http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/006200606301560.htm

Air-India plans reduced fares for mishap victims

Dubai, June 30 (UNI): In a generous gesture to Indian expatriates in Gulf countries, Air-India is to reduce fares by 30 to 40 per cent for carrying accident victims home.

In cases where stretcher is required, the airlines will have to block six seats, the patient will be charged only for three seats at the existing market fare, which means a cost saving of as much as 40 per cent.

Air India Manager for Bahrain & Jordan, M N Naik, said on an average, one or two patients are being carried as stretcher cases from Bahrain every two months.

"Many of them are victims of accidents or strokes," he told Gulf Daily News.

He said all Air-India flights are fully booked until July 15 and return flights are also full from August 16 to September 10.

Air-India has just introduced attractive packages to South East Asia, the Far East, the United States and Canada, Naik said.

http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=190380

June 29, 2006

WANT TO BE AN AIR HOSTESS? NOW YOU CAN GET MALAIKA KHAN AND SABIRA MERCHANT TO TRAIN YOU
 
 
Flying High
 
Paromita Chakrabarti
 
Sonia Gambhir is a final year student at Deshbandhu College. She’s dreamt of being an air hostess since she was a little girl. ‘‘That’s what I have always aspired for. It gives you great exposure,’’ says the starry-eyed 19-year old. To realize her dream Gambhir has enrolled in Flying Cats, an air hostess academy in South Extension II and does a daily commute from Faridabad to this institute.

Like Gambhir, there are thousands of youngsters enrolled in air hostess academies that have mushroomed all over Delhi in the last few years. The most popular ones are Frankfinn and the Air Hostess Academy. Now prominent Mumbai socialite Maureen Wadia has announced plans to open an institute in Mumbai and Delhi this year. Wadia’s younger son Jeh has started Go Air, a low-airfare commercial airline service, so it would only step up the recruitment process. There are several smaller schools operating out of basements in areas like South Extension and Malviya Nagar.

 
 
At Air Hostess Academy run by Sapna Gupta, a former lecturer at Delhi University, (the coursework includes training for both ground services and in-flight operations) they learn to walk straight, dress right, paint nails, do hair, talk in the correct diction. Gupta has 25 centres across India. A two-year course costs a whopping 1.75 lakhs while the one year course is for Rs 90,000. ‘‘95 per cent of our students get a placement after a stint at our academy,’’ claims Gupta. It helps that Gupta’s sister concern Human Resource Solutions has a tie-up with Qatar Airlines. ‘‘Besides the scope is so vast in the service sector that most of them get a placement in hotels and allied services anyway,’’ she says.

Miss World and actress Diana Hayden has been signed by the newly-launched Avalon Aviation Academy as their brand ambassador. Hayden, who has earlier groomed Miss India contestants, will also give occasional lectures on various aspects of grooming, including poise and grace. Flying Cats, which plans to open 20 centres around the country has celebrities like Sabira Merchant, Malaika Arora Khan and Aditi Govitrikar as panelists. On her first day Arora-Khan had to field a variety of questions. ‘‘They wanted to know how they should walk and if getting married would be bad for their career,’’ said Arora-Khan. Getting trained by these celebrities costs Rs One lakh for a year’s course and Rs 60,000 for a six month programme.

However, industry insiders insist that training from any of these institutes doesn’t guarantee a job. ‘‘We conduct our own interviews and give training subsequently,’’ states an IA official firmly. Some airhostesses feel the training is of no use. ‘‘Nothing can quite prepare you for the stress or pressure,’’ says Piyali Singh, a former air-hostess with the Cathay Pacific Airlines.

But youngsters lured by the glamorous world of aviation believe this kind of training is their ticket to an airline job. ‘‘It will benefit them. The aviation industry is booming. There are opportunities even if there are no guarantees,’’ says an airline official.

Guess it’s worth a shot.

This man wants to show that his aircrafts have a Biz. Class called Kingfisher First

http://www.airliners.net/open.file/1027434/M/

www.ptinews.com

Centre considering proposal for international airport at Agra

 Lucknow, July 6 (PTI) A proposal to set up an international airport at Agra is being examined by the Centre, Uttar Pradesh Tourism Minister Kokab Hameed said here today. The Union civil aviation ministry planned to undertake a feasible study for the project, he said.

 Hameed urged the Centre to take immediate steps in this regard and said he would also write to the Union tourism minister about the project.

 Noting that at least 1,200 acres would be needed for the international airport at Agra, he directed officials to identify the land soon.

 A feasibility study for establishing an airport at Kushinagar district (where Lord Buddha had died) had also been received. This report would soon be made available to the Centre, he said.

Where have been they allowed

QUOTING:

Source in Defence says that the following have been allowed:

http://en.chinabroadcast.cn/2866/2006/06/20/168@104527.htm

China's First Air Hostess-cops to Surface

Zhuoga is one of China's first batch Tibetan stewardesses. She will appear on the plane of Air China's Southwest Company in early September as China's first female Tibetan airplane security guard. Pictured: the Tibetan girl Zhuoga who has a swarthy complexion by the sun was learning wrestling with male students. (Photo Source: cnsphoto)

Starting early this September, China's first batch of female stewards with "double identities", who are not only gentle and beautiful air hostesses but also "air policewomen" good at fighting, will formally show up on the flights of Air China Southwest Branch Co.

It is learnt that after passing a strict test, these air security guards will receive a two-and-a-half-month isolation training in Chengdu command institute under the Chinese People's Armed Police Force, where they can train physical abilities and learn skills of capturing and unarmed combat and how to handle emergency.

Air China revealed that in some respects, female security guards are more careful and not easy to be discovered on the flight. Once an emergency happens, their identities as stewards more likely ease others' alert, which is good for overpowering the criminals with a single step beyond their expectation.

karatecatman wrote:

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     Accepting a passenger in trimester is strange, however healthy.

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 U mean 3rd trimester. I guess she might have taken a noc from her doc..

Yes, got the information.

VT-EPS is one of the grounded A320s ---- see the thread "One-fourth of IA fleet grounded"

Engine testing?

Any one can help out?