JAKARTA: The crash of a Boeing Co plane that killed 189 people in Indonesia is spiralling into a $22 billion feud between the aircraft maker and one of Asia’s most influential aviation bosses. In a rare public dispute between the planemaker and one of its biggest customers, the head of PT Lion Mentari Airlines has threatened to cancel an order for billions of dollars’ worth of jets because of what he says is Boeing’s unfair reaction to the crash. The man standing up to the US aviation giant is Rusdi Kirana, Lion Air’s owner, and while he was little known…
Author: holidayweekly
CHICAGO: Boeing sees booming demand for narrow-body jets in India to serve soaring domestic travel. The Indian aviation market will need $320 billion in new jets over the next 20 years to meet the growing demand from domestic passenger traffic, according to Boeing (BA). Boeing sees the need for 2,300 new jets in the Indian aviation market over the next two decades as low-cost carriers proliferate and the growing middle class takes to the skies. “This will continue to drive the growth of India’s middle class and its propensity to travel both domestically and internationally, resulting in the need for…
MONTREAL: The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is forecasting a 10% jump in global airline industry net profit in 2019. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is forecasting a global airline industry net profit of $35.5bn in 2019, an increase of almost 10% on the revised $32.3bn net profit expected in 2018. Overall industry revenues are expected to reach $885bn (+7.7%). According to IATA, lower oil prices and solid, albeit slower, economic growth (+3.1%) are extending the run of profits for the global airline industry, after profitability was squeezed by rising costs in 2018. It is expected that 2019 will…
MASCOW: Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom has no intention of abandoning its adventurous tours to the North Pole, especially since cruise tickets for the entire 2019 season have been snapped up. “Initially, cruises became a good a way to support the Atomflot state enterprise, and help it to deploy its idle fleet of icebreakers,” said Maksim Kulinko, deputy head of the Northern Sea Route Administration and the head of Rosatom’s Department for Development of NSR and Coastal Territories. “At the moment, the situation is radically changing, and it [cruise service] is currently not a top-priority goal. But we don’t want…
ISLAMABAD: WWF-Pakistan organised the first international training workshop on establishing Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool (SMART) based wildlife monitoring and conservation systems in selected Protected Areas (PAs) of Pakistan. During the launch ceremony, the five-day workshop was formally inaugurated, which aims to set up a technology-based wildlife monitoring and conservation system for the staff of three selected PAs of Pakistan including Khunjerab National Park, Central Karakorum National Park and Margallah Hills National Park. Officials of the Ministry of Climate Change, provincial Wildlife Departments, Zoological Survey of Pakistan and other relevant government organizations participated in the training workshop. Saman Hussain Khan,…
MANCHESTER: At a colorful ceremony graced by the presence of H.E. Mrs. Susanna Moorehead, Ambassador of the UK to Ethiopia, Group CEO of Ethiopian Airlines, Mr. Tewolde GebreMariam, dignitaries and invited guests, the carrier inaugurated flights to Manchester, its second destination in the UK next to London. The four weekly flight to Manchester will be operated by the ultra-modern B787 Dreamliner. Speaking at the inaugural event, H.E. Mrs Susanna Moorehead, Ambassador of the UK to Ethiopia remarked, “I would think of Ethiopian Airlines as a symbol of Ethiopia. It’s global; it’s growing; connecting people; it’s supremely professional, modern; its forward…
KARACHI: Pakistan International Airline (PIA) has notified its decision regarding the resumption of night operation in Peshawar, which was discontinued four years ago due to aviation safety concerns. PIA aims to facilitate Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) passengers by revising its flight schedule upon resumption of the night operation. PIA President and CEO Air Marshal Arshad Malik appreciated the Federal Minister for Aviation Muhammad Mian Soomro over his immediate action and efforts to resolve the matter, taking into confidence all concerned quarters especially the security agencies for lifting the restrictions, stated a presser issued by PIA. The issue was highlighted to the minister…
BERLIN: Global airline body IATA called on Thursday, 20 December, for steps to reduce the risk of rogue drone operations including a registry of higher calibre drones, bigger fines, and jail sentences after flights were grounded at London’s Gatwick airport. “We look forward to accelerating the cooperation between the industry, drone manufacturers and governments to reduce the risks of rogue drone operations,” IATA said in a statement. Alongside tougher fines and prison for offenders, IATA called for greater education for operators and technological solutions to prevent drones entering restricted airspace. More than 100,000 passengers have seen all flights from London…
MANAMA: Gulf Air, the national carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain, has launched a new mobile app for iOS and Android smartphones allowing users to manage their Gulf Air trips and book flights, check-in online, pre-select seats, monitor flight status, buy Falcon Gold lounge access and excess baggage – all on the go. The new app, which is available in Apple Store and Google Play, will be a one-stop-shop for Gulf Air passengers to access a number of facilities and services conveniently from their handhelds wherever they are. The app is designed to be a user-friendly platform with easy steps…
WRITTEN BY CH FAISAL MAHMOOD The Government of Punjab, in his very important first action for tourism promotion has ordered the revival of Basant Festival of Lahore. Revive it must. Full scale revival of Lahore’s Basant Festival is owed to Lahore; it is owed to Punjab; it is owed to Pakistan. Its revival is the need of Pakistan Tourism and Pakistan’s real though clouded soft image but not on the cost of any deadly incident. The government must make adequate arrangements to avoid the use of banned cords. The Lahore Basant had grown spontaneously and steadily since long but more…