15. February 2007


Date: 15. Feb. 2007
Low cost carrier Air Deccan on Thursday announced linking of Bhubaneswar and Guwahati with Bangalore through daily flights from March 26.
The Flight to Bhubaneswar would be via Chennai, while that to Guwahati would be via Kolkata. A new 180 seater Airbus A-320 would be deployed in these sectors.
Air Deccan's new flight to Guwahati and Kolkata would aid the movement growing air passengers between these major cities and also buttress connectivity to the Northeast, a company release said.
Air Deccan had also launched a slew of new flights connecting Chennai to Bhubaneshwar, Kolkata and Agartala, Delhi to Jaipur, Udaipur and Jodhpur, Kolkata to Imphal and Dimapur, Hyderabad to Bhubaneswar, Visakhapatnam to Bhubaneswar and Mumbai to Mangalore. Operations would commence from March 26.
Air Deccan Managing Director GR Gopinath said that Air Deccan had successfully created a tectonic shift towards low fare air travel and going forward, it would continue to offer the lowest possible fares to enable common man to fly as often as possible.
The new flights would not only provide a convenient and affordable travel option, but also spur economic activities, encourage tourist movement and provide a fillip to development in adjoining areas.
Source: http://www.dnaindia.com


Date: 15. Feb. 2007
CFM International and Indian Airlines have announced that they'll form a joint venture to maintain, repair and overhaul (MRO) engines through a facility in India that will service CFM56-5B and CFM56-7B engines.
"This is a landmark agreement that will benefit not just our fleet, but the aviation industry in India," said Vishwapati Trivedi, chairman and managing director of the renamed Indian.
Indian Airlines, which is owned by the Indian government, operates six Airbus A319 aircraft with CFM56-5B engines, and has 43 Airbus A320 aircraft, powered by these engines, on order.
CFM International, based in Evendale, Ohio, USA is a joint venture between General Electric Co. and Snecma in France.
Source: http://www.domain-b.com


Date: 15. Feb. 2007
A third Chinese airline company, China Southern will launch direct flights to India this year to tap the increasing traffic potential arising out of booming bilateral trade.
The company, based in Guangzhou, capital of the southern province of Guangdong, will connect the city with New Delhi, a senior company official said.
The flight to India is one among the 10 new international direct routes to be launched within 2007 by China Southern.
Guangzhou city and Guangdong Province attracts a number of Indian traders. Moreover, the word-famous Canton Fair takes place in the city.
India will open a new Consulate in Guangzhou within the year, it was announced on Tuesday in Delhi after the meeting between External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing.
Some Indian carriers like Air Sahara have also expressed interest to start flights to Guangzhou. Air China and China Eastern Airlines are the other two Chinese carriers that are operating direct flights to India.
In 2006, Sino-Indian trade grew by 33.87 per cent to 25.05 billion US dollars, crossing the 20 billion US dollars set for 2008 by the two governments in 2005.
"It is the first time for China Southern to launch so many international routes within a year," China Southern general manager Si Xianmin said in Guangzhou.
"The new routes will be strategically important for our company to become an airline company with very dense international flights," Si was quoted as saying by 'China Daily'
The new routes to be launched will connect Guangzhou with Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, Sendai and Sapporo in Japan, Kathmandu in Nepal, Delhi in India, Siem Reap in Cambodia, Phuket in Thailand, Yangon in Myanmar and Vientiane in Laos in Asia, as well as Luanda in Angola in Africa.
The new routes will help to fortify China Southern's position as a Chinese airline company with the densest airline network in Asia as well as China's only company operating direct flights to African countries.
Late last year, China Southern operated a flight to Lagos in Nigeria via the stopover of Dubai, which marked the only airline to Africa from the mainland.
After the planned expansion, it will have 182 international flights from Guangzhou per week as compared to 136 at present.
Si said the company will put into operation another 68 aircrafts this year, and its total number will reach 440 by the year 2010.
Source: http://www.hindu.com


Date: 15. Feb. 2007
Air Deccan, India`s top low cost airlines, has announced the launch of daily, non stop flights connecting Imphal to Dimapur. Bookings for the new flight will open on 16th February 2007 at 08:00 A.M.
A statement released by Air Deccan management said the newly daily flight between Imphal and Dimapur will provide the first ever air connectivity between Imphal and Dimapur. The new flights will give much needed affordable air connectivity to business and leisure travelers alike.
Operations will commence on March 26, 2007. A 48 seater ATR-42 aircraft will be deployed to serve this route.
As per the tentative Flight schedule released by the carrier, Air Deccan flight designated DN-559 will leave Imphal at 8:45 in the morning, and land at Dimapur at 9:35 am. The return flight will leave Dimapur at 9:50 am and reach Imphal at 10:40 am. The service will be a daily one.
In line with its dynamic pricing policy, Air Deccan is offering fares on this sector beginning at Re 1 plus taxes.
The statement also points out that Air Deccan is India`s fastest growing low cost airline and the 2nd largest airline in the country, with a market share of 19.7% (November 2006). It has the largest network in India today covering 60 airports, plying over 300 flights a day. The airline currently operates a brand new fleet of 18 Airbus A ? 320 aircraft, with an average age of 1.5 years and 23 ATR Turboprop aircraft. Since its inception in August 2003, Air Deccan has carried over 8.7 million passengers and the numbers are growing everyday.
Source: http://www.kanglaonline.com


Date: 15. Feb. 2007
Mumbai, Feb. 15 (PTI): A US national working as an air hostess with Delta Airlines allegedly committed suicide inside a hotel room in south Mumbai, police said here today.
The body of Marlyn Dustonwa, 50, a resident of California was found hanging in the bathroom of room number 311 of the plush Taj Mahal hotel located opposite the Gateway of India late last night, police said.
"When we opened the bathroom door with the master key, we found the body of the air hostess wrapped in a shower curtain," DCP, Mumbai, Pratap Dipankar said.
"We have also found a letter which was apparently addressed to her mother," he said.
Dustonwa used to work as an air hostess for Delta Airlines and is suspected to have committed suicide between 9 p.m and 10:30 p.m last night, police added.
Source: http://www.hindu.com