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Neelam Mathews

April 16, 2011

Time: 12:45PM IST

Air Seychelles, is consolidating its operations under a new management,. It will cease weekly flights to Chennai started in November last year as part of an initial plan to make Chennai its hub. The carrier will resume direct flights to Singapore begining June.

As rising fuel costs become the difference between survival and death, Air India is lowering fares by 20-30 percent on certain routes.

Bangkok Airways is looking to operate scheduled daily flights to Bangalore and Chennai from Bangkok, possibly by the end of this year and Chennai by early next year. The carrier started flying to Mumbai in March, now wants to convert its flights to daily from six a week.

Afghanistan's newest cargo airline East Horizon Airlines having taken delivery of its first aircraft, is looking at UAE, Western China and India. It has acquired four CASA 212-00 ramp-loading cargo planes from EADS CASA.

NORTHEAST Shuttles, a non-scheduled chartered airline, is looking at introducing daily flights on the Kolkata-Cooch Behar sector. The airline operates flights between Guwahati, Sichar, Aizwal, Dimapur and Lilabari with an 18-seater Dornier aircraft and Aizwal, Imphal and Silchar using a nine-seater Cessna aircraft.

The recent spike in oil prices could spell more trouble for ultra long-haul routes, CAPA says. Singapore Airlines has decided to again cut its non-stop all-business class Singapore-Los Angeles operation from seven to five weekly frequencies.

Four years after inking a MoU with the Airports Authority of India for expansion and development of the Vijayawada airport at Gannavaram, the Andhra Pradesh government has now finally decided to hasten the process of acquiring required land for the purpose.

Pakistan International Airlines is planning to add a fourth weekly flight to New York from June 1, flying a Karachi – Lahore – Manchester – New York JFK with a Boeing 777-300ER.

Air Asia X has introduced a new route from Tokyo Haneda to Kuala Lumpur.

Air Arabia has inaugurated its regular shuttle service ‘Air Arabia Express’ between the center of Dubai and Sharjah International Airport. Air Arabia will provide 20 bus services per day with prices starting at just Rs.125 each way. The shuttle service will operate between the Flora Deluxe Hotel Apartments in Dubai, Deira, and Sharjah International Airport.

Gulf Air is to inaugurate flights from Bahrain to Copenhagen and Nairobi from the first week of July, bringing its new route count for the current year to eight.

Qatar Airways has confirmed that it has placed a firm order for three additional Boeing 777 Freighters and two Boeing 777-300ERs. This latest order will support the airline’s rapid network expansion in the passenger and freight markets and will enable new long-haul links to be established and frequencies boosted to existing destinations.

Air New Zealand has received government approval for its codeshare agreement with Etihad Airways starting April 18..

Bmibaby is to close operations at Manchester and Cardiff airports. The airline, which has flown to Cardiff, Wales, since 2002, will terminate 10 routes there and will reallocate two aircraft from each of the bases to the UK’s Belfast City, Birmingham International and East Midlands airports. Wales had invested heavily in Bmibaby as its ‘national carrier’. 

Austrian Airlines and Amadeus have signed a long-term “Full Content” agreement. The contract runs until the end of 2014. Travel agencies worldwide have guaranteed access to the full range of Austrian Airlines fares and inventory through Amadeus, with no surcharge.

LOT Polish Airlines took delivery of its first Embraer 195 last week and plans to introduce the type into service on a number of its European routes this summer. LOT converted four options for the E175 to the larger E195 in May last year and will use them to replace older Boeing 737-500 models, enabling it streamline its short-haul flying program around the E-Jet family. 

Kenya Airways has confirmed that it will take delivery of nine Boeing 787-8 starting the fourth quarter of 2013.  The airline plans to offer flights to every African Capital by 2013.  They will directly replace Kenya Airways’ 767-300ERs as well as providing capacity for network growth. 

The U.S Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will appoint an additional 27 midnight staff at control towers across the country as a result of lone controllers falling asleep on duty.