Saturday, August 13, 2011
The latest airline to be launched in the United Arab Emirates
The latest airline to be launched in the United Arab Emirates will commence operations during the first quarter of 2012 from Fujairah International Airport, it has been confirmed.
Eastern Express will be operated as a private company by Al Hajjar Aviation in partnership with Abulhoul Aviation and prominent local businessmen from Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
According to CEO Alex de Vos, it will be the first airline in the Middle East region to introduce the air feeder concept, which is already well established in Europe and the United States.
“Eastern Express will operate double daily flights linking Fujairah to the world through Abu Dhabi initially and later through other GCC destinations. It will use safe, modern regional turboprop aircraft that are specifically designed for high reliability and comfort on short, high frequency routes,” he said.
“Fujairah is rapidly developing with huge growth in industry and tourism and Eastern Express will capitalise on the need for passengers whether tourists and businessmen to connect to this emerging emirate.”
ASC Staff on Aug 14, 2011
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Engineer dead after being 'sucked into plane engine
A man has been killed after being sucked into a plane engine on near Blenheim, on New Zealand's south island.
The 49-year-old man had been testing the engine in a remote corner of Woodburne Airport, just outside Blenheim, about 8.15am.
Marlborough area police commander Inspector Steve Caldwell said how the man died was "all assumption at this stage".
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But New Zealand media reported that three separate sources had said the man had been drawn into the C-130 Hercules engine.
SAFE Air, an Air New Zealand maintenance subsidiary, confirmed that an engineer died during what it called a "routine maintenance operation".
A former employee said the engine was not fitted to an aircraft when the man was killed.
He said SAFE Air tested Hercules engines on a frame in a remote corner of the airport once they had been serviced.
The man reportedly entered the testing enclosure while the engine was running.
Three fire engines and several police cars converged on the airfield this morning.
SAFE Air said it was working with police and the Department of Labour on the investigation.
Inspector Caldwell said police were also investigating.
Air New Zealand chief executive Rob Fyfe was reportedly travelling to Blenheim in the wake of the accident.
stuff.co.nz and The Marlborough Express
The 49-year-old man had been testing the engine in a remote corner of Woodburne Airport, just outside Blenheim, about 8.15am.
Marlborough area police commander Inspector Steve Caldwell said how the man died was "all assumption at this stage".
Advertisement: Story continues below
But New Zealand media reported that three separate sources had said the man had been drawn into the C-130 Hercules engine.
SAFE Air, an Air New Zealand maintenance subsidiary, confirmed that an engineer died during what it called a "routine maintenance operation".
A former employee said the engine was not fitted to an aircraft when the man was killed.
He said SAFE Air tested Hercules engines on a frame in a remote corner of the airport once they had been serviced.
The man reportedly entered the testing enclosure while the engine was running.
Three fire engines and several police cars converged on the airfield this morning.
SAFE Air said it was working with police and the Department of Labour on the investigation.
Inspector Caldwell said police were also investigating.
Air New Zealand chief executive Rob Fyfe was reportedly travelling to Blenheim in the wake of the accident.
stuff.co.nz and The Marlborough Express
Friday, August 5, 2011
TIGER AIR STAYS GROUNDED IN AUSTRALIA
Singapore budget carrier Tiger Airways' Australian operations will remain grounded until next week after a court hearing on the matter was adjourned on Friday when the aviation regulator asked the airline for more information.
A Federal Court hearing scheduled for Friday was adjourned until Thursday next week, a spokesman for the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) said.
"We are still working through those issues with Tiger. There are a number of issues, some are related to documents, in some areas we are waiting for additional information," the CASA spokesman told reporters.
Tiger warned this week its financial results in the 2011-12 financial year will be significantly affected by its Australian operations, which have been grounded due to safety measures since July 2.
Tiger Airways, which is a third owned by Singapore Airlines, has said it was preparing to re-launch the Australian operations once CASA was satisfied that it had met certain conditions.
CASA last month imposed a ban on all domestic flights by Tiger citing "serious" safety issues.
Tiger was not available to comment although a lawyer for the airline was quoted by local media as saying he expected the outstanding issues to be resolved by the end of next week.
(Reuters)
A Federal Court hearing scheduled for Friday was adjourned until Thursday next week, a spokesman for the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) said.
"We are still working through those issues with Tiger. There are a number of issues, some are related to documents, in some areas we are waiting for additional information," the CASA spokesman told reporters.
Tiger warned this week its financial results in the 2011-12 financial year will be significantly affected by its Australian operations, which have been grounded due to safety measures since July 2.
Tiger Airways, which is a third owned by Singapore Airlines, has said it was preparing to re-launch the Australian operations once CASA was satisfied that it had met certain conditions.
CASA last month imposed a ban on all domestic flights by Tiger citing "serious" safety issues.
Tiger was not available to comment although a lawyer for the airline was quoted by local media as saying he expected the outstanding issues to be resolved by the end of next week.
(Reuters)
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
CUBA APPROVES FLIGHTS FROM NINE MORE US CITIES
Air travel between the United States and Cuba will become easier with the opening of charter flights to the forbidden island from an additional nine US cities announced by Cuba authorities.
Cuban travel agency Havanatur Celimar said it added the cities of Tampa, Fort Lauderdale, Baltimore, Chicago, Atlanta, New Orleans, Dallas, Houston and San Juan, Puerto Rico, to the list from where charter flights would be accepted.
Cuba is preparing for an increase in visitors from its long-time ideological foe under a recent loosening of travel restrictions by the Obama administration.
The United States, which maintains comprehensive sanctions on the communist-run island and bans tourism to Cuba, does not allow regular commercial flights between the two countries.
But the Obama administration has lifted all restrictions on Cuban Americans visiting their homeland and allowed religious, academic and other professional travel by Americans to Cuba.
Havana Celimar has a monopoly on the Cuban end of US charter flights and already receives flights from Miami, New York and Los Angeles.
The number of US citizens visiting Cuba increased last year by 20 percent, to 63,000, according to Cuban statistics.
Some 350,000 Cuban Americans visited Cuba in 2010 after the Obama administration lifted all restrictions on their travel.
The travel opening annoyed Cuban American lawmakers who have introduced legislation in Congress that would reimpose a Bush-era restriction on Cuban American travel to the island of only one visit every three years and more strictly enforce the ban on US travel to Cuba.
The lawmakers argue that the Obama administration is helping prop up the Cuban government, while the White House counters more people-to-people contact is the best way to undermine the island's communist system.
President Barack Obama has threatened to veto any move to undercut his people-to-people policy toward Cuba.
Cuba has said it had 2.53 million tourists in 2010, with Canada the largest provider at nearly 945,000, followed by Britain at 174,000 and Italy at 112,000.
Tourism is one of Cuba's most important earners of foreign exchange, with revenues of USD$2.2 billion last year, and an important provider of jobs.
(Reuters)
Cuban travel agency Havanatur Celimar said it added the cities of Tampa, Fort Lauderdale, Baltimore, Chicago, Atlanta, New Orleans, Dallas, Houston and San Juan, Puerto Rico, to the list from where charter flights would be accepted.
Cuba is preparing for an increase in visitors from its long-time ideological foe under a recent loosening of travel restrictions by the Obama administration.
The United States, which maintains comprehensive sanctions on the communist-run island and bans tourism to Cuba, does not allow regular commercial flights between the two countries.
But the Obama administration has lifted all restrictions on Cuban Americans visiting their homeland and allowed religious, academic and other professional travel by Americans to Cuba.
Havana Celimar has a monopoly on the Cuban end of US charter flights and already receives flights from Miami, New York and Los Angeles.
The number of US citizens visiting Cuba increased last year by 20 percent, to 63,000, according to Cuban statistics.
Some 350,000 Cuban Americans visited Cuba in 2010 after the Obama administration lifted all restrictions on their travel.
The travel opening annoyed Cuban American lawmakers who have introduced legislation in Congress that would reimpose a Bush-era restriction on Cuban American travel to the island of only one visit every three years and more strictly enforce the ban on US travel to Cuba.
The lawmakers argue that the Obama administration is helping prop up the Cuban government, while the White House counters more people-to-people contact is the best way to undermine the island's communist system.
President Barack Obama has threatened to veto any move to undercut his people-to-people policy toward Cuba.
Cuba has said it had 2.53 million tourists in 2010, with Canada the largest provider at nearly 945,000, followed by Britain at 174,000 and Italy at 112,000.
Tourism is one of Cuba's most important earners of foreign exchange, with revenues of USD$2.2 billion last year, and an important provider of jobs.
(Reuters)
STAR ALLIANCE SHELVES AIR INDIA MEMBERSHIP
Air India's plan to join Star Alliance, a consortium of global airlines, has been put on hold as the loss making Indian carrier had not met the minimum joining conditions.
Star Alliance, formed in 1997, is a consortium of 27 member airlines including Lufthansa, Air Canada, Singapore Airlines, and Thai Airways. It has a fleet of more than 4,000 aircraft at present serving 185 countries.
Star Alliance has certain minimum joining requirements, which involve development and testing systems and procedures to harmonise the product with other members.
"The member airlines of the Star Alliance network and Air India have jointly concluded that the integration of Air India into the global airline alliance will be suspended," the statement by Star Alliance said.
"This is due to the fact that Air India has not met the minimum joining conditions that were contractually agreed in December 2007."
Joining the Star Alliance network would have given Air India a chance to strengthen its international operations as well as given it a brand boost.
Air India has not posted a profit since merging with another state-run carrier Indian Airlines in 2007 and is in talks with 26 Indian banks to restructure USD$4 billion of working capital debt.
It lost more than USD$1 billion in the year that ended in March 2010, the last year for which it posted figures. Its ranking in terms of domestic market share has dropped to fourth from third, behind private sector rivals Jet Airways, Kingfisher Airlines and budget carrier IndiGo.
"As far as I know Air India had met all the conditions, an Air India official, who declined to be identified, said.
Star Alliance said its members would continue to provide assistance to Air India and a potential alliance membership at a future stage may be discussed.
(Reuters)
Star Alliance, formed in 1997, is a consortium of 27 member airlines including Lufthansa, Air Canada, Singapore Airlines, and Thai Airways. It has a fleet of more than 4,000 aircraft at present serving 185 countries.
Star Alliance has certain minimum joining requirements, which involve development and testing systems and procedures to harmonise the product with other members.
"The member airlines of the Star Alliance network and Air India have jointly concluded that the integration of Air India into the global airline alliance will be suspended," the statement by Star Alliance said.
"This is due to the fact that Air India has not met the minimum joining conditions that were contractually agreed in December 2007."
Joining the Star Alliance network would have given Air India a chance to strengthen its international operations as well as given it a brand boost.
Air India has not posted a profit since merging with another state-run carrier Indian Airlines in 2007 and is in talks with 26 Indian banks to restructure USD$4 billion of working capital debt.
It lost more than USD$1 billion in the year that ended in March 2010, the last year for which it posted figures. Its ranking in terms of domestic market share has dropped to fourth from third, behind private sector rivals Jet Airways, Kingfisher Airlines and budget carrier IndiGo.
"As far as I know Air India had met all the conditions, an Air India official, who declined to be identified, said.
Star Alliance said its members would continue to provide assistance to Air India and a potential alliance membership at a future stage may be discussed.
(Reuters)
TIGER AIR AUSTRALIAN COURT HEARING RESCHEDULED
Budget carrier Tiger Airways said on Monday a court hearing between Tiger Airways' Australian unit and the Civil Aviation Safety Authority of Australia will take place on Wednesday.
In early July CASA imposed a flight ban on all domestic operations of Tiger Airways, citing "serious" safety issues as the reason for its decision.
Tiger said it is in discussions with CASA about the suspension and both "see no utility in having a hearing today whilst these discussions continue."
"Tiger Airways Australia flights will, by virtue of the adjournment, remain suspended until at least 3 August 2011," the company said in a statement to Singapore Exchange. It said it would make an announcement about the resumption of flights and tickets sales at the appropriate time.
Tiger Airways, about a third owned by Singapore Airlines, also operates from Singapore, which has been unaffected by the flight ban. The ban also does not affect its flights between Singapore and Australia.
On Friday, Tiger Airways' newly appointed chief executive Chin Yau Seng told reporters that flights from Singapore remain buoyant despite the suspension of its domestic operations in Australia.
Tiger operates 14 Airbus A320 aircraft from its Singapore base and another 10 based in Australia.
(Reuters)
In early July CASA imposed a flight ban on all domestic operations of Tiger Airways, citing "serious" safety issues as the reason for its decision.
Tiger said it is in discussions with CASA about the suspension and both "see no utility in having a hearing today whilst these discussions continue."
"Tiger Airways Australia flights will, by virtue of the adjournment, remain suspended until at least 3 August 2011," the company said in a statement to Singapore Exchange. It said it would make an announcement about the resumption of flights and tickets sales at the appropriate time.
Tiger Airways, about a third owned by Singapore Airlines, also operates from Singapore, which has been unaffected by the flight ban. The ban also does not affect its flights between Singapore and Australia.
On Friday, Tiger Airways' newly appointed chief executive Chin Yau Seng told reporters that flights from Singapore remain buoyant despite the suspension of its domestic operations in Australia.
Tiger operates 14 Airbus A320 aircraft from its Singapore base and another 10 based in Australia.
(Reuters)
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