In Brief

Nagpur Airport Project Offered To Middle East Investors

Middle East investors will be given a chance to participate in a public-private partnership project set to transform India's oldest airport at Nagpur into an international passenger and cargo hub. The Rs10 billion project to upgrade the existing airport facilities at Nagpur and construct an adjacent Special Economic Zone will be unveiled at the fifth Airport Build & Supply Exhibition, taking place from May 23-25 at Airport Expo Dubai.

Featuring housing facilities for IT companies, finance and banking service providers, a jewellery park and textile zone as well as other export facilities, the Special Economic Zone will contribute to the growth of air traffic from the airport, which is expected to reach 14 million passengers per year by 2030. "We chose to participate in the Airport Build & Supply Exhibition as it is an excellent platform to get in touch with investors who have the experience and financial and technical capabilities to handle the project," said R C Sinha, vice chairman and managing director of Maharashtra Airport Development Company, a special-purpose government company responsible for the implementation of the project.

Sinha will be addressing an audience of airport suppliers at what has become a leading specialised event, designed to introduce the latest in airport technology and services to the Middle East's airport decision-makers, engineers and planners. Sinha and his team will also be using the event to source builders and consultants for the project as well as providers of goods such as conveyor belts, escalators and other goods needed to fit out passenger holding areas and cargo facilities.

Phase one of the project involves extending the existing airstrip and upgrading it to handle third-generation aircraft, expanding the terminal building and installing air bridges. Construction is expected to start within three months with completion scheduled for 2009. The second phase of the project will be completed by 2035 and will involve building a second airstrip as well as a new terminal building.

Air France, KLM’s New Offering - Flying Blue

Air France and KLM will offer their 66.3 million passengers a new joint frequent flyer programme, Flying Blue. With 10 million members, the purpose of Flying Blue is to become the leading frequent flyer programme in Europe and satisfy members’ needs. This programme will enable members to earn and spend Miles on the combined networks of Air France and KLM and also on flights operated by SkyTeam member airlines and some other 30 airline partners. This global network of 18,000 flights and 900 destinations will enable customers to benefit from all advantages that Europeans leading loyalty programme has to offer. Furthermore, some 100 non-airline partners will have joined the Flying Blue programme, thereby increasing the opportunities to earn and burn Miles. Structured in four levels (Ivory, Silver, Gold, Platinum), Flying Blue makes it possible to track the flight behaviour of each of its customers and rewards them with Miles accordingly. Frequent travellers on any of the nine SkyTeam member airlines and Kenya Airways accrue Miles enabling them to move up to the next highest tier. Furthermore, Air France and KLM offer Platinum members the possibility of becoming lifetime Flying Blue Platinum members, with all the privileges that come with it. The Flying Blue programme is a tool for both airlines to recognise their loyal customers, regardless of which of the two airlines they travel on.

Members of the new joint frequent flyer programme will be able to benefit from consistently high quality service on the combined networks of Air France and KLM. Innovative, forward-looking and easy to use, Flying Blue offers members the freedom to manage their account how and when they want on the www.airfrance.com or www.klm.com websites and to benefit from exclusive advantages reserved for surfers.

BA Increases Flights To India

British Airways (BA) is set to increase its flights to India following the successful outcome of bilateral talks between the UK and Indian governments held in Delhi. The airline currently operates a daily service to Delhi and Mumbai, thrice weekly to Kolkata and twice a week to Chennai. However, come October 2005, BA will increase its flights to Chennai from two to six per week and will commence operations to Bangalore with three flights per week.

Andy Stern, general manager South Asia, British Airways, said, "We are delighted by the outcome of the talks and the opening up of the UK- India market. We would like to thank both governments for giving us an opportunity to serve the Indian market with enhanced services and extra flights. It is excellent news for our customers and the aviation industry as a whole. The decision shows that the move towards liberalisation is global and well underway in India. The agreement will provide us with the opportunity to operate at least double daily services from the UK to Mumbai and Delhi, something that British Airways has long aspired to. We will also have the opportunity to expand our other services to India and start flights to new Indian destinations."

Jet Commences Singapore Operations

Jet Airways recently launched its maiden Singapore flight in April thereby becoming the first Indian domestic carrier to fly to Southeast Asia. Singapore is also Jet Airways’ third destination in Asia, after Sri Lanka's Colombo and Nepal's Kathmandu. A welcome ceremony was held to welcome Jet Airways' chief operating officer, Peter Luethi, and his delegation onboard the maiden flight, wherein they were warmly received by Wong Woon Liong, director-general of Civil Aviation, Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS).

Commenting on the launch, Luethi said, "This is a historic moment for Jet Airways in expanding its newly acquired rights to fly international and to serve Singapore as our first and very important destination in Southeast Asia. We are looking forward to being part of a new growing business opportunity between the two countries in promoting each other's business and tourist offers."

Adding further Wong said, "In 2004 alone, traffic grew by 21 per cent as compared to 2002, and 25 per cent compared to 2003. The entry of Jet Airways will no doubt contribute even more to the further growth of the Singapore-India market. Jet Airways' new air services will enhance the existing air link between Singapore and Mumbai, and make air travel between Singapore and India even more convenient." Jet will operate 14 weekly flights between Mumbai and Singapore, bringing the total number of weekly passenger flights between Singapore and India to 218.

Biggest Stretched Arch Aircraft Hangar Takes Shape At Doha

One of the world's largest aircraft hangars currently under construction at Doha International Airport has undergone an engineering feat with the raising of the roof using unique arch-shaping technology known as 'stress erection'. Construction work started on the project in June 2004 and scheduled to be completed in two months' time. The hangar will measure 155 metres in length, 135 metres wide and 35 metres high at its highest point when fully completed. The stretched arch technology was developed by Strarch, an Australian company that specialises in large clear span building structures using mainly structural steel in unique ways.

The new hangar will be capable of accommodating at the same time two Airbus A330s and Qatar Airways' new double-deck A380 when it comes into service in 2009. In addition, the hangar can have six other aircraft parked inside - four A320s and two smaller executive jets.

Qatar Airways chief executive officer Akbar Al Baker said, "Having the largest facility of its kind in the Middle East, let alone the world, to accommodate up to nine aircraft at the same time enables this facility to also become a maintenance centre for other airlines. The hangar will be unique on its completion because of its ground-breaking technology."

Work has already started on the US$5.5bn New Doha International Airport NDIA, which is scheduled to open in phases from 2009. The new airport will initially be capable of handling 12 million passengers a year, rising to 50 million passengers when fully developed in 2015. One of the project's key features is that 40 per cent of the site will be built on reclaimed land from the Arabian Gulf.