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But not on privacy grounds…
By Lars Pasveer

Published: Tuesday 30 May 2006

A 2004 deal between the European Union and the US has been deemed illegal by the European Court of Justice in Luxemburg.

The European parliament had issued no less than six pleas surrounding the exchange of so-called Passenger Name Records (PNR).

The PNR deal was struck two years ago between the European Commission and the US government, despite opposition by the European parliament. Airlines were forced to release data originally deemed private under European law or face having their US landing rights revoked.

The Luxembourg Court has now ruled the original deal falls outside European Community law and concluded it should therefore be annulled. The PNR data exchange must end on 30 September 2006. Airlines claim to have invested millions to make their computer systems suitable for the required transfers.

The so-called ‘no fly lists’ compiled with such data - supplemented by credit card records - have in recent years forced flights to return to Europe or divert to Canada.

Of the six pleas, the court only reviewed the first, looking at the legal grounds on which the EC entered into the agreement.

European parliament members had hoped the courts would give a verdict on privacy issues - but the court has decided not to. Now that the agreement has been annulled the court simply states: “It is not necessary to consider the other limbs of the first plea or the other pleas relied upon by the parliament.”

Original Article

DUBLIN, Ireland (AP): Ireland’s state-owned airline, Aer Lingus, is likely to be privatized in September in a long-awaited move, its chief executive said Tuesday.

“We are continuing to aim for a transaction in September, and we’re moving ahead with the documentation necessary to achieve it,” Dermot Mannion said.

Mannion said recent volatility in the stock market, and the unprecedented high cost of aviation fuel, would not delay the expected flotation on the Irish Stock Exchange.

“The important point is we believe we have a very robust business case that will be attractive for national and international investors. We are the most efficient state carrier in Europe. We’re operating in the most competitive market in the world for airfares. I believe the transaction will complete in September,” he said.

Aer Lingus is one of Europe’s rare success stories among state-owned airlines. It came close to bankruptcy in 2002, but rebounded strongly by slashing its payroll in half, shifting ticket sales to the Internet, and developing a network of short-haul destinations to continental Europe _ essentially copying the winning formula of its Dublin-based rival, Ryanair.

But Aer Lingus directors argue that the airline would fare better in private hands, because European Union competition rules heavily restrict the ability of Ireland to invest taxpayer money in new aircraft. The airline in particular wants to buy new long-haul Boeing or Airbus aircraft to expand its route network to the United States and, possibly, Asia.

The government of Prime Minister Bertie Ahern has spent the past five years debating when, and how, to sell off Aer Lingus.

Earlier this year, Ahern said the government wanted to proceed sometime this year, and signaled that a stock flotation, rather than a sale to a group of private investors, was the government’s preferred option. In a bid to reassure union leaders, Ahern said the government would retain a sufficiently large percentage of ownership to block any sale to a foreign company.

Aer Lingus also announced Tuesday it planned to end its membership in the eight-airline Oneworld alliance by early next year. The alliance, formed in 1999, allows participating airlines to share flight codes for joint ticketing and its customers to collect frequent-flyer miles on all alliance flights.

Aer Lingus said it did not want to invest an estimated euro2 million (US$2.6 million) in upgrading its computer systems to handle a growing Oneworld record-keeping burden when the alliance admits three new members _ Japan Airlines, Malev Hungarian Airlines and Royal Jordanian _ by 2007.

Mannion said Aer Lingus was interested in negotiating individual code-sharing and frequent-flyer agreements with its most logical partners, such as British Airways and American Airlines, but saw little benefit in cooperating with airlines distant from core Aer Lingus services. He said only 6 percent of Aer Lingus customers were buying tickets with connections onto other Oneworld alliance airlines.

“Now is the right time to make the break and go forward with bilateral relations,” Mannion said.

Original Article

BUDGET airline Flyglobespan plan to double their workforce and create more than 300 jobs over the next year.

The airline’s fleet of aircraft will rise from 12 to 19, boosting staff numbers from 350 to 770 in the process.

Chairman Tom Dalrymple said the additional planes will be capable of long-haul flights to destinations such as North America, the Caribbean, Central America and Africa.

Original Article

WASHINGTON — Heading off for a two-week business trip, Gary Hacker made it aboard his 4 p.m. flight to Chicago — but his 50-pound Samsonite suitcase wasn’t as lucky. United Airlines had two other flights within hours from Washington Reagan National to Chicago, but Hacker’s bag didn’t arrive at his hotel until 5 a.m., a few hours before a business meeting.

“I was in casual clothes. I had no change of underwear, no contact-lens solution, and I had a meeting the next morning,” said Hacker, who plans to stuff more clothes into a larger carry-on bag in the future.

Hacker’s flight is a preview of the woes awaiting travelers during the summer travel season. Passengers should brace for long lines, tight quarters, delayed flights and mishandled luggage.

While a headache for travelers, crowded planes signal that airlines have made strides in reorganizing their operations and improving their bottom lines. They have trimmed flights and parked oversize jets to get more passengers in their seats at a lower cost.

In April, United filled a record 83 percent of its seats, a 3.4 percent increase from the same month a year ago. Northwest, American, Continental and US Airways filled 80 percent or more of their seats.

Travel experts say airlines this summer will be slower to cancel flights for mechanical problems because of the difficulty they would have in finding available seats on alternative flights. As a result, passengers could face more and longer delays.

Original Article

Fifteen Indian air hostesses will soon start serving passengers on a Chinese airline’s flights from Shanghai to New Delhi, according to Chinese media reports.The women will start working on the China Eastern Airline flights from June 1, according to the Web site of the official People’s Daily newspaper.

“The language is the biggest advantage for them. And as people coming from the same country, they would observe and know better the needs of our overseas passengers,” Wu Wenhua, manager of the company’s foreign cabin attendants department, told China’s state-run China Radio International.

The airline is planning to hire some Russian hostesses in June, CRI reported on its Web site.

Original Article

MUSCAT — A veteran airline industry official has bid ‘Sayanora’ to Oman and his illustrious career with a call to all airlines here to be more customer-friendly. Customer-friendly, in the sense, to bring about lower fares and maintain a ‘balance’ between profit-making and being sensitive to customer needs.

He leaves without any regrets, he said. “Actually, I am leaving with a matter of pride. I fought for my rights in the market. And many have understood my concept. My senior airline colleagues have always accepted my ways, and my passengers have supported me. Leaving A-I is quite sad, but I give full credit to my airline, for it has been my life, my passion, a dream, which I have achieved.” Amariwala, also conveyed thanks to the media in Oman for supporting his causes and also made a special mention of Essa bin Mohammed Al Zedjali, chairman and editor-in-chief of the Times, whose widely read column, Viewpoint, he said was his particular favourite. “I leave with a feeling of mission accomplished and I wish all my colleagues in the airline industry the very best,” he said.

Original Article

For the sixth time, LAN Airlines has been chosen as theBest Airline Based in Central/South America & Caribbean by OAG(Official Airline Guide), the foremost world guide on informationregarding airline schedules and itineraries. LAN Airlines also ranked among the eight finalists in the Airlineof the Year 2006 category, alongside such important internationalairlines as British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Continental Airlines,Emirates, Qantas, CSA Czech Airlines and South African Airways.

OAG awards have been presented for more than two decades based onvoting by frequent travelers worldwide that select the best companiesat an international level, resulting in the recognition of excellencein the products and services that LAN offers its clients. The mostimportant representatives from the worldwide airline industry attendedthe 2006 awards ceremony, which took place recently in London.

Armando Valdivieso, LAN Airlines’ CEO passenger: “We are honoredto once again receive this important recognition that reflects theopinion of experienced frequent travelers worldwide. We will continueto always offer a service of excellence with the highest standards ofsecurity and efficiency that have distinguished LAN internationally.”

OAG - specialists in travel and transportation - annuallydistinguishes those airlines and airports that have maintained thebest standards in the industry according to the opinion of businesstravelers throughout the world.

Summary of 2006 Awards:

– Airline of the Year 2006: Cathay Pacific

– Best Airline Based in Australasia/Pacific: Qantas

– Best Airline Based in Asia: Cathay Pacific

– Best Airline Based in Central/Eastern Europe: CSA Czech Airlines

– Best Airline Based in Central/South America & Caribbean: LAN Airlines

– Best Airline Based in North America: Continental Airlines

– Best Airline Based in Western Europe: British Airways

– Best Airline Based in Africa: South African Airways

– Best Airline Based in Middle East/Indian Sub-Continent: Emirates

For more information on the 2006 OAG Awards, visithttp://www.oag.com/Airline+of+the+Year/current_winners_2006.

The LAN service alliance participating airlines, LAN Airlines(NYSE:LFL), LAN Argentina, LAN Ecuador and LAN Peru, offer a unitedspirit of reliability and charm that provides passengers the highestlevel of service and safety with the complete travel experiencethroughout the skies of the Americas.

The LAN service alliance’s vast route network reaches a largenumber of destinations throughout the world, including the Americas,Europe and the South Pacific. The alliance offers flights from NorthAmerica to Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic,Ecuador, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela with service from 29 NorthAmerican cities, including daily flights from its Miami, New York andLos Angeles gateways. Passengers traveling with any of the LAN servicealliance participating airlines may accumulate frequent flierkilometers/miles in LANPASS or American Airlines’ AAdvantage.Additionally, passengers traveling with LAN Airlines or LAN Peru mayalso accumulate frequent flier miles in any of the oneworld(TM) memberfrequent flier programs. LAN Airlines is a member of oneworld(TM) andLAN Peru is an affiliate of oneworld(TM), the world’s leading qualityalliance.

For additional information, contact LAN toll-free at 866-I-FLY-LAN(866-435-9526). Visit LAN’s website at http://www.lan.com.

Original Article

New Delhi: The man with the golden gun, ace-shooter Lieutenant Colonel Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore returned home late on Wednesday night after a glittering performance in the Beijing Olympics qualifiers held in Egypt.

But it was not a happy homecoming for Rathore, who shot a gold at the ISSF shotgun world cup championship in Cairo.

The airline authorities misplaced his gun, and after a wait of nearly two hours, told him that it was not traceable.

“We flew Lufthansa Airlines and hope it’s a responsible airline. Unfortunately it’s not proving so. I just lost my gun today,” Rathore said.

The Athens Olympic Silver medallist pulled-off an amazing comeback in his double trap event at Cairo. He bagged a gold in the double trap of the same event on Sunday to pick a quota place for himself for the Beijing Games.

The army marksman topped the field with a score of 182 after making it to the finals through sudden death following a tied finish with Qiang Pan of China at the end of qualifying rounds.

“It was a typical movie situation. A guy is out of the final and he has to make a comeback. From a position of sixth, where my rival was four points ahead of me, I had to fight my way through in extremely windy conditions. I did it and the crowds loved it” Rathore said.

Rathore has had a great run this season. He began with shooting gold in the Melbourne Commonwealth Games and then followed it up with an eighth and sixth place finish in the first two shooting world cups.

All this against the very best in the world

“I need to push my level of performance higher up. My worst performance should be better than others’ best,” Rathore added.

Rathore shot a score of 137 (47+46+44) in the preliminaries but bounced back with an excellent 45 in the final in which he hit the bird in the last 10 rounds.

Original Article

By GEORGE KEBASSO
GLOBAL Aviation Africa limited- a Nairobi based airline company has announced that it will soon pioneer flight services to the Southern Sudan as an avalanche of lucrative business opportunities beckon after years of turmoil in the country.

The airline will launch its first flight services to Juba from Nairobi and Juba to Khartoum in a move that its Chief Operations Director, Nobeel Quresh said is aimed at establishing a pioneer role alongside other firms such as Kenya Air Ways.

Other airlines which are also keen on the move include Safari air express, Astral Aviation, Jetlink, 740 Airlines and Martinair.

He said the route flight schedule between these regions will spur business investments as traders will easily access the market for their products.

The airline is working on a joint venture with a Sudanese company- Ababeel Aviation, which has acquired a Russian manufactured aircraft, that will fly the route once landing rights have been granted by the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA), the airline company intends to provide cargo services to and from Kenya.

The Russian made aircraft- Ilyushin IL 76 TD is suitably built as a cargo carrier with a medium and long-range freighter with four turbo fans and has a carrying capacity of up to 40 tones.

Ababeel Aviation was incorporated in Sudan in 201 with Al Waleeds Talodi as its Chief Executive Officer. The company is fast growing, establishing itself in the aviation industry within the region.

It has a maintenance base in Khartoum and has several fleets Ilyushin IL 76 TDs from Russia and from other countries such as Ukraine. It has contracts with the World Health Organisation (WHO) to supply medical drugs and equipment.

It has also signed a working agreement with the White Nile Petroleum Company to transport its petroleum products, with ESS world wide and the Nile Barki Aviation Company among others.

The airline company prides itself as the only one in the region which offers such freight services regardless of the class of their clients.

Quresh stated, “This is the only freighter service with this kind of service into Juba and only freighter service in Nairobi and Khartoum and therefore clients will not be based with royalties.”

With such initiatives in the offing, it is hoped that the war torn country will cut a niche as a regional investment hub.

Players in the financial sector including the Kenya Commercial Bank have also shown zest to invest in Sudan.

Original Article

BY RYOSUKE ONO, THE ASAHI SHIMBUN

NEW DELHI–The plane left Chennai in southern India on a beautiful March day, and after an uneventful flight arrived on time in the sky over New Delhi.

Then came the announcement: “We have to wait for our turn to obtain approval for landing. Our flight is the 14th (in line). Please wait for the time being.”

The passengers on the aircraft sighed.

The plane began circling. Finally, 30 minutes later, it got permission to land.

The scene is far from rare in India’s overheating airline industry.

Government deregulation has given birth to a slew of low-fare airlines, allowing the middle-class to choose air travel over horrendously overcrowded trains. Airport facilities, however, are not up to the job. They have been overwhelmed by the rapid increase in the number of airlines and passengers.

Serious delays are now a regular occurrence. And a shortage of pilots and maintenance workers is also likely to become a big problem.

Private airlines were first allowed in India in 1990. Since then, commercial carriers such as Jet Airways and Air Sahara have become big industry players.

Then in 2003, the low-fare Air Deccan was born. Its success encouraged the launch of several other similar low-cost airlines, including Kingfisher Airlines and SpiceJet.

Eleven airlines now fight it out for passengers, and five to 10 more are expected to spring up soon. Since last year, Indian airlines have ordered 300 additional planes.

The booming industry is bolstered by India’s remarkable economic growth, which has been as high as 6 to 8 percent in recent years. Air travel is no longer an impossible luxury for many Indians. They are turning away from trains in record numbers.

That should be good news for Indian airlines. Instead, the intensifying competition has them talking of a crisis.

One of the largest private airlines here is Jet Airways, a dominant carrier that accounted for 46 percent of the domestic market in fiscal 2002. The last few years have been tough on the airline, though.

In January, it announced it was purchasing the second largest private airline, Air Sahara, for about $500 million. If the sale goes through, Jet Airways’s market share will jump back up to nearly 50 percent.

Air Deccan, for its part, is taking a different tack to stay alive. Rather than gobbling up the competition, it is cutting costs.

In-flight meals now come at a small charge. Advertising space is being sold inside the planes. And the airline has arranged for gasoline stations and mobile phone companies to be used as portals to take reservations and sell tickets.

“Our motto is, ‘Let’s bring middle-class people to the air,’” said Aradhana Gaur, senior manager of the airline’s Business Development Department in charge of northern India.

“We want to attract people who are likely to have graduated from trains.”

While long-distance transportation in India is still dominated by the rail network, low fares have allowed many more people to take to the air.

For example, on conventional full-service airlines such as Jet Airways and state-run Indian Airlines, flights from New Delhi to the western financial hub of Mumbai run around 6,000 rupees (about 15,000 yen).

Low-cost carriers, though, are able to offer the same flight for around 3,500 rupees. Some tickets even come in under 3,000 rupees. That is cheaper than a first-class train ticket, which costs 4,135 rupees.

It may not be as cheap as the popular 2,210-rupee second-class tickets for seats on air-conditioned cars. On the other hand, it doesn’t take 17 to 24 hours to get there, either.

“Given that time is important, air travel is becoming an option for many businessmen,” said Bobby Bhatia, who owns a travel company in New Delhi.

The government of India has decided to modernize airport facilities. In January, it picked two companies to start projects in New Delhi and Mumbai.

However, said an industry source who asked not to be identified, “Airport infrastructure is not a serious problem.”

The big problem, the source said, is how to secure enough capable pilots and maintenance workers. Demand currently far outstrips supply.

“In the near future, there could be a situation in which there are airplanes but not pilots,” the source said.

The growth is expected to continue. Except for Mumbai and Kolkata, most of the country’s airports have a lot of surrounding land that can accommodate large-scale expansion.

Kapil Kaul, a researcher at the Center for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA) think tank who covers the Subcontinent and the Middle East, says the games are just beginning.

“The real competition among airlines will begin around 2010 when major airports have sufficient facilities,” he said.(IHT/Asahi: May 24,2006)

Original Article