World Bank Assistance for Buddhist Circuit in India

The Union Ministry of Tourism, the Departments of Tourism of the Governments of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh and International Finance Corporation (World Bank Group)had entered into an agreement in October 2013 to cooperate in upgrading the quality of services and goods provided for tourists along the “Buddhist Circuit” in India.  The project has been completed.  The contributions for the project (Phase-I) were as follows:-

Total Cost: Rs. 450.00 lakh

IFC – 40% of the project cost in Phase-I	Rs. 180.00 lakh
Ministry of  Tourism – 50% of the project cost in Phase – I	Rs. 225.00 lakh
State Govts of Uttar Pradesh & Bihar – 5% each of the project cost in Phase – I	Rs. 45.00 lakh (Rs. 22.50 lakh each)

This information was given by the Union Minister of State for Tourism (Independent Charge), Culture (Independent Charge), and Civil Aviation, Dr. Mahesh Sharma in a written reply to an unstarred question to the Lok Sabha.

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Qatar expands frequencies on ten top routes as demand increases

Qatar Airways has responded to the continuous rise in passenger demand with an increase in the frequency of weekly flights to ten of its most popular destinations throughout the Middle East and Europe.

The airline, which currently flies to 146 destinations around the globe, will implement the frequency increases over the next few months for a mix of business and leisure destinations.

Commencing May 16th, 2015, the airline will permanently increase weekly frequencies to seven destinations within its network.

These include Ta’if, Saudi Arabia; Basra, Iraq; Najaf, Iraq; Gassim, Saudi Arabia; Ankara, Turkey; Zagreb, Croatia; and Athens, Greece.

The airline will also increase the weekly frequency of flights to an additional three destinations during the peak summer period, to meet the increase in demand over the holiday season: Alexandria, Egypt; Salalah, Oman and Larnaca, Cyprus.

These additional flights will be seasonal only and the routes will revert back to their regular schedules from September 15th, October 4th and October 24th respectively.

The permanent frequency increases will see Ta’if, Zagreb and Ankara begin daily flight services commencing May 16th, July 1st and July 3rd respectively.

Meanwhile, the service to two Iraqi destinations will double from four to eight flights per week with Basra beginning on May 16th and Najaf on June 2nd, while ten flights per week will be offered to Gassim as of July 17th.

The most significant increase in frequency is the launch of an additional daily service on June 1st to Athens, bringing the number of weekly flights to the popular holiday destination up from 14 to 21 per week.

To help meet the demand of summer holiday travel, Qatar Airways will increase the number of flights per week to another three destinations.

Service to Alexandria will increase to 14 flights a week from June 1st to September 15th; flights to Larnaca will increase to a daily service from June 3rd to October 24th; and flights to Salalah will increase to 13 flights per week from July 13th to October 4th.

Qatar Airways chief executive Akbar Al Baker, said: “Qatar Airways is committed to developing access to a number of destinations within our network which are popular with both our business and leisure travellers.

“Our most current frequency increases in the Middle East and Europe will provide our passengers with more flexibility and choice when it comes to planning their travel for both themselves and their families.

“We are pleased that so many travellers choose to fly with Qatar Airways, which is why we continue to expand the range of our five-star service and products.”

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China plane crash claims 42 lives

As many as 42 passengers have been killed in a plane crash in the north-eastern Chinese province of Heilongjiang.
According to reports from Chinese state media, the Henan Airlines operated aircraft overshot the runway at Yichun City airport with 91 people on board.
Three of the survivors remain in intensive care in local hospitals, added the state news agency Xinhua.
The Air Embraer 190 aircraft, travelling from Harbin, the provincial capital of northeast China’s Heilongjiang province, broke into two on landing at 22:10 local time last night.
While the cause of the accident has yet to be established, officials investigating the incident confirmed the flight recorder had been recovered.
The pilot is also believed to be among the survivors. However, he is presently unable to assist investigators due to his injuries.
China Central Television (CCTV) has broadcast accounts from survivors of the disaster.
One male survivor explained: “The plane really started to jolt in a scary way - the plane jolted five or six times very strongly.”
Henan Airlines is operated by Air China. Both airlines have suspended all flights following the incident.
Improving Safety
The accident is the first fatal airline crash on Chinese soil for six years and comes against a background of improving safety in the country.
In 2004 a China Eastern Airlines operated Bombardier CRJ-200 crashed into a frozen lake in Inner Mongolia shortly after takeoff, killing 53 people onboard.
Air travel in China has increase by nearly 300 per cent over the past decade, with airlines seeking to modernise fleets to meet international standards.
In a statement planemaker Empresa Brasileira de Aeronautica SA said: “Embraer has made a team of specialists available, and they are already on their way to the site, to support Chinese authorities in the accident investigation.”
The crash is the first fatal accident involving the Brazilian company’s E-Jet family of narrow body aircraft.
Air China, the world’s largest airline by market value, fell 2.2 per cent to 11.39 yuan in Shanghai trading earlier today.
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Passengers stranded following San Andres crash

As many as 3,000 international passengers are stranded on the Colombian island of San Andres following a plane crash earlier this week.

A single fatality was reported following the crash landing of an Aerovías de Integración Regional ( airline Boeing 737-700 on Monday.

Over 120 passengers and five crew were able to walk away from the wreckage following the incident, which is believed to have been caused by a lightning strike.

However, three people injured in the crash - a German, a Colombian woman, and an 11-year-old Colombian girl - remain in the intensive care unit of a Bogota hospital.

Aires president Francisco Mendez confirmed United States National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigators are presently in San Andres examining the crash site alongside local authorities.

As a result, virtually all aviation traffic from the island has been suspended.

“The full reopening of the runway and the airport will only occur once the investigation teams give the go ahead to remove the crashed aircraft,” said a spokesperson for Colombian Civil Aviation Authority Aerocivil.

At present only small aircraft and a private ambulance plane are allowed to take off from the airport.

Local officials confirmed both the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder have been recovered from the crash site.

Aires successfully underwent a routine safety audit in July.

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Virgin Blue axes New Zealand

Pacific Blue, a subsidiary of Richard Branson’s Virgin Blue, is axing its New Zealand domestic operations after suffering from years of heavy losses. It will redeploy planes and staff on transtasman services to Australia.

The cost of flying within New Zealand is also expected to spike, with Air New Zealand and Jet Star now the only two remaining domestic carriers.

Pacific Blue will redeploy its 737 aircraft in New Zealand to trans-Tasman and Asian routes. Its long-haul offshoot, V Australia, will also stop flying to Fiji, and instead switch Pacific Blue’s 737s to this leisure route.

The decision to pull Pacific Blue out of New Zealand has been tipped for more than 18 months as margins have been squeezed ever tighter. Last year, Jetstar replaced its parent, Qantas, on domestic routes.

Virgin Blue’s chief executive, John Borghetti, said that Pacific Blue was continually draining money in New Zealand because three airlines were competing for travellers in a country of just 4 million people.

He declined to put a definitive figure on the losses, but said they had been in the tens of millions since it began there about three years ago. ‘‘The prospects of it turning a profit are not good so there really is no point continuing,’’ he said.

Borghetti also insisted that Virgin Blue’s proposed tie-up with Air New Zealand on trans-Tasman services was not related to its decision to withdraw from New Zealand.

Virgin Blue said it would boost its workforce in New Zealand by 100 to 550 over the next six months to service flights across the Tasman and to the Pacific islands.
However union claims that jobs would be lost, and that any new crews would lower wages.

Borghetti said the move was just the first phase of the network review, and he did not rule out the airline flying to other destinations such as Tokyo. Pacific Blue will increase flights over the coming months between Australia and Phuket, Bali and three New Zealand cities.

V Australia’s flights between Sydney and Los Angeles will also be increased to daily services from December, and it will operate an extra weekly service from Melbourne to Johannesburg, LA and Phuket.

Canadian airlines rebound in second quarter

Air Canada and WestJet have reported an improvement in their financial performance for the second quarter of financial 2010, as both are boosted by demand for business travel.

Air Canada – the largest airline in the country – recorded a net loss of C$72 million for the three month period. However, this was down from a loss of C$193 for the same period in 2009.

Passenger revenue per available seat mile (RASM), an industry performance benchmark, also increase by 6.6 per cent.

“While there remains much work to do, over the past 15 months, we have met many of the objectives we set out to achieve - namely to build adequate liquidity and achieve strong revenue management and better cost control while expanding our international network,” said Air Canada president Calin Rovinescu.

Passenger revenues at the flag-carrier increased by $256 million, or 12 per cent, from the second quarter of 2009 due to an 8.7 per cent growth in traffic and a 3.3 per cent improvement in yield, the airline confirmed.

A 5.3 per cent increase in capacity growth recorded over the period was driven by demand for international and US transborder flying.

“Asian and European markets in which we added capacity are performing well, led by our Pacific routes which recorded a 37 per cent increase in revenue from the previous year’s quarter on strong traffic and yield growth,” added Mr. Rovinescu.

Air Canada also outlined plans to double its capacity between Toronto and China this autumn with introduction of daily flights year-round to Shanghai, Beijing and Hong Kong.

The closure of European airspace in mid-April due to volcanic ash reduced Air Canada’s operating income by about C$20 million.

Following the release of the results, Air Canada’s shares ebbed four Canadian cents to C$2.26 on the Toronto Stock Exchange.

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WestJet

An improving picture was also reported by rival WestJet, which said net earnings increased 129.7 per cent from $9.2 million in the second quarter of 2009 to $21 for the same period of 2010.

The Calgary-based airline – which has remained profitable throughout the recession - earned C$21 million, or 14 Canadian cents a share, up from C$9.2 million, or seven Canadian cents, a year earlier.

“We are pleased to deliver our 21st consecutive quarter of profitability,” said WestJet president Gregg Saretsky.

RASM at the airline was up by four per cent to 12.80 cents.

Despite the optimism, WestJet is deferring the delivery of three aircraft from 2011 and 2012, until to 2017. As a result the airline will now be taking delivery of six aircraft in 2011 and five aircraft in 2012.

“Economic uncertainty has caused us to re-think our short-term capacity plan,” explained added Mr Saretsky.

“We have worked closely with our valued partner Boeing to further enhance our fleet plan flexibility.”

Struggling Mexicana suspends ticket sales

Mexicana de Aviacion has indefinitely suspended ticket sales as it struggles to restructure its debts.

The airline – the largest in Mexico – confirmed it had begun bankruptcy proceedings in Mexico City and New York earlier this week, but insisted it would continue to operate as normal.

However, ticket sales were suspended at 18:00 local time (23:00 BST) last night.

The latest development does not affect the subsidiary Click and Link airlines, which fly routes inside Mexico.

Mexicana insisted it would continue to operate all flights for passengers who hold existing tickets.

“The decision affects only Companía Mexicana de Aviación ticket sales,” explained a statement.

“MexicanaClick and MexicanaLink are independent carriers and will therefore continue to sell and operate domestic flights as normal through all traditional channels.”

The airline also confirmed negations with employees and creditors were “ongoing” with hope of a “positive outcome”.

Mexico

Mexicana operates roughly 220 daily flights, almost all of them to foreign destinations. However, it remains unclear which will operate following a decision to cancel a number of departures – particularly those to the United States – over the weekend.

An average of 22,000 passengers fly with the airline each day.

Employees have continued to demonstrate proposed job cuts at the airline, with more than 200 pilots and 100 members of the Mexican Electrical Workers union gathering outside Mexicana’s headquarters yesterday.

Many regard the position of chairman, Gaston Azcarraga, as untenable, while there is also anger at proposed pay cuts.

Mexicana has suggested pay cuts of 41 per cent for pilots and 39 percent for flight attendants may be needed, along with a 40 percent reduction in employee numbers, in order keep the company afloat.

The 89-year-old airline has a debt of close to 10 billion pesos ($796 million), and has been hard hit Mexico’s deep recession and a flu outbreak last year.

New low-cost carrier for south-east Asia

Passengers in south-east Asia are set to see a new carrier take to the skies early next year following a deal between Thai Airways and Tiger Airways.

The airlines have agreed to form a new low-fare carrier – called Thai Tiger – targeting travellers in the region.

In a joint statement to Singapore Exchange, it was confirmed Thai Airways, majority owned by Thailand’s ministry of finance, will take a 51 per cent stake in the joint venture, while Tiger will own the rest.

Thai Airways will hold three seats and the chairmanship of the Thai Tiger board of directors, while Tiger will hold two seats.

As a major shareholder in Tiger, Singapore Airlines will also play a role.

The new airline will be positioned to fight the growing competition from Qantas owned Jetstar.

“We believe this move will provide revenue opportunities for Thai Airways and allow it to be more competitive in the region with the anticipated growth in the low-cost market as a result of continued Asean air liberalisation policies, which we expect will lead to growth in air travel in the Asian market,” explained Piyasvasti Amranand, president of Thai Airways.

Suvarnabhumi International

The new airline – to be based in Bangkok - is expected to start operations in the first quarter of 2011.

Thai Tiger will operate international and domestic flights, offering short-haul, point-to-point services within a five-hour flying radius of Suvarnabhumi International Airport in the Thai capital Bangkok.

The companies said low-cost carriers will likely benefit from air liberalisation policies in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, expected by 2015.

Further information on the corporate structure of the airline is expected to be confirmed closer to launch.

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BA sinks deeper into the red

After losing £1 billion over the past two years, British Airways has sunk further into the red with a £164 million loss for the last quarter. The flag carrier cited the cabin crew strikes and volcanic ash cloud for costing it an estimated £250 million.

However BA painted a more optimistic outlook, saying that “while some economic experts are flagging the risk of a ‘double-dip’ recession, the steady recovery continues.”

Chief executive Willie Walsh said the airline had seen an improved operating performance despite the disruptions and that BA expects to break even this year after two years of losses. Operating losses narrowed to £72m from £94m in 2009.

Walsh said he saw “positive underlying trends in both cargo and passenger traffic”.

Cabin crew have taken 22 days of industrial action since March and further walkouts could take place from September as the unrest lingers on.

With the threat of cabin crew strikes still lingering, Walsh signalled there will be no let up in his effort to change BA.

“Introducing permanent structural change across the airline remains our priority,” he told reporters.

The results came as it emerged that BA cabin crew was planning a 12 days of Christmas strike action.

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Staff are said to want a repeat of the action threatened last year, which was only prevented when a High Court ruled against it.

Walsh said he believed the ‘final’ offer rejected by Unite members earlier this month still formed the basis of a resolution to the dispute. But he also added that he was confident of running 100 per cent of long-haul flights if there was more industrial action.

“We continue to train volunteer cabin crew and that programme is going very well. I am looking forward to hearing what the trade union has to say in light of the poor turnout in the last ballot.

“I want to reach a resolution but we are preparing for further industrial action. I am confident we will operate 100 per cent of our long- haul services and we are looking at the short-haul programme.”

Stelios escalates row with easyJet

Just hours after releasing financial results suggesting the airline had weathered the economic storm, easyJet has hit turbulence with founder Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou.

The Luton-based airline confirmed yesterday revenue rose by more than five per cent in the three months to June, despite the volcanic ash cloud costing it £65 million.

Despite this performance, the airline has been plagued with punctuality issues during the summer season, resulting in a withering attack from the flamboyant owner.

In a letter addressed to easyJet chairman Sir Michael Rake, Stelios has threatened to withdraw the ‘easy’ brand from the airline as concerns over increases in cancellations and poor punctuality at Gatwick persist.

Branding the company an “operational mess”, the founder – still the largest single shareholder in the organisation – issued a cure notice, threatening to withdraw the brand in 90 days if services did not improve.

Stelios Letter

In his letter, Sir Stelios said: “The result of the operational mess that the company is in is that it has too few staff to meet the number of flights it has sold.

“This leads not just to delays but a serious increase in cancellations, seemingly many at the last minute.

“This is extremely detrimental to the goodwill and reputation of the airline and the brand in particular.

“Many years of carefully building goodwill is being eroded in a matter of months.

“As the owner of this brand I cannot stand by and let this happen.

“This is why I have served a cure notice demanding easyJet improve its punctuality and cancellation performance.”

Reaction

However, easyJet has reacted to the claims by stating Stelios does not have the right to renegotiate the brand licence agreement over punctuality.

“EasyJet is advised that the brand licence does not impose or create any contractual obligation regarding on time performance and consequently easyGroup has no right to terminate the brand licence,” the airline said in a statement.

However, the airline has admitted to staff shortages, with incoming chief executive Carolyn McCall, who has been in the job for three weeks, focusing her attention on alleviating the concerns.

A shortage of pilots has been cited as a key reason for delays, with easyJet laying off a number of pilots during the depths of the economic crisis and failing to react to the unexpectedly busy summer.

Easyjet said cabin crew headcount has increased to 3,580 for the week ending July 12th compared with 3,321 in the same week in 2009 after a recruitment drive over the spring, while pilot numbers have jumped to 1,793 compared to 1,677 a year earlier.

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Soaring demand sends Singapore Airlines back to black

Singapore Airlines, the world’s second largest airline by market value, has posted stronger than expected quarterly profits on the back of resurgent passenger and freight demand.

SIA registered a first-quarter profit of SG$253m (US$184.7m) for the three months between April and June, comfortably ahead of analyst expectations and compared with a loss of SG$307m for the same period a year ago.

The recovery came despite the volcanic ash cloud that forced the widespread closure of European airspace in April. SIA put the losses due to the crisis at SG$50m.

Passenger numbers rose by 5.5 percent in the quarter, while the amount of cargo space filled rose from 60.6 percent a year ago to 65 percent. Revenue rose to SG$3.47 billion for the quarter from SG$2.87 billion a year earlier, whilst expenditure nudged up from SG$3.22 billion from SG$3.19 billion.

Singapore Airlines flew 4 million passengers last quarter, up from 3.8 million a year earlier.

SIA said the rebound would continue till at least the end of the year.

SIA said in a statement: “Advance bookings indicate that the year-on-year recovery in passenger carriage and yields evident in the quarter to June will hold up for the rest of 2010.”

Singapore Airlines was voted “World’s Leading Airline” at the 2008 World Travel Awards.

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BAA staff threatens strike chaos

Millions of airline passengers could face severe disruption at the UK’s largest airports during the August bank holiday weekend after the Unite trade union announced a strike ballot at BAA.

More than 6,000 workers, including firemen, security guards and engineers, are to vote on whether to strike over a pay dispute. The ballot closes on 12 August, which could lead to a walk-out on the August Bank Holiday weekend, one of the busiest periods in the travel calendar.

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The owner of Heathrow, Stansted, Glasgow and Edinburgh airports is embroiled in a pay dispute with Britain’s largest trade union

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Unite, which represents nearly two-thirds of BAA’s workforce, is confident of industrial action after a 1 percent pay increase was rejected in a consultative ballot by nine out of 10 members, paving the way for a formal ballot.

BAA is the UK’s largest airport owner and its terminals handle more than 300,000 passengers per day.

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It has admitted that it would be unable to operate if the staff do go on strike, and would be forced to shut Heathrow, Stansted, Southampton, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Glasgow.

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The row centres on what Unite, which is also the union behind the BA cabin crew strike, described as a paltry one per cent offer from BAA following a pay freeze last year.

Brian Boyd, Unite’s aviation officer, described BAA’s offer as “measly” and “nothing short of confrontational”.

A spokesman for BAA said its offer was “reasonable” at a time when aviation was seeing a decline in the number of passengers.

“Last year, staff accepted a pay freeze, their generosity helped the company, BAA has returned the favour with no bonus and a one per cent pay offer when inflation is currently five per cent. Over 6000 BAA staff will now begin receiving ballot papers asking them if they are prepared to take strike action.”

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The transport secretary, Philip Hammond, said: “We have recently seen the disruption industrial action can cause at our airports, and another strike now is the last thing passengers need. I strongly urge both sides to find a resolution to this dispute so that passengers can enjoy their summer holidays free from the stress and concern that a major strike would bring.”

Japan Airlines Shifts to New Terminal 3 at Indira Gandhi Airport in New Delhi

Japan Airlines (JAL) will relocate its flight operations from Terminal 2 of Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi, to the airport’s newest Terminal 3.

In Terminal 3, JAL customers can check in for their flights at a dedicated JAL check-in island located conveniently near the security screeners and from mid-August*, eligible JAL passengers may also access the lounge of India’s leading domestic carrier - Kingfisher. Kingfisher is slated to join in 2011, the world’s leading quality airline alliance oneworld, of which JAL is also a member. The lounge, designed in hues of red, offers wireless LAN connections, shower facilities and a business center among other amenities. JAL’s top tier frequent flyers who are entitled to use the lounge, may also bring one accompanying passenger each.
*Information of an interim lounge that will be used before the completion of the relocation will be provided to passengers.

The construction of the ultra-modern Terminal 3, a befitting symbol of India’s swift and vast economic growth and expansion, was completed within 37 months and boasts the use of state-of-the-art technologies. An outstanding facility among airports in Asia, its function as a strategic hub in South Asia is highly anticipated. The 120-acre terminal, in which several Indian carriers are also scheduled to commence domestic operations from August 27*2, will enable passengers to smoothly transfer between international and domestic flights. In addition, it is an excellent gateway for passengers traveling from the east of Asia to the Middle East.

Japan Airlines operates 3 weekly flights direct from Tokyo, Narita to New Delhi using a Boeing 777-200 configured with the award-winning JAL Shell Flat Seat in Executive class and JAL Sky Shell Seat in Premium Economy.

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Revitalised aviation soars at Farnborough

Aviation commentators are predicting an end to the global economic slump as aircraft orders continue to accumulate at the Farnborough International Air Show.

The show – which is scheduled to continue into the weekend – has already seen Boeing walk away with 103 orders for new aircraft, with a total value of over $10 billion.

A resurgent Airbus has also performed well, with the European manufacturer recording 130 contracts with total list prices of $13 billion.

In addition, the European company announced $15 billion of pledges, compared to $4 billion at American rival Boeing.

Airbus

John Leahy, Airbus chief operating officer said: “Before the Farnborough Air Show we already had 131 orders [for 2010], and we predicted by the end of the week we would double that.

“Indeed, the commitments which we have already received here bring our total firm orders this year already to over 260 aircraft.”

Mr Leahy went to add Airbus now expected to meet its target of 400 aircraft sales this year.

Firm Airbus orders at the show came from General Electric’s GECAS for 60 A320s worth around $4.9 billion; from Air Lease Corporation for 51 A320 Family aircraft worth $4.4 billion; from Aeroflot for 11 A330-300s worth $2.3 billion; from Garuda Indonesia for six A330-200s worth $1.2 billion; and from Germania for five A319s worth $372 million.

Airbus aircraft at the Farnborough International Air Show

Boeing

RBS Aviation Capital was among the largest customers for Boeing, with the group placing an order for 43 Boeing next-generation 737-800 aircraft, valued at approximately $3.3 billion.

American Airlines also exercised an option on a further 35 of the aircraft as part of an ongoing fleet renewal programme.

Boeing’s new 787 Dreamliner also made its public debut at the show, following over two years of delays.

The aircraft is now expected to be delivered to airlines – with Japan’s All Nippon first in the line – at the start of 2011.

Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner made its first public appearance at the show

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Empresa Brasileira de Aeronautica SA also scooped 37 contracts worth $1.4 billion for its regional jets.

The bulk of the orders were placed by British carrier Flybe, together with pre-orders for an additional 34 planes valued at $1.3 billion.

The Brazilian air force also stepped in, placing making a future purchase of 28 KC-390 aircraft at the air show.

“The Brazilian Air Force has been Embraer’s most important strategic partner since the company was founded in 1969,” said Embraer executive vice president for the defence market Orlando José Ferreira Neto.

“This announcement reinforces Embraer´s motivation and commitment to conceive a state of-the-art product that should exceed FAB requirements and overall market expectations.”

Bombardier also presented 23 firm orders for its business jets and turboprops during the event - valued at $1 billion

However, the Canadian company announced no regional jet contracts and failed to secure Qatar Airways as a buyer for the CSeries.

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Farnborough orders top $25 billion

The tally of plane orders by the close of third day of the Farnborough Airshow has passed the $25 billion mark, as a resurgent commercial aviation sector offset severe cut backs to government defence expenditure.

Though the show remains a long way off the record-breaking $88.7 billion of bookings announced at Farnborough in 2008, sales are well above the $7 billion placed at last summer’s sister airshow in Paris.

Airbus enjoyed the bulk of today’s bookings, including Thai Airways making a commitment to buy seven A330-300s worth around $1.5 billion, as well as sales to Berlin-based Germania, which signed a contract for five Airbus A319s.

Indonesian flag carrier Garuda has purchased of six long-range A330-200s, worth $1.1 billion at catalogue prices, to expand its new premium service “to more international destinations in a profitable and efficient way.”

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Boeing’s sales included Air Austral ordering two long-range 777-200s, worth $501 million at catalog prices. Qatar Airways had ordered two 777-200LRs for the same price.

Qatar also revealed that it was taking earlier delivery of Boeing’s 787 jetliner to meet increased demand.

“Air travel demand is continuing to rise in the Middle East and it is becoming clear that international demand is returning as the global economy shows signs of recovery,” said Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker.

Bombardier picked up an order for seven Q400 turboprop airliners from Qantas Airways, worth $218 million at list prices.

New leasing company Air Lease Corp. has so far signed the biggest deals, dividing orders for 115 planes worth $8.6 billion between Boeing, Airbus and French-Italian regional turboprop manufacturer ATR.

More than 1,000 exhibitors from 38 countries have signed up for Farnborough, with delegations from Egypt, Taiwan and Morocco attending for the first time. Organizers also cited stronger interest from major players China and Russia.

Dozens injured as United flights hits severe turbulence

A United Airlines jet had to be diverted yesterday after 26 passengers and four crew were injured – one critically – when the plane hit severe turbulence.

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The United Flight 967, which had taken off from Washington D.C. and was bound for Los Angeles, hit a huge pocket of turbulence in the skies over Kansas.

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The turbulence, described as a “huge up and down”, threw one passenger flying into the ceiling, and another into the side of the cabin so violently that she left a crack above the window, passengers said.

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A number of other passengers were badly bruised and left with whiplash, and the place was diverted to Denver International Airport so that the injured could be given emergency treatment.

The U.S. Federal Administrative Service confirmed that 26 passengers and four crew members were injured. Spokesman Ian Gregor one person was critically hurt, but he released no further details.

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He added that inspectors found “no obvious damage” to the diverted plane’s exterior, and found nothing wrong during a preliminary look at the plane’s interior.

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However the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will be looking more closely.

Flight 967 was flying over Kansas at an altitude of about 34,000ft when it hit the heavy turbulence. It was carrying 255 passengers and ten crew members.

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One passenger Kaoma Bechaz, a 19-year-old Australian, described the turbulence as “just one huge up and down” to the Denver Post newspaper.

She also saw the head of the woman sitting next to her hit the side of the cabin, leaving a crack above the window, and a girl across the aisle flew into the air and hit the ceiling. But Bechaz said she wasn’t thrown around because her seat belt was tight.

United was working to find flights for the uninjured passengers last night. Airline spokesman Michael Trevino told the Denver Post that a special United flight took off for Los Angeles at 9:30pm carrying many passengers from the diverted plane.

Last night’s turbulence incident was the third this year for United. In February, about 20 people were injured when a plane encountered heavy turbulence midway through a 13-hour trip from Washington, D.C., to Tokyo.

In May, 10 people suffered injuries, including broken bones, on a United flight that hit severe turbulence over the Atlantic Ocean on its way from London to Los Angeles. The Boeing 777 was diverted to Montreal.

Farnborough orders top $25 billion

The tally of plane orders by the close of third day of the Farnborough Airshow has passed the $25 billion mark, as a resurgent commercial aviation sector offset severe cut backs to government defence expenditure.

Though the show remains a long way off the record-breaking $88.7 billion of bookings announced at Farnborough in 2008, sales are well above the $7 billion placed at last summer’s sister airshow in Paris.

Airbus enjoyed the bulk of today’s bookings, including Thai Airways making a commitment to buy seven A330-300s worth around $1.5 billion, as well as sales to Berlin-based Germania, which signed a contract for five Airbus A319s.

Indonesian flag carrier Garuda has purchased of six long-range A330-200s, worth $1.1 billion at catalogue prices, to expand its new premium service “to more international destinations in a profitable and efficient way.”

Boeing’s sales included Air Austral ordering two long-range 777-200s, worth $501 million at catalog prices. Qatar Airways had ordered two 777-200LRs for the same price.

Qatar also revealed that it was taking earlier delivery of Boeing’s 787 jetliner to meet increased demand.

“Air travel demand is continuing to rise in the Middle East and it is becoming clear that international demand is returning as the global economy shows signs of recovery,” said Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker.

Bombardier picked up an order for seven Q400 turboprop airliners from Qantas Airways, worth $218 million at list prices.

New leasing company Air Lease Corp. has so far signed the biggest deals, dividing orders for 115 planes worth $8.6 billion between Boeing, Airbus and French-Italian regional turboprop manufacturer ATR.

More than 1,000 exhibitors from 38 countries have signed up for Farnborough, with delegations from Egypt, Taiwan and Morocco attending for the first time. Organizers also cited stronger interest from major players China and Russia.

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Boeing and Airbus do battle at Farnborough

Arch rivals Airbus and Boeing are locked in a battle for orders at this week’s Farnborough Airshow, as the airline industry lifts off again after a two-year slump.

With Boeing displaying its long-awaited 787 Dreamliner for the first time in Europe, the two plane makers will also be going out of their way to prove they have the right strategy for the future of air travel.

Jim Albaugh, chief executive of Boeing’s commercial division expects “quite a number of orders” but declined to give an exact figure. The Seattle-based manufacturer has already raised its internal order forecast this year, he confirmed.

Dubai-based Emirates Airlines has announced an order for 30 Boeing 777-300ERs at the show today. Eighteen of these were previously attributed to an unidentified customer on Boeing’s Orders and Deliveries website.

“The market is coming back, we’re seeing airlines being profitable, some of them for the first time in a few years,” Mr Albaugh said. “People who haven’t been in the market for a while are coming back.”

Boeing is also expecting a “healthy increase” in orders for the Dreamliner. It currently has 860 on order from customers in 56 countries, worth almost £100bn. These include the launch customer, All Nippon Airways, with 55 orders, Qantas has ordered 50 787s for its budget subsidiary Jetstar.

ILFC, which leases aircraft to airlines worldwide, is the largest customer with a total order of 74 orders.

Russia is reportedly pressing Boeing to deliver 787s to the state-run airline Aeroflot in time for the 2014 Olympics.

Over in the Airbus camp, John Leahy, chief operating officer, is aiming to double the 131 orders it has received so far in 2010 during the week of the show, with lucrative first and business-class passengers returning to the skies. “Traffic is back both in the front of the aircraft and in the back.”

Like Boeing, the bulk of growth will come from the faster-growing economies of Asia, Latin America and the Middle East, leaving the US, Europe and Japan to share a smaller proportion of sales.

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Ryanair apologies to Stelios for “Pinocchio” ads

easyJet founder Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou has accepted undisclosed libel damages over advertisements by Ryanair that accused him of lying. The Irish carrier ran adverts depicting Stelios as Pinocchio, suggesting he was lying about easyJet’s punctuality, and has since published grovelling apology adverts in two broadsheets.

Sir Stelios brought proceedings in London’s High Court over the adverts which appeared the Guardian and the Daily Telegraph and on Ryanair’s website in January and February.

The adverts concerned the flight on-time statistics of easyJet, which had not been published on the airline’s website for 37 weeks.

The two budget airlines have often used knocking ads in an effort to steal market from each other.

Ryanair has also apologised unreservedly to Sir Stelios for including his photograph, and referring to him personally in four adverts.

Ryanair, which creates its ads in-house, has issued the apology in today’s The Guardian and Daily Telegraph, which also includes a photograph of a smiling Stelios.

In The Guardian, the apology states: “Michael O’Leary and Ryanair unreservedly apologise to Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannous, for including his photograph in an advert which ran in The Guardian on 20th and 29th January 2010.

“That advert featured a picture of Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannous and referred to him as ‘easyJet’s- Mr Late Again’ and called on ‘Stelios… to stop hiding the truth’ about easyJet’s flight delays and resume publishing weekly details of easyJet’s on-time performance.”

It goes on to state O’Leary and Ryanair will not publish the ad again, and refers to the fact that they have “agreed to pay him [Stelios] damages and legal costs in settlements of his libel claim.”

The final line of the ad states it accepts that Stelios “is not in any way responsible for easyJet’s management’s continuing failure to publish weekly details of their on-time stats.

The Irish carrier claims the adverts were published to draw attention to its rival’s failure to publish weekly details of their on-time performance.

Michael O’Leary said: “We are happy to apologise to Stelios for including his photograph and referring to him personally in the advert about easyJet’s missing weekly punctuality stats, and since he was not responsible for easyJet’s decision to stop publishing these on-time statistics, I think it is only fair and reasonable that we say ‘sorry’ and pay him damages and his legal costs, rather than waste Court time on this issue.”

“Today’s settlement won’t detract from or end Ryanair’s campaign to expose easyJet’s failure to publish its weekly on-time statistics for the last 52 weeks. Ryanair believes they have been hiding these details since May 2009, because they know they can’t compete with Ryanair’s punctuality, just the same way easyJet can’t compete with our pricing either,” he added.

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