South Korean Budget Airline Launches

South Korea's first budget airline launched operations on Wednesday, taking 46 passengers to the resort island of Cheju on its first journey, the company's chief executive said. Unlisted Hansung Airlines will compete with South Korea's two established carriers, Korean Air and Asiana Airlines, by offering two flights a day between Chungju, south of Seoul, and Cheju. Hansung, which currently has only one ATR 72 turbo-prop plane, planned to increase the number of flights to three by next year when it expected to turn to a profit, Hahn Woo-bong, CEO of Hansung said. Once the airline had a second plane later this year, it planned to extend flights to the southern port city of Pusan, as well as international routes to Japan and China. "As budget carriers have been popular in other countries, we thought South Korea also needs low-cost carriers," he said. The company said it was offering fares equivalent to 70 percent of those charged by Korean Air and Asiana by cutting back on frills. The airline has 63 employees, including 10 pilots. The company is modelled on other discount carriers in Asia, including Singapore-based Valuair and Qantas Airways' low-cost associate Jetstar Asia. Source: Reuters

IATA To Raise Airlines Loss Forecast

As airlines cut costs and boost fuel surcharges in their battle against record high oil prices, the industry's trade group said on Wednesday it was planning to revise upwards its global loss predictions.

The Geneva-based International Air Transport Association (IATA) said it was revising a May forecast that predicted airlines would lose USD$6 billion in 2005.

"By maybe mid-September we will have a new forecast," said IATA spokesman Anthony Concil.

IATA had assumed Brent crude oil prices would average USD$47 per barrel, a level that has shot to USD$54 so far this year.

"Every USD$1 rise adds USD$1 billion to the costs of the industry," IATA's Concil said.

Making matters worse, hedging levels have fallen, leaving airlines more exposed than in 2004 when a rise in crude prices also battered the industry and led to losses of USD$4.8 billion.

Airlines spent USD$63 billion on fuel last year, up from USD$44 billion in 2003, IATA data show.

Current oil prices suggest IATA's forecast of fuel costs over USD$80 billion this year could now approach USD$90 billion, more than twice what airlines spent on fuel just two years ago.

The positive news for airlines is that traffic has stayed high despite carriers imposing fuel surcharges on passengers.

Those surcharges, combined with cost cutting, has helped airlines cope.

"High load factors and fuel surcharges will prevent the full impact of fuel hitting the bottom line," IATA's Concil said. "But it's still an absolutely traumatic time for the industry."

Fuel is the highest cost for airlines after staff costs, and hedging practices vary widely.

Low-fare carriers Ryanair and easyJet are among those that have so far refused to impose fuel surcharges, while others have raised them several times over the last year and a half.

British Airways in June raised its surcharge on long-haul tickets sold and issued in Britain to GBP£24 (USD$42.83) for each flight, having first introduced a surcharge of GBP£2.50 pounds in May 2004.

Concil said IATA did not have comprehensive data on fuel hedging by its 265 member airlines but said anecdotal evidence suggested a level of about 20 percent, down from 40 percent just a year earlier.

Source: Reuters

United To Do 777 Heavy Maintenance In China

United Airlines on Tuesday said it has signed a contract with Aircraft Maintenance and Engineering Corporation (Ameco Beijing), under which the Chinese company will maintain its Boeing 777 fleet.

In the five year deal, which takes effect in October, United's Boeing 777s will go to Ameco Beijing for heavy maintenance visits, the airline said in a statement.

More than 50 visits are planned for the first three years of the contract, and as many as 80 visits will be completed over the life of the deal, United said.

Ameco Beijing's competitive cost structure and service will help the airline achieve its cost-savings targets, said Will Crocker, United Airlines' director of technical strategic sourcing for airframe and aircraft components, in a statement.

United has been in Chapter 11 protection from creditors since December 2002, trying to cut costs. The airline industry has been battered by soaring fueling costs and low-cost competition.

A United spokeswoman said heavy maintenance on Boeing 777s is currently done in the United States. The work was previously outsourced, she said.

United operates 455 aircraft, of which 52 are Boeing 777s.

Source: Reuters

Malaysia Air May Hire Foreign Head - Report

Malaysia Airlines may hire a foreigner to head its operations after the flagship carrier incurred a heavy loss in its fiscal first quarter, a newspaper reported.

Quoting an unnamed source, the New Straits Times said several big names were being considered to fill the post of managing director made vacant by the resignation of Ahmad Fuaad Dahlan this week after a little more than a year in the job.

Among potential candidates are British Airways' chief executive Rod Eddington and Qantas Airways' executive general manager John Borghetti and chief financial officer Peter Gregg, it said.

Malaysia Airlines' chairman, Munir Majid, is acting as managing director until the airline finds a successor, which it expects to be within the next six months.

State asset agency Khazanah Nasional, which has a 69 percent stake in Malaysia Airlines, may look at hiring a foreigner for several years before the post is handed over to the airline's executive director Tengku Azmil Zahruddin, the newspaper said.

"The gap between MAS and Thai Airways, Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific and Qantas is widening. The foreign appointment will be seen as an attempt to narrow that gap and even bring MAS to a new level of competition with these big players," the source was quoted as saying.

Malaysia Airlines on Monday reported a net loss of MYR280.7 million ringgit (USD$74.6 million) for the three months ended June 30, compared with a profit of MYR26.6 million (USD$7.1 million) a year earlier. It blamed high fuel prices.

Following the loss, the airline announced a plan to contain costs, boost revenues, return to profit and compete more effectively with other international carriers within five years.

Source: Reuters

ATC Glitch Delays UK Flights

Flights at UK airports were delayed by up to two hours on Wednesday after a system failure forced air traffic controllers to briefly suspend departures from the nation's airports.

National Air Traffic Control (NATS) said services were disrupted for 20 minutes on Wednesday morning due to a fault with a flight-data processing system at its West Drayton center near Heathrow.

The disruption resulted in delays of one to two hours for some flights, but the average delay was less than 10 minutes, a NATS spokeswoman said.

"The restrictions that had been imposed on flights and which led to delays for some travellers have now been lifted," NATS said in a statement, adding it was still working to clear a backlog of flights.

British Airways said it cancelled nine short-haul flights from London's Heathrow Airport and seven from Gatwick on Wednesday due to the disruption. About 550 BA flights operate out of Heathrow each day.

The delays follow severe disruptions at Heathrow earlier this month after 100,000 BA passengers were stranded when the airline's ground staff went on strike.

NATS, 49 percent owned by the British government, is consolidating its UK air traffic control centers as part of a GBP£1 billion pound ($1.8 billion) modernization program.

British airports were thrown into chaos more than a year ago when a computer failure briefly grounded all aircraft in Britain at peak time in the morning.

Source: Reuters

At Least 40 Dead In Peru Plane Crash

A Peruvian passenger jet crashed during a severe storm in Peru's northeastern jungle on Tuesday, killing at least 40 people, police said.

State-run airline TANS said its Boeing 737-200 plane with 100 people aboard made an emergency landing without its landing gear in swampland 1.8 miles (3 km) from the remote Pucallpa Airport, 490 miles (785 km) northeast of Lima.

The accident happened at 3:06 p.m. (2006 GMT), TANS said.

"There are 40 cadavers that rescue teams have pulled from the wreckage. There could be more deaths. We assume some 60 people in total since we've rescued 20 injured persons," a police officer in Pucallpa told RPP radio.

There were foreigners among the dead, police Lt. David Mori said.

"There were Americans on the flight and one was killed along with an Italian. We have also counted an injured Colombian, an Australian and a Spanish woman," he added.

TANS executive Jorge Belevan said 11 Americans were on board but did not elaborate.

Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo said in a televised address there were between 20 and 30 survivors, but Belevan said there were 52, including two crew members.

"The pilot said we'd be there in 10 minutes, but the turbulence was strong.. We felt a fierce impact, there were flames and fires around us," said passenger Yuri Salas.

Mori said the search for bodies stopped at nightfall and would restart at daylight on Wednesday because the plane crashed in a swamp area and was not easily accessible by road.

TANS said it would send two planes with medicine and rescue teams early on Wednesday.

It was the third major accident involving a passenger plane in less than two weeks, after crashes in Greece and Venezuela. In January 2003, a TANS aircraft crashed into a hill in Peru's northern jungle, killing all 46 people on board.

Belevan told reporters that 92 passengers and eight crew, including the pilots, were on board the plane, which left Lima for Pucallpa en route to Iquitos, in the northern jungle near the Colombian and Brazilian borders.

Iquitos is the largest city in the Peruvian jungle, the navigation gateway to the Amazon and a popular tourist site.

"The plane was about to land in Pucallpa... but it was caught in a crosswind... It did not crash, it was an emergency landing," Belevan said.

He added that the aircraft was built in 1983 and TANS had recently rented it from a South African company. He declined to give a death toll.

"It's really a Dantesque scene," said police officer Arioso Obregon. One witness, Tomas Ruiz, told RPP radio the plane was "totally destroyed."

"The weather was really terrible, there was a fierce storm at the time," a police officer in Pucallpa said.

Police and survivors said many passengers suffered severe burns and broken limbs and were being treated in Pucallpa hospital. Photographs of the crash site shown by TV station Canal N showed local people joining in the rescue effort.

TANS, founded in the 1960s by the Peruvian air force to help serve remote jungle communities, became a commercial airline in 1998. It has around 30 percent of the local market, focusing on routes often neglected by its competitors.

Peru's deadliest air crash was on February 29, 1996, when a Boeing 737 owned by the defunct Faucett Airline crashed in the Andes as it prepared to land in Arequipa, 600 miles (1,000 km) south of Lima. All 117 passengers and six crew members were killed.

Source: Reuters

Cyprus Crash Plane Sent 'Mayday' Calls

An exhausted-sounding man sent last-minute Mayday calls from the Helios Airways 737 that crashed earlier this month, Greek officials investigating one of civil aviation's most baffling incidents said on Monday.

The Helios Boeing 737 crashed on August 14 into mountains near Athens, crashing from around 35,000 feet up (10 kilometres) to kill all 115 passengers and six crew in Greece and Cyprus' worst air disaster.

The cause of the crash is a mystery -- the plane had flown for 2-1/2 hours without making radio contact, and F16 fighters scrambled to investigate had reported seeing no pilot present, and a seemingly unconscious co-pilot slumped in his seat.

As Helios started safety checks in Sweden on its remaining Boeings, the crash's chief investigator said a steward who had some flight training was thought to have made the last gasp cry for help from the plane's cockpit.

In a letter to Greece's transport ministry, Akrivos Tsolakis also said the Boeing crashed after the engines stopped, a possible signal the plane ran out of fuel after flying for nearly twice the scheduled 90 minute flight from Larnaca in Cyprus to Athens, a stop on the way to final destination Prague.

"There are signs there were problems with the compression system," Tsolakis said in the letter, read out on state TV. "There is proof that the engines stopped working, causing the plane to drop."

Police have confirmed steward Andreas Prodromou, who was learning to fly small planes, was inside the cockpit and appeared to be trying to fly the plane for about 30 minutes before it crashed.

"The man who sent the Mayday calls sounded tired and exhausted," the letter said.

Greek media reported Athens control tower did not pick up the warnings because they were transmitted on a wrong frequency.

Autopsies have found that those crew and passengers examined were alive on impact and did not suffer from carbon monoxide poisoning, possibly indicating that they suffered from a lack of oxygen to send them unconscious.

The plane took off at 0607 GMT from Larnaca in Cyprus and about 35 minutes later reported a problem with the air conditioning system, but was told to fly on to Athens.

Shortly afterwards Cypriot aviation officials failed to communicate with the plane's cockpit at 0637 GMT and informed Athens control tower.

Almost an hour later, as the plane neared Athens but still failed to make any contact, two F16s took off to shadow the plane, which at 0904 GMT crashed into the mountainside.

Helios, owned by Libra Holidays Group, a British tour operator, has defended its record but revealed the crashed plane had a previous cabin pressure problem.

Last December the plane had to descend swiftly from 34,000 to 11,000 feet on a Warsaw-Larnaca flight, it said.

Helios flies to Athens, the Greek islands, Dublin, Sofia, Warsaw, Prague, Strasbourg and British airports.

Source: Reuters

Administration Deadline For Gate Gourmet

Airline catering firm Gate Gourmet is set to appoint administrators to its UK business if it does not reach a deal with British Airways, a move that would threaten more disruption to London's Heathrow Airport, a source close to the firm said on Sunday. The source said the company had set a Tuesday night deadline for both sides to reach an agreement over extending its contract and setting higher prices. "Unless we can agree, we'll go into administration on Wednesday," the source added. Gate Gourmet, owned by US private equity firm Texas Pacific Group, is the sole supplier of in-flight meals to British Airways. The firm is in talks with unions after it sacked 660 staff earlier this month, which triggered wildcat strikes and the cancellation of over 700 flights at Heathrow. The union wants the sacked workers reinstated. Neither Gate Gourmet nor BA were available to comment. Last week a source close to debt talks said that banks were considering foreclosing on the company's senior debt. If Gate Gourmet goes into administration, the company would effectively be run by lawyers and could continue to provide a service to BA, the source said.

Source: Reuters

Nine Hurt In Qantas Jet Evacuation

A Qantas jet made an emergency landing in Japan early on Sunday after what was most probably a false smoke alarm, and nine people were injured when they used chutes to escape, police and the airline said.

The Perth-bound Airbus A330, carrying 178 passengers and 13 crew, landed in the central Japanese city of Osaka at about 1 a.m. local time (1620 GMT), shortly after leaving Tokyo, Qantas said in a statement.

"The Osaka Control Tower reported smoke on landing so an emergency evacuation was declared as a precaution and emergency slides deployed," Qantas said.

"Nine people were taken away by ambulance. They were hurt when they tried to escape using (emergency) chutes," a police official at Kansai Airport in Osaka said.

Kyodo news agency said a Japanese woman had suffered a pelvic fracture. The others, who included two Australians and a Chinese, sustained minor injuries.

Early inspections of the aircraft had shown no sign of smoke or fire and the airline believed the incident was due to a faulty reading from a sensor in the cargo hold.

"There's been no sign of fire or smoke at all," Qantas spokesman Lloyd Quartermaine said.

Police were planning to inspect the plane to check whether a fire had actually broken out on the plane, he said.

Source: Reuters

U.S. cautions on travel in Jordan

The U.S. Embassy in Jordan advised its citizens Sunday to exercise caution in regards to their security in the country following a mortar attack Friday.

An advisory published on the Embassy's Web site said U.S. government personnel have been instructed to travel within the country only as absolutely necessary and to stay way from Aqaba and sites frequented by large numbers of foreigners for the coming seven days.

The warning came after three mortar rockets targeted, but missed, two U.S. naval ships docked in Jordan's Red Sea port of Aqaba.

One of the mortars landed in a Jordanian military depot, killing one soldier and injuring another, while another fell near a military hospital in the city and a third slammed into the nearby Israeli city of Eilat, but no one was hurt.

Meanwhile, Jordan's powerful 14 professional syndicates blamed the rocket attack on Israel and the United States because of Israel's crimes in the blessed land, in reference to the Palestinian territories.

They said in a statement the presence of American military destroyers equipped with weapons was not welcome by our people and is a provocation to the sentiments of our Jordanian masses.

The unions called on the Jordanian government not to allow American forces into Jordanian territories, echoing a similar demand made by the influential Islamic movement earlier in the day.

Source: News Network

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Ruled Out In Cyprus Crash

Tests on victims of the Helios Airways Boeing 737 crash showed no carbon monoxide poisoning, which appeared to rule out one theory for the disaster.

Investigators hope tests will shed some light on why the pilot, co-pilot and many passengers on the Helios 737 apparently fell unconscious before the plane crashed near Athens last Sunday killing all six crew and 115 passengers.

One theory for Greece and Cyprus's worst air disaster was faulty air conditioning or a fire releasing poisonous carbon monoxide fumes.

"We are still doing tests for other gases, poisons, drugs and alcohol," Greece's Chief Coroner Philippos Koutsaftis said after meeting Justice Minister Anastasios Papaligouras.

Of six victims examined, five, including the co-pilot, showed no signs of breathing in carbon monoxide, while a stewardess had a minimum level of 7 percent, which was not considered dangerous, Koutsaftis told reporters.

"The seven percent is deemed to be minimal," he said.

Former Cypriot government forensic pathologist Marios Matsakis said there had been insufficient tests so far to draw any firm conclusions.

"All we can say at this point is that they did not breathe in carbon monoxide," Matsakis, a member of the European Parliament, said.

At the crash site, searchers found the cockpit voice recorder after six days of scouring the area, raising hopes the last conversations would shed light on the disaster. The plane's other so-called "black box", which records flight data, had already been found.

Cyprus President Tassos Papadopoulos has described the crash as a "peculiar" accident with only one precedent, suggesting a link to US golfer Payne Stewart's death in 1999.

Stewart was not the pilot of a Learjet that crashed in the United States, killing all five people on board.

In both cases, the planes flew for a lengthy period on auto pilot -- Stewart's for four hours halfway across the United States -- with the pilots in both cases seemingly unconscious or dead at the controls and out of radio contact.

The US investigation of Stewart's October 1999 accident in which all five people aboard died, warned of dangers of pilots becoming so engrossed in a minor task they did not swiftly put on oxygen masks when trouble broke out.

Investigators believe the key to discovering what caused the Cypriot plane to crash may be found in the final 23 minutes of the flight scheduled to last only 90 minutes from Larnaca in Cyprus to Prague with a stop in Athens.

F-16 fighter pilots whose planes were scrambled to fly alongside the doomed aircraft said they could not see the pilot, the co-pilot was visible slumped in his seat unconscious, and two unknown people were in the cockpit apparently trying to fly the plane.

Source: Reuters

Boeing, Airbus Orders Soar In 'Boom Times'

Boeing and Airbus, the world's two largest aircraft builders, booked orders for a combined total of 529 large airliners in the second quarter, up sharply from 161 in the previous three month period, an industry trade group said on Friday.

The total came near the 633 airliners with at least 100 seats ordered from the two companies in all of 2004, figures compiled by the Aerospace Industries Association showed.

"These are the boom times," said David Napier, the trade group's research director. The uptick began last year, has been accelerating and "we're expecting it to continue through next year," he added.

Airbus is owned 80 percent by EADS, Europe's largest defense contractor, and 20 percent by BAE Systems. The figures, which include the three month period ended June 30, showed Boeing booked 379 orders in the second quarter, while Airbus booked 150.

In 2003, Airbus overtook Boeing in terms of deliveries for the first time, supplying 305 airliners versus 281, a lead it maintained last year.

Overall, the US aerospace industry was on track to its best year in terms of orders and shipments since 1992, the latest figures showed.

The industry logged USD$98.9 billion in net new orders to June, which would total USD$197.7 billion for the year if the trend continues. This compares to USD$164.9 billion in 2004 and would be well ahead of 2000's USD$166 billion, the figures showed.

Shipments totaled USD$83.5 billion to June, which would amount to USD$167 billion by the end of 2005 if the trend remains. That would outdo the USD$158 billion in 2004, the best year on record since 1992, the trade group said.

Source: Reuters

Turkish Plane Makes Emergency Landing In Budapest

A Turkish passenger jet with more than 300 people on board made an emergency landing in Budapest early on Thursday after reporting that one of its two engines had failed, a spokeswoman for Budapest Airport said.

The Fly Air Airbus A300, which was carrying 292 passengers and 11 crew en route from Istanbul to Brussels, landed safely and no injuries were reported.

"The pilot reported that one of its engines failed and the plane made an approach with just one engine," Ibolya Forika, a spokeswoman for Budapest Airport, the operator of Hungary's largest international airport said.

There were no immediate indications as to what caused the engine failure.

Fly Air, which started operations in 2002, has a fleet of 13 aircraft, including seven Airbus A300s, the company said on its web site.

Source: Reuters

Changi displays Singapore Airlines A380 model aircraft

Singapore Changi Airport today received its newest aircraft - a four by four metre scale model of the new Singapore Airlines A380. The model was unveiled in gatehold room F31 in Terminal 2, the airport’s first A380-ready gatehold room, by Singapore Minister of State for Finance and Transport, Mrs Lim Hwee Hua.

With a length of 72.7 metres, wingspan of 79.8 metres and a height of 24.1 metres, the A380 is the largest commercial aircraft ever to be built.

Singapore Airlines has 10 A380 aircraft on firm order and 15 on option. The aircraft will first be used on the Kangaroo route between Singapore, Sydney and London.

The Singapore Airlines A380 will be designed to accommodate less than 480 seats in a three-class configuration, although at its full capacity, the aircraft can hold 555 seats in the same layout.

The model aircraft will be on display along the main shopping belt within the transit area of Terminal 2 at Singapore Changi Airport.

Source: ASIA Travel Tips .com

Colombian Airliner Crashes In Venezuela, 160 Dead

A West Caribbean Airways jet traveling from Panama crashed in Venezuela on Tuesday, killing all 152 passengers and eight crew on board, officials said.

The aircraft was en route to the French Caribbean island territory of Martinique when it went down in a mountainous area near Venezuela's border with Colombia after suffering from engine failure, Venezuelan officials said.

The French Civil Aviation Authority said everyone on board was from Martinique.

Venezuelan Interior Minister Jesse Chacon said the aircraft had changed its route to request a landing at Chinita Airport in the western Venezuelan city of Maracaibo, but crashed in the remote Sierra de Perija region near the border with Colombia.

"When it was flying over Venezuelan airspace, they had problems with one engine and then with another engine, and at that moment it went down," Chacon said.

French President Jacques Chirac had learned "with very deep emotion of the terrible air disaster which occurred in Venezuela and in which a very great number of victims were French," his office said in a statement.

Martinique is one of the overseas territories administered by France. Chirac's office said the president had ordered Overseas Territories Minister Francois Baroin to travel to Martinique.

The French Foreign Ministry has set up a crisis unit to deal with enquiries by anxious relatives.

"In the name of all the French people, the President expresses his deepest condolences and his profound compassion for the families of the victims," Chirac's office said.

West Caribbean Airways is based in the Colombian city of Medellin and operates two McDonnell Douglas MD-81s, and an MD-82, as well as two ATR 42s and several smaller aircraft.

In March, a West Caribbean Airways Let L-410 aircraft departing from Providencia, Colombia, failed to climb and hit hills close to the runway. Two crew and six passengers died in that accident.

Source: Reuters

Cyprus Plane Crash Victims 'Frozen Solid'

Most of the bodies recovered from the Helios Airways Boeing 737 that crashed near Athens with 121 people on board were frozen solid, a Greek official said, suggesting the airliner was a flying tomb before it plunged to earth.

As accident investigators combed the crash site for clues, aviation experts were baffled at what appeared to have been a catastrophic failure of cabin pressure or oxygen supply in freezing temperatures at 35,000 feet -- nearly 10 km (6 miles) up, higher than Mount Everest.

One expert said reports of extreme cold suggested there was no air circulating in the cabin. "Autopsy on passengers so far shows the bodies were frozen solid, including some whose skin was charred by flames from the crash," the Defence Ministry source, with access to the investigation, said on Monday.

Most of the bodies recovered from the Helios Airways Early indications suggest the 115 passengers and six crew were dead or unconscious when the 737 crashed 40 km (25 miles) north of Athens on Sunday. There were no survivors.
Rescue workers recovered the pilot's body, a German identified as Martin Hans Gurgen, and said they had found the plane's black box flight recorders, including the one that records pilot conversations, and are being sent to France for analysis.

The recovery of the black boxes is crucial to determining the cause of the worst air disaster in Greece and the worst involving a Cypriot airline. Greek TV reported on Sunday that the pilot had told air traffic controllers the plane was experiencing problems with its air conditioning system shortly before contact was lost. A passenger list released by Cyprus' Transport Ministry showed a family of four Armenians living in Cyprus, 12 Greeks and 104 Cypriots were killed in the crash. There were 17 children under the age of 16 on board, the youngest aged 4. Relatives of some victims were on their way from Cyprus to the crash site to start the grim task of trying to identify loved ones. At Larnaca Airport in Cyprus, from where the doomed plane took off, crew and passengers on Monday refused to board an aircraft belonging to Helios Airways, state-run Cyprus News Agency reported. About 100 passengers due to fly from Larnaca to Sofia demanded to travel on planes of other airlines. "First the crew refused to board, then the passengers," it said. But a Helios spokeswoman denied a Cyprus Transport Ministry statement that its planes had been grounded.

The Mediterranean island of Cyprus started three days of mourning with flags at half mast in a long weekend holiday that is the busiest of the summer for Greeks and Cypriots.

The Boeing 737 was on a flight from Larnaca to Prague with a stop in Athens. Greek authorities ruled out any hijacking or terrorism links to the crash.
The flight was declared "renegade" when it entered Greek air space and failed to make radio contact. Two F-16 air force jets were scrambled to investigate and reported that the co-pilot was slumped in the cockpit and the pilot was not visible.

Defence Ministry officials said 90 minutes elapsed between the alert being raised and the plane crashing at 12:03 p.m.

Greek government spokesman Theodore Roussopoulos said the F-16 pilots reported that with the pilots out of action there may have been a last-gasp effort by others on the plane to bring it back under control.

"The F-16s saw two individuals in the cockpit seemingly trying to regain control of the airplane," Roussopoulos said. It was not known if they were passengers or other crew.

"The F-16s also saw oxygen masks down when they got close to the aircraft. The aircraft was making continuous right-hand turns to show it had lost radio contact."

"A passenger on the doomed plane said in an SMS text to his cousin in Athens: "The pilot has turned blue. Cousin farewell, we're freezing."

Kieran Daly, editor of Air Transport Intelligence, said: "When he talks about being extremely cold, that really suggests that there was possibly no air circulating in the cabin at all."

Other questions included how the plane appeared to fly for so long with the pilots unconscious or dead. Media speculated it was on auto pilot and crashed when it ran out of fuel after being in the air for twice the scheduled flight time.
The Defence Ministry said it suspected the plane's oxygen supply or pressurization system may have malfunctioned, which could have led to death within seconds for all on board.

Loss of cabin pressure was identified as the probable cause of other similar but smaller-scale air crashes in recent years.

Golfer Payne Stewart and five others were killed when their Learjet aircraft crashed in the United States in 1999 after flying for more than four hours without radio contact.

Source: Reuters

India To Shoot Down Hijacked Planes

The Indian government has cleared a proposal to shoot down hijacked passenger aircraft if security agencies are convinced the plane would be used as a missile, the Press Trust of India (PTI) reported on Sunday.

The decision is part of tough new measures to prevent hijacking and the use of hijacked planes as bombs as in the September 11, 2001, attacks in the United States, the news agency said quoting official sources.

The new anti-hijacking policy, cleared by the cabinet committee on security last week, also rules out negotiations with hijackers on their demands, the report said.

Talks will be held only to help prevent loss of life or end the incident and hijackers would face the death penalty, it said.

Government officials were not available to comment on the report.

The new policy comes nearly six years after Kashmiri militants hijacked an Indian Airlines plane flying from the Nepali capital, Kathmandu, to New Delhi in December 1999.

The aircraft was taken to Afghanistan and the hijack ended after India freed three pro-Kashmiri militants from jail. One passenger was killed in the incident.

The incident caused widespread embarrassment to New Delhi and authorities were blamed for not acting in time to prevent the plane from leaving India after it landed for refuelling.

The new policy reduces bureaucratic procedures to get permission for armed intervention and the Indian air force has been given the authority to scramble fighter jets to guard and guide the hijacked plane and force it to land at an Indian airport, PTI said.

Source: Reuters

Cypriot Plane Crashes With 121 Aboard

A Helios Airways Boeing 737 crashed into a mountainous area north of Athens on Sunday, killing all 121 people on board, after apparently suffering a loss of cabin pressure or oxygen.

"The pilot has turned blue," a passenger said in a mobile phone text message to his cousin, according to Greek television. "Cousin farewell, we're freezing."

The crash was the worst airline disaster in Greek history.

Greek TV station Alpha said the pilot told air traffic controllers the 737 was experiencing air conditioning problems, before communication with the plane -- flying at 35,000 feet en route from Larnaca in Cyprus to Prague via Athens -- was lost.

A Greek police spokesman said 115 passengers and six crew were on board the flight, of whom 59 adults and eight children were heading to Athens and 48 to Prague, including two children.

Rescuers said they had found no survivors, and health officials said they had started receiving the first bodies from the burning wreckage, scattered widely about the mountainous area 40 km (25 miles) north of Athens.

Dense black smoke billowed from several small fires. Only the tail section, bearing the Helios logo, was recognizable among the debris.

"I saw many bodies scattered around, all of them wearing (oxygen) masks," one witness said.

Cypriot Transport Minister Haris Thrasou told reporters in Larnaca: "The state of the bodies is such that it is difficult to recognize at first sight... This is why genetic material will be used (for identification)."

Police said 35 fire trucks, eight fire-fighting planes and three helicopters were at the scene, along with 105 special rescue operations officers.

Akrivos Tsolaki, head of the accident investigation committee, told reporters at the crash site the plane's two black boxes -- voice and data recorders -- had been located.

At Larnaca Airport desperate relatives demanded Helios release the passenger list. Some chanted: "Helios are murderers".

Airport officials in Cyprus said flight HCY522 left Larnaca at 9 a.m. (0700 GMT) and lost contact at 10:30 a.m.

Two Greek F-16 fighter jets were scrambled after the plane lost contact with the tower at Athens Airport.

One of the F-16 pilots reported that he could not see the captain in the cockpit and his co-pilot appeared to be slumped in his seat, a government spokesman said.

The ministry said it suspected the plane's oxygen supply or pressurization system may have malfunctioned.

"We do not have the slightest indication that there was a terrorist act," said Thrasou in Larnaca.

Greek Defence Ministry officials said 90 minutes elapsed between the alert first being raised at 10:30 a.m. and the plane crashing at 12:03 p.m.

A source said the F-16 pilots were being flown to Defence Ministry headquarters for debriefing. "Their testimony is crucial for the continuation of the investigation. They are the ones with the last visuals of the plane."

A Helios spokeswoman in Larnaca said: "We have no information about any problem with the AC (air conditioning) system. This plane received maintenance as usual and left Cyprus without any problems."

Kieran Daly, editor of Air Transport Intelligence, said the cause of the crash was a "puzzle". "There are very good procedures in place for dealing with a lack of oxygen. There are so many warning systems, the crew should have been aware there was a problem," he said.

"The passenger commenting that it was cold suggests there was no air circulating in the cabin at all, or in the cockpit."

A spokesman for the European Aviation Safety Agency, Daniel Holtgen, based in Cologne, Germany, said: "It is highly unlikely that the loss of cabin pressure alone would cause such an incident. There would have to be other contributing factors."

Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis broke off his holiday to return to Athens, and Cyprus declared three days of mourning.

In Larnaca, Cypriot President Tassos Papadopoulos said: "I express my deepest sorrow and grief for the loss of lives of our compatriots and on behalf of the government I express deepest sympathy to all the relatives. We are standing by them and offering our support."

At the airport in Prague, where friends and relatives had been gathering to meet the flight, screens showing arrivals read simply "delayed".

Helios was Cyprus's first private carrier, established in 1999. It flies to Dublin, Sofia, Warsaw, Prague, Strasbourg and several British airports using a fleet of Boeing 737 aircraft.

Libra Holidays Group, one of Britain's leading independent tour operators, bought Helios in November 2004.

Problems involving Helios planes have been reported in the past. In December 2004, three passengers were taken to hospital after a plane lost cabin pressure and made an emergency landing at Larnaca.

Source: Reuters

British Airways cancels all Heathrow flights until Friday Evening

British Airways has cancelled all flights into and out of London Heathrow airportuntil at least 6pm on Friday 12 August.

This follows the suspension of all British Airways' Heathrow flights this afternoonas a result of unofficial industrial action by staff from catering company GateGourmet. This unofficial action spread to British Airways ground staff.

Due to the uncertainty of the industrial situation at Heathrow and both aircraftand flying crew being out of position, the airline has taken the decision tocancel all Heathrow flights until Friday evening.

Sir Rod Eddington, British Airways' chief executive, said, "This unprecedentedmove is a result of the crippling operational impact of unofficial industrialaction by staff from the Transport and General Workers union. "Because we have not had sufficient airport staff to operate flights into or out of Heathrow, nearly 100 of our aircraft and 1,000 pilots and cabin crew are in the wrong places around the world and we simply cannot mount a robust operation any earlier. "I would like to apologise unreservedly to our customers. It isa huge disappointment to us that we have become embroiled in someone else'sdispute. I have urged the Transport and General Workers Union and GateGourmet managers to resolve this dispute and end this misery for our customers." The airline stated it is keeping the situation under constant reviewand will do everything it can to get its operation back to normal as soonas it can. Five other airlines (Finnair, SriLankan Airlines, British Mediterranean,GB Airways and Qantas) have also been impacted and travellers planningto fly into or out of Heathrow should contact their travel agent or respectiveairline to arrange a refund or to rebook their travel plans. In the UKthere is a number to call BA's hotline: 0800 727800.

Turkish Airlines exercises options for eight Boeing Next-Generation 737-800s

Turkish Airlines has exercised options for eight Boeing Next-Generation 737-800s. The airplanes are scheduled for delivery in 2008 and are worth an estimated $542 million at list prices. The options were part of an order placed by Turkish Airlines in 2004 for 15 Boeing 737s.

"We recognize the tremendous economic advantages of the Next-Generation 737s, having operated them since 1998. Moving forward on our growth strategy, we are looking to open new markets in Europe and Central Asia . The Next-Generation 737s' operational flexibility will play an integral part of that strategy," said Dr. Temel Kotil, President and CEO of Turkish Airlines.

"The Turkish economy is expected to grow at a faster rate than elsewhere in Europe over the next several years. Turkish Airlines is equipping its fleet with the right product to successfully manage the booming demand from both leisure and business travelers," said Aldo Basile, Sales director for Turkey , Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "The Boeing Next-Generation 737 has proven its value to Turkish Airlines and will continue to do so in the future."

Source: ASIA Travel Tips .com

EasyCruise experiencing strong demand

EasyCruise has achieved an occupancy level of 83% in August, just four months after launching.

The budget cruise specialist, part of easyGroup, said its first season sailing the French and Italian rivieras had been very encouraging.

In its first month business occupancy was 59% but it has climbed since.

Because customers are able to leave the cruise where and when they like, subject to a two day minimum stay, easyCruise claimed August’s occupancy level represented near full-capacity for its particular business model.

EasyCruise said customer feedback had been good with 98% of the 300 respondents to an on-board survey keen to travel with the company again.

Booking for the company’s winter season in the Caribbean is now under way with prices starting at £9 per person per night based on two people sharing a cabin.

Source: CatererSearch

Airlines face growing risk of fuel shortages at busy airports

Some airports recently almost ran out of fuel.

Executives say airlines have not had to cancel flights, make extra stops to tank up -- or have planes fly with less than the minimum fuel required. But they did have to fly in extra fuel from other markets, and scramble for deliveries by truck.

Airline executives say the underlying problems are that passenger traffic is rising above pre-Nine-Eleven levels. They also say the nation's aviation business is slowly outgrowing the infrastructure that fuels it.

Source: Associated Press

Boeing 777-200LR Worldliner completes World Tour

The Boeing 777-200LR Worldliner returned to Seattle this past Sunday after completing its "Going the Distance" tour that took the airplane to 24 cities across the globe.

The tour began the evening of June 9 with a flight from Montreal to Paris, where the 777-200LR had a week-long stay at the Paris Air Show. The 777-200LR visited cities across the Middle East, Asia, Europe, Australia, and North America. Among the cities visited were Singapore, Islamabad, Beijing, Dubai, Sydney, Hong Kong, Mumbai, London, Mexico City, New Delhi, Taipei, Doha and Newark.

"On this tour the 777-200LR demonstrated its unmatched range capability, as well as its superior efficiency and passenger comfort," said Lars Andersen, vice president and program manager, 777 Program, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "The response to the airplane from airline customers around the world has been overwhelmingly positive."

During the 61-day world tour the 777-200LR flew a distance of more than 70,000 nautical miles (129,640 kilometers); made 38 separate flights, and visited 17 countries. General Electric Aircraft Engines, Bose, Thales, AeroMobile, Motorola and Teague were among Boeing's tour partners.

The 777-200LR will continue its flight testing as Boeing prepares the airplane for certification later this year. The first 777-200LR will be delivered to Pakistan International Airlines in early 2006.

The 777-200LR, capable of connecting virtually any two cities in the world nonstop, is the fifth 777 model. In service it can carry 301 passengers and baggage up to 9,420 nautical miles (17,445 kilometers).

In addition to Pakistan International Airlines, other airlines that have ordered or announced commitments for the 777-200LR include Air India, Jet Airways, EVA Air and Qatar Airways.

Later this year, the Worldliner will attempt a new record for nonstop distance traveled by a commercial airplane.

Source: ASIA Travel Tips .com

EgyptAir orders 6 Boeing 737-800s

EgyptAir has concluded an order for up to 12 Boeing 737-800s, a firm order for six airplanes with purchase options for an additional six.

The complete airplane deal is valued at $850 million at list prices, marking another significant investment in EgyptAir's fleet renewal. The airline currently operates one of the industry's youngest airplane fleets.

The airline will take delivery of its first 737-800 in September 2006, with the remaining airplanes joining its fleet through December 2009.

"Egypt is a land of history and so, too, we respect the history we've shared with Boeing during EgyptAir's growth and development," said Engineer Atef Abd El-Hamid, chairman and CEO of EgyptAir Holding Company. "These new 737-800s, with their high degree of reliability and ruggedness, offer us the opportunity to maximize our operating efficiency and provide excellent service to our passengers."

EgyptAir operates 400 weekly flights from Cairo and several Egyptian cities providing route connectivity to more than 66 destinations across Asia, Europe, Africa and North America.

Source: ASIA Travel Tips .com

Qatar Airways increases capacity to Dhaka

Due to a breakthrough in the air service agreement between the governments of Qatar and Bangladesh, Qatar Airways has increased capacity between Doha and Dhaka to seven flights a week.

An extra two scheduled flights a week have been launched, operating on Tuesdays and Saturdays, to take frequency up from five services.

The airline is continuing to use its state-of-the-art Airbus A330 on the route, with a two-class cabin of 22 seats in Business and 259 in Economy.

The extra capacity on the route follows the conclusion of bilateral discussions in Dhaka recently where a high level delegation of government officials from Qatar and Bangladesh held talks about increasing trade between both countries.

Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker said he was delighted to see additional flights serving the Bangladeshi community in Qatar and Bangladesh.

“The breakthrough in the bilaterals between our two governments enables us to now serve Dhaka with a greater number of flights and this is good news for the travelling public as it offers more choice and greater options to fly to destinations further afield,” he said.

Qatar Airways previously had traffic rights to operate four flights a week between Doha and Dhaka. A fifth service has been operating under a codeshare agreement with Biman Bangladesh.

Source: ASIA Travel Tips .com

Accor opens First Novotel in Jakarta

Accor has opened the Novotel Mangga Dua, the first Novotel hotel in Jakarta.

The 270-room hotel is located in Jakarta’s prominent Mangga Dua district long known for its trading, shipping and import-export related industries. In recent years the neighborhood has transformed into a popular shopping and entertainment area, attracting more young professionals and consumers to Mangga Dua.

Novotel Mangga Dua is also connected to the sprawling Mangga Dua Square development that features an exhibition centre and shopping mall complex with numerous stores and restaurants.

The hotel will offer guests hotel-wide WiFi coverage in all rooms and public areas, a business centre, 800sqm ballroom, six adjacent meeting rooms for between 40 to 60 people each, Novotel’s signature concept restaurant ‘The Square, a Fun Pub, swimming pool, fitness centre and spa.

Novotel Mangga Dua incorporates the latest Novotel design features, including the BIZ Executive Floor and BIZ Lounge concepts.

Director of Operations - Indonesia, Gerard Guillouet, said Novotel Mangga Dua provides Accor with a strategic presence in Jakarta, one of Asia’s largest and most important commercial capital cities. “The hotel is in one of Jakarta’s oldest business districts that in recent years has become an exciting nightlife and shopping quarter, making it attractive to a wider clientele.”

With the addition of Novotel Mangga Dua, Accor now operates 31 hotels and serviced apartments in key resort and business destinations around Indonesia. These include 11 Novotel hotels, nine Ibis hotels, seven Mercure hotels and residences, two Sofitel hotels and two associated properties. Three additional hotels are under development and scheduled to open in 2005.

Novotel Mangga Dua is offering a promotional rate of US$41++ a night for double occupancy in a Superior Room inclusive of breakfast, use of the hotel fitness centre and 10 % off laundry, phone charges and meals at The Square Restaurant until 31 August 2005.

Source: ASIA Travel Tips .com

First Fully Equipped Aircraft put into service at Korean Air

Korean Air has introduced its first fully equipped aircraft with Audio Visual on Demand (AVOD) for all three classes of service, inflight internet options, new comfortable seats, and new interior environment.

As part of the airline's vision to be a respected leader in the world airline industry, Korean Air made the commitment in 2004 to introduce a new corporate image and inflight services on par with other leading global airlines. The airline announced that its new incoming aircraft this year will be fully equipped and the first to enter the fleet is a B777-200ER which was added to the Incheon~LA flight today.

Korean Air plans to fully equip its aircraft to be used on all mid to long haul routes. Passengers have indicated that inflight entertainment and convenient services such as internet availability are a top priority and Korean Air has responded by investing in such services.

The first fully equipped aircraft added to the Incheon~LA route will be joined by the addition of another fully equipped aircraft later expanded to other US routes. By the end of this year, currently operating aircraft including five B747-400s and two B777s will be in service. By 2007, all B747 and B777 to be used on long haul fleets will be equipped by end of 2007.

"With the introduction of our new aircraft, Korean Air will be able to aggressively compete with other leading global carriers and we will be the airline that is able to win customers with our strong brand recognition," said Yang Ho Cho, chairman and CEO. He added, "We are making the effort to differentiate our services and these are all a part of our efforts to become one of the top ten leading carriers in the global airline industry."

Korean Air is introducing new cutting-edge cocoon-style sleeper seats to its B747-400 long haul fleet. The seats, custom made for Korean Air, will be introduced to the B747-400 in stages and added to long-haul US and Europe routes. The new seat features 30-inch wide fabric seats that recline to 180 degrees, with privacy partitions and individual in-flight entertainment functions including Audio Video on Demand (AVOD), internet/email service, and a 15-inch inch LCD monitor screen. Other newly added functions to the First Class seats are lumber massage, movable side armrests, a buddy seat (auxiliary seat) and individual reading lights.

Korean Air Prestige Plus Seats

The new Prestige Plus Seats for business class will also be added in stages to the B747-400's and B777-200s and made available for mid-long-haul routes. These seats will feature similar entertainments systems as offered in First Class. The biggest change from the current Business Class is the angle of recline. Currently, business class seats recline 138 degrees, but the new seats recline up to 170 degrees providing an almost flat bed.

Audio Visual on Demand (AVOD)

Since 2003, Korean Air has been introducing Audio Video on Demand (AVOD) for First Class and Business Class on mid-long haul routes including US, Europe, and Southeast Asia flights. One of the most advanced in-flight entertainment systems, the AVOD systems will gradually be added to all three classes. The AVOD system gives passengers a choice of 36 movie channels and a selection of more than 1,000 different music choices. In addition, passengers will have a choice of a variety of games and be able to access flight information at their convenience.

Inflight Internet Service

Passengers will be able to enjoy high speed internet services inflight. There are currently four aircraft that have these services. By the end of this year, 14 aircraft will have these services and by the end of 2006, 43 aircraft will have inflight internet available. By 2008, all mid-long haul flights will have these services available onboard. Passengers will have access to LAN or use wireless LAN cards.

Aircraft Modernization

As of August 2005, Korean Air has a total of 1145 aircraft in its fleet. Korean Air continues its aircraft modernization plan as it adds new aircraft to the fleet. This year, five aircraft - B777-200, B737-900 will be added. Eventually the fleet will consist of B747-400 and A380 for long-haul flights. B777, B787 and A330 for mid-range flights and B737NGs for short-haul flights.

Source: ASIA Travel Tips .com

Qualcomm and Connexion by Boeing Testing In-Flight Mobile Phone Communications

Qualcomm, pioneer and innovator of Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) and other advanced wireless technologies, and Connexion by Boeing, are working together to test and demonstrate in-flight wireless communications aboard Connexion One, a specially equipped Boeing 737-400 aircraft.

The companies have performed a series of test flights that successfully demonstrated the simultaneous use of CDMA and GSM mobile phone technology over an on-board network with infrastructure and integration support from UTStarcom. Using standard cellular communications, a small in-cabin CDMA2000 and GSM “picocell,” or small cellular base station, is connected to the worldwide terrestrial network by an air-to-ground satellite link provided by the Connexion by Boeing high-speed airborne network.

Passengers on the test flight were able to use BREW®-based data applications via Qualcomm’s BREW solution. The BREW solution enables users to download business applications, 3D games, information and communication applications such as email and instant messenger wirelessly, over the air. Passengers also downloaded and watched video clips and made phone calls on a variety of mobile devices including 3G mobile phones. The data tests were conducted over CDMA2000 1X and CDMA2000 1xEV-DO and voice calls were made over CDMA2000 and GSM.

“According to an October 2004 report, CSP Associates estimates the penetration rate of mobile phones for passengers in the United States is approximately 70 percent and expected to rise to 90 percent in the next three years,” said Paul Guckian, senior director of technology for Qualcomm. “The cellphone is quickly becoming the most personal information and entertainment device today, and passengers want to make the best use of travel time by accessing business and entertainment applications while in-flight. Qualcomm and Connexion by Boeing are cooperating to make this capability a reality”

“Connexion by Boeing is committed to providing evolutionary new wireless services that provide passengers with additional choices for how to communicate while airborne, while also providing air carriers with a competitive edge within in the industry,” said David Friedman, vice president of marketing and direct sales for Connexion by Boeing. “What makes the Connexion system so unique is its capability to provide high-speed connectivity and entertainment services with a bandwidth that can support simultaneous data activity to a large number of passengers who board commercial aircrafts every day carrying mobile phones.”

Qualcomm and Connexion by Boeing will continue to perform research and development supporting the feasibility of in-flight mobile telephony and evaluate the potential for interference from multi-technology picocell networks and mobile phones to other aircraft systems and terrestrial networks.

Safety is a top priority and it is with this in mind that Qualcomm and Connexion by Boeing have committed to research and testing to ensure there is no potential for interference with both aircraft systems and terrestrial networks. Working in close collaboration with Boeing Commercial Airplanes, the testing, which began in May 2005, will continue through September 2005.

Source: ASIA Travel Tips .com

Sydney under the Microscope for International Medical Meetings

Sydney is about to come under the microscope, with almost 10,000 visitors arriving in the city this month for two major international medical conventions.

The first convention - the 26th Congress of the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis - starts at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre this Sunday (August 7). The five-day meeting will bring together 4400 delegates from 97 nations to discuss the latest research on an array of medical issues, from DVT to haemophilia and vascular biology.

Two weeks later, a further 5000 visitors from more than 90 countries will meet at the Centre for the five-day World Congress on Pain (August 21-26), which will examine the diagnosis and treatment of pain.

Sydney’s official meetings body, the Sydney Convention and Visitors Bureau, beat other major international cities to win the two meetings for the city more than six years ago. It estimates the congresses will generate almost A$51 million for Sydney across areas such as accommodation, dining, transport and delegate spending.

SCVB Managing Director Jon Hutchison said the visitors would be taking advantage of their time in Sydney to explore the city’s attractions and absorb its culture. Delegates at the Thrombosis Congress will be enjoying an exclusive performance of Nabucco at the Sydney Opera House, while others are planning a visit to Bondi Beach – by running in Sydney’s famous City to Surf race.

“These two congresses are great news for Sydney’s economy as international convention delegates are high-yield visitors, spending an average A$749 a day during their stay,” Mr Hutchison said.

“Both events are also enormously important for our medical community, which will benefit from the opportunity to host its international peers.”

Centre Chief Executive Ton van Amerongen said each congress would occupy almost the entire convention centre.

“In addition to their many meeting sessions, both events also have a significant exhibition component which will take up to half our available exhibition space.”

The Centre’s kitchen will also be kept busy. Gourmet canapés such as smoked salmon pancakes and mini dampers with rare roast beef will be served at cocktail events for more than 2500 people at each congress, while regular morning and afternoon teas for up to 4000 delegates will be served throughout the meetings.

Mr Hutchison said the Thrombosis Congress was being coordinated by Event Planners Australia, while Tour Hosts was the professional conference organiser responsible for the World Congress on Pain.

The two meetings mark the start of a spate of nine international medical events to be held in Sydney over the next four months, including the massive 5000-delegate World Congress of Neurology which will be held at the Centre from November 5-11.

Source: ASIA Travel Tips .com

Construction begins on InterContinental Lagos

Work has begun on the development of the InterContinental Hotels Group first hotel in Nigeria, the InterContinental Lagos.

A city surrounded by creeks, lagoons and rivers, derived from the Portuguese name for lagoon, Lagos has undergone substantial development and has steadily witnessed an explosion in its commercial activities. Victoria Island plays host to the city’s best hotels and now includes the InterContinental Hotel Lagos, further solidifying the group’s belief in the development of this region.

Featuring 258 rooms, with 42 suites including a Presidential and VIP suite as well as 6 Bay Club Lounges located on the 17th Floor. An all day dining restaurant, Grill Room, Oriental restaurant, Lobby bar, Tea room, Mediterranean poolside restaurant and Club Lounge will encourage guests to enjoy the very best in international cuisine.

A full health club including steam and sauna rooms as well as a 22m swimming pool will be among the hotel's leisure facilities along with water sports and beach activities for both adults and children so guests can take full advantage of Victoria Island’s beaches.

For those who do not wish to switch off, state of the art IP telephony, wired and wireless connectivity will be available throughout the hotel enabling 24 hour connectivity. There will also be a 750 person capacity Banquet Hall as well as a number of individual boardrooms - with capacities ranging from 10 to 150 – a Meeting Coordinator’s Office, Business Centre with Internet stations as well as an auditorium.

Discussing the impact of the hotel on the Nigerian travel industry, Denis Johnson, Vice President, Sales and Marketing, InterContinental Hotels Group, Middle East and Africa, said, “Travel to Nigeria has been growing steadily in recent years, coupled with the diversity of activities on offer in Nigeria, the new InterContinental Lagos property will make it the ideal place to stay in Lagos.”

Source:

Boom in Beijing ski resorts sparks water supply worries

China (Ski Press) The recent opening of a new indoor ski centre in Beijing and the construction of more conventional ski areas around the Chinese capital has led to warnings from experts that the city’s already stretched water supply cannot cope with more ski resorts developments and in particular their snow making requirements.

By the end of last year, Beijing had 13 ski centres operational, all built in the last few years because of the ski boom in the country. However the city has only limited natural snowfall and temperatures are not consistently low at the ends of the season to ensure that what natural snowfall there is, lasts.

The Tourism Development Research Institute of the Beijing International Studies University have warned that a lack of planning means that resorts can be created without proper feasibility studies either for their likely business success or for the implications for the city of their consumption of limited natural resources such as water.

The Institute estimate that the 13 ski resorts consume 3.8 million cubic meters of water annually, equal to the amount used by 42,000 Beijing residents each year. Beijing is one of the Chinese cities which faces a grave water shortage, with per capita water resources standing at 300 cubic meters, 15 percent of the national average and four percent of the world’s average.

The institute has called for the phased closure of all of Beijing’s ski areas as part of a city wide strategy to avoid long term damage to the underlying water table.

“Beijingers can have no ski runs, but cannot have no drinking water,” said and Institute spokesman.

Source: Ski Press Media Inc.

Disease Free Bahamas ...A Thing Of The Past

One of the features which made The Bahamas unique was the fact that our environment was relatively free of the economic pest and diseases which affected commercial food production.

When the commercial cattle industry of the US and Canada wanted to import the French Charolais breed into North America, The Bahamas was used as the site to quarantine these animals. The quarantine period lasted for several years and eventually the animals were allowed entry into the US and Canada. The site for the quarantine was Rock Sound, South Eleuthera.

This experiment netted The Bahamas nothing as we took a big risk in allowing this experiment to take place on our soil and in our environment. The Bahamas is one of the few areas of the world which is free of foot and mouth disease.

During the 60s, the then Minister of Agriculture, Sir Milo B. Butler, and Senior Veterinary Officer, Dr. Huw Davies, were invited by the government of Argentina to visit that country in order to inspect their processing facilities so as to facilitate the export of Argentine beef to The Bahamas. Once into The Bahamas, then there were possibilities for exports elsewhere. Permission was never granted. Argentina remains a foot and mouth infected country.

The Bahamas has always maintained stringent rules and regulation governing the importation of cats and dogs. This policy has enabled The Bahamas to remain rabies free.

In recent years, there have been some pest and diseases which have wreaked havoc - the pink mealy bug, the citrus canker, lethal yellow, and now there is the threat of Avian Flu to our poultry industry. The following article from, the New Agriculturist, brings out the impact these pests and diseases can have on mankind.

Preventing the next plague

With countless birds dead, whether to culling or disease, the serious impact of Avian flu on the Asian poultry industry is beyond question. However, it is the danger to human health from this zoonotic disease that has really hit the headlines. More than 50 people in Southeast Asia have died from the disease, and the big fear is that the avian flu virus will mutate to allow direct human-to-human transmission. The result could be the first global flu pandemic in decades, potentially killing millions of people.

There are over 200 zoonotic diseases that kill and debilitate large numbers of people and livestock every year. Rabies, brucellosis, bovine tuberculosis and sleeping sickness are just a few that are endemic in Africa. Most zoonotic diseases can be readily prevented, and yet millions of people, particularly the poor in developing countries, remain at risk.

According to François Meslin of the World Health Organization (WHO), "these are not diseases that are flaring up or have the potential to spread to the rest of the world. But we owe it to the people who suffer from them to work more closely together."

Not Just For Emergencies

By 'we', Meslin refers to human and animal health professionals. His point is that, in controlling any zoonotic disease, a more holistic approach is needed, with co-operation between the ministries responsible for livestock diseases and public health. "Unfortunately," he continues, "it often takes an emergency, such as avian flu or the emergence of the Nipah virus, to get sufficient resources mobilised and sectors brought together to work in unison rather than in competitive conflict." Cross-sectoral control efforts are evident in some countries. Tanzania is one such example with veterinary and medical researchers collaborating to control bovine tuberculosis, brucellosis and rabies. But, says Meslin, more needs to be done.

If prevention is better than cure, surely the responsibility lies with veterinary services to diagnose and treat livestock and thereby prevent the spread of zoonotic diseases to humans? Meslin agrees that veterinary services in many developing countries need strengthening, adding that the perspective of veterinarians also needs to change. Public health issues, he insists, should be included in veterinary training and practice.

Information Is Key...

Yet the occurrence of zoonotic disease continues to be under-reported. Eunice Forster, head of the Veterinary Public Health Unit in Accra, Ghana, stresses that insufficient data results in a lack of evidence to convince policymakers that these diseases need tackling. The number of human rabies cases reported each year in Ghana, for instance, is low when compared to the incidence of other diseases, but no one who has witnessed the distressing effects of the disease could argue that it was not a problem worth tackling, particularly when children are most vulnerable to being bitten. Vaccinating dogs is a relatively simple control measure for rabies, although, says Darryn Knobel, a researcher working on a rabies-control programme in Tanzania, it must be combined with ongoing education and awareness, to prevent a cyclical pattern of disease occurrence and decline. "Vaccination can be a victim of its own success in that, as the number of rabies cases drop, people become less aware of the dangers of the disease." Maintaining vigilance despite falling case numbers is essential.

Alexandra Shaw, an economist who has worked in human and animal health for many years, is aware that Africa's human and veterinary health services are over-stretched and that it can be difficult to mobilize resources to deal with so many diseases. "But treating livestock is highly effective," she says, "and it provides enormous potential to intervene in a very cost-effective way." For example, to treat one patient with sleeping sickness with drugs over a one-month period costs US$250, provided that the drugs are available. Treatments for rabies, brucellosis and bovine tuberculosis are equally costly. Treating livestock is much cheaper and therefore a far more cost-effective option as well as resulting in additional benefits in terms of improved livestock productivity and farmers' livelihoods.

...But Better Understanding Required

For many zoonotic diseases much more needs to be known before effective interventions for control can be drawn up. Brucellosis, for instance, tends to be quite widespread in developing countries but very little information is currently available on the disease or its economic impact. A study conducted by the University of Nairobi, and funded by the DFID Livestock Production Programme (LPP), is bringing together veterinary and public health researchers to understand more about the prevalence of brucellosis and the livelihood factors that contribute to contracting the disease. "The results from this study will be beneficial to both the veterinary and public health departments," says Dr James Wabacha, one of the veterinary researchers involved in the study. "And with that information we will then be able to put the appropriate interventions in place."

Better understanding of bovine tuberculosis (BTB) is also essential, says Sarah Cleaveland of the Centre for Tropical Veterinary Medicine at the University of Edinburgh. Treating