Airlines General Manager (India) B K Ong said that the airline`s passengers could be filled in Kingfisher at the destination where the airline does not fly. He further added that the airline was looking for special domestic fares from Kingfisher.  
 
Singapore Airlines operates 47 weekly flights to eight destinations in India, including Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Amritsar.

Kingfisher operates 86 flights a day covering 18 cities. The airline is keen on starting flights from more secondary cities of the country.
 



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List of VVIPs: Exemption from pre-embarkation
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List of VVIPs: Exemption from pre-embarkation 


 New Delhi, Aug 11 (UNI)


The Civil Aviation Ministry today said it was for the Union Home Ministry to decide whether to include three service chiefs in the list of VVIPs exempted from pre-embarkation security checks at all civil airports in the country.


 ‘‘We have no role to play in this. The Home Minsitry gives us the list which is circulated to all the airports in the country,’’ Civil Aviation Secretary Ajay Prasad told reporters.


 ‘‘As of now, they do not figure in the list of exempted category,’’ said Prasad.


 Defence Ministry had sharply reacted to the non-inclusion of the names of Army, Navy and Air Force chiefs in the amended list circulated by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation.


 In the latest list, those included among the VVIPs are President, Vice President, Prime Minister, former Presidents, Lok Sabha Speaker, Chief Justice and judges of the Supreme Court, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha and Cabinet Ministers.


 Also figuring in the list are Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha, Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha, Governors, Chief Ministers Chief Justices of High Courts and visiting dignitaries.


 The sole exception is Tibetan spiritual leader The Dalai Lama.


 



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RE: TRIVIA ------------------------------- Kingfisher's latest (umbrellas for passengers)!!
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karatecatman wrote:



http://www.myiris.com/newsCentre/newsPopup.php?fileR=20060728094103088&dir=2006/07/28&secID=livenews


SIA in talks with Kingfisher Air


Source: IRIS NEWS DIGEST (28 July 2006)


Singapore Airlines (SIA) is in talks for an interline agreement with Kingfisher Airlines, reports Business Standard.

This move is aimed at offering the international traveller of Singapore Airlines more routes on Kingfisher`s domestic network. At present, Singapore Airlines has a similar arrangement with Indian Airlines.  

Singapore Airlines General Manager (India) B K Ong said that the airline`s passengers could be filled in Kingfisher at the destination where the airline does not fly. He further added that the airline was looking for special domestic fares from Kingfisher.  
 
Singapore Airlines operates 47 weekly flights to eight destinations in India, including Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Amritsar.

Kingfisher operates 86 flights a day covering 18 cities. The airline is keen on starting flights from more secondary cities of the country.
 




Thats gonna b gr8 for VM

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MoCA to set up ’Aviation Univeristy’ in Hyderabad
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MoCA to set up ’Aviation Univeristy’ in Hyderabad


Hyderabad, Aug 13 (UNI) The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) was chalking out plans to set up an advanced ’Aviation University’ with the collaboration of Andhra Pradesh Government at the existing Begumpet airport in the city.


According to an official sources here, the MOCA officials and state Transport, Roads and Buildings officials in a high level meeting here recently, decided to appoint a Consultant to prepare a Detailed Integrated Project Report (DIPR) for the setting up of advanced Aviation Training Institute at the airport.


The state officials made it clear at the meeting with the MoCA officials that at least 300 acres must be earmarked for the establishment of the University.


The Begumpet airport would be closed once the proposed International Airport at Shamshabad, proposed to be commissioned in 2008.


The University, would offer courses like training in flying , aviation management, aviation safety, aviation security, aviation finance and economics, besides training the Airports Authority of India (AAI) Personnel in air traffic management and communication and navigational system.


The sources said a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the MoCA and State Government, would be signed in future. All the preparations were in preliminary stage. There was no written agreements between the Government and MoCA, so far, the sources added.



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Passenger give anxious moments to security staff at airport
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Passenger give anxious moments to security staff at airport


Chennai, Aug 15 (UNI)


A Maldives-bound air passenger gave some anxious moments to the security officials as he ran into the Anna International terminal urgently to catch the Colombo-bound Sri Lankan airlines flight last night.


According to police, Ahamed Bhutto hailing from Jammu and Kashmir, residing in Gopalapuram in Chennai, and running a handicrafts shop went to catch the Colombo flight, en route Maldives. After parking his car, he told the person manning the parking space that he would come and pick up his car after a couple of days.


The carpark attendant who charged a parking fee of Rs 500, asked him to pay the amount. As Bhutto did not have sufficent Indian currency to pay, he handed over five Euro currencies to the man, who refused to accept the foreign currency. In the melee, the passenger hurriedly ran into the terminal and left for Colombo by the Sri Lankan Airlines flight.

The attendant informed the matter to the airport authorities, who alerted the police. The police rushed to the spot along with bomb squad personnel and conducted a through search of the car but found nothing unusual. Based on the car’s registration number, they contacted the family members of the air passenger. After confirming the bonafides of Bhutto, police heaved a sigh of relief and allowed the car to remain in the parking space.

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RE: TRIVIA ------------------------------- Kingfisher's latest (umbrellas for passengers)!!
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These Late comming Pax always create a Security scare.Better to be Early & plan inn Advance.Pity only a Minority think its Important.


regds


MEL



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AAI fines Bangladeshi national
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AAI fines Bangladeshi national


 Kolkata, Aug 14 (UNI) A Bangladesh national was fined by the Airports Authority of India for entering the internaional arrival lounge restricted area without authorisation this afternoon, an airport official said here today. The woman and her husband, an US citizen, had earlier flown to Kolkata on a domestic flight from Delhi. After arriving here, they noticed that some luggage from United States Which belongs to her husband were missing. The husband had come to Delhi on British Airways flight recently from the US. Today they entered the international lounge restricted area to enquire about the missing luggage and were confronted by the CISF (Central Industrial Security Force) personnel. They contended that they have airlines ticket so can enter the restricted area. Both were initially detained but the husband was released but the wife was released after she paid a fine of Rs 400. 



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Airbus new seats --- Pulsing electromagnets may rid you of your jetlag
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Pulsing electromagnets may rid you of your jetlag
London, Aug 15 (UNI): Aerospace giant Airbus has said that jetlag can be made more pleasant using pulsing electromagnets.
The French company’s German division is working on developing aircraft seats with magnetic coils built into the back and the foot rests, that can be fed pulsed power at a frequency between 10 hertz and 20 Hz for 10 minutes at a time.
Engineers believe the resulting electromagnetic fields will have a positive effect on passengers by affecting cellular activity, stimulating blood flow and altering brain activity.
The result will be a relaxed state, controlled melatonin production thereby reducing jetlag, and less risk of deep vein thrombosis, reports New Scientist.
Researchers say putting controls in the back of the seat in front will even allow passengers to control their own coils.


If succesful, the new seats will be offered on all Airbus passenger jets.  



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Cargo truck runs into Qantas jet at Los Angeles airport
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Cargo truck runs into Qantas jet at Los Angeles airport


LOS ANGELES, Aug 16, 2006 (UNI)


A Qantas airliner with more than 300 people on board was damaged when it collided with a cargo truck on a taxiway at Los Angeles International Airport, officials said.
The Boeing 747 jumbo jet had just arrived from Australia and was rolling toward the terminal Monday when it was struck by the cargo truck, damaging one of its engines, according to an incident report by the Federal Aviation Administration.
Nobody was hurt. The 291 passengers and 19 crew members were taken off the plane and removed from the airfield by bus. The jet was towed to a maintenance hangar, where it remained on Tuesday.
Airplanes always have the right of way on the taxiways at the airport, said airport spokeswoman Nancy Castles.
The plane was expected to be back in service on Wednesday after mechanics received a replacement part, said Qantas Airways spokesman Mike Abraham. He said the engine did not suffer any major damage.
The FAA said in its report that damage to the engine was ‘‘substantial.’’
Abraham declined to provide more details about the accident.
‘‘We’re investigating the circumstances and it would unfair to describe anything until we know more,’’ he said.
Abraham said passengers who were booked on a 10:30 p.m. flight to Sydney on Monday were assigned to other Qantas flights.



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Runaway boy boards plane at London airport without passport
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Runaway boy boards plane at London airport without passport
London, Aug 16 (UNI)


Despite heightened security after the foiling of the plot to blow up US-bound planes, a 12-year-old runaway boy managed to walk on to an international flight at London’s Gatwick airport without a passport or boarding pass, a media report said here today.
 The boy, who had run away from a care home at Merseyside and travelled to London by train, went to the airport’s south terminal on Monday and was somehow able to pass through passport control and the full security screening process without anyone realising that he had no travel documents.
 He joined a queue of passengers who were getting into a Monarch Airlines flight to Lisbon, but the crew noticed that he had no boarding pass. The boy was led to a seat and the police was informed, The Times reported adding, two officers then boarded the plane and led him off.
 Police said they were ‘‘concerned by the security breach’’ and are investigating the incident, according to the paper.
 BAA Gatwick said that it was treating the incident ‘‘extremely seriously’’.
 The boy, who is known to have run away from the care home on previous occasions, was held in custody at a police station before being returned to the institution.



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RE: TRIVIA ‘Unclaimed’’ suitcase causes tension at Chennai airport
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‘Unclaimed’’ suitcase causes tension at airport
 Chennai, Aug 16 (UNI) There was some tension at the airport here after an ’unclaimed’ suitcase was found on a trolley in the portico of the international terminal, airport and police sources said.
 The sources said it was later found that a Sudanese student, Aliyar of a city college, left a suitcase on a trolley after finding that he had excess baggage and expecting his friend to take it with him adding the stduent was to board the Emirates flight to Dubai.
 After finding an ‘‘unclaimed’’ suitcase, security officials, including bomb disposal squad personnel and sniffer dogs took it into their possession for a thorough check.
 Meanwhile, another Sudanese, Humayun Sayyedali, received an SMS message from Aliyar and rushed to the spot to pick it, and was questioned by the security personnel.
 The authorities then told him to produce some proof about the ownership of the suitcase and collect.
 



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What`s that purr?
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http://www.business-standard.com/common/storypage.php?autono=101663&leftnm=5&subLeft=0&chkFlg=


What`s that purr?





Nanditta Chibber / New Delhi August 16, 2006









TRAVEL: Flying Cats, the latest inflight service school, tries to catch the tailwind of Frankfinn.

 

As I peeped out from the window of a chartered Kingfisher flight last week, the view was spectacular — a fluffy cloud cover tinted with the sun’s rays.

 

But inside the aircraft, it was chaos. Chaos? Media cameramen scampered down the aisle, over the seats and through the crowd to capture the photo-op as Flying Cats unveiled its prospectus and designer uniform with Kareena Kapoor.

 

Flying Cats is the latest entrant to the bustling market for air hostess training institutes. With a start-up investment of some Rs 50-70 lakh on 20 centres across India, the school claims to equip youngsters with all that they need to make careers in aviation hospitality and tourism.

 

The aim, it says, is to end the groaning of airlines that they have to train their inflight staff from scratch no matter where they hire from.

 

What’s more, the sector is set to expand phenomenally. “As India has placed an order for 430 additional aircrafts over the next five years,” says Kapil Kaul, CEO, Indian subcontinent and Middle East, Center for Asia Pacific Aviation, “the demand for just cabin crew would be 5,000, with airlines direct employing 40,000 people in the next 5-7 years.” And this would be just for the aviation sector.

 

With youngsters seeing the profession as a passport to the high life (salaries of Rs 18,000 per month being an immediate lure), airhostess training schools have never had it so good, charging about Rs1 lakh as annual fees.

 

For that sum, the schools impart the regulation “finish” by smoothening out the rough edges of inflight decorum and running through the technicals (of flight safety et al).

 

Most of the career-glamorisation work has already done by the earlier entrant, Frankfinn Institute of Air Hostess Training, which ran a high-decibel ad campaign on TV that positioned the job as the “in” thing for girls who don’t want to be homebound.

 

Frankfinn already has 65 centres across India, and “targets 85-90, with centres in UAE, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh by year end,” says Samir Valia, vice-president, Frankfinn.

 

Then there’s Air Hostess Training Academy (AHA), with 26 centres across India, that claims that its course is validated by Cambridge, UK, and has “a tie-up with most airlines for placements” according to Sapna Gupta, chief consultant, AHA.

 

But isn’t a Rs 1 lakh fee a bit much? Not for the opportunity, claim the schools, given the high placement rates. Then why all the complaints airlines still have about fresh recruits? According to Kaul, airlines still do need to train these hostesses after they sign up, but at least some prior training is better than none.

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RE: TRIVIA ------------------------------- Kingfisher's latest (umbrellas for passengers)!!
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430 additional aircraft ordered by India? Wow, 100 of those will go to IndiGo, 68 to Air India and 43 to Indian.


Any idea about the break-up of the remaining orders?


karatecatman wrote:




  “As India has placed an order for 430 additional aircrafts over the next five years,” says Kapil Kaul, CEO, Indian subcontinent and Middle East, Center for Asia Pacific Aviation, “the demand for just cabin crew would be 5,000, with airlines direct employing 40,000 people in the next 5-7 years.”







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Seems to be a huge error by the correspondent. Noticed that too.


It's apparently projected aircraft demand.


See this Airbus release of Feb 2006:


European aircraft maker Airbus has that India would buy 570 aircraft over the next 20 years to meet demand from its expanding airline market.


Airbus forecast that India would need 371 single-aisle aircraft and 179 twin-aisle aircraft to 2023 and the company plans to meet at least half of the projected demand, Airbus' vice president for South Asia sales said. Airbus also expects to sell 20 A380 aircraft to India over the next two decades.


The Indian aviation industry is rapidly expanding and several new airlines have started operating there in recent years.


 





-- Edited by karatecatman at 15:17, 2006-08-16

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Two baggages created flutter in city airports
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More on that item on unclaimed baggage at the Chennai airport:


Two baggages created flutter in city airports


Chennai, Aug 16 (UNI)


Two unclaimed baggages created flutter among the security personnel at both Anna International Airport and Kamaraj Domestic Airport here today.


Airport sources said, Syed Ali Mohammed of Ramanthapuram came to Anna International Airport to fly to Dubai by a Emirates Airlines flight, EK 545. At check-in counters, airline authorities found that the passenger’s baggages weighed more than the allowable weight. They asked the passenger to pay extra baggage charge.


The passenger, instead of paying extra baggage charges, opened his one of the baggages and removed some goods, including a transister radio and kept it in a card board box and kept the box in an isolated place, and asked his relative Ali Khader a undergraduate student of the New College, through mobile phone, to come to te airport and take away the box, and left for Dubai.


Meanwhile, the CISF personnel, who were on the patrol duty, found the unclaimed box and informed the matter to the airport authorities. In the melee, Ali Khader, who came to the airport and searched for the box. The CISF personnel rounded up him and handed over to the airport authorities for further action. During the interrogation, Ali Khader told that as per the request of his relagtive he came to collect the box. The authorities had verified the bonafides about Ali Khader with the New College authorities as well as the passenger through pilot of the flight and left the student with the baggage after obtained an undertaking, the sources added.


In a similar incident, a card board box containing personal things had created flutter among the security personnel at Kamaraj Domestic airport, which was also seized by the CISF personnel and handed over to the airport manager, the sources added.


 


                              ****


Update on August 17.


Sudanese student detained while trying to help friend


Chennai, Aug 16 (UNI) A Sudanese student, who came to the airport here today to collect his friend’s luggage that had triggered a bomb scare, was handed over to immigration authorities after it was found that his visa had expired in 2002, police said.


 Humayun Sayyedali had come to the airport after receiving an SMS from his friend Aliyar, who asked him to collect a suitcase he had left behind in a trolley after finding he had excess baggage. Aliyar left this morning by an Emirates airlines flight for Dubai.


 On spotting the suitcase, security officials took it into their possession for a thorough check. But nothing suspicious was found after the suitcase was examined by the bomb squad.


 Sayyedali, who came to the security hold area to pick up the suitcase, was questioned by security personnel. During the questioning, the authorities found out that his visa had expired in 2002.


 He was handed over to immirgration authorities, police said. 


 



-- Edited by karatecatman at 14:52, 2006-08-17

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She grooms S'pore Girls
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http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/news/story/0,4136,111748,00.html
She grooms S'pore Girls 
Besides the smiles and service, SIA stewardesses also have to be prepared for terrorist attacks, hijacks and difficult passengers
By Arul John
 
August 16, 2006       
 
 
SHE is one of only five faces behind the Singapore Girl.


-- STEFEN CHOW, AP
Together with four other colleagues, Ms Foo Juat Fang (above) is a cabin crew trainer tasked to make Singapore Airlines (SIA) stewards and stewardesses the best in the business.


Selected from experienced crew members, the single ex-Singapore Girl, who is in her 40s, helps put trainees through their paces to transform them into airborne ambassadors.


Ms Foo was an SIA stewardess for 19 years and rose to the top post of senior chief stewardess before she became a cabin crew trainer in late 1996.


She has been working for SIA for 29 years and has trained about 1,600 stewards and stewardesses to date.


'The airline was looking for cabin crew who were interested in pursuing careers in training. My basic training instructor encouraged me to take up the position and offered to guide and teach me along the way.


'I am glad that I took up the post because, had I continued flying, I would have had to retire five years ago,' said Ms Foo, who would have just hit her 40s then.


It takes about four months of training to become a full-fledged cabin crew member. The course covers everything from language, grooming, service and safety skills to - touch wood - how to handle hijackings.


In the final one to two weeks, trainees even go on actual flights for that all-important first-hand experience.


As a trainer, Ms Foo also helps to choose the design of the crew's uniforms and footwear.


'The sarong kebaya was chosen for our Singapore Girl instead of the cheongsam because it reflected the multi-racial and multi-cultural set-up in Singapore. The higher the heels in your shoes, the more pressure and discomfort is put on the calves. That's why flat sandals were chosen for them.'


While much of the training Ms Foo delivers is no different from that during her own days as a stewardess, there are some significant changes.


When she started in SIA, the largest and smallest aircraft in its fleet were the Boeing 747-200 and the Boeing 737. Both aircraft are no longer in SIA's fleet.


SOPHISTICATED AIRCRAFT


Instead, that fleet now includes more sophisticated aircraft like the Boeing 777 and long-haul Airbus jets with more seating classes. So, there are now more Singapore Girls flying the skies.


Bulky files and reference manuals have also been replaced by interactive computer training. Ms Foo said SIA is even taking steps to allow its cabin crew to download these pointers while they are in the air so that they can refresh their memories and be updated on new developments.


Besides Singapore and Malaysia, SIA's stewardesses now hail from India, Korea, Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, Indonesia and Japan.


'Many trainees from these countries tell us that they joined SIA because they had either once been served by a Singapore Girl or had seen advertisements featuring our stewardesses and wanted to join us. Our Indian, Japanese and Korean trainees say they love the sarong kebaya too, even though they are more used to wearing their national costumes,' Ms Foo said.


The trainer spends her spare time reading novels, biographies and self-help books. She also collects decorative crystalware.


Although she seldom cooks, Ms Foo collects cookery books and is pursuing a master's degree in counselling - a subject she feels helps her better understand people and their issues.


Ms Foo admitted that reports about SIA's falling standards had caused concern. But she said some comments, like the alleged favouritism shown by Singapore Girls towards Caucasian passengers, were possibly a matter of perception.


'We tell our cabin crew that good service is not just a matter of acceding to requests quickly but also being aware of the immediate surroundings. Caucasians are generally more chatty than Asians and, if a more reserved Asian passenger is seated next to a Caucasian passenger and the Caucasian is in a chatty mood, it can put the stewardess in a difficult position.


'We now tell our trainees that if such situations arise, they should chat with the Caucasian passenger but also take some time to talk to the Asian passenger as well and find out what he or she wants too,' she said.


Ms Foo added that service standards should not just focus on avoiding negative customer feedback.


'If a passenger feels that our service can be improved or enhanced by adopting a certain technique or doing things differently, we should consider that proposal seriously. If anyone asks me whether our service can be improved, I would say 'of course',' she said.


By and large, Ms Foo said SIA's training has done wonders.


When she bumps into her former trainees every now and then or meets them informally, she said that extra spring in their step is noticeable.


'Our former staff walk better, dress better, speak better and groom themselves better. Although they are no longer with SIA, they still take their appearance seriously and that speaks highly of how we trained them.'


Yes, even if these former Singapore Girls are now just office pencil-pushers.




 
 



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