23. January 2007


Date: 23 Jan. 2007
Jet Airways India Ltd has announced that the Company on January 23, 2007, has launched two new international flights to its 50th destination linking Delhi and Kolkata to Bangkok, the capital city of Thailand. The direct daily flights from Delhi and Kolkata to Bangkok mark yet another milestone for the Company, as it is the first time ever that India’s premier airline has operated inaugural flights from two metro cities in India to an international destination on the same day.
Present at Bangkok's new Suvarnabhumi International Airport were Mr. Somchai Sawadeepon, General Manager of Suvaranabhumi Airport, Mr. Pichai Raktasinha, Director of Tourism Authority for ASEAN, and Mr. Chotisak Asapaviriya, President, Airports of Thailand, to receive the inaugural flight from Delhi to Bangkok with Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Wolfgang Prock-Schauer on board alongwith a full complement of passengers.
On arrival in Bangkok from Delhi, Mr. Wolfgang Prock-Schauer, Chief Executive Officer of the Company said, "Bangkok occupies a pride of place as the 50th destination on our network and our third destination within the ASEAN region. The strengthening of economic ties between our two nations will see a marked increase in both business and tourist traffic and hence, this is our effort to provide travelers with convenient connections."
The 14 daily direct flights between India and Thailand will be operated with the nee generation Boeing 737 - 800 aircraft with winglets. Flight 9W 064 departs from Delhi at 0045 hours and arrives at Bangkok's new Suvarnabhumi International Airport at 0635 hours (Local Time). On the return sector, flight 9W 063 departs Bangkok at 1805 hours (Local Time) and arrives in Delhi at 2105 hours.
Flight 9W 065 departs from Bangkok at 0920 hours (Local Time) and arrives Kolkata at 1020 hours. On the return sector, flight 9W 066 departs from Kolkata at 1155 hours and arrives at Bangkok at 1615 hrs (Local Time).
As part of its inaugural offer, the Company has introduced a special return Economy class inaugural airfare starting at Rs 6500 on the Kolkata-Bangkok-Kolkata sector, while economy fares start at Rs 13,500 on the Delhi-Bangkok-Delhi sector. These fares are exclusive of taxes. Tickets must be purchased by February 28, 2007 and travel can take place until April 30, 2007.
The return airfare for Club Premiere for the Delhi-Bangkok sector ranges from Rs 28,500 to Rs 38,000 while on the Kolkata-Bangkok sector it is between Rs 18,500 and Rs 26,000. The Company has also announced a companion free offer for Club Premiere passengers on the Delhi-Bangkok-Delhi sector until March 31, 2007. Club Premiere tickets must be purchased by February 15, 2007 for travel until March 31, 2007.
The Boeing 737 - 800 aircraft used to operate the flights to Bangkok from Delhi and Kolkata has a 24 seat Club Premiere and 126 seat Economy seating configuration. It is also equipped with a state of the art In-flight Entertainment System, which offers iXplor TM, the in-flight tracking system.
In addition to the world class product, service and amenities that the Company is known for, the airline is offering travelers a distinct value add with authentic Thai cuisine served by in-flight crew of Thai nationality. Besides, travelers will also be able to select from especially chosen Thai audio / video in-flight entertainment.
Source: http://www.equitybulls.com


Date: 23 Jan. 2007
We have seen a brilliant case of consolidation in the Indian aviation market with the merger of Jet Airways and Air Sahara. However, this collaboration has resulted in the biggest airline company in India which somewhat threatens the existence of smaller companies vying to get a share of the growing Indian aviation market.
The latest news coming in from the market is that the budget players like Kingfisher Airways, GoAir, and Indigo are considering forming an alliance to compete on level playing terms against bigger players in the market. If they indeed go on to form an alliance, it would surely be targeted at the Jet’s dominant position.
With the acquisition of Air Sahara, Jet Airways now controls a major share of some of the most lucrative routes in India. The Jet-Sahara combine would account for nearly 85% of the flights in the lucrative Delhi-Mumbai route. This route alone contributes to almost 50% of the air traffic in the country. In addition, Jet Airways would also get 50% of all parking bays. Indian (Airlines) keeps around 35% leaving little for the smaller players in the market.
Kingfisher Airlines chairman and managing director, Vijay Mallya said in a statement: “For new airlines wishing to launch services between Mumbai and Delhi, overnight parking slots will be required. However, they will be severely constrained and will have to be satisfied with the limited expansion that is taking place.”
He further added: “The viability of any airline must depend on flying the routes where there is existing traffic. The combination of routes and parallel development of a few non-metro sectors is a viable opportunity. The government has a role to play in ensuring there is no route-specific monopoly.
Source: http://news.techwhack.com


Date: 23 Jan. 2007
AIR India will launch its first freighter service with two A310 aircraft in June-July this year.
The airline is also considering converting eight of its A310 aircraft and five of its 737-200 aircraft into freighters. It plans to lease one or two 747-400 aircraft for cargo operations. With this move, Air India will become the first carrier in India to have its own dedicated freighter service.
“This is the first step towards becoming a serious cargo player in India. As we induct new passenger aircraft into our fleet we plan to convert older aircraft for freighter services,” said V Thulasidas of Air India.
Air India intends to deploy the two A310 aircraft on freighter services to Frankfurt, Paris and Shanghai. These aircraft will be converted in Germany.
Source: http://www.aircargonews.net


Date: 23 Jan. 2007
Jet Airways will acquire 10 Boeing 787-8 series aircraft, better known as the Dreamliner. The listed price of the aeroplanes is more than $1.5 billion.
Jet Airways will be the first private carrier and the second domestic airline after national carrier Air-India to acquire the Dreamliner aircraft. Air-India is acquiring 27 Dreamliners.
The delivery of the 10 aircraft is scheduled for between July 2011 and December 2012, subject to government clearances. They will be used for Jet’s international operations. A decision on whether to buy them outright or lease them will be taken closer to actual delivery.
Under the agreement, Jet Airways has the option to go in for other models of Boeing aircraft. Jet Airways Executive Director Saroj K Datta said the airline had executed a purchase agreement with US-based Boeing. “We still have to choose the routes the Dreamliners will fly,” he said.
Asked for the rationale behind opting for Dreamliners, he said the aircraft represented a milestone in aviation history, and its better economics, coupled with its fuel efficiency, tilted the choice in its favour.
According to Boeing data, the 787-8 Dreamliner can carry 210-250 passengers on routes of 8,000-8,500 nautical miles (14,800-15,700 km).
“The aeroplane will use 20 per cent less fuel for comparable missions than today’s similarly sized aircraft. It will also travel at speeds similar to today’s fastest wide-bodied aircraft,” it said.
The Dreamliner is built to take on the A-380 (much bigger with 555 seats) and the A-350 (with 270 seats) from the Airbus stable. Kingfisher has already ordered five A-380 and five A-350 for its international operations.
Aiming at 50 per cent revenue from its international operations in the next three years, Jet has already firmed up its plan for flights to New York from August, followed by those to San Francisco and Toronto. Jet will also launch direct daily flights from Delhi and Kolkata to Bangkok on January 23, 2007.
Jet Airways Chief Executive Officer Wolfgang Prock-Schauer said, “A flight to San Francisco via Shanghai is likely to be introduced in October 2007. We will be able to fly to Gulf destinations by early 2008. We are also looking at South Africa and Kenya.” The airline will have 22 wide-bodied aircraft by 2008-09.
Source: http://www.business-standard.com