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A flight to the Moon may cost space tourists $100 million, a senior official of the Russian Space Agency was quoted by RIA Novosti as saying Tuesday.
“A project for flights around the Moon really exists and we are currently studying it,” said Alexei Krasnov, head of the agency’s department of piloted programs. “This flight may cost about $100 million for a tourist.”
According to Krasnov, a modernized Soyuz cargo spacecraft with a Russian cosmonaut and one or two space tourists on board will be put into low earth orbit and docked with the International Space Station.
After that, an upper-stage rocket will be launched from the Baikonur space center to be docked with the Soyuz.
“The power of the upper stage will provide the flight around the Moon and return to Earth,” Krasnov said, adding that the trip would last from eight to ten days.
He also said there were special criteria for space tourists, including education, ability to handle stressful situations, medical factors and language skills, among others.
“Fluent spoken and written English is a compulsory demand for all ISS candidates,” Krasnov said. “Russian and English studies are included in the training program.”
He said Russia was cooperating in the space tourism industry with the United States, Japan, China, Brazil, Malaysia and South Korea.
Finnair is to launch a non-stop service between Delhi and Helsinki in November 2006, the Finnish flag carrier said in a statement Tuesday.
The route is to be Finnair's tenth Asian destination.
PASSENGER numbers would more than double with flights bound for North America and the Middle East taking off from Aberdeen airport under a 25-year blueprint launched yesterday.
Plans for a 300m runway extension have been lodged to open the city to destinations such as Prague, Berlin and Rome.
This year, Aberdeen City Council agreed to relax the airport's operating hours and, in the past 18 months, 16 new routes have been launched – making it Scotland's fastest-growing airport.
Andy Flower, managing director, said: "For an airport with aspirations to become a major gateway for Scotland, the lack of flexibility around our operating hours was a major stumbling block.
"Aberdeen City Council's decision to lift the restrictions has been a huge benefit to our airlines and, more importantly, to our passengers. A number of airlines have now expressed an interest in operating, or expanding, from Aberdeen as a result of that decision.
"However, in our discussions with existing, and potential, airlines, it has become obvious that the length of the runway remains a barrier to further growth. If we are serious about attracting new international airlines, and we are, it is vital that we address this issue."
Passenger numbers have increased by 25% over the past decade from 2.24 million in 1995 to 2.6 million last year. The masterplan forecasts that the airport could handle as many as 5.3 million by 2030. The number of people directly employed at the site is forecast to increase to about 4000 by 2030.
Duncan McLaren, chief executive of Friends of the Earth Scotland, said: "This announcement can only be described as environmental madness. Talk of doubling capacity at airports like Aberdeen, Glasgow and Edinburgh is premature and will seriously undermine action to tackle global warming."
Projected passenger figures
PASSENGER numbers would more than double with flights bound for North America and the Middle East taking off from Aberdeen airport under a 25-year blueprint launched yesterday.
Plans for a 300m runway extension have been lodged to open the city to destinations such as Prague, Berlin and Rome.
This year, Aberdeen City Council agreed to relax the airport's operating hours and, in the past 18 months, 16 new routes have been launched – making it Scotland's fastest-growing airport.
Andy Flower, managing director, said: "For an airport with aspirations to become a major gateway for Scotland, the lack of flexibility around our operating hours was a major stumbling block.
"Aberdeen City Council's decision to lift the restrictions has been a huge benefit to our airlines and, more importantly, to our passengers. A number of airlines have now expressed an interest in operating, or expanding, from Aberdeen as a result of that decision.
"However, in our discussions with existing, and potential, airlines, it has become obvious that the length of the runway remains a barrier to further growth. If we are serious about attracting new international airlines, and we are, it is vital that we address this issue."
Passenger numbers have increased by 25% over the past decade from 2.24 million in 1995 to 2.6 million last year. The masterplan forecasts that the airport could handle as many as 5.3 million by 2030. The number of people directly employed at the site is forecast to increase to about 4000 by 2030.
Duncan McLaren, chief executive of Friends of the Earth Scotland, said: "This announcement can only be described as environmental madness. Talk of doubling capacity at airports like Aberdeen, Glasgow and Edinburgh is premature and will seriously undermine action to tackle global warming."
Projected passenger figures
PASSENGER numbers would more than double with flights bound for North America and the Middle East taking off from Aberdeen airport under a 25-year blueprint launched yesterday.
Plans for a 300m runway extension have been lodged to open the city to destinations such as Prague, Berlin and Rome.
This year, Aberdeen City Council agreed to relax the airport's operating hours and, in the past 18 months, 16 new routes have been launched – making it Scotland's fastest-growing airport.
Andy Flower, managing director, said: "For an airport with aspirations to become a major gateway for Scotland, the lack of flexibility around our operating hours was a major stumbling block.
"Aberdeen City Council's decision to lift the restrictions has been a huge benefit to our airlines and, more importantly, to our passengers. A number of airlines have now expressed an interest in operating, or expanding, from Aberdeen as a result of that decision.
"However, in our discussions with existing, and potential, airlines, it has become obvious that the length of the runway remains a barrier to further growth. If we are serious about attracting new international airlines, and we are, it is vital that we address this issue."
Passenger numbers have increased by 25% over the past decade from 2.24 million in 1995 to 2.6 million last year. The masterplan forecasts that the airport could handle as many as 5.3 million by 2030. The number of people directly employed at the site is forecast to increase to about 4000 by 2030.
Duncan McLaren, chief executive of Friends of the Earth Scotland, said: "This announcement can only be described as environmental madness. Talk of doubling capacity at airports like Aberdeen, Glasgow and Edinburgh is premature and will seriously undermine action to tackle global warming."
Air travelers looking for flights to San Antonio will have more choices next spring when United Airlines adds service from Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City and Tulsa International Airport.
United will offer two daily point-to-point flights beginning March 3 from both airports to San Antonio as it continues to restructure itself and emerge from bankruptcy.
The airline will also offer flights from Oklahoma City to New Orleans beginning Feb. 23.
The flights will be operated by regional carriers United Express and Trans States Airlines.
In October, United had 12,297 enplanements in Oklahoma City, or 7.9 percent total departures.
ABOUT 60,000 Jetstar passengers have missed their flights because of the no-frills airline's strict check-in policy.
Check-in is closed 30 minutes before scheduled departure and customers who arrive a minute late are likely to be turned away.
Passengers with flexible fares are moved to the next flight without extra cost, but those travelling on cheaper tickets incur a $50 penalty each and $100 for a family.
The tough policy has led many to accuse Jetstar of being inflexible and lacking compassion, but Qantas's low-cost carrier insists the measure keeps fares down and that fewer than 1 per cent of passengers have missed flights for being late.
Based on the six million-plus people who have flown Jetstar since its launch 17 months ago, about 60,000 have been caught out.
The revelation comes as Jetstar prepares to launch its first international services this Thursday. The airline is offering flights from four Australian destinations to Christchurch in New Zealand.
There will be nine return services a week between Melbourne and Christchurch.
Check-in for these flights will close an hour before departure and seats will be allocated, unlike the first-in-best-dressed rule on domestic services.
The same penalties for being late will apply, but on most days passengers will have to wait 24 hours for the next flight.
Qantas has also confirmed that, subject to board approval, it will probably set up a separate Jetstar International carrier to initially service some Asian routes next year.
Jetstar spokesman Simon Westaway said yesterday the airline's strict check-in policy was the same used by successful low-cost carriers overseas.
Mr Westaway said Qantas and Virgin Blue advertised the same check-in deadline as Jetstar.
Mr Westaway said the check-in deadline enabled flights to be turned around more quickly and planes to be used more efficiently, providing cheaper fares.
Qantas executive general manager John Borghetti said Jetstar International could be operating within a year if approved by the board next month. He denied JI would become a substitute for full-service Qantas flights.
New Delhi: Low cost carrier Air Deccan has announced the launch of direct daily flights from Chennai to Pune and Chennai to Thiruvananthapuram from February 1 next year.
It will also launch direct daily flights from Ahmedabad to Hyderabad from that date. Booking for these three sectors started this morning.
A 180-seater Airbus A320 will be deployed on the routes. A total of 100 seats will be priced below Rs 2,000.
Meanwhile, Air Deccan has opened bookings on all Airbus sectors for travel between February and March 06. The destinations include Ahmedabad, Baghdogra, Bangalore, Chennai, Coimbatore, Delhi, Goa, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Nagpur, Pune, Raipur, Srinagar and Thiruvananthapuram.
A total of 50,000 tickets priced between Re one (plus taxes) and Rs 999 (plus taxes) will be released for travel.
A four-hour general strike is being held across Italy on Friday (25 November) and is expected to affect air transport.
Air traffic controllers are among those stopping work between 1200 and 1600 local time.
State-controlled airline Alitalia said that it planned to cancel a total of 230 flights, including 105 national flights and 125 international services.
Other airlines were also expected to cancel flights because of the strike.
The action, which was initiated in protest against the government's 2006 budget, also includes hospital staff, teachers, postal workers and road sweepers, reported Reuters.
Qatar Airways has said that it is set to launch flights from Doha, Spain on 2 December.
According to the airline, the schedule for Doha-Madrid flights set to allow Indian passengers to fly to Doha and then take a connecting flight to Madrid. The route will reportedly be operated three times weekly with Airbus A330 aircraft.
Additionally, on 15 December, the airline will launch flights to Berlin in Germany, netindia123.com reported.
Air Southwest has announced the launch of many new services from Newquay Cornwall Airport, including a daily return service to Cardiff. The low cost airline is also launching the first direct non-stop flight to Leeds Bradford Airport from Newquay, and enhancing the twice daily flights from Newquay to Manchester which will no longer involve a change of aircraft at Bristol.
Flights will start on April 10 next year, so passengers are urged to book early to secure the best deals.
Malcolm Naylor, chief executive of Air Southwest, said: "As Cornwall's own airline, this further underlines our commitment to the future of Newquay Airport and means we will now fly to six destinations from Cornwall - Gatwick, Leeds Bradford, Manchester, Bristol, Dublin and now Cardiff.
"The services to Manchester and Leeds Bradford that we launched in April this year have been well received and our schedule changes announced today make the routes even more customer-friendly."
David Whalley, leader of Cornwall County Council, the owners of Newquay Cornwall Airport, said: "We are very pleased to be hosting these new services, and wish Air Southwest every success with their route development.
"It is good to see a local South West airline playing such an active role in the fortunes of the airport."
Air Southwest was launched two years ago and is part of the Plymouth-based transport and regeneration group Sutton Harbour Holdings Plc, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange.
It operates a fleet of 50-seater Dash 8-300 aircraft, offering a flight time to Cardiff of just 35 minutes.
SINGAPORE (Dow Jones)--Singapore Airlines Ltd. (S55.SG) Thursday said it will restart flights to Pakistan in February, almost four years after it stopped the service on security concerns.
The world's second-biggest airline by market capitalization said in a statement it will offer a three-times-weekly service to Karachi and Lahore beginning Feb. 1.
It added that the service will support further growth in bilateral trade relations between Singapore and Pakistan by facilitating more commercial and tourism inflows into the country.
Singapore Airlines discontinued flights to Pakistan in May 2002 on security concerns.
Singapore is currently negotiating a free trade agreement with Pakistan.
IA has tied up with Reliance Infocomm for the service.
To being with bookings will be available against INR full fare and easy fare options, Reliance Infocomm chief executive officer (Delhi circle) Navneet Saluja said.
Anil Goyal, Indian Airlines director commercial said, "The tie-up with Reliance Infocomm for m-ticketing assures nationwide reach through the easy-to-use R World functionality backed by sound technological capabilities on its ubiquitous telecom network."
After one has entered the origin and destination points and date of travel, full and discounted fares in economy and executive classes are displayed on the mobile screen. All one has to do is select the fare and payment mode and book the ticket. The PNR is generated and displayed. The ticket can be collected from the airport or an Indian Airlines office by producing the PNR and photo identification. Reliance IndiaMobile users do not have to register separately for this service. They can use their existing RIM bill payment PIN for the purpose. They can make a secure online payment using their of the Master, Visa or Diners credit cards, which will be processed through the Citibank mobile payment gateway.
"Our focus had been on developing applications and services that cut across various aspects of customer lifestyle," said Saluja. "The company has made huge strides to execute innovative m-commerce applications that are yielding rich dividends today," he added.
Currently, the Indian Airlines ticket booking is a subscription service and is bundled with over 65 frequently used R World applications accessible after buying a monthly pass for US$0.56 or a day pass for US$0.06.
Libyan private carrier Buraq Air will begin regular flights to Dubai by mid-2006, the company's deputy director general told Gulf News. The airline currently operates charter flights to the UAE, and carries about 15.5% of the freight passing from the UAE to Libya.
RESIDENTS concerned about Farnborough Airport’s plans to double its weekend flights have been given extra time to lodge their objections.
Rushmoor Borough Council has extended the consultation period until December 9 before the council considers the airport’s proposal.
TAG Aviation, the owner and operator of the airport, plans to increase weekend movements from 2,500 to 5,000. It does not plan to increase the annual capacity of movements on-site and the weekend rise is to be incorporated into the yearly maximum of 28,000.
The current annual movements at Farnborough are about 17,000.
Rushmoor came under fire earlier this month for not properly consulting residents of villages in Surrey Heath and Woking, such as Knaphill and western Goldsworth Park that fall under the airport’s flight path.
This is a claim the council refuted.
Keith Holland, head of planning at Rushmoor, confirmed this week the consultation period had been extended because the planners were receiving an increasingly “large post bag on the matter and were seeking more information from TAG.”
Mr Holland said: “We have certainly received a fair number and they have been recorded and will be reported to the committee before they make a decision.”
Dense fog is continuing to hamper flights at Bristol International Airport with a further 11 cancelled.
Five outbound flights and six inbound have been hit because of low visibility and more could follow.
On Monday, 16 flights to destinations around Europe and the UK were called off and another 16 were diverted to Exeter, Leeds, Birmingham and Cardiff.
A spokesman advised passengers to check with the airline they are travelling with before leaving for the airport.
"The first wave of British Airways flights are off, Easyjet seem to be running as normal, but there will be a knock on effect," he said.
Zoom Airlines have announced an extra flight from the UK to Canada to cope with the huge demand for its low-cost scheduled flights throughout winter.
Zoom has also added an additional flight from Manchester to Vancouver via Glasgow throughout the month of April, to meet demand from ski enthusiasts wishing to sample the world famous slopes of Whistler at a fraction of European ski flights. Prices on this service start from £119 one-way plus taxes with no additional charge for ski carriage.
Debbie Marshall, UK director of Zoom Airlines, said: “With low-cost full scheduled flights direct to Canada throughout the winter, we have made Canada a far more affordable ski destination for the British public.
“We have experienced an outstanding volume of bookings for our winter ski flights, especially from regional markets, and we are delighted to be offering this additional service.”
Zoom’s full winter ski schedule is currently in operation and will continue until the end of April 2006. Premium seats are available on all Zoom flights from an additional £49 each way offering additional legroom, priority check-in and in-flight meal and drinks benefits.
NATIONAL flag carrier Air Niugini will introduce 120 extra flights to its domestic destinations in the busy period leading to Christmas.
There will also be additional flights to the airline’s overseas destinations, especially to the cities of Brisbane and Cairns in Australia.
“With the steady improvement in economic conditions throughout this year, Air Niugini is experiencing strong demand for flights over the Christmas holiday period,” Air Niugini said on Friday.
“All intending customers are therefore encouraged to book early to avoid disappointment.”
The airline said the extra flights would operate to most PNG destinations and some flights would see the larger Fokker 100 making maiden flights to destinations such as Momote Airport in Manus Province and Gurney Airport in Milne Bay.
The 95-seater Fokker 100s currently fly only to Nadzab in Morobe Province, Tokua in East New Britain Province and Hoskins in West New Britain Province.
During the holiday period, F100s will fly to Manus on December 14, 16, 21 and 23 and to Alotau on December 13 and 20.
Air Wales said yesterday it had now stopped flights on the Aberdeen-Liverpool route because of a lack of demand.
It said the service - launched last November - did not receive the level of take-up expected and was no longer viable.
It said: "We are introducing a service to Newcastle which, like the Liverpool flight, continues on to Cardiff and Plymouth.
"We believe the Newcastle route will have a wider appeal to both the leisure and business audience.
"We have every confidence that the rationalisation of the Aberdeen-Liverpool service will pave the way for us to further grow the airline and enable us to offer even more competitively priced and convenient services to our customers."
The Aberdeen-Newcastle service starts tomorrow and there will be two flights a day, six-days a week, however, Air Wales will face competition on the route to north-east England. Eastern Airways already flies between Aberdeen and Newcastle.
Low-cost airline Air Southwest is aiming to carry 20,000 passengers on its new Norwich to Bristol service.
Air Southwest chief executive Malcolm Naylor flew into Norwich today to officially launch the new route which will provide a daily link with the South West for the first time.
If the route proves a success the airline expects to increase the frequency of the service to twice daily, and introduce services from Norwich to Plymouth or Newquay.
The new service begins next April, although tickets are already on sale.
Mr Naylor said: “We have been looking at Norwich for some months and we believe the route has real potential. The airport here has been very supportive of our plans. With the launch of other new routes here and the building of new facilities we believe it is a good time to be starting in Norwich.”
Fares will start at £19 one way, including all taxes and charges. The highest price fares are likely to be around £100 one way including all taxes and charges.
The airline is expecting the route to be used by a mixture of business and leisure passengers, with people visiting friends and relatives another large potential market.
Air Southwest was started two years ago by the owner of Plymouth City Airport and so far flown 420,000 passengers from bases at Plymouth, Newquay and Bristol.
Norwich International airport managing director Richard Jenner said: “We are delighted that Air Southwest has announced this route. We have been aware of high demand for a flight link from the airport to the South West for some time.”
The flight time from Norwich to Bristol is one hour, compared with a journey by road of around five hours and four-and-half hours by rail.
BEIJING: China called for renewed direct flights to Taiwan during the 2006 Spring Festival, but on an even larger scale than when they were launched under much fanfare early this year.
China made the appeal at a press conference conducted by the Cabinet-level Taiwan Affairs Office in Beijing, attended mostly by journalists from China and Taiwan.
"For the 2006 flights, we call for increasing the number of passengers, adding more airports, shortening the routes, and upping the number of flights," said office spokesman Li Weiyi.
Li said China and Taiwan should enter into consultations "as early as possible" on chartered flights for the 2006 Spring Festival.
"We believe the 2005 Spring Festival flights were a very successful experience, and we would like to use it as a basis for providing even better service for the Taiwan compatriots," he said.
China and Taiwan this year agreed to chartered flights taking Taiwan businesspeople and their relatives to their home island to celebrate the traditional Spring Festival.
The flights were hailed as historic, because they were non-stop as opposed to earlier flights, which made brief stop-overs in Hong Kong or Macau.
Taiwan normally bans direct transport links with the mainland, only allowing exchanges with stops in third ports, and even the 2005 Spring Festival flights had to go through Hong Kong airspace, adding to the travel time.
Li's appeal for "shortening the routes" seemed to hint at doing away with this costly departure from a genuinely direct trip.
China and Taiwan have been governed separately since the end of a civil war in 1949, but Beijing considers the island part of its territory awaiting reunification, by force if necessary.
Economic ties, however, are thriving, and an estimated one million Taiwanese live in China, many of them hoping the flights could herald regular direct air and sea services.
SCOTS are taking more long-haul sunshine flights than ever before, new figures revealed today.
Glasgow Airport said passenger numbers soared almost 20% on flights to destinations outside Europe over the past year.
And the biggest jump in travel was to the exotic beach resorts of the Dominican Republic, up 50%, and Mexico, up 41%.
Glasgow Airport has long been Scotland's long-haul gateway and has secured new flights to the US, the Middle East and Pakistan in recent years.
Overall, 775,916 passengers flew into and out of the airport on direct long-haul flights in the 12 months to October 2005 -19.6% more than a year earlier.
Stephen Baxter, managing director of Glasgow Airport, said: "The rise in long-haul travel has been one of the key highlights of the past year.
"North America has always been one of our strongest long-haul markets but in the past year we've seen a shift to other, some might say, more exotic parts of the world as passengers become more adventurous."
Dubai is typical of a sunshine destination that has taken Scotland by storm.
The city, in the United Arab Emirates, has year-round sunshine, some of the world's top hotels and vital business links.
Dubai was the most popular long-haul destination from Glasgow last year, with 163,000 passengers.
Many travellers to Dubai caught connections to other cities across Asia and Australasia.
Glasgow's daily Dubai service was pioneered by Emirates, which has now introduced a bigger jet on the route.
And Pakistan International Airlines will launch direct flights to the Gulf city next month.
Despite worries about recent terrorist strikes, Egypt was one of the fastest growing long-haul destinations for Scots holidaymakers.
New flights to the Egyptian resorts of Sharm el Sheik and Hurghada attracted more than 20,000 passengers. Passenger numbers on flights to Tunisia were up by 5%.
Airport bosses hope the continued popularity of long-haul flights will lure other major operators to Scotland.
TIMESFILE: The top 10 long haul destinations from Glasgow
1.....Dubai
2....Toronto
3....New York
4....Florida
5....Chicago
6....Vancouver
7.....Philadelphia
8....Monastir, Tunisia
9....Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic
10..Cancun, Mexico
Publication date 15/11/05
SCOTS are taking more long-haul sunshine flights than ever before, new figures revealed today.
Glasgow Airport said passenger numbers soared almost 20% on flights to destinations outside Europe over the past year.
And the biggest jump in travel was to the exotic beach resorts of the Dominican Republic, up 50%, and Mexico, up 41%.
Glasgow Airport has long been Scotland's long-haul gateway and has secured new flights to the US, the Middle East and Pakistan in recent years.
Overall, 775,916 passengers flew into and out of the airport on direct long-haul flights in the 12 months to October 2005 -19.6% more than a year earlier.
Stephen Baxter, managing director of Glasgow Airport, said: "The rise in long-haul travel has been one of the key highlights of the past year.
"North America has always been one of our strongest long-haul markets but in the past year we've seen a shift to other, some might say, more exotic parts of the world as passengers become more adventurous."
A Derby businessman is asking for help to get aid from the East Midlands to victims of the earthquake in Pakistan.
Zuffar Haq of the charity International Hospital Relief is worried the supplies will not arrive in the area before severe cold weather strikes.
He wants to send the aid to Pakistan by air but said the cost of the cargo flights was "prohibitive".
Nearly 2.5m people have lost their homes since the earthquake struck five weeks ago.
'Absolutely desperate
"They are absolutely desperate - the situation is that people's lives are at risk at this moment and in two or three weeks there is no way any aid will get through.
"It needs to be there now."
He appealed for a donor to come forward and offer free cargo flights to the area.
"We need as much air cargo space as possible.
"Once the cold weather closes in with the winter conditions people will die."
He said aid agencies were stepping up efforts in Pakistan as the weather worsened, but supplies were needed immediately.
The charity has collected hospital beds and other equipment to send to Islamabad to treat victims of the earthquake disaster.
A BOEING 777 heralded a new era of travel yesterday with a flight lasting nearly 23 hours that included two sunrises.
The jet arrived in London from Hong Kong after 22 hours and 43 minutes in the air, breaking the record for the longest non-stop flight by a commercial jet.
Lars Andersen, of Boeing, said the flight showed the future of air travel. "With the 777-200LR Worldliner, passengers can fly commercially between just about any two cities non-stop."
The record-breaking attempt is part of Boeing's fierce competition with its European rival Airbus. The Worldliner, which can carry about 300 passengers, competes directly with the Airbus 340-500 which has a flight range of 10,380 miles and carries slightly more people.
The Worldliner touched down just after 1pm at Heathrow after a journey of 13,422 miles. Fire crews poured water over it in celebration as it taxied to a halt.
Boeing said that after leaving Hong Kong, the jet flew across the northern Pacific Ocean to North America, where it flew over Los Angeles, then slightly south of Chicago and over New York and across the Atlantic Ocean to London. Hong Kong-London flights usually fly over Russia.
The previous record for the longest non-stop commercial flight was set by a Boeing 747-400 that flew 10,500 miles from London to Sydney in 1989.
Captain Suzanna Darcy-Hennemann, who was at the controls as the plane left Hong Kong, said: "We had fantastic weather leaving Hong Kong. Across the Atlantic we saw our second sunrise of the trip. I will sleep well tonight."
A BOEING 777 heralded a new era of travel yesterday with a flight lasting nearly 23 hours that included two sunrises.
The jet arrived in London from Hong Kong after 22 hours and 43 minutes in the air, breaking the record for the longest non-stop flight by a commercial jet.
Lars Andersen, of Boeing, said the flight showed the future of air travel. "With the 777-200LR Worldliner, passengers can fly commercially between just about any two cities non-stop."
The record-breaking attempt is part of Boeing's fierce competition with its European rival Airbus. The Worldliner, which can carry about 300 passengers, competes directly with the Airbus 340-500 which has a flight range of 10,380 miles and carries slightly more people.
The Worldliner touched down just after 1pm at Heathrow after a journey of 13,422 miles. Fire crews poured water over it in celebration as it taxied to a halt.
Boeing said that after leaving Hong Kong, the jet flew across the northern Pacific Ocean to North America, where it flew over Los Angeles, then slightly south of Chicago and over New York and across the Atlantic Ocean to London. Hong Kong-London flights usually fly over Russia.
The previous record for the longest non-stop commercial flight was set by a Boeing 747-400 that flew 10,500 miles from London to Sydney in 1989.
Captain Suzanna Darcy-Hennemann, who was at the controls as the plane left Hong Kong, said: "We had fantastic weather leaving Hong Kong. Across the Atlantic we saw our second sunrise of the trip. I will sleep well tonight."
A BOEING 777 heralded a new era of travel yesterday with a flight lasting nearly 23 hours that included two sunrises.
The jet arrived in London from Hong Kong after 22 hours and 43 minutes in the air, breaking the record for the longest non-stop flight by a commercial jet.
Lars Andersen, of Boeing, said the flight showed the future of air travel. "With the 777-200LR Worldliner, passengers can fly commercially between just about any two cities non-stop."
The record-breaking attempt is part of Boeing's fierce competition with its European rival Airbus. The Worldliner, which can carry about 300 passengers, competes directly with the Airbus 340-500 which has a flight range of 10,380 miles and carries slightly more people.
The Worldliner touched down just after 1pm at Heathrow after a journey of 13,422 miles. Fire crews poured water over it in celebration as it taxied to a halt.
Boeing said that after leaving Hong Kong, the jet flew across the northern Pacific Ocean to North America, where it flew over Los Angeles, then slightly south of Chicago and over New York and across the Atlantic Ocean to London. Hong Kong-London flights usually fly over Russia.
The previous record for the longest non-stop commercial flight was set by a Boeing 747-400 that flew 10,500 miles from London to Sydney in 1989.
Captain Suzanna Darcy-Hennemann, who was at the controls as the plane left Hong Kong, said: "We had fantastic weather leaving Hong Kong. Across the Atlantic we saw our second sunrise of the trip. I will sleep well tonight."
Ryanair has once again warned it will reduce flights from City of Derry Airport if the controversial runway extension does not go ahead.
The low cost airline has only just reinstated its two flights a day service to London Stansted after axing one earlier this year.
But its deputy chief executive, Michael Crawley, has warned Ryanair will take the same action again if improvement works at the airport are not completed.
The threat comes just weeks after the airline announced even more new services from Derry to Liverpool and East Midlands which are set to take off in the spring.
Mr. Crawley was speaking to BBC Business and Industry Correspondent, Neil Gallacher, in an interview over Ryanair's threat to reduce flights from Newquay Airport in England.
It is opposed to the decision by the local airport's owners, Cornwall County Council, to introduce a new £5 departure tax which passengers must pay to take off.
The controversial levy has been brought in to ease its losses of more than £1million a year.
GLASGOW today won its first low-cost link to the party island of Ibiza.
Scots budget airline flyglobespan today announced new flights to the Mediterranean sunspot for little more than £50 return.
The company aims to take on the package holiday firms that have dominated the Ibiza market for decades.
Scots have long flocked to the island for the nightlife of San Antonio and Ibiza Town.
Clubs such as Ministry of Sound, Manumission, El Divino and Cafe Del Mar attract some of Europe's most glamorous celebrities.
But flyglobespan reckons its weekly flights, set to start in March, should bring in more families and couples eager to see the other side of island life.
Airline chairman Tom Dalrymple said: "Ibiza's sensational nightlife appeals to the young holidaymaker who wants the clubbing scene but it is also a very scenic island with some beautiful, family-oriented resorts."
Bosses at Glasgow Airport are also delighted to get new flights - despite the fact the destination is already well-served by charter services.
Graham Latta, the airport's terminal manager, said: "Flyglobespan's continued growth from Glasgow Airport is more good news for passengers.
"With flights from Glasgow to more than 16 destinations across Europe, and the US, flyglobespan is now a major player in the airline industry."
He added: "Ibiza has always been a popular destination among younger travellers, but for all its sense of fun, the island is also one of the most beautiful in the Mediterranean and these new low-cost flights should appeal to all ages."
Flyglobespan has now moved on to offer flights to major cities from Glasgow, including Amsterdam and Prague.
Flyglobespan has still to roll out its entire summer schedules and Mr Dalrymple hinted there will be more good news for Glasgow Airport soon.
"We have some exciting plans for next year," he said.
"We are currently sorting out the technicalities of organising routes to some destinations that we are sure will appeal to the Scottish public."
Last week the Evening Times revealed Mr Dalrymple's first transatlantic venture, low-cost flights from Glasgow Airport to Sanford near Orlando.
He said: "We have been delighted at the response to this.
"Bookings have been very encouraging."
And today the airline added another daily service from Edinburgh Airport, to Bournemouth.
Publication date 11/11/05
GLASGOW today won its first low-cost link to the party island of Ibiza.
Scots budget airline flyglobespan today announced new flights to the Mediterranean sunspot for little more than £50 return.
The company aims to take on the package holiday firms that have dominated the Ibiza market for decades.
Scots have long flocked to the island for the nightlife of San Antonio and Ibiza Town.
Clubs such as Ministry of Sound, Manumission, El Divino and Cafe Del Mar attract some of Europe's most glamorous celebrities.
But flyglobespan reckons its weekly flights, set to start in March, should bring in more families and couples eager to see the other side of island life.
Airline chairman Tom Dalrymple said: "Ibiza's sensational nightlife appeals to the young holidaymaker who wants the clubbing scene but it is also a very scenic island with some beautiful, family-oriented resorts."
Bosses at Glasgow Airport are also delighted to get new flights - despite the fact the destination is already well-served by charter services.
Graham Latta, the airport's terminal manager, said: "Flyglobespan's continued growth from Glasgow Airport is more good news for passengers.
"With flights from Glasgow to more than 16 destinations across Europe, and the US, flyglobespan is now a major player in the airline industry."
He added: "Ibiza has always been a popular destination among younger travellers, but for all its sense of fun, the island is also one of the most beautiful in the Mediterranean and these new low-cost flights should appeal to all ages."
Flyglobespan has now moved on to offer flights to major cities from Glasgow, including Amsterdam and Prague.
Flyglobespan has still to roll out its entire summer schedules and Mr Dalrymple hinted there will be more good news for Glasgow Airport soon.
"We have some exciting plans for next year," he said.
"We are currently sorting out the technicalities of organising routes to some destinations that we are sure will appeal to the Scottish public."
Last week the Evening Times revealed Mr Dalrymple's first transatlantic venture, low-cost flights from Glasgow Airport to Sanford near Orlando.
He said: "We have been delighted at the response to this.
"Bookings have been very encouraging."
And today the airline added another daily service from Edinburgh Airport, to Bournemouth.
GLASGOW today won its first low-cost link to the party island of Ibiza.
Scots budget airline flyglobespan today announced new flights to the Mediterranean sunspot for little more than £50 return.
The company aims to take on the package holiday firms that have dominated the Ibiza market for decades.
Scots have long flocked to the island for the nightlife of San Antonio and Ibiza Town.
Clubs such as Ministry of Sound, Manumission, El Divino and Cafe Del Mar attract some of Europe's most glamorous celebrities.
But flyglobespan reckons its weekly flights, set to start in March, should bring in more families and couples eager to see the other side of island life.
Airline chairman Tom Dalrymple said: "Ibiza's sensational nightlife appeals to the young holidaymaker who wants the clubbing scene but it is also a very scenic island with some beautiful, family-oriented resorts."
Bosses at Glasgow Airport are also delighted to get new flights - despite the fact the destination is already well-served by charter services.
Graham Latta, the airport's terminal manager, said: "Flyglobespan's continued growth from Glasgow Airport is more good news for passengers.
"With flights from Glasgow to more than 16 destinations across Europe, and the US, flyglobespan is now a major player in the airline industry."
He added: "Ibiza has always been a popular destination among younger travellers, but for all its sense of fun, the island is also one of the most beautiful in the Mediterranean and these new low-cost flights should appeal to all ages."
Flyglobespan has now moved on to offer flights to major cities from Glasgow, including Amsterdam and Prague.
Flyglobespan has still to roll out its entire summer schedules and Mr Dalrymple hinted there will be more good news for Glasgow Airport soon.
"We have some exciting plans for next year," he said.
"We are currently sorting out the technicalities of organising routes to some destinations that we are sure will appeal to the Scottish public."
A strike held by Greek civil servants grounded aircraft for 24 hours yesterday (10 November).
The civil servants staged the action to demand higher pay and protest against the government's spending cuts.
Olympic Airlines and Aegean Airlines cancelled their flights as the Greek air traffic controllers took part in the action. There was no air traffic at all at Athens Airport, according to a spokeswoman for the airport.
Manolis Antoniadis, the head of the air traffic controllers' union, said that the air traffic controllers only served overflights, Reuters reported.
Around 100 striking ground staff at British Airways PLC have marched on Roissy airport near Paris to protest their transfer to outsourcing company Servisair GlobeGround.
The march will not affect flight schedules, according to a source.
Plans for the first direct scheduled flights between Shetland and London have been unveiled.
Faroese airline Atlantic Airways has confirmed it will operate a summer programme of twice-weekly return flights from June next year linking Sumburgh with London Stansted Airport as well as the Faroe Islands.
British Airways is currently the only scheduled carrier to Shetland from the UK mainland under Loganair, and travellers can only fly to Scottish airports.
Greek airports are expected to be closed tomorrow (10 November) as air traffic controllers launch a 24-hour strike.
The country's air traffic controllers are reportedly joining the actions of other public sector unions demanding higher wages and protesting the tight incomes policy of the Greek government. The strike will also include teachers and doctors in addition to civil servants, Reuters reported.
The air traffic controllers will go on strike immediately after midnight tonight (9 November) and the strike will last 24 hours. Olympic Airlines, the Greek state-owned airline, has said that it will ground all its 107 domestic and international flights, while the privately-held Aegean Airlines will cancel 120 flights.
The first ever flights to Gambia from East Midlands Airport were launched yesterday.
Travel agent The Gambia Experience will operate the weekly flight from Castle Donington to Banjul throughout the winter.
A six-hour flight from the UK, the Gambia is in same time zone but offers temperatures in the 30s, miles of golden beaches and African culture with English-speaking locals.
Paul Kenny, commercial manager for The Gambia Experience, said: "We appreciate how much people value travelling from their local airport and are confident that flights from East Midlands will be a huge success."
IN a market that is divided between low-cost, no-frills carriers and more traditional, national airlines, German airline Lufthansa is seeking to differentiate itself.
Dieter Grotepass, the airline’s head of sales for the UK and Ireland, says that Lufthansa is now giving its customers the option of “mobility à la carte”.
The phrase, coined by chief executive and executive board chairman Wolfgang Mayrhuber, demonstrates the range of services offered by the airline.
Customers can opt for anything from the “menu”, from a low-cost Germanwings flight from Edinburgh to Cologne for as little as £26 excluding taxes, through to traditional Lufthansa flights and even to chartering an executive jet. The latter service costs upwards of £5000.
It is a business approach which has clearly worked. While other national carriers have suffered – Italian carrier Alitalia is just the latest to hit a tailspin, with auditors last week refusing to sign off on first-half results – Lufthansa is in profit.
In August the company announced an operating profit of €253 million (£172m), a very creditable set of results in a time of high oil prices. Additional fuel costs have added €1 billion (£680m) to the airline’s cost base.
The figures are also impressive given the German economy’s lacklustre performance. However, 60% of the traffic is generated from outside Germany. Profits to date have benefited from financial hedging that Lufthansa made against rising oil prices but will prove a bigger challenge in the future once existing hedging arrangements cease.
Management at Lufthansa is endeavouring to keep costs down. Recent efforts to optimise services have resulted in the saving of the financial equivalent of four Boeing 737s.
Grotepass says: “It is a constant process of looking at our costs and looking to see if we are optimising our services. If we can save in one area then we can add to our routes or our frequency.”
He says he is keen to expand flights from Scotland – including looking at the possibility of the first flights from Glasgow – and from the UK as a whole, but is battling against cases for expansion being made in other parts of the carrier’s network.
As it is, Lufthansa is the biggest non-British carrier out of Heathrow Airport in terms of the number of flights.
Lufthansa’s Edinburgh operation, one of seven airports it operates from in the UK, began in March 1999 with a twice-daily flight to Frankfurt, operated by aircraft leased from bmi British Midland, a partner of Lufthansa’s in the Star Alliance.
Since March 2002 that has expanded to three daily rotations between the Scottish capital and Frankfurt using Boeing 737s. More than 70% of the Edinburgh passengers transfer to onward locations from the German airline’s hub, with recent additions including twice-daily flights to both Beijing and Shanghai. Other additional services include flights to Ukraine and to Sofia in Bulgaria.
Lufthansa’s most recently announced addition to its flights roster is to Doha in Qatar. From January 2006, the airline will operate three weekly flights from Frankfurt to Doha after a stopover in Kuwait.
leading campaigner for airport expansion in the UK has warned that regional flights from Heathrow face the axe if controls on airlines flying between Britain and the US are lifted.
Lord Soley, the former Labour MP and campaign director for Future Heathrow, also claimed that a so-called "Open Skies" accord would put the airport at risk of losing its status as one of Europe's premier hubs.
His warning follows recent discussions between the US and the European Union on creating a fully liberalised transatlantic market. At the heart of the negotiations is the desire of Europeans to have greater access to America's aviation market. In turn, a number of US carriers want greater access to Heathrow, the world's busiest international hub. Currently, only two American and two British airlines are allowed to fly between Heathrow and US cities.
Although in favour of an Open Skies agreement, Lord Soley is concerned that Heathrow, with only two runways, will not be able to cope with the increased demand, meaning that regional flights will be axed to make way for international ones. This would prevent people from the north of England and Scotland flying from their local airport to Heathrow and then changing planes to travel abroad.
"If you get an agreement on Open Skies, and I hope we do, then it's a very real possibility because it's hard to imagine there won't be more flights to and from the US by other airlines. And if that happens, you have to ask how [Heathrow] will fit them in without dropping something else."
Lord Soley, who is in favour of the construction of a controversial third runway at Heathrow, added that the airport was already coming under increased competition from airports in mainland Europe, such as in Amsterdam, Paris and Frankfurt.
"Amsterdam is marketing itself as London's third airport. It's a serious challenge. We must have that third runway, otherwise we will create a hub airport elsewhere, and that's a catastrophic outcome for Heathrow."
The Open Skies talks are part of wide-ranging changes facing the aviation industry, with the American authorities last week opting to loosen their country's strict rules governing the ownership and control of its airlines. Although Washington stopped short of changing the law to allow foreigners to buy US carriers outright, it liberalised the rules on voting rights to give foreign shareholders more influence over those airlines they might take a stake in.
The move was in part a reflection of the desperation of American airlines - many of which are in bankruptcy - for foreign investments.
The proposed changes are of particular interest for British Airways, whose new chief executive, Willie Walsh, has recently said he wants a closer alliance with American Airlines.
Industry watchers believe BA's ultimate plan is to pull off a full merger. The two have tried to join forces twice before but were thwarted by anti-trust concerns because together they control two-thirds of the North Atlantic market.
A precursor to a merger could be closer co-operation, such as code sharing, which allows airlines to put their two-letter identification code on the flights of another airline and to use it in computerised reservations systems.
Ronaldsway airport on the Isle of Man is usually quiet, with a handful of arrivals and departures from England, Scotland and Ireland. But this month, three airlines are set to launch services to the Irish Sea island, with return fares from London below £50. Two of them are foreign carriers taking advantage of the "open skies" policy - and the third is a new start-up created by a teenager.
The new airline is AlphaOne (08703 833 324; www.flyalpha1.com), founded by Martin Halstead, aged 19. Sir Richard Branson has been offering him advice. The £600,000 of capital behind AlphaOne includes financial backing from a Dubai banking family. The airline has bought a Jetstream 31 aircraft, and has recruited a dozen pilots.
Delays in training have pushed back the proposed start date to Monday, 21 November, when a link to Southampton is due to begin. Fares will start at £99 return. Blackpool and Edinburgh are set to follow.
The new airline will offer plenty of frills, says Mr Halstead: "Our offering is very similar to Virgin's, with champagne included".
The Flemish airline VLM began daily flights from London City to the Isle of Man on Tuesday this week. It already flies from the Docklands airport to Jersey, Liverpool and Manchester. The lowest fare for travel to the Isle of Man found in test bookings for travel later this month was £190 return.
VISITORS TEMPTED by the low fares will find the most liberal licensing laws in the British Isles. Pubs, restaurants and the casino in the island's capital, Douglas, are allowed to serve alcohol 24 hours a day.
But Isle of Man Tourism warns that "The island has strong anti-drugs policy and illegal possession of banned substances can lead to a jail sentence".
The founder of Ryanair Michael O'Leary, the second biggest international carrier in the world, announced on Thursday that there were plans to introduce in-flight gambling by 2007 which may prompt it to offer free tickets if it worked out well.
Mr. O’Leary opined that such novel formats could change the image of airlines, as he added: “The image of airlines today is high-cost, rip-off, poor food. I don't see how onboard gambling could make that worse.”
Currently, services including car hire, hotels, travel insurance and in-flight sales make up for about 20 per cent of Ireland based- Ryanair's £950 million turnover. It also accounted for 16 per cent of its £200 million annual profits. Mr O'Leary foresaw rise in non-ticket revenues with introduction of more in-flight entertainment.
Ryanair is planning to launch a gambling service in the next 12 to 18 months with a payment system that would allow it to debit a passenger's credit card before the plane lands. Passengers would be able gamble using the mobile phones supplied by the airlines.
Also, up its sleeve are plans to introduce onboard computer games which could be played by children for a nominal charge from their seats.
The airline’s experiment last year to show cartoons and Hollywood blockbusters using hand-held personal videos didn’t take off as there were only a few takers.
Mr O'Leary wanted to partner with a few online gaming operators for this initiative in the next two to three months. The trials are expected to be launched by 2006 summer. Even if 25 to 30 per cent of passengers enjoyed this service, he predicted a rise in revenues worth £50 million.
He disagreed with the view that it would tarnish their airlines image. He also said that it didn’t matter if this idea annoyed environmentalists who wanted a carbon tax to be imposed on aviation fuel.
Ryanair is to announce its earnings on November 7 for the half year to September 30. O’ Leary was very confident about the profits it would rake in.
Competition hotted up today on air services between Northern Ireland and Blackpool when low-cost carrier jet2.com entered the fray.
The Leeds-based airline launched a new four flights a week service from Belfast International to Blackpool.
The operation will provide a challenge for British Northwest Airlines whose A2B carrier runs a two flights a day service from Belfast City via the Isle of Man to the resort.
Jet2com said it was confident there was room for it in the market and said its inaugural flight which took off this afternoon was fully booked.
The airline's boss Philip Meeson said he expected the service, on which fares start at £9 including tax, would be a major success.
He said: "Six million people live within an hour's journey time of Blackpool so there is a huge market for us to tap into and bring across to Northern Ireland.
"Blackpool, with its theme parks and hair-raising big dipper rides is now a mecca of fun and will be a great draw for people from Northern Ireland.
"In addition, the Lake District is right on the doorstep of Blackpool Airport and the two championship golf courses of Royal Lytham & St Annes and Royal Birkdale and a short drive away."
Mr Meeson said the Blackpool service was the sixth to be launched by the airline from Belfast International.
UGANDA has a huge trade balance with the Netherlands, which amounted to 44m euros in 2004.
“The Netherlands imported 60m euros worth of products from Uganda and Uganda imported 16m euros worth of products from the Netherlands,” Yoka Brandt, the Netherlands ambassador to Uganda, said on Monday.
Brandt was speaking at the launch of KLM’s direct scheduled flights between Entebbe and Amsterdam for the first time in 30 years.
The decision to resume flights was prompted by the growing demand for passenger services and by Uganda’s economic growth, officials said.
KLM has for last 10 years been operating flights out of Entebbe in partnership with Kenya Airways.
“With our marriage with Kenya Airways, we will have 26 weekly flights in Europe. There is more in store. We are back to stay and contribute to Uganda’s development,” Ron Schipper, KLM’s vice-president for Africa and Middle East, said.
PHNOM PENH, Tues: Malaysia’s low-cost carrier AirAsia Bhd has launched daily flights from Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok to the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh.
AirAsia said in a statement it was the first low fare, no frills airline in Asia to gain entry into Cambodia.
“The new routes, Phnom Penh-Bangkok and Phnom Penh-Kuala Lumpur, are our second air routes to Indochina after the Bangkok-Hanoi route,” said Tassapon Bijleveld, chief of the carrier’s subsidiary Thai AirAsia.
To promote the new routes, AirAsia said it would offer fares as low as US$25 for a one-way trip to Bangkok and US$29 one-way to Kuala Lumpur, through to March 25.
AIRPORT officials have knocked back plans to launch direct links to the Costa del Sol.
Flybe revealed it had recently approached the States to set up new routes from Guernsey to Malaga and Alicante.
But it rejected the proposals, blaming the added cost of running the airport for longer hours and the noise of late-night aircraft.
Ian Taylor, the low cost airline’s general manager for market development, is frustrated that its ambitions have been blocked. He believed that the States needed to take a good look at what it wanted from its air services.
‘I have approached the authorities in Jersey and Guernsey for two European services which would have been launched next year,’ he said.
‘This would mean that the airport would be open later at night and earlier in the morning.
‘They will not consider it for operational reasons because they are not prepared to open the airport for longer hours.
‘But sooner or later they will have to face the difficult decision about what they actually want from air routes on the island.’
Earlier this year, Flybe directors trumpeted a new link to the UK with the arrival next year of a Norwich route. But with their eyes set on the Continent, they have asked the States to weigh up the future of the airport.
Mr Taylor said if the plans had been given the nod, islanders could have set their sights further afield.
‘At the moment, we have two aircraft that are sat in Guernsey overnight doing nothing,’ said Mr Taylor.
‘Many people in the Channel Islands wish they had direct links to Europe, but because of the curfew, the authorities will not allow it.’
Airport and airline officials came to the table nearly a month ago, but Mr Taylor said there was no point pursuing more European flights.
‘It’s frustrating but more than that, it is disappointing. We are launching services elsewhere and it is what people want.’
The Public Services Department said that in future, sunshine air links could be still on the cards. In a statement, a spokesman said the proposals came at a time when it was not possible to fund the cost of the service.
He said it was regrettable that the proposal had to be turned down.
‘Guernsey Airport welcomed the recent approach from Flybe, which was considering operating direct flights to Spain during summer 2006. The Public Services Department is certain such services would be popular with islanders.
‘It was therefore with some regret that the proposal was rejected on the proposed timings.
‘The cost of opening the airport for the additional hours and potential requirement to employ additional air control staff to cover night flights meant that support of this particular proposal was not possible.’
The spokesman said the disturbance to homeowners in the area was taken into consideration and if the timing of flights could be revised, then it would go back to the drawing board.
‘The proposal would have involved an aircraft arriving in Guernsey very early in the morning, which would have caused some environmental disturbance to anyone living in the flight path, and this factor was also taken into account.
‘If the timings could be rescheduled to within normal operating hours, then the proposal would be considered again.’
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