12. January 2007


Date: 12. Jan. 2007
Toyota have announced the signing of a new sponsorship deal in the form of Kingfisher Airlines, India's fastest growing airline.
Multi award-winning Kingfisher Airlines will become an official partner of Toyota Racing as part of their multi-year agreement starting in 2007. With immediate effect, the distinctive 'Fly Kingfisher' insignia will appear on the car, drivers' overalls and helmets and all corporate branding platforms. The deal was signed at the team's pre-season event at Expo XXI in Cologne, with Dr Vijay Mallya, Chairman and CEO of Kingfisher Airlines Limited and Toyota Racing President John Howett announcing the partnership.
"This partnership is exciting news, not just for Panasonic Toyota Racing but for Formula 1 in general. We hope this partnership will strengthen Formula 1's position in India and bring Panasonic Toyota Racing to the people of India," said Howett.
"We are pleased to add another ambitious and successful brand like Kingfisher Airlines to our partner portfolio and we will help them as they expand into an international operation."
The deal, rated as one of corporate India's biggest overseas partnerships, marks the largest sports partnership programme so far for the 21-month-old Kingfisher Airlines and is the first time an airline based in India has partnered on this scale with a Formula 1 team.
"Of all the available partnership opportunities and platforms, Formula 1 is the most premium and the most visible one. This association with Panasonic Toyota Racing will naturally enhance the image of Kingfisher Airlines and catapult it to a league of select and renowned international brands that typically support Formula 1 initiatives," Mallya added.
"The shared values of Kingfisher Airlines and Formula 1 racing - a dedication to innovation, delighting viewers and guests, and commitment to absolute excellence - are highly complimentary. Additionally, we intend to weave together a series of compelling consumer engagement initiatives that will reward our guests flying on board Kingfisher Airlines with free opportunities to watch Formula 1 races live among other exciting rewards."
Source: http://www.planet-f1.com


Date: 12. Jan. 2007
India’s Jet Airways chairman Naresh Goyal is scheduled to hold discussions with senior Malaysia Airlines (MAS) officials today to work out a code share arrangement for flights between Malaysia and India.
He is expected to meet MAS chairman Datuk Dr Munir Majid and managing director Idris Jala in the hope of forming a partnership for the carriers to ride on each other’s network to provide international and domestic connectivity.
Goyal, the airline's founder, is the 16th richest Indian. He told reporters here yesterday that Jet Airways planned to add a second flight to its existing Chennai-Kuala Lumpur sector by August.
He also foresees the carrier flying the Mumbai-KL sector by November. The airline, he added, was also considering flying a bigger aircraft, a A330 instead of the B737, for the Chennai-KL route.
“We have been talking to MAS for a long time and we would like to work on a partnership to provide greater connectivity for our passengers. Instead of fighting each other, we can complement one another,” he said, adding that the Malaysian market was important to Jet Airways as it held a lot of potential.
The airline's country manager Malaysia Kavin Martinus said over the past one year, the carrier had been recording 75% load factor on the Chennai-KL sector, and given the strong demand on the route, a second frequency was being reviewed.
Jet Airways began operations in 1993 as an “air taxi” and is now one of the top Indian domestic carriers. It flies to 44 destinations, including Singapore, Colombo, Kathmandu and London. It is adding Bangkok to its network, with inaugural flights from New Delhi and Kolkata on Jan 23.
The airline that takes pride in its good service is also on an expansion trail, buying aircraft to expand its international reach.
Source: http://biz.thestar.com


Date: 12 Jan. 2007
Even as it is expected to post a net loss, the Delhi-based no-frills airline SpiceJet is reducing its financial year to ten months ending March 31, 2007, for operational reasons.
SpiceJet has followed financial year starting June. “For operational reasons and reporting convenience, we are reducing this financial year to 10 months ending March 31.
The next financial year will ideally start from April,” SpiceJet Chief Executive Officer Siddhanta Sharma said. He said the airline might post a small operating profit during the ten-month period. SpiceJet scrip rose 2.21 per cent on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) today following rumours that the Tata group, which currently holds 7 per cent, may hike its stake to 11 per cent in the company.
The stock closed at Rs 60 today as against yesterday’s Rs 58.70 on the BSE.
SpiceJet has got investment proposals worth $180 million from various quarters, including the Tata group and Goldman Sachs.
“We are happy to welcome the Tata group on our board. But the group maintains this is a financial investment for it.”
SpiceJet has got investment proposals worth $180 million from various quarters, including the Tata group and Goldman Sachs.
“We have issued 67 million fresh shares to these investors and raised $65 million, that will used for non-aircraft expenses such as modernising airport infrastructure, induction of IT systems, setting up of call centres and upgrading engineering and support centres,” he said.
During the equity placement at Rs 51.36 per share, the Tata group invested $17 million, Dubai-based Istithmar PJSC $25 million, Goldman Sachs $5 million, BNP Paribas $15 million and UK-based KBC $2.5 million.
Sharma said the airline was also exploring the option of sale and lease-back arrangements or funding from the US Exim Bank for future aircraft acquisitions.
Today SpiceJet introduced two new additional daily flights on the Bangalore-Mumbai-Hyderabad routes. With the induction of its new Boeing 737-800 aircraft, the airliner will commence operations on these routes from February 4.
Currently, it is operating over 70 flights in 14 cities with a fleet of ten Boeing 737-800
Source: http://www.business-standard.com


Date: 12. Jan. 2007
Four nails were found embedded in a tyre of an Indian Airlines aircraft minutes before it was to take off from Bahrain earlier this month.
Bahrain-based engineers from the airline discovered the five-inch long nails during a final check before departure, averting what an airline official described as a "potential disaster", Gulf Daily News reported on Thursday.
The flight was to take off from Bahrain for Doha en route Cochin.
The engineers changed the tyre and the aircraft left just 15 minutes behind schedule.
It had been thoroughly inspected by the engineers after it arrived from Cochin, via Calicut and Doha on January 2, said sources.
A senior airline official said "we are conducting our own investigations but the onus lies on the authorities in Bahrain. It could have been potentially disastrous had the aircraft taken off with the nails in the tyre".
The aircraft had earlier received an all-clear in Doha, barely an hour before landing in Bahrain.
Civil Aviation officials in Bahrain said there had been "an incident" with the aircraft, but said the "nails could have been picked up anywhere and not necessarily in Bahrain".
"The nails were small and harmless, and had perhaps fallen off someone's suitcase while loading and unloading," said an official.
Source: http://www.zeenews.com