Cruising_Heights_January_2011

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January 2011 ` 90

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S pe c ia l I ssue

FLIERS

AND THEIR

FLYING FAVOURITES THE JOYS AND THE IRRITANTS OF AIR TRAVEL FROM THE LIPS OF HIGH FLIERS

www.cruisingheights.in

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF’S NOTE

Here’s for a better 2011

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t’s the weather, stupid!

Just to paraphrase a term more often used to describe the economy! But with the weather playing such a crucial element in the business of flying, perhaps, there is really nothing to paraphrase. The weather and the business of flying!

If one were to take a 12-month cycle, it began with last winter’s fog (and one isn’t talking about Delhi or North India where it’s a standard feature each December-January) at Heathrow that literally shut down the UK along with the huge pile-up of ice and snow that left millions of people stranded all over Europe. It’s been much more severe this year — extending and expanding to include the Eastern seaboard of North America (the Yanks love to call it a blizzard). To get back, the cycle after the snow and ice last winter, one then had the Eyjafjallajokull meltdown from Iceland that put the world in a spin for over ten days and billions in lost revenue and, finally, now the snow and fog has once again wrought havoc all over.

It’s no surprise that Heathrow and other airports in the US and Europe are getting a mouthful for their poor response to the situation. The chickens literally have come home to roost for those who abused us for years for being so poorly prepared to face the uncertainties of the weather when actually we are far better at handling it.

In a different way it’s the uncertainty of what to expect from a trip, the sheer romance of a ride by air that’s at the core of this issue.

We have 30 well-known Indians to tell us all about the joy and romance of flying, the unexpected, the obvious and the titillating. We

CRUISING HEIGHTS January 2011

NATURALLY OBSTRUCTIVE: (Top to bottom) Europe was grounded by volcanic ash in May 2010 and December saw on one side, widespread delays and cancellations of flights in Europe and America due to snow and blizzards, and on the other long delays, diversions and scrapping of flights into Delhi due to fog.

loved putting it together and we are sure you will love it too.

Season’s greetings and best wishes for 2011!

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Off the cuff

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Unsafe scanning US scientists have warned of mild to potentially serious health risk, especially to skin from that the full-body scanners used to screen passengers and airline crews at airports.

The controversy over the full body scanners is never-ending.

At first, the passengers were unhappy to go nude under the scanners and now the reports from the US scientists suggest that the body scanners are dangerous for the skin. The choice for the US passengers and crew lies between a machine bombarding you with radiation, if not go through the security threat. The scientists say the X-rays could pose a risk to everyone from travelers over the age of 65 to pregnant women and their unborn babies, to HIV-positive travelers, cancer patients and men. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) began rolling out 315 full-body scanners and currently 65 are in use.

It’s a typical catch-22 situation wherein if you don't get a security check done, then there is the security threat but if you do, then one goes through the risk of getting skin cancer.

Either way, it is a risky situation. According to Dr Michael Love, who runs an x-ray lab at Johns Hopkins University School of medicine, “They say the risk is minimal, but someone is likely to get skin cancer from these X-rays… at the airports where people are so eager to fly that they will risk their lives in this manner.”

Biochemist John Sedat said most of the energy from the scanners is delivered to the skin and underlying tissue.

The Office of Science and Technology responded saying the scanners have been “tested extensively” by US government agencies and were found to meet safety standards.

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FLYING TALES p18 Zipping in and out of airports and airplanes is an accepted fact of life. To some, it is still a matter of wonder and awe while to others it is boring. While each one of us has our likes and dislikes about air travel, flying in an airplane is pure magic and one that cannot be ignored. What do our high fliers think of flying? Is it still a wonderful experience for them? We coaxed a handful of celebs to reveal their flying secrets…

CRUISING HEIGHTS January 2011

FIRST TIMERS

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Flying has become such a beautiful experience, especially when you get to hear from people who have flown for the first time.

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ARTICLES NEWS VIEWS EDITS INTERVIEWS CLIPPINGS PROFILES

CRUISING HEIGHTS Volume V No 9

Editor-in-Chief

K SRINIVASAN Managing Editor

TIRTHANKAR GHOSH Group Consulting Editor

R KRISHNAN Consulting Editor

NANDU MANJESHWAR Deputy Editor

P C SINGH Special Correspondent (Mumbai)

ROOHI AHMAD Copy Editor

ASHOK KUMAR Editorial Coordinator

LAKSHMI SINGH Sub-editor-cum-reporters

JASLEEN KAUR PUNIT MISHRA Design

RUCHI SINHA, PRADEEP JHA SHIV Picture Editor

PRADEEP CHANDRA Photo Editor

H C TIWARI —————————— Publishing Director

ROHIT GOEL Director (Admin & Corporate Affairs)

RAJIV SINGH Asst. Manager (Subscription)

JAYA SINGH (Mob. 9650433044)

Executive Director

RENU MITTAL For advertising and sales enquiries, please contact: +91-9999919071, 9810030533 Editorial & Marketing office:

Newsline Publications Pvt. Ltd., D-11 Basement, Nizamuddin (East), New Delhi -110 013 Tel: +91-11-41033381-82

SNIPPETS

p57 BACK PAGE

Wonder what’s happening with the airlines and which airlines is maintaining the top spot. We bring you the latest from the aviation and travel world: new launches and special packages across the globe.

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Ever heard about a manufacturer of an aircraft indulging in paratrooping?

Tom Enders, CEO, Airbus does just that and this time, Enders jumps from the new Airbus Military A400M with nine others.

Cover Design: Ruchi Sinha

CRUISING HEIGHTS January 2011

All information in CRUISING HEIGHTS is derived from sources we consider reliable. It is passed on to our readers without any responsibility on our part. Opinions/views expressed by third parties in abstract or in interviews are not necessarily shared by us. Material appearing in the magazine cannot be reproduced in whole or in part(s) without prior permission. The publisher assumes no responsibility for material lost or damaged in transit. The publisher reserves the right to refuse, withdraw or otherwise deal with all advertisements without explanation. All advertisements must comply with the Indian Advertisements Code. The publisher will not be liable for any loss caused by any delay in publication, error or failure of advertisement to appear. Owned and published by K Srinivasan 4C Pocket-IV, Mayur Vihar Phase-I, Delhi-91 and printed by him at Nutech Photolithographers, B-240, Okhla Industrial Area, Phase-I, New Delhi-110020.

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Brand promotion

PERISCOPE

“Air India is a brand, which has been on the aviation scene nationally and internationally for almost eight decades. It is, therefore, a global brand more recognizable in terms of recall. Hence, our corporate name is in sync with our global identity and aspirations.”

Air India Chief ARVIND JADHAV specifying the need for using the brand name Air India.

LETTERS TO EDITOR

Engine failure is indeed a serious issue as was explained in the story A Rolls-Royce of a problem! (December, 2010). The Qantas A380, which suffered an engine flame-out, has put a big question mark on the feasibility of Rolls-Royce (world’s second-largest aircraft enginemaker) engines. As a matter of fact, Rolls-Royce engines have been in demand from many aircraft manufacturers.

The Qantas A380 incident calls for introspection especially in the context of aviation safety all over the world.

If the engine doesn’t deliver, then serious accidents are bound to happen.

Shashi Sanyal, Kolkata

Illustrations: Mamta Tripathi

“Our mature international routes are doing very well and have an average load factor of 82 per cent. We do have plans to expand to all primary gateways in European

gateways.”

The story “We need a framework for the next decade” (December, 2010) was thoughtprovoking and incisive. Nasim Zaidi is an experienced campaigner when it comes to aviation and I believe he will do justice to the coveted position of Civil Aviation Secretary.

Civil Aviation in India is booming like never before and hence his role becomes all the more important. His vast experience in the sector would be handy as he joined the civil aviation ministry as Joint Secretary and also represented India at the International Civil Aviation Organisation for three years, before taking charge of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation.

Raja Ram Seth, New Delhi

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Going gaga

On with the happy days! (December, 2010) column was pleasure to read. The story that a minister wanted `15 crore to allow the Tatas to set up a domestic airline in India is indeed shocking. The revelation in the story is an eye-opener as the Tatas is the biggest business group in the country, and if it had to go through so much turmoil, one can only imagine what could have happened to smaller companies. It is praiseworthy that Ratan Tata exposed the rot. But he should go a step forward and name the culprits, otherwise the whole episode would be put on the backburner.

R Raghupathy, Sonepat All correspondence may be addressed to Editor, Cruising Heights, D-11 Basement, Nizamuddin (East), New Delhi -13, OR mail to cruisingheights@newsline.in.

Jet Airways Chief Commercial Officer SUDHEER RAGHAVAN on the Jet Airways’ performance on international routes.

Bridging the gap “The cream is in the 65 million other people who don't have a chance to fly, who don't have credit cards or insurance.

I always saw the masses.”

AirAsia Group CEO TONY FERNANDES after winning Forbes Asia's Businessman of the Year 2010 award.

Towards greener skies

“Lufthansa will be the world's first airline to utilise biofuel in flight operations within the framework of a long-term trial. This is a further consistent step in a proven sustainability strategy, which Lufthansa has for many years successfully pursued and implemented.”

Lufthansa Chief WOLFGANG MAYRHUBER while unveiling Lufthansa’s plans of using biofuel in future.

On the backfoot “Economic downturn and unforeseen incidents like 26/11 terror attacks point out the vulnerabilities of the airline business. One negative happening and the sentiment goes down across the country, which means the airlines have to be cautious when adding capacity.”

Makemytrip.com’s co-founder KEYUR JOSHI on the vulnerabilities of the airline business.

Corrective measure “We just want everything to be made public, including giving DGCA the parameters of number of seats getting sold and fare moving to next higher level. In case of any sudden jump, we will be able to check if lower bucket fare seats have been sold and then spot fares are at the highs or is it something else.”

DGCA Chief EK BHARAT BHUSHAN on the transparency of airfares to be followed by domestic airlines.

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Flights, flights and more flights

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Atlanta (470,725). This also makes the airport — the world's busiest airport, both in number of flights and passengers.

Chicago holds position No 2 (427,107).

Dallas ranks third (321,155).

Denver airport takes fourth position (307,100).

Los Angeles airport is on No 5 (284,572).

Houston airport comes sixth (262,670).

Charlotte airport claims seventh position (254,517).

Beijing airport comes at number eight (251,607).

Las Vegas follows at ninth position (247,075).

Paris airport is at No 10 (242,152).

COLD STATS

This is a list that does not take into account the number of passengers served by an airport. The Airports Council International has compiled a list that categorises airports according to the number of flights handled. By that account, the number one airport in the first half of 2010 (January-June) was Atlanta, also the world’s largest by number of passengers. Airports like Heathrow and Tokyo, however, which show up in all lists when airports are ranked by passengers, do not make it even to the top ten. The ranking, however, is dominated by US airports, reflecting the size and importance of the domestic US aviation market. The top ten with aircraft movements (in brackets) are:

LOOKING GLASS Rupeeless, shirtless and shoeless...all for the sake of an air ticket and a plane ride. What will the airlines think of next...?

Clipping the wings “There is no case of capping airfare in a liberalised environment, be it at upper or lower band. It is a function of demand and supply.”

Kingfisher Airlines Head VIJAY MALLYA on the capping of airfares.

On the face “All airlines have a level playing field and Mr Mallya is no exception. He better learn to run his business more efficiently than advise the government on what to do. He has no business doing this. He got into aviation knowing there was tax on ATF.” Civil Aviation Minister PRAFUL PATEL on the statement made by Vijay Mallya regarding the airfares.

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NEWS DIGEST

BRIDGING THE GULF: Kerala Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan lighting the lamp during the stone-laying ceremony.

erala Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan laid the foundation stone for the fourth international airport of the state at Kannur on December 17. “The airport, to be commissioned by 2013, will cater to one-third of the two-million strong Keralaite workers in the Gulf and trigger fast-phased economic development of the northern-most part of the state,” the Chief Minister said after lighting the traditional lamp marking the beginning of the work on the `100-crore airport project.

“Currently, 14 per cent of the Gulf-bound migrants are from the district and the airport would be a boon for them.

People from the neighboring districts of Kasaragod, Wayanad and Kozhikode will also benefit from the airport besides the bordering areas of Karnataka state,” he added to applause from the overjoyed crowd.

Praful Patel, in his address, said all pending problems of the state relating to air connectivity would be solved within a month when the Air India Express headquarters is shifted to the state. The central government would do everything to ensure that the state got all the attention it deserved,

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KANNUR AIRPORT GETS GOING he said. “India now is the ninth aviation market in the world and at the current rate of growth, the country would be third after the US and China. Aviation is another sunrise sector that offers huge employment potential and Kerala has much to contribute,” he said.

Kerala launched the country’s first corporate airport a decade back in Kochi, which is no the fourth busiest airport in India in terms of international traffic after Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai. Besides Thiruvananthapuram, Airport Authority of India (AAI) runs another international airport at Karippur, some 120km from here.

The state government has 26 per cent stake in the Kannur International Airport Limited (KIAL) held by the Kerala Industrial Infrastructure Limited (Kinfra), while 23

BRIGHT FUTURE: Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel addressing the gathering.

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per cent shares are with the state and federal public sector enterprises. About two per cent are with the Infrastructure Kerala Limited (InKEL) promoted by NRIs and 48 per cent shares are with three Mumbai-based groups leaving one per cent for individuals and co-operative societies to subscribe.

“Since 2004, the Indian aviation industry has grown by 400 per cent. Airport is not only about bringing passengers home. It also brings a lot of economic development, movement of cargo and that is what we have to create,” Patel said. “Kerala and the hardworking people of Kerala, who are outside the state especially in the Gulf region, have immensely contributed to the economic development of our country. India records the highest foreign remittance by any country anywhere in the world and a large part of that contribution comes from the people of Kerala. So we decided to clear this project despite the fact that Calicut and Mangalore airports are nearby.”

The KIAL Managing Director V Thulasidas, a former secretary of aviation and chairman of Air India, said at 3400 metres the airport will have the longest runway in the state and a taxi bay along the entire stretch of the runway. It would be capable of handling aircraft of any size available in the world. The airport, which claims to be the first environment-friendly one in the country, hopes to handle 1.8 mn passengers in the first year of operations and an annual growth of eight per cent is expected in the passenger traffic. Six fourlane roads are also planned to the airport.

Leela Group Managing Director Vivek Nair, who along with his father, Captain Nair, is the brain behind the project, said that for them it was a dream come true.

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TYLER IS ALL SET TO STEP INTO BISIGNANI’S SHOES

he International Air Transport Association (IATA) recently announced that its Board of Governors has selected Tony Tyler, CEO of Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific Airways, in a unanimous decision to fill the post of IATA Director General and CEO following the retirement of the current Director General and CEO, Giovanni Bisignani, in 2011. The Board will recommend Tyler’s appointment to IATA’s Annual General Meeting planned for June 6-8, 2011 in Cairo Egypt. Tyler’s duties as the Association’s head are scheduled to commence from July 1, 2011.

Speaking about the appointment, David Bronczek, CEO of FedEx Express and Chairman of the IATA Board of Governors, said: “The IATA Board agreed to recommend Tony Tyler as the next Director General and CEO of IATA. Tyler’s leadership of Cathay Pacific through challenging times prepares him well for the job. His knowledge of Asia will help IATA take advantage of opportunities in the industry’s largest market.

His global experience gives Tony the right perspective for our global associa-

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(Left) Tony Tyler, the new Director General and CEO designate, IATA; (right) Giovanni Bisignani

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tion. Since taking the helm of IATA in 2002, Giovanni rebuilt the association, restored its relevance and set a very high benchmark for its leadership. Finding a successor was a challenging task for Board’s search committee. We are absolutely confident that Tony is the right person to take the association to even greater heights.”

On his part, Tony Tyler pointed out that the confidence of the industry in recommending him for the position was a great honour for him. “I am excited at the prospect of leading IATA and fully mindful of the responsibility that this important position bears. Giovanni Bisignani has made IATA’s role critical to the industry by successfully managing IATA’s $300 billion financial systems while delivering important industry-wide changes. These include making IATA a quality association with the IATA Operational Safety Audit, delivering 100 per cent e-ticketing with the Simplifying the Business initiative and IATA’s leadership on climate change,” Tyler said and added that he looked

forward to the opportunity to build on the solid foundation. “Aviation,” he said, “is a dynamic industry. We constantly have to adapt to changing market conditions, new business models, different traffic patterns and frequent crises. I am fully prepared to lead future changes to help all participants in this great industry be even more successful,” said Tyler.

The 55-year-old Tyler has been Chief Executive of Cathay Pacific since 2007. He joined the Swire Group, parent company of Cathay Pacific, in 1977 and has worked with the group in Hong Kong, Australia, the Philippines, Canada, Japan, Italy and the United Kingdom. He is also Chairman of Hong Kong Dragon Airlines Limited and Director of both John Swire & Sons (HK) Limited and Swire Pacific Limited. From June 2009 to June 2010, Tyler served as Chairman of the IATA Board of Governors.

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SIZE DOES MATTER: More passenger and freighter aircraft are to be inducted to meet the demand.

lmost 26,000 new passenger and freighter aircraft valued at $3.2 trillion will be needed between 2010 and 2029, to satisfy demand according to Airbus' Global Market Forecast (GMF). The demand is primarily driven by replacement of aircraft for newer more eco-efficient models in mature markets, dynamic growth in new emerging markets, low-cost carriers particularly in Asia, further market liberalisation and capacity growth on existing routes.

The 2010 GMF forecasts that 900 additional new passenger aircraft deliveries over the 2009 GMF, reflecting a slightly higher growth rate of 4.8 per cent compared to 4.7 per cent in 2009. These aircraft will mainly be in the single aisle sector in which the A320 family competes.

Moreover 10,000 additional passenger aircraft will replace older less eco-efficient aircraft and some 15,000 will be for growth.

The world passenger fleet will rise from 14,000 to some 29,000 aircraft by 2029.

This will not only absorb traffic growth, minimise congestion, but it will also reduce costs to increase eco-efficiency.

“The recovery is stronger than predicted and reinforces both the resilience of the sector to downturns and that people want and need to fly. Especially the single aisle sector is particularly strong, and our A320neo meets this future demand by providing our customers with the latest innovations and technologies whilst maintaining maximum commonality,” says John Leahy, Chief Operating Officer, Customers.

In passenger traffic growth terms, emerging economies are leading the recovery. Domestic Indian traffic growth (9.2 per cent) is the fastest of any major market and the third-fastest growth overall. Seven out of the top 20 fastest growth flows connect China (PRC) to the rest of the world.

“Airlines in Asia Pacific including China and India will carry one-third (33 per

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AIRBUS FORECASTS 26,000 NEW AIRCRAFT INDUCTIONS BY 2029 cent) of the passenger traffic by 2029, making it the largest region, overtaking the US (23 per cent) and Europe (23 per cent),” said Chris Emerson, Head of Product Strategy and Market Forecast.

Freight traffic is recovering at an even faster rate (5.9 per cent) than passenger traffic growth. In 2010, freight traffic is expected to rebound closer to 18 per cent before levelling off at more typical growth levels by the end of 2011. Combined with fleet renewal, this translates to a demand CRUISING HEIGHTS January 2011

for around 2,980 freighters. While some 870 will be new aircraft valued at $211 billion, 2,110 will be converted from passenger aircraft.

Demand for Very Large Aircraft (VLA) passenger and freighter aircraft like the A380, is more than 1,700 valued at over $570 billion (this represents 18 per cent by value and 7 per cent by units). Of these, some 1,320 will connect the world’s increasing number of 'mega' cities.

In the twin-aisle aircraft segment (seating from 250 to 400 passengers), some 6,240 new passenger and freighter aircraft will be delivered in the next 20 years, valued at some $1,340 billion. Of these, 4,330 aircraft will be small twin-aisle (250 to 300seater) and about 1,910 intermediate twin aisles (350 to 400 seats). These segments are covered by the A330/A340 family. From 2013, the A350XWB family will cover the entire spectrum of twin-aisle market requirements.

In the single-aisle segment, almost 17,900 aircraft worth some $1,274 billion (40 per cent by value), will be delivered in the next 20 years. This is an increase over previous forecasts due to the accelerating demand for single aisle aircraft particularly in Asia Pacific, the emergence of low-cost carriers and increased route liberalisation.

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WHAT’S WRONG WITH JUHU? ewspaper reports suggest that the Ambani brothers have separately written to the Civil Aviation Ministry, asking it to review its decision to shift helicopter operations from Mumbai airport to the Juhu aerodrome, said sources in the Civil Aviation Ministry. Apparently both Mukesh and Anil are unhappy with the infrastructure (parking bays and maintenance facilities) at Juhu. Since December 10, helicopters have not been allowed to take off and land at Chhatrapati Shivaji Inter-

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PROFITS IMPROVING BUT MARGINS ARE LOW: IATA nternational Air Transport Association (IATA) revised its industry outlook for 2010 to a net profit of $15.1 bn (up from the $8.9 bn forecast in September 2010). Similarly, the Association revised upwards its projections for 2011 to a net industry profit of $9.1 bn (up from the $5.3 bn forecast in September). Net margins remain weak at 2.7 per cent for 2010 and falling to 1.5 per cent in 2011.

“Our profit projections increased for both 2010 and 2011 based on an exceptionally strong third quarter performance. But despite higher profit projections, we still see the recovery pausing next year after a strong postrecession rebound. And the two-speed nature of the recovery is unchanged with European airlines continuing to underperform other regions,” said Giovanni Bisignani, IATA's Director General and CEO. Bisignani also characterised the improvements in terms of profit margins, which continue to disappoint.

“Margins remain pathetic. With a 2.7

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WATER FOR THE PEOPLE: AAI SHOWS THE WAY

DECONGESTION MOVE: Helicopters are not allowed to take-off and land at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport as it is the busiest airport in the country.

national Airport, a move aimed at decongesting the country's second-busiest airport.

The rule, however, does not apply to choppers used by VIPs such as chief ministers and Union ministers. Chopper movements eat into the take-off and landing slots that can be used by a scheduled flight. The airport’s main runway is presently undergoing repairs. In October, the airport's domestic flight handling capacity was reduced by 12 slots daily for the winter schedule till March 26.

“The move to shift chopper operations is a good one to cut down congestion. But, the difference would clearly show only after private jets are also moved to Juhu,” added an ATC official. Currently, around 28 private jets belonging to big business houses regularly use the airport.

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per cent net margin in 2010 shrinking to 1.5 per cent in 2011, we are nowhere near covering our cost of capital. The industry is fragile and balancing on a knife edge. Any shock could stunt the recovery, as we are seeing with the results of new or increased taxation on airlines and travelers in Europe,” said Bisignani.

Shifts in the industry forecasts can appear dramatic in absolute numbers.

It is important to relate them to the size of the industry to understand their significance. The $6.2 bn increase in IATA’s projection for the 2010 net profit (compared to the September forecast) is equal to just 1.1 per cen of the industry’s projected $565 bn in revenues.

“Any increase in profits is a welcome step in the right direction. But the fact that we can increase our profit forecast by 70 per cent and still be left with a net margin of just 2.7 per cent shows just how far this industry has to go to achieve a normal level of profitability,” said Bisignani.

s part of its corporate social responsibility, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has made efforts to provide drinking water to residents of Lossing and Dikling, who had been facing an acute water shortage. The people were drawing water from local springs that are in the AAI's area of operation. The other sources in the villages are not perennial and go dry during winter.

Responding to the needs of the people, the AAI has facilitated a rural water supply scheme at a cost of `39.90 lakh.

It has been designed to cater to a population of 2400, the Dikling Senior Secondary School and the monastery in the area for a period of 30 years. Water from three different spring water sources — Shajbotey, Bhandari and Uttishey — is now supplied through reservoirs, headwork and water distribution tanks. This

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CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY: AAI provides drinking water to residents of Lossing and Dikling villages.

water supply includes three water tanks of 10,000 lt. capacity, five tanks of 5,000 lt. capacity and two tanks of 2,000 lt capacity. The project is expected to solve the problem of potable water supply of these villages, situated on the airport boundary to a significant extent.

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For Employment Opportunities please visit our website to apply or send your resume to hr@go2ufm.com Universal Freight Management (India) Pvt. Ltd. Corporate Office: 35/10, Langford Road, Shantinagar, Bangalore- 560025, Phone: +91(80)44364300

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NEWS DIGEST ith 23 per cent annual passenger growth, Bengaluru International Airport has emerged as the fastest-growing airport in the country. Drawing the highest number of new airlines this year — since its opening — the airport has recorded the highest number of passengers on a single day in December.

The reports from Bengaluru International Airport Limited (BIAL) show that with revived business travel and increased leisure travel, the upward growth trend continued from July last year with annual figures touching 11.24 million as against the passenger traffic in the last quarter which was 3.06 million. Also interesting to know is that the airport handled 38,134 passengers which is the highest-ever reported since the airport's opening in May 2008.

With an annual growth rate of 31 per cent, cargo too showed an upswing this year.

These figures show indications of the market rapidly recovering from the slowdown. In addition, new freighter services — FedEx connecting India to Europe and Deccan Cargo connecting Coimbatore, Nagpur and Hyderabad — were added to the cargo operations in 2010.

With 8.2 per cent growth reported in the air traffic movement, it also confirms that Bengaluru International Airport continues to be an attractive destination for both domestic and international carriers to increase frequency and add the city as a new route. With the growing demand in the domestic sector, the frequency of airlines has increased. The new connections in the domestic sector are 30 while there are 19 international connections.

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BIAL IS FASTESTGROWING AIRPORT

The focus will be on connecting Bengaluru to South East Asia, China, Africa and the US. Also, airlines are expected to increase the breadth of their connectivity in the domestic market, with low-cost airlines connecting Bengaluru to newer destinations.

A new airline that will begin operations as early as January 2011 from Bengaluru International Airport is Etihad Airlines to Abu Dhabi. Additionally, Thai Air Asia, Thai Tiger, DHL Cargo, TNT Cargo, China Southern and ANA Airways have expressed interest to fly to Bengaluru in the near future.

The numbers keep rising he total number of passengers carried by domestic airlines from JanuaryNovember, 2010 was 468.09 lakh as against 393.53 lakh in the corresponding period of year 2009 thereby registering a growth of +18.9 per cent.

The total domestic passengers carried by the scheduled airlines of India in the month of November 2010 was 48.75 lakh. The total domestic passengers carried by the scheduled airlines of India in the month of October, 2010 were 46.17 lakh. The break-up for the month of

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MARKET SHARE Airline-wise details of market share of scheduled domestic airlines for the month of November 2010 is as follows: Go Air 6.9% Indi Go 17.3% NACIL(I) 17.1%

REASONS FOR CANCELLATIONS

Technical 28.1% Operational 8.4%

Operational 9.4%

Jet Airways 19.2% Weather 17.5% Jet Lite 7.0% Kingfisher 19.1% Spicejet 13.3%

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FLYING HIGH: BIAL has emerged as the fastestgrowing airport in India.

Consec/Misc 26.6%

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AAI MARKS 100 YEARS OF AVIATION

NAVI MUMBAI ON THE FAST TRACK xactly a month after the Union Environment Ministry gave a green signal to the proposed Navi Mumbai international airport, another milestone was crossed by the ambitious project recently.

Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) cleared a proposal for environment and CRZ clearance for offsite physical infrastructure required to be developed around the airport site.

Cidco, the project’s implementing agency, had moved for eco-clearance to set up roads and other infrastructure to improve connectivity to airport. Apart from road connectivity, the authority plans to set up physical infrastructure that would facilitate connectivity to a proposed metro rail network and other transport modes. The clearance was sought as setting-up of the facilities would have affected more than 10 hectares of mangrove land.

Besides, the site is also located on the CRZ zone. Following the MCZMA clearance, the proposal will now be forwarded to the Union Environment Ministry in Delhi for final clearance.

E

REASONS OF PASSENGER COMPLAINTS IT Related 2.7% Others 56.0% Staff Misbehavior 10.2%

Lost Baggage 26.0% Refund 5.1%

he aviation industry in India venture of celebrations AAI has been turned a hundred on December ably and duly assisted by the Airports 10, 2010. Marking a important Authority of India Women’s Welfare 'historical milestone’ and in keeping Association AAIWWA (Kalyanmayee), with well-established traditions, the an extended arm of AAI, under whose Airports Authority of India (AAI), aegis the CSR projects are being celebrated the moment in a rather executed. AAI is the first PSU in the unique way — it dedicated its country to establish a paper recycling calendar and greeting cards for 2011 unit under CSR. to Indian Aviation.

For the first time ever, a calendar has been produced on recycled paper produced from waste paper collected from the offices of AAI. What makes the calendar even more special is the fact that the water used in the recycling process was also put to use A CENTURY IN STYLE: AAI celebrates hundred years of for watering the aviation industry in a unique style. adjoining lawns near the recycled paper unit. That made the VP Agrawal, Chairman, AAI, offerings truly ‘green’. released the calendar and cards at the Highlighting the ‘Theme of corporate office of the authority in Aviation’, the cards and calendar have presence of the AAI Board members, vintage aircraft and the state-of-the-art the President AAIWWA and senior airports created by the AAI. In this executives.

T

November, 2010 is as follows: Air India (Domestic) — 8.36 lakh, Jet Airways — 9.34 lakh, Jet Lite — 3.43 lakh, Kingfisher — 9.32 lakh, SpiceJet — 6.50 lakh, Go Air — 3.37 lakh, IndiGo — 8.43 lakh.

The percentage share of the carriers in the month of November, 2010 was: Air India (Domestic) — 17.1 per cent, Jet Airways — 19.2 per cent, JetLite — 7.0 per cent, Kingfisher — 19.1 per cent, Spice Jet — 13.3 per cent, Go Air — 6.9 per cent and IndiGo — 17.3 per cent.

Capacity vs Demand Analysis of Capacity (ASKM) and Demand (RPKM) data on year-to-year basis indicates that although the capacity remained almost at the level of October 2010, the demand in November 2010 was comparatively more.

Seat Factor Like October 2010, the month of November 2010 also witnessed comparatively higher seat factor primarily due to peak season.

Cancellations The overall cancellation rate of scheduled domestic airlines for the month of November 2010 has been 1.5 per cent.

Airline-wise details of cancellations are as follows: Passenger complaints during the month During November 2010, a total of 1402 passenger-related complaints had been received by the scheduled domestic airlines. The number of complaints per 10,000 passengers carried for the month of November 2010 was 3.0.

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No fear of flying A

N AIRPLANE RIDE IS TODAY AN ACCEPTED FACT OF LIFE. EVERYONE — WELL, ALMOST EVERYONE — WE know, whizzes in and out on planes. Each one has their likes and dislikes about air travel: the airlines, the seats, the airports and the lounges and, of course, the irritants as they take their flights.

There are many of us who are fascinated by airports and airplanes as kids. The fascination continues till one day, we make a promise of getting into one of those huge silver jets zooming off beyond the horizon to countries unknown. Years later, when the plane ride becomes more of a necessity than a wonder, the eagerness and fascination for the flying machines seem to diminish. Yet one, never loses the eagerness to get to another airport and to wander around during stopovers. There’s always something different about every airport and it is not just the shopping and the food courts but in the wide variety of people who pass through them. Aside from serving as take-off points, today most airports are jewels of modern architecture and often showpieces of the host country.

The idea about watching scenes from above may not excite most of us, but once the plane starts taxiing and finally takes off still holds a sense of awe. How about your first plane ride? Perhaps, you can’t even remember when you took one. Perhaps, you were still in kindergarten and can’t even recall being afraid of flying thousand kilometres above the ground. Perhaps, it wasn’t such a big deal for you that time.

It is not merely airports that we are interested in. At CRUISING HEIGHTS we look at the total flying experience. To start off the year, we went through research, interviews, media profiling and more to identify a few High Fliers. Though it is by no means a definitive list, these men and women, nevertheless, are those who dominate their chosen fields.

While flights are often uneventful and boring for most of us, our High Fliers try to make them a fun travel experience. We coaxed them to let us into their flying secrets. A quick peek into the flying lives of High Fliers who were cajoled by Roohi Ahmed in Mumbai, Sharmila Ghose in Kolkata, Pamela D’Mello in Goa, Prakash Bhandari in Jaipur and Renu Mittal and Lakshmi Singh in Delhi.

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“EVEN TODAY, I ENJOY THE TAKE-OFFS AND THE LANDINGS” Arun Lal, the run-getter of India, explains his fascination for domestic airports for their food, wine and cleanliness.

Your first flight and why was it memorable? ; It had a very exciting experience. I enjoyed the thrill of flying. Even today, I enjoy the take-offs and the landings.

Your favourite domestic airline? ; I bond with Jet Airways, as I fly that

airline a lot. Also, IndiGo is catching my fancy because of its punctuality. If I am pressed for time, I fly IndiGo. However, its

comforts are limited.

Your international airline?

Singapore Airlines. Extremely efficient and never late. The flight crew is courteous and warm. The experience is very satisfying.

Your favourite airline story? ; In 1982 I was going to attend a Simon

& Garfunkel concert in Wembley, England, en route to Spain for the Soccer World Cup. In Kolkata, I was told that the British Airways flight was overbooked and that I could not get a seat. After some initial reasoning with the airline I lost my cool. From then on they looked after me well. I was flown to Delhi on an Indian Airlines flight so that I could catch the BA flight to Heathrow. They even arranged for me to be driven to Wembley just in the nick of time to attend the concert! So it turned out to be a very memorable experience.

Your favourite domestic airport? ; Hyderabad and Bengaluru are

Your favourite aircraft?

wonderful airports but I must say that Delhi is fantastic. The facilities are great — no massive queues, enough food options, one can even have a beer, enough space to roam around, extremely clean airport especially the washrooms!

; Any wide-bodied aircraft is preferred

for its space. Other than that I do not have any preferences.

Which domestic airline do you think has the best Business Class? ; Kingfisher Airlines definitely has the best facilities. The cuisine is great. It is swish, suave and classy.

Your favourite international airport? ; Changi airport in Singapore. It is very

orderly — user-friendly and passenger specific. In spite of the fact that it is not a new airport, it is extremely well-maintained.

Which international airline do you think has the best Business Class? ; Jet Airways on the international sector. Very comfortable seats and I sleep as on a bed. Since I am a vegetarian, I find food on the international sector not quite evolved. But the cuisine served by Jet is tasty and suits my palate.

 ARUN LAL Arun Lal, a former right-hand batsman is a popular cricket personality. He played for the Indian cricket team from 19821989. A prolific run-getter, Arun Lal scored 6760 runs at an average of 53.23 in domestic cricket. Today he is well respected as a coach and commentator of the game.

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Which, according to you, is the best airline lounge? ; Changi in Singapore. It is quiet, restful and reserved. You are kept informed about flights. There is plenty to eat and drink with a well-stocked bar. A very nice lounge indeed!

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“TOKYO AIRPORT CUSTOMS DIDN’T KNOW WHAT TO MAKE OF MY TABLA” Famous for his fusion music the world over, Bickram Ghosh laughs today as he shares his horrifying experience with the Customs officials at Tokyo airport, who broke his tabla.

Your first flight and why was it memorable? ; I have absolutely no memory of my first flight, as I was less than a year old when I travelled with my mother to San Francisco. But I do remember flying for my first professional assignment in 1989. I travelled to Japan with the entire band of my father’s famous Calcutta Drum Orchestra. It was a lovely journey, interestingly, on Air India with great meals and great service. The flight was on time too!

Your favourite domestic airport? ; My favourite airport at the moment has to be Mumbai — the Jet side of it is especially nice. The lounge is comfortable and there is a fair bit of shopping options. The checking process is very quick and nowadays the airport is quite well-managed. I like the façade, the dome-like structure, the natural light filtering in and the outdoor area where one can grab a bite to

 BICKRAM GHOSH Renowned percussion and tabla maestro Bickram Ghosh is both a classical musician and a contemporary artiste. Equally brilliant within traditional as well as experimental genres, Bickram Ghosh has performed with the legendary Pandit Ravi Shankar. He has played in the Grammy Award-winning album ‘Full Circle’ along with Pandit Ravi Shankar.

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eat. Bengaluru airport also deserves a mention. There is much to do there with huge bookstores and a veritable mall to shop in.

Your favourite airline story? ; The customs officials didn’t know what

to make of my tabla at Tokyo airport in 1989. It seemed that they had never seen such an instrument before. They X-rayed it, turned it upside down but didn’t know what to make of it. Now, a tabla has a wooden base, which is hollowed out and that always leaves a bit of wood dust inside. This was being mistaken for drugs!

After much consultation, they drilled a hole through the bottom of the tabla, discovered the dust and obviously no drugs inside, and then took some putty to seal the hole! And here I was screaming and shouting, as I helplessly watched my instrument being totally ruined. Today I can laugh at the hilarity of it, but at that time the experience was horrifying.

The favourite aircraft of your choice? ; I think it is still the double-decker Boe-

Your favourite international airport? ; Changi in Singapore is almost like a home. It is huge, extremely well-maintained, great shopping options.

ing 747, also called the Jumbo Jet. I liked the fact that it had two levels.

Psychologically, the sense of space and being able to move around made it less claustrophobic.

Your favourite domestic airline? ; My choice oscillates between King-

fisher and Jet. The Club service of Kingfisher is really good with huge leg space, fantastic food and great service. But some of the Jet crafts are worth mentioning too.

Which domestic airline do you think has the best Business Class? ; Best Business Class is on Kingfisher.

There is great energy on board; the vibrancy of the red colour makes you wake up and prepares you for the day ahead.

Your favourite international airline? ; I would consider Jet for the internation-

al sector and of course Singapore Airlines, which is my all-time favourite. The service is impeccable and the whole experience is great. I find the hosts and hostesses to be very amicable and forever smiling.

The East is known for its hospitality, so being an Oriental country the warmth is always there.

Which international airline do you think has the best Business Class? ; Besides Singapore Airlines, I would choose Emirates. Especially from Dubai, the Business Class is very good. The tiny edge Singapore or Emirates has over the others is the human touch.

Which, according to you, is the best airline lounge? ; From great food and drink options, superb bar, massage chairs, areas where one can fall asleep, to the wide space — Changi has all the creature comforts imaginable.

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“I WORE INDIA’S COLOURS TO REPRESENT THE COUNTRY ON MY FIRST FLIGHT” Social activist Bunker Roy shares his experience of rough weather, jerks and meeting long-lost friends in the air.

Your first flight and why was it memorable?

My first flight was in 1967 when I was national champion in squash. I would remember it because I was wearing India's colours, representing the country in the 1967 world squash championship at Melbourne.

Your favourite domestic airport?

I love Delhi airport. Particularly the new terminal which has come up so well. It's really international class and is vast and spacious.

Your favourite international airport?

I love Heathrow airport of London.

It is an amalgamation of the old world charm and modernity. It offers best of facilities to all the passengers.

Your favourite domestic airline?

My favourite airline is Jet Airways.

I live in Tilonia, near Ajmer and I take my flight from Jaipur. Jet Airways is

very convenient to me because it is very well connected. The in-flight staff is well-behaved and well-trained and takes utmost care of the passengers on board. Moreover, Jet Airways always maintains its time schedule.

Your favourite international airline?

I cannot single out on one airline, as I am a frequent traveller. I frequently travel to Africa. My selection of international airline depends on convenience of connectivity. While travelling to Europe, I usually fly by KLM Swissair or Lufthansa. While travelling to East Africa, I prefer flying by Ethiopian Airways and while travelling to Western Africa I prefer to fly by Air France.

Your favourite airline story?

Many times because of inclement weather I had experienced the trauma of travelling in jerky conditions.

SANJIT BUNKER ROY Social activist and educator, Sanjit Bunker Roy is the founder of the Barefoot College in Tilonia, Rajasthan. He became famous for using traditional expertise rather than "bookish knowledge" for the uplift of neglected communities. He was selected by the TIME magazine as the 100 most influential personalities in the world in 2010.

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CRUISING HEIGHTS January 2011

But thankfully it never ended in a mishap. Yes, once while travelling I had met some of the leading personalities of the world. Most often, I happen to meet my long-lost friends.

Your favourite aircraft?

I would rate Jumbo as the best. It is a vast aircraft that can carry a large number of passengers and you feel you are travelling with your own family.

Which domestic airline do you think has the best Business Class?

I never travel in Business Class, but I have heard that Jet Airways has the best Business Class.

Which international airline do you think has the best Business Class?

Swissair has the Best Business Class, as it provides with 180-degree reclining seats. The food is very good and I love their chocolates.

Which, according to you, is the best airline lounge?

I would rate Mumbai's Air India as the best.

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INTERVIEW Your first flight and why was it memorable? ; My maiden flight was with Indian Airlines in 1981. I was travelling from Delhi to Chennai, en route to an interview with Fenner India Limited in Madurai. Well, I was able to catch both the flight and the job, and hence, it would be etched in my memory forever. I recall that the flight was delayed and I quickly discovered that the regular passengers had accepted “delay in flights” as an integral factor of their travel. I must say that in terms of timely departure/arrival, passenger comfort and loyalty, we have come a long way since those days, but we still have miles to go.

Your favourite domestic airport? ; Of course, the Hyderabad airport. It

always reminds me of the Munich airport.

I must confess that team at GMR is doing stellar work here in all aspects — cleanliness, services, timeliness, comfort etc. And to add to that, culinary outlets such as the idli factory and a beer with biryani can always spice up the journey.

Baggage-handling is one of the best in the world.

Your favourite international airport? ; I would bet on the Changi Airport at Singapore. Apart from the regular amenities available at any other international airport, the one thing that makes Changi special is its commitment towards the environment. This is perhaps one of the few airports, which aims to reduce consumption of electricity and use more of recycled water at its terminal buildings as part of its contribution towards environmental sustainability. Now that is what I call “forward looking”.

Your favourite domestic airline? ; Not only because I truly admire Naresh and Anita Goyal for their “hands down” approach to building a brand and business, Jet Airways, since its inception, has always stood out for its professional approach and “no frills silver service” for the Indian skies.

Your favourite international airline? ; Emirates.

Your favourite airline story? ; Way back in the 90s, I was travelling

from an arduous tour of the continents, back to India, almost after 45 days. I was tired and homesick. I remember, it was my birthday and on this particular desolate early morning, I checked into an Emirates (Dubai-Delhi) flight and must

26

“I GOT MY JOB IN MY FIRST FLIGHT JOURNEY” C P Gurnani, CEO, Mahindra Satyam, recounts how the in-flight staff went that extra mile to turn a desolate morning into a celebration for him. have dozed instantly. The flight took off on time and once we were mid-air, I woke up to this rather hushed singing, a small group of the in-flight crew was huddled in front of my seat with a small cake, as they sang “Happy birthday to you!”. That was not all…i was served a special meal of aloo paratha and mango pickles — almost fast-forwarding my homecoming. Wow! How did they know?

One of the airhostesses told me later that the ground crew had taken a note of that from my passport while I was checkingin. Now that is what I label as — going the extra mile. Imagine that in the days of not-so-robust CRM system.

Which international airline do you think has the best Business Class?

Singapore Airlines in my opinion offers the best seat pitch (its wide seats are legendary), efficient service, a good collection of in-flight entertainment and attention to detail.

Which, according to you, is the best airline lounge? ; Although a lot of lounges come to my mind, the Munich Honors Club and Qatar Airways at Doha have always been at top of mind, for both offer business travellers ample facilities to catch up on work before your flight. They truly have the best of cuisine and fantastic chocolates.

Your favourite aircraft? ; The A380 — mammoth, gorgeous, silent and spacious.

Which domestic airline do you think has the best Business Class? ; I would single out Kingfisher. For it indulges you more than what you would expect from a short-haul flight.

 CP GURNANI CP Gurnani headed Tech Mahindra’s Global Operations, Sales and Marketing functions, and led the development of Tech Mahindra’s Competency & Solution units, prior to heading the Mahindra Satyam. CP Guarani’ s inimitable style of leadership combined with his sharp focus on customer experience has earned him lot of success in whatever he did. He has strong views on the education system, and has plans to eventually overhaul and contribute towards it.

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“I AM VERY TECH-SAVVY AND LIKE TO REMAIN UPDATED ALWAYS” Fashion photographer, Daboo Ratnani, feels that the flying experience can be made more futuristic, if the airlines are absolutely tech-savvy.

Your first flight and why was it memorable? ; I was a child (if you can mention the age?) when I flew with Indian Airlines for the first time in my life. We were supposed to go to Chennai for our summer holidays by train but we missed it and had to take a flight. We were a middle-class family, my brother, my sister and I were very excited to fly. We dressed up accordingly. I wasn’t scared at the thought of flying for the first time ever, rather was

looking forward to the whole experience of flying. It was like a dream come true and a big deal for us. It will always be etched in my memory.

Your favourite domestic airport? ; Hyderabad airport is my favourite domestic airport, as it has an international feel to it. Recently, I was very impressed with the Jaipur airport due to its ambience and spaciousness.

Your favourite international airport? ; Dubai airport is the most organised and state-of-the-art. The new terminals are very striking and it offers a lot in terms of shopping.

Your favourite domestic airline? ; The immaculate service and the interesting food that a Kingfisher airline offers, make it my favourite domestic airline. Even the ground staff assists you in whatever you need at the airport till the time you board.

Your favourite international airline? ; Apart from good

service, Emirates airlines has very good connectivity making it my preferred airline. I am very technology-savvy and like to remain updated always. Emirates is very modernised and high-tech, and was the first airline to install the entertainment system even in the Business and Economy classes. The whole experience of flying with it is very modern and futuristic.

Your favourite airline story? ; Other than bumping into friends on

a flight, I have not much to share.

Your favourite aircraft? ; Boeing Which domestic airline do you think has the best Business Class? ; Kingfisher Airlines has the best Business Class in India.

Which international airline do you think has the best Business Class? ; I am very impressed with the KLM Business Class. It is spacious and the seats are at par with the First Class. A First Class in any other airline is equivalent to the Business Class in KLM. Which, according to you, is the best airline lounge? ; The variety and freshness of food is very good at the Frankfurt airport. They don’t serve stale food and frequently change the food items. While sitting in the lounge, one can witness the staff changing the food items two to three times. They are very quality conscious in this respect. The lounge is very big with comfortable seats and enough seating arrangements. The wi-fi section is much upgraded.

 DABOO RATNANI Leading Indian celebrity and a fashion photographer, Daboo Ratnani, is famously known for his annual calendar since its first publication in 1999. He is the cover photographer for all leading magazines like Cosmopolitan, Filmfare, Hi Blitz, Ok India, Elle, Verve, Femina, The Man and Better Homes and Gardens.

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“I WAS VERY EXCITED TO PAY MY OWN FARE ON MY FIRST FLIGHT”

Derek O’Brien, India’s quiz guru, narrates an in-flight journey he spent with a Bollywood star and one that he would like to remember for a long, long time.

Your first flight and why was it memorable? ; I never flew when I was in school: my parents and I always travelled by train. My first flight was from Ranchi to Kolkata. I was very excited to pay my own fare.

Your favourite domestic airport? ; Bengaluru. It is clean, spacious and well managed. Compares well with other international airports.

Your favourite international airport? ; Dubai; because I am there almost once a month and am very familiar

with it.

Your favourite domestic airline? ; I was very disappointed recently

with Jet Airways. At the same time, i am really thrilled that Air India has improved so much.

Your favourite international airline? ; Emirates... all the way. An airline that aims to make the journey pleasant and enjoyable for its passengers.

Your favourite airline story? ; The night I spent on a Mumbai-

Dubai flight “sleeping next to” a famous Bollywood actress… we were in different seats, so please don’t get any ideas… I did not speak to her, but knew it was her!

Your favourite aircraft? ; Undoubtedly the A380. It glides through the skies almost without motion. It is completely a different flying experience.

Which domestic airline do you think has the best Business Class? ; Air India Business Class in flight services is much better.

Which international airline do you think has the best Business Class? ; Emirates. The facilities are impressive. Comfortable seats, great in-flight entertainment, wonderful meals and friendly flight attendants.

The amenity kit for each Business Class passenger has a nice range of items.

Which, according to you, is the best airline lounge? ; Emirates lounge in JFK, New York.

It is spacious and classy with a superb selection of food and drinks, reading material and free wi-fi.

 DEREK O’ BRIEN He is the Indian television personality, who hosts the longest- running game show on television, Bournvita Quiz Contest. The ‘quiz’ guru of India, Derek O’ Brien is a media celebrity for over two decades. His shows are very popular at home and abroad. In addition to his television quiz work, O'Brien has also authored several quiz books. He has also filmed a new quiz series in Pakistan called Mind Grind. Today, He is the spokesperson for Trinamool Congress.

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“MY FIRST FLIGHT WAS WHEN I TRAVELLED TO LUCKNOW AS A BUREAUCRAT” Well known as Jaipur Foot man, D R Mehta, former Chairman SEBI, recounts his experiences when the flight he travelled hit an object.

Your first flight and why was it memorable? ; My first flight was in 1969 when I travelled from JaipurDelhi-Lucknow as a bureaucrat.

When I boarded the flight, I was all excited.

You favourite domestic airport? ; My favourite domestic airport is New Delhi.

Especially, the new terminal with all its grandeur makes it not only India’s number one airport but stands internationally also.

Your favourite international airport? ; I love London’s Heathrow airport.

It has its own old world charm. You feel you are in India with so many Indians around.

Your favourite domestic airline?

Jet Airways. Its services are very good. The aircraft are clean and comfortable and the in-flight staff treat you as their own guests.

Your favourite international airline? ; Air India. I like to travel by Air India as I feel I am travelling, in my own country in Indian ambience and also like their immaculately

dressed in-flight staff.

Your favourite airlines story? ; Once when I was travelling from New

York to Delhi by Air India, the flight hit some object while landing at Amsterdam.

All the passengers aboard were petrified with the impact the flight created. But all the passengers were safe and the pilot assured everyone that there was nothing to fear at all.

Your favourite aircraft? ; My favourite aircraft is a jumbo. I feel as if I am in a big skyscraper hotel whenever I travel in it.

Which domestic airline do you think has the best Business Class? ; It's in Jet Airways. The in-flight staff of the Jet Airways Business Class takes utmost care of the passengers. The seating arrangement is very good and comfortable too.

It is also very spacious so that it is very relaxing.

Which international airline do you think has the best Business Class? ; I would rate Singapore Airlines best because of its 180-degree seats theand the service and food.

Which, according to you, has the best airline lounge? ; It’s Air India. You feel so comfortable with its ambience and the touch of Indianness.

 D R MEHTA Padma Bhushan D R Mehta, a top bureaucrat, was Chairman of the Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBI), and is known all over the world as Jaipur Foot man. Mehta also served as the Deputy Governor, Reserve Bank of India. On the social side, D R Mehta, is actively involved in providing the handicapped with artificial limbs through his NGO and also has been supporting leprosy patients.

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“MY REWARD WAS MY FIRST TRIP ON AIR” Fashion designer J J Valaya, known for his rich, embellished couture lines, recounts his royal treatment in the air.

Your first flight and why was it memorable?

My first flight was memorable for me, as I was awarded the KLM-NIFT Award, which consisted of a ticket as a signing amount for a fashion show. I cannot forget this trip, as this was the beginning of my career in 1992.

Your favourite domestic airport?

I like the Bengaluru airport. I was surprised at the beauty of the airport. It is away from the city, made in the outskirts. It has its own beauty since it is made out of town without any interference of modern development.

The airport has its own charm.

Your favourite international airport?

London Heathrow airport has a great charm about itself. It shows the colours of the big city. That does

J J VALAYA The Monarch of Indian Fashion. That is what J J Valaya, the trend-setter of the fashion fraternity, is known as. His splendid collection of hand embroideries and exquisite bridal trousseau is a rage in the fashion world. He launched his brand under his own name, “J J Valaya”, in 1991, comprising couture line of attire that gained accolades from the fashion fraternity. This was followed by “Valaya Home” in 1996 and a prêt label “Studio Valaya” in 1999.

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not mean that the smaller cities are not more luxurious but they are more welcoming too.

Your favourite domestic airline?

There is a tie between Kingfisher and Jet Airways. I regard both as the best.

Your favourite international airline?

I find Qatar Airways as the best.

More than the short duration flights, it is in the long-haul ones, which are managed excellently.

Your favourite airline story?

Three years ago, I booked my tickets on the first class of a flight. To my amazement, I found that I was the only passenger who was travelling by first class. There was nobody other than me who was going by the first class. The crew treated me like a prince.

I can never forget the royal treatment I got on that journey.

Your favourite aircraft?

My favourite aircraft is the Emirates A380 from Dubai. It has a huge body with a good legroom.

There is plenty of space for all classes. A personal satellite phone is fitted to each seat on the A380 aircraft, which also carries a seat-back SMS and email service.

Any aircraft, which does not have any entertainment, is a total downer for me. That way, the A380 is supported by a wonderful entertainment system.

Which domestic airline do you think has the best Business Class?

I like Jet Airways for its space. And Kingfisher is my favourite too, especially for its service. They take utmost care of their passengers.

Which international airline do you think has the best Business Class?

I find Qatar Airways as the best. Even Emirates is good, especially the long-haul ones. From the staff to the service to the entire crew attitude, everything is well taken care off.

Which, according to you, is the best airline lounge?

I like the lounge of the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse at Heathrow airport. It is full of stylish features and interiors, with service designed to feel like a private members’ club. In Qatar, I like the Doha airport lounge. From the food to staff, everything is so well managed. The Doha lounge is very special as it has a coffee shop and it pampers you with hand and foot spa service as well.

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“MY FIRST FLIGHT WAS A NOVEL AND EXCITING EXPERIENCE” Julio Francis Ribeiro, a supercop, has travelled around the world on a number of airlines but he remembers a flight from Warsaw to Bucharest distinctly because he had not been careful when he took his boarding pass.

Your first flight and why was it memorable? ; I was 44 at the time when I flew with Indian Airlines for the first time on March 1, 1973. I was being sent on a deputation from Mumbai to Hyderabad to take over as the DIG of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). Since it was my first flight, it was a very novel and exciting experience, as I had always travelled earlier by train and ship (to my hometown Goa for holidays).

Your favourite domestic airport? ; I find all the airports almost similar but at the Mumbai airport, I get preferential treatment, as they know me well.

Your favourite international airport? ; I have been visiting London once every year for the last 15 years. So, I use the Heathrow airport quite often.

Although I am not a great shopper but I shop for a few bottles of liquor and chocolates at the airport.

Your favourite domestic airline? ; I mostly travel by Jet Airways. The

Indian Airlines treat me well too but since I regularly travel by Jet, I acquire frequent flyer points. But the day I won’t be able to utilise these points, I wouldn’t mind flying with any other airlines, most probably Kingfisher Airlines with which I had travelled once and quite liked it.

Your favourite international airline? ; Although I travel to Heathrow by Jet Airways, as it has good connectivity, I like Lufthansa and British Airways too.

Your favourite airline story? ; When I was the Ambassador to Romania, I had to travel once from Bucharest to Warsaw, Poland. I flew with the Romanian airline, Tarom Airlines that has no First Class or Business Class — only the Economy Class. I handed over my ticket at the counter and they gave me two boarding passes, for me and for my wife. I never checked the ticket counterfoils and we boarded the plane. Then there was an announcement that one passenger was missing and so they took out our entire luggage for security purposes. Ultimately, they announced that the missing passenger hadn’t checked in any luggage. Then we flew to Warsaw and we spent around a week there. While returning to Bucharest by the same airlines, I presented my tickets at the airport. The executive told me that I could fly but my wife could not. I was astounded to hear this and wanted to know the reason. The executive said that there was only one ticket. Then it struck to me that while coming, the executive at Bucharest airport had torn an extra ticket by mistake. This was the reason they found one passenger missing while coming in. Then I explained the situation to the senior officials and had to give in writing that if anyone else checked in on that ticket, I would compensate the airline.

Your favourite aircraft?

 JULIO FRANCIS RIBEIRO

; I am not very conversant with the

Julio Francis Ribeiro is a retired police officer and civil servant. He has held various responsible positions during his career, and led the Punjab Police during a part of the Punjab insurgency period. In 1987, he was awarded the Padma Bhushan. Since his retirement, he has served on corporate boards of directors and performed social work.

different kinds of aircraft.

Which domestic airline do you think has the best Business Class? ; I don’t think there is much difference here.

Which international airline do you think has the best Business Class? ; They all appear similar to me.

Which, according to you, is the best airline lounge? ; Frankfurt Airport, Germany, has a fantastic airline lounge.

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INTERVIEW

“WE LOVED THE PAMPERING ON OUR FIRST FLIGHT AS KIDS” Speedster Karun Chandhok narrates his first flight as a fearless kid as more memorable than any of the racing events in his life.

Your first flight and why was it memorable? ; My first flight was as a kid during summer vacations to the United States of America. It was the most memorable one as I travelled by Lufthansa Airlines. The crew members took extra efforts to entertain us throughout the journey. We did not feel any fear that we were travelling without our parents.

We were given whatever we wanted to eat. That's the reason why my parents always preferred Lufthansa for us, as it was economical as well as the kind of pampering that we used to get.

Your favourite domestic airport? ; The Delhi airport is any day my favourite: right from the airport to the washrooms, everything is neat and clean. The multi-cuisine food joints are very interesting. The same goes for Hyderabad. Although a huge crowd uses the airport, the management is so good in handling that the ambience is very calm and relaxed.

Your favourite domestic airline? ; As I take at least 120 flights a year, I like to fly Jet Airways and Kingfisher.

They are my favourite domestic airlines. Jet Airways is very good in terms of efficiency and usually the flights are on time while Kingfisher’s ground staff is very good. They take the utmost care from the baggage to the in-flight seating arrangement.

Which domestic airline do you think has the best Business Class? ; Kingfisher has the best Business Class. The ground staff as well as the staff in the air take good care. The food in the Kingfisher Business Class is something I look forward to, as there are lots of options to explore.

Which international airline do you think has the best Business Class? ; Singapore Airlines has the best Business Class.With spacious seating arrangements, it is very relaxing for long journeys. As for entertainment, it has all amenities like games, TV shows, movies and learning tools too.

Which, according to you, is the best airline lounge? ; Dubai Airport — it consists of a wide array of food joints, entertainment and shopping plaza. One does not get bored if he has to wait for long hours to catch a flight.

Your favourite international airline? ; Singapore Airlines has always been my favourite, as it serves great food with top-class service.

Your favourite airline story? ; Last month I had to travel to four different destinations in four days time. And I had the wonderful chance of travelling by the A380 to London, Emirates and Singapore. It

 KARUN CHANDHOK India’s Formula 1 racer, the Missile from Chennai as he’s fondly called, Karun has taken on the most daunting circuits in the pinnacle of motor sport. He has been signed by the Hispania Racing Team for the 2010 Formula 1 World Championship.

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Your favourite aircraft? ; The Boeing 777 is my favourite aircraft especially for long duration travel, as it has nice seating arrangements.

CRUISING HEIGHTS January 2011

Photo: H.C.Tiwari

Your favourite international airport? ; London’s T5 Heathrow airport is the best international airport. Being the world’s busiest airport, it has a huge capacity to handle the passengers and their needs. It is user-friendly and has a

huge shopping arcade with more than 100 outlets. Self-service check-in is also available. It is simple and safe to use and can save you a lot of time at the airport.

was amazing to journey in a huge double-decker.

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“I GOT A HUGE BOUQUET FROM THE CABIN CREW” Khushbu Sundar, actress-turned-politician and a fitness freak, was pleasantly surprised when she received roses from an airhostess. Today, she would like all airports to have gyms to ease tension during long air journeys.

Your first flight and why was it memorable? ; Indian Airlines was my first flight at the age of five when I was a child artiste for the Hindi movie Burning Train. It was a very memorable one, as I was flying with my own money with top actors like Sunil Dutt, Simi Garewal and other famous actors of the Hindi film industry accompanied by my entire family. The flight was from Mumbai to Bengaluru.

Your favourite domestic airport? ; My favourite domestic airport is the Cochin Airport, as the interiors represent the traditional designs of Kerala, which no other airport has adopted. This way people, who fly through Cochin airport, will be exposed to the beautiful Kerala tradition. This way, Indian airports can promote Indian culture.

Your favourite domestic airline?

Jet Airways is well regarded for its customer focus and brand value. It has always stood out from the rest in terms of food, service, punctuality, and baggage handling.

Your favourite international airline? ; Emirates and Malaysian airlines are my favourite airlines. When I am on a long duration flight, I end up getting fatigued, but in Emirates airlines they provide with in-seat massage setting, which is very de-stressing. So by the time you arrive at your destination, you are fresh and ready to go. Not only that, they have an exquisite menu. Moreover, the baggage allowance of 30 kg makes things easier especially when you travel with two naughty kids.

Your favourite international airport?

Your favourite airline story?

; Dubai airport. Other than the shop-

; I was travelling by Kingfisher

ping plazas and restaurants, the airport also consists of a gym and workout areas. As I am very regular with my fitness regime that I don’t miss this aspect when I go to Dubai. Doing this also helps me stay healthy during the flight.

The Chennai international airport too is excellent. They have all amenities from net-surfing to kids play area.

to Hyderabad and I was amazed when the whole crew on board were all smiles and were continuously serving me with chocolates and gifts. Half way through the journey, I was presented with a huge bouquet of red roses by one of the airhostesses, as it was my

wedding anniversary. Later, I saw my husband Sundar sitting behind my seat. I can never forget this wonderful gesture by the whole crew of Kingfisher who teamed up with my husband to celebrate our anniversary.

Your favourite aircraft? ; The Boeing Jumbo Jet is my favourite

aircraft, as it is gigantic as well as the interiors are so good.

Which domestic airline do you think has the best Business Class? ; Kingfisher and Jet Airways have the best Business Class. Especially their cuisines are very attractive. They have always maintained high standards in maintaining quality with respect to food and beverages.

Which international airline do you think has the best Business Class? ; Singapore has the best Business Class.

Which, according to you, is the best airline lounge?

British Airways lounge is one of the best, as it consists of excellent food as well as innumerable books for book-lovers like me.

 KHUSHBU SUNDAR Khushbu Sundar, actress, anchor, director and politician, has acted in various Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam films, winning numerous accolades for her outstanding work.

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INTERVIEW

“I ALMOST FELT THAT THIS WOULD BE MY LAST FLIGHT” Eloquent Member of Parliament Manish Tewari shares his near death-like experience on air.

Your first flight and why was it memorable? ; My first flight was in the December of 1978. I took a flight from Jammu to Srinagar and the reason why it was memorable was because it bumped extensively, especially when the flight was over Banihal. I almost felt that this would be my last flight, so I guess that's what made it really memorable.

would any day prefer Air India.

Especially when you travel by the first class in Air India, you get an out-ofthe-world experience. There are other international airlines which I consider the best are Qatar Airways, Etihad, Eastern airlines like Cathay.

Your favourite airline story? occurred, in the year 1988, when I was coming back from Chandigarh. There was some kind of miscommunication between the pilot and the co-pilot. It seemed as if they were not talking to each other. There was some silly fight, which was going on between them and when the flight reached Delhi airport, the pilot forgot to open the wheels of the flight. So when the flight landed without the wheels, there was a loud thump. What worried me was, the late Devi Lal was also travelling with us in the same flight. Somehow, no mishap occurred. Every one was safe.

Your favourite domestic airport? would be Delhi after it has been redone. After the whole process of construction is done, the outcome is going to be a fairly good airport terminal.

Your favourite international airport? ; To my liking, I have not one favourite airport but three of them. I like Suvarnabhumi airport of Bangkok. I am really fond of Florida and the airport in Frankfurt too.

Your favourite aircraft? ; I flew on the new A380 recently from Singapore to Melbourne and I think that was a fantastic flight. A380 is a very good aircraft.

 MANISH TEWARI

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Your favourite International airline? ; Even in international airlines, I

; The most interesting incident

; My favourite domestic airport

Manish Tewari started his profession as an advocate in 1992. He runs his own law firm and practices in the Supreme Court of India.The firm has offices in all the major metros in India and he became a politician from Ludhiana. He was the president of Indian Youth Congress from 1998 to 2000.

Today, he is Congress MP and spokesperson of All India Congress Committee.

Your favourite domestic airline? ; Undoubtedly, the Indian Airlines, which is now called the Air India. No matter how many new airlines come, Air India is the most reliable one. It is reliable not only in terms of the spectrum of connectivity but also in terms of performance too.

Which domestic airlines do you think has the best Business Class? ; Kingfisher undoubtedly has the best Business Class. Generally, the ambience of the entire experience is very good so therefore it deserve appreciation in keeping the best Business Class.

Which international airlines do you think has the best Business Class? ; I am fond of the Business Class of Austrian Airlines, Finnair, Qatar Airways and Etihad.

Photo: H.C.Tiwari

Which, according to you, is the best airline lounge? ; I like the airline lounge of Suvarnabhumi airport of Bangkok.

Singapore’s airline lounge too is undoubtedly the best.

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Your first flight and why was it memorable? ; I boarded a flight for the first time in the year 2000, when I got selected for Seventh East Indian Championship, which was held in West Bengal. As I am a farmer's daughter, I have never been outside my village except on a horse-cart. So when the plane took off, it was a different feeling altogether. I could see the mountains below the clouds from the flight, which looked like heaven for me.

Your favourite domestic airport? ; I like Delhi airport as I have gone

through Delhi airport for most of my boxing events that took place in India.

Your favourite international airport? ; During the Commonwealth Games, this year, I had gone through the Delhi airport. It is one of the amazing airports we have in our country. The interiors have been so beautifully done that it has its own class to it.

Your favourite domestic airline? ; I like Air India. The first flight I have boarded in my life is Air India.

And till this day, I have seen that it has been consistently maintaining its standard when it comes to food and service.

Your favourite international airline? ; I like Air India and Kingfisher. The inflight staff of Kingfisher airlines are very warm. They give the same kind of treatment to everyone.

Mostly, the celebrities travelling in a flight get royal treatment by the flight staff. But in a

“IT LOOKED LIKE HEAVEN TO SEE MOUNTAINS BELOW THE CLOUDS ON MY FIRST FLIGHT” The gritty boxer, M C Marycom, recounts how an airline’s staff came to her rescue in an alien country.

Kingfisher airline, the in-flight staff take care of all the passengers in the same way.

really worried as to what I will do without money and passport. Attending the selection camp was also very important.

Your favourite airline story? ; Once when I had gone for a selec-

Your favourite aircraft?

tion camp for the first Asian Women's Boxing Championships in Bangkok, my luggage and passport got stolen. At that point in time, my parents asked me to come back to Manipal. I contacted the Air India staff from Bangkok, they asked me not to worry.

They quickly arranged for all the necessary papers and also they arranged for a return ticket that too without charging me anything. When I boarded the flight, the staff walked up to me and even congratulated me for my future boxing events. This is something I can never forget as I was a stranger in a different country and was

; I don’t know much about the

aircraft.

Which domestic airline do you think has the best Business Class? ; I have travelled once in Kingfisher Business Class.

Which international airline do you think has the best Business Class? ; I have not travelled in Business Class in an international airline so far.

Which, according to you, is the best airline lounge? ; I like Delhi lounge, as I have been there many times. From the bookstalls to food joints, everything is interesting about the Delhi lounge.

 M C MARYCOM With grit and determination and a never-say-die attitude, M C Marycom is the first woman boxer from India to have won five world titles consecutively. She has more than three Asian titles and 11 national titles under her belt.

She is a recipient of Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, Padma Shri and Arjuna Award.

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“BIG ROUND GOLD CHOCOLATES MADE ME VERY HAPPY DURING MY FIRST FLIGHT” Ghazal singer Padmashri Penaz Masani recounts her love for flying despite one horrible experience that she went through when she was a kid.

Your first flight and why was it memorable?

My first flight was with the Czech Airlines when I was 12 years old. At that time, it was so aristocratic to fly, it was not something one would take as casually, as is the case now-a-days.

During the pre-Independence period, people would plan and dress up for flying in hats, gloves and lovely dresses. Unlike today, where we fly with shorts and slippers, I feel people have lost the value and pleasure of flying today. I was very excited for my first flight. I was flying to Prague with my mother and sister on a tour of Europe. I went on a half ticket, as I was still not 12. And as I was not used to flying, I was air-sick, which made me vomit as soon as I boarded the flight. The airline crew gave medicines and also big gold-wrapped chocolates that I still remember. Though I couldn’t stand the thought of food during the whole of my flight, the sight of

PENAZ MASANI Magnificent and a vibrant performer, Ghazal singer Penaz Masani has established herself as a playback singer in the film industry. She is the first female artiste who has held 500 solo performances running into a record in India alone. The state government of Uttar Pradesh— India's largest state — conferred the unique title of “Shehzadi Tarunnam” on Penaz, in recognition of being the best ghazal singer in the country.

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those big round gold chocolates made me

very happy. I can’t believe that I used to hate flying but now I have become such a traveller. And now I actually enjoy flying a lot.

Your favourite domestic airport?

I like Hyderabad airport. And I love my Mumbai airport a lot. But these days, I have become fond of Delhi airport because of T3 that seemed very good to me though I still have to explore it completely.

Your favourite international airport?

I like the Bangkok airport, as it is very colourful and there are lotsof happening all the time.

Your favourite domestic airline?

I hold a platinum card of Jet Airways and get nice treatment. I used to be an Indian Airlines traveller but the service at Jet is very good.

Your favourite international airline?

By far, Singapore Airlines is the best due to the impeccable service and kindness of the staff. They are very humble and efficient.

Your favourite airline story?

Offhand, I can’t think of anything dear.

Your favourite aircraft?

I really like those old airbus aircraft where we used to go up and sit in the Business Class in Air India flights though I love the aircraft, that fly to London

by Jet Airways too. The aircraft where we used to sit in the First Class and Business Class were gorgeous too. The normal Jet Airways international Business Class and First Class are really superb.

Which domestic airline do you think has the best Business Class?

Jet Airways Which international airline do you think has the best Business Class?

Singapore Airlines for its service and efficiency.

Which, according to you, is the best airline lounge?

The business lounge at terminal four of the Heathrow airport is very good.

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“I ASKED AN AIRHOSTESS IF SHE IS A MEMBER OF THE MILE HIGH CLUB!”

Prahlad Kakkar, the adman with a naughty glint in his eyes, could not help but recount his favourite airline story when he managed to pull the leg of an airhostess.

hasn't learnt to do that and I think it will take a little longer for it to do so. So, at the moment, I prefer the latter.

Your favourite international airline? ; So far, Singapore Airlines has always

been my favourite. It has great food and impeccable service. I also like Emirates for the same reason and both the airlines have great attitude too.

Your favourite airline story? ; Once I asked an airhostess if she is a

member of the mile high club and she was not aware of it. So, I really had a good time pulling her leg.

Your favourite aircraft? ; The Boeing Jumbo Jet is my

Your first flight and why was it memorable? ; My first flight was with the Indian Airlines at 22 and till that time I had never flown. At that time, I was Shyam Benegal’s assistant. He was shooting for a film at Hindustan Steel in Bhilai and had to fly to Delhi to shoot an election movie for Indira Gandhi. But he could not fly to Mumbai to edit the election movie. So, I flew everyday up and down from Mumbai to Delhi for the next six days to get Mrs Gandhi's approval. I flew morning-evening everyday!

Your favourite domestic airport? ; My favourite domestic airport is the

Delhi airport as it is very spacious and has a very relaxed atmosphere. Also, there are lots of eating options, as there are several good restaurants. It offers quite a lot of interesting shopping too.

Your favourite international airport? ; Changi is one such airport where you can spend as many as three days and never realise it. It offers a wide spectrum of entertainment and other options for passengers to indulge in.

You can watch a movie, book a hotel and catch your much-needed sleep; you can go for swimming or get a massage done. It has all the various cuisines you can think of that exists in this world and you can actually shop till you drop!

Your favourite domestic airline?

favourite aircraft as it has nice seating arrangements and is spacious too.

Which domestic airline do you think has the best Business Class? ; Kingfisher has the best Business Class, very innovative with respect to food and it invests a lot of thought process behind ordering every food item. You won’t get the kind of food at any other airline that you can get at Kingfisher's. Now, Jet is also serving interesting food, as it must have realised that it is also an important aspect. But somehow, Kingfisher feels better.

Which international airline do you think has the best Business Class? ; Though almost all the airlines have many similar features but I still think that Singapore Airlines has the best Business Class among all.

; Jet Airways used to be my favourite

domestic airline once, as it had excellent service but now it is cutting little corners that are actually making a big difference. But Kingfisher Airlines still

Which, according to you, is the best airline lounge? ; Changi and Bangkok airports have excellent airline lounges.

 PRAHLAD KAKKAR Leading Indian ad film director, most known as the creator of the famous Pepsi TV commercial with Amitabh Bachchan and Sachin Tendulkar, Prahlad Kakkar is also the founder-director of Director for Genesis Film Production. An avid scuba diver, in 1995 he set up ‘Lacadives’, a scuba-diving school, along with his wife Mitali Kakar at Kadmat Island, Lakshadweep, and in 2000, became a CMAS 2-Star Scuba Diving Instructor. He also runs a coffee shop, and Casa Amore, a wine bar and restaurant, set up in Mumbai in 2001.

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“I WAS HAPPY TO GET SWEETS ON MY FIRST FLIGHT”

Fashion Designer Pria Kataria Puri recalls her flying experiences that were, most often, colourful.

Your first flight and why was it memorable? ; I remember, my first flight was when I was five years old. I took a flight from Delhi to Srinagar. I hated the ear pain which I got due to air pressure.

But I was very happy to get sweets on a tray. I even hated the cologne that Air India sprayed.

Your favourite domestic airport?

Your favourite international airline? ; My favourite international

airline is Qatar Airways, Etihad, Cathay Pacific and Emirates. Passengers are presented with dining menus specially prepared in leather-bound folders. A selection of champagne are a regular feature in both cabins.

Your favourite airline story? ; Once I had requested for seafood

meal in Air India. But somehow the crew forgot to process the request. But the pilot offered to give his seafood meal, which was a very sweet gesture by the pilot. At another time, once I was travelling from San Francisco to London.

I left my wallet in the seat pocket. But before I could realise my loss, the wallet was delivered to me in my hotel before I reached. When I was on Emirates flight from Dubai to Mumbai, the entire New Zealand cricket team welcomed me in the first class as I was the only girl sitting with them, it was the most super fun flight.

; I find Hyderabad airport the best and

Mumbai stands as the second. The Hyderabad airport is supported with a matchless terminal and passenger friendly facilities and services.

Your favourite aircraft? ; My favourite aircraft is Airbus A318. It has a shorter cabin and smaller capacity. The aircraft provides extra five inches of legroom, which makes travel for long hours comfortable.

Your favourite international airport? ; Dubai international airport is my

favourite airport. The airport consists of all facilities like hotel, health club, business centre, currency exchanges, restaurants, children’s play area, medical centre and prayer room.

Which domestic airline do you think has the best Business Class? ; I like to travel by Kingfisher. The Business Class of Kingfisher is unique in the sense that it has USB connectors on each seat, which makes travel convenient, as one can connect with the USB and do his work. There is mood lighting, web chatting and e-mail facilities also available, which make it the best Business Class.

Your favourite domestic airline? ; I love to travel by Kingfisher or Jet Airways.

Kingfisher has delectable gourmet cuisine and a revolutionary personal in-flight entertainment system onboard.

 PRIA KATARIA A savvy fashion designer, Pria Kataria Puri has always strived to keep India’s ancient heritage of fine craftsmanship alive through her outfits. She is a recipient of Bharat Yuva Ratna Award and the Bharat Vikas Award.

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Which international airline do you think has the best Business Class? ; I like the Business Class of Qatar airlines.

Which, according to you, is the best airline lounge? ; I feel Dubai international airport has the best airline lounge.

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Your first flight and why was it memorable? ; My first flight was from Kolkata to Delhi in the sixties. I was a very young man then and went to meet my publisher.

He had promised to publish my poems, and he did but a few years later. In the meantime, I found a publisher in Kolkata. But I remember that flight clearly in my mind. It was full of so much magic and expectation. I felt as if I had suddenly grown wings, like Icarus.

Your favourite domestic airport? ; Currently, Mumbai airport because it means coming home… I love travelling and I do it all the time. But I love coming home even more. There is something special about that.

Your favourite international airport? ; Heathrow, not because it's the best airport in the world but because it is the airport I am most familiar with and most comfortable in. I love London. It's like being in India.

Your favourite domestic airline? ; I like Air India, which includes Indian Airlines, because of the warmth and comfort they always offer. Everyone there knows me, comes and says hello, tries their best to look after me. Even the porters are like friends. But yes, I travel Jet Airways more often these days because the flights are better timed, the delays are less, and yes, you get better ticket prices. Which Indian doesn't like a good deal? The problem with Air India is that it still have that Government-undertaking mindset. It has not changed with the times.

Your favourite international airline? ; I enjoyed Virgin when it was plying on the Mumbai-London-Mumbai route. It was warm, charming, lots of fun. The massages, 30,000 feet up in the air, were delightful, not in terms of great masseurs

 PRITISH NANDY Journalist, politician, painter, poet, media and television personality, animal activist, film producer and much more, Pritish Nandy is a versatile and creative person. He has also published his numerous works on poetry and produced many meaningful films for television.

“I FELT AS IF I HAD SUDDENLY GROWN WINGS LIKE ICARUS” Extraordinarily gifted, Pritish Nandy unveils his secret about how an airplane journey actually changed the journey of his life. but just that someone was clever enough to think of it.

Your favourite airline story? ; I must confess I have many. I am lucky to have met some of the most beautiful and charming women on flights as co-passengers, and in many ways they not only changed my journeys but my life. I believe in serendipity, and there is no place better than an aircraft and occasionally, an airport, to meet someone you never

thought could make such a difference to your world. I have been lucky enough to meet several such people on my journeys, all women, interestingly.

Your favourite aircraft? ; I love wide-bodied aircraft. I hate flights

like New York-Washington DC or, even worse, the flight to Telluride, which I once took from Denver on such a tiny aircraft that I was told to check-in my laptop. Of course, check-in meant loading it yourself in the aircraft’s belly. The local flights in the US are all pretty awful really. They are like our buses.

Which domestic airline do you think has the best Business Class? ; I like both Jet and Kingfisher. Both function very well in terms of their timings.

However, they are not always convenient and these days their flights don’t always take off.

Which international airline do you think has the best Business Class? ; On an international flight, when you are travelling Business Class, you want a 100 per cent flat bed. Most airlines lie about their flat beds. They offer seats that go down almost horizontally. That is not flat bed. I remember flying to LA by Cathay in First Class. That was what I call a true flat bed experience.

Which, according to you, is the best airline lounge? ; All airline lounges are pretty awful — they are usually overcrowded, the food is miserable and the staff, when available, even worse. I have often wondered why no airline pays more attention to its lounges.

It’s a nightmare changing planes or waiting in-between flights simply because lounges everywhere are horrible. But then, probably I feel that way because the loneliest place on the planet is an airport lounge. So, on a to-do list, every airline needs to pay more attention to its lounge.

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“IT WAS THE FIRST TIME I WAS ABOVE THE CLOUDS” Rahul Sharma, the young musical braveheart, recalls his unpleasant experience when he lost something close to his heart: his santoor.

Your first flight and why was it memorable?

I went on my first flight when I was seven years old. My father took me to Kashmir. The flight was very special because for the first time I was above the clouds and they looked so beautiful. What an unforgettable experience that was!

Your favourite domestic airport?

My favourite domestic airport is Hyderabad Shamshabad airport. It has plenty of open space. The design and architecture are impressive. It has been built with all modern comforts, amenities and international standards in mind.

Your favourite international airport?

My favourite international airport is Hong Kong. The view

RAHUL SHARMA Son of renowned santoor maestro Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma, Rahul is hugely successful across the globe with his experimentations with pure Indian classical music and thematic music. He has also excelled himself as a music director in Indian films and has numerous albums to his credit.

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is spectacular through the huge glass windows.

Your favourite domestic airline?

Kingfisher Airlines for its great service. The seats are very nice; there

is a good selection of movies and most important is that the flights are on time.

Your favourite international airline?

My favourite international airline is Cathay Pacific. The 180-degree flat beds give you a very comfortable sleep and provide excellent privacy. The in-flight service is also of a high standard.

Your favourite airline story?

My airline stories are mostly bad ones! I was on a KLM flight from Amsterdam to Texas. My flight had been delayed for more than seven to eight hours and after landing, I discovered that my santoor and bags were missing. They arrived a day later.

Your favourite aircraft?

My favourite aircraft is the Boeing 747 — the Jumbo Jet. Earlier, I used to love sitting on the first floor. Now the 777 is very comfortable. Especially the new Air India aircraft that fly non-stop between Mumbai and New York.

Which domestic airline do you think has the best Business Class?

Kingfisher Airlines has the best Business Class in my opinion. The cabin is cheerful and bright. The in-flight crew is very courteous and the cuisine is excellent.

Which international airline do you think has the best Business Class?

I would definitely choose Cathay Pacific for its service.

The helpful and amiable flight crew, wide choice of food and drinks and great entertainment — all contribute to making the flight extremely comfortable and pleasant.

Which, according to you, is the best airline lounge?

My favourite international lounge is in Hong Kong for its facilities. One can shower and be fresh before travelling. I would also mention the lounge in Frankfurt that is connected directly to the departure gate, which is very convenient for passengers. I also like the lounge at Hyderabad airport. It is very comfortable, spacious and has a pleasing view.

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Your first flight and why was it memorable? ; I had my first flight along with my friends Ravikant and Shashikant Jargar in 1972 when we were in school. The Jaipur-Mumbai trip cost us `300 each.

I remember it was a hopping flight and we were very excited. On our return our friends in school treated us like astronauts and for days together we used to narrate our first flight experience.

Which is your favourite domestic airport? ; It’s the new terminal at New Delhi.

I like it for its spaciousness, good restaurants and lounges that gives you a very pleasant feeling. I thought Mumbai was better earlier, but now I would rate New Delhi as number one.

Your favourite international airport? ; Amsterdam. I like its lounges and vibrant shops, casinos, food courts and the shops even sell tulips there. I had an opportunity to stay one full day at Amsterdam airport, which had an attached hotel. It was a good experience and the staff of the airport made my stay very comfortable.

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“OUR FRIENDS TREATED US LIKE ASTRONAUTS AFTER OUR FIRST FLIGHT” Exporter Rajiv Jain shares his near death-like experience when the aircraft plunged 1,500 feet in the air. and cream-coloured aircraft and ambience. The ground staff as well as the crew are very well trained and well behaved. I like the way they take care of the luggage. Of course, I like their food also.

Your favourite international airline? ; It’s a difficult question to answer

because I like Emirates and KLM. But when I travel to London and New York I opt for Jet Airways because of its Indianness. The crew treats you like its own guest. The seats are very comfortable where I can stretch out.

Your favourite domestic airline? ; Kingfisher with its new bright red

 RAJIV JAIN Rajiv Jain, an exporter of gem and jewellery from Jaipur, heads the Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council. Jain, with a strength of 5,000 members spread all over the country, is primarily involved in introducing Indian gem and jewellery products to the international market and promotes their exports. He is a director of the International Colored Stones Association with its headquarters in New York.

Your favourite airline story? ; I was travelling by Jet Airways from Mumbai to Jaipur with some leading jewellers. Suddenly the aircraft changed altitude and came down 1,500 feet down. We all thought it was our last journey. But we landed safely. I also remember my flight from Nairobi to Lusaka when the tyre of one of the wheels burst, but the efficient pilot still managed a safe landing.

Your favourite aircraft? ; It’s the Jumbo 747. I like it because of its double deck and there is a lounge feeling.

Which international airline do you think has best Business Class? ; I would say Air India, which flies to the US and Emirates.

Which, according to you, is the best airline lounge? ; The KLM lounge at Amsterdam is the best because of its spaciousness and ambience.

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INTERVIEW

“MY SEAT HAD NO SEAT BELT AT ALL” Contemporary music legend Remo Fernandes remembers Goa airport when it was a lovely little stone cottage, his first plane ride to Mumbai as well as another flight where many of the aircraft’s seats had no seat belts.

Your first flight and why was it memorable?

I was a school kid and the Goa airport was a lovely little stone cottage built by the Portuguese, and the flight to Mumbai was in a tiny propeller plane. I can never forget the thrill of seeing the then virginal Goa with her endless green fields and empty golden beaches from the sky for the first time. I shoved the provided cotton so deep in my ears, my aunt in Mumbai had to pry it out with pincers the next day.

Your favourite domestic airport?

Kohima! I think I last went there in the 90s. It seemed the cutest, tiniest airport in the world, snuggled among beautiful mountains. The Naga decorations were genuine and original, not created by an interior designer. It reminded me of that old stone cottage airport in Goa… have they built an impersonal ‘modern’ one now?

Your favourite international airport?

The other extreme: Singapore. I

feel it beats most Western airports in terms of user-friendliness.

Your favourite domestic airline?

Kingfisher. Not only is it extremely efficient, it’s got the friendliest staff on board and on the ground.

Your favourite international airline?

Singapore Airlines. The friendliness, efficiency and quality are impeccable.

Your favourite airline story?

An ancient domestic airline made pompous announcements about its commitment to safety, ‘ordering’ everyone to fasten their seat belts before take-off — when I noticed my seat had no seat belt at all. The airhostess I summoned wasn’t shocked or even surprised; she just asked me to change my seat. As you can guess, the airline had plenty of empty seats.

REMO FERNANDES A pop/rock/Indian fusion artist and playback singer from Goa, Remo Fernandes is one of the very few artists in India who performs fully live, without backing tracks or lip-sync, whether he’s performing alone, with his band, or with just half his band. His performances are known for high-voltage excitement and total audience involvement. He has taken part in many music festivals around the world and today writes and sings his songs in five different languages: English, Hindi, French, Portuguese, and Konkani.

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Your favourite aircraft?

The Concorde. Besides the incredible interior, I found the exterior extremely aesthetic and futuristic — much more so than latter aircraft. Like something out of space odyssey.

Which domestic airline do you think has the best Business Class?

Kingfisher. I’m not a personal fan of Mallya, but the devil must be given his due!

Which international airline do you think has the best Business Class?

Of course, I would nominate Singapore Airlines once again. Why, their Economy Class, which my band has told me about, seems better than many other airlines’ Business Class!

Which, according to you, is the best airline lounge?

I like the Dubai Business Class Lounge, as it is spacious, and the full glass wall gives it an almost outdoor feel. There are more luxurious and better equipped lounges in the world, but most tend to feel a bit claustrophobic during a long wait.

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Your first flight and why was it memorable? ; My first flight, as I can recall, was on a Dakota. In mid-flight, the door of the aircraft suddenly opened and had to be hurriedly closed by the airhostess.

Your favourite domestic airport? ; I have yet to travel through Delhi’s Terminal 3. That is an experience I hope to have in the near future. Otherwise my choice is Hyderabad. Clean and spacious, the airport is well-maintained. There are excellent facilities with free wi-fi and laptop areas. Security and check-in convenient and fast. Hyderabad competes well with many international airports.

Your favourite international airport? ; Changi in Singapore. It is a model airport. Complete passenger comfort and various entertainment facilities are the best features of the airport. There are great shopping options and the lounges are impressive. The Transit Hotel is the perfect place to have a nap and get refreshed.

Your favourite domestic airline? ; I prefer Kingfisher because of its attention to detail. I also like the decor and the bright interiors.

Your favourite international airline? ; Emirates. The in-flight service is of excellent standard. The seats are comfortable with an attentive crew and great cuisine.

Your favourite airline story? ; A few decades ago, I was travelling to Ambadi (Jalpaiguri) near Darjeeling in West Bengal.

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“THE DOOR OF THE DAKOTA SUDDENLY OPENED ON MY FIRST FLIGHT”

Sabyasachi Hajara, a veteran in the shipping industry, shares his onboard experience of travelling with unusual sets of co-passengers.

Believe it or not, there was a bunch of goats as our co-passengers!

Your favourite aircraft? ; A380. The seats recline to a fully flat

bed. Entertainment system is state-of-theart. Very smooth flight. Overall, a very pleasant experience.

Which domestic airline do you think has the best Business Class? ; Kingfisher because it has class. Good food, plush interiors and courteous flight attendants— all contribute to a very smooth flight.

Which international airline do you think has the best Business Class? ; In my opinion

Kingfisher offers the best option.

The leg space is very good, food is tasty and well served and the flight attendants are attentive. On the whole, it is a very enjoyable flying experience. I would also like to mention Air India for its warm and friendly service, tasty cuisine and comfortable sleep so that I am fresh and rested on arrival.

Which, according to you, is the best airline lounge? ; British Airways First and Club Class Lounge at Heathrow. Quite spacious, it has a good selection of papers, magazines, etc. There are ample food and drink options. There are plenty of quiet spaces to relax in.

The staff is polite and helpful when required.

 SABYASACHI HAJARA Sabyasachi Hajara is the Chairman and Managing Director of the Shipping Corporation of India. A veteran of the shipping fraternity for over three decades, Hajara has vast experience of the maritime business.

Associated with a host of management and industry associations, Hajara is also part of the Board of Trustees of the Mumbai Port Trust.

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INTERVIEW

“A BEAUTIFUL AIRHOSTESS ASKED ME IF I WAS A MODEL” Bollywood hunk Suniel Shetty, best remembered for his muscles and action roles, recounts his soul-lifting experience when he misplaced gifts for his children.

Your first flight and why was it memorable? ; It was in the early years when I was doing graduation. It was a memorable trip as a very beautiful airhostess walked up to me to ask whether I was a model as I was physically fit. I was very excited to get such lovely compliments and that too from a beautiful airhostess.

Your favourite domestic airport? ; Mumbai airport. Especially, its

interiors have been beautifully designed.

I like it for its neatness and its bookstores. The food at the restaurants there is very tasty.

Your favourite international airport? ; Heathrow. My children and wife love Heathrow airport as we visit London once every year. My family loves the food there especially the special brownie, which they serve in

 SUNIEL SHETTY Film actor, producer, hotelier and liquor and fashion boutique owner Suniel Shetty is famously known as the macho man of the Bollywood movies. He also owns some hotels specialising in Udupi cuisine and a clothing boutique named Mischief and has launched a company called Popcorn Entertainment to promote Bollywood actors touring abroad for stage shows and/or concerts.

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their pastry shop. I love anything that my family loves.

Your favourite domestic airline? ; Kingfisher as the ground staff and

the airline crew are so warm and helpful. The best thing about flying on Kingfisher Airlines is that they take utmost care of the children’s needs.

Your favourite international airline? ; Earlier I used to like the Air India for its services. But of late, I have been totally fascinated by Kingfisher for the kind of reception you get once you are in the air.

It is a great pleasure to fly in a Kingfisher plane, as one gets a royal treatment.

Your favourite airline story?

Once I boarded a Kingfisher airline and as the flight took off, I realised that I left a bag, which contained gifts for my kids at the Delhi airport.

Looking at my face, the airhostess enquired why I looked so worried.

When I told her about my bag of gifts, she pleasantly smiled and asked me not to worry at all. I cannot forget this incident, as within a few hours of reaching my house in Mumbai, the bag had reached the airport, as the airhostess had arranged for my bag to be brought to Mumbai. I cannot forget this kind gesture of the airhostess, as she was the cause of the smiles on my children's face.

Your favourite aircraft? ; The A380, as it looks beautiful as well as flies absolutely without any jerks. That’s the best part.

Which domestic airline do you think has the best Business Class? ; It's Kingfisher Airlines again, as it serves good food with lots of variety and options to choose from.

The airline maintains its quality in terms of service and food.

Which international airline do you think has the best Business Class? ; I like Kingfisher, as it is very spacious and one feels very relaxed as there is enough leg space too.

Moreover, the food served is the best, which no other Business Class has.

Which, according to you, is the best airline lounge? ; The Emirates lounge in Mumbai for convenience, comfort and luxury.

It has all the amenities from massage recliners to complimentary internet surfing facility.

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“I WENT FOR WORLD CADET CHAMPIONSHIP ON MY FIRST FLIGHT” Wrestler Sushil Kumar recalls how he earned one of the biggest awards he got on air.

Your first flight and why was it memorable? ; My first flight was in 1998, when I went for World Cadet Championship. My father was a bus driver and I have never travelled in a flight ever. So my first trip on flight is memorable because I was going for world championship and that too in a flight. So I was all excited when the flight took off.

It was like a dream come true sitting in a flight.

Your favourite domestic airport? ; I love Delhi airport. I have always been fascinated, especially the way Delhi airport manages so many people from all over the country.

Your favourite international airport? ; I love Delhi International airport. As far as I am concerned, it is one of the best in the world. In spite of being a huge airport, it has been well-maintained till date.

Your favourite domestic airline? ; My favourite airline is Air India.

The in-flight staff is well-behaved and well-trained and takes utmost care of the passengers on board.

Your favourite airline story? ; In India, the Indian cricketers are very popular. After receiving the Arjuna Award in 2005, I didn’t have the faintest idea that anybody even knows about wrestling. After the flight took off, there was an announcement by the flight captain saying that they were proud to announce that Sushil Kumar is travelling in this flight. One of the air hostesses asked me to stand up, as all the passengers were eager to know where I was sitting. When I stood up, everyone clapped for me. Not only that, the whole journey was spent by people coming to me for signing autographs. When the flight landed, the whole staff requested me for a group photo. This was one of my best journeys on air and I rate it as the biggest award I ever got.

Your favourite international airline? ; It is Air India again. The one aspect

Your favourite aircraft?

about the Air India staff is that they are clad in traditional Indian attire ‘sari’ that makes them look graceful. Moreover, the food served in any other international flight is usually western, but in Air India, I get to eat what I really like. I am so fond of Indian food and so I usually get ‘rice’ and ‘dal’, which I really like.

But in any other airlines, I find it very difficult in terms of the food served in the flight. Usually, I get food that I don’t relish. So Air India has throughout maintained this standard, as far as the Indian cuisine part is concerned.

; I like jumbo, for it can actually

accommodate a large number of people.

Which domestic airline do you think has the best Business Class? ; I have never travelled in Business Class.

Which international airline do you think has the best Business Class? ; I have not travelled in Business Class at all.

Which, according to you, is the best airline lounge? ; I like Mumbai’s Air India lounge.

 SUSHIL KUMAR Sushil Kumar Solanki started training at the Chhatrasal Stadium’s akhada at the age of 14. At the age of 18 he became a state champ. His first success came at the World Cadet Games in 1998 where he won the gold medal in his weight category. He won the gold medal in the 66 kg freestyle competition at the FILA 2010 World Wrestling Championships and a bronze medal in 2008 Beijing Olympics.

He is the recipient of India’s highest honour for sportspersons — Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award and Arjuna Award.

CRUISING HEIGHTS January 2011

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INTERVIEW

“…BUT I STILL THINK B A IS FABULOUS” Swapan Seth, the ace adman, shares his experience about the flight he was travelling in that had passengers for two different destinations.

Your first flight and why was it memorable?

Can’t remember the year but I was with my father and he allowed me to carry an Asian Games Bag with me.

It was way too cool a bag.

Your favourite domestic airport?

Varanasi. Fantastic chicken sandwiches in the restaurant. I even went up and complimented the chef. Really, the culinary brilliance that can pop up in certain places is amazing!

I also like Changi — it’s a great airport.

Your favourite international airport?

Heathrow. There are amazing bookstores, like W H Smith, which allow me to browse in leisure since I don't find that kind of free time when in London. Medicine shops like Boots are also there in case of an emergency. On the whole, there is an awful lot to do.

Your favourite domestic airline and your reasons for selecting it.

IndiGo. Ubercool in all respects but the food.

Your favourite international airline?

British Airways has great service,

at least to me. In spite of all the hate mail that the airline receives, the inedible food, the odious wine, and the frosty airhostesses, I still think BA is fabulous. You see, it is all about the equation of relationships. Once that is perfectly balanced, flying then is a pleasure.

Your favourite airline story?

I boarded an IndiGo flight that was ostensibly going to Delhi and discovered that half the passengers there were supposed to go to Kolkata. I pointed it out to the cabin crew. I must have got at least a hundred blessings that morning!

Your favourite aircraft?

A320: I like to fly in an aircraft I feel comfortable in — exactly which button to press for services, entertainment, etc. Familiarity is important to me.

Which domestic airline do you think has the best Business Class?

SWAPAN SETH Adman, socialite and founder of an advertising agency, Swapan Seth became famous with TATA's catchline: “Ispat bhi hum banate hain” Having worked for almost all prominent brands such as Max New York Life, Kingfisher Airlines, Whyte & Mackay, Taj Hotels, VLCC, ABN Amro, Tulip IT, Forest Essentials, DCB, etc, Seth has built his entire career as a creative man.

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CRUISING HEIGHTS December 2011

Kingfisher Airlines, which serves nice food. The airline has quite a class.

Which international airline do you think has the best Business Class?

Singapore Airlines. You get decent wine on board. The petite, servile, Asian hostesses are sweet as sugar and they make your journey all the more comfortable! The food served on board is also worth mentioning.

Which, according to you, is the best airline lounge?

British Airways First Class Lounge, Heathrow. The spread is good. They serve great bacon; just as I like it — streaky and regular fried. Speedy Internet connection is another feature worth mentioning.

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“ONE COULD SEE DETAILS OF THE GROUND THROUGH THE WINDOWS” The legendary singer Talat Aziz reminisced how he was once entranced by a Canadian pilot for his fascinating and exemplary heroic feat in air.

Your first flight and why was it memorable? ; My first flight was in the early sixties in a DC3 aircraft, which was popularly known as the Dakota. For the information of readers, this aircraft has had the best safety record and the longest. It was a flight with my father who took us for a trip. This was a memorable trip, as this wasn’t a pressurised aircraft and could only fly below 10,000 feet. But it was a very smooth flight and one could actually see details of the ground through the porthole windows.

Your favourite domestic airport? ; Earlier my favourite domestic airport was Begumpet, Hyderabad. I am talking about the one that was housed in a bungalow and those days we could walk up to the aircraft on the tarmac to see off and receive visitors.

It sounds so weird now, doesn’t it?

It was like a homely atmosphere.

And in the present day too, I like the new terminal too, which is a

 TALAT AZIZ Singer, Actor and composer, the Ghazal maestro learnt music from the famous Mehdi Hasan. He became a phenomenal success when he mesmerized everyone with his singing in the movie Umrao Jaan and Bazaar. He composed music for teleserials like Deewar, Aashirwaad and the magnum opus, Noorjehan.

Singer Talat Aziz with his wife.

state-of-the-art.

Your favourite international airport? ; My favourite international airport would be difficult because a lot of factors have to be considered. I would say one of the best layout and planned ones is the airport in Atlanta.

Your favourite domestic airline? ; My favourite domestic airline is

Kingfisher. It has the best cabin service and ground staff.

Your favourite international airline? ; Surprisingly,

Air India. The reason is the service I get is one of personalised attention.

Most of the time, the crew recognises me. Although many people would disagree and I am sure they will have their own valid reasons for it.

Your favourite airline story? ; My favourite airline story is about the Air Canada pilots who managed to land a heavy Boeing 767 without any fuel on a World War II runway on a flight from Toronto to Vancouver. By an error by the ground staff, due to a change in the measuring system from the British to the metric, they had less fuel than required and when it ran out midway they had to make an emergency landing without any power on this old, unused, II World War, vintage runway, using their angle of descent precisely to keep their air speed just enough so they would not stall and made a perfect safe landing. This was nothing short of a miracle and a tribute to the courage and cool head of the commander and his co-pilot. This is recorded as one of a kind in the annals of civil aviation. They were accorded the highest civilian honour for their feat by the Canadian government.

Your favourite aircraft? ; Amongst the heavy aircraft no doubt the Boeing 747. Recently I had flown a small eight-seater single turboprop aircraft. It’s Swiss made and is known as the Pilatus. Its cockpit configuration and avionics are a miniature of the Airbus 319. I should also mention that pilots specially the younger generation like the Airbus for the cockpit configuration and fly by wire technology.

Which domestic airline do you think has the best Business Class? ; Kingfisher Airlines.

Which international airline do you think has the best Business Class? ; Singapore Airlines.

Which, according to you, is the best airline lounge? ; Emirates Airlines.

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INTERVIEW

“I WAS APPREHENSIVE WHEN THE PLANE HIT AIR POCKETS”

Fondly known as the ‘Prince of Percussion’, Taufiq Qureshi recounts how a small kindly gesture by him earned him a gift in the air.

Your first flight and why was it memorable?

My first flight was when I was studying in the sixth or seventh standard and was travelling to London on Gulf Air with my mother and sister. After a long transit wait at Kuwait, we finally took off. I was very apprehensive when the plane hit air pockets. But the most memorable moment was when we were over London and I could see the beautiful rows of bungalows and the landscape beneath all through my window and wondered where I had come to!

Your favourite domestic airport?

Most certainly Mumbai. When my Dad would travel abroad, we would all go to see him off and have ice-cream from the Kwality kiosk in the departure lounge.

Today, I find both the Kingfisher and Jet lounges at Mumbai equally good. Since I am a frequent flier with Jet, the airline staff is friendly and familiar to me. You can

TAUFIQ QURESHI Hailed as the ‘Prince of Percussion’, son of legendary Ustad Allarakha and brother of maestro Ustad Zakir Hussain, Taufiq Qureshi is a master at blending the intricacies of traditional Indian rhythm with contemporary world beats. In 1985, Taufiq created his own fusion band ‘Surya’. His immense versatility has earned him accolades. There are several compositions and an award-winning Grammy album to his credit.

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relax, as they will always inform you when it is time to board.

an old lady who was not at all comfortable in her seat. No passenger was willing to exchange his seat with her. Out of consideration I offered my seat to her. Later, I was thanked profusely by the Flight Purser and was offered a complimentary gift of my choice from the in-flight duty-free shop. Upon his insistence, I chose a small falcon of perfume for my sister, who I was going to visit. I thought that the gesture from the airline was a very nice one.

Your favourite aircraft?

I would have loved to fly in the Concorde, since it reminded me of a gracefully floating eagle. Now, having flown in the A380, I am very impressed with the wide space even in Economy Class and the extra width of the seats.

Your favourite international airport?

Changi in Singapore. From the huge shopping area to the lounges and spa, everything is great about Changi airport. It feels good that an Asian airport is so fantastic. Whenever I fly to the US, I take an airline, which flies through Singapore.

Which domestic airline do you think has the best Business Class?

Kingfisher because it is very spacious and the interiors are bright. The satellite TV brings all the news channels that I like.

Your favourite domestic airline?

I like Jet Airways since its staff is very courteous. The personal touch in Air India’s service is also nice. As far as cuisine is concerned, Kingfisher is the best.

They are very innovative with the food they serve. For example, on most airlines there will be no choice of eggs for breakfast, but aboard Kingfisher there will be choice between Egg Benedict or flavoured omelettes. Cereals are always served for breakfast. They try to introduce variety in their meals.

Which international airline do you think has the best Business Class?

Emirates. The cabin is sleek and beautiful. The headphone output is in a convenient place. Seats are equipped with massage switches. Charging facilities of mobile phones and laptops are provided.

Champagne and great wines are served.

Appetizers like dried fruits are offered. I prefer continental food and get a good choice of different kinds of salads and pasta. The range of desserts are superb: from cheesecakes, baklava, fresh fruits, chocolates all the way to gulab jamuns.

The cuisine is exceptional.

Your favourite international airline?

Emirates. When you consider cleanliness, it beats every other airline.

Also the first-class cabin suites have shower spas. Like Virgin, it also has an onboard masseuse.

Your favourite airline story?

I was travelling by Premium Economy on a full British Airways flight to London.

I was in the first row, which had good leg space in front. In the third row, there was

Which, according to you, is the best airline lounge?

British Airways lounge at London. It is a huge lounge therefore not congested. Very clean shower areas. There are plenty of food options like choices of soups, Indian food like Chicken Tikka and different varieties of cheese which I simply love.

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“ONE LADY ASKED IN TAMIL WHETHER SHE COULD OPEN THE WINDOW” Pop Queen Usha Uthup gets nostalgic when she recalls how life came full circle when she had chance meeting with a fellow passenger during a flight.

Your first flight and why was it memorable?

Funnily enough, people probably think I was born flying but in fact I flew for the first time after I earned my own money. It was after my first or second contract when I flew from Madras to Bombay on a Caravelle, way back in 1969. The price of the ticket then was `.126 only. I remember we were served oranges on the flight and the lady next to me asked in Tamil, whether she could open the window to throw out the peel. Today I am a complete flier, a Flying Eagle — the emblem with which my birth sign, Scorpio, is associated.

Your favourite domestic airport?

The amazing advancements made by all the major airports in the country are wonderful. Airports at Mumbai and Chennai are very welcoming. Delhi and Hyderabad are fantastic too. To me, Bangalore is definitely on the top of the list. The warmth and recognition that I receive there, makes it a very special place for me.

Your favourite international airport?

I simply adore London. The organised madness is what I love about Heathrow. It's got a buzz of its own. Though the hugeness of the new Dubai airport makes it a little

USHA UTHUP If there is a legend bridging the East and the West it is Usha Uthup. A musical ambassador to foreign lands, she has recorded many albums and is a successful playback singer. She has been felicitated with several awards over the years, like the Rajiv Gandhi Purashkar for National Integration for quality music and Mahila Shiromoni Purashkar.

bit cold, I like it as well. The East Asian airports are also great like Bangkok. I find Singapore airport very stylish .

Your favourite domestic airline?

I am a very proud Indian, so a part of my heart will always remain 'Air India'. I have this secret feeling in my heart that Indian Airlines will revive once again and it will be the Mother Airline of India once

again. However, I wish the maintenance of Air India planes would improve.

Your favourite international airline?

For my international journeys, I would choose Jet Airways — 100 per cent. There is a class about it and the comfort level is high. What upsets me about most airlines is that food choices are not often suitable.

As a vegetarian, I dislike salmon and Caviar being thrust under my nose. So it is necessary for all airlines to devise a way by which choice of meals is personalised and choosing one's meal is made easier.

Your favourite airline story?

Almost all my airline stories are pleasant ones. When I fly I prefer to have an empty seat next to me. Usually the airlines accommodate my request. But sometimes when the flight is full, it isn't possible.

Once when I was flying to Mauritius on Air India, I was seated next to an amazing human being — Dr. Christian Barnard, which was an absolute privilege. The topics we spoke on were varied and I wished the flight had lasted forever. There was one line he told me which to me was an eye-opener. He said, “In life if you learn to accept, then it is easier to cure. But you must get the diagnosis right; only then can you cure an ill.” I am immensely grateful for having learnt this valuable lesson from him. I remember and apply it in everyday life.

The favourite aircraft of your choice?

I like the seating on an Airbus. I also like the new line of Boeings introduced

by Jet in the international sectors. The A380 is superb. It is very spacious. The toilets are amazing.

Which domestic airline do you think has the best Business Class?

The staff of Jet is very kind and courteous. Another airline that impresses me is Paramount. The service is of a high standard and the staff wears fresh whites and smells fresh, which is very important to me.

Which international airline do you think has the best Business Class?

Jet Airways again. Though the seats are not always to my liking, I also enjoy flying Emirates. Food is excellent on Emirates and my preferences are well catered to.

Which, according to you, is the best airline lounge?

For me, a warm welcome is very important. Lounges of Thai, Qatar Airways and Emirates are spectacular.

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INTERVIEW

“THE PAKISTANI CABIN CREW KEPT SUPPLYING ME GOOD WHISKEY” A frequent flier, journalist Vinod Dua gets nostalgic about his happy experiences while travelling in air.

Your first flight and why was it memorable? ; My first flight was from Jammu to Srinagar. It was memorable because I was travelling for the first time in an aircraft and that too with my parents.

And we were going to Srinagar for holidays. My father availed leave travel concession which was such a big thing those days. And they asked me to accompany them.

Your favourite international airport? ; Well, I have seen many international airports. I like Bangkok, Dubai… I couldn't care for Heathrow… I couldn’t really care much for John F Kennedy also… I would say Bangkok and Dubai.

Your favourite domestic airline? ; Budget airline mein Indigo and otherwise Kingfisher.

Your favourite domestic airport? ; My favourite domestic airport is

Shamshabad airport. And now, Delhi airport's Terminal 3.

Your favourite international airline? ; Emirates. They make your travel very comfortable unlike the

British Airways.

Your favourite airline story? ; Well… When I had this Pakistani cabin crew member on Emirates Airlines... I asked him to look after me well. And he understood very well what I meant and he kept supplying me good whiskey.

Your favourite aircraft? ; The B747 remains my good old

favourite aircraft. I have travelled by B777 also. I have not travelled in Airbus 380. But between the 777 and the 747, I prefer the 747.

Which domestic airline do you think has the best Business Class? ; Kingfisher Airlines.

Which international airline do you think has the best Business Class? ; I will stick to Emirates Airlines.

Which, according to you, is the best airline lounge? ; Ooh… They all look the same. But, I like some airlines’ lounges where they have the facility of foot massagers, and where they clean your spectacles also along with a shoulder massage. So between Virgin and Kingfisher. I would say these two.

 VINOD DUA Well-known media personality, Vinod Dua dons many hats as an anchor, political commentator, election analyst, producer and director in his illustrious career.

Starting his career as a TV anchor for Doordarshan, he has worked for many TV channels. He has garnered appreciation for his programmes like Tasveer-e-Hind, Chunav Chunauti, Kaun Banega Mukhyamantri, Vinod Dua-Live and Zaika India Ka. For his pioneering work in journalism, he was awarded the Padma Shri for Journalism in 2008.

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Your first flight and why was it memorable? ; It was in 1970, I had a concert in Delhi and the organiser gave me to and fro ticket from Jaipur to Delhi. Believe me, the fare for one way was `70 only.

Your favourite domestic airport? ; Hyderabad airport is the most stunning airport in India. It’s very spacious with a neat and sophisticated look. The shops have everything there from sweets to toys, food, even electronics, etc. I love its massive structure of glass and steelwork, which is really marvellous. I feel happy and proud that India can have an airport like Hyderabad.

Your favourite international airport? ; Vancouver, in Canada, is my favourite since it is the most artistically built airport. It is very spacious and full of brilliant artwork displayed on it. The best part is the flooring and the interiors are nicely lighted, which gives a very warm and soothing appearance.

Your favourite domestic airline? ; Kingfisher Airlines is the best domestic airline of our country. It has the newest planes, best crew to take care, very good in-flight food, good seating arrangement, very friendly staff and timely departures. Moreover, it has the best in-flight entertainment also.

Your favourite international airline? ; Swiss Air is my most loved airline. They have the friendliest staff, the best aircraft, good food, fully reclining seats in Business and First Classes, very timely departures, all this clubbed with the typical Swiss hospitality.

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“BELIEVE ME, THE FARE FOR ONE WAY WAS `70 ONLY” Grammy Award winner, Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, who believes that music is the medium to talk to God, shares his life-changing rendezvous with a soothsayer in the air.

Your favourite airline story? ; On my flight to US in 1994, while flying to New York for the Grammy Award, I met an astrologer on board. The moment he saw my palm he remarked that luck would smile on me and that I would become a celebrity soon. Perhaps, he could foresee the Grammy Award coming my way, which I never expected.

The astrologer asked me to close my eyes and visualise what was coming. I closed my eyes and I saw myself amidst bright lights holding something. It was the Grammy Award, made of pure gold.

Little did I know then that the Grammy Award was coming to me.

Your favourite aircraft? ; A380, the super jumbo. It is a

superb aircraft, which is an aeronautical marvel.

cosy ambience and the service is excellent with polite warm air hostesses taking care of you.

Which international airline do you think has the best Business Class? ; Jet Airways, the 180-degree flat bed seat is the best in it. It has lots of space to stretch hands and legs, the best TV screen and the controls are really great. I loved my flight from Delhi to London last year 2009.

Which, according to you, is the best airline lounge? ; Among domestic airlines, there is no other airline to beat Kingfisher. Among international airlines, I would rate Swiss Air as the best.

Which domestic airline do you think has the best Business Class? ; Kingfisher, it has the best space and reclining seats and very

 VISHWA MOHAN BHATT One of the few Indians, who has mesmerised the world with his creation of the musical guitar Mohanveena, Vishwa Mohan Bhatt is considered an innovative musician of the country. His virtuosity and limitless supply of melodies have won him the Grammy Award in 1994 along with Ry Cooder for the world music album, ‘A Meeting by the River’.

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INTERVIEW

“THE EXCITEMENT OF MY FIRST FLIGHT KEPT ME AWAKE” Famously called the Guru of Indian Minimalism, fashion designer Wendell Rodricks can't help but share his funny experience on air of how the tormentor became the tormented.

Your first flight and why was it memorable?

My first flight was memorable because it was the first time I sat in an aircraft. I bought a ticket on Sabena Belgian airlines to Brussels and London. It was in 1981. I paid a princely ` 8000. I had never been in an aircraft before and since this was an international flight, I was all bug-eyed.

When the plane shuddered and took off like a big bus, I was elated. Everything held my attention— from the drink and food service to the onscreen movie. I hardly slept with the excitement.

Lots of wood, very sparse and chic.

Your favourite domestic airport?

Hyderabad. It is too posh. But personally I love Dabolim—if only someone blasted away the dreadful pastiche statues of men with breasts on swans and women in orange foundation with Greek drapes.

Your favourite airline story?

On an Air France flight from New York to Paris, a terribly behaved Pastor was upgraded to Business Class.

He began troubling all the crew members. He spoke so loudly that everyone was getting disturbed by his bantering.

He drank so badly that he misbehaved and dozed off. But when he fell asleep, the crew turned very naughty. The crew took the camera dangling from his lap,

Your favourite international airport?

Copenhagen. It is designed in a style I like. Minimal and wonderful.

Your favourite domestic airline?

Do I have to choose between Jet Airways and Kingfisher? Both made me proud to be an Indian.

Your favourite international airline?

For various reasons Singapore Airlines, Etihad, Jet Airways, Kingfisher and Qatar. Not neccessarily in that order. I can't pick one because some airlines do a great job on one sector, while others do a better job on others.

At the moment, Qatar is favourite, as it leaves from and arrives in Goa.

WENDELL RODRICKS Goa’s most famous fashion designer, Wendell Rodricks is listed among India's top ten designers. Designing and styling for reputed companies such as Garden Vareli, cosmetic giant Lakme and diamond corporate DeBeers, Wendell Rodricks established his own label in 1990. He moved to his ancestral village in Goa in 1993, creating memorable collections each season inspired by many emotions: Tibetan Monastries, Tribal symbols of Shiva and Vishnu, the Harem at Istanbul, Tattoos of the Lambadi tribe, Clothing the Soul and the internationally unique VISIONNAIRE collection transferring Braille onto fabric for the visually challenged.

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went to the galley, took down their pants, lifted their blouses and shot photos of all the girls and boys in the galley. Those were the days of camera rolls. I would have loved to see his face when the local shop developed the photos in the French Alpine village.

Your favourite aircraft?

Kingfisher Premier International.

As a Goan I am fond of bars. Kingfisher's bar is a one of the best bars. They have lounge seats like sofas and a standup bar with bar stools too. It beats every international bar I know of. And the service is great.

Which domestic airline do you think has the best Business Class?

The tea served on the Indian Airlines Business Class lounge is the best.

I like the Business class of Jet Airways and Kingfisher too.

Which international airline do you think has the best Business Class?

I like the Business Class of Singapore Airlines, Etihad, Jet Airways, Kingfisher and Qatar too.

Which, according to you, is the best airline lounge?

The Virgin Atlantic lounge in London has the best airline lounge. I don't like Heathrow lounge of London. So it comes as a great luxury to enter the Virgin lounge. From a spa, a gym to a health juice counter. It has it all. I even had a haircut once at the salon. I like Charles de Gaulle in Paris but I am also fond of Qatar Business/First lounge and the Singapore Airlines lounge in Changi airport.

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TAKE-OFF t takes a bit of guts to tell your need to get approval from regulators for CEO where he gets off. It’s a first the appointment. as far as we know in the airline O’Leary acknowledged that a flight busines. A pilot for low-cost attendant would be a “far more carrier Ryanair has come up with an attractive” CEO and said it was being extraordinary money-saving idea: examined. “Michael thinks that cabin replace the airline’s boss with a flight crew would make a far more attractive attendant. The ideas came soon after CEO than him — this obviously isn’t a Michael O’Leary suggested that it was very high bar — so we are going to time to fly with one pilot seriously look at the and that flight attendants suggestion. After all, if could be trained to do the we can train cabin crew job in emergencies. to land the plane, it Captain Morgan should be no problem Fischer, a senior pilot based training them to do in Marseilles, southern Michael’s job as well.”

France, in a letter to the Ryanair spokesman Financial Times newspaper Stephen McNamara was said he was aware of the quoted as saying in the company’s desire to reduce Financial Times. costs “whenever feasible” For the record, though Captain Morgan Fischer to keep ticket prices down , it must be mentioned that for the travelling public.” I would the 41-year-old American pilot, who lives propose that Ryanair replace the chief with his family in the town of Aix-enexecutive with a probationary cabin Provence, was then offered a transfer to crew member currently earning about Kaunas, Lithuania’s second-largest city. $19,000 net a year. Ryanair would Perhaps, in a first-ever punishment move benefit by saving millions of dollars in of its kind, Fischer was one of almost 30 salary, benefits and stock options,” he Ryanair pilots working at Marseilles who said, adding that there would be no had to move after the airline announced

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FLIGHT OF FANCY: Ryanair flight attendants have fun with a cutout of a bikini-clad model.

in October that it was closing the base following a disagreement with French authorities.

“Kaunas is considered Siberia for Ryanair pilots. It’s very unpopular to be sent there. It’s the back of nowhere with a completely different language. You’re in Eastern Europe and the money is dreadfully bad,” one of his colleagues was quoted in the media.

A FIRST AGAINST O’LEARY! The first time is always fascinating: whether it is a first flight for a ‘crorepati’ or a marriage in the air or...

CRUISING HEIGHTS January 2011

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TAKE-OFF

CUDDLE UP AND FLY nother first! Air New Zealand much-anticipated Skycouch economy and Spaceseat premium became a reality with the arrival of its new Boeing 777-300 aircraft last Christmas eve.

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n a first of its kind, India’s very own Jet Airways has started serving its premiere guests on the airline’s full- service flights between Mumbai and Delhi gourmet four-course meals, plated in iconic Rosenthal crockery. Simply put, that means unmatched luxury and elegance on board Jet

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“The new aircraft was designed with passengers' flight personalities in mind, resulting in an in-flight experience tailored to meet the needs of each passenger,” says Air New Zealand. Now globally known as the 'cuddle seats', Air New Zealand is in talks with other airlines wanting to use its new “cuddle class” economy seats.

Air New Zealand chief executive Rob Fyfe said new premium economy Spaceseats on the aircraft would re-define that class of travel. More than 30 airlines

Airways’ selected domestic flights.

This new era of in-flight dining and service delivery is in keeping with the airline’s tradition of consistently setting and exceeding new industrybenchmarks.

The delectable new menus have been designed and prepared by the master chefs of the famed Oberoi Flight

had been in contact with Air New Zealand and its seat manufacturers about the new seats, Fyfe said. Formal negotiations were underway with carriers from Asia, North America and Europe to license the seats after Air New Zealand had 18 months of exclusive use, he further said.

“Four long years of planning and design are about to become a reality and there is a great deal of excitement within the airline about the game-changing aircraft we are about to introduce,” he added. “Few if any airlines have invested time and money in re-designing the economy experience and we've done it for both economy and premium economy.”

The 338-seat aircraft, which will have 60 economy seats, can create 20 Skycouch combinations. The first routes for the aircraft would be on return services between Auckland, Los Angeles and on to London from April 2011.

known as ‘The Landscape’, acclaimed for its contemporary and fresh design.

According to Sudheer Raghavan, CCO, Jet Airways, “As India’s leading airline and a trailblazing pioneer in several aspects of the Indian aviation industry, with the introduction of our new dining service on flights between Mumbai

ROSENTHAL IN THE SKIES

Kitchen, offering Premiere guests an unparalleled dining experience onboard the airline’s flights.

Economy guests may choose from a selection of delicious Indian and continental favourites, served on a trendy, new range of Dutch tableware

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and Delhi, Jet Airways has yet again raised the industry benchmark, re-defining the dining paradigm in the Indian skies.”

The new service, while currently available only on Jet Airways’ MumbaiDelhi flights, will progressively be made available on the airline’s other major domestic metro services as well. That would indeed be classy!

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CROREPATI’S

FIRST FLIGHT

ahat Taslim from the sleepy town of Giridih in Jharkhand became the first woman to win Rs one crore in the popular game show Kaun Banega Crorepati. A housewife running a sewing centre along with taking care of her children, Rahat is a graduate but her passion is sewing.

Never having flown before, the mother of two took her first flight to take part in the show. Making her husband Imtiaz, who was posted at Kochi, agree to let her travel from Ranchi to Mumbai was an effort but Rahat’s grit and determination got her through. Speaking to the media, Imtiaz recalled, “There were so many questions racing around in my head…She requested me a lot. But I said no.” Later, he regretted it and called back to ask.

“How will we manage?”

“Don’t worry. Just say yes, I’ll manage the rest,” she had said.

The Kingfisher direct flight to Mumbai cost her `7,000 and at one point when she was checking in her luggage the thought that was uppermost in her mind. What was if the suitcase got lost? But she forgot her bag when the plane took off. In fact, she told the media, she enjoyed the view. “Take-off and landing reminded me of the times I played on the swing as a child,” she said.

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Rahat Taslim with Amitabh Bachchan

FIT AND FINE e speaks little English but Edison Pena, one of 33 Chilean miners who were trapped more than 2000 feet underground and rescued after 69 days, took his first flight to New York to appear at the Late Show with David Letterman and to participate in the New York City Marathon a couple of days later.

Speaking about his job, Pena told Letterman: “The first time I walked into a mine, I wanted to turn around and get out, but that wasn’t really an option. So I just kept going deeper and deeper in the mine, and I kept saying, ‘couldn’t we just turn around?’ But it didn’t work out that way.”

Pena used to jog six miles a day in the mines when he was trapped.

“I was running to be an active participant in my own salvation. I

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(Above) Edison Pena (third from left) at the start of the marathon and in a pensive mood (right).

wasn’t just waiting around. At first it wasn’t even possible,” he said, but finally, he took his first steps and to make it easier, he cut down his knee-high mining boots with his pliers, “then I was all set”.

Running through the dark, hot passageways of the mine, Pena said, “I thought, I was going to beat destiny. I was saying to that mine, ‘I can outrun you.’ I am going to run till you’re tired and bored of me, and I did it. The message here is, I found a way to run.” He said. “I didn’t say, ‘I can’t.”

When Pena landed at New York City’s JFK Terminal 4 — on his first flight overseas — he was not alone. About 100 Chileans from an earlier flight were lined up cheering, Chichi-chi, le-le-le.

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TAKE-OFF

AIRASIA FIRST: A WEDDING IN THE AIR HAPPY FACES: The newly weds pose for a photo with guests and AK 009’s crew; Iswara readies to tie the Thali on Thanusyia at 30,000 feet above sea level to complete a truly memorable evening; AirAsia Chairman Aziz Bakar presents garlands to Iswara and his bride Thanusyia before boarding AirAsia flight AK 009, a specially chartered flight for the wedding.

e have heard of weddings in the air but AirAsia recently hosted a unique in-flight Indian wedding — the first of its kind — on December 9, 2010. The groom was one of the airline’s long -serving employee and AirAsia AllStars family member, Kamaleswaran Sarveswaran or Iswara, as he is well known while his bride was Thanusyia Ramakrishnan.

The traditional Indian wedding, complete with drums and nadaswaram, was attended by friends and relatives of the bride and bridegroom. Also present were members of the AirAsia family, led by its Chairman, Aziz Bakar, who surprised the couple by conveying his best wishes in true flight attendant style — via the aircraft public address system!

We’ll leave the rest of the story to the

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entry in the Air Asia blog. “We received our boarding passes at Gate Y1-Y2 and proceeded to the boarding area where we awaited the bride and groom’s arrival. Yup, we even had a boarding pass! Everyone was excited to be part of the memorable wedding. After all, how often do you get a chance to attend wedding in the air?”

The blog goes on to mention the lively drums and nadaswaram music that signalled the arrival of the bride and groom.

“Suddenly, the scene turned into a media frenzy as the media went all out to take photographs and video of the couple. From the moment the couple stepped on to the boarding gate till they boarded the plane, it was a non-stop ‘paparazzi’ moment!”

Guests boarded the special flight at 5 pm for a round trip flight back after the rites and toe-ring ceremony on the tarmac.

CRUISING HEIGHTS January 2011

Once the seat belt sign went off, Iswara proceeded to tie the Thali on Thanusyia at 30,000 feet above sea level, in the presence of the priest. And all the while, the plane circled around in the skies.

“When we touched down,” the blog added, “there were more ‘paparazzi’ moments for the stars of the day... It was a memorable wedding for all the guests who attended.”

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DOMESTIC AIRLINES One lakh fans on Facebook for Jet Airways JET Airways has become the first Indian, and among the top five carriers in Asia to add over one lakh fans on Facebook.

The airline marked the crossing of this important milestone, which was achieved in less than a year, with the launch of an exciting new Jet to Milan contest, until December 14, 2010, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/jetairways, to celebrate the launch of its maiden service to Italy on December 5, 2010.

As part of the contest, guests were asked to upload an image of any destination in Italy, and tell a little bit about the place in not more than 200 characters and answer three simple questions on Jet Airways’ new services to Milan.

Earlier, the airline launched its Facebook community at

In fact, this overall growth, globally and locally, ensured Jet Airways successfully maintain its leadership position in the Indian aviation skies with 26.2 per cent market share.

Both Jet Airways and JetLite have further improved their On Time Performance among the scheduled domestic carriers in October. As per Director General of Civil Aviation data, Jet Airways and JetLite posted 92.5 per cent and 92.8 per cent respectively on the critical service parameter of On Time Performance in October 2010.

Driven by improved customer service quality and its enhanced on-time reliability, JetLite, the wholly owned subsidiary of Jet Airways India Ltd, also posted a remarkable seat factor of 81 per cent, carrying over 3.62 lakh passengers in October 2010 as compared to 3.34 lakh in the previous year.

Kingfisher Airlines launches new flights

www.facebook.com/jetairways on January 19, 2010, with the primary objective of engaging with the guests and listening to them, apart from providing guests with real-time news updates about flight schedules, new guest programmes, route additions, services and special offers, to name a few.

Tie-up with HDFC bank: Jet Airways now offers HDFC Bank credit card holders, the option of converting the payment of tickets purchased on jetairways.com into six equal EMI’s (Easy Monthly Installment) at no extra cost, spread over six months.

To avail of this special offer, guests may book their Jet Airways tickets using their valid HDFC Bank credit card issued in India, on jetairways.com (India country site), with immediate effect until June 5, 2011.

Special fares for IAF and paramilitary personnel: Jet Airways recently announced special fares for the Indian armed forces and paramilitary personnel. As part of this scheme, all serving as well as retired defence and paramilitary personnel, and their families, may now avail of a 50 per cent discount on base fares. The scheme is also valid on the airline’s domestic network (including Jet Airways Konnect), as also on the airline’s code share flights with JetLite.

The special fares are now open for booking at www.jetairways.com. Guests from the Indian armed forces and paramilitary personnel may also avail of the airline’s web checkin facility, for enhanced convenience.

Jet Airways maintains top spot: Jet Airways declared its 12th straight month of an impressive jump in international passenger revenues with an over 18 per cent rise carrying 3.82 lakh passengers across the globe for the month of October 2010, versus 3.23 lakh in the same period last year, maintaining the top spot with a strong market share of 26.2 per cent and a record On Time Performance.

KINGFISHER Airlines recently announced the launch of 14 new flights on seven routes, with effect from December 15, 2010.

The new flights which were introduced are: New DelhiHyderabad; New Delhi-Chennai; New Delhi-Bhubaneshwar and Mumbai-Lucknow.

Manoj Chacko, Executive Vice President, Commercial, Kingfisher Airlines Limited, said, “The launch of these new flights will offer excellent connectivity and more flight options between metropolitan cities and other important cities in India.

These flights have been introduced with convenient timings and have been planned in such a manner that they offer a same-day return for travellers. With this second wave of new flights, the total number of flights introduced in the 2010 Winter Schedule goes up to 36 flights.”

As a special introductory offer, all members of King Club — Kingfisher Airlines’ frequent flyer programme — will earn double the number of miles if they fly on these new flights before January 15, 2011.

SPREADING WINGS: An inside view of a Kingfisher aircraft.

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SNIPPETS IGI Airport gears up for fog DELHI International Airport Limited (DIAL) has implemented several proactive measures to minimise inconvenience to passengers and ensure continuity of flight operations during low visibility conditions at IGI Airport. The new integrated (domestic-cuminternational) Terminal 3 (T3) and Terminal 1 D (T1D) at IGI Airport are adequately equipped for the fog period to ensure seamless and comfortable passenger travel. The facilities being provided at T3 and T1D during this fog season, are aimed at taking passenger

Kingfisher approves Debt Recast Package: Kingfisher Airlines Limited recently informed the Bombay Stock Exchange that the Board of Directors of the company at its meeting held on November 25, 2010, has approved a Debt Recast Package (DRP) with lending banks, following a onetime relaxation in restructuring guidelines sanctioned by the Reserve Bank of India. The salient features of the DRP include: Conversion of debt of up to `1355 crore from lenders into share capital; conversion of debt of upto `648 crore from promoters into share capital; reschedulement of repayment of the balance debt to lenders over nine years with a moratorium of two years and reduction in interest rates and sanction of additional fund and non-fund based facilities by the lenders.

While Board sanction has been received from several lenders, the same is shortly expected from the others. The DRP is subject to execution of necessary documentation.

Delhi Duty Free promos

Photo courtesy: www.topnews.in

DELHI Duty Free Services Pvt. Ltd (DDFS) at T3, at IGI Airport, Delhi, has in collaboration with DIAGEO announced the ‘Reward Yourself with Johnnie Walker’ promotion campaign. It involved scratching a card and entering a lucky draw contest which is on a purchase of $60 worth of Johnnie Walker products. The prizes to be won are Apple iPod, iPhone and the iPad. Several other surprise prizes were also planned around Christmas Eve and on New Year.

In addition, DDFS and Cingari announced the exclusive launch of the India edition of the Punch Platino cigar at T3.

CHALLENGING TASK: Aircraft landing amidst thick fog.

comfort to the next level. DIAL has also put into place several measures to enhance passenger comfort during delays and to provide up-to-date information.

DIAL’s T3 bags infrastructure award: The GMR Group recently bagged two awards at the 3rd KPMGInfrastructure Today Awards 2010 ceremony. Kiran Kumar Grandhi, Business Chairman Airports, GMR Group, received both the awards at the hands of Kamal Nath, Union Minister of Road, Transport and Highways. The awards belonged to the following category: ‘Most Admired Developer in Transport Sector’ — GMR Infrastructure Limited — and ‘PPP Project of the Year’ — Terminal 3, DIAL. ASAPP Media Information Group, and KPMG India came together to recognise some of the exceptional work done in the Indian Infrastructure industry through the KPMG-Infrastructure Today Awards. These awards aim to acknowledge organisations, including government bodies, which have developed, financed and implemented various infrastructure projects, through innovative, yet practical schemes, demonstrating overall excellence in the conceptualisation, development and implementation of these projects.

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OPTIONS GALORE: A view of the Habanos counter at Delhi Duty Free.

Said Nicholas Goddard Palmer, CEO, Delhi Duty Free Services, “Delhi Duty Free offers two temperature-controlled humidors (arrivals and departures), called the Habanos, in which we store cigars at optimum humidity to help maintain the flavour of the cigars for the true aficionado. In introducing this concept, we were sure, we would receive high interest from the travellers and the response received in the last three months of operations has been overwhelming.

We are privileged to be the only ones to offer the Punch Platino cigars, which have been exclusively produced for Indian consumers.”

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INTERNATIONAL AIRLINES Cathay Pacific unveils new product and service CATHAY Pacific recently brought out its latest innovations in product and service at a glittering event in Hong Kong attended by more than 3,000 people.

The airline revealed, for the first time in public, its new Business Class seat, and showcased the new uniform for cabin crew and other customer-facing staff — created by Hong Kong designer Eddie Lau — that will be introduced in the second half of next year. Also put on show were the latest innovations in the airline’s Hong Kong passenger lounges.

The event, dubbed “Light Up the Sky”, was held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre with Henry Tang, Chief Secretary for Administration of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, as Guest of Honour. Mr Tang officiated at the opening ceremony together with Cathay Pacific Chief Executive GREAT START: Guest of Honour at the “Light Up the Sky” event, Chief Secretary for Administration Henry Tang (centre), with Cathay Pacific Chief Tony Tyler and Chief Operating Officer John Slosar.

Speaking at the unveiling event, Chief Executive Tony Tyler Executive Tony Tyler (left) and Chief Operating Officer John Slosar (right). said: “Tonight we are pleased to unveil product innovations that will new Business Class will feature artwork — all original designs — by not just do Cathay Pacific proud, but Hong Kong proud. Our new Hong Kong artist Maria Lobo. Guests at the gala party were given a flat-bed Business Class seat was developed after listening to what our preview of Ms Lobo’s creative designs. customers had to say and it will, I The first aircraft to feature the new believe, underline our commitment to Business Class product will be an Vivek Oberoi and Cathay join hands excellence in innovation. We are also Airbus A330-300, which is planned to CATHAY Pacific Airways along with renowned pleased to unveil the new uniforms for enter service on some of the flights on Bollywood Actor Vivek Oberoi joined hands our frontline staff, and some of our the Sydney route in March. The new with Habitat for Humanity, an NGO to build exciting lounge developments at Hong seats will be rolled out rapidly, being homes for the underprivileged at Bawana Kong International Airport.” installed on all Cathay Pacific’s new village near Delhi. Twenty five Cathay Pacific The highlight of the evening was long-haul A330-300 and Boeing 777Airways staff members, volunteers of Habitat the unveiling of Cathay Pacific’s new 300ER deliveries and progressively for Humanity aided in constructing walls and Business Class seat — a passenger-led being retrofitted on existing aircraft. By casting of septic tank for the benefit of design that aims to refine comfort, verFebruary 2013, all 30 Boeing 777underprivileged people in Bawana village. satility and function. Every aspect of the 300ER and 20 long-haul A330-300s in new product has been thoughtfully the fleet are expected to have the new designed around the passengers’ needs, product. providing a space in which to sleep, Guests at the “Light Up the Sky” dine, work, read, watch TV or simply event were also treated to a fashion relax. show featuring the new Cathay Pacific The new seat offers both privacy uniform, which will be worn by all and openness, with a wing-back chair cabin crew, airport staff and other custhat cocoons passengers in their own tomer-facing employees of the airline private area and has been carefully from the third quarter of next year. designed to maximise living space. The The final element of the gala seats, which are angled to give passenevent was a special section set up to gers a perfect view through the windows showcase Cathay Pacific’s latest and are ideal for those travellounge developments, which ling with a companion, include the recent opening of provide everything The Cabin, the Group’s passengers need to con newest departure lounge at trol either their Hong Kong International widescreen inflight enterAirport, and the compretainment system or the hensive renovations of infinitely adjustable seat. its signature lounge, The seat quickly converts The Wing, which are into a bed that is one of now underway. The the longest and widest proairline set up an vided on any commercial exhibition at “Light airline.

Up the Sky” which Inside the cabin, the included scale models as well as lounge feaNEW REFRESHING LOOK: tures such as the unique Cabin crew members sportCathay Solus chair and ing the new attire designed the new Health Bar.

by Eddie Lau.

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SNIPPETS Thai Airways celebrates 50 years of service

Tony is Forbes Asia’s businessman of the year

THAI Airways International celebrated 50 years of service. On the occasion, Thai Airways announced three new flights from Mumbai on flight TG340. This takes number of weekly flights from Mumbai to 10. In addition to this, Thai Airways International pronounced a special fare to Australia in two category — for Sydney, Perth, Brisbane and for Auckland.

As part of this celebration, Thai Airways planned various events across the world like a “retro” flight from Bangkok to Hong Kong and a commemorative book released in July 2010.

Beginning its maiden flight to Kolkata in 1960, Thai Airways International in India now operates 45 flights. It is operating from five most important cities in India — Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai and Kolkata.

AIRASIA Group CEO Tony Fernandes has been named Forbes Asia’s businessman of the year.

Fernandes is the first Malaysian and Southeast Asian to receive the award. The hugely popular icon of aviation is credited for democratising air travel in the region and for growing a Malaysian company into a highly successful global brand.

Forbes Asia’s Editor, Tim Ferguson, said in a press release, “The competition was tough, including from leaders of Forbes Asia’s fabulous 50 companies. Although several mainland Chinese entrepreneurs fully came into their own this year, in general they are still excelling in a single national market that is subject to domestic booms and busts. Fernandes is expanding his business outward.”

AirAsia X announces direct service to Christchurch: AirAsia X unveiled its latest international route from Kuala Lumpur to Christchurch, New Zealand; the 15th destination for the airline after destinations in Australia, India, Taiwan, China, UK, Korea, Japan, Tehran and France.

AirAsia X will extend its network deep into the southern hemisphere with four non-stop weekly services between Kuala Lumpur and Christchurch from April 1, 2011.

To mark the opening for sale of the new route, AirAsia X is offering an unbelievable promotional all-in fare as low as ` 1939 one way from Kuala Lumpur to Christchurch for the booking period from December 3 to 5, 2010.

Lufthansa to use bio-fuel on commercial flights AT a recent press conference, Lufthansa Chairman and CEO Wolfgang Mayrhuber, with Peter Hinze, Parliamentary State Secretary and Government Aerospace Coordinator, and Dr Johann-Dietrich Wörner, Chairman of the Executive Board of the German Aerospace Centre (DLR), presented a bio-fuel project planned by Lufthansa. The project, estimated to cost the airline approx €6.6 million, is backed by the German government within the framework of its aviation research programme aimed at underpinning the sustainability of air traffic. Under this project, Lufthansa will begin a six-month trial with an Airbus A321 on scheduled commercial flights on the Hamburg-Frankfurt-Hamburg route in April, 2011.

Broadband bonanza for Lufthansa passengers from India: LUFTHANSA passengers from India travelling on trans-atlantic flights can now once again enjoy the freedom of Lufthansa’s exclusive online broadband communication.

The airline’s on-board internet service, FlyNet, is now available on Lufthansa’s Frankfurt-New York and Frankfurt-Detroit routes.

Before the end of 2011, FlyNet will be available on the entire Lufthansa intercontinental network, including India. As an introductory offer, inflight Internet access will be ADD-ON BONANZA: Internet access will be available for free on FlyNetavailable for free on FlyNetequipped aircraft of Lufthansa. equipped aircraft until January 31, 2011. Together with its partners Panasonic Avionics Corporation and Deutsche Telekom, Lufthansa will be the first airline to offer its customers broadband Internet access on intercontinental routes. This inflight Internet service gives passengers — a WLAN-enabled laptop or a smartphone with unlimited online access.

Melbourne Cup Carnival concludes on a good note THE Melbourne Cup Carnival concluded with Emirates Stakes Day, featuring the Group 1 Emirates Stakes won by Wall Street.

Barry Brown, Emirates’ Vice President, Australasia, presented winning jockey Hugh Bowman; owners GG Syndicate Ltd, GKV Holdings Ltd & MA Head; and trainer Jeff Lynds with the 2010 Emirates Stakes winner’s trophy. With over 77,000 racing fans enjoying the relaxed atmosphere of Emirates Stakes Day, warmly regarded as ‘Family Day,’ it was also the younger racegoers who joined in the celebrations, thanks to Emirates Stakes Day Fashions on the Field.

Lucky participants Brooke Walter and Dylan Dunn were crowned Miss and Master Emirates Stakes and won a trip for two to Dubai flying Business Class with Emirates Airline.

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Qatar launches double daily flights QATAR Airways recently celebrated the launch of its double daily flight from Delhi. The beginning of the Northern Winter flying programme saw the highly popular Delhi-Doha route securing an additional daily flight, taking capacity from the capital up to 14 services a week. Qatar Airways’ award-winning service from India currently covers 11 cities across — Bengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai, Cochin, Trivandrum, Kozhikode, Ahmedabad, Goa and Amritsar.

India is by far Qatar Airways’ single biggest market by the number of destinations served — and the country alone makes up over 10 per cent of the airline’s international network. All flights between India and the State of Qatar operate non-stop with Qatar Airways offering excellent onward connections to a diverse network of key business and leisure destinations across the Middle-East, Europe, Africa, North America and South America. The carrier currently operates scheduled flights to 93 destinations worldwide.

APPOINTMENTS Bruce Ashby joins oneworld as CEO BRUCE ASHBY recently joined oneworld as Chief Executive Officer. After 16 years working for US airlines, later as Senior Vice-President alliances and then Executive Vice-President Marketing for US Airways, Ashby then spent the past five years, leading carriers in India and the Middle East, as Chief Executive of IndiGo and Bruce Ashby then of SAMA Airlines.

Earlier, oneworld announced the relocation of its headquarters to New York under new leadership. As part of the transition, oneworld managing partner John McCulloch informed the oneworld governing board that for family reasons he is not in a position to relocate, and after 10 years with the central alliance team — the last seven as managing partner — now is as good a time as any for him to hand over.

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TRAVEL & TOURISM Delhi Radisson’s green efforts recognised RADISSON Hotel Delhi, the organisation’s commitment to environmental practices has been recognised by EarthCheck.

Radisson Hotel Delhi is committed to benchmarking local environmental and social issues, such as biodiversity conservation, environmental investment and enhanced community socio-economic benefits. Radisson Hotel out-performed others with this holistic view of sustainability practices.

Javed Ali, VP and General Manager, Radisson Hotel Delhi, said, “Improvements in all the EarthCheck indicators will not only help the environment, but can also help reduce operational costs.” Going well beyond a mere tick-box action is not an easy task. It requires the commitment of all staff, visitors and key stakeholders. Radisson Hotel Delhi has emerged as an example of a community organisation committed to environmentally sustainable living, and the EarthCheck logo serves to demonstrate that its claims are credible.

Monaco woos Indian luxury travellers MONACO Government Tourist Office and Convention Authority, showed its interest in the Indian market with an objective to target high-end luxury holiday-makers to Monaco.

The “Destination Monaco”— a road show was organised in Mumbai and New Delhi.

Monaco — with its legendary reputation as the home to royalty, luxury suites and multimillion-dollar penthouses, is focusing — on five experiential aspects to target the high-end travellers ,which include Culture and Event, Spa, Gastronomy, Night WOOING TRAVELLERS: Guillaume Rose, Life and Casino.

Deputy Manager, Monaco Government Tourist and Convention Authority, speaking Guillaume Rose, at the press conference.

Deputy Manager of the Monaco Government Tourist and Convention Authority, said , “Attracting luxury travellers is a hard work. That is not to say that Monaco will cease to focus on high-end travellers, especially since luxury is a tradition in Monaco. The principality will never stop investing to ensure that its infrastructure remains at the highest level of excellence, in order to cater to even more visitors and maintain tourism spending.”

Cheap Luxury honeymoon hotels woo couples NEWLY-WEDS going on to the honeymoon for time to rest, recover and enjoy each other’s company are being offered top hotels at `5,000 a night. The Crown Goa Hotel, which is located in Panaji is offering at `4,900 per room per night. Abad Harmonia NOT A COSTLY AFFAIR: Resorts in Goa are wooing travellers with cheap tariffs .

Fortune Select Loudon to come up in Kolkata FORTUNE Park Hotels, the wholly owned subsidiary of ITC, will soon make its presence felt in Kolkata. At Park Street in Central Kolkata, Fortune Select Loudon will offer 68 rooms. This will be the chain’s second property in Kolkata, along with 71 rooms in Fortune Park Panchwati. With the opening of this property, Fortune Hotels, which has 61 signed alliances and will have 35 operational hotels with 2,870 rooms, spread across 29 cities in India.

Fortune’s new venture in Gurgaon: ITC’s fullyowned subsidiary Fortune Hotels brings its special ‘select’ brand to one more location in Gurgaon. Fortune Select Excalibur with 135 elegantly appointed rooms offering the Fortune brand of hospitality to the world.

Fortune’s branded dining options ensure that guests are able to experience plenty of variety. The hotel opens with Zodiac the 24-hour astral coffee shop with its live kitchen and Nostradamus the contemporary lounge and bar.

On this occasion, Suresh Kumar, President, Fortune Hotels, said, “The city of Gurgaon, has now virtually become a show-window for the rest of India. The 135room Fortune Select Excalibur may be considered a contribution towards the vision for the evolving new-age Indian cities.”

PLUSH INTERIORS: An inside view of Fortune Select Excalibur in Gurgaon.

Ayurveda Beach Resort, which is located near the Kovalam Beach, Kerala at `4,500 per room per night. Apple Country Resorts, located in the log huts area in Manali at `4,300 per room per night. Main Olde Bellevue Heritage Hotel, located in Darjeeling Rooms, start at `1,208 per room per night. Hotel Shri Ram Excellency, which is close to Umaid Bhawan Palace, and Meherangarh Fort at `3,033 per room per night. Holiday Inn Gem Park Ooty, at `3,600 per room per night. Radisson Hotel, Shimla, at `4,975 per room per night. The Silver Oak Homestay Ponnampet near Coorg at `2,353 per room per night. Peerless Sarovar Portico Port Blair at `4,735 per room per night.

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SNIPPETS Keys opens sixth unit EVERSHINE Builders Pvt. Ltd. together with Berggruen Hotels brand, Keys Resort, launched Evershine, A Keys Resort. This is the sixth Keys hotel in India. This state-of- the art resort, located in Mahabaleshwar, a prime holiday destination, set amidst the scenic, strawberry-covered valleys and lush flora and fauna. It has 59 modern stylish rooms with wi-fi, LCD televisions, refrigerators, tea/coffee makers, irons and ironing boards, direct dialing facilities, comfy-beds, duvets, a writing table with ergonomic chairs and refreshing power showers with modern bathroom fittings.

Every room comes with lovely views of the surrounding flora and fauna, thus offering guests a rejuvenating EYE-CATCHING: The architectural grandeur getaway. of Evershine Resort.

The resort is a “palace in the sky” built with Dholpur stone cladding with an architectural style of a typical Rajasthani palace with all its beauty.

Karnataka Tourism goes international KARNATAKA Tourism conducted a series of workshops for the tourism trade in Zurich, Brussels and Paris. G Janardhana Reddy, Tourism Minister, led a delegation that comprised of hotels, resorts and tour operators from the state. A ten-member delegation presented destination Karnataka to 50 of the well known and influential trade members from Zurich along with reputed international travel brand Kouni were also a part of the presentation, to cover wider European base.

Apart from the traditional markets of UK, Germany and France the search is there for new market in London and Frankfurt also.

Karnataka Tourism promoted its products directly to over 350 agents in Europe through (Top) Tourism Minister G Janardhana Reddy lighting the lamp; (bottom) its workshops. At the trade delegates at a workshop conducted fairs it participated in luxuby Karnataka Tourism. ry travel fairs also.

Itz Cash with Yatra.com launches online air portal ITZ Cash Card Ltd, recently launched a B2B portal www.itzmeriyatra.com in association with Yatra.com, making it India’s leading online travel website which offers the cheapest airline fares to customers through 40,000 ItzCash world outlets across India. Yatra.com also launched an exclusive scheme for ItzCash franchisees, known as “Book Karo Aur Jeeto” under

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which the highest air ticket booking franchisee will win a fully paid trip to Goa. On this occasion Naveen Surya, Managing Director, Itz Cash Card Ltd said, “ItzMeriYatra is an unique and exclusive portal for air booking. It provides the best fares and competitive flight inventory in the industry which thus helps the end customer to get the best deal. There are some innovative features like instant refunds, instant query resolution which definitely makes the portal a preferred choice for the franchisees.”

American Airlines bookings’ surcharge irks TAAI TRAVEL Agents Association of India (TAAI) expressed serious concern over plans to impose a surcharge on American Airlines bookings made through Travelport GDS platforms (Galileo and Worldspan).

There are several worrying aspects of American Airlines (AA) attempt to force a Direct Connect model on travel agents worldwide. It will inhabit consumer choice, drive more cost to travel agencies and ultimately result in a less efficient and fair distribution model. TAAI believes that AA's plan to use ADMs to collect the surcharge is also in contravention of Resolution 850 of the IATA Agency Programme.

TAAI is joining other industry groups — such as the World Travel Agents Associations Alliance and peak trade bodies in Europe and Canada — in condemning AA’s actions.

It is not in American Airlines’ interest to hurt the travel agencies, which provide the bulk of its revenues. TAAI is of the view that AA should abandon its plan to impose surcharges on agents and instead resume discussions with the GDS and travel agents to find a sensible way forward.

Three new Club Mahindra resorts tie-up with RCI THE new resorts include Club Mahindra Nature Trails in Corbett, Uttarakhand; Club Mahindra Royal Demazong in Gangtok, Sikkim; and Club Mahindra Whispering Pines in Mashobra, Shimla. These resorts are having a wide variety of attractions including Corbett Waterfall, Garjia Temple, Corbett Museum, Dhikala-Machaan and the National Tiger Reserve Park along with indoor and outdoor games, adventure activities and sightseeing tours with breathtaking views of the majestic Himalayan ranges.

Geoff Ballotti, President and CEO, RCI, said, “Each of these resorts exemplifies the wide range of vacation experiences that our 3.8 million members can enjoy in approximateCLASS OF ITS OWN: Snapshots of Club Mahindra Resorts at ly 100 countries across various places. the globe.”

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First-ever food awards from NDTV INDIA’S first lifestyle channel, NDTV Good Times, announced it’s first-ever food awards at a high-profile event at the Westin in Gurgaon. It honoured the top restaurants, restaurateurs and chefs. The who’s who were among the guest list: Prahlad Kakkar, Rahul Akerkar, Shiv Karan Singh, Vinod Dua, Harmeet Bajaj, Rina Dhaka, Ramneek Pantal, Timsy Anand and many more.

The jury consisted of Vinod Dua, Chef Ritu Dalmia, Food impresario Marut Sikka, Chef Aditya Bal, Restaurateur Vicky Ratnani and Highway stars Rocky and Mayur. The validation process was undertaken by Ernst & Young. The event was supported by a special musical performance by Sufi singer from Pakistan, Shafaqat Amanat Ali. The Highway on my plate men, Rocky and Mayur, kept the audience in splits with their humor.

Highway on My Plate, the brand new book penned by the two, was also released on the occasion.

“Indians are a passionate lot and few things unite us more than our common passion for food. NDTV Good Times has promoted a wide range of food shows spanning cuisines, social strata and tastes. The aim of our Food Awards is to celebrate this insatiable appetite for food and acknowledge those who delight us with their extraordinary culinary efforts,” said the CEO, NDTV Lifestyle, Smeeta Chakrabarti.

The prominent category awards to name a few were: Best North Indian restaurant went to Bukhara (ITC), Best Regional restaurant to Oh! Calcutta, Best Asian to Thai Pavilion (Taj President) while the All-Time Favourite restaurant was awarded to Karim’s of Delhi.

PRS Oberoi is ‘2010 Corporate Hotelier of the World’ HOTELS magazine presented ‘2010 Corporate Hotelier of the World’ award to PRS Oberoi, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of EIH Limited, the flagship company of The Oberoi Group. The cover story of the November edition of HOTELS magazine refers to Oberoi as ‘the founder father of modern luxury hospitality in India’.

Oberoi is credited with placing Oberoi hotels on the international luxury travellers map with the opening of several new P R S Oberoi luxury hotels in Mauritius, Indonesia, Egypt and hotels in India at important tourist destinations such as Jaipur, Agra, Udaipur, Ranthambhore and Mashobra in the Himalayas.

Amadeus first to deliver EMD standards AMADEUS recently announced that it is the first to market with the IATA’s Electronic Miscellaneous Document (EMD) for travel agencies and first to receive full IATA sign-off. The EMD is the industry electronic messaging standard. which enables airlines and travel agencies to more effectively share information relating to issuance, management, distribution and fulfillment of airline services. Amadeus is the first in the industry to be compliant with the full solution. It has replaced the current tool with the new electronic version to issue documents for stand alone travel-related services such as lounge access, vouchers and so on. The adoption of the EMD standard for travel agencies reduces costs, enables automated

GARNERING LAURELS: Glimpses of various celebrities present at the food awards.

reporting and accounting of ancillary service, according to industry standards through the distribution.

“Amadeus is pleased to be the first to offer the industry a full solution for travel agencies that is critical for industry profitability. Travel agencies will now have a single standardised method to issue the sale of all airline services, fully integrated into their system, which will provide a more efficient way of keeping track of spending,” said the Director, Distribution Product Management, Amadeus, Rudy Daniello.

The Spirit of Egypt in India once again!

TO celebrate the rich cultural heritage and to strengthen the harmony between the two countries Egyptian Tourism Office and the Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt in India organised an “Egyptian Night”. The gala night was a cultural extravaganza organised with the objective to promote and showcase the cultural richness of the country through various performances by the contemporary Egyptian artists. The event, an Egyptian Night, was held at the Imperial Hotel in Adel El Masry the capital’s centre.

Commenting on the Egyptian Night, Adel El Masry, Director, Egypt Tourism Office in India, said, “Like India, Egypt also simply lures on to its rich culture. Just as intriguing as its stories Egyptian dances also convey the unheard. Hence, it's a matter of honour for us to be a part of this huge platform in a country like India that already has so much to offer.”

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SNIPPETS Bird Information Systems empowers Jagson BIRD Information Systems Private limited (BIS) recently announced another strategic partnership with Jagson Airlines for the use of its Airline Inventory and Reservations System (AIRS). The contract was signed by Koustav M Dhar, Chief Executive Officer, Jagson Airlines and Ankur Bhatia, Executive Director, Bird Information Systems.

Under the terms of this long-term contract signed between the two companies, Bird Information Systems will provide the booking technology for the Airlines Inventory Hosting, reservation at city/airport offices, call centre(s) and Internet booking engine. Besides, for airport operations a unique stateof-the-art departure control system would be in use by the airline.

AIRS offers airlines a state-ofAnkur Bhatia Koustav M Dhar the-art, user-friendly, turnkey solution spanning right from the booking stage to the check-in process. A revolutionary web-based application solution, AIRS provides services in the areas of inventory control, hosting, reservation, ticketing, Internet booking engine, distribution and departure control.

Ankur Bhatia, Executive Director, Bird Group, said, “We are proud of this strategic tie-up with Jagson Airlines. At Bird Information Systems, it is our constant endeavour to create bespoke technology and solutions to add more value to our clients’ business.

We are sure that our solutions will help Jagson Airlines streamline their booking procedures and optimise their core processes for a

better passenger service.”

Koustav M Dhar, Chief Executive Officer, Jagson Airlines, said, “In collaborating with Bird Information Systems we have ensured that we not only get a common reservation platform but also a booking engine that enables our passengers to book through the Internet, through travel agencies or directly at the airport. Making booking as easy as possible for our customers is part of our strategy to make Jagson Airlines, an impeccable regional airline.”

Kale’s REVERA®10.3 Solution achieves certified integration with SAP Applications KALE Consultants Ltd. lately announced its flagship passenger revenue accounting solution — REVERA® version 10.3 — achieved certified integration with SAP® applications using Kale’s RevConnect 1.0 interface module.

The SAP Integration and Certification Center (SAP ICC) certified that REVERA 10.3 integrates with the SAP ERP 6.0 application to exchange critical data with instances of SAP Business Suite software.

RevConnect — an easy bolt-on component of REVERA — integrates with an airline’s implementation of SAP solutions, enabling the flow of revenue accounting data such as general ledger, accounts payable and accounts receivable data to and from REVERA and SAP ERP. With RevConnect, an airline can now post outputs from various accounts into the SAP ERP Financials solution without the need for manually transferring or uploading files to the SAP solution. Through this certified integration, Kale Consultants can deliver enhanced customer satisfaction.

2010 ushers in big leap for India tourism THE year 2010 has brought India to become one of the most potential tourism markets in the world. According to the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, the number of foreign tourist arrival in India for the period January to November 2010 grew by 10.4 per cent. In the last few years, it has expanded rapidly and due to the unprecedented and unbound support from the government, upgraded income level and inauguration of various international sports events (Cricket 20/20 and Commonwealth Games); the Indian tourism industry fruitfully grew in a healthy manner. Commonwealth Games was an additional opportunity for the travel industry to gain business, by offering special tour packages to the tourists. It was a peak time for the India's tourism industry, as the foreign tourists were heavily dependent upon for the flight bookings, hotel reservations, travel itineraries and visas.

The growth of India tourism market equally benefitted several associated industries such as the aviation industry, medical tourism industry and hotel industry. The percentage of India's share in the global tourism is expected to reach 1.5 per cent in 2010. Industry fetched maximum business from Agra (Taj Mahal), Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Rajasthan.

On the GDS front, several new technology additions were made to the system, which helped in optimisation of resources.

The technology hence facilitated a handy functioning and accessibility of the content to the agents reaching the end customer. The industry introduced various innovative tools in the market, which helped in a deeper penetration into the content available and increased productivity. Several product offerings from Galileo helped in penetrating into niche markets and smaller regions as well to meet the demands of the customers there; hence building expertise in the sector. ITQ has also

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MONEY SPINNERS: (Top) IPL 2010 and (bottom) Commonwealth Games 2010 contributed largely in the growth of Indian tourism.

introduced a feature to book budget hotels, which will help agencies augment and enhance their profitability and productivity and effectively tap into the budget hotels market, which has so far been fragmented.

Another key trend that stood out within the travel industry is the phenomenal growth of the mobile platform. Based on PhoCus Wright report, with over 450 million mobile Internet subscribers in the Asia Pacific alone, mobile applications are rapidly being developed. As an industry leader, ITQ has developed the mSmart to enable its travel partners in India to maximise the potential of the mobile platform.

Positive growth in travel bookings in recent months fuelled optimism for the industry's outlook. ITQ has experienced 16.5 per cent year-on-year growth in total booking volumes as of October 2010.

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FOCUS FEATURE

SNAPSHOTS FROM THE SHOW : (Clockwise from top) Anurag Bhatnagar, Pradeep Chandra, Veena and Hotelier Farhad Jamal; Anil Dharker; Photo of Madhuri Dixit at the exhibition; Pradeep Chandra briefing visitors about his work; and Hariprasad Chaurasiya, a photograph of flautist on display at the show.

MAHARASHTRA

CELEBRATES ITS SPIRIT WITH PICTURES radeep Chandra, our Picture Editor, recently organised an exhibition of his photographs at Mumbai. Entitled 50 Faces, Pride of Maharashtra, Chandra showcased his specially chosen photographs of 50 icons of the state. It was his tribute to the state, which is in its 50th year.

The photographs were of the famous personalities like President Pratibha Patil, Amitabh Bachchan, Balasaheb Thackeray, Lata Mangeshkar, Anil Dharker, Ratan Tata, Mukesh Ambani, Sachin Tendulkar, Madhuri Dixit, Sunil Gavaskar, Shabana Azmi, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and many others.

The event was marked by the presence of several celebrities who couldn’t help gaze at the pictures with admiration. He captured the essence of the living legends in his pictures so

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beautifully that they seemed so much like paintings. The photographs mirrored the vulnerability of the faces behind their glamour and beauty. He also shared with the guests several anecdotes while shooting with the celebrities and spiced them up with delightful narratives.

“Pradeep is an excellent photographer and these are his marvellous pictures. The portraits have captured the true spirit of the personalities. I liked the one where Ratan Tata and JRD Tata are conversing,” said industrialist Parvez Damania present on the occasion.

Pradeep Chandra shared with his guests several anecdotes while shooting with the celebrities and spiced them up with delightful narratives.

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CARGO JOTTINGS Kuehne+Nagel (K+N) acquires RR Enterprises THE Indian wing of Switzerland-based logistics major Kuehne+Nagel (K+N) recently acquired the Delhi-based RR Enterprises that had a cold chain logistics business. Though no figures about the deal were released, it is believed to be around $4-5 millon.

RRE is not too old. Owner Kapil Bhatia, a first-generation entrepreneur, had 50 refrigerated trucks and four reefer containers. His business was an all-India one and its acquisition

by K+N would help in its move to the perishable and cold chain logistics business. Industry experts believe K+N has seized the opportunity to step into the $475 millon cold chain market in India.

K+N’s portfolio is wide: from end-to-end supply chain management to sea, air, rail and road freight, contract logistics and lead logistics. It also does emergency and relief logistics, fairs and exhibitions and even hotel logistics.

The K+N acquisition is the latest in a long line of deals in the logistics sector in India. First there was Coffee Day buying Sical Logistics for $35.38 millon; Aqua Logistics taking over Star Distribution Logistics for $2 millon and Hitachi Transport System Ltd acquiring Flyjac Transport Logistics System for $56.1 millon.

A silver lining for India’s logistics industry INDIA'S logistics industry recently got a wake-up call: create adequate capacity to meet the rising demand for multi-modal freight movement or be left behind. With an eye on the rapid national GDP growth, the logistics industry had to counter the challenges of infrastructural bottlenecks. This was stated by India’s Minister for Shipping, GK Vasan at the recent logistics meet that discussed how to build India’s logistics infrastructure.

The other impediment restricting growth was the high logistics cost which at 13-14 per cent of GDP was way above the level of seven-eight per cent of GDP in the developed countries.

The minister pointed out that the government has taken a number of measures to support the growth of the logistics infrastructure like opening up the industry to 100 per cent foreign direct investment, promotion of a multi-modal transportation network, and public private partnerships (PPP). Among these initiatives were the National Highway Development Project, GK Vasan inter-connectivity of the 12 major ports, enhancement of the port handling capacities, the rail freight corridors in the east and west and the dedicated Delhi-Mumbai corridor.

Veteran from the logistics industry Cyrus Guzder, who is the Chairman of the Confederation of Indian Industry, National Logistics Council, mentioned that infrastructural bottlenecks and process lags in logistics were costing the national economy around $50 bn. He also pointed out that the need was for 20 expressways and not five or seven that were being put up. There was also an additional need for 750 new last mile road links and a considerable number of last mile rail links. Multi-modal logistics parks also needed to be developed in tandem with the growing demand.

Such demands would not remain unheard. Recently, Jyotiraditya Scindia, another minister — in fact the junior Minister in the commerce and industry ministry — enunciated the government’s keenness to build logistics infrastructure and storage of goods in the villages. He pointed out that rural India was the most developing and robust market within the country, which can act as a catalyst for enhancing the flow of FDI into the country.

The rural economy had a great role in maintaining the 6.5 per cent growth rate during the global economic recession. If there was a widespread logistics network in the hinterland, there would be more opportunities to attract investments from abroad.

ACAAI convention predicts positivity for air cargo “THERE is positive growth this year,” said J Krishnan, President of the Air Cargo Agents Association of India (ACAAI) at the inauguration of the recent three-day 37th annual convention of the association at Bengaluru. He went on to point out that the air cargo sector in India would see a whopping growth of 12 to 14 per cent this year compared to the around 6 per cent last year. Ascribing the low volumes to the recession that had gripped the Western nations, Krishnan said, “Things are better now.”. This time around intra-Asia trade has been picking up and so has demand from traditional markets. This, despite the fact that air cargo in India accounts for six-seven per cent of the freight in terms of tonnage but 35 per cent in value, Krishnan said.

He specially mentioned that the growth had been much better in the southern states of India (Chennai in the state of Tamil Nadu, Bengaluru in Karnataka, Hyderabad in Andhra Pradesh and Kochi in Kerala) where 12 per cent growth had been seen — much above the national average of 9 per cent.

Speaking to CRUISING HEIGHTS on the sidelines of the convention, the President said that ACAAI had been serving the air cargo industry for the past 40 years and had been holding conventions every year with “rare consistency” at locations across the country and the globe.

It was to take a critical look at how the stakeholders in the aircargo industry in the country would fare that ACAAI had

DELIBERATING THE FUTURE: Bharat Thakkar, Vice President, ACAAI, lighting the lamp to inaugurate the 37th annual convention of ACAAI (Air Cargo Agents Association of India). Also seen in the picture J Krishnan, President, ACAAI, and S Gurumurthy, the guest of honour, at the convention.

chosen the convention theme of resurgence in the air logistics industry. In fact, the business sessions at the meet had been designed to ensure that all those who were attending the meet would benefit from them. The sessions looked at the economic growth, the airfreight industry, the Indian Air Cargo Programme, cargo infrastructure and technology. Among the speakers were Swiss Cargo’s Oliver Evans and IATA’s Des Vertannes.

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CARGO JOTTINGS Emirates SkyCargo and DHL drive e-freight agenda EMIRATES SkyCargo and DHL Global Forwarding recently partnered to drive the e-freight agenda across their networks, to become the industry leaders in implementation. Both companies recognised the strategic value of e-freight; working in an electronic environment will bring enhanced operational efficiency and improvement to the supply chain.

“Emirates is a huge advocate of e-freight and is already one of the leaders in the industry in actual numbers of shipment carried on the e-freight lanes,” said Ram Menen, Emirates Divisional Senior Vice President, Cargo. “The benefits it has brought to our business are enormous, which is why we are encouraging others to embrace it. E-freight is the future of our industry. By reducing paper and carriage of paper on aircraft, e-freight will help reduce errors and increase accuracy. We believe by collectively engaging we can achieve better and coordinated results.”

“DHL Global Forwarding already handles more than a third of all international forwarder-issued e-freight shipments today,” Michael Schaecher, Head of Global Airfreight, DHL Global Forwarding, pointed out. “We will work with Emirates SkyCargo to ensure that driving e-freight volumes stays a key strategic programme for us.”

Emirates wins ‘Air Cargo Carrier of the Year’ award: Emirates SkyCargo reinforced its position as an industry leader by claiming top prize at the 2010 Supply Chain Asia Logistics Awards.

Emirates SkyCargo was named Air Cargo Carrier of the Year in recognition of the benefits it brings to customers’ supply chains by providing quality innovation solutions with a relentless focus on improving service and containing costs.

After two rounds — including nomination from readers followed by final voting by a group of independent judges — Emirates SkyCargo was presented the ‘Air Cargo Carrier of the Year’ award at a gala dinner at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.

The annual Supply Chain Asia Logistics awards — attended by more than 300 senior executives in the logistics and supply chain industry across Asia — recognise corporations and individuals in the fields of supply chain and logistics.

Said Ram Menen, Emirates Divisional Senior Vice President, Cargo, “It is particularly pleasing to win an award with such diverse criteria, with the decision based not only on the size of our network, but also on the reliability of service, level of customer satisfaction, approach to sustainability, CSR,

WELL-DESERVED: Jacky Lau Kim-leung (right), Emirates Cargo Manager, Hong Kong and South East China, received the “Air Cargo Carrier of the Year” award on behalf of Emirates at 2010 Supply Chain Asia Logistics Awards’ gala dinner.

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security and risk management. Emirates SkyCargo is honoured to win The Air Cargo Carrier of the Year award and remains committed to surpassing the high standards we have set and providing our customers with world-class service.”

Emirates SkyCargo awards top agents: Emirates SkyCargo hosted a special evening in New Delhi, recognising its top agents in the national capital for their efforts and achievements that contributed to the airline’s outstanding performance this year. The evening was held at New Delhi's Radisson Hotel.

Emirates awarded the performances of Agility Logistics Pvt. Ltd, Amrit Seair Express Pvt. Ltd., DHL Lemuir Logistics Pvt. Ltd., GAC Logistics Pvt. Ltd., Jenita Cargo Services Pvt. Ltd., MGH Logistics Pvt. Ltd., SA Consultants & Forwarders Pvt.

PIONEERING GROWTH: Pradeep Kumar, Senior Vice President, Emirates SkyCargo (sitting second from left), Keki Patel, Vice President-India & Nepal, Emirates SkyCargo (Standing second from right, front row) and Halim Modassir, Cargo Manager-North India, Emirates SkyCargo (Standing third from right, front row) with awarded agents at Emirates SkyCargo Top Agents Awards in New Delhi.

Ltd., Schenker India Pvt. Ltd., Scorpio Freight Pvt. Ltd. and Skyways Air Services (P) Ltd. “Our cargo agents are our most important partners in growth across all markets that we work in,” said Pradeep Kumar, Emirates’ Senior Vice President, Cargo Revenue Optimisation. “They are the frontrunners in our efforts to improve business in the market. This is a small attempt on our part to recognise the great efforts they put in and the valuable contribution they make towards achieving better results for them and also for us.”

“We would like to take this opportunity to thank all our agents for their continued support in the Delhi market. It is due to their consistent efforts that we have reached the stature that we have today,” he added.

The airline carries 506 tonnes of cargo a week from its base in Delhi which includes pharmaceuticals, perishables, valuables, chemicals and imports engineering goods, auto parts and garments. Overall, the airline carries more than 3,000 tonnes of cargo from the country to various points across the world every week.

With 184 flights a week, all operated on wide-bodied aircraft, Emirates is best suited to connect the country to better trade ties with the rest of the world through its hub in Dubai.

Emirates SkyCargo has seen a strong half-year performance across the network, posting an increase in revenue of 48.4 per cent to AED 4.4 billion, with cargo tonnage up by 23.7 per cent to 897 thousand tonnes, compared with 725 thousand tonnes for the same period last year. Emirates SkyCargo continues to post steady revenue growth, contributing around 17.8 per cent of the airline’s transport revenue.

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GHIAL ties up with HMACPL

FedEx enhances service portfolio in India

THE pharma sector in India is expecting a whopping growth in the next few years. That growth was quite evident when Pharma Zone — a dedicated cargo-handling zone exclusively for pharmaceutical products — was inaugurated at Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport recently.

The Pharma Zone is a joint venture between Hyderabad Menzies Air Cargo Private Ltd. (HMACPL), a unit of UK’s Menzies Aviation, and the operator of the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd. (GHIAL).

While GMR holds 51 per cent of the stake, Menzies has 49 per cent.

Inaugurated by Kiran Kumar Grandhi, Business Chairman, Airports, GMR Group, the Zone has the capacity to handle 3,600 tonnes annually and will be able to meet the projected requirement of 7,000 tonnes next year and 30,000 tonnes by 2015-16.

According to GHIAL CEO, P Sripathy and HMACPL CEO, Paul Smith, around 70 per cent of the export cargo from Hyderabad comprises of pharma products. The state-of-the-art temperature-controlled facility has been so designed that pharma products like bulk drugs, raw material, formulations, medicines and vaccines could be handled safely. Being, the first

FEDEX Express recently announced the availability of FedEx Import services in India. The service enables FedEx to meet the growing needs of Indian importers looking for reliable and customised import express services, in addition to the export and domestic services FedEx provides.

FedEx Import services provide door-to-door, customscleared, customised and time-definite services, which empower consignees in India with greater choice and control on their import shipments. With a transit time of typically two to three business days, the new services are available from more than 220 countries and territories worldwide-the highest by any import service provider in India. The services also enable customers to raise invoices and make payments in Indian Rupees. As a result, import customers can now enjoy the same benefits, expertise and high quality service, as with FedEx export and domestic services.

“We have successfully leveraged the strength of our vast network and flexible product portfolio to drive the competitiveness of Indian businesses by connecting them to an extensive network of global suppliers and customers. With the Import services, FedEx aims to stimulate this growth further by providing customers with the widest range of shipping solutions for all business needs in India — export, import and domestic,” said Kenneth F Koval, Vice President Operations, FedEx Express India.

FedEx acquires AFL with its affiliate: In a move that could spell competition for the Blue Dart-DHL combine in India, FedEx announced recently that its business unit was acquiring the logistics, distribution and express businesses of AFL Pvt. Ltd. and its affiliate, Unifreight India Pvt. Ltd. for an undisclosed amount. The acquisition would provide FedEx a more robust domestic ground network and added capabilities in India.

According to Michael L Ducker, COO, FedEx Express, “This STRATEGIC TIE-UP: Cyrus Guzder Chairman of AFL and Hamdi Osman, acquisition will provide Senior Vice President Operations, customers with more FedEx Express Middle East Africa service options such as and Indian subcontinent. domestic ground and value-added services, including warehousing, logistics solutions and third party logistics, while allowing them to take advantage of an increased coverage area.”

FedEx expands domestic express delivery service: FedEx continues to reach out to the furthest corners of India.

Recently, it announced the expansion of its premium domestic express delivery service. The FedEx Priority Overnight and FedEx Standard Overnight services, which were launched in October 2009 (reported in ACNFT); will now include 331 destinations, up from 58 destinations previously. This extension of FedEx domestic footprint is intended to support the growth of customers' businesses by providing increased reach to key Indian markets.

airport-based dedicated temperature-controlled pharmaceutical handling facility in the country, there are chambers with temperature ranges from 2-8 degrees Celcius to 15-25 degrees Celcius — both in sterile and in non-sterile zones.

The airport is also wooing Malaysia Airlines Cargo Sdn Bhd (MASkargo), the cargo division of Malaysia Airline System Bhd, to start using the Pharma Zone. Malaysia, incidentally, has also been ramping up its biotech industry.

Now that Hyderabad has been handling around 1.5 lakh tonnes of cargo annually, GMR has plans to develop the airport into a cargo hub for the country. According to the plans, a Free Trade Warehouse Zone (FTWZ) is being developed on 19.8 acres close to the Aerospace SEZ near the airport.

Hyderabad Airport to have opticoolers: Lufthansa Cargo and GMR Group recently announced their intention to jointly develop the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, serving the Indian metropolis into a key cargo hub in South Asia for the transport of temperature sensitive pharmaceuticals.

Representatives of the two companies signed a corresponding Memorandum of Understanding in Hyderabad.

A modern infrastructure will be established at the state-of-the-art Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, in order to meet the complex requirements of reliable, temperaturecontrolled transport solutions. Customs procedures at the airport shall also be speeded up in order to guarantee faster transport.

Under the terms of the partnership, Lufthansa Cargo will provide the capacity for the transport of temperaturesensitive cargo. To this end, the company will station its own fleet of cooling containers in Hyderabad.

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BACK PAGE EO, mountaineer, marathon runner, parachute jumper. That’s Airbus boss Tom Enders. The man loves the outdoors and the challenges as much as he loves his job. Tackling Rolls-Royce engines mounted on the Airbus A380 must have been on Enders’ mind but that did not deter him from taking a jump from an A400M freighter plane.

It was a dream-jump come true for Enders. Along with him was Bruno Delannoy, A400M programme manager at OCCAR (Organisation Conjointe de Coopération en matière d’ARmement was established by the Defence Ministers of France, Germany, Italy and the UK and its aim is to provide more effective and efficient arrangements for the management of certain existing and future collaborative armament programmes like the A400M programme) and eight others. Incidentally, Delannoy and Enders have quite a few jumps to their names. The two celebs were part of a highly experienced team of Airbus staff and other experienced sport parachutists with 35,000 previous descents between them. All of them jumped from the ramp of the development aircraft named Grizzly 3 near Seville, Spain, at the La Juliana drop-zone. Seville is the final assembly site for the A400M and one of two flight test centres for the programme.

The Airbus CEO was also out there to prove a point: he wanted to test the plane’s suitability as a paratroop-delivery platform.

That is, perhaps, why when talking about the jump, Enders emphasised, “It was an enormous pleasure for me to experience the excellent qualities of the A400M for paratroop operations…Paratroopers serving with our customer nations can be confident that the A400M will provide a far superior platform for their operations in future.” On his part, Delannoy too was ecstatic: “It was a great privilege to be one of the first few people to jump from this new aircraft type and a very enjoyable experience for all of the team.”

A former Bundeswehr paratrooper, Enders is a fitness fanatic who climbs mountains, still enjoys the occasional parachute jump, skiing and likes to run half-marathons.

With the jump, the seven nations that have ordered the A400M military transport aircraft from Airbus Military, and that includes Germany and Britain, could revisit their budgets to up the orders that they have scaled back because the plane has become more expensive than anticipated: it was originally slated to cost $27 billion but, according to a recent study, final costs could now rise to $44 billion. Incidentally, the jump came barely a week after Airbus parent company EADS finalised an agreement with customer nations to save the expensive A400M programme.

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VIGNETTES FROM THE CELEB JUMP: The 10-man team with Tom Enders use the A400M as a platform for the parachute jump and the jump in progress.

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