Community Radio has its own area of development, it is involvement of people who are let out by the commercial FM or other radio stations, including all people apart from their age, sex, caste, religion. The importance of community radio is more of educational, social, informative rather commercial.
The community radio is set up at a very low cost, the licence is provided by the Ministry of Communication, the government don’t charge licence fees for the community radio.
Community radio was set in the Annamallai Campus, in Tamil Nadu, with the success, it opened doors for more set up of community radio in other colleges in India, JNU Campus has its own community radio, SNDT girls college has its own radio named Gyan Vani, but it is not popular.
Any one can opt for the community radio licence, within some rules set by the government of India, it includes, Non-governmental organization, educational institutions, cooperative societies, but it is non-profit venture.
The purpose to set up is just to inform educate and entertain people and not commercial purpose.
The Equipment used by community radio is the same that is been used by FM or other commercial radios.
Many illiterate people are the member of community radio in the case of Kutch Mahila Sanasthan, which is run by nine illiterate women.
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Monday, March 12, 2007
We need academic freedom, says Baswan
Quality higher education is still the cause of concern for the government of India, said BS Baswan, senior consultant (education), planning commission, Government of India.
He was speaking on the talk on “Higher education in India: Towards a new policy paradigm”, organised by Rajiv Gandhi for Contemporary studies in the University of Mumbai (Kalina Campus). We need to make institution which is more transparent and answerable to people, he added.
Emphasising on the private participation, he said, we cannot avoid private participation in the field of education. We are not the quality provider of education, we must first have to improve our base and then expand to other countries. The WTO norms have pressurized to open education in India.
He said, only the not known universities are coming in India, whereas the Stanford and other big universities have given a miss to India.
Commenting on the reforms, Baswan said government was forced to reform and the reforms took place. We need to guard our universities interest in their freedom, we need academic freedom, he stressed, thereby increasing the fess in the higher education, other wise we are going to go nowhere, he cautioned.
Baswan recommended, private players should be allowed to raise the fees and this way they can help government school students.
The focus area of the education in the current scenario is engineering, hospitality, chemistry, aviation, Baswan said.
The norms decided by UGC and AICETE are good, but in the urban areas it is unpractical in setting up new college or universities, he said.
Asking why faculties are opting for private universities or even living the country, he said the remuneration set by the government is not at par at the private one, but he said government give other benefits, such as housing, etc.
In the US the faculty gets more than $160,000 per annum, but in India it is not even the 20 percent of it, it is learnt.
Giving more information on the Foreign Education Bill, Baswan said if the law come into force, foreign universities has to become deemed university. This law may encourage many foreign universities to come and operate in India thereby opening doors of investment in the field of education.
Commenting on the community radio role in higher education, he said it helps to create awareness in the field on education, but visual media is very important medium in higher education, he concluded.
The Vice chancellor of Mumbai University, Dr Vijay Kole was also present at the talk.
He was speaking on the talk on “Higher education in India: Towards a new policy paradigm”, organised by Rajiv Gandhi for Contemporary studies in the University of Mumbai (Kalina Campus). We need to make institution which is more transparent and answerable to people, he added.
Emphasising on the private participation, he said, we cannot avoid private participation in the field of education. We are not the quality provider of education, we must first have to improve our base and then expand to other countries. The WTO norms have pressurized to open education in India.
He said, only the not known universities are coming in India, whereas the Stanford and other big universities have given a miss to India.
Commenting on the reforms, Baswan said government was forced to reform and the reforms took place. We need to guard our universities interest in their freedom, we need academic freedom, he stressed, thereby increasing the fess in the higher education, other wise we are going to go nowhere, he cautioned.
Baswan recommended, private players should be allowed to raise the fees and this way they can help government school students.
The focus area of the education in the current scenario is engineering, hospitality, chemistry, aviation, Baswan said.
The norms decided by UGC and AICETE are good, but in the urban areas it is unpractical in setting up new college or universities, he said.
Asking why faculties are opting for private universities or even living the country, he said the remuneration set by the government is not at par at the private one, but he said government give other benefits, such as housing, etc.
In the US the faculty gets more than $160,000 per annum, but in India it is not even the 20 percent of it, it is learnt.
Giving more information on the Foreign Education Bill, Baswan said if the law come into force, foreign universities has to become deemed university. This law may encourage many foreign universities to come and operate in India thereby opening doors of investment in the field of education.
Commenting on the community radio role in higher education, he said it helps to create awareness in the field on education, but visual media is very important medium in higher education, he concluded.
The Vice chancellor of Mumbai University, Dr Vijay Kole was also present at the talk.
India on leisure yacht map: MIBS
The day is not far, when people will travel on their personal boats and yacht to breath fresh air in the middle of the sea. With this idea Mumbai is the first step where international boats and yacht manufactures have put down their anchor to explore the opportunity in leisure segment.
The idea to develop marina which will transform the dead beach into a maginificent sea front, the temporary marina was built at the Gateway and it was inaugurated by the Mumbai Port Trust Chairperson, Rani Jadhav on February 23, at The Mumbai International Boat Show (MIBS) was held between last week at Gateway of India, Mumbai.
Speaking to Employment & NRI Times, Bob Bowrah, Founder of Seaspray & Gulf Marinas said,”we are pleased with the opportunity to partner with MIBS and India has huge scope for development in this area”.
“The marina will be developed near the Apollo Bunder in the coming years”, he added.
India is one of the country with largest coastlines and if they explore this route it will help their economy to grow more fast and can also ease congestion on roads.
The show showcased the boats, yacht all over the world, including a indegeniously built boat of International standard from Goa, by Fiesta Yachts, adding more to this, Manech said it is pure Indian product, only the engine is imported.
At the business conference, Chairman of Walcon Marine, Robin Walters said it will take three years to develop a new marina, as all people has to be consulted before creating one, including environmentalist, local people, developer, government bodies.
India needs to infrastructure including marine. India accounts for only 25,000 to 30,000 boats, yacht (less than one per cent), while America accounts for 70 per cent, Europe 26 per cent and Gulf 1.5 per cent, revealed Mike Derrett, correspondent, IBI addressing the conference on India’s growing leisureboating markets.
The boats and yacht displayed at the Bandra-Kurla complex exhibition was costing in lakhs, the exhibitiors was targeting the niche customers, who can buy their product.
The idea to develop marina which will transform the dead beach into a maginificent sea front, the temporary marina was built at the Gateway and it was inaugurated by the Mumbai Port Trust Chairperson, Rani Jadhav on February 23, at The Mumbai International Boat Show (MIBS) was held between last week at Gateway of India, Mumbai.
Speaking to Employment & NRI Times, Bob Bowrah, Founder of Seaspray & Gulf Marinas said,”we are pleased with the opportunity to partner with MIBS and India has huge scope for development in this area”.
“The marina will be developed near the Apollo Bunder in the coming years”, he added.
India is one of the country with largest coastlines and if they explore this route it will help their economy to grow more fast and can also ease congestion on roads.
The show showcased the boats, yacht all over the world, including a indegeniously built boat of International standard from Goa, by Fiesta Yachts, adding more to this, Manech said it is pure Indian product, only the engine is imported.
At the business conference, Chairman of Walcon Marine, Robin Walters said it will take three years to develop a new marina, as all people has to be consulted before creating one, including environmentalist, local people, developer, government bodies.
India needs to infrastructure including marine. India accounts for only 25,000 to 30,000 boats, yacht (less than one per cent), while America accounts for 70 per cent, Europe 26 per cent and Gulf 1.5 per cent, revealed Mike Derrett, correspondent, IBI addressing the conference on India’s growing leisureboating markets.
The boats and yacht displayed at the Bandra-Kurla complex exhibition was costing in lakhs, the exhibitiors was targeting the niche customers, who can buy their product.
World's first 24 hrs global marine TV channel to go on air soon
MarineBiz TV, the world’s first 24 hrs channel will be launched by May 1, 2007, focusing on all areas of marine and to become the single point of contact for all marine activities and information worldwide.
On the sidelines of the Mumbai International Boat Show in Mumbai, Shyam Kurup, project manager for MarineBiz TV said,” we will be the unrivalled world’s first global coverage and free to air channel, specialized and focused on maritime markets worldwide”.
Providing immediate recevening and delivering of news, we will guide the sailing ships through our special satellite tie-ups and helping marine business to penetrate in the underdeveloped and potential markets with the help of maritime professional, he stressed focusing on Travel and Job opportunities.
It will cover Docks, Ports, news, Travelogue and Toursim which include marine destinations, crusing marine tourism, marine painters, marine museum, job oppurtunites and many more.
The coverage will be worldwide, the company has already launched the website on January 1, 2007, Satellite tv covering areas of Asia, Europe, Africa, and Australia will be launched on May1 and the other areas by August 1.
On the sidelines of the Mumbai International Boat Show in Mumbai, Shyam Kurup, project manager for MarineBiz TV said,” we will be the unrivalled world’s first global coverage and free to air channel, specialized and focused on maritime markets worldwide”.
Providing immediate recevening and delivering of news, we will guide the sailing ships through our special satellite tie-ups and helping marine business to penetrate in the underdeveloped and potential markets with the help of maritime professional, he stressed focusing on Travel and Job opportunities.
It will cover Docks, Ports, news, Travelogue and Toursim which include marine destinations, crusing marine tourism, marine painters, marine museum, job oppurtunites and many more.
The coverage will be worldwide, the company has already launched the website on January 1, 2007, Satellite tv covering areas of Asia, Europe, Africa, and Australia will be launched on May1 and the other areas by August 1.
Airbus 380 to touch India on April 25
MUMBAI: Airbus 380, the world’s largest commercial passenger aircraft, will land in Mumbai or Delhi in April. The double-decker aircraft will test the competence of Mumbai’s runways.
The European aircraft company has sent a team to India to explore the Mumbai and Delhi airports could handle such a huge aeroplane. The source confirmed that Mumbai’s test has been fixed for April 25.
Though an airport source claimed that an A380 can land in Mumbai even today, he admitted that parking is a problem. The airport will also require additional ladders and extra vestibules for passengers.
The airport revamp plan will enable parking of two A380s, but that will only come about by 2010. Till then, it will have to be ‘remote’ parking for the super-sized plane.
The European aircraft company has sent a team to India to explore the Mumbai and Delhi airports could handle such a huge aeroplane. The source confirmed that Mumbai’s test has been fixed for April 25.
Though an airport source claimed that an A380 can land in Mumbai even today, he admitted that parking is a problem. The airport will also require additional ladders and extra vestibules for passengers.
The airport revamp plan will enable parking of two A380s, but that will only come about by 2010. Till then, it will have to be ‘remote’ parking for the super-sized plane.
Lack of infrastructure affects pilot training: Experts
Over the next 10 years more than 400 planes will be delivered to airline companies in India. Each plane will need more than 10 pilots and 20 engineers necessitating, as much as 4000 pilots and 8000 engineers.
The aviation industry has been going through an unprecedented boom, as more and more players are entering the markets. The lack of infrastructure is hampering the country to produce enough pilots to fulfil the needs of the upcoming airline companies.
This shortage is compelling them to hire foreign pilots, as they are hired for about $13000 to $14000 per month as against the $8000 to $9000 per month for domestic pilots, which is increasing their operating costs. As there is lot of competition in the airline industry, many airlines are operating for a few years in the loss.
India will need at least five to seven years to meet their domestic pilot’s requirement, said Capt Desmond Rodriguez, CEO, Kompass Aviation.
Due to open sky policy lots of airlines have come up in the last few years, many players including industrial houses are also in this fray.
“The way the aviation boom started was too fast for the other sectors to catch up along with it, lack of infrastructure and proper planning is hampering the smooth flow of new talents in the airline sector”, said Rizwan Kadri, chairman of Indian Aviation Academy, to Employment & NRI Times.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) syllabus of commercial pilot’s licence paper is also tough, as students have to study from different book. There must be one common book, so that students can study easily.
According to DGCA norms, 200 hours of flying is required to qualify for pilots. Students from the science background can go for pilot training. As the students who are from the commerce or arts field cannot do the training, he has to go for foreign flying schools, which is cost prohibitive.
After getting the licence form the foreign country, the student has to clear the conversion papers, which can go for months and if he or she has taken a loan, it causes some concern.
In the developed countries, such as the UK, US, Canada or Australia anyone who clears the exam and flying hours can become a pilot.
“As the aviation industry started growing, the infra projects which helps to roll out new pilots started coming down, hampering training new pilots,” said Wing commander Ahluwalia, Institute of Aviation and Aviation Safety, adding government has to take drastic steps to fill the supply gap in new domestic pilots.
Many flying club have been closed in the last few years and the flying instructors have joined the airlines. As no flying clubs are operating students are going to other countries to get the commercial pilot licence (CPL). They don’t return as they get employed in the foreign airlines.
Melissa Diamond, director international of Sydney Flight Training centre said Indian students need to take the better decision which flying institute will give them training needed to become commercial pilots, they should not miss this opportunity in the aviation markets”
All is needed is to make the training environment-friendly. DGCA has amended rules in August last to make it compulsory for a student to fly 50 hours before taking the CPL ground test. One does not understand the reason behind this. There is no point in undergoing expensive flight training before passing the CPL papers. If a student does not pass after completing 50 hours of flying, the entire expense is a waste. It is a waste, as thousands of rupees are spend for one hour of flying.
There are many other companies which need pilots, apart from low cost airlines include charter operators, helicopter operators and business jets service providers.
We need more than five years to cop up with the current trends, said Raj Shetty, Chairman of Kompass Aviation.
Even the World bodies have said that 21st century is for the Asian countries.
The aviation industry has been going through an unprecedented boom, as more and more players are entering the markets. The lack of infrastructure is hampering the country to produce enough pilots to fulfil the needs of the upcoming airline companies.
This shortage is compelling them to hire foreign pilots, as they are hired for about $13000 to $14000 per month as against the $8000 to $9000 per month for domestic pilots, which is increasing their operating costs. As there is lot of competition in the airline industry, many airlines are operating for a few years in the loss.
India will need at least five to seven years to meet their domestic pilot’s requirement, said Capt Desmond Rodriguez, CEO, Kompass Aviation.
Due to open sky policy lots of airlines have come up in the last few years, many players including industrial houses are also in this fray.
“The way the aviation boom started was too fast for the other sectors to catch up along with it, lack of infrastructure and proper planning is hampering the smooth flow of new talents in the airline sector”, said Rizwan Kadri, chairman of Indian Aviation Academy, to Employment & NRI Times.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) syllabus of commercial pilot’s licence paper is also tough, as students have to study from different book. There must be one common book, so that students can study easily.
According to DGCA norms, 200 hours of flying is required to qualify for pilots. Students from the science background can go for pilot training. As the students who are from the commerce or arts field cannot do the training, he has to go for foreign flying schools, which is cost prohibitive.
After getting the licence form the foreign country, the student has to clear the conversion papers, which can go for months and if he or she has taken a loan, it causes some concern.
In the developed countries, such as the UK, US, Canada or Australia anyone who clears the exam and flying hours can become a pilot.
“As the aviation industry started growing, the infra projects which helps to roll out new pilots started coming down, hampering training new pilots,” said Wing commander Ahluwalia, Institute of Aviation and Aviation Safety, adding government has to take drastic steps to fill the supply gap in new domestic pilots.
Many flying club have been closed in the last few years and the flying instructors have joined the airlines. As no flying clubs are operating students are going to other countries to get the commercial pilot licence (CPL). They don’t return as they get employed in the foreign airlines.
Melissa Diamond, director international of Sydney Flight Training centre said Indian students need to take the better decision which flying institute will give them training needed to become commercial pilots, they should not miss this opportunity in the aviation markets”
All is needed is to make the training environment-friendly. DGCA has amended rules in August last to make it compulsory for a student to fly 50 hours before taking the CPL ground test. One does not understand the reason behind this. There is no point in undergoing expensive flight training before passing the CPL papers. If a student does not pass after completing 50 hours of flying, the entire expense is a waste. It is a waste, as thousands of rupees are spend for one hour of flying.
There are many other companies which need pilots, apart from low cost airlines include charter operators, helicopter operators and business jets service providers.
We need more than five years to cop up with the current trends, said Raj Shetty, Chairman of Kompass Aviation.
Even the World bodies have said that 21st century is for the Asian countries.
Now, rail reservations 90 days in advance
Railways to earn more, passengers to suffer further
To boost the profits of railways, the ministry of railways is finding new ways that will benefit railways rather than passengers. Recently, the railway board has increased the reservation booking to 90 days instead of 60 days.
This development is only because the cancellation of tickets earn the railways currently Rs 60 lakh per day. This will increase the income from cancellation of tickets to Rs 1 crore per day. Every day more than 2.5 lakh of tickets are sold, the railway will earns over 40 per cent more on the cancellation of tickets. More than 16 per cent of tickets are cancelled which are booked in advance.
Speaking to Employment & NRI Times, chief public relations officer, Central Railways, Shriniwas Mudgerikar said this is done on a trial basis and it will come into effect from March 1, 2007 for three month and the feedback from the passengers will be taken.
However, there will be no change in reservations in the case of certain day time express trains like Taj Express, Gomti Express, etc. There will be no change in the case of the limit of 360 days for foreign tourists, he adds.
“There was pressure from the tourism fraternity as they planned their vacation well in advance. We have to boost tourism sector also”, said Harish Kunwar information officer for Indian Railways. He also retreated that this is just on an experimental basis for three months, as railways will review it after the trail period is over.
“It will benefit to railways more than passengers, railways must give some incentives to the passengers as given by the airlines”, said Bhavin Toprani, marketing head, Indiatravelite.com.
Passengers book their tickets well in advance to get confirmed tickets, especially on the north, eastern and central India routes. The government should have gone for awareness program before implementing the 90 days schedule. Most of the people travelling to central, Northern and eastern Indian will have to face problems in the coming months.
The new development has come at a time when there is huge rush to booking tickets, people go to native places, vacation, etc., just to lure tourist the railways have changed the schedule. The common people will find it more difficult to plan their schedule, as majority of the passengers plan their travel one to two months in advance. This will benefit the travel agents. In the peak season’s people even pay double the amount to get confirmed to Railway travel agents.
To boost the profits of railways, the ministry of railways is finding new ways that will benefit railways rather than passengers. Recently, the railway board has increased the reservation booking to 90 days instead of 60 days.
This development is only because the cancellation of tickets earn the railways currently Rs 60 lakh per day. This will increase the income from cancellation of tickets to Rs 1 crore per day. Every day more than 2.5 lakh of tickets are sold, the railway will earns over 40 per cent more on the cancellation of tickets. More than 16 per cent of tickets are cancelled which are booked in advance.
Speaking to Employment & NRI Times, chief public relations officer, Central Railways, Shriniwas Mudgerikar said this is done on a trial basis and it will come into effect from March 1, 2007 for three month and the feedback from the passengers will be taken.
However, there will be no change in reservations in the case of certain day time express trains like Taj Express, Gomti Express, etc. There will be no change in the case of the limit of 360 days for foreign tourists, he adds.
“There was pressure from the tourism fraternity as they planned their vacation well in advance. We have to boost tourism sector also”, said Harish Kunwar information officer for Indian Railways. He also retreated that this is just on an experimental basis for three months, as railways will review it after the trail period is over.
“It will benefit to railways more than passengers, railways must give some incentives to the passengers as given by the airlines”, said Bhavin Toprani, marketing head, Indiatravelite.com.
Passengers book their tickets well in advance to get confirmed tickets, especially on the north, eastern and central India routes. The government should have gone for awareness program before implementing the 90 days schedule. Most of the people travelling to central, Northern and eastern Indian will have to face problems in the coming months.
The new development has come at a time when there is huge rush to booking tickets, people go to native places, vacation, etc., just to lure tourist the railways have changed the schedule. The common people will find it more difficult to plan their schedule, as majority of the passengers plan their travel one to two months in advance. This will benefit the travel agents. In the peak season’s people even pay double the amount to get confirmed to Railway travel agents.
We offer scholarships to students, says Amherst president
As India is emerging as a new economic power, foreign educational institutions want to make their presence felt. Tony Marx, president of Amherst College, the US, was in Mumbai recently to promote his college in the field of liberal arts. In an exclusive interview to Employment & NRI Times, Tony said his college students will in the future responsible leaders of the global society, students will get exposure to study at diverse schools with tremendous resources. Excerpts:
Tell us about your organisation and its operation in the US and other countries?
We are a small Liberal Arts College located in Amherst, Massachusetts, dedicated to educating the most talented and accomplished students from around the United States and the globe. Our philosophy of a Liberal Arts undergraduate education emphasises the development of analytical and critical thinking skills in the humanities, social sciences, and the natural sciences. We believe that we educate students in such a manner that they can develop academic interests as well as passions that can lead to a myriad of professional fields without limiting them to a pre-professional track that mandates a particular career. We also incorporate opportunities for experiental learning into our curriculum. Internships and community service are both emphasised as vital supplements to the education taking place within the classroom.
What are your organisation’s interest in India?
As a school with a small but diverse student body, we believe that recruiting students from India not only gives us some brilliant minds in the classroom, but it also creates a global community on campus where students from around the US and the world are able to exchange ideas freely and learn from each others life experiences and backgrounds. Currently, we have 11 Indian citizens enrolled at Amherst -- though this might seem like a small number, keep in mind that there are only 1,600 students enrolled at Amherst and Indian students make up one of the largest sections of international students.
What is the prospect for Indian student in the US?
Students can come to Liberal Arts Colleges such as Amherst and receive a first-rate education in which they interact closely with renowned professors in intimate classroom environments. Education at Amherst imparts the skills and confidence necessary for today's students to become responsible leaders in a global society.
Does your institute provide any assitance, such as scholarship to Indian students?
We provide need-based scholarship assistance to all students admitted to Amherst. We guarantee to give scholarships to any student who is admitted to Amherst College but unable to pay the full amount of our tuition due to financial constraints.
What do you like to say about Indian students who are willing to study in the US?
While it is no doubt a difficult adjustment to leave home and commence your studies so far from friends and family, you will form new, lifelong friends at schools like Amherst, form meaningful relationships with your professors, and generally benefit from the exposure you will receive to studying at diverse schools with tremendous resources.
Why should student join your college?
Students should join Amherst if they are bright, intellectually curious and excited about the prospect of learning with some of the finest faculty and most accomplished students from around the world.
According to you, what would be the career focus in the 21st century?
The 21st century is a time of rapid change and increasing globalisation. It is, therefore, important for students to have a broad understanding of our world -- including the experiences of people from diverse backgrounds. That's why Amherst is committed to enrolling the most academically talented students from all backgrounds, including international students. We aim to educate leaders who are able to navigate this changing career landscape and who are capable of finding effective solutions to the many complex problems facing our society today.
How is your college different from others?
We are recognised by any number of measures as one of the leading educational institutions in the world. Amherst is, among the liberal arts colleges, one of the most selective and the most diverse, combinations that is educationally powerful and of which we are very proud.
Tell us about your organisation and its operation in the US and other countries?
We are a small Liberal Arts College located in Amherst, Massachusetts, dedicated to educating the most talented and accomplished students from around the United States and the globe. Our philosophy of a Liberal Arts undergraduate education emphasises the development of analytical and critical thinking skills in the humanities, social sciences, and the natural sciences. We believe that we educate students in such a manner that they can develop academic interests as well as passions that can lead to a myriad of professional fields without limiting them to a pre-professional track that mandates a particular career. We also incorporate opportunities for experiental learning into our curriculum. Internships and community service are both emphasised as vital supplements to the education taking place within the classroom.
What are your organisation’s interest in India?
As a school with a small but diverse student body, we believe that recruiting students from India not only gives us some brilliant minds in the classroom, but it also creates a global community on campus where students from around the US and the world are able to exchange ideas freely and learn from each others life experiences and backgrounds. Currently, we have 11 Indian citizens enrolled at Amherst -- though this might seem like a small number, keep in mind that there are only 1,600 students enrolled at Amherst and Indian students make up one of the largest sections of international students.
What is the prospect for Indian student in the US?
Students can come to Liberal Arts Colleges such as Amherst and receive a first-rate education in which they interact closely with renowned professors in intimate classroom environments. Education at Amherst imparts the skills and confidence necessary for today's students to become responsible leaders in a global society.
Does your institute provide any assitance, such as scholarship to Indian students?
We provide need-based scholarship assistance to all students admitted to Amherst. We guarantee to give scholarships to any student who is admitted to Amherst College but unable to pay the full amount of our tuition due to financial constraints.
What do you like to say about Indian students who are willing to study in the US?
While it is no doubt a difficult adjustment to leave home and commence your studies so far from friends and family, you will form new, lifelong friends at schools like Amherst, form meaningful relationships with your professors, and generally benefit from the exposure you will receive to studying at diverse schools with tremendous resources.
Why should student join your college?
Students should join Amherst if they are bright, intellectually curious and excited about the prospect of learning with some of the finest faculty and most accomplished students from around the world.
According to you, what would be the career focus in the 21st century?
The 21st century is a time of rapid change and increasing globalisation. It is, therefore, important for students to have a broad understanding of our world -- including the experiences of people from diverse backgrounds. That's why Amherst is committed to enrolling the most academically talented students from all backgrounds, including international students. We aim to educate leaders who are able to navigate this changing career landscape and who are capable of finding effective solutions to the many complex problems facing our society today.
How is your college different from others?
We are recognised by any number of measures as one of the leading educational institutions in the world. Amherst is, among the liberal arts colleges, one of the most selective and the most diverse, combinations that is educationally powerful and of which we are very proud.
Berggreun to launch 'Keys' budget hotels in India
Looking at the vast scope in the hospitality industry, Berggruen Hotels, a new venture of the US-based, Berggreun Holdings will launch boutique and budget hotels, brand named “Keys” in India in the coming years.
With the investment of $ 100 million, the company is expected to make inroads in the budget hotel segment. The company is planning to open 38 hotels in the next five years, spanning all over the country. The first hotel will come up by June 2008, focusing on the 20 million budget travellers.
Speaking to Employment & NRI Times, Nicolas Berggreun founder of Berggreun Holdings said, “India is a priority market and central to Berggreun’s global expansion strategy. We will develop a brand and carter to the needs of people who wants quality and service at the budget price, there is huge scope for us to grow.”
India needs this type of hotels as more emphasis is given on luxuries travellers and there is space to be filled, he stressed.
Answering to the query, whether the company is going to go for joint venture, Partha Chatterjee director of board and chief marketing officer, said: “We are in talk with many airline companies, retail giants and in the coming months the names will declared. I am confident that boutique budget hotels are a win-win equation for both customers and the company, it will give us to provide the Keys experience to many customers world wide.”
We will develop the brand in India and then go international, we are the first company to do this and this will be done in the years to come, Partha added.
Catering to the needs of business class and to provide them service that of five star class, we are focusing on the NRI states, including, Gujarat and Kerala, he explained.
Commenting on the new brand success, Sanjay Sethi founding director on the board and CEO, said, “I am confident of this brand and the Indian market is big enough to accept us, there is lot of space to grow and make your presence felt in the hospitality industry.”
One hotel will come up at Navi Mumbai and the other at the upcoming international airport near Panvel, we are in talks and finalising land in Jogeshwari-Kandivali (JVK) and Santacruz-Chembur (SCLZ) area and this will the center point of Mumbai development, said Monesh Vig general manager-business development of Berggreun Hotels.
“We look forward to invest in diversified India business including greenfeild start-up chain of full-service budget and mid-market hotels, resorts and service apartments, real estate projects, hospitality education, equipment retail business and logistics”, said Kabir Kewalramani managing director of Berggreun advisor and founding director on board.
38 hotels by 2010-11
24 sites in negotiations
First hotel by June 2008
100-170 rooms in boutique budget hotel
Room rates from 1400-2200 depending on the location
To set up Hotel management schools
One of the first American companies to invest in Indian professionals
Expecting turnover Rs 350 crore
With the investment of $ 100 million, the company is expected to make inroads in the budget hotel segment. The company is planning to open 38 hotels in the next five years, spanning all over the country. The first hotel will come up by June 2008, focusing on the 20 million budget travellers.
Speaking to Employment & NRI Times, Nicolas Berggreun founder of Berggreun Holdings said, “India is a priority market and central to Berggreun’s global expansion strategy. We will develop a brand and carter to the needs of people who wants quality and service at the budget price, there is huge scope for us to grow.”
India needs this type of hotels as more emphasis is given on luxuries travellers and there is space to be filled, he stressed.
Answering to the query, whether the company is going to go for joint venture, Partha Chatterjee director of board and chief marketing officer, said: “We are in talk with many airline companies, retail giants and in the coming months the names will declared. I am confident that boutique budget hotels are a win-win equation for both customers and the company, it will give us to provide the Keys experience to many customers world wide.”
We will develop the brand in India and then go international, we are the first company to do this and this will be done in the years to come, Partha added.
Catering to the needs of business class and to provide them service that of five star class, we are focusing on the NRI states, including, Gujarat and Kerala, he explained.
Commenting on the new brand success, Sanjay Sethi founding director on the board and CEO, said, “I am confident of this brand and the Indian market is big enough to accept us, there is lot of space to grow and make your presence felt in the hospitality industry.”
One hotel will come up at Navi Mumbai and the other at the upcoming international airport near Panvel, we are in talks and finalising land in Jogeshwari-Kandivali (JVK) and Santacruz-Chembur (SCLZ) area and this will the center point of Mumbai development, said Monesh Vig general manager-business development of Berggreun Hotels.
“We look forward to invest in diversified India business including greenfeild start-up chain of full-service budget and mid-market hotels, resorts and service apartments, real estate projects, hospitality education, equipment retail business and logistics”, said Kabir Kewalramani managing director of Berggreun advisor and founding director on board.
38 hotels by 2010-11
24 sites in negotiations
First hotel by June 2008
100-170 rooms in boutique budget hotel
Room rates from 1400-2200 depending on the location
To set up Hotel management schools
One of the first American companies to invest in Indian professionals
Expecting turnover Rs 350 crore
Indian aviation sector is on full throttle
As the domestic airline companies are mushrooming in all major cities, foreign players are also starting operation from Mumbai and other metro cities. Eva Air, a Taipei-based airline has started flights from Mumbai – Taipei from December 2006. In an interview to Nehul Jagdish Kumar, Eric Chiang, General Manager, Eva Air, discuss air routes in India and other areas.Sir, tell us about Eva Air and its operation?
Eva Air is the sister concern of Evergreen Group, under the leadership of Dr Y F Chang, Chairman and Founder. It was incorporated in 1989 and started its maiden flight in 1991, we have more than 50 passenger and cargo aircrafts with operation network stretching to Europe, the US, Asia and Oceania, linking more than 40 cities, including Mumbai and New Delhi.
What are the services Eva Air provides?
Eva Air's economy class seating ensures passengers a restful slumber even during the longest flights. Every economy-class passengers abroad has a personal colour VGA screen with audio-visual. We have tie up 800 hotels for free room all over the world for frequent Eva Air flyers. The staff is professionally by the state-of-the-art technology traning centre.
When it was launched and its first operation?
We are operating in India, since 1999, we started with cargo operations and then launched passenger service direct flight to Mumbai-Taipei from December 11, 2006 .
Tell us about the Mumbai-Taipei route, response to this service?
Launched in December 11, 2006, we got good response, we are also in the process of starting services from other metro cities. "Departure in the morning and you can have your lunch in LA."
Any other metro cities will be connected in the coming days or months?
Kolkata, Chennai are on our extension map.
Sir, your views on Indian aviation industry?
The Indian gross domestic product (GDP) will grow in the double digit and the people of India will become rich in the coming years, they will travel, spend lots of money in travelling, shopping. More than 1,400 foreign companies are coming in India for business, this will increase people's purchasing power. The aviation boom has compeled many foreign airline company to start their operation from Mumbai. Some Taiwan banks will also open branches in Mumbai and Delhi. We are happy to do business in Mumbai and Delhi, our service will provide passengers to save time and money.
Which plane model do you use in Mumbai-Taipei route?
Currently, we are using Boeing 747/400 combi on this route, In coming months Boeing 777 will be used.
Any code sharing agreement with other airlines in India ?
We have code sharing agreement with Air India on Mumbai-Taipei route and we are in talks for code sharing on other routes also.
Is your company aiming for full-fledged operations in India ?
Yes, first we will start cargo operation and then passenger service.
Sir tell us about the safest airline award by Aero international?
Eva Air come under top 10 safest airline in the world by the Aero International, frequent flyers' magazine. In our operation history not a single accident occurred.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Fly for just 99 paisa
SpiceJet, the fastest growing low cost airline company had unveiled its exciting promotional offer on the occasion of 58th Republic Day of India. Under this offer, the air travelers can avail 99,999 seats at an unbelievable price of 99 paisa applicable on traveling between 15th February 2007 to 15th April 2007. These promotional seats will be available on all SpiceJet routes spanning across 14 destinations with 118 daily flights.
Announcing this offer, SpiceJet’s CEO, Mr. Siddhanta Sharma said, “There can not be any better way to celebrate the 58th Republic of India, than giving the citizens of India freedom to fly at 99 paisa. This is also a small gesture of thanks giving to all those passengers who rendered their valuable support to us.”
Within its two years of operations, SpiceJet has achieved many landmarks in the aviation industry. The airline recently crossed three million passengers mark since its inception in 2005. SpiceJet achieved this with its 10 new generation Boeing 737 – 800 aircrafts, making it the only domestic airline with the highest average of 3 lakh passengers per aircraft.
With an overall market share of 9 per cent, SpiceJet achieved one of the highest load factors of 88 percent in December 2006. It also holds a record for highest load factor achieved by any airline based in India, with all time high 95.4 percent passenger load factor achieved on April 18, 2006.
Spreading its wings all across major cities and adding flights on a regular basis between various destinations; the airline has been termed as the most preferred airline in the country.
Announcing this offer, SpiceJet’s CEO, Mr. Siddhanta Sharma said, “There can not be any better way to celebrate the 58th Republic of India, than giving the citizens of India freedom to fly at 99 paisa. This is also a small gesture of thanks giving to all those passengers who rendered their valuable support to us.”
Within its two years of operations, SpiceJet has achieved many landmarks in the aviation industry. The airline recently crossed three million passengers mark since its inception in 2005. SpiceJet achieved this with its 10 new generation Boeing 737 – 800 aircrafts, making it the only domestic airline with the highest average of 3 lakh passengers per aircraft.
With an overall market share of 9 per cent, SpiceJet achieved one of the highest load factors of 88 percent in December 2006. It also holds a record for highest load factor achieved by any airline based in India, with all time high 95.4 percent passenger load factor achieved on April 18, 2006.
Spreading its wings all across major cities and adding flights on a regular basis between various destinations; the airline has been termed as the most preferred airline in the country.
Air India JV to invest in cargo hub
Air India, the government airline company said, that a joint venture with Singapore Airport Terminal Services will $18.1 mn to set up a cargo handling facility in Bangalore.
The facility, to be constructed by January 2008, will have the capacity to handle 150,000 tonnes of cargo, an Air India statement said.
It would also handle perishable and specialized cargo including courier and mail.
Air cargo is gaining importance in India with the entry of large retailers and rising demand for fresh food and vegetables.
The facility, to be constructed by January 2008, will have the capacity to handle 150,000 tonnes of cargo, an Air India statement said.
It would also handle perishable and specialized cargo including courier and mail.
Air cargo is gaining importance in India with the entry of large retailers and rising demand for fresh food and vegetables.
Kingfisher Airlines inaugurates new city ticketing office in Kolkata
India’s private airlines, Kingfisher Airlineshas opened new state of the art city ticketing office at Kolkata. Now, Kingfisher Airlines guests can now enjoy the convenience of ticketing while ensconced in the lap of luxury.
Speaking with media persons on this development, Manoj Chacko general manager sales, Kingfisher Airlines said, “Ever since its launch, our has redefined the whole experience of flying and has been at the forefront of product and service innovation designed to make flying a delightful experience.
The inauguration of a ticketing office at Wallace House in the heart of Kolkata is Kingfisher Airlines’ way of making it more convenient for our guests to plan their trips and fly with us.”Connecting 29 Indian cities, Kingfisher Airlines operates 156 flights a day. Kingfisher Airlines currently operates nine flights out of Kolkata and connects it with eight destinations.
… connects Bangalore and Thiruvananthapuram
Kingfisher Airlines announced the launch of direct flights from Bangalore to Thiruvananthapuram.
Speaking on the launch of this new route, Dr. Vijay Mallya, Chairman and CEO, Kingfisher Airlines said, "Kingfisher Airlines has redefined the experience of flying and has come to be regarded as anairline that sets new benchmarks in service excellence for the industry. Through the launch of this new route our airlines reaffirms its commitment towards addressing the needs of its guests byproviding connectivity between metros and mini-metros in India”.
Bags the 2006 Avaya Global Connect Award for customer quality
Kingfisher Airlines added yet another feather in its cap with the announcement that it has been bestowed the 2006 Customer Responsiveness Award by Avaya Global Connect, a leading convergedcommunication solutions provider in India.The Customer Responsiveness Awards, being presented by Avaya Global Connect, the company that has been spearheading the movement, are based on evaluations of the Customer Responsiveness policies and practices of leading Indian organizations.
Vijay Mallya chairman and CEO of Kingfisher Airlines said, “Kingfisher Airlines was set up with the objective of offering air travelers in India and our guests an un-paralleled flying experience backed by superior technology and a commitment to on-time performance.”
Speaking with media persons on this development, Manoj Chacko general manager sales, Kingfisher Airlines said, “Ever since its launch, our has redefined the whole experience of flying and has been at the forefront of product and service innovation designed to make flying a delightful experience.
The inauguration of a ticketing office at Wallace House in the heart of Kolkata is Kingfisher Airlines’ way of making it more convenient for our guests to plan their trips and fly with us.”Connecting 29 Indian cities, Kingfisher Airlines operates 156 flights a day. Kingfisher Airlines currently operates nine flights out of Kolkata and connects it with eight destinations.
… connects Bangalore and Thiruvananthapuram
Kingfisher Airlines announced the launch of direct flights from Bangalore to Thiruvananthapuram.
Speaking on the launch of this new route, Dr. Vijay Mallya, Chairman and CEO, Kingfisher Airlines said, "Kingfisher Airlines has redefined the experience of flying and has come to be regarded as anairline that sets new benchmarks in service excellence for the industry. Through the launch of this new route our airlines reaffirms its commitment towards addressing the needs of its guests byproviding connectivity between metros and mini-metros in India”.
Bags the 2006 Avaya Global Connect Award for customer quality
Kingfisher Airlines added yet another feather in its cap with the announcement that it has been bestowed the 2006 Customer Responsiveness Award by Avaya Global Connect, a leading convergedcommunication solutions provider in India.The Customer Responsiveness Awards, being presented by Avaya Global Connect, the company that has been spearheading the movement, are based on evaluations of the Customer Responsiveness policies and practices of leading Indian organizations.
Vijay Mallya chairman and CEO of Kingfisher Airlines said, “Kingfisher Airlines was set up with the objective of offering air travelers in India and our guests an un-paralleled flying experience backed by superior technology and a commitment to on-time performance.”
Air travellers expected to double by 2025
The number of air travellers is expected to double by 2025, rising to more than 9 billion a year, a body representing the world's airports said.
The Airports Council International (ACI) predicted air freight would triple over the same period. In its Global Traffic Forecast 2006-2025, ACI said passengers passing through the 1,650 domestic and international airports its 567 members operate would grow an average 4 percent annually over the period.
There are currently around 4.2 billion air travellers a year. Environmentalists say aviation is a growing source of carbon dioxide which contributes to global warming. Asian air travel is set to increase nine percent annually, led by India (10.4 percent) and China (8.1), ACI said. By 2025, Asia will be challenging North America which has held the top spot as the busiest global air passenger region since the dawn of civil aviation.
Last year, 1.5 billion people passed though North American airports against 897 million in Asia. Asian freight volume in 2005 was 26 million tonnes, just five million behind North America and Asia is expected to be the world's largest freight market by 2025, the Airports Council International said.
Aircraft movements around the world are likely to grow only an average 2.8 percent over the next two decades, ACI said, because a new generation of aircraft capable of carrying larger loads was coming on stream.
The Airports Council International director general Robert Aaronson said it was vital airlines and air traffic bodies, industry regulators and governments helped ensure the development of airports and the construction of new ones to keep up with the growth. If it did not, he said, "passenger comfort will suffer".
Around the world, new projects are being held up by regulation "which distorts market forces or creates expensive, time-consuming bureaucratic hurdles to airport development", Aaronson said.
The Airports Council International (ACI) predicted air freight would triple over the same period. In its Global Traffic Forecast 2006-2025, ACI said passengers passing through the 1,650 domestic and international airports its 567 members operate would grow an average 4 percent annually over the period.
There are currently around 4.2 billion air travellers a year. Environmentalists say aviation is a growing source of carbon dioxide which contributes to global warming. Asian air travel is set to increase nine percent annually, led by India (10.4 percent) and China (8.1), ACI said. By 2025, Asia will be challenging North America which has held the top spot as the busiest global air passenger region since the dawn of civil aviation.
Last year, 1.5 billion people passed though North American airports against 897 million in Asia. Asian freight volume in 2005 was 26 million tonnes, just five million behind North America and Asia is expected to be the world's largest freight market by 2025, the Airports Council International said.
Aircraft movements around the world are likely to grow only an average 2.8 percent over the next two decades, ACI said, because a new generation of aircraft capable of carrying larger loads was coming on stream.
The Airports Council International director general Robert Aaronson said it was vital airlines and air traffic bodies, industry regulators and governments helped ensure the development of airports and the construction of new ones to keep up with the growth. If it did not, he said, "passenger comfort will suffer".
Around the world, new projects are being held up by regulation "which distorts market forces or creates expensive, time-consuming bureaucratic hurdles to airport development", Aaronson said.
Uttar Pradesh will develop Mahabharata circuit to woo tourists
Inspired by the success of the Buddhist Circuit, Uttar Pradesh Tourism Department is planning a Mahabharata circuit connecting places in the state mentioned in the epic.
The Centre has agreed to provide an assistance of Rs five crore for the proposed project, state Tourism Minister Kokab Hameed told reporters here.
Asserting that Mahabharata was not all about "Kurukshetra (present day Haryana) and Hastinapur (present day Meerut)", he said there were a number of places in Uttar Pradesh where significant events recorded in the Mahabharata are believed to have occurred and cited the districts of Baghpat, his native place and Bijnore.
He said a tunnel believed to be of the Mahabharata period and which was used by Pandavas had been found in Baghpat.
The minister added that the Japanese bank JBIC had contributed a whopping Rs 680 crore for developing the Buddhist Circuit in Uttar Pradesh, where places like Sarnath, where Buddha delivered his first sermon and Kushinagar, where he breathed his last, are situated.
The circuit attracts thousands of tourists annually from the country and abroad.
Hameed, who was here to review preparations for the Ardh Kumbh, said the tourism department has sanctioned Rs 50 lakh to facilitate the visit and stay of people from around the world.
"One of the major attractions would be a tent hotel, comprising 40 double-bed swiss cottages equipped with 3 star facilities, three dormitories having 10 beds each, and a vegetarian restaurant," he said.
The Centre has agreed to provide an assistance of Rs five crore for the proposed project, state Tourism Minister Kokab Hameed told reporters here.
Asserting that Mahabharata was not all about "Kurukshetra (present day Haryana) and Hastinapur (present day Meerut)", he said there were a number of places in Uttar Pradesh where significant events recorded in the Mahabharata are believed to have occurred and cited the districts of Baghpat, his native place and Bijnore.
He said a tunnel believed to be of the Mahabharata period and which was used by Pandavas had been found in Baghpat.
The minister added that the Japanese bank JBIC had contributed a whopping Rs 680 crore for developing the Buddhist Circuit in Uttar Pradesh, where places like Sarnath, where Buddha delivered his first sermon and Kushinagar, where he breathed his last, are situated.
The circuit attracts thousands of tourists annually from the country and abroad.
Hameed, who was here to review preparations for the Ardh Kumbh, said the tourism department has sanctioned Rs 50 lakh to facilitate the visit and stay of people from around the world.
"One of the major attractions would be a tent hotel, comprising 40 double-bed swiss cottages equipped with 3 star facilities, three dormitories having 10 beds each, and a vegetarian restaurant," he said.
Visa within 24 hrs for businessmen & investors: Saudi
Dubai: Saudi Arabia has announced that businessmen and investors can now get visas to their country within 24 hours direct from its missions abroad.
Saudi missions abroad have been instructed to issue business visas within 24 hours, on the basis of an application which does not need a Saudi sponsor, an official said.
The only requirement is a letter from the local federation of chambers or an invitation from a Saudi chamber.
People can apply for different visas through the ministry's website: www.mofa.gov.sa, the official said.
The new visa system was introduced to encourage foreign investors to come to the Kingdom which is seeking foreign investment worth SR 2.3 trillion in vital sectors such as gas, petrochemicals, power generation, desalination, tourism, railways and telecommunications.
Saudi missions abroad have been instructed to issue business visas within 24 hours, on the basis of an application which does not need a Saudi sponsor, an official said.
The only requirement is a letter from the local federation of chambers or an invitation from a Saudi chamber.
People can apply for different visas through the ministry's website: www.mofa.gov.sa, the official said.
The new visa system was introduced to encourage foreign investors to come to the Kingdom which is seeking foreign investment worth SR 2.3 trillion in vital sectors such as gas, petrochemicals, power generation, desalination, tourism, railways and telecommunications.
Monday, January 29, 2007
Czech Airlines deploys its de-icing equipment
With the arrival of the cold weather, Czech Airlines (ČSA) finally had to fully deploy its plane de-icing equipment. The equipment was fully deployed this year much later than in an average winter season due to the unseasonably warm temperatures in December and early January.
While last year the airline's technical staff had already treated 1,600 planes by this date, this year they have so far only had to de-ice 300 aircraft. The full blown 'de-icing season' at Prague's airport didn't begin until this week in response to the rapid drop in temperatures and the final arrival of snowy weather.
The spraying of aircraft with de-icing fluid starts as soon as the temperature starts to approach the freezing point. This is when there is the risk of frost and an ice buildup, which could negatively impact the flying capabilities of the plane.
ČSA de-ices its own fleet as well as the aircraft of a number of other airlines. At Prague, this service is also offered by two other companies – Menzies and Letiště Praha. In terms of market share, ČSA handles roughly 75 per cent of the aircraft de-icing at Prague's airport.
On average, the winter season, during which de-icing is done, lasts from December through March. Last year, the weather was particularly harsh and ČSA de-iced a total of 2,799 aircraft. In an average winter season, the airline de-ices approximately 2,000 planes.
To perform the de-icing, ČSA uses special trucks, each of which is equipped with three tanks. Two of the tanks contain different types of de-icing fluid and the last contains hot water. The first type of fluid used is mixed with water in specific proportions and this mixture is then used to spray down the entire aircraft at a temperature of 60°C.
While last year the airline's technical staff had already treated 1,600 planes by this date, this year they have so far only had to de-ice 300 aircraft. The full blown 'de-icing season' at Prague's airport didn't begin until this week in response to the rapid drop in temperatures and the final arrival of snowy weather.
The spraying of aircraft with de-icing fluid starts as soon as the temperature starts to approach the freezing point. This is when there is the risk of frost and an ice buildup, which could negatively impact the flying capabilities of the plane.
ČSA de-ices its own fleet as well as the aircraft of a number of other airlines. At Prague, this service is also offered by two other companies – Menzies and Letiště Praha. In terms of market share, ČSA handles roughly 75 per cent of the aircraft de-icing at Prague's airport.
On average, the winter season, during which de-icing is done, lasts from December through March. Last year, the weather was particularly harsh and ČSA de-iced a total of 2,799 aircraft. In an average winter season, the airline de-ices approximately 2,000 planes.
Approximately 100 litres of de-icing fluid is required to de-ice one Boeing 737 or Airbus A320 plane. If a thicker build-up of wet or frozen snow has to be removed, the fluid consumption per aircraft can reach as much as 600-700 litres. All surface areas of Prague's airport are specially drained and the surface runoff and chemicals are collected into the airport's waste water treatment plant.
The de-icing process
The de-icing process
This chemical fluid mixture dissolves all ice and removes any snowy buildup on the surface of the aircraft. The important part is to make sure that the ice doesn't build up on the plane again during takeoff when the aircraft uses all of its power for the takeoff and can't activate any of its own de-icing features such as the heating of the leading edges of the wings, etc. This is why immediately after being sprayed with the first de-icing mixture, the aircraft is sprayed with a second special fluid, which creates a film on the surface of the aircraft to retard any further ice from building up.
This preventative film remains effective for only about 40 minutes. Therefore, the entire de-icing process has to be completed shortly before the takeoff of the plane, after the passengers are already on board and just before the plane is ready to taxi to the runway. The de-icing treatment is applied by special trucks and ČSA owns five of them. The most modern of these vehicles, acquired by the airline just this winter, is capable of de-icing the largest commercial airplane in the world – the Airbus A380.
This preventative film remains effective for only about 40 minutes. Therefore, the entire de-icing process has to be completed shortly before the takeoff of the plane, after the passengers are already on board and just before the plane is ready to taxi to the runway. The de-icing treatment is applied by special trucks and ČSA owns five of them. The most modern of these vehicles, acquired by the airline just this winter, is capable of de-icing the largest commercial airplane in the world – the Airbus A380.
Boeing Delivers Next-Generation 737 to China United Airlines
SEATTLE, Jan. 26, 2007 -- Boeing delivered a Next-Generation 737-800 to China United Airlines Company Limited, marking the first delivery of a new 737 to the airline.
China United Airlines, a Beijing-based airline jointly owned by Shanghai Airlines Company Limited and China Aviation Supplies Import and Export Group Corporation (CASGC), operates a scheduled network of destinations within China.
The new airplane is leased from International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC) to China United Airlines. This is the third Next-Generation 737 in China United Airlines' fleet. The carrier currently operates two Boeing 737-700s leased from Shanghai Airlines.
China United Airlines, a Beijing-based airline jointly owned by Shanghai Airlines Company Limited and China Aviation Supplies Import and Export Group Corporation (CASGC), operates a scheduled network of destinations within China.
The new airplane is leased from International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC) to China United Airlines. This is the third Next-Generation 737 in China United Airlines' fleet. The carrier currently operates two Boeing 737-700s leased from Shanghai Airlines.
Save your computer with free New Comodo firewall 2.4
Jersey City, NJ (Jan 25, 2007) - Comodo, a leading provider of Identity and Trust Assurance Management solutions, today announced the release of the newest version of its award winning Personal Firewall, Comodo Firewall Pro. Version 2.4 provides enhanced multiple language support.
Currently available languages include Chinese (both traditional and simplified), Dutch, French, Greek, Hungarian, Portuguese (both continental and Brazilian), Russian, Spanish, Swedish and Turkish. The new release includes a host of other improvements and fixes, including automatic license activation.
Comodo Firewall Pro 2.4 is a highly rated firewall solution designed for home users and is free from all subscription or license fees. It features a friendly graphical user interface, highly visual traffic monitoring tools and wizard-based configuration of trusted zones - ensuring that users will not have to deal with complex configuration issues after installation.
The largest beneficiaries of the new multi-language capabilities are expected to be Russian and Chinese users - languages that cannot be accurately displayed using native, non- ASCII characters. European languages such as French and Spanish also use native, non-ASCII characters but, because they use the same Roman alphabet as English, their words have always been readable by systems that only support ASCII. For instance, French words such are still readable if the accents (^) are omitted.
"In order to establish trust on the internet, you have to be able to communicate trust" said Melih Abdulhayoglu, President and CEO of Comodo, "The addition of multi-language support extends the protection afforded by our firewall to a truly global audience."
Comodo Firewall is compatible with Windows XP and 2000 operating systems and can be downloaded along with a free license at www.personalfirewall.comodo.com
Currently available languages include Chinese (both traditional and simplified), Dutch, French, Greek, Hungarian, Portuguese (both continental and Brazilian), Russian, Spanish, Swedish and Turkish. The new release includes a host of other improvements and fixes, including automatic license activation.
Comodo Firewall Pro 2.4 is a highly rated firewall solution designed for home users and is free from all subscription or license fees. It features a friendly graphical user interface, highly visual traffic monitoring tools and wizard-based configuration of trusted zones - ensuring that users will not have to deal with complex configuration issues after installation.
The largest beneficiaries of the new multi-language capabilities are expected to be Russian and Chinese users - languages that cannot be accurately displayed using native, non- ASCII characters. European languages such as French and Spanish also use native, non-ASCII characters but, because they use the same Roman alphabet as English, their words have always been readable by systems that only support ASCII. For instance, French words such are still readable if the accents (^) are omitted.
"In order to establish trust on the internet, you have to be able to communicate trust" said Melih Abdulhayoglu, President and CEO of Comodo, "The addition of multi-language support extends the protection afforded by our firewall to a truly global audience."
Comodo Firewall is compatible with Windows XP and 2000 operating systems and can be downloaded along with a free license at www.personalfirewall.comodo.com
WHO Revives Efforts to Eliminate Forgotten Disease
Geneva -- A neglected disease with a nearly forgotten name is making a comeback following a global control programme that almost eradicated it more than forty years ago. Yaws, a disease which eats away at the skin, cartilage and bones of its victims (mostly children), is re-emerging in poor, rural and marginalized populations of Africa, Asia and South America.
Today, more than 500 000 are afflicted by yaws, which is caused by a spiral bacteria that penetrates through a cut in the victim's skin resulting in bumps that burst, ulcerate and spread over the victim's body.
In the 1950s, more than 50 million people worldwide were afflicted by the disease until the World Health Organization (WHO), in partnership with UNICEF, established a massive global control programme to eliminate it. The Global Yaws Control Programme, fully operational between 1952-1964, succeeded in treating 300 million people in 50 countries - reducing global levels of the disease by more than 95% and virtually eradicating yaws. However, after the enormous success of the programme, sustained surveillance of yaws diminished, which have now given way to its resurgence in the 21st century.
Yaws is transmitted from person to person via skin contact or through breaks in the skin caused by injuries or bites which allow spiral bacteria to penetrate. It is a debilitating disease whose effects in its young victims (mostly children under 15 years of age) can often cause gross deformation. Lesions develop that eat bone, cartilage, skin and soft tissue, leaving victims with gaping holes where their lips or noses should be.
"The persistence of yaws in the 21st century is unacceptable;" says Dr Lorenzo Savioli, WHO Director of Neglected Tropical Diseases. "There is a cost-effective approach to treating this disease." Yaws is treated by a single dose of long-acting penicillin that costs as little as US$0.32 . Experts believe that yaws can be eliminated and eventually eradicated because humans are the only reservoir of infection.
New cases of yaws appear every year. This week (24-26 January), world experts including officials from the Ministries of Health of selected endemic countries – Indonesia, Ghana and the Republic of Congo – will be holding an informal consultation to develop a new global strategy for combating this disease, the 2nd attempt of its kind.
The consultation's objectives are three-fold: to detect and treat all yaws cases and their contacts; to interrupt transmission of the disease; and to prevent disability, minimizing suffering and the socio-economic impact the disease has on affected populations. A recent control programme in India provides optimism that elimination can be achieved in other countries with persistent efforts and political commitment. In the south-east Asia region, the aim is to eradicate yaws by 2012.
The consultation this week will examine whether elimination is now possible in other regions of the world, signalling a possible revival of the 1950s global yaws programme as well as the development of a current global strategy to generate much needed support on global, regional and country level to eradicate this disease once and for all.
Today, more than 500 000 are afflicted by yaws, which is caused by a spiral bacteria that penetrates through a cut in the victim's skin resulting in bumps that burst, ulcerate and spread over the victim's body.
In the 1950s, more than 50 million people worldwide were afflicted by the disease until the World Health Organization (WHO), in partnership with UNICEF, established a massive global control programme to eliminate it. The Global Yaws Control Programme, fully operational between 1952-1964, succeeded in treating 300 million people in 50 countries - reducing global levels of the disease by more than 95% and virtually eradicating yaws. However, after the enormous success of the programme, sustained surveillance of yaws diminished, which have now given way to its resurgence in the 21st century.
Yaws is transmitted from person to person via skin contact or through breaks in the skin caused by injuries or bites which allow spiral bacteria to penetrate. It is a debilitating disease whose effects in its young victims (mostly children under 15 years of age) can often cause gross deformation. Lesions develop that eat bone, cartilage, skin and soft tissue, leaving victims with gaping holes where their lips or noses should be.
"The persistence of yaws in the 21st century is unacceptable;" says Dr Lorenzo Savioli, WHO Director of Neglected Tropical Diseases. "There is a cost-effective approach to treating this disease." Yaws is treated by a single dose of long-acting penicillin that costs as little as US$0.32 . Experts believe that yaws can be eliminated and eventually eradicated because humans are the only reservoir of infection.
New cases of yaws appear every year. This week (24-26 January), world experts including officials from the Ministries of Health of selected endemic countries – Indonesia, Ghana and the Republic of Congo – will be holding an informal consultation to develop a new global strategy for combating this disease, the 2nd attempt of its kind.
The consultation's objectives are three-fold: to detect and treat all yaws cases and their contacts; to interrupt transmission of the disease; and to prevent disability, minimizing suffering and the socio-economic impact the disease has on affected populations. A recent control programme in India provides optimism that elimination can be achieved in other countries with persistent efforts and political commitment. In the south-east Asia region, the aim is to eradicate yaws by 2012.
The consultation this week will examine whether elimination is now possible in other regions of the world, signalling a possible revival of the 1950s global yaws programme as well as the development of a current global strategy to generate much needed support on global, regional and country level to eradicate this disease once and for all.
STATE OF THE UNION FALLS SHORT ON ENERGY (World Watch Report)
Washington, D.C.-The energy and climate initiatives announced in U.S.President George W. Bush's State of the Union address on Tuesday leftthe White House well behind the growing public and business momentum foran overhaul of U.S. energy policy.
The proposals lacked both the breadthand the specificity needed to cope with the twin problems of energysecurity and global warming, and leaves national leadership on the issueup to Congress.
The centerpiece of the president's energy proposal is the dramatic andlaudable goal of cutting gasoline consumption by 20 percent within adecade, but the mix of policies and technologies he would use to get usthere isn't clear.
The president's support for accelerated developmentof renewable fuels and improved fuel economy is headed in the rightdirection, but fuel economy still appears to be getting the short end ofthe stick in administration priorities.
The U.S. Congress will need topass strong new fuel economy and renewable fuel mandates if thepresident's goals for increased energy independence are to avoid thefate of similar proposals by at least five previous presidents.
Beyond biofuels, the array of other promising renewable energysources-including solar energy, wind power, and geothermalenergy-received only a mention in the president's speech, and isgenerally ignored in his detailed energy plan.
It will therefore fall toCongress to develop the kind of solid, far-reaching national commitmentto renewable resources and efficiency that will be needed to fuel astrong domestic economy and lower the consumption of oil and other
For those who were hoping that President Bush would announce a u-turn inclimate policy, his glancing reference to "the challenge of climatechange" was a disappointment.
The president's speech came a day afterCEOs of leading U.S. corporations called for a mandatory "cap" on U.S.emissions, but it is clear the administration is still not ready to takethe lead on an issue it has stubbornly refused to address for the lastsix years.
So, once again, it is up to Congress to pass the kind ofstrong new legislation that will allow the United States to catch upwith the policies being enacted by other nations-and by many U.S.states.
The proposals lacked both the breadthand the specificity needed to cope with the twin problems of energysecurity and global warming, and leaves national leadership on the issueup to Congress.
The centerpiece of the president's energy proposal is the dramatic andlaudable goal of cutting gasoline consumption by 20 percent within adecade, but the mix of policies and technologies he would use to get usthere isn't clear.
The president's support for accelerated developmentof renewable fuels and improved fuel economy is headed in the rightdirection, but fuel economy still appears to be getting the short end ofthe stick in administration priorities.
The U.S. Congress will need topass strong new fuel economy and renewable fuel mandates if thepresident's goals for increased energy independence are to avoid thefate of similar proposals by at least five previous presidents.
Beyond biofuels, the array of other promising renewable energysources-including solar energy, wind power, and geothermalenergy-received only a mention in the president's speech, and isgenerally ignored in his detailed energy plan.
It will therefore fall toCongress to develop the kind of solid, far-reaching national commitmentto renewable resources and efficiency that will be needed to fuel astrong domestic economy and lower the consumption of oil and other
For those who were hoping that President Bush would announce a u-turn inclimate policy, his glancing reference to "the challenge of climatechange" was a disappointment.
The president's speech came a day afterCEOs of leading U.S. corporations called for a mandatory "cap" on U.S.emissions, but it is clear the administration is still not ready to takethe lead on an issue it has stubbornly refused to address for the lastsix years.
So, once again, it is up to Congress to pass the kind ofstrong new legislation that will allow the United States to catch upwith the policies being enacted by other nations-and by many U.S.states.
CSA’s Shareholders to seperate cargo and catering
Czech Airline’s (CSA) Extraordinary General Meeting decided to separate out the Cargo Terminal and Catering as subsidiaries. The newly established companies, Air Cargo Terminal a.s. and Air Czech Catering a.s., will be 100 per cent owned by Czech Airlines for the time being.
By hiving the companies off as subsidiaries, the Extraordinary General Meeting made the first step towards the discussed divestment of both companies; however, that would only take place should the offers be advantageous for CSA.
The sale of the Cargo Terminal and Catering is one of the steps proposed as part of the company’s restructuring plan, which should stabilise the Company and make it profitable. CSA received the preliminary bids of buyers interested in purchasing Catering on 12 January.
Bids for the Cargo Terminal are expected at the end of January. The bids for both companies will be evaluated and a shortlist made, of companies that will be permitted to perform due diligence. Binding price bids are expected in early April. The divestments are expected to be carried out by mid-2008.
CSA Cargo presently provides for the air freight carriage on regular and charter CSA flights, and also runs one of Europe’s most modern cargo terminals at the Prague–Ruzyně Airport. All aircraft cargo handling activities, including the terminal building, will be transferred to the newly established corporation Air Cargo Terminal; however, CSA will continue to provide air carriage of goods and mail on its regular and charter lines.
CSA Catering provides for the making of meals and their supply on board CSA and other airlines’ aircraft. All of those activities, including the renovated building at Prague Airport, where the meals are made, will be transferred to the new company Air Czech Catering.
Both new companies will also take over the current CSA employees in the catering and cargo operations, i.e., approximately 500 employees.
By hiving the companies off as subsidiaries, the Extraordinary General Meeting made the first step towards the discussed divestment of both companies; however, that would only take place should the offers be advantageous for CSA.
The sale of the Cargo Terminal and Catering is one of the steps proposed as part of the company’s restructuring plan, which should stabilise the Company and make it profitable. CSA received the preliminary bids of buyers interested in purchasing Catering on 12 January.
Bids for the Cargo Terminal are expected at the end of January. The bids for both companies will be evaluated and a shortlist made, of companies that will be permitted to perform due diligence. Binding price bids are expected in early April. The divestments are expected to be carried out by mid-2008.
CSA Cargo presently provides for the air freight carriage on regular and charter CSA flights, and also runs one of Europe’s most modern cargo terminals at the Prague–Ruzyně Airport. All aircraft cargo handling activities, including the terminal building, will be transferred to the newly established corporation Air Cargo Terminal; however, CSA will continue to provide air carriage of goods and mail on its regular and charter lines.
CSA Catering provides for the making of meals and their supply on board CSA and other airlines’ aircraft. All of those activities, including the renovated building at Prague Airport, where the meals are made, will be transferred to the new company Air Czech Catering.
Both new companies will also take over the current CSA employees in the catering and cargo operations, i.e., approximately 500 employees.
WHO Board to tackle key global health issues
- Agenda includes measles, polio, chronic diseases and pandemic influenza --
The Executive Board of the World Health Organization (WHO) opened its twice-yearly session on Monday with a speech from the new Director-General, Dr Margaret Chan, highlighting recent public health successes and setting out some of the threats to global health.
The 34-member Board will discuss a range of issues including measles, malaria, polio, the prevention and control of chronic diseases, avian and pandemic influenza, and implementation of the International Health Regulations.
In her opening speech, Dr Chan told the Board members, "We begin our discussions in what I believe are optimistic times for health." She outlined what she called the "spectacular success story" of measles. WHO announced last week that global deaths from measles have been reduced by 60 per cent since 2000, exceeding the already ambitious target of a 50% cut.
Dr Chan set out the wider health gains linked to measles immunisation.
"The news gets even better. Increasingly, this initiative is delivering a bundle of life-saving and health-promoting interventions: bed nets for malaria, vitamin A to boost the immune system, de-worming tablets that help keep children in school, polio vaccine, and tetanus vaccine for pregnant women."
"I view this initiative as a model of what can be achieved through integrated service delivery," she said. "This is a value-added approach that amplifies the power of public health."Dr Chan then returned to one of her key themes: the work of the World Health Organization should be judged by the impact it has on the health of women and of people in Africa.
"Much of what we are already doing has an impact on women and the African people. This is not surprising. The threats to these two groups are numerous. Many of these threats are receiving high-level attention as we strive to meet the Millennium Development Goals, to which I am fully committed." Dr Chan addressed another potentially huge gain for children around the world: the eradication of polio.
She reported the conclusion of the advisory committee on polio eradication that “it is technically feasible to interrupt polio transmission worldwide." However, she said the world now faces a key question: "Are we now in a position to overcome the operational and financial obstacles? I believe we need to assess the country-level operations very carefully to ensure that we can indeed interrupt transmission globally.”
She told the Board that she will convene an "urgent high-level consultation" from 27 to 28 February: "The expected outcome is a set of milestones that must be met if transmission is to be interrupted in the four remaining endemic countries.
The consultation will also consider the funding required to meet these milestones." Dr Chan also re-emphasized her focus on evidence. "As I have said, what gets measured gets done … If we want to set out a compelling health agenda, we must look not only at the needs we are addressing, but also at the results of our efforts. We must keep track to stay on track
"I view this initiative as a model of what can be achieved through integrated service delivery," she said. "This is a value-added approach that amplifies the power of public health."
Dr Chan then returned to one of her key themes: the work of the World Health Organization should be judged by the impact it has on the health of women and of people in Africa.
"Much of what we are already doing has an impact on women and the African people. This is not surprising. The threats to these two groups are numerous. Many of these threats are receiving high-level attention as we strive to meet the Millennium Development Goals, to which I am fully committed."
Dr Chan addressed another potentially huge gain for children around the world: the eradication of polio. She reported the conclusion of the advisory committee on polio eradication that “it is technically feasible to interrupt polio transmission worldwide." However, she said the world now faces a key question: "Are we now in a position to overcome the operational and financial obstacles? I believe we need to assess the country-level operations very carefully to ensure that we can indeed interrupt transmission globally.”
She told the Board that she will convene an "urgent high-level consultation" from 27 to 28 February: "The expected outcome is a set of milestones that must be met if transmission is to be interrupted in the four remaining endemic countries. The consultation will also consider the funding required to meet these milestones."
Dr Chan also re-emphasized her focus on evidence. "As I have said, what gets measured gets done … If we want to set out a compelling health agenda, we must look not only at the needs we are addressing, but also at the results of our efforts. We must keep track to stay on track."
\n\nShe went on to address avian influenza and the threat of an influenza pandemic.
"The message is straightforward: we must not let down our guard," she said. "The whole world has lived under the imminent threat of an influenza pandemic for more than three years. These years of experience have taught us just how tenacious this H5N1 virus is in birds."
The Board also heard a report from Dr Anders Nordström, acting WHO Director-General until January 3, on the work of the Organization since May. Dr Nordström told the Board that since the death in May of the previous Director-General, Dr LEE Jong-wook, WHO has been “continually focusing on improving the health of people across the world.” Dr Nordström outlined key areas in which progress has been made since May, including collaboration with other UN agencies and with the World Bank, direct engagement in the G8 summit in July, engaging in and providing leadership in health partnerships, advancing work on chronic, non-communicable diseases and on communicable diseases, including the neglected tropical diseases. Dr Nordström also outlined important developments in the areas of health systems development and the management of WHO.
A report to the Executive Board on implementation of the global strategy for the prevention and control of chronic diseases concludes that much has been done but more progress is still needed. The global epidemic of chronic diseases continues. Last year, 35 million people died as a result of chronic diseases, equivalent to 60% of all deaths globally. These deaths are projected to increase by a further 17% over the next decade."
She went on to address avian influenza and the threat of an influenza pandemic. "The message is straightforward: we must not let down our guard," she said. "The whole world has lived under the imminent threat of an influenza pandemic for more than three years. These years of experience have taught us just how tenacious this H5N1 virus is in birds."
The Board also heard a report from Dr Anders Nordström, acting WHO Director-General until January 3, on the work of the Organization since May. Dr Nordström told the Board that since the death in May of the previous Director-General, Dr LEE Jong-wook, WHO has been “continually focusing on improving the health of people across the world.”
Dr Nordström outlined key areas in which progress has been made since May, including collaboration with other UN agencies and with the World Bank, direct engagement in the G8 summit in July, engaging in and providing leadership in health partnerships, advancing work on chronic, non-communicable diseases and on communicable diseases, including the neglected tropical diseases. Dr Nordström also outlined important developments in the areas of health systems development and the management of WHO.
A report to the Executive Board on implementation of the global strategy for the prevention and control of chronic diseases concludes that much has been done but more progress is still needed. The global epidemic of chronic diseases continues. Last year, 35 million people died as a result of chronic diseases, equivalent to 60 per cent of all deaths globally. These deaths are projected to increase by a further 17 per cent over the next decade.
Other issues on the Board's agenda include: tuberculosis; gender, women and health; oral health; health systems; and the rational use of medicines, including better medicines for children. 10.5 million children under the age of five years die every year.
Most of these deaths are from treatable conditions. Treatments exist, but some are not available in dosages that are suitable for children; of those that do exist in appropriate dosages, many are not available in low- and middle-income countries.
Also on the agenda at next week's Board meeting are: health promotion; progress reports on public health, innovation and intellectual property; cancer prevention and control; public health problems caused by the harmful use of alcohol and the Commission on Social Determinants of Health.
The Executive Board is comprised of representatives from 34 WHO Member States. The individuals are designated by Member States elected to do so by the World Health Assembly. The main functions of the Executive Board are to give effect to the decisions and policies of the Assembly, to advise it and generally facilitate its work.
Also on the agenda at next week's Board meeting are: health promotion; progress reports on public health, innovation and intellectual property; cancer prevention and control; public health problems caused by the harmful use of alcohol and the Commission on Social Determinants of Health. The Executive Board is comprised of representatives from 34 WHO Member States. The individuals are designated by Member States elected to do so by the World Health Assembly. The main functions of the Executive Board are to give effect to the decisions and policies of the Assembly, to advise it and generally facilitate its work.
Northwest Airlines starts second Detroit-Frankfurt flight
Northwest Airlines announces the expansion of its service between its WorldGateway at Detroitand Frankfurt during the peak summer season by adding a second dailynonstop flight on the route beginning May 7, 2007 through October 27,2007.
The additional Detroit-Frankfurt service is part of Northwest'strans-Atlantic expansion in cooperation with joint venture partner KLMRoyal Dutch Airlines.
In addition to the new Detroit-Frankfurt frequency and recentlyannounced Detroit-Dusseldorf service, scheduled to begin June 5, 2007,Northwest/KLM serve 11 cities throughout Germany from the carriersAmsterdam hub, including Berlin, Bremen, Cologne, Dusseldorf,Frankfurt, Hamburg, Hannover, Munich, Munster/Osnabruck, Nuremberg andStuttgart.
"With a second Detroit-Frankfurt daily flight, our customers will nowhave greater flexibility and convenience when traveling to this keyGerman business city," said Phil Haan, executive vice president –international, alliances and information technology and chairman ofNWA Cargo.
"The additional frequency is an integral part of ourtrans-Atlantic expansion plan utilizing our 757 aircraft, which includes service to two new European destinations."As previously announced, Northwest/KLM will launch newDetroit-Brussels service beginning on June 15, 2007 andHartford-Amsterdam service starting July 1, 2007, making Hartford,Conn., Northwest/KLM's 18th gateway to Europe.
The trans-Atlantic expansion effort also includes new frequencies between Detroit and Amsterdam, beginning July 1, 2007 and a second daily flight betweenAmsterdam and Boston, beginning July 15, 2007.
Northwest's new trans-Atlantic flights will be operated with Boeing757-200 aircraft. The aircraft are being fitted with "winglets," orextensions of the aircraft wing, that improve the fuel efficiency ofthe 757 and in doing so, also extend its range.
Inside the aircraft, Northwest is making several improvements to thefleet dedicated to this new service in order to provide trans-Atlanticcustomers with a comfortable travel experience.The World Business Class cabin will be configured with 16 new seats ina two-aisle-two arrangement.
The World Business Class seat willprovide five feet (1.5 meters) of personal space. The seat will havemany features including a four-way movable headrest, a laptop computerpower port, snake reading light, extendable foot rest and lumbarsupport, among other comforts.World Business Class customers will be provided with a portablein-flight entertainment system with a wide variety of movies,short-subject videos, music programs, compact discs of music and gamesto choose from, all available on-demand, so they can choose and playtheir entertainment when it fits their needs.
The coach class cabin will be equipped with 144 seats configured in athree-aisle-three arrangement. The "pitch," or distance between rows,is being increased up to four inches, providing additional legroom andcomfort.The second Detroit-Frankfurt frequency is subject to slot approvalfrom Airport Coordination Germany.
The additional Detroit-Frankfurt service is part of Northwest'strans-Atlantic expansion in cooperation with joint venture partner KLMRoyal Dutch Airlines.
In addition to the new Detroit-Frankfurt frequency and recentlyannounced Detroit-Dusseldorf service, scheduled to begin June 5, 2007,Northwest/KLM serve 11 cities throughout Germany from the carriersAmsterdam hub, including Berlin, Bremen, Cologne, Dusseldorf,Frankfurt, Hamburg, Hannover, Munich, Munster/Osnabruck, Nuremberg andStuttgart.
"With a second Detroit-Frankfurt daily flight, our customers will nowhave greater flexibility and convenience when traveling to this keyGerman business city," said Phil Haan, executive vice president –international, alliances and information technology and chairman ofNWA Cargo.
"The additional frequency is an integral part of ourtrans-Atlantic expansion plan utilizing our 757 aircraft, which includes service to two new European destinations."As previously announced, Northwest/KLM will launch newDetroit-Brussels service beginning on June 15, 2007 andHartford-Amsterdam service starting July 1, 2007, making Hartford,Conn., Northwest/KLM's 18th gateway to Europe.
The trans-Atlantic expansion effort also includes new frequencies between Detroit and Amsterdam, beginning July 1, 2007 and a second daily flight betweenAmsterdam and Boston, beginning July 15, 2007.
Northwest's new trans-Atlantic flights will be operated with Boeing757-200 aircraft. The aircraft are being fitted with "winglets," orextensions of the aircraft wing, that improve the fuel efficiency ofthe 757 and in doing so, also extend its range.
Inside the aircraft, Northwest is making several improvements to thefleet dedicated to this new service in order to provide trans-Atlanticcustomers with a comfortable travel experience.The World Business Class cabin will be configured with 16 new seats ina two-aisle-two arrangement.
The World Business Class seat willprovide five feet (1.5 meters) of personal space. The seat will havemany features including a four-way movable headrest, a laptop computerpower port, snake reading light, extendable foot rest and lumbarsupport, among other comforts.World Business Class customers will be provided with a portablein-flight entertainment system with a wide variety of movies,short-subject videos, music programs, compact discs of music and gamesto choose from, all available on-demand, so they can choose and playtheir entertainment when it fits their needs.
The coach class cabin will be equipped with 144 seats configured in athree-aisle-three arrangement. The "pitch," or distance between rows,is being increased up to four inches, providing additional legroom andcomfort.The second Detroit-Frankfurt frequency is subject to slot approvalfrom Airport Coordination Germany.
Arcelor Mittal to sellof Huta Bankowa
Arcelor Mittal has announced today the agreed sale of Huta Bankowa to Alchemia SA Capital Group, as part of Mittal Steel’s commitments to the European Commission during the recommended merger of Arcelor S.A. and Mittal Steel N.V. Huta Bankowa, a 100 per cent subsidiary of Arcelor Mittal, is located in Dabrowa Gornicza (Southern
Poland).
The business comprises three main divisions, includes, a rolling mill, with production capacity of
150,000 tonnes, a forged rings department with production capacity of 26,000 tonnes and a
service centre. In 2005, Huta Bankowa generated a turnover of ⁄81 million. The company is a
specialised producer of merchant bars and sections.
For selected products, Huta Bankowa is the leading or sole producer in Poland. There are 750 employees. Following Mittal Steel's bid for Arcelor last year, the European Commission identified competition concerns in relation to sections. In response, the company committed to dispose of three European medium/heavy section mills, two of which have already been agreed: the first being the sale of Stahlwerk Thüringen on December 6, 2006, to Grupo Alfonso Gallardo and the second, on December 13, the sale of Travi e Profilati di Pallanzeno to Duferco. All together, the disposal of those 3 mills has been done for an enterprise value of about USD 1 billion.
Aditya Mittal, CFO Arcelor Mittal, said: “This is an excellent outcome. Huta Bankowa and
Alchemia will be a good fit together. With this transaction we will have fulfilled all our
competition commitments to the European Commission.”
Poland).
The business comprises three main divisions, includes, a rolling mill, with production capacity of
150,000 tonnes, a forged rings department with production capacity of 26,000 tonnes and a
service centre. In 2005, Huta Bankowa generated a turnover of ⁄81 million. The company is a
specialised producer of merchant bars and sections.
For selected products, Huta Bankowa is the leading or sole producer in Poland. There are 750 employees. Following Mittal Steel's bid for Arcelor last year, the European Commission identified competition concerns in relation to sections. In response, the company committed to dispose of three European medium/heavy section mills, two of which have already been agreed: the first being the sale of Stahlwerk Thüringen on December 6, 2006, to Grupo Alfonso Gallardo and the second, on December 13, the sale of Travi e Profilati di Pallanzeno to Duferco. All together, the disposal of those 3 mills has been done for an enterprise value of about USD 1 billion.
Aditya Mittal, CFO Arcelor Mittal, said: “This is an excellent outcome. Huta Bankowa and
Alchemia will be a good fit together. With this transaction we will have fulfilled all our
competition commitments to the European Commission.”
Freebie to Gulf Air travellers
- New, exclusive and exciting products and prizes await passengers
Several new products from some of the world’s leading fashion houses such as Jean Paul Gaultier, DKNY, Dolce & Gabbana, YSL, and Calvin Klein have been added to the existing collection.
In addition, some 18 products are exclusive to Gulf Air passengers. These include an exhilarating range of bath therapies from Molton Brown of London, skincare products for women from Helena Rubinstein and, for the first time, skincare products for men from Boss Skin.
Travellers also stand to win a Jacques Leman official F1 sports watch by simply spending $100 or more, making the onboard shopping experience even more attractive.
The new edition of the duty free magazine "Priceless" comes with an innovative presentation featuring a dual cover with introduction in both English and Arabic, providing a great impact and visual appeal, inviting passengers to pick up the magazine and explore.
“We are glad to start the new year with a whole new range of world class products and an incentive programme making the onboard shopping experience more refreshing and exciting," says Gulf Air Vice President Marketing and Sales Lee Shave.
"From tech gizmos to traditional Arabian fragrances to International perfumes, our customers will have a wide and irresistible range of products to choose from."
Making the onboard shopping process more convenient and simpler is the introduction of a hand held payment terminal through which passengers can pay by their credit cards.
"We regularly review our duty free products on offer so that passengers get innovative, fresh and high quality products at competitive prices," says Gulf Air Manager Product Development Claire Claxton.
“Our continued successful partnership with Ari-ME, our duty free concessionaire, ensures this."
Saturday, January 27, 2007
Berggreun to launch ‘Keys’ budget hotels in India
By Nehul Jagdish Kumar
Looking at the vast scope in the hospitality industry, Berggruen Hotels, a new venture of the US-based, Berggreun Holdings will launch boutique and budget hotels, brand named “Keys” in India in the coming years.
With the investment of $ 100 million, the company is expected to make inroads in the budget hotel segment. The company is planning to open 38 hotels in the next five years, spanning all over the country. The first hotel will come up by June 2008, focusing on the 20 million budget travellers.
Speaking to Nehul Jagdish Kumar, Nicolas Berggreun founder of Berggreun Holdings said, “India is a priority market and central to Berggreun’s global expansion strategy. We will develop a brand and carter to the needs of people who wants quality and service at the budget price, there is huge scope for us to grow.”
India needs this type of hotels as more emphasis is given on luxuries travellers and there is space to be filled, he stressed.
Answering to the query, whether the company is going to go for joint venture, Partha Chatterjee director of board and chief marketing officer, said: “We are in talk with many airline companies, retail giants and in the coming months the names will declared. I am confident that boutique budget hotels are a win-win equation for both customers and the company, it will give us to provide the Keys experience to many customers world wide.”
We will develop the brand in India and then go international, we are the first company to do this and this will be done in the years to come, Partha added.
Catering to the needs of business class and to provide them service that of five star class, we are focusing on the NRI states, including, Gujarat and Kerala, he explained.
Commenting on the new brand success, Sanjay Sethi founding director on the board and CEO, said, “I am confident of this brand and the Indian market is big enough to accept us, there is lot of space to grow and make your presence felt in the hospitality industry.”
One hotel will come up at Navi Mumbai and the other at the upcoming international airport near Panvel, we are in talks and finalising land in Jogeshwari-Kandivali (JVK) and Santacruz-Chembur (SCLZ) area and this will the center point of Mumbai development, said Monesh Vig general manager-business development of Berggreun Hotels.
“We look forward to invest in diversified India business including greenfeild start-up chain of full-service budget and mid-market hotels, resorts and service apartments, real estate projects, hospitality education, equipment retail business and logistics”, said Kabir Kewalramani managing director of Berggreun advisor and founding director on board.
38 hotels by 2010-11
24 sites in negotiations
First hotel by June 2008
100-170 rooms in boutique budget hotel
Room rates from 1400-2200 depending on the location
To set up Hotel management schools
One of the first American companies to invest in Indian professionals
Expecting turnover Rs 350 crore
Looking at the vast scope in the hospitality industry, Berggruen Hotels, a new venture of the US-based, Berggreun Holdings will launch boutique and budget hotels, brand named “Keys” in India in the coming years.
With the investment of $ 100 million, the company is expected to make inroads in the budget hotel segment. The company is planning to open 38 hotels in the next five years, spanning all over the country. The first hotel will come up by June 2008, focusing on the 20 million budget travellers.
Speaking to Nehul Jagdish Kumar, Nicolas Berggreun founder of Berggreun Holdings said, “India is a priority market and central to Berggreun’s global expansion strategy. We will develop a brand and carter to the needs of people who wants quality and service at the budget price, there is huge scope for us to grow.”
India needs this type of hotels as more emphasis is given on luxuries travellers and there is space to be filled, he stressed.
Answering to the query, whether the company is going to go for joint venture, Partha Chatterjee director of board and chief marketing officer, said: “We are in talk with many airline companies, retail giants and in the coming months the names will declared. I am confident that boutique budget hotels are a win-win equation for both customers and the company, it will give us to provide the Keys experience to many customers world wide.”
We will develop the brand in India and then go international, we are the first company to do this and this will be done in the years to come, Partha added.
Catering to the needs of business class and to provide them service that of five star class, we are focusing on the NRI states, including, Gujarat and Kerala, he explained.
Commenting on the new brand success, Sanjay Sethi founding director on the board and CEO, said, “I am confident of this brand and the Indian market is big enough to accept us, there is lot of space to grow and make your presence felt in the hospitality industry.”
One hotel will come up at Navi Mumbai and the other at the upcoming international airport near Panvel, we are in talks and finalising land in Jogeshwari-Kandivali (JVK) and Santacruz-Chembur (SCLZ) area and this will the center point of Mumbai development, said Monesh Vig general manager-business development of Berggreun Hotels.
“We look forward to invest in diversified India business including greenfeild start-up chain of full-service budget and mid-market hotels, resorts and service apartments, real estate projects, hospitality education, equipment retail business and logistics”, said Kabir Kewalramani managing director of Berggreun advisor and founding director on board.
38 hotels by 2010-11
24 sites in negotiations
First hotel by June 2008
100-170 rooms in boutique budget hotel
Room rates from 1400-2200 depending on the location
To set up Hotel management schools
One of the first American companies to invest in Indian professionals
Expecting turnover Rs 350 crore
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
ČSA signs aircraft maintenance with Transavia Airlines
Czech Airlines (ČSA) and Transavia Airlines signed a new aircraft maintenance agreement for the year 2007, with option for the following two years. Starting in October, ČSA will be performing mandatory 'heavy maintenance' visits on 28 Boeing 737 New Generation aircraft belonging to the Dutch carrier, Transavia Airlines.
"Transavia Airlines is a very smart buyer and a highly demanding customer, focusing strongly on quality and on-time performance. We are very proud of keeping Transavia as a long-term customer and we are committed to providing reliable and flexible services to keep their fleet flying in future years," said Tomáš Heczko, ČSA's Vice President Technical.
Czech Airlines and Transavia have been successfully cooperating in aircraft maintenance since 2003. So far, ČSA performed many heavy maintenance visits on Transavia Airlines'
35 Boeing 737NG at their facilities in Prague. Extension of this co-operation and signature of the new agreement is a confirmation of the quality of the services provided to Transavia by ČSA.
Michiel Meijer, Transavia's COO commented on the partnership: "It is our strategy to build long-term partnerships with our key suppliers and we are glad we found such a reliable maintenance partner at Czech Airlines. An extension of this partnership is therefore a natural decision and we hope it will provide growths opportunities for both sides."
Heavy maintenance checks include regular visits that are done every few months or years based on the level of intensity of the aircraft operation. They include checking all of the aircraft's systems and also an inspection of the technical condition of various important critical elements of the aircraft's structure.
The majority of ČSA's maintenance clients have these visits done every 12 – 24 months on their Boeing 737-700 and 737-800 aircraft. The man hours required for such visits ranges from 1,000 to 6,000 hours and the airplane spends 3-14 days in the hangar, based on the type of visit and the total amount of additional modifications required.
ČSA's technicians also perform the regular maintenance and checks of the airline's own fleet containing 50 aircraft including the ATR 42’s/72’s, Boeing 737’s and Airbus A310/A320/A321’s. ČSA offers its technical services, specifically its heavy maintenance, to external clients which, besides Transavia Airlines, include such carriers as Air Berlin, Lufthansa Technik, Hapag Lloyd Flug and others. The aircraft maintenance and regular checks are performed by ČSA under a license issued by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
"Transavia Airlines is a very smart buyer and a highly demanding customer, focusing strongly on quality and on-time performance. We are very proud of keeping Transavia as a long-term customer and we are committed to providing reliable and flexible services to keep their fleet flying in future years," said Tomáš Heczko, ČSA's Vice President Technical.
Czech Airlines and Transavia have been successfully cooperating in aircraft maintenance since 2003. So far, ČSA performed many heavy maintenance visits on Transavia Airlines'
35 Boeing 737NG at their facilities in Prague. Extension of this co-operation and signature of the new agreement is a confirmation of the quality of the services provided to Transavia by ČSA.
Michiel Meijer, Transavia's COO commented on the partnership: "It is our strategy to build long-term partnerships with our key suppliers and we are glad we found such a reliable maintenance partner at Czech Airlines. An extension of this partnership is therefore a natural decision and we hope it will provide growths opportunities for both sides."
Heavy maintenance checks include regular visits that are done every few months or years based on the level of intensity of the aircraft operation. They include checking all of the aircraft's systems and also an inspection of the technical condition of various important critical elements of the aircraft's structure.
The majority of ČSA's maintenance clients have these visits done every 12 – 24 months on their Boeing 737-700 and 737-800 aircraft. The man hours required for such visits ranges from 1,000 to 6,000 hours and the airplane spends 3-14 days in the hangar, based on the type of visit and the total amount of additional modifications required.
ČSA's technicians also perform the regular maintenance and checks of the airline's own fleet containing 50 aircraft including the ATR 42’s/72’s, Boeing 737’s and Airbus A310/A320/A321’s. ČSA offers its technical services, specifically its heavy maintenance, to external clients which, besides Transavia Airlines, include such carriers as Air Berlin, Lufthansa Technik, Hapag Lloyd Flug and others. The aircraft maintenance and regular checks are performed by ČSA under a license issued by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
Hindu temple in Malaysia bags ISO 9001:2000 certification
Lord Vishnu in Kalki Avatar at Klang Temple-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kuala Lumpur, Jan 24: A temple in Malaysia has probably become the first in the world to achieve the international quality service certification for its religious, cultural and social services to Hindus.
The administration of the Sri Sundararaja Perumal temple in Klang near here worked on getting the ISO 9001:2000 certification for the past three years by enhancing its administrative needs which include assisting schools, orphanages, charities and areas like religion, education, social and humanitarian development.
Temple President S Aanandakrishnan said that with the ISO award, temple religious activities would be standardised to set a precedent for other temples, Bernama newsagency reported."
Other temples are not bounded to follow our standard opearting procedure, but we wanted to set a benchmark by achieving this award so that people will know we quality services in religious faith."By standardising our religious procedure, devotees will get similar and fair treatment in terms of wedding ceremony and other rituals," he said.
The Sundararaja temple known as "Tirupati of South East Asia" is the largest Vaishnavite temple in West Malaysia. It was built more than 100 years ago.
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
GE orders for 39 Boeing
SEATTLE, Jan. 22, 2007: GE Commercial Aviation Services (GECAS) announced a 39-airplane order that includes 15 Boeing 777s -- a mix of seven 777-300ER (Extended Range) passenger jetliners and eight 777 Freighters -- and 24 Next-Generation 737-800s.
The order, valued at approximately $5.34 billion, was booked in 2006 and previously listed on Boeing's orders and deliveries website as unidentified. The order nearly doubles the number of 777s GECAS has ordered directly from Boeing and increased the total number of orders placed by GECAS in 2006 to 69 airplanes. Deliveries of both the 777s and 737s will begin in 2008 and extend through 2010.
"Our airline customers tell us that the 777 is an ideal aircraft for their long-haul passenger and cargo needs," said Henry Hubschman president and CEO of GECAS.
"Because of this demand for future capacity expansion in the 2008-2010 timeframe, we already have customers lined up for many of these aircraft," he stressed.
"We have nearly finished leasing all of the Next-Generation 737 aircraft we previously ordered in 2006, so these additional aircraft will help us meet our customers' demand," Hubschman added.
"Having shared a long-standing and valued partnership with Boeing, GECAS is a leader in contributing to the tremendous market success of both the 777 and 737 and equipping airlines worldwide with hundreds of Boeing airplanes," said John Feren, vice president of Sales, Leasing and Asset Management, Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
"The Boeing 777 has generated extraordinary market preference and global popularity, endorsed by industry leaders such as GECAS. The 737 family is valued as a strong investment by operators and lessors alike, reaffirmed by remarkable sustained demand," he said.
GECAS has long been an important Boeing customer, offering the 737, 747, 757, 767 and 777 to operators. GECAS has been highly successful in placing Boeing airplanes with operators around the globe, including many of the world's most prestigious airlines. Since GECAS placed its first order with Boeing in 1995, the leasing company has accumulated 372 orders for Boeing airplanes.
The 777 Freighter, the world's longest-range twin-engine freighter, is based on the 777-200LR Worldliner (Longer Range) passenger airplane. The 777 Freighter will have unmatched capacity for a twin-engine freighter and is designed to facilitate easy interlining with the Boeing 747 Freighter, the world's most popular cargo airplane.
The fuel-efficient 777-300ER is the world's largest long-range twin-engine jetliner and is capable of carrying 365 passengers up to 7,880 nautical miles (14,594 kilometers). GECAS has previously ordered 14 777-300ERs, and to date, has taken delivery of 10.
The General Electric GE90-115B, the world's largest and most powerful jet engine, powers the 777-300ER and a derivative of that same engine, the GE90-110B1L, powers the 777 Freighter.
The Boeing 737-800, which can seat 162 to 189 passengers, is the best-selling version of the successful Next-Generation 737 family. The Next-Generation 737 family logged a record 729 net orders in 2006.
GE Commercial Aviation Services (GECAS) is the commercial aircraft financing and leasing business of GE and part of GE Infrastructure. GECAS has a fleet of 1,450 owned aircraft it leases to more than 230 airlines in some 70 countries, and it manages nearly 300 aircraft for others. GECAS offers a wide range of aircraft types and financing options, including operating leases and secured debt financing, and also offers productivity solutions including spare engine leasing, spare parts financing and management and pilot training. GECAS has offices in 23 cities around the world.
Friday, January 12, 2007
Fly for Rs 7
Air Deccan is celebarting Makar Sankranti, it has announced to fly at any destination for just Rs 7/- (plus taxes). The company has released 3 lakh tickets.
The bookings will open on the 14 th of January 2007, Sunday at 8:00 am.Speaking on this announcement, Capt G.R Gopinath, Managing Director Air Deccan said "Stimulation of spontaneous and impromptu travel is the basic idea behind releasing tickets at such low fares. We want to even out the difference between peak and non-peak travel seasons. Travelers should be able to get low fares whenever they plan to travel and not only in off seasons."
"Makar Sankranti marks the onset of summer and is celebrated across India with much gaiety. We want to add to the celebration by offering tickets at Rs 7/- (plus taxes)."
Reservations
Tickets can be booked online through ww.airdeccan.net or 24/7 Call Centre 39008888
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Kimi Riakonen replaces Schumacher
Raikkonen, will replaces retired seven-times world champion Michael Schumacher at Ferrari.
Raikkonen, who officially joined the squad from McLaren on January 1, is participating in their annual media gathering at the Madonna di Campiglio ski resort.
Raikkonen, who officially joined the squad from McLaren on January 1, is participating in their annual media gathering at the Madonna di Campiglio ski resort.
Air Deccan connects Bhubaneshwar
Air Deccan will start a direct daily flights to Bhubaneshwar from Mumbai on February 1, 2006 onwards, the booking to this route is already started.The company will use A320 (180 seater) plane on this route.
Bhubaneshwar is fast developing as an important academic centre and low cost air connectivity from Mumbai, the pivotal business hub of the country is sure to boost the state's economy.
Andreas Broryd VP Commercial at SAS Ground Service
To further increase its customer focus and commercialization, SAS Ground
Services has appointed Andreas Broryd as the head of Commercial.
He is currently Managing Consultant at PA Consulting Group. In
recent years, he has worked with the airline industry, primarily with matters
relating to commercialization, business development and cost-efficiency
measures.
Broryd previously worked in the finance sector as an analyst, focusing on
asset-secured financing. He studied in the Master's program at the Stockholm
School of Economics.
SAS Ground Services, SGS, is a full-service provider of airline ground handling
and airport related services and a wholly owned subsidiary of the SAS Group. SGS
is the largest ground handling company in Scandinavia and is also present at
many locations around the world, totally at 160 airports in 40 countries. SGS
has an annual turnover of SEK 6,200 million and about 8,200 employees.
Direct Tiruchirapally direct from Bangalore
Kingfisher Airlines, India's private carrier announced the launch of direct flights from Bangalore to Tiruchirapally. With flights in each direction, these new routes will provide convenient service for business and leisure travelers alike. With the launch of this new route, Kingfisher Airlines will be operating more than 146 flights across 25 cities.Rockwell Collins offers enhanced vision system to all BBJ operators
SEATTLE: Boeing Business Jets and Rockwell Collins introduced an Enhanced Vision System (EVS) offering for Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) operators. The offering will be available to BBJ customers through Boeing and Rockwell Collins service bulletins, and certification for the system is expected by early 2008.
The Rockwell Collins EVS presents an image of the external environment on the Head-up Guidance System (HGS®) and head-down displays to enhance pilot situational awareness of terrain and the airport environment in low-visibility situations. When displayed on the HGS, EVS allows the pilot to descend below minimums, if the visual references to the intended runway are visible using the EVS.
"The EVS upgrade will increase safety and operational capability of the aircraft by enhancing situational awareness at night or in poor weather conditions," said John Desmond, vice president, Rockwell Collins HGS. "We look forward to working closely with Boeing to deliver this offering to their BBJ customers."
"Boeing is pleased to collaborate with Rockwell Collins to provide EVS capability on BBJs," said Boeing Business Jets President Steven Hill. "Boeing constantly evaluates and adds cutting-edge technology that brings value to our customers and enhances the performance and efficiency of a great product like the BBJ."
Rockwell Collins has teamed with Max-Viz to complete the certification of EVS on the BBJ. Rockwell Collins will incorporate a Max-Viz multi-wavelength infrared sensor into the Rockwell Collins HGS. BBJ operators that upgrade to the new EVS system will require an upgrade to their HGS 4000, as well as the infrared camera.
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
Change of guards in WHO
Dr Chan with the out going Acting Director-General, Dr Anders NordströmGENEVA - Dr Margaret Chan of China today took office as Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO).
"I want my leadership to be judged by the impact of our work on the health of two populations: women and the people of Africa," Dr Chan said. "WHO has a long history of commitment to those in greatest need, including the most vulnerable groups."
Dr Chan has set out six priority areas on which she intends to focus the work of WHO: development for health, health security, building the capacity of health systems, developing better information and knowledge, enhancing partnerships and improving the performance of the Organization.
Speaking to staff, Dr Chan said that the priorities she has emphasised during and since her election will not mean a major restructuring of WHO. She said she would be looking for ways in which different parts of the Organization can work better together. She told staff, "I will stick with my promise. Reform, yes. Upheaval, no."
"I believe these are optimistic times for health. Never before has our work enjoyed such a high profile on the political agenda" she said
Dr Chan said one of the key challenges now facing WHO is to "manage all this vigorous interest in health in ways that ensure lasting improvements and do not overburden recipient countries. … As the acknowledged leader in public health, we need to ensure that the growing number of health initiatives meets comprehensive health needs, in a coordinated way, in line with the priorities of countries and their populations", Dr Chan stressed.
She also said that the period of transition would continue until the end of 2007, with a key statement on her vision for the Organization coming at the World Health Assembly in May.
Dr Chan was appointed by the World Health Assembly in November 2006. Her term of office will run until 30 June 2012.
Singapore Airlines exercises Boeing 737 options and purchase rights
SEATTLE, Jan. 08, 2007 -- Boeing and Singapore Aircraft Leasing Enterprise (SALE) today announced that the lessor has exercised options and purchase rights for 20 Boeing Next-Generation 737-800s.
The agreement, valued at US$1.4 billion, follows previous orders in May 2005 and April 2006 for a total of 30 737s. The new order, finalised in December, was included in 2006 order totals and attributed to an unidentified customer.
SALE Chief Executive Officer Robert Martin said, "since SALE placed its first 737 order in May 2005, we have enjoyed huge success in placing the aircraft with airlines across the world".
"The fact that we have exercised all of our outstanding options and purchase rights at this time reflects our confidence in the strong ongoing demand for this product line," he added.
The new airplanes are scheduled for delivery between 2009 and 2011. As with previous orders by SALE, the 737-800 is the baseline model specified, but the agreement provides for conversions to other Next-Generation 737 family models.
"Reaching the 50-airplane milestone is a significant step in our relationship with Singapore Aircraft Leasing," said Barry Caldwell, director of Sales for Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "The global popularity of the 737 ensures that these airplanes will bring years of profitable operations for both SALE and their customer airlines."
The 737 provides proven flexibility, dispatch reliability and economic performance as well as a global support network -- important aspects as SALE markets its 737s to airlines throughout the world.
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
Jet Airways introduces new scheme at Mumbai
Jet Airways has launched "check-in while walk-in" at Mumbai airport where a "roving agent" will check-in the passenger with a hand held interface device and a printer.
The roving agent concept is expected to help reduce long queues at the check-in counters, a press release from the company said.
Jet will introduce the roving agent concept in all the metro airports.
Indian introduces direct flight to Patna
Indian Airlines has introduced a direct flight IC409 between Delhi and Patna. The Airbus A320 would be operating three days a week i.e. Monday, Wednesday and Friday departing from Delhi at 07:05 hrs and arriving at Patna at 08:30 hrs. The return flight IC410 from Patna would depart at 0910 hrs and reach Delhi at 10:35 hrs. this is in addition to the existing flight IC809/IC810 operating via Ranchi.
Emirates Airlines opens office in Bangalore
Ghaith Al Ghaith (right) presents Kumara Swamy,
Chief Minister of Karnataka(left) with a piece of
cake as Mrs Swamy, Salem Obaidalla and Emirates '
cabin crew look on.
After launching eight-flights-a-week service to Bangalore, Indian IT hub, Emirates Airline inaugurated its new 5000-square-feet office, signifying step in the airline business in the country.
Providing the ultimate pre-flight experience, the spectacular flagship outlet introduces a one-stop Travel Shop addressing the needs of Emirates’ business and leisure travellers, premium passengers, frequent-flyer members and potential holiday-makers.
Ghaith Al Ghaith executive vice president commercial operations worldwide said: “Emirates is delighted to open its new ultra-modern and stylish office which provides Bangalorean travellers with top-notch on-ground assistance. Customers can plan and book their entire travel arrangements in relaxed surroundings guided by knowledgeable travel experts.”
“Emirates’ rapidly-expanding presence in India this year, demonstrated by the launch of services to Thiruvananthapuram, Kolkata, Bangalore, and capacity enhancements to Cochin, Chennai and Delhi, comes at an opportune time as India seeks to enhance its links with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to attract more Arab investment”, he revealed.
As India’s infrastructure needs escalate to $ 400 bn for the next five years, the country touted to be one of the world’s rising economic powers, aims to conclude a free trade agreement with the GCC by end 2007. Real estate developer Emaar has already invested $ 600 mn in its Indian projects, fuelling the country’s expectations to secure additional
$ 2 bn investments from the GCC in the next three years.
“Emirates' robust Middle East presence will tremendously benefit India as it gets connected, via Dubai, to 12 key gateways in the region through 160 weekly flights. In addition, movement of goods will be facilitated by Emirates SkyCargo’s innovative products and services, superior ground handling facilities and wide-bodied aircraft offering 105 tonnes of cargo capacity per week,” Al Ghaith noted.
While waiting in the comfortable lounge area, it can accommodate over 20 persons, customers can update themselves with the airline’s latest product information and destinations briefs.
The new office, Emirates’ fifth such in the booming South Indian region, adds to the airline’s tally of 19 offices across India.
Paramount launches Chennai-Delhi sector
Paramount Airways, the Chennai-based airline has launched the Chennai-Delhi sector. Thyagarajan, managing director of Paramount Airways said, “Paramount Airways intends to be the first choice for business and leisure travelers by offering full business class services at extremely affordable fares lower than the normal economy class fares of other airlines.
“The focus being on unparalleled comfort and affordability, every seat is either a window or an aisle. There are no middle seats. The seat pitch is most generous and a 6 foot tall passenger would easily find adequate leg room. Offering a very luxurious recline, the seats are covered with the highest quality of dual tone ultra-leather material. They also have a movable headrest for enhanced comfort and privacy. Moreover, seats will be assigned at time of check-in in accordance to passenger preference”.
The aircraft has three spacious galleys that provide adequate room for preparing and serving a full three course gourmet meal for the passengers. For a flight of seventy passengers, four cabin crew cater to the passengers needs at all times. The ratio of cabin crew to passengers is among the highest in the world, translating to exceptional in-flight service and personalized individual attention.
The new generation EMBRAER 170/175 aircrafts chosen by Paramount are one of the most advanced and modern jets ever made, translating into exceptional passenger safety. They have a state-of-the-art glass cockpit panels with full colour LCD displays and are completely of fly-by-wire system, offering excellent field performance and outstanding economics. The Embraer 170/175 aircraft are also equipped with ACARS (Aircraft Control and Reporting System). All Paramount Airway’s aircrafts are equipped with Category II low visibility auto-land. This will enable the aircraft to land automatically with the use of the Auto-Pilot in very low visibility and foggy conditions, as such experienced in Northern India during winter.
The flight departs Chennai at 10.35 am and lands at Delhi at 13.15 and the return flight from Delhi is at 15.05 and lands in Chennai at 17.45. The Coimbatore-Chennai sector is rescheduled accordingly to leave Coimbatore at 8:45 am.
Jet Airways order 10 Dreamliners from Boeing
Mumbai, Jan 3: Jet Airways, a Mumbai-based
private airline have ordered 10 787-8 Dreamliners from Boeing, world largest aviation company. The order, placed in December 2006, is valued at more than $1.5 bn at list prices and deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2011.
"This order reflects our desire to be the leader in offering the highest quality of service that is reliable, comfortable and efficient for our customers with the most modern aircraft," said Naresh Goyal, chairman of Jet Airways.
"These 787 Dreamliners, which will be used in conjunction with our 777s ordered in September 2005, will bring a new level of world-class service as we expand our international operations with routes to Europe, Asia and the U.S", he added.
Jet Airways currently operates a fleet of 46 classic and next-generation Boeing 737-400/-700/-800/-900 airplanes. The airline will take delivery of its first of 10 777-300ERs in April.
"The 787 Dreamliner will enhance Jet Airways' fleet with both its unmatched fuel efficiency and its flexibility for both regional and long-haul operations," said Dinesh Keskar, Boeing Commercial Airplanes vice president of sales.
"Passengers will enjoy the many benefits of the 787, from an interior environment with higher humidity to increased comfort and convenience", he stressed.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner, scheduled for delivery beginning in 2008, provides passengers with a better flying experience and operators with a more efficient commercial jetliner.
Thirty-eight airlines have logged 471 orders and commitments worth more than $70 billion at current list prices since the 787 launch in April 2004, making the Dreamliner the most successful commercial airplane launch in history.
Jet Airways, with an average fleet age of 5.3 years, has one of the youngest aircraft fleets in the world. The airline operates more than 330 daily flights to 49 destinations that span the length and breadth of India and beyond including London, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Colombo and Kathmandu. The airline plans to extend its international operations to North America, Europe, Africa, China and Asia in the coming years with the introduction of twin-aisle aircraft into its fleet in 2007.
private airline have ordered 10 787-8 Dreamliners from Boeing, world largest aviation company. The order, placed in December 2006, is valued at more than $1.5 bn at list prices and deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2011."This order reflects our desire to be the leader in offering the highest quality of service that is reliable, comfortable and efficient for our customers with the most modern aircraft," said Naresh Goyal, chairman of Jet Airways.
"These 787 Dreamliners, which will be used in conjunction with our 777s ordered in September 2005, will bring a new level of world-class service as we expand our international operations with routes to Europe, Asia and the U.S", he added.
Jet Airways currently operates a fleet of 46 classic and next-generation Boeing 737-400/-700/-800/-900 airplanes. The airline will take delivery of its first of 10 777-300ERs in April.
"The 787 Dreamliner will enhance Jet Airways' fleet with both its unmatched fuel efficiency and its flexibility for both regional and long-haul operations," said Dinesh Keskar, Boeing Commercial Airplanes vice president of sales.
"Passengers will enjoy the many benefits of the 787, from an interior environment with higher humidity to increased comfort and convenience", he stressed.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner, scheduled for delivery beginning in 2008, provides passengers with a better flying experience and operators with a more efficient commercial jetliner.
Thirty-eight airlines have logged 471 orders and commitments worth more than $70 billion at current list prices since the 787 launch in April 2004, making the Dreamliner the most successful commercial airplane launch in history.
Jet Airways, with an average fleet age of 5.3 years, has one of the youngest aircraft fleets in the world. The airline operates more than 330 daily flights to 49 destinations that span the length and breadth of India and beyond including London, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Colombo and Kathmandu. The airline plans to extend its international operations to North America, Europe, Africa, China and Asia in the coming years with the introduction of twin-aisle aircraft into its fleet in 2007.
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