Hyderabad will be Air Arabia’s 43rd global destination and its 12th in India, reinforcing its status as the largest destination network in India of any Middle East-based carrier. Currently, Air Arabia provides direct service to Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Coimbatore, Jaipur, Kochi, Kozhikode, Mumbai, Nagpur, New Delhi and Thiruvananthapuram.

The LCC will fly to Hyderabad daily, departing Sharjah at 0:20AM and arriving at Hyderabad at 5:30AM. Return flights will depart Hyderabad at 6:15AM and arrive in Sharjah at 8:40AM.

“Following the introduction of service to New Delhi in March, we are delighted to further expand our destination network to India by announcing the launch of service to Hyderabad,” said AK Nizar, Head of Commercial Department, Air Arabia. “Hyderabad is known for its rich history, culture and architecture representing its unique character as a meeting point for North and South India. By introducing timely, efficient and cost-effective travel options for those visiting this historic city, Air Arabia continues to demonstrate its unmatched commitment to India, especially on behalf of the significant Indian expatriate population in the UAE and wider Gulf region.

Twinned with Dubai, and also known as The City of Pearls, Hyderabad is today one of the most developed cities in India and a hub for information technology and biotechnology.

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

About Air Arabia: Air Arabia (PJSC), listed on the Dubai Financial Market, is the Middle East and North Africa’s leading low-cost carrier (LCC). Air Arabia commenced operations in October 2003 and currently operates a fleet of 15 new Airbus A320 aircraft, serving 41 destinations across the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia and Central Asia through itsmain hub in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.

Air Arabia is modeled after leading American and European low-cost airlines, and its business model is customised to accommodate local preferences. Its main focus is to make air travel more convenient through Internet bookings and offering the lowest fares in the market along with the highest levels of safety and service standards. For further information, please visit: www.airarabia.com

The flight, crewed by pilots Jacques Thibaudeau and Chuck Ellis and flight test engineer Eugene Lardizabal took off at 10:02 a.m. EDT and lasted three hours and 25 minutes. It reached an altitude of 30,000 feet (9,144 m) and a maximum speed of 260 knots (481 km/h).

"We put the gear up, operated the flaps and slats and exercised our new 'Fly-by-Wire' rudder," said Mr. Thibaudeau. "All systems worked as they were designed to do. The aircraft handled similarly to the smaller CRJ900 airliner so flight crews will have no problem in transitioning to the 100-seat CRJ1000 NextGen aircraft."

"A first flight is an important milestone in the development of a new aircraft such as the CRJ1000 NextGen regional jet," said Jean-Guy Blondin, Director CRJ Programs, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft. "We are very satisfied with the readiness of our prototype which is embarking on its journey to Type Certification, thanks to the dedicated work of our suppliers and employees."

"The Wichita flight test team, supported by our product development team will be following a disciplined approach to flight testing and remain on schedule for subsequent milestones before our 100-seat aircraft enters commercial service in the fourth quarter of 2009," said David Tidd, Director CRJ1000 Product Development Team, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft.

Following a few more flights from Mirabel, the prototype CRJ1000 NextGen jet will be flown to the Bombardier Flight Test Center in Wichita, Kansas where, next year, it will be joined by the first production CRJ1000 NextGen airliner to prepare for entry into service and review by the Flight Operations Evaluation Board composed of pilots from Transport Canada, the Federal Aviation Administration and the European Aviation Safety Agency.

"With up to 15 per cent reduction in aircraft operating costs against its closest competitor, the CRJ1000 NextGen aircraft is the optimized solution in the regional airline industry for medium-haul application," said Gary R. Scott, President, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft. "Airline passengers want increased comfort and more non-stop flights. Airlines need better fuel efficiency, lower maintenance costs and dependable performance. The CRJ1000 NextGen airliner delivers it all."

The CRJ1000 NextGen aircraft program has attracted a total of 63 firm orders, conditional orders and options, from four airlines. Brit Air (a subsidiary of Air France) has ordered eight aircraft and holds options on an additional eight. Myair.com in Italy ordered 15 aircraft, converting an earlier order for 15 CRJ900 jets to the CRJ1000 NextGen aircraft. Adria Airways of Slovenia has ordered one aircraft, and also holds one option. An undisclosed customer has ordered 15 CRJ1000 NextGen aircraft, with a conditional order for 15.

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

About Bombardier

A world-leading manufacturer of innovative transportation solutions, from commercial aircraft and business jets to rail transportation equipment, systems and services, Bombardier Inc. is a global corporation headquartered in Canada. Its revenues for the fiscal year ended Jan. 31, 2008, were $17.5 billion US, and its shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (BBD). Bombardier is listed as an index component to the Dow Jones Sustainability World and North America indexes. News and information are available at www.bombardier.com.

Bombardier, CRJ, CRJ1000, CRJ900 and NextGen are trademarks of Bombardier Inc. or its subsidiaries.

Notes to Editors
Photos of the CRJ1000 aircraft's first flight are available in the press release section at: www.bombardier.com

MULTIMEDIA AVAILABLE:
http://media3.marketwire.com/em/3575
http://media3.marketwire.com/em/3576

Avalon specialises in providing high quality training to aspirants interested in making a career in Aviation, Hospitality, Travel & Tourism industry, as well as preparing students for the corporate world.

Speaking on the occasion, Ms. Preeti Malik – Head, Avalon Academy said – ‘Avalon's training enhances human asset quality and productivity, and inculcates business and customer orientation, specifically attuned to the requirements of any modern industry. This is all a part and parcel of Avalon's professional approach to training, so as to ensure its students receive the best grounding for a high-flying career.

Emphasising on the quality infrastructure and international curriculum of Avalon, Ms. Malik said “Our courses have been developed with the help of industry professionals and are endorsed by domestic and international experts. The training centres are fully equipped to provide the student a real-life exposure to job situations.”

Avalon Academy has been providing quality aviation & hospitality training in the country. Today it is present in most of the metros & mini metros, offering world-class infrastructure facilities and training to the students. The NOIDA centre would offer the entire range of Avalon’s courses which include training programs for Cabin Crew, Ground Staff, Airport Management, BBA & MBA in Aviation & a Higher National Diploma in Hospitality Management.

Avalon is one of the fastest expanding franchise companies in India, there are several players in this segment, including Air Hostess Academy, Frankfinn and many others. The education sector in India has 117 brands, as per the Official Directory of Franchising Association of India.

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

The Franchising Association of India is a Membership Organisation of Franchisors, Franchisees, Vendors, Consultants, Financial Institutions and Students and others. Our services are dedicated to provide a one-stop shopping experience for franchising business and with membership of the prestigious World Franchise Council we have ongoing access to knowledge of the World accepted best practice related to Franchising in different areas of business activity as also networking contacts with the WFC member Franchising Associations in different parts of the world for generating new business opportunities for Indian entrepreneurs.

In recognition of the increasing role of franchising in the market place and the very beneficial positive contributions of franchising to the Indian economy, the franchisor and franchisee members of the FAI believe that franchising must reflect the highest principles and standards of fair business practices.

Mission
Tap the vast entrepreneurial energy available in the country by promoting the concept and practice of franchising in India.

Objectives
- Exchange and safeguard the business environment for franchising, both with regard to franchisors and franchisees
- Act as the resource centre for current and prospective franchisors, franchisees, the media and the Government.
- Disseminate knowledge to promote the concept of 'franchising' and propagate it as a healthy business practice.
- Establish a forum for discussion and deliberation on Franchising related matters and problems and help promote the interest of members by organising seminars, conferences and meetings.

Activities
To work towards achievement of the above mission and objectives our activities will include:
- Creation of appropriate forums for discussion of issues and problems related to Franchising.
- International linkages to promote - bringing in of foreign frachisors and best practice for doing business in India through Marketing India at International Expos and otherwise.
- Make representations to the Government with regard to legislative and other measures affecting the promotion of concept and practice of Franchising.
- Encouraging Bank and Venture Capital funding for franchisees.
-Publication of Franchising Successes
- Creation of India's most comprehensive Online Franchise Directory - which helps franchisors promote their business's and attract new franchisees.

For more information about FAI, please visit www.fai.co.in

These awards, based on global, independent passenger surveys of airline standards carried out by Skytrax Research, are the outcome of the measurement of more than 35 different aspects of customer satisfaction levels of an airline's product and service standards. As part of the World Airline Awards selection process, in excess of 4.4 million passengers, of more than 90 nationalities, were polled.

A.K. Nizar, Head of Commercial at Air Arabia, said: “We are extremely pleased to have been named ‘Best Low-Cost Airline in the Middle East’ by The Skytrax World Airline Awards 2008. Winning this award for the second consecutive year reinforces Air Arabia’s commitment to quality and excellence in customer service. This award is especially significant as it is based on the feedback of our passengers.”

Air Arabia has served more than 10 million passengers since the carrier was launched in October 2003. Passenger traffic reached 1.6 million passengers during the first half of 2008, a 33 per cent increase compared to 1.2 million passengers during the same period last year.

The World Airline Award comes on the heels of international recognition of the carrier’s outstanding operational performance. In May 2008 Air Arabia, received the prestigious gold award in the best airline category at the MENA Travel Awards 2008. In June 2007, Air Arabia was named winner of the award for Operational Excellence 2005-2007 by Airbus, one of the world's leading aircraft manufacturers.

The complete results of the Skytrax Research survey are available at www.airlinequality.com.

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

About Air Arabia: Air Arabia (PJSC), listed on the Dubai Financial Market, is the Middle East and North Africa’s leading low-cost carrier (LCC). Air Arabia commenced operations in October 2003 and currently operates a fleet of 15 new Airbus A320 aircraft, serving 41 destinations across the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia and Central Asia through its main hub in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.

Air Arabia is modeled after leading American and European low-cost airlines, and its business model is customised to accommodate local preferences. Its main focus is to make air travel more convenient through Internet bookings and offering the lowest fares in the market along with the highest levels of safety and service standards. For further information, please visit: www.airarabia.com

Avalon was represented by Ms. Preeti Malik, Vice- President & Head Avalon Academy, Mr. Dinesh Chugh, Regional Head (North & East), Mr. Ritesh Singh, Marketing Head (North), Ms. Divyjyoti Mediratta, Area Sales Head, Delhi & Mr. Abhishek Gupta & Mrs. Seema Singhal , Centre Heads, Avalon - NOIDA.

Avalon specializes in providing high quality training to aspirants interested in making a career in Aviation, Hospitality, Travel & Tourism industry, as well as preparing students for the corporate world.

Speaking on the occasion, Ms. Preeti Malik – Head, Avalon Academy said – ‘Avalon's training enhances human asset quality and productivity, and inculcates business and customer orientation, specifically attuned to the requirements of any modern industry. This is all a part and parcel of Avalon's professional approach to training, so as to ensure its students receive the best grounding for a high-flying career. ‘

Emphasizing on the quality infrastructure and international curriculum of Avalon, Ms. Malik said “Our courses have been developed with the help of industry professionals and are endorsed by domestic and international experts. The training centres are fully equipped to provide the student a real-life exposure to job situations.”

Avalon Academy has been providing quality aviation & hospitality training in the country. Today it is present in most of the metros & mini metros, offering world-class infrastructure facilities and training to the students.

The NOIDA centre would offer the entire range of Avalon’s courses which include training programs for Cabin Crew, Ground Staff, Airport Management, BBA & MBA in Aviation & a Higher National Diploma in Hospitality Management .

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

About Avalon Academy:

Avalon Academy is a wholly owned subsidiary of Aptech Ltd., which came into existence about 2 years ago to provide high quality training to aspirants in the aviation/ hospitality industry. The institute currently offers a plethora of professional courses that focus on hard core aviation, hospitality and related skills required in this sector. Avalon Academy’s recent launch of the ‘Higher National Diploma in Hospitality Management’ in affiliation with the Scotland’s Colleges International, a reputed consortium of Colleges in the UK , marks its foray into the hospitality training.

Avalon has strategic alliances with over 37 leading Domestic and International Airlines. Avalon has a competitive edge in the industry with its State-of-the-art training methodologies, infrastructure facilities and world class trainers. Adding on to this is Avalon’s course content which is constantly updated to make it pertinent to the present day scenario.

For details on Avalon Academy, please visit www.avalonacademy.in

For course details contact :

Avalon Aviation Academy, Office No.301, 3rd floor, SINGHAL TOWER, Opposite Sector-58, Labour Chowk, NOIDA. Tel : 0120 – 4284 081-89, Mob : 9312289767

"The PurePower PW1000G engine continues to perform flawlessly and has accumulated a total of 306 hours of ground and flight testing to date," said Bob Saia, Pratt & Whitney vice president, Next Generation Product Family. "The first phase of our flight test program included full power takeoffs, in-flight performance up to 40,000 feet altitude, engine operability including in-flight starting, and engine operation at extreme aircraft maneuvers. The PW1000G engine’s performance has met all of our pre-flight performance targets."

The PurePower PW1000G demonstrator engine, with Pratt & Whitney’s patented Geared Turbofan™ technology, completed a 250-hour ground test program in May. The ground test program follows thousands of hours of development testing accumulated on 16 technology rigs at Pratt & Whitney and partner facilities around the world.

"We now look forward to testing the PW1000G engine on the Airbus A340 flight test aircraft," Saia said. "This second phase of testing, which will include approximately 75 flight hours, will focus on engine performance and acoustic testing while providing valuable installation and operating data."

Airbus will be the first aircraft manufacturer to fly the PurePower PW1000G demonstrator engine on their own flight test aircraft. Test results will contribute to the company’s long-term research and technology assessment of new engine configuration developments.

In 2007, Pratt & Whitney’s PurePower PW1000G engine was selected as the exclusive power for the new Mitsubishi Regional Jet and the Bombardier CSeries. The Mitsubishi Regional Jet program announced its first customer in March 2008, with an order from All Nippon Airways. The CSeries was launched in July 2008 with a letter of interest for up to 60 aircraft from Lufthansa. Both aircraft are scheduled to enter service in 2013.

The PW1000G engine targets double-digit reductions in fuel burn, environmental emissions, engine noise and operating costs for the next generation of commercial aircraft. The PW1000G engine uses a state-of-the-art gear system allows the engine’s fan to operate at a different speed than the low-pressure compressor and turbine. The result is a step-change improvement in fuel efficiency and a slower fan speed for much lower noise. The PurePower PW1000G engine is an all new centerline engine that includes next generation technology in every major module.

Pratt & Whitney has over 16,000 aircraft engines installed with hundreds of airlines around the world. Additionally, Pratt & Whitney is a leading participant in two joint venture companies that manufacture commercial aircraft engines: International Aero Engines, which makes the V2500 for the Airbus A320 family of aircraft, and the Engine Alliance, whose GP7200 engine is FAR 33 certified for the new Airbus A380.

Pratt & Whitney is a world leader in the design, manufacture and service of aircraft engines, space propulsion systems and industrial gas turbines. United Technologies, based in Hartford, Conn., is a diversified company providing high technology products and services to the global aerospace and building industries.

This release includes "forward looking statements" concerning future business opportunities and other matters involving this engine that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated or implied in forward looking statements include changes in the health of the global economy and the strength of end market demand in the aerospace industry; as well as company specific items including the ability to achieve cost reductions at planned levels; challenges in the design, development, production and support of advanced technologies including this engine, and new products including the engine discussed in this press release; and delays and disruption in delivery of materials and services from suppliers. For information identifying other important economic, political, regulatory, legal, technological, competitive and other uncertainties, see UTC's SEC filings as submitted from time to time, including but not limited to, the information included in UTC's 10-K and 10-Q Reports under the headings "Business," "Risk Factors," "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" and "Cautionary Note Concerning Factors that May Affect Future Results," as well as the information included in UTC's Current Reports on Form 8-K.

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

Air Arabia passengers can take advantage of the new seat selection service through all the available booking channels including websites, call centre, travel agencies and sales shops. The new service will be available for a nominal fee starting at AED 5.

Announcing the launch of this service AK Nizar, Head of Commercial Department, Air Arabia, said: “Enabling customers to select their seats and take advantage of our early check-in procedure is in line with our continued commitment to offer more choices and added convenience. All our passengers will benefit from this service, as it will make the boarding of our flights more efficient than ever.”

Recently, Air Arabia crossed the 10 million passengers mark. In the first half of 2008, Air Arabia carried more than 1.6 million passengers, an increase of 33 per cent compared to 1.2 million passengers in the corresponding period last year.

The company purchased three aircraft during the first half of this year and increased frequencies to its existing destinations, providing customers with the region’s best flight connectivity. The Sharjah-based carrier also introduced four new destinations in the first six months of this year, including Kozhikode, India; New Delhi, India; Shiraz, Iran; and Dhaka, Bangladesh. This increased Air Arabia’s total network to 41 destinations across the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia and Central Asia.

“As we continue to focus on maximising efficiency and minimising costs, we hope to provide greater value to our customers both in terms of fares and services,” added Nizar.

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

About Air Arabia

Air Arabia (PJSC), listed on the Dubai Financial Market, is the Middle East and North Africa’s leading low-cost carrier (LCC). Air Arabia commenced operations in October 2003 and currently operates a fleet of 15 new Airbus A320 aircraft, serving 41 destinations across the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia and Central Asia through itsmain hub in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.

Air Arabia is modeled after leading American and European low-cost airlines, and its business model is customised to accommodate local preferences. Its main focus is to make air travel more convenient through Internet bookings and offering the lowest fares in the market along with the highest levels of safety and service standards. For further information, please visit: www.airarabia.com

This project follows a management agreement signed last year between Air Arabia and Rotana Hotels, to manage this property under their innovative Centro by Rotana brand, offering affordable, superior-class accommodation and hospitality. The property, which will include both standard rooms and suites, will offer comfort and convenience for travellers passing through one of the region’s fastest-growing airports as well as for visitors to the emirate.

“We are very pleased to commence the construction of the Air Arabia Centro Hotel. This is an important initiative and part of Air Arabia’s strategy to grow ancillary revenues,” said Adel Ali, Board Member and Chief Executive Officer of Air Arabia. “We are also happy to appoint Gustav Pegel & Sohn for this significant project. Pegel have an outstanding track record in the Middle East region, and with their expertise, I am confident we will create a hotel with high-quality standards in construction and amenities.”

Pegel, which is headquartered in Berlin, Germany, has been operating for over 135 years. The company is recognised for its capabilities in building, civil engineering, multi-technical and maintenance services across several sectors including, education, healthcare, commercial, retail and industry infrastructure projects.

“Air Arabia Centro Hotel will further complement the unmatched services that our passengers continuously expect from Air Arabia. We are confident that this hotel, once completed, will provide passengers with a complete travel experience offering the best value for their money,” added Ali.

Unique features of the Air Arabia Centro Hotel will include a full casual-style dining area, in-room wireless Internet connectivity and entertainment, and a range of personal amenities. This is combined with such comforts as gymnasiums and swimming pools, together with on-site business facilities such as private meeting rooms and business centres.

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

About Air Arabia

Air Arabia (PJSC), listed on the Dubai Financial Market, is the Middle East and North Africa’s leading low-cost carrier (LCC). Air Arabia commenced operations in October 2003 and currently operates a fleet of 15 new Airbus A320 aircraft, serving 41 destinations across the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia and Central Asia through its main hub in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.

Air Arabia is modelled after leading American and European low-cost airlines, and its business model is customised to accommodate local preferences. Its main focus is to make air travel more convenient through Internet bookings and offering the lowest fares in the market along with the highest levels of safety and service standards. For further information, please visit: www.airarabia.com

In the first half of 2008, Air Arabia carried more than 1.6 million passengers, an increase of 33 per cent compared to 1.2 million passengers in the corresponding period last year. Passenger average load factor –passengers carried as a proportion of available seats – for first half of 2008 stood at 86 per cent, a 3 per cent increase compared to same period last year.

The company purchased three aircraft during the first half of this year and increased frequencies to its existing destinations providing customers with the region’s best flights connectivity. The Sharjah-based carrier also introduced four new destinations in the first six months of this year, including Kozhikode, India; New Delhi, India; Shiraz, Iran; and Dhaka, Bangladesh. This increases Air Arabia’s total network to 41 destinations across the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia and Central Asia.

“We are truly honoured by the ever-increasing number of people who have made Air Arabia their airline of choice for travel across this wide and vibrant region,” said AK Nizar, Head of Commercial Department, Air Arabia. “From day one, we remained focused on our initial promise to offer highly affordable air travel solutions, while never compromising safety, reliability and the very highest standards of service”.

“As we continue to expand our list of destinations and grow our fleet, we hope to introduce even greater numbers of people to our award-winning service and competitively priced fares. We look forward to passing another 10 million passenger mark in a very short time.”

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

About Air Arabia

Air Arabia (PJSC), listed on the Dubai Financial Market, is the Middle East and North Africa’s leading low-cost carrier (LCC). Air Arabia commenced operations in October 2003 and currently operates a fleet of 15 new Airbus A320 aircraft, serving 41 destinations across the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia and Central Asia through itsmain hub in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.

Air Arabia is modeled after leading American and European low-cost airlines, and its business model is customised to accommodate local preferences. Its main focus is to make air travel more convenient through Internet bookings and offering the lowest fares in the market along with the highest levels of safety and service standards. For further information, please visit: www.airarabia.com

Although flight operations became extremely difficult in the wake of the tragedy, Dragonair maintained a daily flight to Chengdu, enabling the airline to support relief efforts by various government departments and non-profit organisations. So far, the airline has given out some 200 free air tickets and carried more than 50 tonnes of relief supplies. Dragonair has now resumed the normal double daily schedule to Chengdu.

Cathay Pacific Chief Executive Tony Tyler today presented a cheque for HK$14.6 million to Hong Kong Red Cross (HKRC) Chairman Sir Ti-liang Yang to help earthquake victims rebuild their lives. Also present at the cheque presentation ceremony was Mr Sun Wen-xiu, Deputy Director of Economic Affairs Department, Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR.

Speaking at the ceremony, Mr Tyler said: “We had a superb response from our staff and passengers and the value of our total contribution to the relief effort was HK$20.3 million. I’m pleased to say that a grand total of HK$14.6 million of the money we collected will be donated to the Hong Kong Red Cross which is doing vital work to help the people of Sichuan get back on their feet. Dragonair’s service to Chengdu is now back to normal and traffic is gradually picking up on the route, but of course there is still so much work to be done.”

Sir Ti-liang Yang said: “Since 13 May, the day following the earthquake, HKRC has sent relief workers and medical personnel to three affected provinces - Sichuan, Gansu and Shaanxi. We are now focusing on providing temporary shelters, schools and clinics to the quake survivors, with various construction projects being completed over the next three to five years. The people of Hong Kong have placed a great deal of trust in the HKRC and we will try our very best to assist the most needy quake victims.”

The Cathay Pacific Group kicked off its fundraising effort with seed money of HK$2 million on 16 May, pledging to match dollar-for-dollar every donation made by staff until the end of May. This led to another HK$10 million being added to the fund.

The Olympic Torch donated by the airline’s Chief Operating Officer John Slosar helped to raise another HK$4 million after it was offered for a fundraising auction on Commercial Radio’s The Tipping Point programme. Also, contributions totalling HK$2.3 million were donated by passengers through Cathay Pacific’s “Change for Good” and Dragonair’s “Change for Conservation” inflight fundraising programmes.

In total the Group collected donations totalling HK$18.3 million while the free air tickets and freight shipments offered by Dragonair had a value of HK$2 million.

Asia Miles, the Group’s travel reward programme, has donated a total of 11 million miles to charities including Hong Kong Red Cross, Oxfam Hong Kong and UNICEF. The programme’s members have donated a further 10 million miles.

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

About Cathay Pacific

Cathay Pacific hasshown a clear commitment to expanding freighter services to and from India. Started off with just one flight a week routed through Mumbai in 1994, the airline now operates a total of 22 freighters a week to the country and has become the number one foreign carrier in terms of cargo capacity and tonnage offered in the Indian market.

Recently, QuEST was awarded the EADS E2S preferred supplier status for engineering services. This distinction comes after a stringent selection process by a distinguished EADS panel for over 2 years. During this process, approximately 2000 suppliers were evaluated on various parameters ranging from capability to infrastructure.

QuEST has been recognized as a quality supplier to the aerospace industry through the

AS 9100 certification received for both engineering services and manufacturing practices. QuEST’s services include design and drafting/modeling, analysis/simulation, design automation, technical documentation, instrumentation and controls, electrical wiring/harness, avionics, embedded systems, manufacturing engineering, prototyping, in-house precision machining, sheet metal work and special processing.

QuEST has earlier received Airbus approvals for engineering services and manufacturing which helps to support various current and upcoming Airbus programs. This is in addition to various customer approvals from Airbus Tier 1 suppliers, for manufacturing.

QuEST has also initiated the setting up of an aerospace supply chain eco-system in its Special Economic Zone (SEZ) which would be spread over 250 acres in Belgaum, North Karnataka, India. This will be highly beneficial to EADS from a point of view of being able to source fully finished aerospace components and subassemblies from India.

QuEST is also licensed to carry out export controlled work in the US. This is an additional benefit from QuEST that would be useful to EADS in the event that it requires work to be performed in the US for offset purposes.

“QuEST is uniquely positioned to support EADS, Airbus, Eurocopter and their Tier 1 & 2 suppliers in their globalization initiatives through the EADS E2S preferred supplier award combined with QuEST’s end-to-end engineering services and manufacturing offerings, accredited best in class quality processes and a distinct roadmap for the future” said Aravind Melligeri, Chairman & Co-founder, QuEST

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

About QuEST

QuEST is a leading provider of outsourced engineering services and manufacturing. The company helps customers in the aerospace, power generation, oil & gas, civil structures, industrial products, and transportation verticals to cut product development costs, shorten lead times, extend capacity and maximize engineering resources availability by providing support across the complete product life cycle from design and modeling through analysis, prototyping, automation, data documentation, instrumentation and controls, embedded systems development, manufacturing support, vendor management, and in-house precision machining. Through our Global Product Development framework and our on-site/off-shore/on-shore models, we leverage our local presence and global reach to support globalization initiatives for our customers. QuEST employs over 1500 people and has delivery centers in India, USA, Italy, Japan and footprints in UK, Germany, France, Spain and China. For more information,visit www.quest-global.com.

The point of view released by KPMG in India titled, “Indian Aviation: Flying Through Turbulence” cites that air traffic in India is no longer a mere statistic but a phenomena that is based on the fact that people from every walk of life, demographic, ethnicity and culture have opted to travel because not is the world increasingly getting closer, but quality of time and the productivity is increasingly becoming the focus.

Responding to reports of a likely slowdown in the aviation sector in India, the point of view states that the growth in air travel globally and in India will be adversely influenced by epidemic outbreaks, economic recession, terrorism, shifts in policy and regulations and competitive markets but not by oil prices.

Although ATF price hikes is having its toll on the airlines profitability, the KPMG analysis believes that it is currently not possible for any airline in India to make profits within three years of starting operations as average airline break even based on prevalent capital expenditure typically occurs in a minimum of five to seven years of operations.

While ATF presently accounts for 30 ~ 35 percent of airline operating costs, it is also relevant to note that an airline would only spend on ATF when it operates a scheduled flight and coincidently enough, that is also when it generates revenue. Hence, airline’s expenditure on fuel is directly proportionate to occupancy and load.

Through this document, we attempt to explain and present a view on some of the recent issues faced by the airlines emanating from the rising aviation fuel prices and its impact on the airline profitability and demand for air travel in general.

Commenting on the release of the Point of View report, Mr. Raajeev B Batra, Executive Director KPMG in India said, “The airline business today is one of the most complex industries. Its profitability, revenue and yield are predominately driven by economic and external factors and this makes it most vulnerable to even the slightest variation in economic growth rates, national disasters, epidemic outbreaks, terrorism, war, currency fluctuations and most importantly oil prices”.

During the period April – March (2007-08), both domestic and international passenger traffic in India registered a noteworthy increase. While the international passenger traffic grew at a rate of 15 percent, the domestic air traffic grew at 23.8 percent during the same period which led to aircraft movement also showing an upward trend.

The strikingly rapid rise in domestic and international traffic can be attributed to increased capacity at airports and greater air connectivity across destinations. While oil prices across the globe have risen sharply, in-turn raising airfare prices up notch, the increase in traffic from tier II and tier III cities in India has sent a very clear message that air travel included with fuel surcharges to offset high ATF rates is increasingly becoming the primary travel medium and consumers are no longer associating air travel as a luxury but as a sound and highly bankable mode of transportation.

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

About KPMG:

KPMG is the global network of professional services firms of KPMG International. KPMG member firms provide audit, tax and advisory services through industry focused, talented professionals, who deliver value for the benefit of their clients and communities.

KPMG in India has offices in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Pune and services over 2,000 international and national clients. The firms in India have access to more than 900 Indian and expatriate professionals.

AvientCrew, is an intricately designed Crew Management system that optimizes crew utilization and maximizes crew productivity throughout an airline’s operating environment, providing real-time alerting, crew data management as well as real-time solutions and decision support functions for problem solving. AvientCrew will help KLM manage all aspects of their crew operations from the handover of the plans from their vacation and rostering systems, to the period beyond the day of operations, allowing for the consistent monitoring and identification of problems as they arise, thus improving overall crew tracking performance while reducing disruption costs. The system will ensure that rosters comply with governmental and regulatory requirements, airport restrictions, crew training, licensing and airline-specific requirements, as well as efficiently manage crew changes and disruptions on the day of operation.

The final choice for IBS’ solution was made after a period of intense and extensive research. Two potential suppliers were selected for a ‘proof of concept’ to help arrive at a final decision. Forty selected KLM users along with business analysts and project architects tested both systems thoroughly before IBS’ AvientCrew was accepted as the best overall solution and IBS the chosen business partner to KLM.

Mr. Y. de Haan, Executive Vice President KLM Operations said, “This new system for roster maintenance for our cabin and cockpit crew is very important for the KLM operation. We are very happy cooperating with IBS.”

According to Mr. V. K. Mathews, Chairman & CEO, IBS Group, “We see this deal with KLM as a major milestone for IBS and the AvientCrew product, yet again demonstrating our ability to meet the rapidly evolving needs of the air transport industry. With an airline of the size and stature of KLM opting to move away from legacy systems is vindication of IBS’ vision for the air transportation industry.”

AvientCrew, helps airlines manage their crew & optimize crew utilization and enhance productivity right from initial planning through to the day of operation. It enables easy viewing and manipulation of pairings, rosters, crew data and fast system enquiry. It provides crew management decision support functions that are effective in solving a wide range of problems by real time simulation and advanced ‘What if’ capabilities. The system improves crew productivity through pairing and rostering optimization and reduces disruptions due to absence of crew.

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

About KLM

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is an international airline operating worldwide. KLM forms the core of the KLM Group, other members being KLM cityhopper and transavia.com. KLM merged with Air France in 2004 in a business model that is unique in the aviation industry. Under the Air France-KLM holding company, both KLM and Air France operate as network airlines: via hubs, or transfer airports, they maintain a worldwide network of services to European and intercontinental destinations. KLM and Air France complement each other through the optimal alignment of their networks and through the coordination of their three core activities: passenger transport, cargo transport and aircraft maintenance.

About IBS

The IBS Group (IBS) is a leading global provider of new-generation IT solutions to the Travel, Transportation and Logistics (TTL) industry. A specialist in the domain, IBS offers a range of products and services that manage mission-critical operations of major airlines, airports, oil and gas companies, seaports, cruise lines and tour operators world-wide. IBS services include technology consulting, testing, usability engineering, business intelligence & data warehousing, application development, re-engineering, and maintenance. SEI CMMI Level-5 and PCMM Level 5 assessed, ISO 9001:2000, TickIT and ISO 27001:2005 certified, IBS operates software development centers in Bangalore, Boston, Cochin, London, Trivandrum and Washington DC. IBS operates out of fourteen business centers in the Americas, Europe, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and Africa. More information about IBS is available at http://www.ibsplc.com

For media enquiries, please contact Satish Nair at +91-471-2700080 or email: SatishN@ibsplc.com

For media information, Please contact:

Bina Emanvel/Cauvery Nanaiah

Hanmer MS&L

99861049079886652327

Ms. Hayden , who is Avalon’s guest lecturer for training airlines personnel in various aspects, including poise and grace, also conducted a counseling session for the students at all the three cities and apprised them about the role of confidence, personality development, grooming and etiquette in shaping one into a successful aviation professional.

‘It does not matter, whether one hails from a small or big city, one should have the zeal to learn and work hard’ stated Diana , while speaking to the enthusiastic aspirants.

Stating that aviation industry is witnessing a boom and by 2010, India would have around 1.15 million jobs in this sector, Diana asserted that there are ample of job opportunities in this industry .

Avalon Marketing Head (North), Ritesh Singh said: “Avalon is committed to bring excellence and professionalism to the realm of cabin crew and ground staff services training. By drawing on our strong training pedigree and in-depth aviation industry insights, we have put together a structured training programme which covers every aspect of a cabin crew/ground staff career.”

Avalon specializes in providing high quality training to aspirants interested in making a career in Aviation, Travel & Tourism industry, as well as preparing students for the corporate world. Avalon's training enhances human asset quality and productivity, and inculcates business and customer orientation, specifically attuned to the requirements of any modern industry. This is all a part and parcel of Avalon's professional approach to training, so as to ensure its students receive the best grounding for a high-flying career.

Avalon Academy has been providing quality aviation training in the country. Today it is present in most of the cities offering world-class infrastructure facilities and training to the students.

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

About Avalon Academy:

Avalon Academy is a wholly owned subsidiary of Aptech Ltd., which came into existence over 2 years ago to provide high quality training to aspirants in the aviation industry. The institute offers a plethora of professional courses that focus on hard core aviation and related skills required in this sector.

Avalon has strategic alliances with over 37 leading Domestic and International Airlines. It has established Aviation Academies in nearly all major Metros and mini Metros. Avalon has a competitive edge in the industry with its State-of-the-art training methodologies, infrastructure facilities and world class trainers. Adding on to this is Avalon’s course content which is constantly updated to make it pertinent to the present day scenario.

For details on Avalon Academy, please visit www.AvalonAcademy.in

Paul Coby, SITA Chairman, said: “Airlines were the first industry to fully automate all parts of their business. The Air Transport Industry has now become the world’s first truly web-enabled industry. IT enabled airlines to make both major savings and improve customer service after 9/11. But in these challenging times with oil at over $130 a barrel, there is now an even more urgent need to deploy technology to serve airline customers, save costs and to equip airline staff with effective technology to do their jobs better.”

“Among the record 121 airlines responding to this year’s survey, the online sales average is only 24% with their own website. This varies from 43% in North America to just under 10% in Africa and the Middle East. A very important source of revenues is clearly being lost to those airlines not using web selling at a time when everyone in the industry needs to maximize returns on their IT spend. Selling online has already massively helped to drive down distribution costs, saving airlines in the region of $2 billion.”

Coby added “the adoption of the new generation Web 2.0 technology can deliver greater sales and greater savings across the industry, and better returns from the $11bn invested annually.”

Francesco Violante, SITA CEO, said: “The price of fuel is providing the economic incentive for the airlines to tap further into ancillary revenues by acting not as traditional airlines but e-commerce companies offering every type of service to their global consumer market of 2.3 billion passengers using state of the art technologies such as Web 2.0 and Travel 2.0 applications. This can greatly help to withstand predicted airline losses of $2.3 billion this year[2].”

He pointed to the example of Ryanair which now sells 98% of its tickets online and gains over 17% of its revenues online from ancillary sources while for many established airlines the figure is less than 5%.

Since the first Airline IT Trends survey in 1999, airlines have invested around $100 billion in IT and communications. As a percentage of revenues the average airline IT spend is now 2.2%. At the industry level, this equates to around $11 billion this year which represents an increase of 5% on last year. This increase is seen as recognition that IT plays a strategic role, generating revenue as well as helping deliver cost reductions and customer service improvements through self-service and smoother passenger management.

Other key highlights from the survey include:

MANAGEMENT AND STRATEGIC ISSUES

The main drivers for IT investment cited by survey respondents were reducing costs, 62%; improving customer service, 54%; enabling new market offerings and revenue opportunities, 45%; and improving workforce productivity, 40%.

Top investment areas included passenger processing and services, 63%; aircraft management /operations, 44%; passenger security, 34%; and employee security, 21%.

SELF-SERVICE ADOPTION

Airlines are forecasting that while only 1% of passengers use mobile phones for check-in today, this will rise to 6% next year by which time more than half of airlines will offer the service. This forecast suggests an evolution of self-service to mobile devices.

The following airline self-service initiatives are already in place: web check-in, 56%; mobile phone check-in, 21%; self-boarding kiosks, 21%; online trip-change service, 25%; and lost baggage self-service, 12%.

PASSENGER SECURITY

85% of the airlines responding to this year’s survey now provide passenger data to the world’s governments, up 4% from last year. Of those providing data, 73% provide to less than five governments and the remaining 26% to six governments or more.

ONBOARD TECHNOLOGY

The majority of airlines expect to have deployed at least one of these services onboard aircraft within a three to four year time frame: SMS via mobile phone; GPRS for Blackberry; Voice calls via mobile phone; Internet access via laptop; email access via laptop; and IM via laptop. More than half of respondents indicate they are planning to charge for these services or to finance them through advertising.

[1] The Airline IT Trends Survey included responses from 121 airlines around the world and almost half of the survey respondents are in the Airline Business Top 100 revenue rankings.

[2] IATA Press release No. 27, 02 June 2008 Fuel Crisis a Catalyst for Change

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

SITA is the specialist provider of IT business solutions and communications services to the world’s air transport industry. SITA manages complex communication solutions for its air transport, government and GDS customers over the world’s most extensive communication network, complemented by consultancy in the design, deployment and integration of communication services. Its broad range of airline and airport IT applications and services includes airport operations and integrated baggage services, common use and desktop services, flight operations and air-to-ground communications and end-to-end airline distribution and fares services.

SITA has two main subsidiaries: OnAir, which is leading the race to bring in-flight mobile telephony to the market, and CHAMP Cargosystems, the world's only IT company solely dedicated to air cargo. SITA also operates two joint ventures providing services to the air transport community: Aviareto for aircraft asset management and CertiPath for secure electronic identity management. In addition SITA sponsors .aero, the Internet top level domain reserved exclusively for aviation.

SITA covers 220 countries and territories and the head office is in Geneva, Switzerland. SITA had consolidated revenues of US$1.42 billion (€1.06 billion) in 2007.

Further information can be found at www.sita.aero.

The new, second service will boost the number of seats available on the booming Heathrow-Hong Kong route and open up fresh opportunities for those passengers wishing to connect to other cities in China, or the wider Far East. It will also provide greater flexibility for stopovers, for those passengers wanting to break their journey if travelling to or from Sydney.

From 28 October 2008, flight VS238 will operate three times a week, on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays and then operate daily from 4 December 2008. VS238 will depart London Heathrow Terminal 3 at 16.00, arriving in Hong Kong at 12.30pm the following afternoon.

Flight VS239 will operate between Hong Kong and London Heathrow on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays from 29 October 2008, and then operate daily from 5 December 2008. VS239 will depart Hong Kong at 14.15, arriving at London Heathrow at 19.20 the same day.

Steve Ridgway, Chief Executive of Virgin Atlantic, said:

“East is the new West and this second daily service will offer our passengers even more opportunities via Hong Kong, which is the third busiest long-haul route out of Heathrow after New York’s JFK and Dubai. Virgin Atlantic, which is highly committed to the city and the Pearl River Delta, has flown well over 2 million passengers on this route since we started flying in 1994 and it remains one of our most popular services. We offer a big thankyou to the Hong Kong Airport authorities for helping to make this extra service a reality.”

The second service will complement Virgin Atlantic’s existing daily service, which connects London Heathrow with Hong Kong and Sydney. Flight VS200 leaves Heathrow daily at 22.30, arriving in Hong Kong at 17.50 the following day, before then departing Hong Kong at 19.20 and arriving in Sydney at 06.35 the following day. Flight VS201 leaves Sydney at 14.25, arriving in Hong Kong at 21.55. It then departs Hong Kong at 23.25 before arriving at London Heathrow at 05.25 the following morning.

Virgin Atlantic currently flies to 30 destinations worldwide from its award-winning new Terminal 3 at Heathrow Airport, and from the South Terminal at London’s Gatwick Airport. Destinations include Shanghai, Nairobi, Dubai, Mumbai, Delhi, Lagos, Tokyo, New York JFK and Newark, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Orlando, San Francisco, Miami, Sydney, Washington, Boston, Chicago, Barbados, Antigua, Havana and Kingston.

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

He has been with the airline for nearly 13 years now. His breadth of experience in the organisation is expected to add an important dimension to Virgin Atlantic operations in India.

Commenting on his new role in India, Mr. Michael Burke said: “India is one of the most exciting destinations today and my appointment couldn’t have been better timed. I am looking forward to working in this dynamic market that is simply bustling.”

Burke’s years of aviation experience, coupled with his focus on quality and enhanced productivity, make him an outstanding addition to the Virgin Atlantic Airways India team. In his new role, Burke will be responsible for themanagement and operations of the Virgin Atlantic Airways in India. He will also focus on strategic corporate initiatives and business development for the brand, thus strengthening the airline’s position in the country with the support of his team and partners.

Burke, who has studied from the University of Plymouth in the U.K, acts as the Chairperson of the Aviation Working Group within the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China (EUCCC) and also sits on the British Chamber of Commerce Executive Committee.

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

About Virgin Atlantic Airways:

Virgin Atlantic Airways is Britain’s second largest long haul airline and currently operates 14 flights every week between India and the UK, with daily services to London from Delhi and Mumbai. Since its launch into Indian subcontinent in June 2000, Virgin Atlantic has established itself as a competitive industry player within Indian aviation space that brings unique elements of international travel and continues to renew its commitment to India.

On its long haul routes Virgin Atlantic operates a three class service: Upper Class (the airline’s business class) Premium Economy and Economy. Virgin Atlantic launched the Upper Class Suite in November 2003 – a product which has won some of the most prestigious design awards in the industry and is now onboard all aircraft in the airlines fleet.

Everyday, afternoon flights will depart Sharjah at 16:36PM and arrive in Mumbai at 21:00AM. Return flights will depart Mumbai at 21:45PM and arrive in Sharjah at 23:05PM. Evening flights will depart Sharjah at 23:35PM and arrive in Mumbai at 04:00AM. Return flights will depart Mumbai at 04:45AM and arrive in Sharjah at 06:05AM.

This step underscores Air Arabia’s commitment the burgeoning Indian market and the city of Mumbai” said AK Nizar, Head of Commercial Department, Air Arabia. “, Today, even more people in the large Indian expatriate population living in the UAE and GCC can take advantage of our extensive Middle Eastern network. We currently serve 11 destinations in India and we are keen on continuously providing the best value for money services to this emerging region”

The other destinations Air Arabia serves in Indian are Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Ahmdedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Coimbatore, Jaipur, Nagpur, Kozhikode and Delhi.

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

About Air Arabia: Air Arabia (PJSC), listed on the Dubai Financial Market, is the Middle East and North Africa’s leading low-cost carrier (LCC). Air Arabia commenced operations in October 2003 and currently operates a fleet of 15 new Airbus A320 aircraft, serving 39 destinations across the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia and Central Asia through its main hub in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. Air Arabia also recently launched a new hub in Kathmandu in order to offer service to new destinations throughout South Asia, Central Asia, the Middle East and the Far East.

Air Arabia is modeled after leading American and European low-cost airlines, and its business model is customised to accommodate local preferences. Its main focus is to make air travel more convenient through Internet bookings and offering the lowest fares in the market along with the highest levels of safety and service standards. For further information, please visit: www.airarabia.com

AvientCrew, a sophisticated crew management system is an integrated solution that will enhance decision support capability to support the entire crew management needs of Oman Air. The system will assist in automatically generating cost-effective rosters that comply with governmental and regulatory requirements, airport restrictions, crew training, licensing and airline-specific requirements, as well as efficiently manage crew changes and disruptions on the day of operation. AvientFleet will enable Oman Air to plan aircraft schedules and maintenance, continuously monitor all flight movements, ensure improved on-time performance for its fleet, and provide touch points to identify and alert controllers to help minimize disruptions to the operating schedule. AvientCrew and AvientFleet, will together create a collaborative framework for the airline to speed up delivery and ensure efficient decision making processes.

Habib Bhacker Habib, Head of InformationComputing in Oman Air said, “The investment programme agreed with IBS, which is amongst the renowned Information Technology (IT) product companies in India, and a leading one in the world serving the travel, transportation and logistics (TTL) industry that meets our needs. The move follows the creation of a new corporate identity for the national carrier of Oman, as it transforms itself into a world-class competitor. Our airline is growing fast, and there was a pressing need to upgrade systems to keep up with software solutions provided by the global Travel, Transportation and Logistics industry. IBS was preferred by Oman Air since its entire portfolio of products has been fully accepted by the industry. IBS Software is indeed a leading provider of IT solutions for the global Travel, Transportation and Logistics industries, and we are delighted to associate with them.”

According to Mr. Peter Cefai, President - Global Business Operations, IBS Group, “We see this deal as the beginning of an important partnership that will enable us to help Oman Air directly address their rapid expansion plans. Integration of crew and fleet operations will not only help build efficiency, but also reduce disruption costs. We, at IBS, have always sought to address the operational and planning needs of airlines, helping them respond to the rapidly evolving global aviation market with optimal safety and efficiency, whilst retaining a competitive business edge”.

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

The IBS Group (IBS) is a leading global provider of new-generation IT solutions to the Travel, Transportation and Logistics industries. A specialist in the domain, IBS offers a range of products and services that manage mission-critical operations of major airlines, airports, oil and gas companies, seaports, cruise lines and tour operators world-wide. SEI CMMI Level 5 and PCMM Level 5 assessed, ISO 9001:2000, TickIT and ISO 27001:2005 certified, IBS operates seven software development centres across the world. With some of the world's leading corporations as customers, IBS has business operations in the Americas, Europe, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and Africa, supported through 14 global business centres.

More information on IBS is available at www.ibsplc.com.

For media enquiries, please contact Satish Nair at +91-471-2700080 or email: SatishN@ibsplc.com

About AvientCrew and AvientFleet

The suite of two products consists of AvientFleet and AvientCrew that help in the efficient management of airline fleet and crew resources, from tactical planning to day of operations. The two solutions can be tailored to meet the unique system requirements and business needs of airlines.

AvientFleet provides a highly dynamic environment which allows airlines to plan aircraft schedules and maintenance, continuously monitor all flight movements, ensure improved on-time performance for their fleet, and provide touch points to identify and alert controllers to help minimize disruptions to the operating schedule.

AvientCrew, helps airlines manage their crew & optimize crew utilization and enhance productivity right from initial planning through to the day of operation. It enables easy viewing and manipulation of pairings, rosters, crew data and fast system enquiry. It provides crew management decision support functions that are effective in solving a wide range of problems by real time simulation and advanced ‘What if’ capabilities. The system improves crew productivity through pairing and rostering optimization and reduces disruptions due to absence of crew.

About Oman Air

Since its establishment in 1993 as a regional carrier, Oman Air has witnessed tremendous expansions both in structure and performance, and flies today to 25 key destinations throughout the GCC, Middle East, Indian Subcontinent, Far East and Europe. It played a fundamental role in promoting air transport to and from the Sultanate of Oman, where the numbers of multicultural passengers increased during the years, and consequently recognized Oman Air, as one of the paramount regional airlines. Oman Air has now become fully prepared, and determined to go into the future with a modern vision. Oman Air main base is Muscat International Airport, Muscat.

The Company fleet will consist of 12 Boeing 737-800 Aircrafts (By end Jan 2009), 7 Airbus A330 Aircrafts (Mix of dash 300 & dash 200) with deliveries starting in 2009 and, commitment to some 6 Boeing 787 Dreamliners. Oman Air would be the first airline in the Gulf region to undergo such move to obtain the Dreamliner aircrafts, which are expected to be delivered to the carrier in 2012, 2014, and 2015

In future, after making a reservation, Lufthansa passengers will not receive a paper ticket, but will instead be issued with an electronic ticket, or etix. With an etix, passengers can use the convenient online check-in service and print out their own boarding pass at home, or collect it at one of the 350 Check-in terminals at airports. Thanks to the latest service innovations, they can also have an electronic boarding pass sent to them by email or by SMS to an Internet-compatible mobile phone. Without etix, none of these services would be possible.

On 1 June, when the IATA ruling goes into effect, virtually all Lufthansa tickets will be issued as etix. Passengers will therefore no longer have a choice between a paper and an electronic ticket. Paper tickets issued before 1 June will, however, retain their validity. With an anticipated take-up rate of more than 98 per cent, Lufthansa exceeds the industry average rate of 96.5 per cent that IATA has targeted for that date. In comparison: at the end of 2004, at the launch of the IATA initiative, Lufthansa had achieved a 45 per cent take-up rate.

In order to increase the share of electronic tickets, about 80 partner airlines have been integrated into the electronic interlining system: More than 200 Lufthansa stations worldwide have switched to etix and all the technical booking and check-in functions in the relevant systems have been adapted. Station staff has undergone intensive training to prepare for the introduction of the new system. Over the next few months, the remaining interline partners will be linked to the system and further IT adjustments will be made.

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

Now customers can choose either morning or evening flights between Sharjah and Kozhikode. On Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, flights will depart Sharjah at 8:00AM and arrive in Kozhikode at 13:25PM. On the same days, return flights will depart Kozhikode at 14:10PM and arrive in Sharjah at 16:25PM. On Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, flights will depart Sharjah at 22:45PM and arrives in Kozhikode at 4:10AM. On the same days, return flights will depart Kozhikode at 4:55AM and arrive in Sharjah at 7:10AM.

“The increase in the number of flights to Kozhikode demonstrates our commitment to the Indian market and our desire to offer expatriates from this Indian city working in the Middle East competitively priced fares,” said AK Nizar, Head of Commercial Department, Air Arabia. “Kozhikode is the third city within the state of Kerala to be an Air Arabia destination, giving residents there access to the extensive destination network of our carrier and the highest quality service possible.”

With direct flights to Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Coimbatore, Delhi, Jaipur, Kochi, Kozhikode, Mumbai, Nagpur and Thiruvanathapuram, Air Arabia has the most comprehensive Indian destination network of any Middle East-based airline. The carrier flies to 40 destinations throughout the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia and Central Asia.

Air Arabia offers a safe, simple and efficient service at affordable, competitive and value for money fares. The company is renowned for its on time performance and also extends visa assistance services from any one of its 40 destinations across the airline’s network.

Bookings can be easily made by visiting the company’s website www.airarabia.com or appointed travel agents.

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

About Air Arabia: Air Arabia (PJSC), listed on the Dubai Financial Market, is the Middle East and North Africa’s leading low-cost carrier (LCC). Air Arabia commenced operations in October 2003 and currently operates a fleet of 14 new Airbus A320 aircraft, serving 39 destinations across Middle East, North Africa, Indian Subcontinent and Central Asia through its main hub in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. Air Arabia also recently launched a new hub in Kathmandu in order to offer service to new destinations throughout South Asia, Central Asia, the Middle East and the Far East.

Air Arabia is modeled after leading American and European low-cost airlines, and its business model is customised to accommodate local preferences. Its main focus is to make air travel more convenient through Internet bookings and offering the lowest fares in the market along with the highest levels of safety and service standards. For further information, please visit: www.airarabia.com

Dhaka marks Air Arabia’s second destination to Bangladesh, the other being Chittagong, which was introduced in June of last year. Air Arabia will fly to Dhaka four times per week on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, departing Sharjah at 12:35PM and arriving at Dhaka at 18:55PM. Return flights will depart Dhaka at 19:40PM and arrive at Sharjah at 22:45PM. It is Air Arabia’s 40th destination worldwide and the 17th destination in South Asia for the carrier.

“With the opening of our newest destination in Dhaka, we will have developed the most comprehensive destination network in South Asia of any Middle East-based carrier,” said AK Nizar, Head of Commercial Department, Air Arabia. “Our flights to both Dhaka and Chittagong represent a commitment to the Bangladeshi market, and recognition of its immense growth and potential. With flights to these two cities, the two largest in Bangladesh, we serve the majority of Bangladeshis who wish to have the highest level of service for a competitively priced fare when they fly to the Middle East.”

Dhaka is the political and cultural centre of Bangladesh. It is also the largest city in Bangladesh with a population of 11 million. With the addition of Dhaka, Air Arabia now serves the most populous city in almost every country in South Asia, with flights to Colombo, Mumbai, Karachi and Kathmandu from the LCC’s main hub in Sharjah.

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

About Air Arabia: Air Arabia (PJSC), listed on the Dubai Financial Market, is the Middle East and North Africa’s leading low-cost carrier (LCC). Air Arabia commenced operations in October 2003 and currently operates a fleet of 14 new Airbus A320 aircraft, serving 39 destinations across Middle East, North Africa, Indian Subcontinent and Central Asia through its main hub in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. Air Arabia also recently launched a new hub in Kathmandu in order to offer service to new destinations throughout South Asia, Central Asia, the Middle East and the Far East.

Air Arabia is modeled after leading American and European low-cost airlines, and its business model is customised to accommodate local preferences. Its main focus is to make air travel more convenient through Internet bookings and offering the lowest fares in the market along with the highest levels of safety and service standards. For further information, please visit: www.airarabia.com

Winners of the MENA Travel Awards are selected on the basis of extensive online polling of the opinions of customers and industry peers from across the Middle East and North Africa region. The results, which are audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers, represent clear acknowledgement of leadership status in a range of travel-related categories, including airlines, hotels and leisure facilities.

“Launched in October 2003 with an objective of providing timely, convenient and affordable air travel options for the people of the region, Air Arabia today serves over 39 destinations across the Middle East, North Africa, Indian Subcontinent and Central Asia,” said AK Nizar, Head of Commercial Department, Air Arabia. “This award comes in recognition of the growth that we have achieved, and our continued commitment to value-for-money service.”

“We will continue to provide customers with best services and maintain our market position as one of the region’s best airlines. On behalf of Air Arabia and the more than 6 million passengers who have chosen to fly with us, we are grateful to the organisers of the MENA Travel Awards for this very special award” he added.

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

About Air Arabia: Air Arabia (PJSC), listed on the Dubai Financial Market, is the Middle East and North Africa’s leading low-cost carrier (LCC). Air Arabia commenced operations in October 2003 and currently operates a fleet of 14 new Airbus A320 aircraft, serving 39 destinations across Middle East, North Africa, Indian Subcontinent and Central Asia through its main hub in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. Air Arabia also recently launched a new hub in Kathmandu in order to offer service to new destinations throughout South Asia, Central Asia, the Middle East and the Far East.

Air Arabia is modeled after leading American and European low-cost airlines, and its business model is customised to accommodate local preferences. Its main focus is to make air travel more convenient through Internet bookings and offering the lowest fares in the market along with the highest levels of safety and service standards. For further information, please visit: www.airarabia.com

During the first quarter of 2008, the company posted a turnover of AED 383 million, up 59 per cent compared to AED 241 million during the first quarter of 2007. The airline served 757,000 passengers for the first quarter of 2008, an increase of 31 per cent compared to 577,000 passengers during the same period in 2007. Average seat factor ­– passengers carried as a proportion of available seats – stood at 85 per cent for the first quarter of 2008, up 2 per cent compared to 83 per cent in first quarter of 2007.

Adel Ali, Board Member and Chief Executive Officer of Air Arabia, said: “We are immensely proud of our long record of profitability and high achievement, and we look forward to continued positive returns and high profits in the time to come. The high and uncertainty of oil prices as well as increasing inflation rates puts additional challenge on air transport sector across the globe, but the rapid and strong economic growth of this region contributes to a sustained and subsequent market and travel growth”.

The first quarter of 2008 was an eventful one for the region’s leading LCC. In addition to purchasing two new Airbus A320s aircraft, which increased the company’s fleet size to 13 planes, Air Arabia also added two new destinations in India: Kozhikode (formerly known as Calicut) and New Delhi. The carrier now flies to a class-leading 39 destinations throughout the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia, Central Asia and Eastern Europe.

During the first quarter of 2008, Air Arabia also opened its new hub in Kathmandu, Nepal. The hub is also the home of Air Arabia’s newest joint venture, FlyYeti.com, a joint venture with Yeti Airlines. The hub in Kathmandu and the connection of flights with FlyYeti.com, will give Air Arabia’s passengers access to new destinations in South East Asia and the Far East, all with the same high quality of service and competitive fares they have come to recognise as being integral to Air Arabia.

Ali added: “Our shareholders and passengers have helped make us the leader of the LCC segment in this region, and one of the fastest growing airlines in the world. This quarter has seen a continuation of the growth of our fleet as well as destinations and we fully intend to continue expanding and spreading our value for money philosophy to more destinations and more passengers throughout the regions we serve, and to more regions in the future.”

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

About Air Arabia: Air Arabia (PJSC), listed on the Dubai Financial Market, is the Middle East and North Africa’s leading low-cost carrier (LCC). Air Arabia commenced operations in October 2003 and currently operates a fleet of 14 new Airbus A320 aircraft, serving 39 destinations across the Middle East, North Africa, Indian Subcontinent and Central Asia through its main hub in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.

Air Arabia is modeled after leading American and European low-cost airlines, and its business model is customised to accommodate local preferences. Its main focus is to make air travel more convenient through Internet bookings and offering the lowest fares in the market along with the highest levels of safety and service standards. www.airarabia.com

"Singapore is a critical logistics node within Asia that delivers integrated, cutting-edge supply chain solutions for the global market." said Ms Aw Kah Peng, Assistant Managing Director, Industry Development, Singapore Economic Development Board, "We are proud to have Gati locate its regional headquarters in Singapore. Gati will add to the vibrancy and diversity of the logistics and supply chain sector in Singapore, the Asian base for the world's top 3PLs."

It was the revolutionary approach adopted by Gati that helped launch many path breaking initiatives in the logistics segment and many were the firsts for the Indian market. In a span of 18 years, Gati has consistently explored various ways to bring premium value to the customer, thereby setting benchmarks in quality of service and customer satisfaction.

Gati has over 4000 vehicles on road covering 594 out of 608 districts, mechantronic warehousing facilities of 1.5 million sq. ft. across all major cities thus offering truly word class single window solutions to the customers. Be it flexible point-to-point distribution solutions or complex end-to-end integrated logistics solutions or supply chain management, Gati does it all with great effectiveness and reliability, and enjoys the trust of a large customer base.

In October 2007, Gati launched its co-branded (Air India Gati) air cargo and courier service. This service demonstrates the value the customers can derive from the synergies of the two majors in air and surface networks.

Gati has also taken the initiative to run the parcel express train between KYN (Mumbai) and NGC (Guwahati). The parcel train is a classic example of PPP (Public Private Partnership).

The Gati advantage of seamless connectivity across air, road, ocean and rail has resulted in a plethora of offerings to the customer unmatched in the industry. Besides having a strong network in India, Gati has a strong market presence in the Asia Pacific region and SAARC countries.

Today, Gati has offices in China, Singapore, Japan, Dubai, Hong Kong Thailand, Nepal and Sri Lanka and have plans to foray into other markets.

Gati International’s revenues have grown from S$2.0 Million to S$9.6 Million over the last 3 years.

“This is a dream come true”, added Mr. Mahendra Agarwal, Managing Director & CEO of Gati Ltd. on the occasion of the announcement, “When we decided to spread our wings beyond India 3 years ago Singapore was our first choice, because of its great Infrastructure, Businesses, Finance, Support Services, world class reputation as a shipping, logistics, trading and financial hub, the importance of its geographic location as a springboard to Asia, and last but by no means least because of the long standing excellent business and cultural ties between Singapore and India.

This is a very proud milestone in the history of Gati.”

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

The new daily service to Bengaluru, operated by an Airbus A330-300 aircraft, marks the first time for Dragonair to operate passenger flights to India. The service will provide new opportunities for people travelling between Hong Kong and the technology capital of India, located in the south of the country.

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

About Dragonair:

The 25 lucky winners were announced by celebrity hosts Ms. Mandira Bedi and Mr. Roshan Abbas at a gala ceremony held here. The winners will enjoy a fun-filled 3D/2N holiday at Bangkok or Kuala Lumpur.

The response to the “Flight of Fantasy” contest was overwhelming with over 10,000 participants, making the contest a grand success. The participants belonged to Hyderabad, Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam. The contest, spread over a fortnight commencing from March 5, 2008, aimed at creating awareness about the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport at Shamshabad.

The uniqueness of the contest was that contestants could participate in by logging on to GHIAL’s website www.hyderabad.aero, visiting kiosks set up across strategic locations in Hyderabad and also by tuning in to Radio Mirchi and Radio City.

The contest helped generate tremendous awareness and interest about the country’s first Greenfield airport project, built up by the public private partnership (PPP) model. The contestants had to reply to five simple questions to sail through the game.

“The RGIA had already created a buzz but extending it to an online and radio as contest was a natural extension of the campaign to create awareness”, says Mr. Viswanath Attaluri, Head – Commercial, Corporate Planning & Communications. “The contest also provided us with an opportunity to present the RGIA beyond the traditional medium”, he added.

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

About GHIAL:

GMR-HIAL is a joint venture company promoted by GMR Infrastructure Ltd., (63%); Malaysia Airports Holding Berhad (11%), Airports Authority of India (13%) and Government of Andhra Pradesh (13%), with a mandate to develop a world-class international grade airport spread over 5,500 acres in Shamshabad, about 25 kms from the main city of Hyderabad.

This project - Rajiv Gandhi International Airport – is set to position Hyderabad as a prominent player in the global aviation map contributing to the prosperity, development and economic well-being of the region.

Mumbai-based Jet Airways operates more than 380 flights daily to 43 domestic and 17 international destinations. Key domestic destinations include New Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, and Bengaluru, while internationally the airline flies to cities in Europe, North America, the Middle East, South Asia and Southeast Asia.

Jet Airways adds over 30 new destinations to Asia Miles bringing the travel reward programme’s network to almost 1,000 destinations around the world.

Dominic Purvis, General Manager Cathay Pacific Loyalty Programmes, said: "We are delighted to have Jet Airways join as our 20th airline partner. India has one of the world’s fastest-growing economies and there is increasing demand for travel to, from and within India. We are sure the addition of Jet Airways will further strengthen Asia Miles’ position as Asia’s leading travel reward programme.”

Commenting on the new partnership, Mr Gaurang Shetty, Senior Vice President - Alliances & Interline Distribution, Jet Airways, said: “Joining Asia Miles is a proud moment for us. We are delighted to align ourselves with such an award-winning travel reward programme. With Jet Airways’ commitment to excellence, we believe such synergy and co-operation will greatly boost Asia Miles’ members’ convenience and choice of destinations.”

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

About Cathay Pacific

Cathay Pacific is significantly expanding its services to and from India following the conclusion of a new air services agreement between the Hong Kong and Indian governments in December last year. By June it will have an additional 20 flights a week between the two places.

Cathay Pacific Airways gears up to celebrate the recent expansion of its services to and from India with a spectacular gala event to be held in Delhi today, followed by Mumbai on Thursday night. Attending the event in Delhi will be Guests of honour Ms Eva Cheng, Secretary for Transport and Housing with the Hong Kong SAR Government along with other Indian government officials.

Cathay Pacific has also shown a clear commitment to expanding freighter services to and from India. Started off with just one flight a week routed through Mumbai in 1994, the airline now operates a total of 22 freighters a week to the country and has become the number one foreign carrier in terms of cargo capacity and tonnage offered in the Indian market.

About Asia Miles

Asia Miles is Asia’s leading Travel Reward Programme with more than 300 partners worldwide in nine partner categories. There are now 20 airline partners: Aer Lingus, Air China, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific Airways, China Eastern Airlines, Dragonair, Finnair, Gulf Air, Iberia, Japan Airlines, Jet Airways, LanChile, Malév Hungarian Airlines, Mexicana Airlines, Qantas Airways, Royal Brunei, Royal Jordanian and Vietnam Airlines.

Asia Miles also has a list of superior partners in finance & insurance, hotels, telecoms, cars & transport, retail, dining, travel & leisure as well as professional services. Asia Miles is free to join and open to anyone aged two or over. Simply enrol online at http://www.asiamiles.com/.

About JetPrivilege

Jet Airways’ JetPrivilege is India’s largest frequent flyer programme with over 45 partners worldwide in eight partner categories. JetPrivilege also has a list of superior partners in finance, hotels, car rentals, retail, publishing, lifestyle & telecommunication.

The airline served 246,296 passengers on the Sharjah – India routes for the first quarter of 2008, an increase of 43% per cent compared to 172,246 passengers during the same period in 2007.

Air Arabia, who currently provides direct services to Ahmedabad, Chennai, Jaipur, Kochi, Mumbai, Nagpur, Coimbatore, Thiruvanathapuram, Bangalore, Kozhikode and Delhi represents the highest network on any Middle East airline to serve India and connects over 39 destinations internationally.

“India is an important market for Air Arabia and we are committed on providing best value for money air travel” said Rohit Ramachandran, Regional Manager, India and Sri Lanka, Air Arabia. “High frequencies, on-time performance along with safe travel and affordable fares represent the unique service we offer to our customers. Passengers flying between India and UAE have lot of innovative services to expect from Air Arabia in the near future” Ramachandran added.

On-time performance achieved was in excess of 95% across the company network in India. Another key factor for the airline’s success in India is the great connectivity it offers to the Middle East, even from non metro cities. The airline has made efforts to operate to smaller, less congested airports closer to the customer base. This move has not only benefited passengers, many of whom have access to international low cost travel for the first time but has also helped contribute to the development of the region.

Air Arabia offers a safe, simple and efficient service at affordable, competitive and value for money fares. The company also extends visa assistance services from any one of its 39 destinations across the airline’s network. Bookings can be easily made by visiting the company’s website www.airarabia.com or appointed travel agents.

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

About Air Arabia: Air Arabia (PJSC), listed on the Dubai Financial Market, is the Middle East and North Africa’s leading low-cost carrier (LCC). Air Arabia commenced operations in October 2003 and currently operates a fleet of 13 new Airbus A320 aircraft, serving 39 destinations across Middle East, North Africa, Indian Subcontinent and Central Asia through its main hub in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.

Air Arabia is modeled after leading American and European low-cost airlines, and its business model is customized to accommodate local preferences. Its main focus is to make air travel more convenient through Internet bookings and offering the lowest fares in the market along with the highest levels of safety and service standards. For further information, please visit: www.airarabia.com