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With the turbulent changes in aviation industry it is essential for updates on matters affecting the industry to the stakeholders and travelers.

There are different sources of getting this information and the easiest and cheapest of all is through internet where one can spend less to be able to download the information.

Appointments Made By Major Aircraft Manufacturers.

For new ideas and innovation there is need for appointments to increase efficiency, reliability and effectiveness. This can only be achieved through competitive selection and promotions to those willing to widen their skills through refreshers courses and attending training courses to be able to cope up with the new technology in the industry.

Gulfstream appoints Rebecca Johnson their Regional Vice President in International Sales on 3rd May 2010 and she will report to Tarek Ragheb, who is vice president, International sales for the Europe, Middle East AND Africa (EMA) Division. Rebecca Johnson will be based in Switzerland and her territory is Central South Europe, which  includes Albania,Austria,Bosnia,Bulgaria,Croatia,Czech,Greece,Hungary,Italy,Kosovo,Macedonia,Moldova,Romania,Serbia,Slovakia,Slovenia,Switzerland and Turkey. With over 6,300 flying hours ,most recently ,she served as an international captain on a Russian-based Gulfstream G550 for Farner Airwings.She has also worked for Hawker Beech craft  for six years  and she has  holds a bachelors degree in aviation from San Jose State University and  she also worked for Calif,charter company at Silicon Valley Express .She has a wealthy of experience in flying  business executive jets and thus the knowledge of the know how of the customers taste and perception on the product and service quality on private charter flights. She will be able to ensure customer satisfaction and punctuality is observed and maintained.

Appointment of  former U.S  Army officer Chuck W Glass by Piper Aircraft to become Director International Flight Training and fleet programs. After retiring from his final Pentagon posting as Director of Military Attaché Operations for South Asia  he went on to pursue a career in General Aviation Flight Training. This announcement was made by Piper Executive Vice President Randy Groom during a news conference held at Sun n Fun fly-In. Chuck W before joining piper as worked for Diamonds chief representative for china in Beljing.He has extensive experience in flight training at Pan Am International Flight Academy in charge of career Pilot Division. With his experience he will be able to advice Piper on the components that usually breaks down in the aircraft and which needs its immediate attention. This will put Piper Aircraft on fore front and to ensure their aircrafts are reliable and safe for pilot training course and other air charter flights.

The appointment of Cecile Vion-Lanctuit by Euro copter as the Vice President of Corporate Communication will enhance its relations with its customers as she was the Head of International Media Relations since 2007 and previously worked as the company’s press officers. She joined Euro copter from in April 2006 from parent company EADS,where she worked at the Munich Headquarters during four years as Senior Manager Media Monitoring and Impact Control in charge of EADS Groups image. She joined EADS in  late1999 as Corporate Auditor and she has over 10 years experience in communications and marketing in real estate field in Canada. She is a graduate of Ecole Superior de Commerce de Lille in France and at Euro copter she succeeds Olivier Blain who will assume other duties within Euro copter Group. She will have to carry out a market research to ensure its customers are satisfied with the product and services provided and also on the comfort ability and reliability.

Plans for New Heathrow, Stansted Runaways Dropped By BAA

This was due to changes to government airports policy  this is a directive by the Britain’s new ruling Conservative-Liberal Democrats coalition and it went a head to say it will even block additional runways as Stansted and Gatwick as well as cancelling plans for a third runway at Heathrow as part of a program me for low-carbon economy. Heathrow the Britain’s biggest airport as well as Stansted, its third –largest is owned by BAA and late last year it sold Gatwick which also serves London. This has hardly come after BAA has already spent GB 190 million (USD 273 million) on the Stansted project and Heathrow Airport did not disclose the amount spent. This project was approved by the government in January last year for the third runway and another terminal at congested Heathrow airport as part of GBP 9 billion (USD $ 13 billion) expansion the then Labour leadership said was crucial to Britain’s  prosperity. legal challenge from local residents and environmentalists concerned about noise and increased carbon emission opposed this project fiercelessly.Stansted has previously said new runway capacity was urgently required if the UK was to preserve its global economic competitiveness.Britol Airport in western England in a separate development has said its local authority had approved an expansion that would allow it to almost double the number of passengers it handles.

Inaugural European Aviation Forum In Exeter Hosted By Flybe

The UKs number one Domestic Airline and the worlds largest operator of Bombardier DASH-8 Q400 turboprop aircraft ,hosted the first ever European Q400 Flight Operations Conference at its Training Centre at Exeter International  Airport at end of May 2010.This event was attended by dozens of Q400 Operators from across Europe head to the South West for the conference where, together with leading representatives of the Canadian –based aircraft manufacturer, they discussed and addressed issues that are unique on the Q400 success.Flybes  Aviation being the first in the world to be awarded Bombardier Recognized Service Facility status for DASH 8-Q400 aircraft demonstrated the comprehensive range of cost-efficient maintenance services to those in attendant. This is the new DASH 8  model in addition to DASH 8-100 series which is for cargo and passenger  flights .It is cost effective both for maintenance, fuel consumption  with a long fuel endurance.

Huge Increase In Aviation Tariffs

A significant 130% increase in ACSA tariffs has been proposed by the South Africa Regulating Committee-mostly as a result of the upgrades undertaken by ACSA in preparation for the world cup, including the new King Shaka International Airport in Durban, whose projected budget was R3.2 billion but which will eventually cost in the region of R6.8.Both  Johannesburg and Cape Town airports have seen developments to a value of R1.7 billion at the two airports are on the cards by 2015,possibly leading to further large increases in the future.

Although less than the 241% boost over five –year period requested by ACSA, the increase has nevertheless been branded as “totally unacceptable,” by Jeff Poole, IATA Director, Industry Charges, Fuel and Taxation.”IATA is very concerned that the inefficiencies and scope changes that ACSA has built in during recent years.”IATA has reported and pointed out that the increase are likely to affect international passenger numbers if passed onto ticket prices, this in turn will affect business, tourism and the wider economy. Airlines will need to decide on the viability of continued flights to a region that is not known to be a high-yield area in any case.

United States of America GPS Rule to Apply To Business Jets Aircrafts

All aircrafts (including business jets) operating at commercial airports or close to congested airspace in the USA will have to be equipped with GPS in order to work with the next generation air traffic control system effective from 1st January 2010.This new system-though expensive to install-is expected to provide significant savings for businesses as air traffic congestion and fuel consumption are reduced.The equipment would broadcast a planes exact position in the sky .Eventually, planes will be required to carry equipment that allows them to receive positioning signals from other aircraft, as well as from satellites and ground stations. This is a regulation that the passengers, aircraft owner and the crew of the business jet should be aware of and implement to be able to fly safe.

Aviation industry :  Back into the ‘friendly skies’ by Farnborough 2010 ?

                                           SUNIL KEWALRAMANI                  February 18, 2009

As investments, airlines are best left to relentless optimists and colourful egomaniacs. Over the long term, a diversified portfolio of airline stocks has reliably lagged behind broader market averages. Airlines’ long-run operating margins have averaged just 2 per cent since 1950, says UBS.

In 2007, during the Paris Air Show, the aviation industry was flying high….the world economy was booming and credit was plenty.  Customers who had booked from Boeing and Airbus could get a premium for waiving their bookings in favour of companies interested to jump on the aviation industry growth story.  Today, airlines are happier returning their aircraft than taking delivery.  In 2008, the Amex Airline Index has plunged more than 70 %.   Not only has the game changed, the dominant players have changed as well. At Farnborough this year,  Middle-East’s Etihad Airways has ordered 45 aircraft from Boeing and 55 from Airbus, worth about $ 20 Billion at list prices.  It reinforces Middle East’s position as one of the few regions where airlines have the financial clout to expand aggressively.

Singapore Airlines, which reported its third-quarter results on 10th February 2009,, is one of the less terrible operators. It has the two qualities every carrier needs to withstand troughs: a strong brand and a patient majority shareholder (state-owned Temasek, in SIA’s case). On top of that, it has one of the world’s better-looking balance sheets: cash in the bank exceeds long-term liabilities by more than three to one; a youngish fleet of fuel-efficient aircraft; and one of the most highly rated management teams around. As such, the world’s largest airline by market capitalisation is an industry benchmark. If SIA is struggling, pity the rest.

SIA is indeed suffering. The September to December period, traditionally its most profitable, saw net income almost halve. Operating metrics were solid: passenger load factors down only 3 per cent, while costs (excluding fuel) fell 5.5 per cent. But it came a cropper on hedging, locking in purchases of jet fuel at much higher rates than the period’s average of a barrel. Losses should widen: 44 per cent of fourth-quarter fuel requirements – well above the industry average – have been pre-bought at 1 a barrel, compared with today’s spot price of .

As those hedges fall away, however, SIA has a real opportunity to stand out from the pack by protecting its dividend. China Eastern had recently rejected Singapore Airlines’ bid to expand its operations. What is more, cash flow after capex over the first nine months almost covers last year’s dividend. In an industry that oscillates between varying degrees of over-capacity, preserving the payout would really hammer home the difference between the leaders and the laggards.

For Vijay Mallya—the self-proclaimed “king of good times” who patterns himself after Richard Branson, the launch of Kingfisher Airlines three years back seems to have come as a cropper. Slower economic growth due to unexpected world crisis along with dramatic fuel price rise earlier this year has taken the tails out of the airline industry. There are urgent demands being made for reducing sales taxes from 26 per cent to 4 per cent which could help reduce air fares.  A sanguine Mallya has called for India to ease its restrictive FDI policies, which currently prohibit foreign airlines from holding stakes in domestic Indian carriers.

Although oil prices have retreated of late, threats by OPEC to cut production coupled by the threat of inflation which could return in the wake of extremely expansionary monetary policies of the world central banks, could cause fuel prices to go up again.  Fuel costs make up about 65 % of costs on long-haul flights but only about 30 per cent of costs for short-haul flights. Qantas, one of the world’s most profitable airlines has recently grounded aircraft, suspended routes, chopped capacity, cut jobs and struck a deal with its long-haul pilots to lock in the company’s 3 per cent per annum wages policy until 2013.  In the wake of 9/11 and SARS, the Australian carrier had performed better than its peers, picking up market share as well as aircraft abandoned by airlines who could not afford them.

According to a report by Frost & Sullivan, the price of Indian fuel is based on international parity pricing, despite the fact that international crude is refined in India.  Aviation turbine fuel (ATF) rates in India, represent 40-45 % of ticket costs as compared to the global standard of 35 %.  In the backdrop of high fuel prices, domestic passenger numbers has fallen significantly from a year ago according to the Indian aviation industry.  Jet Airways  recently laid off 10 % of its workforce, only to relent and take them back under duress.  GoAir has laid off a significant chunk of its expatriate pilots. SpiceJet has announced reductions in its daily flights from 117 to 100.  Kingfisher Airlines is negotiating sale of two of the five A340-500 aircraft it had committed to buy from Airbus in 2007.  Both Spicejet and GoAir are returning planes to lessors.  It is also contemplating deferring taking deliveries of 29 narrow-bodied A320s .  In response, some have adopted the use of winglets on the wing tips to reduce fuel consumption, others are flying their aircraft at higher altitude, choosing parking bays closer to the runway to reduce taxing time.  Some are cutting down the amount of water in toilets and for human consumption they carry while others are carrying lighter plastic cutlery, food trays etc. Even the Indian government has recently pitched in by withdrawing the customs duty of 5 % on jet fuel.  In addition, oil companies are reducing ATF prices by Rs 9429.87 per kilo litre with immediate effect.

American, Continental and Delta have reduced flights to various destinations. Pratt and Whitney estimates that its EcoPower engine-washing process saves Hawaiian $ 1 million in fuel annually across 31 Boeing 767 engines.  Eight senior pilots and the US Airline Pilots Association have filed complaints with the Federal Aviation Administration stating that US Airways is pressuring pilots to use less fuel than they feel is safe, in order to save money. By removing six seats, JetBlue reduced an A 320 weight by approx 904 lbs.  Air Canada is considering removing paint and primer from its 767s to save 360 lbs per plane.   Alaska Airlines indicated in 2004 that removing just 5 magazines per aircraft could save $ 10,000 annually in fuel.  It’s new beverage cart, at 20 lbs lighter, could save $ 500,000 in annual fuel costs.  Yet, fashion favouring turbo-prop aircraft, the most fuel-efficient and environmentally friendly in the skies, should help sustain order books for the same. ONEWORLD alliance of various airlines will jointly explore options for collective buying of fuel. 

Mergers and Acquisitions enable capturing abandoned  territories :

In 2003, Air France bought rival KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and has succeeded in luring passengers away from European rivals by offering long-distance connections through its Paris and Amsterdam hubs.  Lufthansa acquired Swiss International Air Lines Ltd in 2005. It aims to match last year’s record profit by capitalizing on rivals’ weakness and by harvesting routes abandoned by competitors.  This is analogous to Southwest’s model, where Southwest is capitalizing on players who have pulled off during the downturn in the aviation industry precipitated by high oil prices. Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines are planning to merge.  Continental and United Airlines are also planning a close alliance.

Elite class of rising carriers emerges on the scene :

According to an article in The Wall Street Journal, the strength of this club (which includes Southwest, Emirates, Singapore Airlines, Ryanair and Deutsche Lufthansa) underscores the growing gulf between the haves and the have-nots. These powerful players are able to hedge costs, borrow money, buy new planes and pamper high-paying customers while their poorer rivals cut routes and seek cash infusions. On Singapore Airline’s five new Airbus A 380 super-jumbo jetliners, first-class passengers sleep on sheets made by French fashion house Givenchy, while coach passengers have USB ports for connecting their own electronic devices next to their seat-back video screens.  In the face of a severe industry downturn, Singapore Airlines’ operating profit rose 60 % in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2008.

Southwest Airlines  as a role model :  It’s discount-model has kept it profitable for 35 years.  It aggressively hedges fuel costs and thus has avoided current high fuel prices, to which most of the other carriers have succumbed.  It has hedged fuel at $ 51 a barrel.  The efficient hedges have enabled Southwest produce gains of $ 455 million in 2004, $ 892 million in 2005, $ 675 million in 2006 and $ 439 million for the first nine months of 2007.  It  has $ 3.7 Billion of cash in the bank and a market capitalization of $ 9.9 Billion, more than the combined market value of the six-largest conventional U.S. carriers. 

Next-Generation aircrafts :  Airbus has demonstrated its ability to fly its A380 aircraft with a synthetic liquid fuel processed from a gas called gas-to-liquid (GTL) in a three-hour flight between Filton, UK and Toulouse, France.  The new A380 has fuel efficiency of 2.9 litres a passenger for every 100 kms and carbon emissions of just 75g per passenger per km—17% less than that emitted by the Boeing 747.  Boeing 777 is the most fuel-efficient plane in its class.  The 747-8 will be 16 % more efficient than the 747-400 (and 11 % more efficient than the A380).  The A350 is the Airbus’s response to the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Besides, EADS’s A400 M, once in service,will be capable of carrying a payload of up to 37 tonnes over ranges of up to 4700 nautical miles. Launched on July 8 2007—7/8/7 in US date format (date was chosen for impact), demand for the high-tech and futuristic 787 Dreamliner—a long-range 250 to 300-seat jet whose carbon-fibre body is set to make it 20 % more fuel-efficient than comparable models has been astounding. Dreamliner’s advanced aerodynamics (smooth wiring technology, spoilers that droop when flaps are deployed, and laminar flow nacelles lower drag) increase efficiency and reduce fuel consumption.  Higher bypass ratio allows engines to be quieter. Boeing has received orders from more than 60 customers for 892 aircraft, worth $ 145 Billion at list prices. Boeing’s energy use and carbon dioxide emissions at its major facilities are believed to have fallen 24 % between 2002 and 2007.  The Chinese white 90-seat ARJ21-700 jet is called “Xiang Feng” or “Flying Phoenix” and its appearance broadcast live on state television. 100 of the 180 bookings have come from Kunpeng Ailrines, a new venture between China’s Shenzhen Airlines and the US-based Mesa Air Group.  The arrival of the “Flying Phoenix” will truly mark the ascent of China as a leading world superpower and will energize growth in the Asian subcontinent.

Green Ross to SpiceJet’s rescue : indicative of sound contrarian call

Spicejet of India has chose as its suitor W L Ross & Co.  W L Ross has made his reputation on contrarian calls — buying into the steel industry in the US when no one would touch it, for example, and snapping up a Japanese bank when it was saddled with bank loans in 2000.

Low cost model here to stay

Air Deccan pioneered new ticketing channels at internet kiosks, petrol pumps and India post offices which helped bring down distribution costs by 12%-15% as compared to opting for a GDS (Global Distribution System) and for travel agents through the legacy system. If the motive is to cater to the large inclusive consumer base at the bottom of the consumer pyramid then the business model must create a scaleable product that delivers higher volumes at lower price points above very low costs with wafer thin margins.  The low cost model is about innovations, efficiency and enhanced asset utilization which are increasingly necessary in times of high fuel prices. The cost per available seat km of a low-cost carrier is significantly lower than that of full-service carrier.  The average revenue per seat for Ryanair, Europe’s biggest budget carrier, is Euro 39, as against Euro 247 for British Airways and Euro 57 for EasyJet, another low-cost carrier. It therefore implies that the airline with the lowest revenue per seat is at a comparative advantage and has significant cushion to tide over this rather cyclical industry.

The Indian aviation is still one of the country’s sunrise industries and both airlines and investors consider India as a compelling market. In my opinion, the oil bubble would have burst due to more durable demand destruction by the time the next Farnborough show is held in 2010.  The fundamentals viz. that India’s 1 billion people generate just 16 million domestic trips a year, is still very much intact.  This, coupled with the emergence of investors with deep pockets will ensure that the industry emerges stronger after the chastening shock. Equilibrium is expected to be found in the next two years as airlines are working to optimize capacity, rationalize routes and cut loss-making routes.

By simply raising fares, the distinction between low-cost and full-fare airlines will diminish, resulting in an undifferentiated business model. The government, on its own part, has to up its ante and improve its infrastructure. It is not uncommon to witness planes circling over destination zones in Mumbai and Delhi several times before being allowed to land, thus causing wastage of precious fuel.

The current scenario is almost reminiscent of the last downturn in the aftermath of 2001 terrorist attacks on the US.  That setback proved short-lived and so I believe will this one be.

Oil prices have retreated under the impact of unwinding of speculative positions by hedge funds and demand destruction is taking centre stage. The future belongs to the bold and daring, and not the timid and weak. The stage is set for survival of the fittest.  In the process, men will be separated from the boys.  The ongoing turbulence presents a tremendous opportunity for aviation industry players to emerge stronger than ever before.  The 2010 Farnborough air show promises to be dominated by a new set of industry players, ones that emerge victorious after trial by fire.

Note : Mr Sunil Kewalramani is a WHARTON BUSINESS SCHOOL MBA and CEO, Global Capital Advisors.  He may be reached at worldequity@sunilkewalramani.com. 

Bullet Points :

1)      The arrival of the Chinese “Flying Phoenix” will truly mark the ascent of China as a    leading world superpower and will energize growth in the Asian subcontinent.

2)          For Vijay Mallya—the self-proclaimed “king of good times”,  the launch of Kingfisher Airlines three years back seems to have come as a cropper.

3)          Launched on July 8 2007—7/8/7 in US date format (date was chosen for impact), demand for the high-tech and futuristic 787 Dreamliner—a long-range 250 to 300-seat jet whose carbon-fibre body is set to make it 20 % more fuel-efficient than comparable models has been astounding.

4)          The fundamentals viz. that India’s 1 billion people generate just 16 million domestic air trips a year, is still very much intact. 

5)          Rather than lean on the government for largesse, the aviation industry players need to pull up their socks, adopt global best practices, learn the art of effective hedging of fuel requirements, stimulate consumer demand and capitalize on battle-routes abandoned by their weaker rivals to strengthen their position in the world aviation industry. 

Go Airlines (India) Pvt Ltd is a successful air travel venture of the Wadia Group. It is a new rising star in the Indian aviation industry. This airline is known to operate its services under the brand name ‘GoAir’. This is a low-fare airline that offers various flights featuring different types of air tickets so that the passengers with different levels of budget (high or low) find air travel by GoAir flights within their budget. The airline started operating in the year 2005. Currently, the airline operates its fleet across 15 destinations. Its daily operations include 100 flights daily, i.e. approximately 700 flights every week.

Today, Go Air airline offers lowest airfares on Mumbai-Goa flight, Mumbai-Delhi flight, Bangalore flight, and it offers cheap flight tickets on selected business and holiday destinations in India. It is also known for providing discounted airfares and incredibly cheap air travel deals to its passengers. The airline offers suitable options for its passengers to book cheap flight tickets online through its website.

GoAir got recognized for a consistent record of the Highest Load factors in the aviation industry. Its average load factor recorded was around 86%. This was possible through an equilibrated blend of good quality, on-time performance and consistent customer service coupled with smartly planned air fares. GoAir now plans to enhance its fleet and to induce new routes while efficiently carrying on the existent ones.

Go Air Fleet: New fleet of Go Air comprises of the state-of-the-art A 320 Airbus. This airbus can hold up to a maximum number of 180 passengers in its high-density set up. In its ambitious future strategy, GoAir has a plan to expand its fleet capacity up to 18-20 by the year 2011. The strategic tie-ups of the airline with Singapore Airlines Engineering Company has paved a way to meet its superb maintenance and engineering requirements. In the recent times, GoAir have also had associations with Radixx International, a premier technology provider of automated aviation and travel related software solutions. This collaboration was aimed at making use of its Air Enterprise.

Flight Operations of Go Air: Offering cheap air travel to business and leisure travelers, GoAir presently runs its regular flights to Delhi ,Mumbai, Baroda, Cochin, Kolkata, Chennai, Goa, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune, Srinagar, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, and Jammu. The airline soon plans to increase its flight network by adding new destinations.

Last year, GoAir announced addition of new flights – from Bangalore to Delhi, and from Bangalore to Mumbai. This was aimed at strengthening its service in South India. With the introduction of a couple of new aircrafts, this airline aims at increasing passengers’ convenience and comfort levels. GoAir also brought out new and improved flight timings for destinations including Ahmadabad, Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore. This airline is appreciated for its attributes like ‘punctuality, affordability and for offering convenient flight model to the passengers.

Indian airlines are caught in a “perfect storm” of big losses, high debt and falling demand, and need urgent help from the new government to make them high-flyers again, says an industry report.The struggling sector was once a vibrant symbol of India’s economic progress but it has seen its fortunes nosedive nose·dive  n.1. A very steep dive of an aircraft.2. A sudden, swift drop or plunge: Stock prices took a nosedive.Noun 1…… Click the link for more information. due to over-expansion, costly fuel and cut-throat competition Cut-throat competition, also known as destructive or ruinous competition, refers to situations when competition results in prices that do not chronically or for extended periods of time cover costs of production, particularly fixed costs…… Click the link for more information..”The industry now is at a very critical stage,” said Kapil Kaul, India head of the Sydney-based Center for Asia Pacific Aviation, the consultancy which authored the report entitled Aviation Agenda for The Next Indian Government.Sector losses for the fiscal year just ended in March 2009 are expected to nearly double from last year to 1.75 billion dollars, Kaul said.That’s a fifth of the losses of airlines globally of 8.5 billion dollars estimated by the International Air Transport Association.”India?s contribution to this (loss) is significantly higher than the two percent of world air traffic for which it accounts,” said the report.The Indian industry’s woes are highlighted by a slump in passengers. In April, the number of domestic passengers fell by 591,000 or 15.2 percent year-on-year, the fourth straight month of declines.The figures are a far cry from earlier heady head·y  adj. head·i·er, head·i·est1.a. Intoxicating or stupefying: heady liqueur.b.  government forecasts that passenger growth would run at 25 percent annually until the end of the decade.Passenger numbers were expanding by double digits Double Digits was a pricing game on the American television game show, The Price Is Right. Played from April 20, 1973 through May 18, 1973′s show, it was played for a car and used small prizes.  when India’s economy was booming. Cheap fares and increasing affluence among India’s middle classes drove a migration from the country’s antiquated train network to planes.After the government opened India’s skies to more competition in 2004, a clutch of new airlines took flight, revolutionising domestic travel in the country of 1.1 billion.But then costlier oil pushed up air fares last year, sending many passengers back to trains.Now the sector has also been hit by a slowing economy triggered by the global financial crisis, reducing business and leisure journeys.”It needs to quickly restructure and the new government has to help them reduce high structural costs,” Kaul told AFP (1) (AppleTalk Filing Protocol) The file sharing protocol used in an AppleTalk network. In order for non-Apple networks to access data in an AppleShare server, their protocols must translate into the AFP language. See file sharing protocol. , citing hefty jet fuel taxes.There is also a need to allow more domestic airlines to fly internationally to boost revenues, Kaul said.The Congress-led government should allow foreign airlines to take equity stakes in domestic airlines to give them access to fresh capital, he said, but to draw investment the carriers must clean up their balance sheets.”Over-aggressive expansion” to grab market share is “partly responsible for the fiscal demise of the sector,” the report said.Flagship state airline Air India Air India (formerly Air-India, Hindi: ??? ??????) is the national flag carrier of India with a worldwide network of passenger and cargo services.  is hurting the most. It’s estimated to have racked up 800 million dollars in losses for the past year and debt of four billion dollars, the report said.Air India, which flies internationally, merged with government-run domestic carrier Indian last year to become more efficient but its planes are flying emptier and passenger revenues are still falling.Despite this, it still plans to take delivery this year of 26 new aircraft — “a significant augmentation AUGMENTATION, old English law. The name of a court erected by Henry VIII., which was invested with the power of determining suits and controversies relating to monasteries and abbey lands.  in capacity when the opposite would be more appropriate,” said the report.And India’s two major private airline groups, Jet Airways Jet Airways (India) Ltd. is an airline based in Mumbai, India, operating domestic and international services. It operates over 330 daily flights to 50 destinations across the country and 6 overseas.  and Kingfisher Airlines Kingfisher Airlines Limited is an airline based in Bangalore, India. It is a major Indian luxury airline operating an extensive network to 34 destinations, with plans for regional and long-haul international services. , also have hefty debts and big losses. Jet reported its third-quarter net loss more than doubled to 44 million dollars.Rationalisation Noun 1. rationalisation – (psychiatry) a defense mechanism by which your true motivation is concealed by explaining your actions and feelings in a way that is not threateningrationalization  “is inevitable and desirable for the health of the industry,” said Kaul, who believes India can only support two full-service carriers. He declined to say which should survive.But the no-frills airline model offered by carriers such as Indigo Airlines IndiGo Airlines is a private domestic low-cost airline based in Gurgaon, India. It operates domestic services linking 14 destinations. Its main base is Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi. , which has bucked the falling passenger trend, could be the platform for future growth, he said.

African Continent  has become one of the busiest in terms of Air Transport for Cargo and Passengers to and from.Due to this it is important to have updates on new developments on Aviation Industry in regard to expansion and introduction of new types of Aircrafts inline with the needs and wants.

Jomo Kenyatta International Airport has  become the Hub for  connection of Eastern,Central and  Southern Africa flights for both Private Charter Flights and Commercial Flights.Many Investors are  setting up their base in Kenya at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport like the ONEJETONE who are introducing  cheap flights on Nairobi-Mombasa route  and Nairobi-London route using A320S and A330S by Mid October 2009.This will make competition stiff on this routes thus reduction in fares and will put competitors on their toes to provide reliable,efficient and cost effective fares thus the beneficiary being the consumer.Delta Connection was to introduce their flights from July 2009 but they postponded the flights indefinitely having  forced A Kenyan registered company Delta Connection to re-brand to D-Connection after a court ruling for using their trademark.All cargo freighter operates out of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport carrying  textile,fresh produce,fish,fruits,flowers,meat, to various destinations in Middle East,Asia,United Kingdom,United States of America just to mention afew ranging from 1tonne to  6o tonnes flying in and out daily.Kenya has played an important role for Private Charter Flights to East Africa National Parks as a hub for both connecting and dismbarking .There are many Private Charter companies in Kenya operating from 3 seater to  70 seater for fixed wing,Helicopter and Jets .Jets ranges from 7 seater Citation to 70 seater CRJ and  Helicopter are scarce and the highest capacity is 5 and lowest 3 seater.Kenya links to Tanzania where we have the Serengeti,Mt Kilimanjaro,Ngorongoro Crater,Lake Manyara,Mafia Island,Pemba Island,Zanzibar where you can have a memorable holiday and Uganda with the Gorilla Gaming,Lake Albert  scenic safaris and the Ruwenzoris mountains,Kabalega falls,Karuma falls aerial survey & photography for tourists flights.From Either Jomo Kenyatta International or Wilson Airport you can connect  by a private executive jet,private charter flight,helicopter flight or commercial flights to Masai Mara,Amboseli,Tsavo East/West,Samburu,Lake Baringo,Lake Nakuru,Ukunda,Mombasa,Lamu,Kiwayu,Malindi,Kitale,Eldoret,Kisumu,Wasini Island,Funzi Island,Mfangano Island,Rusinga Island,Mt Kenya,Shaba,Shompole,Loisaba,Lake Nakuru,Lake Bogoria and many other destinations just to mention afew.

Airline News

Africa loses usd 600 million in airline revenue.With the International Air Transport Association (IATA)predicting a huge loss of usd 9 billion, Africa Airlines had so far lost usd 600 million,Europe usd 1 billion,while Asia with usd 1.7 billion are the hardest hit with a net loss of usd 2.7 billion.This was revealed  at a breakfast club of the Lagos Bussiness School in Victoria Island,Lagos,recently ,by Chief Executive Officer of Virgin Nigeria,Capt Dapo Olumide where he stated  that world aviation industry revenues are expected  to fall a further 12% this year,reflecting a rapid deterioration of global aviation economic conditions with an expected global passenger traffic falling further with 3%.He listed sharp decline in passenger and freight volume,unfavourable fuel prices and hedging,swine flu impact on travel in Latin and North America, and the global economic downturn as major reasons for the decline in air travel.While noting that Africa was still heavily regulated ,Capt Olumide explained that the open skies has increased capacity and competition which in turn had also lead to market saturation and consolidation of legacy carriers.

Emirates Opens Johannesburg ,OR  Tambo Airport Lounge At Long Last

Regular travellers using Emirates will know the airlines sharp First and Business Class lounges are a major attraction and reason for flying with Dubai carrier.The airlines business class lounges are also available to some frequent fliers.In  July 2009 the airline announced the imminent opening of its first South African lounge at Johannesburgs OR Tambo Airport.The facilities not only serve high quality food,they include a dedicated business section,showers and at Dubai International , a smoking area.Internet access is complimentary via a WiFi  installation and PCs are available for those without their own laptop.Emirates has previously made use of OR Tambos Premier Club lounge ,which is operated by ACSA.

Emirates Becomes Worlds Largest Operator Of Boeing 777 Aircraft.

On 30 July, 2009  Emirates became the worlds largest airline operator of Boeing 777 aircraft with arrival of its 78th Boeing 777.Emirates has another 28 Boeing 777s pending delivery,worth over usd 7 billion at list prices,and it is also the only airline to operate every model in the Boeing 777 family, -200s,-200ERs,-200LRs,-300s,-300ERs and freighters.The newest addition to Emirates fleet is a Boeing 777-300ER configured for long distance journeys.Tim Clark,President of Emirates Airline said ” The 777s form the backbone of our fleet ,and we have configured these aircraft to give us maximum flexibility in terms of route deployment .Emirates 777s today fly to six continents from our Dubai hub,operating routes within a two-hour distance to long -range journeys of 16 hours non-stop.Emirates recently completed an upgrading programme for its existing 777 fleet ,and now all of its 777 aircraft boast its popular ICE(information ,communication ,entertainment ) system ,which offers passengers in all cabin classes a choice of up to 1200 channels of the latest movies,TV programming.music and games on demand.

BUSSINESS NEWS

Beechcraft  King Air Now Even More Capable With Launch Of New C90GTx

On 27 July  Hawker Beechcraft  Corporation announced the launch of the new Beechcraft King Air C90GTx .The  New C90GTx features impressive enhancements to both payload and perfomance while remaining one of  the greenest andd most efficient aircraft available.The C90GTx marks  the eight major King Air upgrade the company has introduced since 2003.Key enhancements to the New King Air C90GTx includes an increase in gross weight and the addition of composite winglets,which improve climb perfomance and further increase fuel efficiency.The maximum ramp weight and maximum take-off weight of the C90GTx have been increased by 385 pounds to 10545 and 10485 pounds respectively.This increase in maximum weight provides the New C90GTx with a full-fuel payload capacity of more than 750 pounds-almost double that of the C90GTi .The ability to carry more fuel with higher payloads increases the four passengers range by more than 200nm.The durable King Air C90GTx is capable of operating from remote ,unimproved fields as easily as it flows into congested terminal airspace ,providing operators with the vesartility to utilize airports inaccessible to most jets.The fuel efficiency ot the C90GTx contributes to its low operating costs while providing increased perfomance and greater system redundancy than single-engine turbine competitors.The C90GTx  features a cabin 50 % larger than most very light jets. In addition to pilot, it seats up to seven passengers in its famed squared -oval  design,allowing greater passenger comfort. It includes an in-flight accessible ,heated and pressurized baggage storage area along with a private aft lavatory that is standard  on every King Air C90GTx .The C90GTx will be available begining in early 2010.

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