Aviation

Cathay Pacific Celebrates Launch Of Chennai Flights
Dragonair Launches New Service To Bengaluru
Emirates SkyCargo introduces ‘White Cover’ solution for temperature-sensitive cargo
Kingfisher’s International Dreams Come True
Chennai, Kolkata airport modernisation get nod
3rd runway for Delhi—a boon for airlines

NEWS BRIEF :

Perishable cargo at Hyderabad airport
Dubai now on Jet Airways’ map
Expansion plans for Deccan Express
Cabin Crew Direct ties with Kuoni India
Hong Kong airport takes backseat
SilkAir cuts down Asia plans
Flight Centre collaborates with Singapore Airlines
Kingfisher hooks with IBS

Cathay Pacific Celebrates Launch Of Chennai Flights

Mr Dinesh Kumar, Airport Director, AAI (2nd from right), Mr Adit Atal, Vice-President, Spencers Travel Services Ltd (1st from left), Cathay Pacific Chief Operating Officer, Mr John Slosar (2nd from left), and General Manager, Middle East, India, Africa & Pakistan, Mr Tom Wright (1st from right), perform a traditional lamp-lighting ceremony

Cathay Pacific Airways recently celebrated the launch of its latest destination and the conclusion of its recent rapid expansion of services to India, with 20 more flights being added to make a total of 28 per week.

The airline’s Chief Operating Officer, Mr John Slosar, officiated at the inaugural celebration for the launch of flights to Chennai, attended by more than 300 guests in the southern Indian city. Guests of honour at the event were Mr Dinesh Kumar, Airport Director, Airports Authority of India (AAI) and Mr Adit Atal, Vice-President, Spencers Travel Services Ltd, while others included members of the diplomatic community and representatives from India’s travel and freight industries.

Cathay Pacific launched its four-times-weekly service to Chennai on June 2, connecting passengers from around the world to one of India’s most important industrial and commercial centres.

The airline has significantly expanded its services to and from India following the conclusion of an air services agreement between the Hong Kong and Indian governments in December last year. At the beginning of 2008, the airline had just four flights a week to both Delhi and Mumbai. Now, it operates 14 flights each week to Delhi, 10 flights a week to Mumbai and four to Chennai. In addition, Cathay Pacific’s sister airline, Dragonair, recently launched a daily service to the information technology hub Bengaluru (Bangalore).

Passengers to and from India can now connect through the Hong Kong hub to almost 120 destinations in Cathay Pacific’s international network and to more than 20 cities in Mainland China on sister airline Dragonair, providing a vital link between the two fastest-growing countries in the world.

Dragonair Launches New Service To Bengaluru

Dragonair Chief Executive Officer, Mr Kenny Tang and Mr Tom Wright, General Manager, India, Cathay Pacific, dot the eyes of the lions

Dragonair celebrated the recent launch of its service to and from Bengaluru (Bangalore) at a special gala event in southern India. More than 300 distinguished guests attended the celebration hosted by the Dragonair Chief Executive Officer, Mr Kenny Tang.

Dragonair launched the new daily service between Hong Kong and Bengaluru on July 1 and is the only airline offering non-stop flights between two of the most dynamic and forward-looking cities in Asia.

Bengaluru is the seventh new destination Dragonair has launched since becoming part of the Cathay Pacific Group in September 2006, a development which brought many benefits for the travelling public.

"With the support of our sister airline Cathay Pacific’s international network, the service between Bengaluru and Hong Kong will have a significant international reach, offering Indian travellers convenient connections to the rest of the world through the Hong Kong hub," Mr Tang said. 

Emirates SkyCargo introduces ‘White Cover’ solution for temperature-sensitive cargo

As part of its commitment to provide shippers with the highest standard of service, Emirates SkyCargo has teamed up with a leading US research institute to develop a ground-breaking new product for the shipment of temperature-sensitive cargo.

It is a low-cost, lightweight, breathable and reusable protective ‘White Cover’ designed to shield these shipments from heat during door-to-door transport.

With its hub in the hot climes of the Middle East, Emirates SkyCargo has always had to pay special attention to its temperature-sensitive traffic. It has made continual improvements to its Cool Chain processes and infrastructure, including the door-to-door use of temperature-controlled containers; the introduction of Cool Dollies (aluminium insulated containers on steel trailers) to protect perishable cargo during ramp handling at its Dubai hub; dedicated handling teams; and a major investment in a 7,000-square metre refrigerated area in the new Cargo Mega Terminal.

The ‘White Cover’ is another innovative addition, although at a fraction of cost.

Emirates SkyCargo, together with perishables and pharmaceutical shippers trading throughout its worldwide network, is conducting a pilot programme during the northern hemisphere’s hot summer months.

"This is the first time this unique type of protection which completely encloses the shipment has been used for the air freight of temperature-sensitive goods", said Ms Therese Puetz, Manager, Cargo Business Development and Projects.

A patent for the ‘White Cover’ application is pending.

One of the ‘White Cover’s distinct properties is its breathability—it resists air and water penetration while enabling trapped moisture to escape—making it ideal for ‘living’ food and flower products, while its low cost has made it popular with shippers of pharmaceuticals, especially room temperature pharmaceuticals.

"It works on the principle of solar radiation and offers significant thermal protection", explained Ms Puetz. "It also allows cooling of the shipment during transport and cold storage operations".

As well as being environmentally-friendly—the cover is 100 per cent recyclable—its application is straightforward, taking two people a maximum of eight minutes for application on a pallet.

Feedback from customers involved in the pilot programme has been very positive, with the fact that it weighs no more than 3 kg proving a strong selling point. The White Cover is available in two pallet sizes: PLA, which weighs 2 kg, and PMC, which is 3 kg. It is around one-tenth of the weight of other insulated covers available in the market today, making the additional shipping cost negligible.

The White Cover is for the exclusive use on Emirates SkyCargo flights. 

Kingfisher’s International Dreams Come True

Kingfisher is all set to fly on the global map! The airline, which merged with Deccan Aviation and is using its licence to fly international, will be launching Bangalore-London flights in September. It is the second carrier to do so after the UK’s national airline- British Airways.

The ministry of civil aviation has given the green signal to the Directorate-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for the grant of traffic rights to Deccan for operating seven flights a week between Bangalore and London. An airline should have completed five years of domestic operations in order to be eligible for international operations. While Deccan completed five years in August this year, Kingfisher has completed only three years.

Though Deccan is an eligible Indian scheduled carrier to operate flights to the US, the UK, Singapore, the UAE, Thailand, Maldives, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Pakistan, the traffic rights in terms of route and frequency have only been given for the Bangalore-London route. If it gets traffic rights from the Union government, the Kingfisher-Deccan combine plans to launch Hong Kong and Singapore flights by the end of this year. A non-stop flight from Bangalore to San Francisco on the US west coast is also on the cards.

All the 43 aircraft belonging to Kingfisher, including the A330 to be deployed for Bangalore-London operations, licenced under the scheduled operators permit (SOP) for Kingfisher Airlines, have been transferred to the SOP of Deccan. The airline is positioning the Bangalore and London connection as a premium service. Kingfisher’s round trip for economy class travellers is priced at Rs 43,520, as compared to the British Airways’ Rs 43,875. A round trip in the Kingfisher first class is priced at Rs 1,61,800, which is said to be costlier than the average Rs 1.4 lakh charged by the British Airways.

Among other amenities, the first-class passengers on its Airbus A330-220 link between Bangalore and London can enjoy an in-seat massager, five-course meals, a social area with a bar and even a spectacle-cleaning service.

The flight from Bangalore will leave at 8.40 am and arrive in London’s Heathrow Terminal 4 at 2.50 pm, local time. The return flight will depart Heathrow at 10.05 pm and arrive in Bangalore the next day at 12.35 pm, local time.

However, a major impediment arising is that while the UB Group chief, Mr Vijay Mallya, wants to fly on the global routes using Kingfisher’s call sign, civil aviation ministry officials feel that international operations of the airline can use only the Air Deccan call sign.

"We can’t allow them to fly international on Kingfisher’s call sign as the operating permit is in the name of Deccan Aviation," according to a ministry official. No official comment was available from Kingfisher on this issue. 

Chennai, Kolkata airport modernisation get nod

Modernising and expanding the Kolkata and Chennai airports by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) — at an estimated cost of Rs 3,750.51 crore — began last month after the Union government gave a go ahead. While Rs 1,808 crore is to be spent on Chennai airport which is scheduled to be completed within 26 months of AAI awarding the contract, the modernisation of the Kolkata airport is slated to be completed within 30 months of AAI awarding the contract with an investment of Rs l,942.51 crore.

Modernisation of Chennai airport will see an additional passenger handling capacity of 14 million passengers per annum (mppa). Besides, the runway will be made suitable for operations of large commercial aircraft. Additional parking space and taxiways to facilitate parking and movement of aircraft will also be created. In 2007-08, the international and domestic traffic at the Chennai airport stood at 3.41 million and 7.25 million, respectively. It is estimated that the Chennai airport will further witness a combined growth of around 17.13 per cent per annum (20 per cent domestic and 10 per cent international) by 2011-12.

Kolkata’s modernisation work will include upgradation of navigation facilities, additional parking space and taxiways and improved road and rail connectivity of the airport with the city, apart from extending the second runway. The Kolkata airport had international traffic of 1.01 million and domestic traffic of 6.45 million in 2007-08. It witnessed a 6.4 per cent growth in international traffic and 21.4 per cent growth in domestic traffic over the last five years. It is estimated that the airport will witness a combined growth of around 19 per cent per annum by 2011-12. 

3rd runway for Delhi—a boon for airlines

The longest in India and one of the longest in Asia—Delhi airport’s third 4,430-metre runway was inaugurated last month. This would mean that it would not only prove to be a big boon for the operating flights, but also air passengers to have to hang in the Delhi sky as airlines await to land.

The runway will almost double the aircraft handling capacity of the airport and will also be able to handle large aircraft like Airbus A-380. It is estimated that, in total, airlines could save nearly Rs 2.25 crore worth of extra fuel that their aircraft burn as they hover in the sky waiting for permission to land at the Delhi airport.

At present, only the main runway and the new one would be operational since the traffic at the airport has been low recently. According to executives of Delhi International Airport Ltd, which operates the airport, Indian carriers have cut around 40 flights to Delhi. Besides, the new domestic terminal, expected to have a passenger handling capacity of 10 million per year, has been delayed and will be completed by the end of this year. The terminal will take the total annual domestic capacity of the airport to 19 million. The current capacity is around 9 million.

The main runway will be exclusively used for takeoffs, while the new one will be used for landings. 

NEWS BRIEF

Perishable cargo at Hyderabad airport

In order to boost the movement of perishables and help the horticulture sector in the state become more competitive, GMR Hyderabad International Airport Limited (GHIAL) has decided to set up a world-class centre for perishable cargo (CPC) at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA).

The centre will handle 13,000 tonnes per annum of perishable cargo in the first phase of development (up to 2011), which would increase to 25,000 tonnes per annum in the second phase (2013-14).

Investment involved in phase-I is Rs 40 crore with a subsidy of Rs 20 crore from the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (Apeda). The rest will be invested by GHIAL. Another investment of Rs 10 crore will be made by GHIAL in phase-II. 

Dubai now on Jet Airways’ map

Jet Airways has commenced daily flights from Dubai to Mumbai and New Delhi starting last month.

That makes Dubai the airline’s 20th destination, sixth in the airline’s Gulf network and the second in the UAE. Jet Airways’ Dubai flights will be an add-on to its daily services to Abu Dhabi, Kuwait, Bahrain, Muscat and Doha from various gateway points in India.

Indian and the Gulf passengers will have access to Jet Airways’ domestic network.

Riyadh and Jeddah are the next destinations being targeted by the airline. 

Expansion plans for Deccan Express

Deccan Express Logistics is contemplating to raise $200 million to fund a project scheduled to be operational by the first quarter of the next financial year.

Edelweiss, an investment banking and financial services company, has been given the charge to arrange for funding from private equity. The company will also play a role in aiding Deccan Express with a business model to run its fully integrated logistics service.

About $70 million is expected to be raised in the next four months.

Besides, Deccan Express recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with GMR Group for setting up express cargo operating facilities at Delhi and Hyderabad international airports. 

UK-headquartered Cabin Crew Direct, a leading player in gobal aviation training and recruitment, is drawing blueprints to set up seven cabin crew training and recruitment centres in the country.

For this, the company has tied up with Kuoni India, a subsidiary of Kuoni International and plans to place around 70-80 cabin crew executives with major global airlines by the end of this year.

"We have just set up the first centre in collaboration with Kuoni in New Delhi and would be opening six other centres in Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad and Chandigarh soon," said Mr John Ellis, Chief Executive Officer of Cabin Crew Direct.

The company is also in the process of tapping the existing market for cabin crews in major airlines. 

Hong Kong airport takes backseat

Beaten by the soaring fuel prices and easing of exports from China, passenger and cargo volume growth at Hong Kong’s airport slipped in July this year.

According to the Airport Authority of Hong Kong, it handled 4.5 million passengers in July, up by 1.3 per cent from 4.4 million in the same period a year earlier, but down from June’s 5 per cent growth.

Cargo volume in July rose by 0.7 per cent to 317,000 tonnes from 315,000 tonnes in July 2007, but slowed from June’s 2.4 per cent growth.

Total aircraft movements for July rose by 2.1 per cent to 25,895 from 25,364, which is also slower than June’s 2.7 per cent growth.

Hong Kong International Airport operates more than 5,000 flights a week, and has an annual passenger handling capacity of more than 45 million. 

SilkAir cuts down Asia plans

With travel demand on its China and Myanmar routes slipping mainly due to natural calamities, the Singapore Airlines’ unit, SilkAir, has pulled down expansion plans for the financial year to March 2009.

The regional carrier, which also flies to cities in India, Taiwan and Indonesia, said capacity expansion for the year will be moderated to 5-7 per cent, down from 8-10 per cent previously.

SilkAir, which currently flies 15 Airbus A320s with another 11 on firm order, posted operating profits of S$10 million ($7.1 million) for the April-June quarter, up by 79 per cent from a year ago. 

Flight Centre collaborates with Singapore Airlines

Drawing plans to offer easy-budget tour packages to India, Australia-based Flight Centre has tied up with Singapore Airlines

"Our alliance with Singapore Airlines is aimed to boost outbound tourism from India and offer affordable international holiday packages to our clients at a time when inflation has led to a slowdown in international travel, especially among the middle-income group," said Mr Gaurav Luthra, Head (India) - Flight Shop, the leisure travel brand of Flight Centre.

"This partnership will result in pocket-friendly packages to our customers for destination ‘Singapore’," declared Mr Manjit Grewal, the Singapore Airlines Manager (Northern India). 

Kingfisher hooks with

Kingfisher Airlines has awarded a five-year contract to IBS Software Services, its iCargonet software. The IBS solution is expected to help Kingfisher Airlines with scalability to support its growth plans

An IT solutions provider to the travel, transportation and logistics industry, IBS Software offers a range of products and services that manage mission-critical operations of major airlines, oil and gas companies, seaports, cruise lines and tour operators worldwide.

With the cargo traffic estimated to grow three times in the next 17 years to $600 million, IBS hopes to garner a big share in the solutions market for the industry. 

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